Just Back From a Split Stay -- Grand Floridian and Polynesian -- My Thoughts on Both!

[MizSassy]

Yay! I've been waiting for the Poly review! Merry Christmas indeed! Thanks for such a great review! Definitely made up my mind to stay there next October!! We are going to do club level, any suggestions of a particular place to be?

Hope your son's stomach bug ends quickly! The flu has been running rampant here in southeastern NC! Merry Christmas!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Thank you for sharing your reviews and photos of both resorts. My DH loves the Polynesian and I love the GF. But we are both huge fans of WL, too! I do like the transportation options at WL a bit better, although the Polynesian is usually spot on!

We will be in WDW next Christmas at WL, but plan to resort hop more than go to parks and just soak in the beautiful decor. Your pics of the gingerbread house at the GF has me very excited!

Thank you, again!

You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed!

We've never tried the WL. I meant to get over there to check out their Christmas decorations, but never made it. We did however get to all the Epcot resorts to check their decor out. Very nice! You'll have a great trip next year!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Yay! I've been waiting for the Poly review! Merry Christmas indeed! Thanks for such a great review! Definitely made up my mind to stay there next October!! We are going to do club level, any suggestions of a particular place to be?

Hope your son's stomach bug ends quickly! The flu has been running rampant here in southeastern NC! Merry Christmas!

You're welcome, glad it was helpful!

Will you be on the lagoon side or garden view in CL? You have to be careful with the garden view side, some of them are completely blocked by trees. We were lucky and had a great view when we stayed there, but the next 2 rooms to our left had to be blocked by trees. I'll have to look up the room # for you.

Thanks, I hope so too. And hopefully none of the rest of us will get it.

Merry Christmas to you too!

 

[mickeynut1]

You're welcome. We really did enjoy the Poly very much once again. I bet you will love the Poly CL.

I'm sure we will too. We really love everything about the Poly, so I'm thinking we will love CL :.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Merry Christmas!

 

[monica23535]

Merry Christmas Shelly and family!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Merry Christmas Shelly and family!

Thank you, same to you!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Entrance at night ~

Looking across the lagoon at the castle ~

From the beach looking into the CL lounge ~

Mama duck and her babies ~

Kona breakfast ~

Kona Island ~

The boys pin trading by the gift shop (this was probably the only CM we encountered at the Poly who wasn't exactly overly friendly) ~

Looking over at the DVC construction ~

Using the stairs on the Hawaii side of the Samoa building, showing how close our room was ~

 

[lala3291]

Merry Christmas Shelly!!!!!

Thanks for more Poly pictures! Can't wait to be there in a couple of days. I'm just about all packed. Between getting ready for Christmas Eve and today, I have barely had any time to pack! Your pictures are getting me so excited.

Hopefully I will check in tomorrow, as well as when I'm there, if not though, talk to you soon!

How is DS13 feeling?

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Merry Christmas Shelly!!!!!

Thanks for more Poly pictures! Can't wait to be there in a couple of days. I'm just about all packed. Between getting ready for Christmas Eve and today, I have barely had any time to pack! Your pictures are getting me so excited.

Hopefully I will check in tomorrow, as well as when I'm there, if not though, talk to you soon!

How is DS13 feeling?

Thanks Lauren! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. How is your friend doing?

DS13 is just fine now! And so far none of the rest of us have gotten it...

Well if I don't talk to you before then, have an awesome and safe trip!! Check in if you can!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Hope your DS is feeling better! What an awful day to be sick.

I am recuperating today. I am forcing myself to do some laundry... That is it! (The cleaning lady comes tomorrow woohoo!!!)

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

A few pics on the walk over to the TTC ~

Hallway in the Samoa building ~

Captain Cook's ~

I just love the chocolate chip croissants ~

BouTiki ~

Outside the front entrance at night ~

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Hope your DS is feeling better! What an awful day to be sick.

I am recuperating today. I am forcing myself to do some laundry... That is it! (The cleaning lady comes tomorrow woohoo!!!)

He is much better, thanks!

We're not doing much of anything today. Just watching it snow...

 

[T*Bird]

Well, hello there, Shelly! Better late than never, I guess!

Thanks for the heads up!

First of all, I hope you had a Merry Christmas......in spite of everything you had going on. I assumed your family plans were cancelled when you said your DS had the stomach flu. Maybe y'all can have a little post-Christmas get-together when everyone is well. You sure don't want to take chances with your step-mom's immune system. I'm glad DS13 is feeling better now. And hoping, of course, that no one else gets it!

