hi all! what a great forum!! i've really enjoyed reading everyone's posts (it's technically 'research' when i'm planning a trip so i'm not really sitting here goofing off or anything
i'm very, very, very torn... do i book our easter break vacation (the week before easter, march 05) for the poly or gf? my dilemma is that dh and i (also traveling will be dd who will be 5½yo and ds who will be almost 4yo) are absolutely wanting a castle view. we stayed at the grand in may 03 and had a standard lagoon view room and were very lucky they gave us our request of a castle view. we thoroughly enjoyed our stay,watching the fireworks from our balcony (and gasperillas grill one evening), the water parade and just watching the castle change colors all night. it really added a special magic to our trip. then in oct 03 we tried the poly cl (it was in tahiti since hawaii was being refurbed), and while it was certainly nice to have snacks all day, we're fairly private people and found the make-shift lounges noisy & crowded and i definitely wouldn't do it again like that. BUT i've seen the pics of the real lounge in hawaii bldg and am thinking it would be a much nicer experience there. also, booking a lagoon view room in hawaii would be our best chances at getting a castle view (i think). dh would be very upset if we pay all that money and can't see the castle from our room. i told him i think the chances of that happening are greater at the GF (that we don't get a castle view) no matter what type of room we reserve. i wish the conceirge level rooms all had castle views or something like that. BUT if you do get a castle view, boy is it better at the GF than the poly. much closer - to me it really made a difference. so i'm torn... i wasn't even thinking CL at the grand until i stumbled on this forum. and i'm also thinking at easter week, those 2 resorts (and all the others i'm sure) will be fully booked, which decreases our chances (especially at the grand) of getting a castle view. BUT with the poly being a little less expensive and a little more kid friendly, its also a bit noisier, even in CL. We were honestly surprised at some of the peoples manners (actually lack of manners) in the CL lounge, and we're not fancy people in any way. we're regular hard working, middle class upstate NY family. but people were letting their kids leave the biggest messes on the tables, letting their kids poke their fingers in all the buffet trays - i could go on. it was kind of gross. one older gentleman was even tasting all the buffet trays while standing over them, chewing as he went down the line, and i swear food dropped out of his mouth back into the tray. i was very grossed out. i'm told that can't happen at the regular poly lounge as there's glass over the trays. the make-shift lounge didn't have the glass, so maybe it's a little better there. and it was just so cramped, there were usually no places to sit and relax. i'm reading recent trip reports where this seems to be the case also in the regular hawaii lounge too though, and again, it being easter week, they'll be crowded. BUT i'm reading the food isn't as good in the GF (which i'm not sure i care sooo much about that), i just really, really want the castle view. in reading about the lounge in the GF, it seems nice being in the open lobby but up above it all. kind of more relaxing... oh boy, someone please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm driving myself and my poor dh crazy!
thanks in advance for any input! Liz
i'm very, very, very torn... do i book our easter break vacation (the week before easter, march 05) for the poly or gf? my dilemma is that dh and i (also traveling will be dd who will be 5½yo and ds who will be almost 4yo) are absolutely wanting a castle view. we stayed at the grand in may 03 and had a standard lagoon view room and were very lucky they gave us our request of a castle view. we thoroughly enjoyed our stay,watching the fireworks from our balcony (and gasperillas grill one evening), the water parade and just watching the castle change colors all night. it really added a special magic to our trip. then in oct 03 we tried the poly cl (it was in tahiti since hawaii was being refurbed), and while it was certainly nice to have snacks all day, we're fairly private people and found the make-shift lounges noisy & crowded and i definitely wouldn't do it again like that. BUT i've seen the pics of the real lounge in hawaii bldg and am thinking it would be a much nicer experience there. also, booking a lagoon view room in hawaii would be our best chances at getting a castle view (i think). dh would be very upset if we pay all that money and can't see the castle from our room. i told him i think the chances of that happening are greater at the GF (that we don't get a castle view) no matter what type of room we reserve. i wish the conceirge level rooms all had castle views or something like that. BUT if you do get a castle view, boy is it better at the GF than the poly. much closer - to me it really made a difference. so i'm torn... i wasn't even thinking CL at the grand until i stumbled on this forum. and i'm also thinking at easter week, those 2 resorts (and all the others i'm sure) will be fully booked, which decreases our chances (especially at the grand) of getting a castle view. BUT with the poly being a little less expensive and a little more kid friendly, its also a bit noisier, even in CL. We were honestly surprised at some of the peoples manners (actually lack of manners) in the CL lounge, and we're not fancy people in any way. we're regular hard working, middle class upstate NY family. but people were letting their kids leave the biggest messes on the tables, letting their kids poke their fingers in all the buffet trays - i could go on. it was kind of gross. one older gentleman was even tasting all the buffet trays while standing over them, chewing as he went down the line, and i swear food dropped out of his mouth back into the tray. i was very grossed out. i'm told that can't happen at the regular poly lounge as there's glass over the trays. the make-shift lounge didn't have the glass, so maybe it's a little better there. and it was just so cramped, there were usually no places to sit and relax. i'm reading recent trip reports where this seems to be the case also in the regular hawaii lounge too though, and again, it being easter week, they'll be crowded. BUT i'm reading the food isn't as good in the GF (which i'm not sure i care sooo much about that), i just really, really want the castle view. in reading about the lounge in the GF, it seems nice being in the open lobby but up above it all. kind of more relaxing... oh boy, someone please help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i'm driving myself and my poor dh crazy!
thanks in advance for any input! Liz
