Going from a MK area Deluxe to an Epcot area Deluxe

[AngiTN]

What do you love so much about POR? I just had friends stay there and didnt love it. I have to say I have stayed at Caribbean beach 2 times years ago (before I knew about "requests" and it was just eh. I hate the thought being a bus only hotel. So sell me on POR and why you love it because I have visited it and even eaten there, and do find it appealing. But my friends just stayed there and weren't blown away. So I would love to hear your thoughts on it, especially as someone who does a split stay with a deluxe and POR. How can you stay at a Deluxe and still be happy with a moderate on the same trip, kwim? What makes up for not being on the monorail or being walking distance to Epcot, etc? Aside from the cost factor that is.

We do that all the time too.
Doing it next month. What's not to be happy about? You are at Disney?
You have to take a bus somewhere from all resorts, even a Deluxe.
We love both PO resorts. We are doing WL/FQ/BWI next month.
They still have a bar, activities, restaurant, grounds to walk in, etc. And a boat to DS

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

We do that all the time too.
Doing it next month. What's not to be happy about? You are at Disney?
You have to take a bus somewhere from all resorts, even a Deluxe.
We love both PO resorts. We are doing WL/FQ/BWI next month.
They still have a bar, activities, restaurant, grounds to walk in, etc. And a boat to DS

Well I guess for me having a toddler now, in a stroller, I prefer not to get on a bus (Where I have to fold up my stroller) if I dont have to. I think that's probably the biggest reason a moderate is a draw back for me right now. So Epcot deluxe I can walk to BW or Epcot, and MK deluxe I can take the Monorail to Epcot and MK. And never have to take a child out of the stroller. So I guess that's why I see it that way right now and my view may change as soon as I no longer have a child sleeping in a stroller on a trip.

 

[Shellyred8]

Sorry meant, 4 and 4 or 5 and 3. lol

I would do 3 at MK resorts and 5 at BW resorts. Then you get the benefit of 2 close parks for a longer period of time.

 

[stephk1981]

We stayed at Polynesian our first 4 trips when my son was 2-3.When he turned 4 he requested to go to BC because of SAB. I was not excited about that trip at all. I thought I'd miss the monorail, but after the first day at BC I realized I loved it too. We stayed at YC, BC, and Boardwalk only for the next couple of years. We decided that walking to Epcot was more our style for evenings. We don't care too much for YC and Boardwalk ( many people love it) wasn't for us either. To behonest we didn't even miss MK resort area. My husband came with us on a visit and requested Poly after our two year hiatus from it, and I actually missed BC. With that said, after the Poly pool area was redone, we began going back. My son loves the Poly kids pool. For the past few years we either split our stays, or do the spring trip MK resort, fall trip BC. It's hard to go wrong with whatever you choose, it's Disney, you are going to enjoy it no matter what!!

 

[Dawn K]

You truly can’t go wrong with either! I always have that same dilemma every time I go, Because there is nothing more magical then walking out your hotel and seeing MK across the lake. That’s why I split stay. I usually spend just a few days at a MK resort and get my MK days done, then go to Epcot area. Best of both worlds, and the use of the busses is at a minimum.

 

[ninafeliz]

We have stayed at the MK resorts most frequently, since we have 4 young children we spend a lot of time at the MK and it is our favorite park. We have also stayed at the Epcot resorts, just not as much. I like to stay at them both to avoid busses and folding strollers. At the MK resorts you can take the monorail (or walk from the CR) to the MK, and from the Epcot resorts you can walk to Epcot and DHS, leaving only the AK for a bus or other mode of transportation. However, we all prefer the MK resorts in our family. When we are at the Epcot resorts we find ourselves just missing the MK area, even given the amazing stormalong bay and the ability to walk between 5 resorts and 2 theme parks over there. If you are split stay people I think a split between a MK resort and an Epcot resort is the perfect vacation, if not I prefer the MK resorts but do still like the Epcot ones. The MK resorts just feel more like full resorts and more Disney to me, with lush theming and grounds (maybe a little less for the CR, but the view and walkability help make up for that!). It's just a personal preference.

