Do you love Grand Floridian, Polynesian, both, or neither?

[maui22]

Over the years, I have seen many people post they love one resort, but not the other. Curious what camp DVCers fall into and why.

Just a few things I recall people posting...

Grand Floridian is flagship, elegant, beautiful at Christmas time, many celebrities stay here, easier walk to/from MK.
Poly is the original WDW hotel, laid back, short walk (at least on the one side of the resort) to TTC, direct fireworks view.

 

[Micca]

"Love" is a strong word for my feelings about these two resorts, but they certainly have their appeal. We have stayed at both as hotel guests, never made it to DVC side of things (Points are super high, right?)

 

[bp2412]

Before DVC, Poly was my wife's and my bucket list resort but assumed we would never be able to stay. We love the vibe, the location, the food, just checks off so many boxes for us. We finally stayed for a week earlier this year and it was our best trip yet and have another planned for Poly next spring.

We do enjoy Grand Floridian as well but have not stayed there yet. We enjoy most trips stopping by the resort to walk the grounds, go into the shops, and either get food or drinks at one of the restaurants. All the monorail resorts are a great stop on a non-park night to visit and sightsee. We'll probably stay at some day in the resort studios to check it off the list, but for now it's the Poly for us!

 

[davidhr]

I like Poly a lot and like to stay there. I like the theming, food/bar options and I like the beach. Not a fan of how crowded it gets. Was thinking about buying a contract there, but after some thoughts decided not to because the studios are easy to get if you don't own and wanted to have booking priority at other resorts.

I've never been a fan of the Grand Floridian. The style is not for me. It's hard to explain, but for me it looks like a place where I wouldn't be comfortable spending a day (even if in reality isn't like that). I was looking to add a contract with the summer incentives and even with the awesome incentives for the VGF, decided to go with Riviera because I couldn't see myself owning there.

 

[tom1944]

I would stay at both but would not worry if on any given trip I was not able to book a reservation.

 

[MarkNC2Disney]

Love Poly with my 3 kids.
Love Grand Flo with just my wife.

 

[BeachClub2014]

I checked "not a fan of either", but that may be a bit strong. They are nice enough, but neither are our favorite and one that we have to stay at. They are nice to look at as we ride the monorail or fun to walk through to get a drink, perhaps, but as for staying at either, we can take it or leave it.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I would stay at both but would not worry if on any given trip I was not able to book a reservation.

Pretty much right where I am.

GF=Snobby and not what it once even was

Poly=Overrated (At least with the DVC component longhouse standard views.).

I've stayed at GF twice and Poly I think 3 or 4 times. Both were quite a while ago now that I think about it. I haven't hurt myself to stay at either one lately.

Like wasn't an option so I passed on a vote.

 

[Anthony1971]

Poly. Its 100% the vibe and the grounds. I do miss the hammocks on the beach and they now blocked view.
Stayed at GF did not see any celebrities but did run into (and one literally) twice at the Poly once at Kidani and once at OKW. The GF is nice just not my idea of nice the theming and grounds fall far short from Poly and WL for that fact.

 

[RuntheMouse]

I voted for love the Poly not the GF. Love is a strong word though, I like it but it has short comings.

I think the number of people passing through at all times of the days make for some difficulties. Dining there has always been a challenge for us. There just isn’t enough bar/restaurant space available there. Hard to find a table. I don’t love the pools either. The feature pool is so crowded and the quiet pool is meh. I like the rooms and the grounds are beautiful.

 

[LadybugsMum]

We love both and that's how I voted, but GF gets the edge due to having 1 bedrooms. I have 2 VGF contracts and did not buy Poly due to the studio/bungalow situation.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don’t love either. The pools at a resort are a draw for me, and neither has a pool that I enjoy.

What I like about the GF are the Easter and Christmas decorations, what I like about the Poly is breakfast at Kona Cafe.

 

[Wedgeout]

Both Ok. I’d still stay at each. Lost the love for them when Grand Floridian dismantled the Orchestra and they decided to put a modern tower on Luau burial grounds. Sorry, each lost its “love” charm.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Both are nice, I would not pass up a stay at either - but "love" is a strong word. I don't love either one. Poly because it only has studios and (really price heavy) bungalows, GF because, while nice, it's not nice enough to justify the point demand - and it's a little stuffy for my taste (but like I said, I'd stay there anyway).

