CR vs Poly vs GF: which club level w/ young kids?

[anomamatt]

I have CR club level booked for 7 nights in February/March of 2017, but the ability to easily change reservations online has made me second guess my choice. I have two young kids (4.5 and 2.5 at time of travel). I have not been to disney in 30+ years.

My kids still nap, so we will be returning to the room after lunch for ~2-3 hours and return to a park and do a couple rides/things before dinner in a park (and then back to room for bed). I plan on doing all the parks, but mainly MK and most evenings I plan on us going to MK.

Ignoring cost (they are close enough), which monorail resort (CR vs Poly vs GF) is the most convenient for kids -- in terms of access to the parks (particularly MK)?

And how different are the club levels? Is one more kid-friendly with regard to snack choices? I plan on doing breakfast nearly every morning via CL.

I was sold on CR, but want get opinions. If you were traveling with young kids and wanted the most convenient resort, which would you pick?

Thanks!

 

[alex9179]

We've stayed Poly CL and CR TPV. My kids' favorite is CR, which surprised me. They loved how fast it was to get to MK and the monorail. They were OVER THE MOON with TPV and the resort in general.

Either of those two would be great. I like CL at the Poly for the view, but honestly the kids were never able to stay up long enough to watch the fireworks and they were aged 5-8. They were couple of years older on our CR trip and made it a couple of nights. I believe that CR CL doesn't have a view to speak of, but I could be mistaken.

As a parent, I liked how compact everything is at CR and the dining options, which won't be as pressing with CL. The monorail worked perfectly, so transportation to two parks were a breeze.

For an MK focused trip, I'd pick CR.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've done CL at CR, Poly and GF. For CL, I really prefer Poly. The Hawaii longhouse is lovely and the lounge has such a beautiful view. If you want the most convenient to MK, CR probably wins since you can walk there, but the resort itself isn't very interesting (well, perhaps from an historical point of view as it is one of the original WDW resorts) and the pool is in need of a serious overhaul. Also, when getting on and off the monorail with a stroller, you have to use the ONE elevator they have and it gets really backed up. In fact, all of the elevators in CR get backed up and it's kind of annoying. GF and Poly both have new, child splash pads which are really fun. GF RPC was nice, but not worth the money IMHO. GF Sugarloaf wasn't great. IMHO, for theming, convenience to MK, ease of getting to your room and to the CL lounge, Poly wins out for me.

 

[TJA]

We've stayed at all 3 of those club levels with 2 young kids.

First, all 3 monorail resorts are convenient and great in their own way. I see why you chose CR as we stayed there a few times when our kids were stroller age because we loved that walkway to MK. Really, nothing beats that convenience. And we found ourselves at Chef Mickeys several times each trip! Only downside is we weren't wild about the elevator system at the monorail that you have to take with a stroller. It's very small and always has a line because of all the strollers.

However, as far as resort preference now that we've stayed at all 3, we'd probably go with Poly CL with a TPV or LV. I think for us it comes down to theme and vibe, and we really love the tropical and relaxing feeling we get at Poly. Everything seems more compact too, maybe because the CL building is only 3 floors and super easy and quick to get to the lounge, both the pools, the main building, and monorail/boat. We did love our GF RPC CL stay -- the food is best there compared to the other CL's and everything was just a notch above the others. But for overall CL experience, Poly just has that vibe that appeals to us the most.

In your shoes, I'd probably go with Poly CL with TPV or LV. But I wouldn't be disappointed with CR CL mainly because of that walking path to MK. I'd probably save GF CL for a later trip.

