I just wanted to post some thoughts on our recent (and first) stay at WDW!
We stayed CL at WL and Poly.
Wilderness Lodge
Yes, the Christmas decorations are every bit as gorgeous as everyone says! We received an extremely warm welcome from the CL crew and immediately felt like we were home. They really made my son feel special because this was his birthday trip. The grounds were immaculate, theming was beautiful and the boat to MK was a great way to start the day! The s'mores on the beach at night was a great touch, and DH and DS really enjoyed the pool. I would say that the staff here was really top notch and went above and beyond to make sure we were having a pleasant stay. The rooms were a little old school, but in excellent repair. We didn't have a very good view, but didn't know to ask for one - there's always next time!
The CL offerings were fresh and tasty, and being able to have a glass of wine and cheese plate overlooking the giant Christmas tree was a nightly treat for us. CL remembered my son's name, made some movie recommendations and when they overheard me asking DH about bandaids, ran out to grab some for me without me even asking. We really felt like we got the royal treatment here!
We also had pillow animals each day, and mousekeeping kept our room immaculate.
I don't have a negative thing to say about WL, I would recommend it and we look forward to going back there one day.
Polynesian
We stayed CL at the Polynesian. The CM who checked us in seemed bored and didn't discuss any of the amenities with us. Later, we found out all of the kids were supposed to get little beach buckets and stickers at checkin, but DS never received anything, nor did they acknowledge his birthday with any sort of greeting or button. No need for fireworks, but a Happy Birthday would have been appreciated. All of the CMs in CL looked bored and unfriendly.
Our room had wires coming out of the walls and a toilet that didn't flush properly. It either didn't flush, or it sprayed water. We had paint chipping off the walls and the room just felt shabby. After complaining twice with no resolution or apology we just used it as an opportunity to stay out of our room, and spend more time at the parks.
The doors to the entrance out to the monorail were broken on more than one occasion, and the elevator when you walked into CL was broken for two days with the door just hanging off of it at an odd angle. It was actually a pretty creepy sight, and quite lovely to see when you're supposed to be staying at a decent hotel.
The pool was nice as were the lifeguards and we loved the shops and restaurant selection here. The CL lounge had a nice staff who kept things replenished, and I liked how you could go here any time of day for a piece of fruit or a beverage, even if it wasn't officially open at one of their designated snack times.
We did not get any pillow animals and mousekeeping was very mediocre. Twice they left dirty dishes in our room and they were not great with the cleaning.
I had high hopes for the Poly, but WL won this round.
Until next time...
We stayed CL at WL and Poly.
Wilderness Lodge
Yes, the Christmas decorations are every bit as gorgeous as everyone says! We received an extremely warm welcome from the CL crew and immediately felt like we were home. They really made my son feel special because this was his birthday trip. The grounds were immaculate, theming was beautiful and the boat to MK was a great way to start the day! The s'mores on the beach at night was a great touch, and DH and DS really enjoyed the pool. I would say that the staff here was really top notch and went above and beyond to make sure we were having a pleasant stay. The rooms were a little old school, but in excellent repair. We didn't have a very good view, but didn't know to ask for one - there's always next time!
The CL offerings were fresh and tasty, and being able to have a glass of wine and cheese plate overlooking the giant Christmas tree was a nightly treat for us. CL remembered my son's name, made some movie recommendations and when they overheard me asking DH about bandaids, ran out to grab some for me without me even asking. We really felt like we got the royal treatment here!
We also had pillow animals each day, and mousekeeping kept our room immaculate.
I don't have a negative thing to say about WL, I would recommend it and we look forward to going back there one day.
Polynesian
We stayed CL at the Polynesian. The CM who checked us in seemed bored and didn't discuss any of the amenities with us. Later, we found out all of the kids were supposed to get little beach buckets and stickers at checkin, but DS never received anything, nor did they acknowledge his birthday with any sort of greeting or button. No need for fireworks, but a Happy Birthday would have been appreciated. All of the CMs in CL looked bored and unfriendly.
Our room had wires coming out of the walls and a toilet that didn't flush properly. It either didn't flush, or it sprayed water. We had paint chipping off the walls and the room just felt shabby. After complaining twice with no resolution or apology we just used it as an opportunity to stay out of our room, and spend more time at the parks.
The doors to the entrance out to the monorail were broken on more than one occasion, and the elevator when you walked into CL was broken for two days with the door just hanging off of it at an odd angle. It was actually a pretty creepy sight, and quite lovely to see when you're supposed to be staying at a decent hotel.
The pool was nice as were the lifeguards and we loved the shops and restaurant selection here. The CL lounge had a nice staff who kept things replenished, and I liked how you could go here any time of day for a piece of fruit or a beverage, even if it wasn't officially open at one of their designated snack times.
We did not get any pillow animals and mousekeeping was very mediocre. Twice they left dirty dishes in our room and they were not great with the cleaning.
I had high hopes for the Poly, but WL won this round.
Until next time...
The run down condition of the hotel was another story, but I digress....want to add that we've stayed at the Poly before and LOVED it, so figured that CL would be top notch.
