I am so happy my sight-unseen AKL contract(s) got taken

[alohatok1986]

I have been trying to purchase my first DVC contract all year. I scoured this forum and social media, watched dozens of youtube walk-throughs, and spent months narrowing down the home resort, UY, and number of points that would work for my family size & the time/length of stay we prefer. I knew AKL, Oct, 225+ would be perfect. Cue the AKL buyback bloodbath; I had multiple contracts taken in the rofr process. However- the world works in mysterious ways. I just got done a cash stay at Kidani (my first there) in a SV 1br, which should have been the sweet spot for us. And let me tell you, I am so relieved my contracts did not go through.

I need to preface this by saying *please* do not take it personally if AKL is your dream DVC resort. Trust me, AK is my favorite park & I feel your pain when people say its a "skip" for them. I always think that they just don't get it. They're not doing it right. Etc etc. But the truth is, we all do Disney differently and one way isn't better than another. I rarely see people post regrets for having bought into a contract sight-unseen, and I thought I'd share my experience here just in case it could help anyone in the future.

Before I get into it, I want to put some things out there for reference. Maybe we're total opposites, maybe we're similar. You decide and see if my opinion is helpful or useless. I'm in my mid 30s and have 3 kiddos under 10 years old. I've been a passholder since I was 3. I grew up taking annual Poly vacations from out of state & so the Poly is my number one favorite (is it nostalgia? is it the theme? the monorail? ALL 3!). I've stayed off-site quite a lot in the Bonnet Creek & Disney Springs areas. Of the places I've stayed on site I rank them favorite to least favorite as follows:
Polynesian
Fort Wilderness
Contemporary
PO Riverside
PO FQ
Beach Club
Swan & Dolphin
AOA suites
Pop Century
Coronado
All stars

As we all know, room requests are not guarantees. I asked to be near the lobby and the elevator, knowing that the hallway distance is a typical complaint. I got neither request granted, and we were basically equidistant (a LONG distance) to the Jambo and Kidani pools. It was SUCH A HIKE. People are not kidding. And the hallways aren't particularly interesting or well decorated. Its just a long tromp through brownness.

Which brings me to my next impression- the decor. I am a big fan of browns/tans/beige. I love me some Poly & Ft Wilderness. The decor at AKL just didn't do it for me. Everything is dimly lit (to mimic candlelight, I'm sure). Couple that with how dark brown everything is- from the doors to the furniture, more brown on the floors. The walls? Oh, a bit lighter brown. It wasn't my idea of beautiful. I wasn't my *own* idea of beautiful when I could barely see in the mirror to do the little makeup I wear.

Jambo pool was nothing to write home about. I'd compare it to a value resort, to be honest. I felt the same about the food court- less selection than a value resort.

Sanaa- we are foodies and no stranger to these flavors. I keep a masala dabba stocked at home and I don't think most American families can say the same. We weren't wowed. The bread service was good. My husband got the Potjie inspired with braised beef and chickpea wat. I got the zanzibari vegetable curry with chicken, and the chicken was so overcooked it was the texture of jerky & it was cold. The restaurant was a one and done for us. I probably built it up too much in my head beforehand.

The animals. My husband inquired as to why the birds were flightless & he learned they participate in pinioning. Blame my naivety, birds are my pet of choice & I've owned 8 species from small to large and I didn't notice that the birds at AK's flight feathers are intact. Now that I know it kind of bothers me. I worked in an AZA accredited husbandry facility for a few years, and I'm sure they're taking care and caution. It still bothers me, especially when you're staring at those birds off the balcony all day rather than a safari drive-by.

The parking garage under the building- probably the most unbecoming thing I've ever seen at Disney. Is it themed to be industrial? Or are they just ok with it looking like trash? It wasn't all that convenient when my room was equally far from 2 elevators.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, lets go to the PROS.

Both lobbies were breathtaking. Probably my favorite in all of Disney.

Kidani pool area was great. My kids loved it.

Boma breakfast was awesome. We love to put a morning aside for a buffet each trip & I loved the coconut oatmeal and fried plantains unique to this spot.

Seeing giraffes and zebras off your balcony? Incredible.


If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Again, this is not a personal attack on anyone's preferences. I talked myself into AKL when I should have just gone Poly from the start. It all will work out in the end. Hopefully some of this helps people in their decision process in the future!

