"If" we get a relocation call, would you go with AKL or Poly?

[WeLoveEeyore]

I was told by the "outbound sales" department (apparently, they handle the relocations of anyone booked at POFQ if it will not be open during their trip) and was told that since we are booked for March 6th that there is a very good possibility that POFQ will not be open by then and that if we were going to be relocated we would probably get a call sometime in January or early February. The CM said that the current "offer" given to people is $10 more a night at AKL or $30 more a night at the Poly.

Since AKL is newer, wouldn't that be better? Or is the Poly really that much better? Never been to either, so if you've been to either, tell me your thoughts.

P.S. Any CM's out there that have any inside information on POFQ?

 

[WeLoveEeyore]

Bump

 

[CarolA]

If I could get a Safari view at AKL I would go for it, but I have never understood the Poly's appeal anyway. AKL is unlike any hotel you are liable to stay in (I mean does your aveage hotels have Zebras outside?)

 

[Disney Ella]

I like both the Poly and AKL, but for that price I'd go for the Poly. I can afford the AKL in the offseason, but it's not often that you'd get a deal like that for the Poly. Also, my kids are at the age when the MK is their favorite park and the monorail access would be nice.

 

[soccer mom]

I agree with Disney Ella. Our favorite resort is AKL, but you can usually get a pretty good deal there. The poly is our second favorite and at that price I would grab it.

 

[swilphil]

If you want to be close to MK and a monorail ride away from Epcot, I would pick the Poly. If you want a more secluded vacation and prefer the African theming, I would go AKL. For the money, it sounds like the Poly is a better deal.

 

[milmore104]

We had this problem last year when they closed the CBR. They offered us AKL or PLOY. I had a hard time deciding which on to take.I've always wanted to stay at them both. Well after a lot of questions to my fellow DISers We decided on AKL. I thought it was the best for everyone. And it was fantastic We don't stay anywhere else now. The main reason for our choice was transportation. We have a little one that comes with a lot of bags and an "SUV" of a stroller and when I heard that a couple other resorts share a bus with the Poly it was definately a NO!

 

[TLinden16]

I've never stayed at the AKL before, but I'll put in a vote for the Poly. I stayed there in August, and it was fantastic. It's nice to be able to hop on the monorail or a boat to the Magic Kingdom. We stayed in Tokelau, so we were only about a 5 minute walk from the T&TC, so it was a quick trip over to Epcot as well. You'll also be able to see Wishes and Electric Light Parade from the beach at the Poly. Getting the Poly for $30 than a moderate is a fantastic deal, and as Disney Ella said, you can often get the AKL pretty cheap (I've seen it for as low as $125 plus tax). I've never seen the Poly below $189 plus tax.

I got relocated from the POFQ in August for three nights, and I was about to stay at the Beach Club for about $140 per night including tax. Now, that is an incredible resort. It was so nice to be able to walk to Epcot and MGM, and the pool is amazing.

Karen

 

[WeLoveEeyore]

We've talked it over, and "IF" we get the relocation call and they are offering AKL or Poly, then we think we'll go with the Poly. My husband stayed there as a teenager and when we were there last March at POFQ and went by it on the monorail, he said "there is my favorite hotel". So, hopefully, we do get a relocation call and hopefully they offer an upgrade.

I'm wondering where it is peak time if they will try to get us to stay in another moderate?

The CM told me that there are only a handful of people booked for POFQ since they stopped making ressies for it back in May or something.

 

[judben821]

We stayed at the Poly in September and loved every minute of it. We've never stayed at AKL so I can't do a comparison. But if the MK is where you want to spend most of your time, nothing beats the monorail and boat options of the Poly. Also, the Poly has one of our favorite restaurants - O'hana's. We loved the Poly and will have a hard time staying anywhere else.