 

[disny_luvr]

What do you love so much about POR? I just had friends stay there and didnt love it. I have to say I have stayed at Caribbean beach 2 times years ago (before I knew about "requests") and it was just eh. I hate the thought being a bus only hotel. So sell me on POR and why you love it because I have visited it and even eaten there, and do find it appealing. But my friends just stayed there and weren't blown away. So I would love to hear your thoughts on it, especially as someone who does a split stay with a deluxe and POR. How can you stay at a Deluxe and still be happy with a moderate on the same trip, kwim? What makes up for not being on the monorail or being walking distance to Epcot, etc? Aside from the cost factor that is.

We loved everything about POR; honestly, there isn’t one thing that I’d change. The resort is so serene and a nice respite from the crowds in the parks. I find a lot of the deluxes to be full of people (many visiting the resorts and dining there). I didn’t find that to be the case at POR. We loved the boat ride to DS - very peaceful and relaxing. We usually avoid DS because I find the bus service there and back horrible, but we loved the boat ride there and we found we visited DS more this trip than others. We also loved having a dedicated food court at POR. That is the number one thing I miss with the deluxes. Poly has Capt. Cook’s which we love, but it’s always so full. The YC/BC has a lack of quick service options and it’s the number one drawback of those resorts. We really enjoyed the pool area (much more than I thought we would). POR also has Yeehaw Bob, a fun nighttime show for families.

The lack of transportation options at POR or the other mods is a drawback, but we had excellent bus service and didn’t mind the busses at all. I think with POR, the location of your room is key. We were booked in a standard room, but had made some room requests and all my requests were granted; we had an awesome location close to the food court, main pool, and bus stops. All the rooms at POR are getting refurbed and I can’t wait to see the new rooms. Once all the rooms are refurbed, I think that will make this resort even more desirable.

 

[MomOTwins]

Very interested in this post since we are about to go to BC for the first time after staying at GF, Poly, WL, AKL, and POR. I think we will love BC, as Stormalong Bay sounds amazing (we are going in August so I am planning on a lot of pool breaks), and my kids are really excited about the boat access to HS now that it has TSL and all the Star Wars stuff. As much as I loved the monorail the first time I visited, I found the new security checkpoints to be such a hassle at them on our more recent trip as they were frequently backed up and very slow, and there did seem to be a lot more downtime due to technical issues as others have mentioned.

OP, since you asked about POR, we stayed there once because my kids wanted to try the Royal Rooms and I do not think I would ever choose it over a deluxe again. The grounds were nice, but the room was much smaller and less nicely appointed than at a Deluxe, and had a motel vibe with the external doors and soap/shampoo dispensers instead of sealed individual toiletries. And I HATED the buses. Because they had four stops before ours at POR, and also at times shared with POFQ, we saw so many buses go by us full, and when we finally managed to board one after long waits they were packed and standing room only, which is not easy with little kids. When we had to take buses at AKL and WL, they were much more frequent and less crowded since there are fewer guests at Deluxes than at moderates. They did not have Minnie Vans at POR at the time, though, and now do, so had that been an option I probably wouldn't have minded as much, but we were stuck with buses as our only option, every day.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Well I guess for me having a toddler now, in a stroller, I prefer not to get on a bus (Where I have to fold up my stroller) if I dont have to. I think that's probably the biggest reason a moderate is a draw back for me right now. So Epcot deluxe I can walk to BW or Epcot, and MK deluxe I can take the Monorail to Epcot and MK. And never have to take a child out of the stroller. So I guess that's why I see it that way right now and my view may change as soon as I no longer have a child sleeping in a stroller on a trip.

This is exactly why we did many MK/EP resort splits when my DS was little. On some of those trips, we even skipped AK, so I never had to fold up a stroller and put him on a bus for the entire trip! Love it! Now that he is older (10) and with the introduction of uber/lyft/Minnie Van's, it's so much easier. Even when we stay at an EP resort, I still don't take buses - I would rather splurge on a Minnie Van than wait for a bus! We have stayed at POR (years ago), but I have a "thing" about interior hallways and did not like that it was more of a motel set up with the resort room door opening to the outside. I also love patios and balconies, so mods and values just aren't for us (though we've tried)

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

. All the rooms at POR are getting refurbed and I can’t wait to see the new rooms. Once all the rooms are refurbed, I think that will make this resort even more desirable.

Thank you for this. Any idea when the reforms will be done? I may be swayed once done.

