We too just returned from the Poly on 10/19. This was our first trip to a deluxe resort and we were not disappointed. We had read some mixed reviews and had some apprehension but, there was no need to worry. The CM's were great and very helpful. Mousekeeping was very good. Captain Cook's was the best counter service meal we had all week. It can get crowded at peak times but, we never had more than a 5 minute wait to check out. Kona Cafe was the best meal we had all week. Transportation, including Magical Express, monorail and Disney Buses was good. The busses were crowded at times but, there was never more than a 5 minute wait. We had reserved a garden view room and were given room 2226 in Aerotoa, forgive the spelling. We had wanted a balcony near the ceremonial house so I was disappointed initially. We were pleasantly surprised to find we had a view of the marina and the Magic Kingdom fireworks every evening! I will definately try and stay here again when we can afford it.
We went to
MNSSHP on 10/16 and had a blast. The crowds were high early in the evening but cleared out after the 2nd parade. Everything was a walk-on after that. I highly recommend the parade.
The only down side to our trip was the Sci Fi.

We ate there on 10/14 and were disappointed with the food. The service was OK but the meal was not worth the money or our time.
Crowds were good overall until 10/19. We were at Magic Kingdom that afternoon and by 1:30pm you could barely move around in Fantasyland.
Thanks to all for the information on these threads. We used them to help us plan our trip and avoid common pitfalls. We were also able to use a discount code we found here to save some good money on the hotel room.