Just returned from 10 days at the Poly - just not worth it!

[Day-Day]

So, I've seen the reasons you didn't feel it was "worth it". For me, the lack of double sinks doesn't bother me - we don't have double sinks at home!! And, I am aware of the monorail situation, and though I am hoping that it will change prior to our trip in July, if it doesn't, we'll boat or bus..no biggie...we're used to taking the bus. Now, based on our 40% mil discount and the time of year we are going (Value Season 2), our weekday rate is $249 and weekend rate is $273. I consider this a steal!!! What price do you think is reasonable for the Poly? I know I would never pay rack rate for sure!

We had a 40% discount for our stay in September and this was our first stay at the Poly. This was a good discount for a "try-out". This cost us about $115 more per night than our original reservation for a King-bed at POR ($700 more for a 6-night stay). I stated in a previous post that I might pay $25 more per night over POR now that I've stayed at the Poly but I'd probably give some thought at up to $50 a night more... This isn't a lot of money to us but it is also not a big leap in amenities.

I had also mentioned that I wouldn't stay again at WL after we stayed there with a good discount. I do recommend that anyone considering bumping up to one of these resorts for the first time that if the money is okay, they should give it a try. I'm glad we tried out the WL and Poly even though next time I'll shop for POR again.

 

[copper0426]

I've read all the posts here and beside one post about there being a daybed, noone mentioned the fact that the beds are queen size. That alone makes alot of difference to us compared to the moderates. With the exception of CS and now for POFQ and soon POR. Just having the queen bed makes it worth it for our family. We also bring a mother or MIL with us at times and the daybed works out great opposed to having our DS sleep on a trundle if we were even able to get one. Our family loves the Poly. I do agree with all the posters about just how expensive it is and without a discount we would not stay. Also the view while eating in the club level beats all club level viewing in my opinion.

We love different resorts for different reasons, these are only a few for why we love the Poly.

I hope you all enjoy yourselves whereever you stay.

Diane

 

[Amy&Dan]

Amy&Dan,

Exactly! Balance is the key word and we are on the same page.

There is a point in which price vs room/amenities become skewed. What does the Poly offer that is worth TWICE the price of a moderate?Ron

Ron, for my family there is absolutely nothing at the Poly or probably any other WDW deluxe that is worth twice the price of a moderate. For others, families with five total, families that spend all or most of their time at MK, who have stroller aged kids who can be "rolled" onto the monorail, its probably different. Balance is indeed the key word!

I'll add that I see posters on various threads that live in Florida or very nearby. If we lived a short drive away, that might make a difference in where we stay at WDW. But months before my trip has started, I've shelled out $1500-1800 for airfare for the four of us. At that point, I'm already on the budget bandwagon as far as our resort is concerned!

Bottom line, my nightly average for room, tickets, food (which is "free") for our March free dining trip is just under $400. If I stayed at the Poly, I'd have to add about another $380 a night because that is the difference in the rack rates between CSR and the Poly, which would make a total of $3825 difference for our stay for a garden view room at the Poly, vs a standard view room at CSR. For us, that is simply not going to happen for a variety of reasons.

For those that can afford that and want to pay that and find it worth it, that is awesome and not surprising because lets face it, there is a sector of the population that wants to and can pay for that because if there wasn't, Disney wouldn't charge that much! I am just not in that category and thrilled there is level of resort that fits my budget and that still makes me feel very much immersed in Disney and the onsite exerience.

 

[arielchickenofthesea]

I am so sorry you did not like the Poly. It is our favorite resort. We love everything about it. It just has that right ambience for us.
I wish you had had a better experience.

 

[sydneysmom]

to the OP.... I'm sorry you had a less than great experience. It's a shame, because the monorail resorts really are special. I don't understand I guess, what you expected different when you opened the door to your resort..... it seemed like you were pretty disappointed.

The great thing about Disney is that there are so many different resorts to suit everyone's tastes and needs. I love POR. It's one of my favorites. However, we went to the GF last trip and I'm a complete convert. Now, would I pay rack rate ? No. But with a pin code, for sure. We loved every minute of the GF. We loved the convenience of being on the monorail, taking the boat, walking along the beach. We loved having a character meal in our resort and the personal attention to every detail.

It's not for everyone.....but it doesn't make it "not worth it" or "a waste of money" as some have suggested. It just makes it not right for everyone. To me, it was worth every penny. When we went, it was my birthday. They upgraded us to a castle view, put a huge chocolate Mickey Mouse w/ choc covered strawberries in our room, Happy Birthday cards from the characters and a red rose. That was pretty magical. So, they had me at Hello ! Is this the norm ? Of course not. We, for some reason, got very lucky with some super special pixie dust, and for that, I'm grateful. Disney made my DD's first trip to Disney a trip like no other. That was worth it for me.