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

This is exactly why we did many MK/EP resort splits when my DS was little. On some of those trips, we even skipped AK, so I never had to fold up a stroller and put him on a bus for the entire trip! Love it! Now that he is older (10) and with the introduction of uber/lyft/Minnie Van's, it's so much easier. Even when we stay at an EP resort, I still don't take buses - I would rather splurge on a Minnie Van than wait for a bus! We have stayed at POR (years ago), but I have a "thing" about interior hallways and did not like that it was more of a motel set up with the resort room door opening to the outside. I also love patios and balconies, so mods and values just aren't for us (though we've tried)

Ok, I didn't think of this!! I also have to have an interior hallway! So are you saying that all rooms, even upper level of POR open to the exterior? Are there no elevators for strollers etc? I do not like the motel, ground floor feel also.

 

[TJA]

Well I guess for me having a toddler now, in a stroller, I prefer not to get on a bus (Where I have to fold up my stroller) if I dont have to. I think that's probably the biggest reason a moderate is a draw back for me right now. So Epcot deluxe I can walk to BW or Epcot, and MK deluxe I can take the Monorail to Epcot and MK. And never have to take a child out of the stroller. So I guess that's why I see it that way right now and my view may change as soon as I no longer have a child sleeping in a stroller on a trip.

OK, so in answer to the first part of this thread, you asked if anyone had stayed at MK resorts and then switched to Epcot resorts, etc. My answer is YES we have, many times! We started out at MK resorts when my twins were babies and just LOVED being so close to the Castle, monorail, etc. However, one trip we wandered back in the Epcot world showcase and discovered the Epcot resorts and I fell in love immediately with them! So we switched to staying at Epcot resorts for many years, favoring the BC. Did we miss the MK resorts? No, not at all! Now, as my kids are getting older, we are starting to rotate again and sort of reverting back to MK resorts.

As for your comments above, I could've written that too because we avoided buses as much as we could with the double stroller/jogger and 2 babies/toddlers. Therefore, split stays were perfect for us, and I think I read that you decided on a split with Poly and BC - 2 of our favorites!! You really can't go wrong. The only time you'll need to take a bus is if you go to AK. Some trips we skipped that park and so we never took a bus at all.

Enjoy!

 

[ninafeliz]

Ok, I didn't think of this!! I also have to have an interior hallway! So are you saying that all rooms, even upper level of POR open to the exterior? Are there no elevators for strollers etc? I do not like the motel, ground floor feel also.

All rooms in the moderates and values except to the AOA family suites have exterior doors and halls. In POR the Alligator Bayou section is only 2 floors and don't have elevators, the mansions have elevators. POFQ has elevators. I haven't stayed at CBR or CS in a long time, I don't think CBR has elevators and I thought some sections of CS didn't have elevators, but I haven't kept up with what they tore down at those resorts either so someone may need to correct me there. The values have elevators, because they are more floors and even disney in a value won't make you climb 5 flights or steps as an only option

 

[TJA]

This is exactly why we did many MK/EP resort splits when my DS was little. On some of those trips, we even skipped AK, so I never had to fold up a stroller and put him on a bus for the entire trip! Love it! Now that he is older (10) and with the introduction of uber/lyft/Minnie Van's, it's so much easier. Even when we stay at an EP resort, I still don't take buses - I would rather splurge on a Minnie Van than wait for a bus! We have stayed at POR (years ago), but I have a "thing" about interior hallways and did not like that it was more of a motel set up with the resort room door opening to the outside. I also love patios and balconies, so mods and values just aren't for us (though we've tried)

Ha! I just posted almost the same thoughts as you! We were exactly the same - split stays when the kids were younger to avoid the buses, and we skipped AK many times too. We also tried POR a couple times and also CBR....did not care for the outside doors either, and we're also a patio/balcony family! One thing we do love about POR, though, is the food court! I love the create-your-own-salad area.

 

[Farro]

If you normally stay at a MK deluxe resort, then decided to try an Epcot Deluxe (Beach or Yacht), were you happy? Did you miss the MK resort and area too much? Or did you totally love your new hotel by Epcot?

Normally stay at Beach or Yacht Club. Last October we stayed at Polynesian. We missed it so much we stopped in to smell the lobby of the Beach Club while we were at Epcot!

