Help me pick a resort!

[javail]

Hello fellow DISers!

I'm in need of expert assistance from the expert DIS community. We are going to spend a week at WDW in May, 2014, to celebrate our daughter's 3rd birthday.

We previously stayed at Coronado Springs earlier this year on a "reconnaissance" trip, and quickly realized that Moderate resorts aren't for us. We definitely want to stay at a Deluxe resort.

I had my heart set on Polynesian, for two main reasons: 1) convenience to MK (traveling back for nap time would be much easier by boat or monorail - we despised having to rely solely on busses at CSR) and 2) the tranquility of Poly.

Now, with the monorail seemingly broken all the time, and the construction (DVC and refurbishments) scheduled at Poly, I'm second guessing our choice.

The things that are most important to us are:

1. Multiple transportation options (not just bus, so this eliminates AKL)
2. Proximity to one of the parks we will be visiting on more than one day for convenience (either MK or Epcot)
3. A great pool. I think all of the deluxes look okay in this department, with the possible exception of the pool at the Contemporary - is it as "blah" as it looks in the photos? However, Storm Along Bay looks a little "much" for our 3 year old, from what I can tell.
4. Great dining options. This is why I really liked the Poly. We have a small one who loves characters, so character meals at our resort is a big bonus.
5. Nice theming and rooms. For some reason, the rooms at WL don't really appeal to me, and I don't care for the theming much at GF. Call me crazy...
6. A "beach" or sandy area for the little one to play in.

So, if you were me, where would you vote to stay for a week? Would you stick with Poly, and just hope the monorail is working and the construction isn't disruptive? Price isn't really an issue.

Thanks for your input!

 

[melissafox18]

It sounds like Poly fits all of your criteria. If the construction is near you when your LO needs a nap, you can always request a different room/location. I've heard of people doing that.

If our little princess is still in nap zone when we go on our first trip with her, I definitely plan on staying at Poly. MK is the most magical park IMO especially for little kids. My friends 5-7 year olds were kind of bored at Epcot which convnived me that a monorail location is most ideal.

 

[starousse]

I'm gonna suggest WL. Very very convenient travel, especially to MK and good choice of restaurants, especially Artist Point. We just came back from the BC and I wasn't overly impressed. We too have planned a trip for May 2014, and were thinking of trying the Poly, but due to the unknown possibility of construction, we're going back to WL.

 

[wiigirl]

It sounds like Poly fits all of your criteria. If the construction is near you when your LO needs a nap, you can always request a different room/location. I've heard of people doing that.

If our little princess is still in nap zone when we go on our first trip with her, I definitely plan on staying at Poly. MK is the most magical park IMO especially for little kids. My friends 5-7 year olds were kind of bored at Epcot which convnived me that a monorail location is most ideal.

 

[SarahDaisy]

A friend of mine just got back from the Polynesian last week, and said she had a great time. She thought the restaurants were good, liked the pool, and thought the grounds were beautiful and that the monorail was very convenient. Seems like it meets all of your requirements. However, my friend did mention that she thought the rooms were in need of updating and were her least favorite part of the trip.

Of course, we all know that the Polynesian is older and needs that update. So if you go in with this in mind, I doubt it would be a problem for you. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[minnie mum]

Since this trip is for your DDs birthday, MK will probably be the most frequently visited park. If monorail reliability is a major factor in your decisions, I'd be tempted to go with the Contemporary. MK would just be a 10 min walk away. And the monorail would be there on days you want to go to Epcot. If I was paying the $$$$$ for a monorail resort, I don't think I'd want to be staying at a resort undergoing major construction (but that's just me).

I think the idea of WL might be worth looking into. The place has great theming and a very nice pool area. The boat to MK (or Contemporary) is easy.
And you can still catch the monorail from the Contemporary.

 

[Disney Spaz]

Based on everything you seem to want I would do Poly and request the building farthest from any construction. If you get closer to the date of arrival and you feel, based on reports of construction, that there is just too much construction you should be able to move to one of the other resorts on the Monorail line. I would suggest GF as a back up then BLT in a studio since you can walk to the MK from there.

 

[jperrot1]

It sounds to me like the Poly is the place for you. And, since price is not a concern for you, I would suggest booking a Magic Kingdom view Club Level. You'll be in Hawaii building, and club level will be very convenient for your situation. In my opinion, taking your likes into consideration, if the main pool is closed during your stay I would switch to GF or CR. I know you state GF theme is not your cup of tea but the monorail transportation is just too fast to MK to overlook. And, don't eliminate Contemporary Resort. Perhaps, consider CR Club Level.

