I've chosen Poly and AKL. Hope I've chosen well!

[chrisn]

My dad owns a timeshare condo at Westgate Lakes so we always stay there but we usually stay longer than a week and I've always wanted to stay onsite and also at one of those pool homes. I've been struggling with where because there are so many choices but have finally decided to start our next trip off at Poly and end it with AKL before leaving for the Disney Cruise. For us it's all about the theme of the resort and these two appealed to me the most. Can someone offer encouragement or pros and cons for our decision. I know Poly offers the monorail which is nice but not really an issue since we always have a car and don't limit ourselves to WDW only. Thanks for your input!

 

[Terk-1]

You're going to LOVE the Polynesian. I had the opportunity to stay there on my last trip and is was wonderful. I was in the Tokelau building in room 1913 and the view was amazing!!! I could see the lake & the Grand Floridian from my room. It was a quick walk to the quite pool, as well as to the main building and main pool. I would recommend taking the water shuttle to (and from) the Magic Kingdom as an alternative to the monorail. The monorail stops at the GF, then hits the MK, then to the Contemporary, then to the TTC, before heading back to the Polynesian. I found it quicker in the morning to take the monorail to the MK, then take the boat back to the Polynesian.

Also, if there is fireworks during your stay, the beach at the Polynesian is one of the best places to view them. You can hear the music playing in the background and you see them all. Another thing is the Electrical Water Parade that stops in front of the beach at the Polynesian. This is a cute little parade.

I will make another post with photos from my last trip, that included shots of the room.

 

[Mike_in_FL]

Great choice - been there, done that! We love both those hotels and in fact stayed at AKL followed by the Poly this summer. We always take our car too, but still really enjoy the convenience of the monorail for visits to MK. The view across the lagoon is great too. AKL will give you a very different experience, and I hope you like it as much as we do!

Mike

 

[Terk-1]

Below is a link to pictures I took on my last week that include photos of my room at the Polynesian, as well as other shots of the resort.

ENJOY!!

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2231378&uid=1179501&members=1

 

[wdwnut61]

Thanks so much for posting the pictures Terk-1,

We are also staying at the Polynesian for the first time in November. We visited the resort last December while we were staying at the CR. The grounds look so beautiful and I know the view from the beach will be amazing. It's great to see some interior pics of the rooms. Did you find the beds comfy? Are the beds on the firm side or soft side? Thanks again.

 

[lizmc]

TERK-1 ,
I am curious , was your room a GV or a LG room?? Great pictures ! I am also doing the Poly AKl split, except we are going to the AKL 1st and then the Poly! Hope you enjoy your trip!

 

[palmtreegirl]

Great choices! We loved the AKL, it's an incredible resort! I have very fond memories of the Poly from when I was a child and I've always wanted to get back there as a adult, one day!

Have a great trip!

 

[Terk-1]

Glad you enjoyed the pictures. The room is listed as a "garden view" room, but as you can see, it views more than the gardens. The beds were comphy and the room is a good size. There are two beaches at the Polynesian and the main beach (closer to the GF) gets the most people. The other beach is in front of the Tahiti building, which is right next to the Tokelau building. This is much quieter. Also, be aware that the monorail to the resorts & MK starts at 7am from the TTC and that the monorail to EPCOT from the TTC does not start until 7:30am, whether it is Magic Hour or not (found that out the hard way one morning). It is about a 5-7 minute walk to the TTC from the Polynesian. The food at Capn' Cooks is not bad and don't forget about the free-refill mugs. I used my alot and saved quite a bit.

 

[wdwnut61]

Terk-1,

Thanks for the quick reply. I noticed on your countdown that you're staying at the Swan on your next trip. Are you staying there first or the WL?. We are doing a split stay at the Swan first for 7 days with their great AP rate. Then we'll switch over to the Polynesian for our last 8 days. Just curious if we might not be at the Swan during the same time. Have you stayed at the Swan before? We are looking forward to trying it for the first time.