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

All rooms in the moderates and values except to the AOA family suites have exterior doors and halls. In POR the Alligator Bayou section is only 2 floors and don't have elevators, the mansions have elevators. POFQ has elevators. I haven't stayed at CBR or CS in a long time, I don't think CBR has elevators and I thought some sections of CS didn't have elevators, but I haven't kept up with what they tore down at those resorts either so someone may need to correct me there. The values have elevators, because they are more floors and even disney in a value won't make you climb 5 flights or steps as an only option

So do they not place people with strollers on an upper level in POR? Or do they expect you to lug your 23 lb stroller up and down? OMG. I am literally appalled that this could have been the case for someone who booked this unknowingly. That's no vacation IMO!!

 

[Childs1stTime2Disney]

OK, so in answer to the first part of this thread, you asked if anyone had stayed at MK resorts and then switched to Epcot resorts, etc. My answer is YES we have, many times! We started out at MK resorts when my twins were babies and just LOVED being so close to the Castle, monorail, etc. However, one trip we wandered back in the Epcot world showcase and discovered the Epcot resorts and I fell in love immediately with them! So we switched to staying at Epcot resorts for many years, favoring the BC. Did we miss the MK resorts? No, not at all! Now, as my kids are getting older, we are starting to rotate again and sort of reverting back to MK resorts.

As for your comments above, I could've written that too because we avoided buses as much as we could with the double stroller/jogger and 2 babies/toddlers. Therefore, split stays were perfect for us, and I think I read that you decided on a split with Poly and BC - 2 of our favorites!! You really can't go wrong. The only time you'll need to take a bus is if you go to AK. Some trips we skipped that park and so we never took a bus at all.

Enjoy!

Our first trip with our 3 yo we skipped AK. This year we went to AK and it was so hot and so awfully crowded, the ground hurt beneath our feet and FOP was out of order, we left within 2 hours. So I could take it or leave it, same as you.

 

[ninafeliz]

Well I guess for me having a toddler now, in a stroller, I prefer not to get on a bus (Where I have to fold up my stroller) if I dont have to. I think that's probably the biggest reason a moderate is a draw back for me right now. So Epcot deluxe I can walk to BW or Epcot, and MK deluxe I can take the Monorail to Epcot and MK. And never have to take a child out of the stroller. So I guess that's why I see it that way right now and my view may change as soon as I no longer have a child sleeping in a stroller on a trip.

OP, since you asked about POR, we stayed there once because my kids wanted to try the Royal Rooms and I do not think I would ever choose it over a deluxe again. The grounds were nice, but the room was much smaller and less nicely appointed than at a Deluxe, and had a motel vibe with the external doors and soap/shampoo dispensers instead of sealed individual toiletries. And I HATED the buses. Because they had four stops before ours at POR, and also at times shared with POFQ, we saw so many buses go by us full, and when we finally managed to board one after long waits they were packed and standing room only, which is not easy with little kids. When we had to take buses at AKL and WL, they were much more frequent and less crowded since there are fewer guests at Deluxes than at moderates. They did not have Minnie Vans at POR at the time, though, and now do, so had that been an option I probably wouldn't have minded as much, but we were stuck with buses as our only option, every day.

This is exactly why we did many MK/EP resort splits when my DS was little. On some of those trips, we even skipped AK, so I never had to fold up a stroller and put him on a bus for the entire trip! Love it! Now that he is older (10) and with the introduction of uber/lyft/Minnie Van's, it's so much easier. Even when we stay at an EP resort, I still don't take buses - I would rather splurge on a Minnie Van than wait for a bus! We have stayed at POR (years ago), but I have a "thing" about interior hallways and did not like that it was more of a motel set up with the resort room door opening to the outside. I also love patios and balconies, so mods and values just aren't for us (though we've tried)

OK, so in answer to the first part of this thread, you asked if anyone had stayed at MK resorts and then switched to Epcot resorts, etc. My answer is YES we have, many times! We started out at MK resorts when my twins were babies and just LOVED being so close to the Castle, monorail, etc. However, one trip we wandered back in the Epcot world showcase and discovered the Epcot resorts and I fell in love immediately with them! So we switched to staying at Epcot resorts for many years, favoring the BC. Did we miss the MK resorts? No, not at all! Now, as my kids are getting older, we are starting to rotate again and sort of reverting back to MK resorts.