 

[StoweFoSho]

I'm glad it was a blessing. It's difficult to buy somewhere you haven't seen or stayed. We did a bunch of research and watched a lot of videos like you; we bought a resale contract at Poly before we had ever stayed there. Thankfully the Poly has been a hit with our family, even after staying at other DVC resorts. You just can't beat that Poly feeling and the DVC location between the two monorail loops is GOLD. The good thing with DVC is that there is something for almost everybody. The other great thing about Poly- those points don't really get ROFR'd so, you just negotiate the best deal and then let Disney run the clock. We've since added on at Poly because we didn't have enough points.

I like Kidani a lot better than I like Jambo even though Kidani is more sprawling. The one drawback is that there isn't really a quick service location, but Sanaa has a quick service breakfast and that was a nice feature. The savannah view rooms are really a treat, but we don't spend that much time sitting on the balcony watching them. I don't know that I would stay at AKL without a car anymore. I've done it with a car and without, and the distance to bus stops makes the car seem a lot better.

Is there a Poly or Copper Creek contract in your future?

 

[alohatok1986]

I'm glad it was a blessing. It's difficult to buy somewhere you haven't seen or stayed. We did a bunch of research and watched a lot of videos like you; we bought a resale contract at Poly before we had ever stayed there. Thankfully the Poly has been a hit with our family, even after staying at other DVC resorts. You just can't beat that Poly feeling and the DVC location between the two monorail loops is GOLD. The good thing with DVC is that there is something for almost everybody. The other great thing about Poly- those points don't really get ROFR'd so, you just negotiate the best deal and then let Disney run the clock. We've since added on at Poly because we didn't have enough points.

I like Kidani a lot better than I like Jambo even though Kidani is more sprawling. The one drawback is that there isn't really a quick service location, but Sanaa has a quick service breakfast and that was a nice feature. The savannah view rooms are really a treat, but we don't spend that much time sitting on the balcony watching them. I don't know that I would stay at AKL without a car anymore. I've done it with a car and without, and the distance to bus stops makes the car seem a lot better.

Is there a Poly or Copper Creek contract in your future?

I’m glad it worked out for you! We always have a car and never use the bus so I thought it would be no big deal. I missed the other forms of transportation though! I have 2 small poly contracts in the rofr process right now, they’re priced higher than the others I see on the board so hopefully they fly by with no problem.

 

[Nabas]

Jambo pool was nothing to write home about. I'd compare it to a value resort, to be honest. I felt the same about the food court- less selection than a value resort.

We've stayed at each WDW hotel at least twice.

Jambo House pool is probably our favorite:

1. Perhaps the single biggest body of water at any WDW hotel.
2. Lush, green surroundings.
3. Plenty of deck space. Even on a hot day, a lounge chair can be found.
4. Lots of shaded areas.
5. Zero-entry area or more traditional stairs.
6. Two hot tubs.
7. A pool bar that's easy to get to no matter where you are sitting.
8. A short walk to see animals on the Savannah.
9. The food court is conveniently close.
10. Our favorite pool to hang out at night!

 

[RoseGold]

I felt the same way about WL. I live in that decor, so it's not a theme I vibe with.

I regret buying SSR instead of spending a little more for AKL in 2019. It went up so much, and I actually would have used the club priority.

 

[sndral]

I stayed at my possible resorts before I offered because you really don’t know what you will/will not like. AKV, especially Jambo, is a favorite. I’ve only stayed at Poly in a cash room, thought I’d love it, but I was just meh about it, actually of the 7 WDW resorts I’ve stayed at, the Poly is the only one I would not stay at again, so I guess it was my least favorite so far.
Personally I can’t imagine cramming a couple + 3 kids into a studio - particularly as those under age 10 grow into over age 10 in a few years - which, unless you are buying beaucoup points, is what you’ll get at the Poly, but if it’s your dream resort & you’re good w/ that type of vacation or have the budget for bungalows or 2 studios good luck w/ finding a Poly contract, I think they aren’t ROFR‘ing them much at present .
BTW AK/AKL is AZA accredited https://www.aza.org/current-accreditation-list?locale=en and participates in several AZA species survival programs. I‘ve volunteered at an AZA accredited non profit for 15 years & often pay to take animal focused behind the scenes tours when I visit WDW & have really enjoyed learning about Disney’s programs from their husbandry staff through the years.