For my DH, he'll never try anything else. (if we don't get a pin code, he's going to be going to WL however !) But he just fell in love with everything about the GF. Our DD was 4.5 at the time we went. So convenience was everything. We didn't want to wait for busses, we wanted to be able to get back to the room for naps, he wanted to be on the monorail and we just wanted to have a really magic first experience. That's us. So for us, it was worth it.

I hope you find your magic !! half the fun is to keep trying !!

 

[heidijanesmith]

I am so sorry you did not like the Poly. It is our favorite resort. We love everything about it. It just has that right ambience for us.
I wish you had had a better experience.

The Poly is our favorite resort as well. I'm sorry that it did not work as well as other WDW resorts for you. That is the good thing about WDW, lots of different resorts with different ammenities and themes. Plenty of resorts to satisfy everyone.

 

[nkereina]

I've read all the posts here and beside one post about there being a daybed, noone mentioned the fact that the beds are queen size. That alone makes alot of difference to us compared to the moderates. With the exception of CS and now for POFQ and soon POR. Just having the queen bed makes it worth it for our family. We also bring a mother or MIL with us at times and the daybed works out great opposed to having our DS sleep on a trundle if we were even able to get one. Our family loves the Poly. I do agree with all the posters about just how expensive it is and without a discount we would not stay. Also the view while eating in the club level beats all club level viewing in my opinion.

We love different resorts for different reasons, these are only a few for why we love the Poly.

I hope you all enjoy yourselves whereever you stay.

Diane

All of the mods have queen beds except for CBR and the cabins, which are an entirely different experience all together. POR is in progress, to be technical. I wouldn't be surprised if CBR gets queen beds soon too, although nothing has been said. So considering this, it's not much of an amenity for deluxes that would justify such a drastic price increase.

I think the main thing that could justify the money is the transportation options other than the bus. Obviously the monorail and for the Epcot area resorts, the ability to walk or boat to DHS or Epcot. But this advantage is taken away from monorail resort guests when its not even running during EMH.

 

[juliebug1997]

I disagree that a deluxe room and a moderate room is the same. #1, the deluxe rooms can easily fit two queen beds in the room and still have lots of room left over. Plus those couches will fold out for two smaller people. #2, the king bed rooms that we had this past trip at POR were much smaller than the two doubles room that we had last year. I don't know how in the world they think that they're going to fit two queens in those rooms. #3, the bathrooms at the deluxe are a little more modern and nicer. Our bathroom at POR looked very dated and had a little bit of a smell.

I will say that we're staying there for two nights on an upcoming trip and the transportation thing has me really worried.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I disagree that a deluxe room and a moderate room is the same. #1, the deluxe rooms can easily fit two queen beds in the room and still have lots of room left over. Plus those couches will fold out for two smaller people. #2, the king bed rooms that we had this past trip at POR were much smaller than the two doubles room that we had last year. I don't know how in the world they think that they're going to fit two queens in those rooms. #3, the bathrooms at the deluxe are a little more modern and nicer. Our bathroom at POR looked very dated and had a little bit of a smell.

I will say that we're staying there for two nights on an upcoming trip and the transportation thing has me really worried.

Actually the King rooms at POR are the exact same square footage as the double rooms. The queen beds will fit just as they do at CSR which has rooms the exact same size as POR's and has double beds for some time.

WL and AKL rooms are the exact sames size as CBR rooms and in fact those rooms at AKL and WL have less bedroom space because part of their square footage is taken up with an entry hall mod rooms do not have.

I am not sure what couch at a deluxe can accomodate two people? Our sofa folded down to a small bed that was perfect for our then 11 year old daughter. No way could two people have fit on that daybed. Now the DVC studios do have a sofabed that folds out and is a double size.

POR's bathrooms will be updated with the refurb and I do agree that is a needed refurb just as many deluxe rooms/bathrooms have needed a refurb. At the mod level, you don't get the same grade of toiletries a deluxe has (at CSR you do but not the other mods) and I do believe the towels are not as plush at a mod as they are at a deluxe. So the bathroom amenities at a deluxe are better as far as the towels and toiletries and you do have a real closet in a deluxe which is nice.

I wouldn't worry at all about the transportation at POR, we did 14 nights there in June and had no problems except for one day going to AK. Which can happen at any resort. Be sure and request a refurbbed room, they look so nice! I hope you have a great stay and are pleasantly surprised.

 

[Micca]

The Poly is pricey, but it's beautiful and almost irresistable. We're DVC now, but in dozens of WDW trips prior to joining we were only able to justify the expense of the Poly on 3 or 4 occasions. We now enjoy dining/drinking/shopping at the Poly to get our fix.