As for your comments above, I could've written that too because we avoided buses as much as we could with the double stroller/jogger and 2 babies/toddlers. Therefore, split stays were perfect for us, and I think I read that you decided on a split with Poly and BC - 2 of our favorites!! You really can't go wrong. The only time you'll need to take a bus is if you go to AK. Some trips we skipped that park and so we never took a bus at all.

Enjoy!

Ha! I just posted almost the same thoughts as you! We were exactly the same - split stays when the kids were younger to avoid the buses, and we skipped AK many times too. We also tried POR a couple times and also CBR....did not care for the outside doors either, and we're also a patio/balcony family! One thing we do love about POR, though, is the food court! I love the create-your-own-salad area.

Just piling on to say we completely agree with the busses and kids as well as the MK vs Epcot resorts with strollers. We had 2 kids and still had a double stroller, and then added twins so we still have a double stroller and no end in site. While I don't like the busses with a stroller, my DH DETESTS taking the busses with a double stroller and pretty much won't. Then when we had 2 babies, it was nearly impossible since he couldn't carry that large stroller AND a baby, and it was hard for me to take both babies without a lot of time to transfer them to a double carrier. So we also skipped the AK many trips (although I will add we also did that some before the twins, same avoiding the bus reason. Now with Minnie vans we're more likely to go). Our last stay was a split CR/BC, and not only did we only ride a bus once we only rode the monorail once, and that was just because we didn't want a trip with no monorail. That split let us walk everywhere but the AK, and we took a Minnie Van there and back. So while we do like the MK resorts better technically, being able to walk everywhere and never fold a stroller for transportation made the split stay a great idea. You can kind of do this from either a MK resort or an Epcot resort, but it requires a lot of walking! You have to walk all the way through Epcot to the monorail station to get to the MK from an Epcot resort, and to get to DHS from a MK resort you have to walk through Epcot and then on to DHS! Doable, but you have to have the time! We've done it, but it doesn't always work depending on park closing times or practicality with time.

I am glad to see other people agreeing with us about the busses and strollers, and avoiding folding strollers for transportation! It seems like usually when I bring this up people usually all tell me the busses are great and they love them even with 9 kids and 4 strollers but only 2 adults and how could I not love them(I exaggerate ) OR I get told that I'm inconsiderate for not folding the stroller on the monorail to make room for more people, and how could I be so rude!

 

[ninafeliz]

So do they not place people with strollers on an upper level in POR? Or do they expect you to lug your 23 lb stroller up and down? OMG. I am literally appalled that this could have been the case for someone who booked this unknowingly. That's no vacation IMO!!

That would be up to you to request it, they wouldn't look at your kids ages and then assume you would have a stroller and avoid the second floor AB. I would hope that would be a request they would really, really try to meet, but as you are always told - it's only a request so it's never guaranteed! If you just had no idea and were given a second floor I hope they would bend over backwards working with you, but I don't know. I agree, for some people that would be nearly impossible, and what if you were one adult and 2 young children! I have thought about that, if we stay at POR again before we stop needing the double stroller, getting to and from the room would be a real chore if you had to be second floor in AB (we have no interest in the Princess rooms). However, it seems unlikely you would HAVE to be put there, it would be bad luck if they had no first floor AB rooms or any floor Magnolia bend rooms available. It just might be you wouldn't like your room location and wouldn't really have a choice. I know we much prefer AB, and one stay there years ago they did not have a single AB room available and we ended up in one of the furthest away Magnolia bend rooms, so it is definitely possible to not get requests! I've never read about this on the boards, so I'm guessing it is a problem that doesn't come up that often!

 

[vicb]

We stayed at Poly our first real family trip and loved it. Our kids were very young and we were very MK focused. Next trip we tried BWI and never came back to the MK area. We really love the Epcot area resorts. We have stayed BWI twice, BC once and Dolphin three times. We had one random attempt at CSR but that was a one off for us. We always get hoppers so we can hop into Epcot for dinner and the evening atmosphere. We have always enjoyed HS so like the proximity to that. We just like the ability to walk around the BW and that area at night. So many restaurant choices. Last trip we did hit the Poly for Trader Sams and I was reminded how much I do like that resort but for me now the most Disney feeling is in the Epcot resort area.
JMHO