 

[alohatok1986]

Personally I can’t imagine cramming a couple + 3 kids into a studio - particularly as those under age 10 grow into over age 10 in a few years - which, unless you are buying beaucoup points, is what you’ll get at the Poly, but if it’s your dream resort & you’re good w/ that type of vacation or have the budget for bungalows or 2 studios

The studio looks a lot more comfortable to me as a sleeping situation now that they've updated it to have the two murphy beds. My kids are not complainers- they have slept on inflatable pool rafts and couch cushions on the floor in foreign countries with zero complaints when plans have gotten sidetracked. However, all 3 of them woke up multiple times every night at AKL unable to sleep because the bars in the pull out couch and chair were so uncomfortable, even with toppers. Additionally, Poly is one of the few places with connecting studios and we plan to utilize that pretty often with friends and family so we'll have double the space to spread out.

BTW AK/AKL is AZA accredited

I'm aware, which is why I mentioned my previous husbandry experience. Still not a fan of pinioning

 

[alohatok1986]

We've stayed at each WDW hotel at least twice.

Jambo House pool is probably our favorite:

1. Perhaps the single biggest body of water at any WDW hotel.
2. Lush, green surroundings.
3. Plenty of deck space. Even on a hot day, a lounge chair can be found.
4. Lots of shaded areas.
5. Zero-entry area or more traditional stairs.
6. Two hot tubs.
7. A pool bar that's easy to get to no matter where you are sitting.
8. A short walk to see animals on the Savannah.
9. The food court is conveniently close.
10. Our favorite pool to hang out at night!

View attachment 689557

I'm glad you enjoy it! It's nice there is a variety of pools to fit everyone's needs. I do agree they have a great seating situation but I didn't find much with shade where I could keep an eye on the kids. I wasn't thrilled with the food options nearby, we don't use hot tubs, the slide has nothing to it. I'm sure we'll feel different when our kids are older but we like to have a bit more going on than just open space. I look forward to renting the cabanas at Poly, grabbing a dolewhip nearby, & watching the fireworks from the volcano pool!

 

[wdw4rfam]

I have been trying to purchase my first DVC contract all year. I scoured this forum and social media, watched dozens of youtube walk-throughs, and spent months narrowing down the home resort, UY, and number of points that would work for my family size & the time/length of stay we prefer. I knew AKL, Oct, 225+ would be perfect. Cue the AKL buyback bloodbath; I had multiple contracts taken in the rofr process. However- the world works in mysterious ways. I just got done a cash stay at Kidani (my first there) in a SV 1br, which should have been the sweet spot for us. And let me tell you, I am so relieved my contracts did not go through.

I need to preface this by saying *please* do not take it personally if AKL is your dream DVC resort. Trust me, AK is my favorite park & I feel your pain when people say its a "skip" for them. I always think that they just don't get it. They're not doing it right. Etc etc. But the truth is, we all do Disney differently and one way isn't better than another. I rarely see people post regrets for having bought into a contract sight-unseen, and I thought I'd share my experience here just in case it could help anyone in the future.

Before I get into it, I want to put some things out there for reference. Maybe we're total opposites, maybe we're similar. You decide and see if my opinion is helpful or useless. I'm in my mid 30s and have 3 kiddos under 10 years old. I've been a passholder since I was 3. I grew up taking annual Poly vacations from out of state & so the Poly is my number one favorite (is it nostalgia? is it the theme? the monorail? ALL 3!). I've stayed off-site quite a lot in the Bonnet Creek & Disney Springs areas. Of the places I've stayed on site I rank them favorite to least favorite as follows:
Polynesian
Fort Wilderness
Contemporary
PO Riverside
PO FQ
Beach Club
Swan & Dolphin
AOA suites
Pop Century
Coronado
All stars

As we all know, room requests are not guarantees. I asked to be near the lobby and the elevator, knowing that the hallway distance is a typical complaint. I got neither request granted, and we were basically equidistant (a LONG distance) to the Jambo and Kidani pools. It was SUCH A HIKE. People are not kidding. And the hallways aren't particularly interesting or well decorated. Its just a long tromp through brownness.

Which brings me to my next impression- the decor. I am a big fan of browns/tans/beige. I love me some Poly & Ft Wilderness. The decor at AKL just didn't do it for me. Everything is dimly lit (to mimic candlelight, I'm sure). Couple that with how dark brown everything is- from the doors to the furniture, more brown on the floors. The walls? Oh, a bit lighter brown. It wasn't my idea of beautiful. I wasn't my *own* idea of beautiful when I could barely see in the mirror to do the little makeup I wear.

Jambo pool was nothing to write home about. I'd compare it to a value resort, to be honest. I felt the same about the food court- less selection than a value resort.

