Moving on from the Poly

[whiporee]

Hi Everyone --

We're headed back in early December for our annual trek to WDW. We've stayed at the Poly the last two visits. The Poly is great, but we think the proximity to MK takes away our desire to check out Epcot, AK or DHS. So we're talking of trying a new resort this time.

We'll have twin 6-year-old boys and a 9-year old girl. Cost isn't much of an issue to us -- we really just want to have the best experience we can. Before the boys were born, we stayed at Boardwalk and remember the busses to MK being a bit of a pain, but my daughter was in a stroller then. We've never stayed anywhere else.

I've read the FAQ threads, but thought I'd see what ideas or feedbacks (or favorites) folks might have. I'm thinking of Boardwalk, Beach or Yacht Club and maybe AK lodge, but if you've got other ideas, we'd love to hear them. Thanks -- Matt

 

[Binabina]

I cancelled our October Poly reservation this morning. It just feels like it is time to move on. DH and I are traveling with a teen and I wanted a king bed for he and I. Took a junior suite at Coronado. Went from $559/night to $449 and now we have two bathrooms. We have stayed at this hotel before. Love the big pool. Hotel is huge, but walking is good for us! I was hesitant to bail out on the deluxe. Now it feels right. Whatever you decide, enjoy!

 

[ocalla]

We have stayed at both YC and BCand love them so much we can't make ourselves try other resorts. EPCOT is our usual evening hangout and it couldn't be more convenient from there.

DD loves DHS, again the short boat ride there is perfect.

Each year I say lets try Poly or GF, then DH says ..... Won't be too easy to grab your pretzel or caramel in Germany each night, but if you're OK with that than sure . Gets me everytime!!!!

 

[Wood Nymph]

We've always loved the BC and have stayed there many times. It is the last stop on the bus in the morning, which was nice. The bus usually shares with the YC, which is what we've experienced the last few years. But it sometimes does pickup at the other Epcot resorts occasionally. Since you can walk or take a boat to two parks and only need a bus to two parks, I don't find the buses a problem at all.

On MK days we will often take the morning bus to MK and the monorail back to Epcot. Then we will stroll through Epcot, stopping a few places, before we return to BC. It is a nice way to avoid another bus ride. And we love spending time Epcot. It is our evening hangout, too.

 

[mmmears]

YC/BC are great for visiting Epcot and DHS -- so those days would be "no bus" days. You still need to take the bus to the MK -- it's not nearly as bad once the kids are older and you aren't folding up a stroller. It's also a very pretty resort and the pool there is fantastic -- so much fun. Also there's Beaches & Cream, an old-fashioned ice cream place (also has burgers and sandwiches, but makes the best sundaes). Definitely a different "take" on a WDW vacation from the Poly. We love both YC/BC and the Poly, but I like being on the Epcot side of the parks every now and then.

You mentioned AKL -- my family loves it there -- great atmosphere, theming, and of course the animals. A bit more removed from the parks, though. We usually do a split (either with a monorail resort or an Epcot resort) just so we aren't on buses every day of our trip.

We've been pretty happy with every WDW resort we have tried, but I do think it's nice to branch out every now and again and try something new.

Hope this helps! Good luck deciding!!!

 

[brertoad]

Maybe consider doing a split stay? I think the kids would like seeing the animals at AKL, it's a very nice resort. You have to take a bus from AKL to everything.

Or maybe try Boardwalk, it's got a fun theme; or Beach Club or Yacht Club the kids would have fun in the Stormalong Bay pool. All of those are walking distance to Epcot, and have boat access to HS.

 

[jenjersnap]

My kids love Stormalong Bay, that short walk to Epcot and the Friendship boats to DHS so that is my vote. Though we just booked our second split stay between BC & YC and the Poly because they also love the monorail and fireworks from the beach. Best of both worlds! We have stayed at AKL twice and, though we love the resort, it seems just too far away from the action. I understand why someone else would find that remoteness is actually a positive though.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

We like staying at the Poly for the monorail ride to Epcot and normally hang out at Epcot more often than MK but I understand your need to try out the Epcot resorts

I loved the Boardwalk Villas - LOVED it!!! But the clown slide hurt our bums so that was a let down. Between that and not being able to walk 'inside' the hotel toward the Epcot side were the two things I least enjoyed about BWV but it was so cool to walk to HS, Epcot, and have the Boardwalk right there. And the Villas pool and commons area is AWESOME!

I liked the Beach Club and am glad to see that some of the things I didn't like about it are being addressed (wristbands at the pool, Hurricane Hannah's remodel, more 'quick' hot food, etc.) I'm going back there myself in May! One of the things I will caution about is the pool. It is really large and great with lots of features but you can not sit in one area and see your kids in the entire pool. You would need to 'move' as they move from area to area to keep an eye on them. Maybe that isn't needed for the older kids but just keep it in mind for the younger set.

I liked the Dolphin too but it wasn't 'Disney' enough for me. Great hotel, and great price for the location with lots of good places to eat and a fabulous pool - but for me, I want to be in that Disney bubble

 

[clapton]

Before we bought DVC we tried all different resorts from deluxe to value. Our favorite moderate was POR. Favorite deluxe is BC. Now we stay at BLT or BCV,but we would like to try BWV at some time too.

 

[Sue M]

We love BC or YC, they are great resorts, and SAB is the best pool complex on property!
However, Poly rooms are larger, and transportation was great, with boat or monorail to MK, and a short walk over to the TTC for Epcot monorail. I found it incredibly easy getting to Epcot from Poly.