Sounds wonderful! We just booked our first AKL stay for this Fall. Did you make any room request? Please tell me the resort is smaller than it looks! I'm worried about being on the opposite side of the restaurants and pool.
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Thanks for checking in and for posting some of the food offerings. Hope you have a great stay and continue to enjoy CL !
Thank you!Thanks for checking in and for posting some of the food offerings. Hope you have a great stay and continue to enjoy CL
Hope you have a great trip!
THat's weird about the ginger ale. It stayed out in the cooler at the Boardwalk Inn
I know GF and BC also had ginger ale out with the other sodas too. Maybe it's based upon the resort. BWI has the most to go drinks in general I think with the nesquik, milk cartons, oj, and juice boxes. My kids are delighted
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Hi folks! Sorry this is long. Back home from 7 nights at Poly CL (TPV) and 1 night at BC CL. I've been posting several pics along the way, hope they were useful. I may have to try a trip report one of these days. Wanted to share a few thoughts/observations on our CL experiences this time around, the good and not so good. As always, this is only our perspective. There are so many differences in CLs and resorts I'm a firm believer that you should take everything you read here with a grain of salt until you have a chance to experience a particular resort or CL for yourself. So here we go...
The Team - Me, DW, DS(6), DD(turned 2 the day we arrived). DW and DD only stayed Saturday-Wednesday, which we had purposely planned. Maybe not a popular opinion but we think 2 is a little on the young side to really get your "money's worth" at WDW. Ride restraints, naps, and bedtimes just get in the way too much (yes, I said it). The plan was to spend the first half of the week together enjoying everything we could do as a family - a lot of MK and resort/pool time. Boy's trip for the second half (we've done this before and enjoy vacationing this way, although I guess it's unorthodox). I'm giving this detail because I think it's important to view my comments in the context of parents with children of our age.
Poly CL -
BC CL -
- Poly CL will always be popular with us - location, location, location. I really love the Poly and enjoy everything they have done there over the last few years. The addition of the Oasis Pool is great and the quick walk from Hawaii to both pools will always keep us coming back.
- We were in a TPV room - my requests were "third floor first priority, close to the lounge second priority." We got third floor, 3516, third room from the end opposite the lounge. I was a little bummed about this at first (we tend to use the lounge frequently for a quick sip of water, coffee, beer, etc) but Hawaii just isn't that big. 90 steps door to lounge.
- CL CM's were quite pleasant, better than expected. I've had roller coaster experiences from trip to trip at Poly - some great, some average, and once I swore I'd never go back. This time around everyone seemed to be in good spirits, in general. It was great seeing familiar faces in the lounge and to be remembered by many of them.
- Except...at check-in we were going through the motions, chatting with the CM about how we were having a cake delivered to celebrate DD's birthday later that day, etc. Ahem...cough, cough....daughter's birthday...today...ahem. Had to eventually just ask for a birthday button. Then, just like at GF RPC in Feb (for my birthday), CM just gives me the button and sharpie to do it myself. I swear we are not picky people and don't really expect/ask for much at all, but really? C'mon!
- I posted a few days ago we were having great Mousekeeping. I've had small gripes about room cleanliness and larger gripes about really, really late cleanings before. Had no issues this time and very early room cleanings. I guess towel animals are back on? Is that official/unofficial?
- No greeters out front at all anymore. No CMs with iPads, only the bell person. I posted about my arrival experience several pages ago. Not particularly magical.
- I have to admit, I left this trip really down on the Poly CL food offerings. It's just the same mediocre food that's been on the rotation for years. Now that I've seen more of what places like GF and BC offer in their CLs, Poly is just really a step down - it's really amazing how different they all are! It's not so bad that we wouldn't come here (CL for us is not all about the food), but it's certainly something we'll be remembering in the future as the kids get older.
- Requested and was granted a late check-out (1PM) by a CL CM at the first floor desk, only to be barked at by a Mousekeeping manager-looking CM when she saw us going in our room at 11:45 claiming we weren't on the list and had to get out now. I thought it was bold to argue with a guest about this.
- At the end of the day, it all comes back to location. Nothing will give you the Disney feels more than that view from the lounge and seeing the castle whenever you want. The buzz of the Seven Seas Lagoon is palpable and you're really in the center of it all. Pics don't do it justice.
- Ok, only one night here so can't really give a fair review, but boy is this place an eye-opening experience after being at Poly for 7 nights.
- Excellent food with plentiful options. CMs everywhere bussing tables and replenishing food.
- Lounge was so clean! In the Poly CL lounge, if your kid drops a goldfish and steps on it, the crumbs tend to "fit in" and it's not the end of the world. You drop crumbs in this lounge and you feel bad!
- Almost had a bit of a stuffy RPC feel to it, I have to say. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just the vibe.
- From my 24 hour experience (admittedly not a full body of work), the food here wins out over RPC hands down. I was at RPC in Feb at the height of the "cutbacks" so maybe I didn't get a full experience. It's certainly along the same level, but I'd give the nod to BC both for food and CM service.
- This was the first CL I've stayed where the lounge closed at points during the day. Didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, it's just "different."
- Greeters with iPads here! I don't understand Disney, why would they be here but not at a flagship resort like Polynesian? I guess because they can get away with it.
- I was in Room 1647 which is a "1-BR Suite with CL Access" room. I understand some of these rooms are very far from the lounge but this room was VERY close. A short walk down a hallway, up the elevator, and you're there. Less steps than my walk to the Poly lounge frankly.
Lessons Learned (not necessarily CL related) -
Despite any negatives above, we had a wonderful trip! The first part with all four of us was great and we had some wonderful "first trip" moments. The second part was fantastic and we really hit the parks pretty hard. We were having such fun that's why we tacked on the extra night.
- Next time we stay 7+ nights, we will almost certainly do a split stay. I grew a little tired of Poly half way through the week. I had had my fill and wanted to move on. Some of this could just be that we've stayed there a bunch. I could see a Poly/BC or Poly/BWI split being very attractive for our style.
- We booked this trip 50 days out. I had zero problems securing adequate FP's or dining reservations. Although we tend to be 40% planned, 60% go with the flow, so that makes it a bit easier. Regardless, last minute planning can certainly be done without too many headaches.
- Loved Animal Kingdom at night. I know the Jungle book thing got poor reviews but I enjoyed it. First time at AK at night (beautiful!) and the place was pretty empty. Everything was a walk on. Ended up going back for a second night we liked it so much.
- Did the paid Early Morning Magic thing at MK one morning. Highly, highly recommend this too if you're into that kind of thing. With a little one in the July heat, this was a great way to experience MK.
- First time we've stayed in the middle of July - been spoiled by fall and early spring trips before. Now that DS starts regular school we're going to have to migrate to more crowded times like this. I thought the crowds were manageable but certainly heavier than we're used to. It did take away a bit from our overall enjoyment of the trip.
- Pools at Poly and BC were very warm.... Like hot tub warm!
- I missed the GF texting service. That was really a nice feature in Feb. I could see that being a total headache to run operationally for Disney, but darn was it nice.
Sorry again for the length. Happy to answer any questions if needed! Now off to start thinking about our next trip.. Thanks for reading.
. I guess sometimes it's worth waiting for the changing of the Wine Guard?!
. Remember the "old" stories of guests posting that they were told to "Just take the entire bottle back to your room!" I've not read those reports anymore lately.
Several more than at the Polynesian, although its seems like I remember more than one sugar free soda choice (maybe the second was sprite zero?) Of course I may be mistaken and having a senior moment
Sounds like there's plenty of variety
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