 

[rebeccam31]

I stayed in the Polynesian in May. It was a delight, truly, and some of the construction had already begun then, and we didn't notice it at all. (Well, except for the fact that they bumped us up to club level because our booked room was in a building they were renovating!) I don't know what problems are currently going on with the monorail, but we experience no disruption whatsoever. We just love the vibe at the Polynesian, and the pool is great fun. I would most likely chance it, myself.

 

[mickeynut1]

I agree with the others that said the Poly looks like it fits just what you're looking for. The Poly is our favorite for everything (pool, counter service, transportation, etc). You really can't beat the location as it's just 2 monorail stops from MK and is just a 5-7 minute walk from the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Plus it's convenient to a variety of dining options at the GF and CR. I also think it's a good idea to maybe request a room away from the construction (if it turns out to be in full swing by your trip). It would only be a request and not guaranteed, but Disney will do everything they can to accommodate you. Not sure if you were aware, but the Poly rooms are just finishing up being refurbed, so everything is new and fresh. We are going back to the Poly in December and we love it so much that if construction is going on, we won't let it deter us from being there (although this is just our feeling as everyone feels differently about things). With that said, if you can overlook the construction, you won't regret the Poly as it really is an amazing resort. Good luck.

 

[tsme]

I would suggest Beach Club. It has a wonderful pool, the sandy bottom area is great for little ones as is the smaller slide. It's also walking distance to Epcot & HS. If your heart is set on a monorail resort, probably GF. As mentioned before Poly will be having alot of construction & personally I wouldn't want to chance it. GF is right there & they just added that cute Alice in Wonderland Themed water play area.

 

[Disneylover99]

I can tell that in your heart, you really want to book the Poly....so do it and enjoy!

 

[hedberg1661]

I think you should look into the Contemporary. If the Monorail is broke...take a two minute walk and you are at MK! They have a great pool, counter service, and extras like the Water Parade at night.

One word of caution should you choose this resort...make sure you are booking in the Main Tower. If you are in the Garden Wing this is not the place for you!

The mug refilling station is in the main tower as well as the gift shops, arcade, food options, etc. It is well worth the extra money to stay in the tower. Also, if available, check and see if Bay Lake Tower has anything. While this is a DVC Resort, there are times when they open up booking to anyone in order to fill the resort.

Hope this helps!

 

[Babsy]

We were in the same situation with a 3 year old and an infant going in Nov. We decided that we could better live with a different resort than staying in the Poly with construction. DH and I were in the YC last year durung construction and the room wasn't able to be stayed in at all in the middle of the day. There was no way a child could nap there or even rest from the parks. After that experience, we decided to stay far away from planned construction resorts.

 

[hgeisler]

I think you should look into the Contemporary. If the Monorail is broke...take a two minute walk and you are at MK! They have a great pool, counter service, and extras like the Water Parade at night.

One word of caution should you choose this resort...make sure you are booking in the Main Tower. If you are in the Garden Wing this is not the place for you!

The mug refilling station is in the main tower as well as the gift shops, arcade, food options, etc. It is well worth the extra money to stay in the tower. Also, if available, check and see if Bay Lake Tower has anything. While this is a DVC Resort, there are times when they open up booking to anyone in order to fill the resort.

Hope this helps!

This! The CR also has a spray area for little kids

 

[WDWDustin]

Honestly, if you want the most fun pool for the kids, I would stay at the Beach Or Yacht Club. We stayed there almost two years ago and loved the pool. It's the most unique pool on property with its sand bottom and water slide. If you want ease of access to the parks, I would choose GF or Contemporary. I'd hate to suggest Poly and then you risk the construction planned to happen there. If you pick Contemporary, there is always Chef Mickeys in the atrium that does character dining, which is great for the little ones, especially for a birthday! You also have great views for the fireworks at MK in the evenings (without the crowds) and California Grill on the roof.

 

[rosiebean]

It sounds like the Poly meet all of your needs.

But though I'm a huge Poly fan, personally, if there's a ton of construction, I would not stay there and pay even discounted room prices during slow/'off season' months. That's just my personal choice.

If the Poly won't work, any of the Epcot resorts would, I think...the BC and YC have a cool pool, access to a beachy area (and movies under the stars), are close to two parks, and are close to several character meals (At Cape May, in Epcot, over at the Swan/Dolphin).

BWI is an Epcot resort that might appeal as well, but their rooms are similar IMO to those at GF, which means the theme might not appeal to you.

