Need help first disney trip don't know where to stay between AKL or Poly?

[Leslie32]

Hi there, I am new to this group and need help. We are planning our first disney trip the middle of July. We have a 9 year old, 7 year old and 3 year old. Which resort do we stay at?? Which is better for kids?? I was leaning toward AKL because my children LOVE animals. Please help. I know we can't do the sunset safari with children what about the sunrise? Is there anything you can do with children at AKL?

Thanks for all your info

Leslie

 

[DisneyBill]

Welcome to the DIS boards! Tough choice you have, but AKL is somewhat removed from other areas, while Poly is right in the center of activity. Both lovely resorts, Poly of course is on the monorail, and would be my choice. You'll have the water pagent on the seven seas lagoon at the Poly. Can't go wrong with either.

 

[lmhall2000]

We did AKL when ours were 6, 3 and 2...and we did Poly when they were 8, 5 and 4...although we liked AKL we'd pick Poly over AKL for five reasons....

1. Rooms are bigger...with three children it's much easier to navigate the room.

2. Monorail, monorail, monorail....since ours were beyond stroller age they had to do quite a bit of walking..being able to jaunt back to the room for a siesta during the day and not wasting time on buses was a huge plus!

3. The pool at the Poly was the PREFERRED pool for my kids..the slide was much cooler than the one at AKL and they all loved the Tiki lights and the lush surroundings.

4. Don't know if it's the savannah, but we had more bugs at AKL than Poly...I think we were there during the love bug explosion...you could not step out on your balcony to enjoy the savannah view for fear of being attacked by these bugs attached at the hips.

5. Loved the location...being able to hop over to CR for a character meal with Mickey, or have tea with Alice at GF, and 'Ohana's was a fun family restaurant...nice to eat and go back to your room.

Have a great time and ENJOY!!!
Tara

 

[bunnyfoo]

I've stayed at both and since you have children, I would say that Poly would be a better choice. I love AKL but the Poly is sooo convenient in terms of transportation. It's very easy to get to MK (boat or monorail) and it's just a walk to the TTC to catch the monorail to Epcot. At AKL, the bus ride takes about 15 minutes to MK ... not including the wait (it could be 20 minutes if you just missed the bus).

The rooms are also noticeably bigger at the Poly compared to a standard at AKL. The rooms at AKL aren't tiny but it just seemed there was a lot more room to walk around in the Poly rooms.

HTH

 

[SaveDisney]

I agree with Bunnyfoo - If you've got kids then Poly would be a better location. Being on the monorail it will save you having to wait for buses a lot more. Never stayed at the Poly but been to Ohana a few times and its a great place to eat. There is a small bar with a big screen TV at the back and just next to it they do some sort of small shows through the day. Not exactly sure what but I know it involves grass skirts.

SD

 

[disneyfan67]

Hello and welcome. Trust me and stay at the Poly your kids will love it and so will you. I'm going in April 2005 and it will be my third time in 4 years going to the Poly. I would stay at the Poly once a month if I ever won the lotto! LOL! It's a great resort and you can't beat the location or the Monorail. Try the Volcano pool and your kids will forget about AKL real quick. AKL is a good resort but just too far away from everything for me.

 

[CaipiraBob]

Hi there, I am new to this group and need help. We are planning our first disney trip the middle of July. We have a 9 year old, 7 year old and 3 year old. Which resort do we stay at?? Which is better for kids?? I was leaning toward AKL because my children LOVE animals. Please help. I know we can't do the sunset safari with children what about the sunrise? Is there anything you can do with children at AKL?

Thanks for all your info

Leslie

Here's another thread with the same discussion. Maybe this will help some.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=690024

 

[Ilovestitch]

Polynesian!!

 

[blanq]

Welcome to the DIS boards, Leslie32! I am so excited for you and your family; experiencing WDW for the first time is so magical!

AKL is probably my families favorite resort, and if you end up staying there I know you will not be disappointed. Despite that pitch, I would encourage you to try the Poly for your first trip. You are going in July...it will be very busy and very hot/humid. WDW in the summer can suck the life out of even the hardiest sole! Also, given the ages of your kids, and the fact that it is your first trip, I would imagine you are going to want to spend plenty of time at the MK. The monorail access to both the MK and Epcot would be very convenient for your family to take trips back to the Poly for breaks and rest. Finally, you are a family of 5, and the Poly rooms are larger than those at AKL, and will give you more room to spread out.

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[leighe]

I would also vote for the Poly. We stayed there on every single one of our family vacations to Disney World and we always loved it! The transportation - especially with three kids - is fabulous! The pool is great, the rooms are large, the landscaping is beautiful.

That being said, you definitely want to try out AKL someday. DH and I stayed there last spring and we thought it was fabulous! In fact, I think it's my favorite Disney resort.

Have fun deciding. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Since it's your first trip down stay at the Polynesian because it's on the monorail, it will make navigating the parks much easier. You'll also have be within walking distance to the Transportation and Ticket center which is convient, you can take a bus to the Wilderness Lodge(to eat or explore) and campgrounds(they have a petting zoo and nightly campfire with characters).


The AKL is beautiful but as far as transportation it's an all bus resort and since it's your first trip I think you'll receive extra magic staying at the Polynesian.

 

[Tikiman]

I love both resorts but I would have to say if you can only do one than you should do the Polynesian. I would still consider doing a few days at the AKL and than switching over to the Polynesian and get a chance to enjoy both. Switching is easy.

Here are some links to our photos and info on both places.

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Bay/2553/akl.html

http://www.tikiman2001.homestead.com/

Aloha

Steve