 

[kboo]

I haven't stayed at CL but have stayed at CR twice, GF once (and again next year). If MK is going to be your main resort, I highly recommend CR. You can visit the other monorail resorts for a meal or to walk around the lobby (we spent an entire morning back in March having breakfast at Kona Cafe and then walking around the Poly; we did the same on our April trip, walking from GF to Poly for breakfast and just to walk around on a mellow day). But when we stayed at the CR (once when my older DD was almost 3 and again in March, when she was 4.5), the convenience to MK just couldn't be beat. When we just had 1 kid, DH and I would trade off staying with her for naps, and on my "free" nap days, I'd walk to MK and just browse the shops on Main St. without a toddler. This past March, we easily took the kids in a double stroller and power walked to MK in the morning, and brought them back for midday breaks. And after dinner, our baby would fall asleep in the carrier or stroller on the walk back. We only took the monorail to go to Epcot. And finally - we usually try to eat at Boma on our trips, and for that, it's so much easier to walk to the MK bus stop and take the bus to AKL than any other way to get around. It's true, the theming at the Poly or GF are much nicer, but with little kids and a double stroller, CR wins hands down. (And you will remember this the first and every other time you are wheeling 1-2 kids back to the resort while they're having a meltdown)

 

[disgirl411]

We have stayed CL at GF, CR, and Poly. My family absolutely loves GF outer building and main building. But there is a difference in all of the club levels, with GF having the most options especially for children-chicken nuggets or corn dogs every night along with PB&J sandwiches, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, rice crispy treats, the CR and Poly do not have all of this. They also have a lot more snacks during the day, and they do tea time & scones in the afternoon which the other 2 resorts do not do. They usually have 3-4 hot appetizers at dinner time while the others have 2. The breakfast is wonderful and I'd say twice as many breakfast options compared to the others. You are going to get a lot more food with GF and the staff is always very friendly and accommodating. We do not think the CR and Poly CL is worth the extra money. In terms of closeness to the park, at GF we love taking the monorail to MK (first stop) and taking the resort boat back (first stop). There is no boat service with CR, so unless you take the 5-7 minute walk you will take the monorail with MK being the 4th stop. Either one you choose I'm sure it will be fun! Enjoy!

 

[anomamatt]

Thanks for all of the replies! I'm still torn, but: GF has corn dogs?! If I tell them that, my kids would be sold! =)

In case it influences anyone's vote, the specific room choices:

- GF - outer building, TPV - CL
- CR - bay lake view, atrium club - CL
- Poly - garden view - CL

(You can ignore potential price differences. All these are roughly the same cost and I would happily pay more for better convenience and kid friendliness).

I don't know how much the views will matter. We would stay up a couple nights to watch wishes, but I thought lake view for CR was more cost effective since we can go to the lounge for a TPV.

I also liked the idea of being in the main building of CR with respect to monorail access (just take an elevator). How does being in an outer building of GF impact getting to the transportation?

And I dream of a free afternoon for me (while my wife was with the kids napping), so quick access to MK would be paramount for that.

Thanks again for all of the thoughts!

 

[TJA]

Thanks for all of the replies! I'm still torn, but: GF has corn dogs?! If I tell them that, my kids would be sold! =)

In case it influences anyone's vote, the specific room choices:

- GF - outer building, TPV - CL
- CR - bay lake view, atrium club - CL
- Poly - garden view - CL

(You can ignore potential price differences. All these are roughly the same cost and I would happily pay more for better convenience and kid friendliness).

I don't know how much the views will matter. We would stay up a couple nights to watch wishes, but I thought lake view for CR was more cost effective since we can go to the lounge for a TPV.

I also liked the idea of being in the main building of CR with respect to monorail access (just take an elevator). How does being in an outer building of GF impact getting to the transportation?

And I dream of a free afternoon for me (while my wife was with the kids napping), so quick access to MK would be paramount for that.

Thanks again for all of the thoughts!

Ok that does change my thought process a bit . To us, the lagoon side of the Poly CL is what makes the stay there overly special. So if I had to choose between GV CL at Poly and CR CL either view, I'd probably go with CR. Plus, it really sounds like you guys will be going to MK quite a lot, so CR wins as far as ease of having the walkway. If you had a trip where you planned to go to the other parks a lot too, then maybe Poly CL or GF CL would suit you more. As a side note, Poly CL usually has corn dogs and PB&J too. But I do agree that GF CL has the best CL food out of the 3.