I can understand your wanting to have a room whose decor speaks to you...I also am just not moved by WL's theme. I LOVE the Poly (though am staying by Epcot during my next trip), but I would not pay Disney room prices even for the Poly if there's a ton of construction going on.

 

[Robbi]

The Beach Club would also fit. It has a great pool, character meals, walking distance to Epcot and DHS or take the Friendship boats. There are other restaurants in the Boardwalk area across the Lake and all of the restaurants in Epcot. It has a very nice beach.

The Poly was not our favorite. It's a huge pain with a stroller when it's raining to get to the buildings where as all of the Beach Club are under 1 roof. The monorail was also an aggravation because of all the people going to O'Hana and the luau in the evenings. Also, the volacano pool is too small for the number of resort guests. It gets crowded whereas SAB is huge and while it gets crowded, it's not as bad as the Poly pool.

 

[disneyandy]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking for some advice on where to stay. I love planning for disney holidays but seem to have got myself into a bit of a twist over a few issues.

I took my family to disney last year for the first time and the kids (DD14 & DD3) loved it. We stayed at the Poly for 14 days and although i could pick fault with some things the whole place was great, the location, the food, the room size we had a great time. Although being from the UK my bank balance took a hefty beating!! I have however been suffering the disney blues since last August so have decided to treat the family again next year.

Last year we did also spend 3 days at Universal as my eldest daughter loved the coasters and the harry potter/ Dr.Seuss theming was great. Now because of the news of the new Harry potter extension i was thinking of a split stay 1 week Poly and 1 week Universal, either Hard Rock or Portofino.

However various issues have arisen which make planning tricky and would appreciate everyones opinion.

1. I have read on another thread recently that the four seasons will start taking bookings in September. i would be very interested in this.

2. I am concerned that the harry potter 2.0 won't be ready for mid-august 2014 when we will be there. But if it is then fastpasses and early entry will probably become invaluable

3. There is a lot of concern regarding construction at the Poly which i would not be happy to experience and i am sure my other half wouldn't either

4. I have concerns that i will not like the universal hotels after experiencing the Poly (maybe i spoiled myself too much last time!)

5. If i do a split stay which should i do first. i get the feeling that if i go to the hard rock after the poly it will feel like a bit of a let down.

At the moment i'm starting to think i might be best just booking the poly for 2 weeks but i do like to try new places.

Would love to hear your thoughts?

 

[DznyCrzy11]

Hello fellow DISers!

I'm in need of expert assistance from the expert DIS community. We are going to spend a week at WDW in May, 2014, to celebrate our daughter's 3rd birthday.

We previously stayed at Coronado Springs earlier this year on a "reconnaissance" trip, and quickly realized that Moderate resorts aren't for us. We definitely want to stay at a Deluxe resort.

I had my heart set on Polynesian, for two main reasons: 1) convenience to MK (traveling back for nap time would be much easier by boat or monorail - we despised having to rely solely on busses at CSR) and 2) the tranquility of Poly.

Now, with the monorail seemingly broken all the time, and the construction (DVC and refurbishments) scheduled at Poly, I'm second guessing our choice.

The things that are most important to us are:

1. Multiple transportation options (not just bus, so this eliminates AKL)
2. Proximity to one of the parks we will be visiting on more than one day for convenience (either MK or Epcot)
3. A great pool. I think all of the deluxes look okay in this department, with the possible exception of the pool at the Contemporary - is it as "blah" as it looks in the photos? However, Storm Along Bay looks a little "much" for our 3 year old, from what I can tell.
4. Great dining options. This is why I really liked the Poly. We have a small one who loves characters, so character meals at our resort is a big bonus.
5. Nice theming and rooms. For some reason, the rooms at WL don't really appeal to me, and I don't care for the theming much at GF. Call me crazy...
6. A "beach" or sandy area for the little one to play in.

So, if you were me, where would you vote to stay for a week? Would you stick with Poly, and just hope the monorail is working and the construction isn't disruptive? Price isn't really an issue.

Thanks for your input!

Right now, rumor has is, that the pool will be closed starting in January, it more than likely will not be open when you are there in May. They will provide a boat to take the Poly guests to the GF to use the pool there. Also, that is when renovation on the GCH is to begin. Check out the Poly Construction thread or even the Polynesian Thread for the latest updates.

If I were you, I would pick WL. They also have a boat the stops at CR and MK so it's not all buses from WL. WL is also considered a MK area resort.

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