GVF or Poly Villas?

[aVASTGrl]

I'm thinking about renting points and I'd like to try either the Grand or the Poly, if they're available. But I'm really torn because they both seem equally great!

Pros/cons to both properties? TIA!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

This fall? Probably cannot get either, sorry. Better chance at Poly. Near 0 chance of VGF.

 

[aVASTGrl]

This fall? Probably cannot get either, sorry. Better chance at Poly. Near 0 chance of VGF.

That's fine, I'm flexible in regards to resort, but I'll try anyways. Would still like opinions on both DVC resorts for future reference.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

They are both lovely. VGF is hard to get any time of year via rental, though. Poly is much bigger, but is sometimes hard to book before 7 months, and now that it is nearly sold through there are often date holes at 7 months for Dvc's owners at other resorts who try to book.

Most of fall has low availability for studios at this point.

 

[aVASTGrl]

They are both lovely. VGF is hard to get any time of year via rental, though. Poly is much bigger, but is sometimes hard to book before 7 months, and now that it is nearly sold through there are often date holes at 7 months for Dvc's owners at other resorts who try to book.

Most of fall has low availability for studios at this point.

So, it sounds like I should plan on booking regular rooms in future there instead of trying to rent. Thanks for the tips, I appreciate it!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

You can give it a try, but if you get a VGF studio via rental, it is an achievement, not something to expect. Fall is especially hard for all of DVC.

 

[tweedletwin]

I just had my first experience renting points for a villa at the Poly. I started about 10 months ahead of my desired dates, and had I tried to book dates for a trip any sooner than that, the company I was working with wouldn't have even accepted my request (it's that popular!) It was definitely a learning experience for me! Even when I *did* book, they made it pretty clear that what I was requesting was pretty popular, and there was a small possibility they wouldn't be able to secure my reservation. It ended up taking about 2.5 weeks of nerve-wracked waiting before I was notified that it had gone through! My suggestion- start as early as you can. I am *so* excited, and the savings we made by renting points were well-worth the stress.

As far as choosing between the two- I'm probably not super helpful there, because my aesthetic made it a no-brainer for me. I am a die-hard fan of *everything* Tiki and Polynesian Pop, so staying at the Polynesian is a dream come true! The idea of having a nightcap at Trader Sam's without having to travel from another resort (no matter how close, hahaha), is pretty awesome. I just love the relaxed vibe of the resort.

Good luck!

 

[Quellman]

Polynesian is walking Distance to the Transportation and Ticket center. This matters most if the monorail is down, or you want to get to EPCOT quickly. Polynesian and Grand Floridian both have fantastic pool areas. Grand Floridians quick service restaurant is more out of the way while Polynesians is more centrally located. The DVC building at Grand Floridian is in a separate area, where at Polynesian it was converted from existing rooms, making it feel more like it belongs in the resort.

 

[StaciaRae]

It depends on your style. We visited both the Grand Floridian and the Poly on our last trip. We didn't care for GF, it just wasn't our style. We are outdoorsy, lodge type of people and we just didn't feel like we fit in at GF. DH said it was too "white and shiny". We did really like the Poly and would like to stay there some day. Our favorite resorts are WL and AKL. We rented points for AKL lodge in 2016 and had a great experience.

I agree with what others say about renting points - book as soon as possible! We considering renting points for our next trip in January. Last week I inquired about a room at Poly and was told that there was still standard views available. We ultimately decided to book WL directly with Disney. We travel with small children so the zero cancellation policy makes us nervous so we definitely need trip insurance. After the point rental cost plus trip insurance, we found that the price difference between renting points and booking directly with Disney is only about $50 a night (assuming a room only discount), so for our short 4 day trip after a cruise the difference is only $200 total. We decided to book directly through Disney because of the flexibility with the reservations - but we have rented in the past and will consider it again for longer trips.

 

[westie55]

Don't rule out renting, but DO plan on having to do it early (at 11 months). It is definitely possible because I rented points and will be staying in a studio at VGF this November, which is high season for DVC. I was unable to get standard view so had to pay extra for lake view. I was also given the choice of the Poly at that time when they were unable to accommodate my standard view request. My reservation was secured within 24 hours of me submitting my request. Simple! No wait list. I made my request in December about a week after the 11 month mark. I plan to rent at the Poly on a future trip.

 

[aVASTGrl]

Thanks everyone! I'm definitely going to try renting for a future trip. I'm usually booked much earlier, but I recently got an AP and decided to wait for a Room only discount. When that didn't appear, I thought I'd see about renting. I ended up booking at Boardwalk Inn for now, since inventory (rental and resort) is rapidly running out lol. Will look again at the 11-month mark for my next trip