GF is a pretty compact resort, so while staying at the outer CL building (Sugar Loaf), it's an easy and quick walk to the main building monorail. MK is the first stop on the monorail. Going back to GF, we usually take the boat as it's the first stop and quite efficient. I'm not sure if Sugar Loaf has a TPV category? I think there can be some pretty nice views, though. We've only stayed CL in the main building (Royal Palm Club), so hopefully others can help out with Sugar Loaf.

 

[anomamatt]

GF is a pretty compact resort, so while staying at the outer CL building (Sugar Loaf), it's an easy and quick walk to the main building monorail. MK is the first stop on the monorail. Going back to GF, we usually take the boat as it's the first stop and quite efficient. I'm not sure if Sugar Loaf has a TPV category? I think there can be some pretty nice views, though. We've only stayed CL in the main building (Royal Palm Club), so hopefully others can help out with Sugar Loaf.

Okay, now things are making sense. I found a lot of discussion about Sugarloaf vs Royal Palm Club and how they are lightyears different (same food choices, but SL being overly cramped). So outer building = sugarloaf now makes sense! At least online, I cannot find a discounted rate on GF main building except for deluxe king, which isn't enough beds for us. So this potentially rules out GF...

For Poly, I cannot find a discount on lagoon view CL, only garden view or TPV. And while I won't put a price on convenience for this trip, the cost in views (lagoon to TPV is >$1700 more) I cannot justify.

All together, I am leaning towards sticking with my CR reservation... Maybe when they are older we can do GF RPC... And Poly sounds great too, when we will spend more than a couple mornings in parks other than MK (when they get older). Too many options! Thanks for all of the thoughts!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Love this conversation. We have been to all three CLs over the last few years (some several times). DS6 has been on all the trips in my signature (ages 3-6) and DS2 has been on a few as well, so generally in your same range (although not exact).

First off, IMHO, there is no right or wrong choice! Just like every resort has their pros/cons, so does each CL. There are subtle differences in each, some work better with different people's touring styles and perspectives than others. I could write 100 pages if I really tried to cover every nuance! But at the end of the day, you're at Disney. You're in one of the three flagship MK properties. You can hop on the monorail at any time. Really hard to go wrong!

I'm glad you clarified the view category options - to me that makes a big difference in the potential decision. I'll caveat everything that I say in that most of my Poly CL trips have been in a TPV room (we did GV once). Having a TPV room (or LV) with young kiddos really does change the adult experience, and for us that has been an important part of our trips (sure it's 80% about the kids, but we want some Disney fun too!). My CR stays have been in a TPV room as well. The price is a punch in the gut for sure, no denying that. But being able to put the kids down for a nap and/or bed and still check out some of the comings/going outside (eg, fireworks) is a great benefit.

When I mix in the multitude of factors involved, for us Poly CL would be the clear winner, followed by CR and then GF (although I could argue the order of the last two a million ways). Here are a couple of the top reasons in my mind:

- It's a 7 day trip. For that length, I prefer Poly or GF. I LOVE CR and just had a great stay there, but I like it in smaller doses. CR has an inferior pool setup compared to the others and for that length of stay, that would start to irk me. The Poly and GF pools and kids splash areas in particular add to tons of resort options for the kids. CR doesn't have a kids splash area (only a dinky squirt pad).

- They are all 'kid friendly' but I think the nod for 'kid friendliest' CL is Poly. The lounge is just more casual. If little johnny spills his OJ it's not the end of the world. You spill OJ at GF and you feel like they're looking at you funny. (I'm exaggerating a bit, but you get my point).