 

[Sandisw]

We love the Grand! We don’t dislike the Poly but we don’t like the longhouse set up for PVB. That’s why we are looking forward to the tower because might be more apt to switch between the two before heading to RIV.

 

[Disney Spaz]

I put we love both but honestly it is GF all the way for us. Poly is more of a like. We usually do a 1bdrm so Poly fell short for us in that options but I don't think the new tower will make much of a difference because I would prefer to be in a 1bdrm at VGF versus Poly every time. The vibe of both are amazing but my heart belongs to VGF.

 

[ak517]

We love bouncing between both resorts, with the best move being putting your name down for Trader Sam’s before dinner at Citricos, but my husband decided we have to stay at VGF from now on because it’s his absolute favorite. I’m more of a heavily themed Poly/AKV lover, but I’ll put up with staying at VGF

 

[Pooh12863]

I like Poly a lot and like to stay there. I like the theming, food/bar options and I like the beach. Not a fan of how crowded it gets. Was thinking about buying a contract there, but after some thoughts decided not to because the studios are easy to get if you don't own and wanted to have booking priority at other resorts.

I've never been a fan of the Grand Floridian. The style is not for me. It's hard to explain, but for me it looks like a place where I wouldn't be comfortable spending a day (even if in reality isn't like that). I was looking to add a contract with the summer incentives and even with the awesome incentives for the VGF, decided to go with Riviera because I couldn't see myself owning there.

I always get that nagging feeling I'm being watched by security when I stop by the GF.

 

[sndral]

I stayed at the Poly once - two adjacent hotel rooms for 10 nights & thought I’d love it, but was disappointed. Some was due to subpar management at the time, for example, they can more aggressively police the pools & kick out trespassing non hotel swimmers, more realistically schedule their restaurants & say no to walk ups (waiting an hour beyond a scheduled ADR is ridiculous,) accurately describe views (in what world does a garden view equal a parking lot view?) But some things are unfixable, the lobby is relatively small for the size of the resort & the restaurants & thus is usually swamped w/ people (a fate Riviera somewhat shares w/ it’s tiny lobby, at least Toppolinos is upstairs so the crowds waiting for it don’t overwhelm the lobby & currently Toppolinos isn’t popular enough to draw the big crowds the Poly restaurants/bars do.) The Poly individual longhouses have small entrances w/ long dark halls w/ rooms on both sides. Because Poly1 DVC is all studios (and the ridiculously high point bungalows) it isn’t an option for us since we like our space & prefer at least 1 br.s.
I’ve mellowed towards the Poly since that visit & enjoy taking the boat over from the VGF to have lunch at Captain Cooks - where the outdoor seating space at lunch is large enough to not feel crowded anymore.
The VGF is my favorite (AKV Jambo is my second love,) the one bedrooms feel spacious (at Jambo we go for 2 br.s,) & even though the VGF building is small they’ve allocated space to accommodate a comparatively generous lobby that soars the full height of the VGF building & has the charming penguin fountain. All of the outbuildings at the GF have that central lobby design (sans penguin fountain ) which I loved when staying as a hotel guest in my pre DVC era. Although I don’t find the RPC lobby to be stuffy, I’m not a fan of the visiting hordes, but at least the lobby is large enough to disperse them somewhat. I do miss the band, but still enjoy listening to the grand piano player. The GF grounds feel spacious to me & IME are never crowded although you do run into lost folks from the boat in search of the lobby or from the lobby in search of Narcoossees. I love that I can now stroll over to the MK - I used to look longingly at that path to nowhere as I’d wait in the line for the GF/Poly boat at MK closing. I can’t explain it, but the minute I arrive & walk by that old car & the potted plants towards the lobby entry my cares fall away & I feel a sense of serene relaxation .

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Love the main buildings of the Grand, but the DVC 1 building looks like a box. Not a fan.

Love love love the Poly the way it was before they built the bungalows, and getting rid of luau cove to make way for a sky scraper is making it even worse.

Not to mention the elimination of the stream in back, and the elimination of the fountain in the GCH.

They managed to wreck a perfect resort.