January 2014: 4 adults @ Poly or GF?

[mariamouse]

Hey guys,

I am a WDW/DIS veteran, but am having a tough time deciding between the Poly and GF for our next trip in January 2014 (5 nights). I have stayed at both resorts before (see signature), but it has been a longer hiatus from the Poly than the GF.

The guests will be my dad (63), mom (54), sister (29) and me (24). We are all sharing one room-- thankfully we get along.

Dad will play golf every day while us girls hang in the parks. The plan is to meet up for dinner and then dad will hang out at the resort post-dinner while we finish up in the parks. The parks aren't open that late in January, though, so we will usually be back with him by 9/10pm or so.

We were originally leaning toward the Poly since it has been longer since we've stayed there, but we are now hearing rumors of DVC construction. My mom is also concerned that the Poly does not have enough "cozy" areas to hang out in since the January weather could possibly be quite cool. In her eyes, it is more of an outdoorsy resort, whereas the GF has nicer interior spaces. That being said, the Poly's rooms feel more spacious to us and the quick access to the TTC is nice. I'm also hearing rumors that the GF might undergo room refurbishment post-autumn and am nervous that the GF might feel a lot more crowded once the villas open. The restaurants at both resorts appeal to us equally.

My dad has never stayed at either the GF or Poly, while my sister has stayed at the GF and not the Poly. My mom and I have stayed at both.

My dad, mom and I stayed at the BCV last January and loved it (always love the BC), but dad thinks it might be fun to switch it up in the MK area this year.

Thoughts on which resort has the edge in January for four adults? Which resort provides my dad with more spaces to just hang out and enjoy the ambiance by himself every night? Do you think the GF is a better winter resort than the Poly? Obviously not a bad dilemma to have, but I hate this indecision!

Thanks in advance for any opinions!

 

[mickeynut1]

Hey guys,

I am a WDW/DIS veteran, but am having a tough time deciding between the Poly and GF for our next trip in January 2014 (5 nights). I have stayed at both resorts before (see signature), but it has been a longer hiatus from the Poly than the GF.

The guests will be my dad (63), mom (54), sister (29) and me (24). We are all sharing one room-- thankfully we get along.

Dad will play golf every day while us girls hang in the parks. The plan is to meet up for dinner and then dad will hang out at the resort post-dinner while we finish up in the parks. The parks aren't open that late in January, though, so we will usually be back with him by 9/10pm or so. As a result, it is important to us that we are able to easily access each other at good restaurants outside of the parks since my dad will not want to go to a lot of hassle to meet up with us. He and my sister are not the huge Disney freaks my mom and I are, but they both secretly enjoy it.

We were originally leaning toward the Poly since it has been longer since we've stayed there, but we are now hearing rumors of DVC construction. My mom is also concerned that the Poly does not have enough "cozy" areas to hang out in since the January weather could possibly be quite cool. In her eyes, it is more of an outdoorsy resort, whereas the GF has nicer interior spaces. That being said, the Poly's rooms feel more spacious to us and the quick access to the TTC is nice. Plus, we love the Kona coffee. I'm also hearing rumors that the GF might undergo room refurbishment post-autumn and am nervous that the GF might feel a lot more crowded once the villas open. The restaurants at both resorts appeal to us equally.

My dad has never stayed at either the GF or Poly, while my sister has stayed at the GF and not the Poly. My mom and I have stayed at both. I think my dad and sister are leaning toward the GF, whereas my mom and I are split and maybe leaning a little bit Poly.

My dad, mom and I stayed at the BCV last January and loved it (always love the BC), but dad thinks it might be fun to switch it up in the MK area this year. Plus, most of the golf courses are located in the MK area, although that isn't a huge deal.

Thoughts on which resort has the edge in January for four adults? Which resort provides my dad with more spaces to just hang out and enjoy the ambiance by himself every night? Do you think the GF is a better winter resort than the Poly? Obviously not a bad dilemma to have, but I hate this indecision!