 

[nklooz]

Thanks for the review. I think the value of the deluxe is all about what's important to you and what you need out of your resort. Last time we went, we stayed moderate at POR. We were with our DD8. She could walk herself, she didn't have to take long naps or go to bed significantly earlier than us, a zero entry pool was of no need for her, getting to and from the parks very quickly for nap or even multiple naps didn't matter. So, the moderate offerings were perfect. We loved it. Not one complaint (though I did say for POR we'd book pref location next time).

We're now going back w/that same DD now 12 and her little sister whose 2 yr b-day we will be celebrating. We will have a stroller, multiple naps per day, spend most of our time at MK, making the monorail a dream, maybe only get to see fireworks at all if we can see them from our resort because 7 is bedtime so even on vaca, 10 pm is like the middle of the night to her. Only really get to rest our weary arms at the pool if there's an easy way for her swim.

In other words, I think there is definitely value in the deluxes over the moderates. It is just a matter of whether or not you're in a situation where those benefits are meaningful. 4 1/2 yrs ago, we didn't need those benefits so we didn't pay for them. Now, I think they'll help make Disney w/a toddler much more manageable. Do I think we'll always pay for Monorail resorts, definitely not, probably not even always deluxe resorts. But, with a 2 yo, those benefits are meaningful to me!

Note: The monorail issue is not relevant to me because DD2 would NEVER be able to be at the park for EMH in the pm. However, I would be LIVID if I was paying for the monorail and couldn't use it!!!

 

[juliebug1997]

I wouldn't worry at all about the transportation at POR, we did 14 nights there in June and had no problems except for one day going to AK. Which can happen at any resort. Be sure and request a refurbbed room, they look so nice! I hope you have a great stay and are pleasantly surprised.

I was actually referring to the transportation at the Poly when we're there at a month. And, POR has lots of bumps IMHO. A 30 minute wait for a bus back from DTD? A 30-45 minute wait for a bus back from TL? A 45 minute wait at midday for a bus to MK? We also had some issues with check-in the last time at POR (we paid for a king bed and she wanted to argue with me until I pulled out my reservation and payment confirmation and then still wanted to give me a double). I'm just giving them a break as I'm sure we'll be back. They may say their the same size but I don't see how because our room was wider and longer at Poly and CR compared to POR.

 

[a1tinkfans]

OP: another person that says it is so great that disney offers so many options to choose when getting a room.
I have to say I LOVE POR< its really our home away from home... the great food court, the easy access to dtd by boat, the buses are pretty good considering the number of people they shuffle around....
But I have also stayed POLY CLUB and have to say it was amazing, just PERFECT...we had a breakdown with the monorail, so transport for us was actually Slower than POR on more than one occasion, and we much prefer the food court options at POR as well....but that view of fireworks...
My overall opinion about Disney in general is that their "categories" of hotels on the Upper end do not match the industry standard for the same class of hotels OUTSIDE of disney, thus the real "value" of any room/resort IMHO, is what YOU as a family get out of it......for you/r family, sounds like the increased $ is/was not worth it and not worth your $$for a repeat visit. Thats fair enough, I say!
I hope you enjoyed the rest if your trip!

 

[Hooked On The Mouse]

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your stay at Poly. I agree completely that what one person likes, another won't. I know some people love resorts that we don't care for, and that's a good thing. If everybody liked my favourite resorts, I'd never get a room. So hopefully you'll enjoy your next stay at POR much better, and now you have tried Poly and know what you think of it.

 

[pjhootch]

I just can't bring myself to pay for the deluxe resorts at the current prices. The theming is cool and the surroundings/grounds are beautiful. Okay the contemporary isn't beautiful, but it is interesting.

The rooms themselves are okay. I would pay $150 a night to stay in them! But $500? Nope... I just don't have it in me. This year I did think about staying in the garden wing at the CR with a 40% pin code.

I have a love/hate relationship with Disney. I love going there, and I hate feeling like I'm spending more money than I should have to spend, the bang for the buck mentality. Years ago I got frustrated with paying a fortune for water and bought bottles with straps for the kids to carry and fill up at the water fountains. It isn't that we can't afford it, but it drives me nuts to pay for water.

For what it would cost us to stay at the poly, my family could fly to hawaii and stay the same amount of time! There wouldn't be great Disney theme parks there, but we would have all the real resort amenities for the amount we were spending.

I definitely do enjoy the theming and I love a nice hotel room. The mods work better for my mindset. Whenever I read someone is going to stay for a long time at the poly I always hope they have a great trip!

OP, I'm glad the way you felt about the poly didn't ruin your overall trip. It seems like you still had a good time overall, which is what it is about in the end.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I was actually referring to the transportation at the Poly when we're there at a month. And, POR has lots of bumps IMHO. A 30 minute wait for a bus back from DTD? A 30-45 minute wait for a bus back from TL? A 45 minute wait at midday for a bus to MK? We also had some issues with check-in the last time at POR (we paid for a king bed and she wanted to argue with me until I pulled out my reservation and payment confirmation and then still wanted to give me a double). I'm just giving them a break as I'm sure we'll be back. They may say their the same size but I don't see how because our room was wider and longer at Poly and CR compared to POR.