- Poly CL is a very 'easy' resort to be at with young kids. Not a ton of walking, easy access to bus/monorail, ability to walk/push stroller to the TTC, etc. The pools are a mere steps away from the CL longhouse. Not that the others aren't easy, Poly is just a touch better.

- Back to what I said about our Disney trips being also being for the adults.... I think Poly wins here too, followed closely by GF, then CR. Poly just has a nice, relaxing, tropical vibe.

I better stop now but literally could go on and on. My bullets were pro-Poly, but again, I don't think you can go wrong. As you can see from my signature, Poly keeps drawing us back over the others, at least at this point in our lives.

Happy to answer any specific questions, or make your decision even more difficult!

 

[SwimAruba]

Helpful perspectives, thank you all for sharing! We are contemplating these same 3 choices and hoping to have the opportunity to book for next summer

 

[anomamatt]

- It's a 7 day trip. For that length, I prefer Poly or GF. I LOVE CR and just had a great stay there, but I like it in smaller doses. CR has an inferior pool setup compared to the others and for that length of stay, that would start to irk me. The Poly and GF pools and kids splash areas in particular add to tons of resort options for the kids. CR doesn't have a kids splash area (only a dinky squirt pad).

I love the idea of the kids splash pad (my kids love them). I know all the pools are heated, does the splash pad also use heated water? I ask because of when we are going (late Feb, early March) will be cooler temps. I've read how bad the CR pools are (in comparison to other deluxe resorts), but I didn't think much of it, given when we are going to be there. Originally, I also planned less time at the resort , but in starting to make more concrete touring plans, I want to schedule more time at the resort (since they are so young, I don't want to overplan)... so a splash pad could be very appealing.

I better stop now but literally could go on and on. My bullets were pro-Poly, but again, I don't think you can go wrong. As you can see from my signature, Poly keeps drawing us back over the others, at least at this point in our lives.

Happy to answer any specific questions, or make your decision even more difficult!

Thanks for your (and everyone's) thoughts! I totally get what you are saying about the view for adults... would be nice both during naps and in the evening when they are asleep. I will call to see if there are any lagoon views with a discount that don't appear online (unlikely, I'm sure but worth checking). And I'll go check the Poly CL thread(s), but quick question: is the lounge in the same building as the rooms for Poly?

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Yes, the Poly CL lounge and all of the CL rooms are in the same longhouse (Hawaii). Here's a morning view from the lounge:

 

[doubtingthomas6]

if that CR room had a magic kindom view then I would stick with that. It's absolutly the best perk of any resort to have your own private view of the fireworks.
Since it's a baylake view and b/c we are focusing on the kids, I would probably swtich to the poly. The pool and the atmosphere are much more appealing to kids than either the GF or the CR.

 

[TJA]

Here's a morning view from the lounge:

View attachment 204727

AHHH this picture is THE best way to describe how it feels to be there -- no words necessary! I never get tired of looking at it .

 

[anomamatt]

Such a hard decision and I know we will love whatever we choose... That picture = wow. I'm so tempted to switch to Poly CL TPV... Poly seems to be the most convenient resort, in general, so I need to make a plan for how much we will be in MK vs other parks (if >75% MK maybe I'll choose CR)... Or I will flip a coin. But I keep looking at that picture...

 

[anomamatt]

One more question... I know this will be subjective, but how do the counter service restaurants compare between CR and Poly? We will have the dining plan and will do Chef Mickey's no matter what, but am curious about differences between QS/CS lunch and dinners between restaurants at the two resorts? Thanks!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I love the idea of the kids splash pad (my kids love them). I know all the pools are heated, does the splash pad also use heated water? I ask because of when we are going (late Feb, early March) will be cooler temps. I've read how bad the CR pools are (in comparison to other deluxe resorts), but I didn't think much of it, given when we are going to be there. Originally, I also planned less time at the resort , but in starting to make more concrete touring plans, I want to schedule more time at the resort (since they are so young, I don't want to overplan)... so a splash pad could be very appealing.

