Need advice, Which would you choose? S & D or Poly?

[scrapper]

I am debating whether to stay at a S & D Club Room or a Poly. Conceirge room. (both are around the same price) in October. We do plan on going to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and MGM.
Do you know which rooms are bigger? We have 3 small children, so the hotel room is import't.
I have never stayed at either. My kids loved the pool at the YC, however it is NOT available.
Thanks for any input.
Diane

 

[scanne]

I would pick the Polynesian! The rooms are very spacious (409 sq. feet), you are right on the monorail for quick access to the the MK, you're right next door to the TTC with quick access to Epcot and a mere bus ride to MGM. Plus the Polynesian has a zero-entry pool with a volcano slide and the pool plays underwater music. You are also close to the Contemporary and Grand Floridian resorts which host great character meals at Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare! The theming of the Polynesian is superb AND they are currently rehab-ing the rooms, so you can stay in a newly refurbished room.

I have not stayed at S or D but I have heard some not-so-nice things about room size and cleanliness. Also, they are not "Disney owned" so some of the magic of a Disney vacation will be lost - IMHO.

I hope this helps a little! Have fun deciding and have a great trip!

 

[dylansdad]

Poly, Rooms are nice and big, and the resort is just soooo relaxing!

 

[DemoBri1]

Here are some of the points on both:

Poly: Close to MK, and it is on Monorail, however you do have to switch at TTC to get to Epcot and there is no direct route to MGM except by bus. Rooms are bigger. If you are planning to go to MK a majority of the time this would be your best bet.

S&D: Walking distance to both Epcot and MGM. You can also take a "short" boat ride to both. You can hop the monorail from within Epcot to go to MK, but remember take longer than a half-hour otherwise your passes might get locked out (for some reason Disney's ticket computers invalidate park passes if you try to enter a second park within 30 mins of another, or so I have been told). You have the entertainment of the Boardwalk, not to mention more restaurants (20+) to choose from. Rooms are smaller. The fact about S&D no longer being owned by Disney shouldn't be that much of a factor. The Disney magic is what you make of it.

You just have to sit down and decide where you are going to spend the majority of your time.

 

[Folkes4Fun]

I would agree with the Polynesian votes. The Poly remains one of the most popular family resorts on site, the atmosphere is great, the transportation is convenient, and the pool is extremely kid friendly. Plus the rooms easily sleep five as there are two queens plus a day bed.

The Swan and Dolphin are geared more towards the adult/convention crowd, which is fine, but is not necessarily the most family friendly environment.

Let me put it to you this way - when guidebooks continually list the big statues on the roof as the most appealing things to kids at the S & D, I think you get the point!

Have fun!

 

[DemoBri1]

Make certain to check-out the FAQ guides on this board for both. They are filled with info on both resorts. Also check out

http://www.wdwinfo.com and http://www.wdwig.com

These are the two best "unofficial" Disney sites out there.

 

[Gail T AGAIN]

I had the same problem in June and I decided to stay POLY concierge, LV instead. I think there is nothing like the feel of a Disney Resort to get you in the best mood possible. Have a great trip no matter what you choose

 

[ead79]

I would choose the Polynesian concierge. I stayed there last December and will be returning this December. The food in the lounge is great, the CMs are very nice, and our lagoon view room (#1512) was fabulous--the castle was directly out the window. Plus, the restaurants at the Poly are outstanding, and the convenience of the monorail is great.

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

The Polynesian!

 

[twixbar]

I know that the discount codes aren't out yet for next year, but are the codes usually available on the Poly concierge rooms as well? We are going to DW in February, and I'm trying to decide between the Dolphin and Poly (and even CR).

 

[scrapper]

Thank you for your responses!!!!!!
We have decided to stay at the Poly.
To answer the above post, I was able to use a discount code for the Poly. When you speak with a CRO they will let you know what hotels/rooms are available with the code you are using. I think it just depends on availability. I had not been able to book the Poly conceirge with a discount code for the last few weeks but today it was available. So now I am going to cancel the S & D.
Only 3 weeks until we leave.....
Diane

 

[RAV]

We just returned from 17 days at the Swan. We plan to return as soon as possible. After 8 stays at the Yacht Club, we were hesitant but had an amazing time at the Swan. The service was impeccable, the Disney Cast members in the gift shops are among some of the nicest cast members we have ever encountered and the location is awesome. I really am surprised by people who think the the S&D lack Disney magic. We could see Illuminations from our room, we walked to the Boardwalk within minutes, not to mention walking to MGM.

 

[ozziewags]

I love the Poly, but the teacher rate at the Swan convinced me to try it this year. If I could get concierge at the Poly for $129 I would grab it, but haven't seen a code for that rate. So I have Club level at $129 (Studio) at the Swan at Christmas(because I also have a platinum SPG card). Even after the codes came out I just couldn't pass up this rate.