 

[WeLoveEeyore]

Thanks for all these great replies.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by WeLoveEeyore
I was told by the "outbound sales" department (apparently, they handle the relocations of anyone booked at POFQ if it will not be open during their trip) and was told that since we are booked for March 6th that there is a very good possibility that POFQ will not be open by then and that if we were going to be relocated we would probably get a call sometime in January or early February. The CM said that the current "offer" given to people is $10 more a night at AKL or $30 more a night at the Poly.

Since AKL is newer, wouldn't that be better? Or is the Poly really that much better? Never been to either, so if you've been to either, tell me your thoughts.

P.S. Any CM's out there that have any inside information on POFQ?

This really depends on what parks you are planning on spending the most time at and what view at the AKL does the $10 more per night get you.

If you are planning to spend most of your time at the MK and EC then I would go with the POLY. As I am assuming that the $10 more per night at the AKL only gets you a "standard" view room at the AKL and not the "savanna" view room.

 

[TLinden16]

Originally posted by WeLoveEeyore
We've talked it over, and "IF" we get the relocation call and they are offering AKL or Poly, then we think we'll go with the Poly. My husband stayed there as a teenager and when we were there last March at POFQ and went by it on the monorail, he said "there is my favorite hotel". So, hopefully, we do get a relocation call and hopefully they offer an upgrade.

I'm wondering where it is peak time if they will try to get us to stay in another moderate?

The CM told me that there are only a handful of people booked for POFQ since they stopped making ressies for it back in May or something.

When I was working on my relocation with Disney, they offered me a room at either the CBR or the CSR (POR was not an option). They tried to push me into staying at another moderate, but I told them that I had stayed at all of the other moderates and was not as happy at them as I was at the POFQ. They asked me why I didn't like the other moderates, and I explained to them that the other moderates were too big for my tastes, and I didn't like the way they ran the food court at the CSR.

If you don't want to stay at another moderate, tell the cast member that. Tell them that you don't feel that they are the right place for your family. Ask what they offer for an upgrade to another resort (and don't be surprised if they throw rack rate at you--they threw rack rate at the Contemporary at me the first time I spoke to them). Be firm about what you want.

Karen

 

[WeLoveEeyore]

TLinden:

I don't mean to sound stupid, but what is rack rate? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

 

[WeLoveEeyore]

TLinden:

Also, did they make it hard to get an "offer" other than another moderate.

 

[TLinden16]

Originally posted by WeLoveEeyore
TLinden:

I don't mean to sound stupid, but what is rack rate? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Rack rate is the highest rate for any room category at the hotel without any discounts (no codes, or AP rates, or anything like that applied). Here are the rack rates for standard view rooms at the moderates, the Poly, and the AKL for March, 2004:

Moderates--$169
Poly--$404
AKL--$289

Obviously, you don't want to pay rack rate If you look at the rate you have now for the POFQ, and add the $10 or $30, you can see how good of a deal you'll be getting for the Poly or the AKL.

Karen

 

[TLinden16]

Originally posted by WeLoveEeyore
TLinden:

Also, did they make it hard to get an "offer" other than another moderate.

They did try to push me into the another moderate, but with the knowledge I had from these boards, I knew that they were offering upgrades for cheap money. I took me a week of phone calls to get what I wanted. I told one cast member that I knew I'd be setting myself up for disappointment if I were to stay at another moderate. I was actually about ready to downgrade to a value resort when they offered me a room at the Beach Club.

If they call you and you want to stay at a deluxe, than push for it. If you think your family would be happy at another moderate, than be ready with the one that you think would be best for you. If I were you'd, I'd do my research on the other moderates now and decide which one will be best for your family should you have to make a decision to move to another one just in case.

I do hope that the POFQ opens for your trip. How wonderful will it be if to stay in a newly remodeled resort? It's my favorite resort on Disney property.

Karen

 

[RescueRanger]

When we were relocated this summer we chose the POLY. It wasn't too hard to get the upgrade. I just told them I was not interested in any of the other moderates and they gave us the $30 upgrade. Good luck.