Sanaa- we are foodies and no stranger to these flavors. I keep a masala dabba stocked at home and I don't think most American families can say the same. We weren't wowed. The bread service was good. My husband got the Potjie inspired with braised beef and chickpea wat. I got the zanzibari vegetable curry with chicken, and the chicken was so overcooked it was the texture of jerky & it was cold. The restaurant was a one and done for us. I probably built it up too much in my head beforehand.

The animals. My husband inquired as to why the birds were flightless & he learned they participate in pinioning. Blame my naivety, birds are my pet of choice & I've owned 8 species from small to large and I didn't notice that the birds at AK's flight feathers are intact. Now that I know it kind of bothers me. I worked in an AZA accredited husbandry facility for a few years, and I'm sure they're taking care and caution. It still bothers me, especially when you're staring at those birds off the balcony all day rather than a safari drive-by.

The parking garage under the building- probably the most unbecoming thing I've ever seen at Disney. Is it themed to be industrial? Or are they just ok with it looking like trash? It wasn't all that convenient when my room was equally far from 2 elevators.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, lets go to the PROS.

Both lobbies were breathtaking. Probably my favorite in all of Disney.

Kidani pool area was great. My kids loved it.

Boma breakfast was awesome. We love to put a morning aside for a buffet each trip & I loved the coconut oatmeal and fried plantains unique to this spot.

Seeing giraffes and zebras off your balcony? Incredible.


If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Again, this is not a personal attack on anyone's preferences. I talked myself into AKL when I should have just gone Poly from the start. It all will work out in the end. Hopefully some of this helps people in their decision process in the future!

The underground garage is a HUGE perk for us. I love it. We absolutely love Jambo and kidani they are our second favorite. But NOTHING compares to POLY so I won’t attack you too bad for trashing it.

 

[TinkB278]

I felt the same way about WL. I live in that decor, so it's not a theme I vibe with.

I regret buying SSR instead of spending a little more for AKL in 2019. It went up so much, and I actually would have used the club priority.

Completely agree. I had an offer accepted for $99/point in 2020 but was about to be potentially furloughed at work. I wish I would have just bought it then. I really want an ALV contract but refuse to pay over $120/point for it due to the location and contract length. Would love the club/value advantage though.

 

[alohatok1986]

I felt the same way about WL. I live in that decor, so it's not a theme I vibe with.

I've never thought about it that way! I live on an island and with Poly I'm like yassss this is home!
I totally understand the novelty of opposites because WL is my second fave, 100% because it's such a contrast to my norm!

 

[RoseGold]

I've never thought about it that way! I live on an island and with Poly I'm like yassss this is home!
I totally understand the novelty of opposites because WL is my second fave, 100% because it's such a contrast to my norm!

It's that WL theming belongs somewhere cold in my brain, I mean it has a fireplace and a bunch of pine trees! That's not Florida! It causes a brain error in a muggy FL swamp. If it were the Disney ski lodge, sure!

On the flip side, I think RIV's theme is the worst of all, because it's just like a generic, gray business hotel with a few Disney posters. I would have liked it better if they took a theme and ran with it, even if it was one I don't love, like Hercules or anything else.

The one I think really looks cool is the Marvel Gotham hotel in Paris, but I guess that's a build for future licensing.

It's OK not to like a theme, there's plenty for everyone. I'm glad I stayed at WL, because I might have been tempted by a couple CCV SAP contracts, honestly.

 

[sndral]

The studio looks a lot more comfortable to me as a sleeping situation now that they've updated it to have the two murphy beds. My kids are not complainers- they have slept on inflatable pool rafts and couch cushions on the floor in foreign countries with zero complaints when plans have gotten sidetracked. However, all 3 of them woke up multiple times every night at AKL unable to sleep because the bars in the pull out couch and chair were so uncomfortable, even with toppers. Additionally, Poly is one of the few places with connecting studios and we plan to utilize that pretty often with friends and family so we'll have double the space to spread out.
…