Thanks in advance for any opinions. I know that there is no wrong answer here. Just curious about everyone's thoughts! I am also open to any other options that I may not have thought of.

If it were me, I think I'd go with the Poly since it's been awhile since your last stay. We have also stayed at both and while we do like the GF, the Poly is our favorite. I think the Poly has a more relaxed atmosphere for walking around or sitting by the pool/beach. I also love sitting in the lobby. Some people think the lobby is too noisy and hectic, but I love sitting and listening to the waterfall. Like you said, you really can't make a wrong choice as they are both awesome resorts. Good luck .

 

[mariamouse]

If it were me, I think I'd go with the Poly since it's been awhile since your last stay. We have also stayed at both and while we do like the GF, the Poly is our favorite. I think the Poly has a more relaxed atmosphere for walking around or sitting by the pool/beach. I also love sitting in the lobby. Some people think the lobby is too noisy and hectic, but I love sitting and listening to the waterfall. Like you said, you really can't make a wrong choice as they are both awesome resorts. Good luck .

Thank you! All of the Poly attributes you just listed make it one of my favorite resorts. I guess I am just nervous that the Poly pool/beach might not get as much use in January if it's cold. Guess there is no way to know what the weather will be like when we book, though!

 

[mickeynut1]

Thank you! All of the Poly attributes you just listed make it one of my favorite resorts. I guess I am just nervous that the Poly pool/beach might not get as much use in January if it's cold. Guess there is no way to know what the weather will be like when we book, though!

You make a good point about the weather and places for your dad to sit and relax if it's cold. As much as I love the Poly, the GF might be the better choice as far as places to sit. The GF lobby does seem a little more relaxing as there are plenty of comfy couches/chairs and it is a little more open and spacious than the Poly lobby. Good luck deciding, although I know it's a tough decision as they are both great resorts.

 

[mariamouse]

You make a good point about the weather and places for your dad to sit and relax if it's cold. As much as I love the Poly, the GF might be the better choice as far as places to sit. The GF lobby does seem a little more relaxing as there are plenty of comfy couches/chairs and it is a little more open and spacious than the Poly lobby. Good luck deciding, although I know it's a tough decision as they are both great resorts.

Thanks again! We truly love and miss the Poly, so maybe we will just cross the fingers for warm weather and go for it! If the GF is undergoing room refurb and/or the Poly has started DVC construction, though, that could end up pushing us one way or the other. I am sure that we will all have a blast either way.

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks again! We truly love and miss the Poly, so maybe we will just cross the fingers for warm weather and go for it! If the GF is undergoing room refurb and/or the Poly has started DVC construction, though, that could end up pushing us one way or the other. I am sure that we will all have a blast either way.

You're welcome . I totally understand because even though I do like the GF, the Poly is my favorite for many reasons. I can see how much you love the Poly, so I think you should book it and not look back. You will have a great trip either way, but even more so when you're staying at a resort you truly love. Our last trip was to the GF and we visited the Poly and I will admit that I did miss it. The GF is nice, but there's just something about the feeling I get when I walk into the Poly lobby.

 

[disd55]

The GF is a beautiful resort in the winter. The Christmas decorations are phenomenal. That is a good point about the Polynesian being too outdoorsy. What exactly would the TTC be of a convenience to you for? It really isn't that much further from GF to TTC, especially with the monorail. The GF will have just opened it's DVC Villas right before you go there, so I don't know if they'll be wrapping up construction or they'll be completely done, but I think the ladder. I would choose GF. It's a gorgeous resort. Although, I think you should choose whatever majority of the family likes!

 

[clapton]

Definitely the GF! IMO it doesn't even compare to the Poly!

 

[taylor3297]

Poly rooms are now being refurbed. As to DVC at Poly no plans for it as of yet since GF is finishing up the DVC there.

Have you considered staying CL at the Poly. You would then have access to the CL lounge to hang out in and have a beautiful view of the lake and the castle from there.