Contemporary vs. Poly

[Agent13]

Hi, everyone. WDW first timer here. I'm a So Cal Disney local since childhood growing up in OC. So I really cannot wrap my head around the size of WDW. All the resorts, the transportation, all the restaurants. In CA, it is so easy. So close. And this is what I'm trying to attain in our first WDW vacay this June.

I've come to the conclusion that I will pay more for saved time and ease, which is how I have decided between Contemporary and Poly. Which resort is the most convenient? Which is the one that is the easiest to go back to when the FL heat has me in a tizzy?

My concern about the Poly is Hawaii is an easier, quicker, cheaper vacation for us. So I'm not sure that is what I'm looking for out in FL. Or else I'd just go to the islands again. Also, it seems like you have to walk outside to get to places, and I might want to hide from all that with FL weather that I'm a bit concerned about. Am I over thinking this?

What is the "easiest" resort?
Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[White Rose]

The Poly is convenient for access to the MK monorail(get to the park faster), and TTC (Epcot monorail) is a short walk if you are on the right side (facing the water) of the resort.

Contemporary is closer to MK (is walkable), indoor access, first stop after MK on the monorail(faster going back to the room)...but does not have walking access to the TTC. You would need to change monorails at the TTC.

I would actually pick the contemporary, unless you plan on spending the most of your time at Epcot.

However Long you plan for getting from point a to point b...triple it. It can be a 10 min walk from the bus to the entrance to the parks...

Walt Disney world is like a city...it is bigger then some.

 

[Agent13]

Thank you for your response!

 

[jerseygal]

That is a tough call since both the Poly and Contemporary are very nice, both have lovely pools imo. I agree with White Rose, if you plan to spend most of your time at Epcot, Poly is much easier. If you plan on spending alot of time at MK, Contemporary is such an easy short walk to MK. Both locations have very good quick serves, Captain Cooks and Contempo Cafe. Additionally, if we stay at the Poly, we enjoy walking(lovely walk along Bay Lake), so one of the days, we walk to the Grand Floridian and use Gasparillos for either breakfast or lunch for variety. The vibe is unique at both resorts of course. Have stayed at Poly a few times and recently stayed at Bay Lake Tower which we loved! If you decide on Contemporary, The Wave TS is excellent! ENJOY, both are lovely resorts!

 

[jpakstis]

Do you have kids? What size is your party? We stayed at the Contemporary in 2015 when our daughters were 6 and 4. We stayed at the Poly this past April when our daughters were 9 and 7. We used a stroller for our youngest when we stayed at the Contemporary; no stroller at the Poly. We thought the Poly was much more convenient to get around the whole WDW area than the Contemporary, with the understanding that on both trips, our focus was the MK.

It is nice that you can walk to MK from the Contemporary. But honestly, we only did it maybe once or twice. It is also nice that the first They changed the security setup from when we stayed at the Contemporary to the Poly and my understanding is that on the walkway to MK there is a separate security line, but when we went we just joined the larger "general" security line. It wasn't bad, but when we stayed at the Poly, we either underwent a security line before we rode the monorail or right after we got off the boat. Speaking of which, the boat was a great option, especially for escaping MK during the middle of the day. There is no boat (if I recall correctly) to the Contemporary, although it is only one-stop on the Monorail.

The Monorail on the Contemporary was just OK, in my opinion. You have to take an elevator to the 4th floor and that was kind of a choke-point for us, especially with a stroller. It wasn't necessarily bad, just limiting. And then to get to the MK from Contemporary its four stops. You can walk from the Poly to the TTC for the Epcot monorail. We actually did that a decent amount. So overall we found the Poly to have more options for getting to places than the Contemporary.

As for theming, I stayed in Hawaii for about a week back in 2002 (at the Hilton in Waikiki just to give perspective on my experience). I loved the Poly theming; it was less evocative to me of what Hawaii or other pacific islands are now, but as of what they were imagined to be in the 70's. Most of the artwork is of playful beach scenes in that Mary Blair style or of retro "ads" of local Poly places such as Trader Sam's. And I loved how spread out the whole resort was, but then again we never got caught in a monsoon. The Contemporary, in contrast, was pretty standard stuff (ironic that it has a true Mary Blair artwork there, the huge mural). I felt like the Contemporary was a bit more monolithic and even touch more tricky to navigate with our kids.