’Looks’ are one thing, but as happened w/ AKV reality may be different. The Poly may be perfect for you, but you may find that it doesn’t compare to your memories of your pre DVC cash stays at the Poly. DVC offers so much variety & different people have different likes/dislikes, fits/misses, if you have strong feelings it can make sense to stay before you commit to DVC. When I was in my accumulating points phase I thought BWV would be my perfect second resort - then I stayed there & just knew it wasn’t. There are people who love Riv & BLT, but all I see is boring towers, thus they aren’t my choice, but they’re perfect for others.
Resale at the Poly to me is especially problematic right now because we just don’t know whether Poly2 will be part of the same association - if Poly 2 is added to Poly1 (like VGF 1&2) w/ resale points you‘d gain 11 month access to larger villas which w/ how much you love the Poly’s ambience & the size of your family would be an awesome bonus, but if Poly 2 is a separate association w/ restricted points then Poly 1 resale points purchased now could never be used to book Poly 2.
I agree the AKV sofa sleeper bar is uncomfortable, some request egg-crate mattress covers to solve that problem - we solved it by sizing up to a 2 br., the added bonus was that the living room space became socializing space & anyone who wanted to sleep could retreat to their bedroom. I’m hoping in the next AKV refurb (should be next year) they switch to the more comfortable Murphy sofas, I do find the single chair bed more comfortable (never felt a bar) & useful than the under the TV singles that some resorts have & hope AKV doesn’t go that route.

 

[buzzrelly]

I kind of agree with you about AKL...I just don't appreciate it. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous, but I disliked almost everything else about it aside from the animals. My second least favorite resort is WL/CCV. I wouldn't choose to stay there again although so many people put this resort on top of their lists.

But your post goes to show that the old advice is true, buy where you want to stay. And perhaps rent points to try a resort out before you ever make that large of a purchase.

Lucky for us all, there are a lot of choices in the DVC world and something for everyone.

 

[alohatok1986]

On the flip side, I think RIV's theme is the worst of all, because it's just like a generic, gray business hotel with a few Disney posters.

We are 100% in agreeance there.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

I have been trying to purchase my first DVC contract all year. I scoured this forum and social media, watched dozens of youtube walk-throughs, and spent months narrowing down the home resort, UY, and number of points that would work for my family size & the time/length of stay we prefer. I knew AKL, Oct, 225+ would be perfect. Cue the AKL buyback bloodbath; I had multiple contracts taken in the rofr process. However- the world works in mysterious ways. I just got done a cash stay at Kidani (my first there) in a SV 1br, which should have been the sweet spot for us. And let me tell you, I am so relieved my contracts did not go through.

I need to preface this by saying *please* do not take it personally if AKL is your dream DVC resort. Trust me, AK is my favorite park & I feel your pain when people say its a "skip" for them. I always think that they just don't get it. They're not doing it right. Etc etc. But the truth is, we all do Disney differently and one way isn't better than another. I rarely see people post regrets for having bought into a contract sight-unseen, and I thought I'd share my experience here just in case it could help anyone in the future.

Before I get into it, I want to put some things out there for reference. Maybe we're total opposites, maybe we're similar. You decide and see if my opinion is helpful or useless. I'm in my mid 30s and have 3 kiddos under 10 years old. I've been a passholder since I was 3. I grew up taking annual Poly vacations from out of state & so the Poly is my number one favorite (is it nostalgia? is it the theme? the monorail? ALL 3!). I've stayed off-site quite a lot in the Bonnet Creek & Disney Springs areas. Of the places I've stayed on site I rank them favorite to least favorite as follows:
Polynesian
Fort Wilderness
Contemporary
PO Riverside
PO FQ
Beach Club
Swan & Dolphin
AOA suites
Pop Century
Coronado
All stars

As we all know, room requests are not guarantees. I asked to be near the lobby and the elevator, knowing that the hallway distance is a typical complaint. I got neither request granted, and we were basically equidistant (a LONG distance) to the Jambo and Kidani pools. It was SUCH A HIKE. People are not kidding. And the hallways aren't particularly interesting or well decorated. Its just a long tromp through brownness.

Which brings me to my next impression- the decor. I am a big fan of browns/tans/beige. I love me some Poly & Ft Wilderness. The decor at AKL just didn't do it for me. Everything is dimly lit (to mimic candlelight, I'm sure). Couple that with how dark brown everything is- from the doors to the furniture, more brown on the floors. The walls? Oh, a bit lighter brown. It wasn't my idea of beautiful. I wasn't my *own* idea of beautiful when I could barely see in the mirror to do the little makeup I wear.

Jambo pool was nothing to write home about. I'd compare it to a value resort, to be honest. I felt the same about the food court- less selection than a value resort.

Sanaa- we are foodies and no stranger to these flavors. I keep a masala dabba stocked at home and I don't think most American families can say the same. We weren't wowed. The bread service was good. My husband got the Potjie inspired with braised beef and chickpea wat. I got the zanzibari vegetable curry with chicken, and the chicken was so overcooked it was the texture of jerky & it was cold. The restaurant was a one and done for us. I probably built it up too much in my head beforehand.

