HELP! Can't decide 'tween WL and Poly!

[Mysticalbeauty3]

Def. the Poly! its beautiful....the surrondings and trees...and the cute little lizards! ...you get the beach and the pool....the monorail....ticket and transportation center...views of the castle across the water...its beautiful...its like a nice tropical vacation in disney!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

PamNC - That was my thought, as well! I have an old Unofficial Guide, and find a lot of good information, but definitely do not agree with many of it's negative descriptions of resorts and restaurants. They seem to be trying to find something bad to say!

We adore the Poly, I've never thought it looked run-down, even before the recent re-hab, and I can't ever recall a time the lobby wasn't up to par. Every time we enter the lobby, we feel like we are home!

We just returned from our Poly stay at Easter, and it was perfect! Ohana and Kona are both wonderful restaurants, the monorail access is great, the boat to MK and GF is convenient, what more could you want?! We haven't stayed at WL yet, we are trying it this July, and we're splitting with BWI for access to MGM and Epcot. It was really hard not to try to fit the Poly in there somewhere!

 

[RachelTori]

OK - so now I'm nervous about booking WL. Rooms are tiny? We're booked for a week in July. Up till I read this thread, I'd heard nothing but glowing reports about WL. People seem to love it. Please, WL lovers, give me some feedback that will make me feel better. Thanks!

 

[Tikiman]

In comparison with the Polynesian and many other deluxe resorts the WL has much smaller rooms. WL has I believe a 340 sqft room that has a max of 4 adults per room. Polynesian has two sizes of standard room, the smaller being 402 and the larger being 452 and both having a max of 5 adults per room. Also with a much better transportation selection that the WL.

 

[JayCT]

I recently read the Unoffical Guide and did not think it said that the Poly was the pits. If it did, it is wrong. Certainly it is not the newest hotel, but it is great condition and beautiful. We just got back from CR and YC. We also check out WL and DW and I agree, we love the Poly the best and will only stay there in the future. The location is great, near Epcot and MK. The monrail is IMHO very important to get to the parks and other resorts quickly and easily. We too thought the WL pool was small. It was off-season and the pool was full. Hate to see what it is like when it is busy. Most important we like the way the Poly is laid out. You do not have to take a long elevator ride and walk through a busy lobby in your bathing suit to get from your room to the pool. It makes it so much more relaxing. We also like that the Concierge lounge is right next to the pool. We loved getting a tray of food and drinks and eating by pool after a long hard day at the parks. Can't wait until our next trip. It will be the Poly. Jay

 

[sotoalf]

I love the Unofficial Guide precisely because I don't always agree with the editors. Its hotel reviews are fairs, its opinion's considered. If so mething sucks, the editors say so. I've found that their room recommendations go far beyond the usual guidebooks and are unfailingly correct.

Except for its reviews of the hotel's restaurants, I don't think the book is hard on the Polynesian at all.

 

[dimimi]

You really have to decide on your theming. We don't care for the outdoor theming...it reminds us of camping...but of course many people love it and the grounds are beautiful.

We just got back from POFQ and we went back to visit the Poly...we loved the Poly and the CONVENIENCE to the monorail is HUGE! The only thing that would keep us from going back to the Poly is that we enjoyed the flexibility of a food court.

Have fun...either place will be great!

 

[Crazy4mandms]

Can I ask a few questions? Next year we are hoping to be able to afford a deluxe resort as we will go during peak season and will be spending more time at the resort than in past trips when the parks weren't as crowded.....my debate is also between the WL and Poly. My questions would be....which one has more of a Disney feel (if either)? Also, we are huge MGM fans then it would be MK/AK tied and then Epcot so the transportation specifically to MK is not really a big draw for us....how easy/difficult is it to get to MGM, AK from the Poly or WL? So disney feel and transportation to parks other than MK would be our big draw. Any advice? Thank you!!!

 

[Bbgrizzle]

I have stayed at the WL, but not at the Poly. However, I have visited the Poly many times and would LOVE to stay there. We LOVED WL and would gladly stay there again, but I love the theming and landscaping of the Poly. It is just too expensive for us right now. If you are going at Christmastime I would say the WL, otherwise, the Poly.

 

[mickeymule]

I have not stayed at the Poly since I was young, however, I stayed at the WL Dec, 2003. We did a split stay between WL and CBR and liked CBR better ourselves. I would love to stay at the Poly again. The reasons for us with the WL is I felt too much like home for us, and the hotel did not feel very "Disney" to us. Felt like we were somewhere else which is not what we were looking for. We are from New England so the Woodsy feel is a bit worn out around here ;-) At the WL, where we were the walk to the busses was a hike but the busses ran fine. I think you will like either, I would say Poly for a first timer and you will not be dissapointed.

Good luck.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Originally posted by Crazy4mandms
Can I ask a few questions? Next year we are hoping to be able to afford a deluxe resort as we will go during peak season and will be spending more time at the resort than in past trips when the parks weren't as crowded.....my debate is also between the WL and Poly. My questions would be....which one has more of a Disney feel (if either)? Also, we are huge MGM fans then it would be MK/AK tied and then Epcot so the transportation specifically to MK is not really a big draw for us....how easy/difficult is it to get to MGM, AK from the Poly or WL? So disney feel and transportation to parks other than MK would be our big draw. Any advice? Thank you!!!

Well, if your favorite resort is MGM, I would definitely stay at the YC/BC/BWI! The access to MGM is fantastic, you have the Boardwalk area at night. The pools are awesome, the number of easily accessible restaurants huge, we are staying at the BWI this summer for that very reason. The buses to MK do stop at YC, BC, S/D and BW, but the ride isn't too bad.

Our favorite resorts are AKL and the Poly, both are fantastic, warm, charming, exotic. And, at the Poly, you can walk to the TTC for access to parks other than MK. But if your main park is not going to be MK, then I would recommend the Epcot resort area.

HTH!

 

[ChairborneRangr]

One of DW and my pass times is resort hopping to check out the Deluxes. We have only stayed at vlaues, but we have dined and shopped at many of the Deluxes including WL and Poly.

We used to think WL woudl be where we'd end up in deluxes (we spent our school years in Oregon). Now that we have visited it, we probably won't be back. The "big lodge" concept was done fine, but isn't what we are looking for at WDW. We'll go to Yellowstone, or visit the Pacific Northwest if we are looking for that.

I was born in Hawaii, and have always loved the polynesian feel. I would pick the Poly over any of the other deluxes. Last month I visited Kaanapali Beach Resort (same designers as the Poly). I think Disney did a great job. The themeing may be turned up a bit, but I enjoy the resort very much. BTW I do not see the "Brady bunch in Hawaii" there.

Just my opinion.