Did you get the snow that was forecast? We had the strangest Christmas weather I can ever remember. They had been saying for days that we were going to get some pretty bad storms. But how many times do they get it right that far in advance? Just like checking the Disney forecast before a trip - hardly ever! But this time they were very accurate. It was hot - not Christmas-like at all. And then the most ominous clouds started rolling in, and the beep-beep-beep tornado warnings on TV, followed by strong winds and thunderstorms. Luckily, no tornadoes hit near us, but there were many pretty close by and in other southern states.

Now, for your reviews. As usual, great descriptions and pictures. That is an awful lot of construction going on at the GF. You will do a lot of people good if they know in advance what they are in store for. For me, I would want to change resorts if I had enough advance warning. That's just too much going on that takes away from the atmosphere. Your room and location looked really nice, though. And how neat being next door to Jodi and fam!

It really is a shame about the people who don't know when to say when. When anything is free (well, not FREE free, but included) I think some people just go hog-wild and know no limits. You're right, Disney needs to have some way to cut them off when they can't seem to control themselves.

I love your Poly pics! I'm glad that was where the longest part of your stay was. Your room and view look great, too. The pin-trading CM does look a little disinterested.

Looking forward to more!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Lobby, right inside the back entrance ~

Volcano pool pics ~

My walk around the pool ~

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Well, hello there, Shelly! Better late than never, I guess!

Thanks for the heads up!

First of all, I hope you had a Merry Christmas......in spite of everything you had going on. I assumed your family plans were cancelled when you said your DS had the stomach flu. Maybe y'all can have a little post-Christmas get-together when everyone is well. You sure don't want to take chances with your step-mom's immune system. I'm glad DS13 is feeling better now. And hoping, of course, that no one else gets it!

Did you get the snow that was forecast? We had the strangest Christmas weather I can ever remember. They had been saying for days that we were going to get some pretty bad storms. But how many times do they get it right that far in advance? Just like checking the Disney forecast before a trip - hardly ever! But this time they were very accurate. It was hot - not Christmas-like at all. And then the most ominous clouds started rolling in, and the beep-beep-beep tornado warnings on TV, followed by strong winds and thunderstorms. Luckily, no tornadoes hit near us, but there were many pretty close by and in other southern states.

Now, for your reviews. As usual, great descriptions and pictures. That is an awful lot of construction going on at the GF. You will do a lot of people good if they know in advance what they are in store for. For me, I would want to change resorts if I had enough advance warning. That's just too much going on that takes away from the atmosphere. Your room and location looked really nice, though. And how neat being next door to Jodi and fam!

It really is a shame about the people who don't know when to say when. When anything is free (well, not FREE free, but included) I think some people just go hog-wild and know no limits. You're right, Disney needs to have some way to cut them off when they can't seem to control themselves.

I love your Poly pics! I'm glad that was where the longest part of your stay was. Your room and view look great, too. The pin-trading CM does look a little disinterested.

Looking forward to more!

Hey there stranger, about time you stopped by!!

Well my step-mom ended up in the hospital yesterday, is still there actually. So it hasn't exactly been a great Christmas for our family. Hopefully she will get out of the hospital soon and we can all get together.


Well as of this morning we didn't have any snow. They forecasted it to start around 5-6am and be extremely bad with almost no visibility by 9-10am. It actually started around 11am and is now to the point where it is really bad. I can barely see the house across the street. And DH is at work, about 30 miles from here.

Glad you didn't get any tornadoes! I saw on the news that TX did.

Glad you are enjoying the reviews! You know me, I just like to tell it like I see it! No, I really did enjoy my time at the GF, but like you said - so glad the longer part of our stay was at the Poly!

I know, you are so right. When something is free/included people just go hog wild. It's a shame.

Lots more Poly pics to share. And I hope to start a TR soon!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

This is from the stairs on the Hawaii side of the Samoa building, looking at the work on the other side of Samoa...

Looking at the back side of Samoa (the quiet pool side) ~

Looks like it's the same mess at the Niue building ~

Peaking in through the fence ~

Not sure exactly what they are doing in there...

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Panoramic shots from our balcony ~

Almost every evening there was some sort of holiday entertainment in the lobby. One night it was these guys ~

Electric Water Pageant from the Poly beach ~

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Holiday Wishes (from MVMCP) from the Poly beach ~

 

[deserrai]

Hi. Just wanted to say I'm loving your report. I'm dying to stay at Poly, but I can't make myself spend the money. You are helping convince me!