As for the rooms themselves, we stayed DVC both times. The Contemporary was a 2 bedrooms (stayed with my parents) and it was great, but fairly boring. The Poly room was full of theming touches (Mary Blair-esque painting of mermaids in the bathrooms, the Lilo & Stitch artwork behind the murphy bed, a little tiki-style lamp) but the room itself was really lacking in storage for our 4-person family and only came with a queen bed, a sleeper sofa, and the murphy bed. So every morning we would have to "re-construct" the room in order to have room to move around and get ready. We were able to watch the fireworks from our room however, which we really enjoyed.

 

[Summer2018]

Hi, everyone. WDW first timer here. I'm a So Cal Disney local since childhood growing up in OC. So I really cannot wrap my head around the size of WDW. All the resorts, the transportation, all the restaurants. In CA, it is so easy. So close. And this is what I'm trying to attain in our first WDW vacay this June.

I've come to the conclusion that I will pay more for saved time and ease, which is how I have decided between Contemporary and Poly. Which resort is the most convenient? Which is the one that is the easiest to go back to when the FL heat has me in a tizzy?

My concern about the Poly is Hawaii is an easier, quicker, cheaper vacation for us. So I'm not sure that is what I'm looking for out in FL. Or else I'd just go to the islands again. Also, it seems like you have to walk outside to get to places, and I might want to hide from all that with FL weather that I'm a bit concerned about. Am I over thinking this?

What is the "easiest" resort?
Thanks in advance for your help!

I can totally relate to your post because I am a WDW veteran, and I am totally freaking out over my upcoming vacation to DLR in April. I am an expert at planning a trip to WDW. Six and a half months out, I use crowd calendars to figure out which parks we are going to on which days. 180 days out, I make our dining reservations, and yes, we always get the Disney Dining Plan. 60 days out, I am up at the crack of dawn to book our FastPasses. When we arrive at WDW, I know exactly what to expect...early mornings in the parks; afternoons at our resort pool; and evenings at fabulous restaurants, fireworks cruises or viewing fireworks from our restaurant or resort. I get very excited and don’t worry about anything. Right now, my upcoming trip to DLR is stressing me out.

I personally prefer the Polynesian because of the relaxing atmosphere and theming. I did love our trip to the Contemporary, the theme being Tomorrowland. If the monorail is down, you can walk to MK. California Grill sits at the top of the tower, serves delicious food, and is a great place to view fireworks. If you stay there, you will want to stay in the tower on a high floor so that the noise from Chef Mickey’s doesn’t bother you.

Enjoy.

 

[TheBigErn]

I've stayed at both and both are great and equally "easy", each for its own reasons. Either one is a great choice.

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Poly

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If Hawaii is a quick trip for you from CA, there is zero reason, IMHO to stay at Poly if your main goal is park convenience. The only hotel that is within walking distance to MK is CR. Super easy - no monorails breaking down, no waiting for buses. That being said, if you also plan on going to EP and DHS, you may want to look at BC/YC and BWI as they are within walking distance (accessible by boat as well) to both of those parks. IMHO, those resorts are nicer than CR.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Poly walk to TTC and 2 stops to MK.
Contemp walk directly into MK, one stop to TTC

Complete personal opinion here, the Contemporary doesn't do anything for me as a resort. I love its history, restaurants, and proximity to MK. I DON'T love its aesthetic so I don't enjoy staying there. If you like to get out and enjoy your resort instead of just using it as a place to sleep to me the Poly wins. They are sorta a wash from a convenience aspect.

I also don't feel being able to visit Hawaii has anything to do with staying at the Poly. Hawaii is Hawaii and the Poly is a resort modeled after the 1960s South Seas/Tiki Bar craze.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Hi, everyone. WDW first timer here. I'm a So Cal Disney local since childhood growing up in OC. So I really cannot wrap my head around the size of WDW. All the resorts, the transportation, all the restaurants. In CA, it is so easy. So close. And this is what I'm trying to attain in our first WDW vacay this June.

I've come to the conclusion that I will pay more for saved time and ease, which is how I have decided between Contemporary and Poly. Which resort is the most convenient? Which is the one that is the easiest to go back to when the FL heat has me in a tizzy?

My concern about the Poly is Hawaii is an easier, quicker, cheaper vacation for us. So I'm not sure that is what I'm looking for out in FL. Or else I'd just go to the islands again. Also, it seems like you have to walk outside to get to places, and I might want to hide from all that with FL weather that I'm a bit concerned about. Am I over thinking this?