The animals. My husband inquired as to why the birds were flightless & he learned they participate in pinioning. Blame my naivety, birds are my pet of choice & I've owned 8 species from small to large and I didn't notice that the birds at AK's flight feathers are intact. Now that I know it kind of bothers me. I worked in an AZA accredited husbandry facility for a few years, and I'm sure they're taking care and caution. It still bothers me, especially when you're staring at those birds off the balcony all day rather than a safari drive-by.

The parking garage under the building- probably the most unbecoming thing I've ever seen at Disney. Is it themed to be industrial? Or are they just ok with it looking like trash? It wasn't all that convenient when my room was equally far from 2 elevators.

Now that I've gotten that out of my system, lets go to the PROS.

Both lobbies were breathtaking. Probably my favorite in all of Disney.

Kidani pool area was great. My kids loved it.

Boma breakfast was awesome. We love to put a morning aside for a buffet each trip & I loved the coconut oatmeal and fried plantains unique to this spot.

Seeing giraffes and zebras off your balcony? Incredible.


If you made it this far, thanks for reading. Again, this is not a personal attack on anyone's preferences. I talked myself into AKL when I should have just gone Poly from the start. It all will work out in the end. Hopefully some of this helps people in their decision process in the future!

I wrote a review similar to yours after our first Kidani stay, also SV 1 bedroom. Except my review was probably worse than yours— roaches in our kitchen. I reported it at the front desk and the guy was just like ok. Only time I’ve seen a roach in a Disney room in the 30+ years we’ve been going to Disney. Kidani has grown on us, or me—dh hates it- hates the entire theme, but I have started to appreciate it a bit more— slightly. I do hate how dark the place is. I feel like I’m in a depressing cave. But our kids love the “graphic” art. Lol. We have all males of course.

 

[sndral]

I kind of agree with you about AKL...I just don't appreciate it. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous, but I disliked almost everything else about it aside from the animals. My second least favorite resort is WL/CCV. I wouldn't choose to stay there again although so many people put this resort on top of their lists.

But your post goes to show that the old advice is true, buy where you want to stay. And perhaps rent points to try a resort out before you ever make that large of a purchase.

Lucky for us all, there are a lot of choices in the DVC world and something for everyone.

Soaring lobbies must be really important to me - my favorites are VGF, WL, & AKV Jambo . I’m still not over the Poly lobby waterfall removal. I love the multistory lobbies in the GF outbuildings - especially the penguin fountain in the VGF lobby & dislike that the Poly outbuildings don’t have a similar set up & that the Poly hallways have no windows. For many soaring lobbies won’t outweigh park proximity, or park proximity won’t counter grandma decor or ‘stuffiness’ (frequent GF complaints.) I see grey monolith at the Riviera w/ meh decor & astroturf which doesn’t outweigh the awesome Skyliner others see a chic European boutique.
Decor does change - for ex. the Poly room decor now is much lighter than it originally was, Poly & other resorts used to have the sleeper sofas but have been updated to the Murphy beds. How crowded/uncrowded a resort is can change as well - adding Poly 2 will likely increase usage of common elements (food, monorail, buses, pools) at Poly 1 but may ameliorate some of that by adding restaurants or pools at Poly 2 unless they go the Contemporary/BLT route where BLT guests can use the Contemporary pool but Contemporary guests cannot use the BLT pool. What won’t change is the fact that Poly1 is primarily studios & that connecting studios are not guaranteed & we just don’t know whether those owning Poly 1 points will get to book at Poly 2 at 11 months or have to wait until 7 months to book Poly 2‘s bigger villas (if direct or grandfathered resale) or not be able to book Poly 2 at all (if more recent resale.)

 

[I Run Long]

Sometimes these things (Disney exercising ROFR) can be a blessing in disguise. I was soooooo glad we didn't get the Poly after staying there, it was a never again resort for us. We did end up with AKV after having 3 SSR contracts taken. We do, however, love AKV. I do agree with the rooms being super dark but I have a feeling once they actually do a hard goods refurb that will change. But after our experience with the Poly, I really understood buy where you want to stay. I would never, ever buy at a resort I hadn't stayed at first. Afterall, Disney has something for everyone and it's not cheap. So be sure you love it!

 

[TinkB278]

I personally like the darkness at AKV. It makes it feel immersive to me and I sleep great there!

 

[TraJon]

Thank goodness we all have our favorites. We tend to go in December, the Wilderness Lodge and Jambo just bring us such happiness. When we go in May we do love Beach club and Poly. I think with every refurb it quickly changes opinions.