To clarify, For sure the rooms at the Poly and CR will be larger than a moderate room. POR rooms are 314 square feet (as are rooms at CSR and POFQ. CBR rooms are 340 square feet). I think Poly rooms are all at least 400 square feet. So they are wider and longer. What I was saying is that if the CSR and POFQ rooms can hold queen beds, then POR rooms which are the same size will too.

As for transportation at the Poly, while I don't like the bus sharing, overal I think any resort will have its good and bad days. I do have to say, busses to and from Downtown Disney are the worst at all resorts. Since TL is on that same route, its the same thing. Its when I go to DTD and TL I miss having a rental car! Or staying at SSR where I could walk to and from DTD!

But for sure, rooms at the CR and Poly are the largest on property and will offer more space than POR rooms.

 

[yrdlyprincess]

I do understand to most people (and even me ) that that is your opinion....but for people like (which I appreciate your opinion) it's good to hear that. We too have always want to stay at the Poly or a deluxe...but I (for myself) just cant justify the money. DSister is going a month after we go and I tried to explain to her that especially since she is only going for a few days she wouldbe better off at a moderate...nope she is staying @ BC. That's great...but it's funny because she is like coupon/savings queen...just surprised by that..she has NEVER stayed at a moderate (forbid she ever stay at value) for me...landscape is great but when it comes down to it...it's a room w/a bed and shower. (AGAIN THATS JUST ME) I'd rather spend my savings on food & wine festival

 

[midge3426]

We stayed at the Poly last year and the Grand Floridian this year and neither resort are really worth what is charged. In fact, I have had better customer service at moderates.

I did not like Captain Cooks. There was not much of a food selection and the dining area is small and can get very crowded. In fact, it was so crowded our first day that my family found a table. I was the last to arrive. I pushed the chair back to sit down and a (I use this term very loosely) lady from the next table removed my chair. I fell on the floor. She did not even acknowledge what she had done.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I just can't bring myself to pay for the deluxe resorts at the current prices. The theming is cool and the surroundings/grounds are beautiful. Okay the contemporary isn't beautiful, but it is interesting.

The rooms themselves are okay. I would pay $150 a night to stay in them! But $500? Nope... I just don't have it in me. This year I did think about staying in the garden wing at the CR with a 40% pin code.

I have a love/hate relationship with Disney. I love going there, and I hate feeling like I'm spending more money than I should have to spend, the bang for the buck mentality. Years ago I got frustrated with paying a fortune for water and bought bottles with straps for the kids to carry and fill up at the water fountains. It isn't that we can't afford it, but it drives me nuts to pay for water.


For what it would cost us to stay at the poly, my family could fly to hawaii and stay the same amount of time! There wouldn't be great Disney theme parks there, but we would have all the real resort amenities for the amount we were spending.

I definitely do enjoy the theming and I love a nice hotel room. The mods work better for my mindset. Whenever I read someone is going to stay for a long time at the poly I always hope they have a great trip!

OP, I'm glad the way you felt about the poly didn't ruin your overall trip. It seems like you still had a good time overall, which is what it is about in the end.

I get this way too, at times hating the way Disney is priced now, versus when we first started going and our kids were kids and it didn't cost us over $200 to eat Chef Mickey's. I avoid this hate thing by now only going when the discounts are there. We love to go in June, but during my kids' spring break free dining is offered so we are going then. So we could get booked and not be wondering for who knows how long if a discount would come out. My nightly average for tickets, dining and room is $400. That I can handle. This is for a moderate, with 10 day tickets with the waterpark add on and the DDP (which is "free").

I think I would have a hard time anywhere else getting a room, dining and attraction tickets for that price. The fact that transportation to and from the airport as well as around Disney is part of that price helps as well.

But no more full price for me anymore, I can't afford it!

 

[Sue M]

So, I've seen the reasons you didn't feel it was "worth it". For me, the lack of double sinks doesn't bother me - we don't have double sinks at home!! And, I am aware of the monorail situation, and though I am hoping that it will change prior to our trip in July, if it doesn't, we'll boat or bus..no biggie...we're used to taking the bus. Now, based on our 40% mil discount and the time of year we are going (Value Season 2), our weekday rate is $249 and weekend rate is $273. I consider this a steal!!! What price do you think is reasonable for the Poly? I know I would never pay rack rate for sure!

When we got the 45% off the GV room was a little under $200 per night. there was no seperate weekend rate. they hadn't instituted that with the mods or deluxe yet.
We loved The Poly, but just don't think the pricing is very realistic.