What is the "easiest" resort?
Thanks in advance for your help!

No brainer to me. I have stayed at both the Poly and the CR. I love both. If you have access to Hawaii from where you live, don't bother staying at the POLY. Stay at the Contemporary.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

If Hawaii is a quick trip for you from CA, there is zero reason, IMHO to stay at Poly if your main goal is park convenience. The only hotel that is within walking distance to MK is CR. Super easy - no monorails breaking down, no waiting for buses. That being said, if you also plan on going to EP and DHS, you may want to look at BC/YC and BWI as they are within walking distance (accessible by boat as well) to both of those parks. IMHO, those resorts are nicer than CR.

I said the same before reading your post.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Did you consider the Grand Floridian btw?

 

[Agent13]

Did you consider the Grand Floridian btw?

Yes, I did... kinda. I ruled it out because of the price + needing to walk outside to get to different buildings (from things I have read.) I know the poly is the same, but the price point is lower so with that, I ruled out GF, unless someone tells me I should highly reconsider.

I'm truthfully pretty scared of Florida heat. But with work, June was my only approved time off from my employer.

 

[Agent13]

No brainer to me. I have stayed at both the Poly and the CR. I love both. If you have access to Hawaii from where you live, don't bother staying at the POLY. Stay at the Contemporary.

Yes, we all have gone to HI many times and Aulani this past September. I just want to take my daughter somewhere where she can't help but say "wow!" Perhaps the Poly will still do that!

I'm torn. : )

 

[Agent13]

Poly walk to TTC and 2 stops to MK.
Contemp walk directly into MK, one stop to TTC

Complete personal opinion here, the Contemporary doesn't do anything for me as a resort. I love its history, restaurants, and proximity to MK. I DON'T love its aesthetic so I don't enjoy staying there. If you like to get out and enjoy your resort instead of just using it as a place to sleep to me the Poly wins. They are sorta a wash from a convenience aspect.

I also don't feel being able to visit Hawaii has anything to do with staying at the Poly. Hawaii is Hawaii and the Poly is a resort modeled after the 1960s South Seas/Tiki Bar craze.

Okay, thank you!.. That's good to know. It seemed (and I'm sure I'm wrong) that it was a resort that was trying to be like the islands. I wasn't sure how to think about that given my prior post. I did not grasp the retro vibe though before. Thank you!

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Yes, we all have gone to HI many times and Aulani this past September. I just want to take my daughter somewhere where she can't help but say "wow!" Perhaps the Poly will still do that!

I'm torn. : )

I think you should consider the GF if you have the funds. It's not that much more than the POLY. And yes, you do have to walk outside to get to the main building (same as the Poly). To stay in the Contemporary, it is almost as much as the GF (if you are staying in the tower which is the best place to stay anyway).

The GF would be the best of both worlds IMO, in your case. The GF is also very WOW!! I have stayed in Contemporary, Poly, and GF. I think GF would be best for you if you want to be near the MK. If you don't want to be near MK, then consider a deluxe resort by Epcot (Yacht or Beach Club).

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Okay, thank you!.. That's good to know. It seemed (and I'm sure I'm wrong) that it was a resort that was trying to be like the islands. I wasn't sure how to think about that given my prior post. I did not grasp the retro vibe though before. Thank you!

I think you should rule out the POLY if you have actually been to Hawaii and have easy access to go, also if you have been to Aulani. I think you may be disappointed for your $$.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I think you should rule out the POLY if you have actually been to Hawaii and have easy access to go, also if you have been to Aulani. I think you may be disappointed for your $$.

Based on expectation maybe? We were married in Hawaii and visit occasionally. The Poly is still one of our faves. I guess I just don't go there to pretend Im in Hawaii so its not an issue for me? Mileage will vary per personal opinion and expectation obviously.

I agree GF is a great option as well. Although some find it stuffy (not me).

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

Based on expectation maybe? We were married in Hawaii and visit occasionally. The Poly is still one of our faves. I guess I just don't go their to pretend Im in Hawaii so its not an issue for me? Mileage will vary per personal opinion and expectation obviously.

I agree GF is a great option as well. Although some find it stuffy (not me).

I understand going to Hawaii on a special trip and still loving the POLY. But for the OP, it seems Hawaii isn't a once in a lifetime trip like for some others. So I based it on that.

The GF actually wasn't stuffy at all, having stayed with our toddler and child.