I've been that same time a couple of times now (one of my favorite times of year to go BTW). Weather can be all over the place, hot, cold, pool, no pool. All pools and splash pads are heated. We've always swam during those trips, sometimes more tolerable than others! Last year at GF during that same week we did a lot of swimming - but some days you really didn't want to get OUT of the water once you got in! It's also fun to see how long it takes for your kids to turn blue.

Such a hard decision and I know we will love whatever we choose... That picture = wow. I'm so tempted to switch to Poly CL TPV... Poly seems to be the most convenient resort, in general, so I need to make a plan for how much we will be in MK vs other parks (if >75% MK maybe I'll choose CR)... Or I will flip a coin. But I keep looking at that picture...

Don't let me sway your plan - I do love CR and the CL CM's there were really great back in September. I just happen to like Poly a bit better.

We have traditionally been very MK-centric in our plans - just a better fit overall for kids. But we do all of the other parks too (except HS). At Poly we love being two stops away via monorail or being a quick boat ride away. Same coming back. Some people are really in love with being able to walk to MK from CR - and while it's nice - to me it's not a total game changer since the transportation options from places like Poly or GF are only marginally different in terms of time/convenience. Don't underestimate the convenience of walking to the TTC for the monorail to Epcot - a huge hidden benefit of being at Poly. At CR you can take the monorail one stop to the TTC and transfer lines to Epcot, but walking from Poly feels more convenient in practice.

Also, if you're questioning at TPV or LV room, a GV room at Poly is totally fine (and much cheaper obviously). It's not quite as "wow," but you have the lounge for the view. I keep getting sucked into TPV rooms but it doesn't make the most financial sense.

Also FWIW, DW booked our first Poly CL TPV trip and I went kicking/screaming about how much it cost. It's only been downhill since then and Disney has successfully morphed my perspective on an acceptable nightly rate to pay for a hotel room.

One more question... I know this will be subjective, but how do the counter service restaurants compare between CR and Poly? We will have the dining plan and will do Chef Mickey's no matter what, but am curious about differences between QS/CS lunch and dinners between restaurants at the two resorts? Thanks!

Just be warned you'll have a large crowd telling you the DP and CL is 'too much'. I tend to agree with that, but only you know your style and what works for your family/budget, so the popular opinion may not always apply.

To your question, personally, I like Captain Cooks (Poly) quite a bit more than the CR's quick service place. I can't really point to exactly why, I guess the menu at Poly appeals to me more. Frankly with CL we don't eat at either very much at all!

We try to do Chef Mickey's every trip no matter where we stay, but sometimes can't because we book late and it's hard to get a reservation. Everyone tends to poo-poo that place but it's classic Disney in the best sense for me/us, despite the food!

Sorry this is so long!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

@anomamatt Also, just wanted to add you should come check out the CL thread for more info. Lots of great folks over there. If you look back around 7/23 you'll see some posts from me about our summer Poly CL stay which had a lot of pics. Then around 9/11 we were at CR CL and I posted some pics as well.

In fairness, while I've pointed out many of the positives about Poly CL above, it has a couple of flaws. It tends to rate pretty low among the CLs in terms of quality and selection of food offerings. It gets a "just OK" label in my book. Also the CMs can tend to be hit/miss (although not that different than anywhere in Disney frankly). None of these are deal killers for me, but they are fair observations.

 

[alex9179]

Such a hard decision and I know we will love whatever we choose... That picture = wow. I'm so tempted to switch to Poly CL TPV... Poly seems to be the most convenient resort, in general, so I need to make a plan for how much we will be in MK vs other parks (if >75% MK maybe I'll choose CR)... Or I will flip a coin. But I keep looking at that picture...

Poly's club lounge does have a beautiful view. But, we never saw those evening skies. Our kids were too exhausted. They were showered and asleep by 8 every night. DH and I sat on our GV balcony and talked, which was pretty nice, but not THAT ^ nice