Newbie who can't pick: GF or Poly?

[lezammer]

Hi all! I'm new to this site and could use any info you all could give me. Planning a Nov 05 trip with me, hubby, a 2.5 year old and a 9 month old. Per my online pricing GF will only be $200 more than Poly for 5 day, 4 nites standard. Friend told me to do concierge level at Poly, but totally can't afford it. Cost is way more than standard GF. I'm just concerned that Poly is more "family" and GF is more adult. Am I overanalyzing this?
Thanks to all who reply.

 

[Harambe]

Each resort has it's fans! We've stayed at both places (not conceirge) and we prefer the Poly. Totally gives us that vacation feeling, and the kids loved the volcano pool.

We didn't go for GF, but that is just our opinion. Too hoity-toity for us, although it is a beautiful resort.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Hi all! I'm new to this site and could use any info you all could give me. Planning a Nov 05 trip with me, hubby, a 2.5 year old and a 9 month old. Per my online pricing GF will only be $200 more than Poly for 5 day, 4 nites standard. Friend told me to do concierge level at Poly, but totally can't afford it. Cost is way more than standard GF. I'm just concerned that Poly is more "family" and GF is more adult. Am I overanalyzing this?
Thanks to all who reply.

hi and welcome!!

I chose the Poly because my girls will LOVE the pool and the fact that they can say "aloha" to people!! They even have grass skirts for the pool area!! I think both resorts are lovely and I have never been to either but I chose Poly for the pool, atmosphere, great reviews, and dining choices...I also like that we can walk to the TTC to catch the EPCOT monorail!! Good luck deciding!!

 

[rcraw45425]

Both are great but I'd recommend the GF because if the Magic Kingdom is your main park you are the first stop on the monorail going there and you are the first stop on the resort water launch going home. The boat ride is great to settle a fussy baby too. I found the GF to be very "kid friendly" both when we travelled with toddlers and now that they're older gilrs. Either way you can't go wrong.

 

[Mysteria]

Welcome to the Dis!

I would take the Poly over the GF. Haven't stayed at the GF because it's just not my cup of tea. I too get that hoity toity feeling from it. Just my 2 cents though. Lots of people take their kids to the GF and love it.

Myst

 

[ladyelle]

I would choose the Polynesian. We have stayed at the resort twice as a family and we have no desire to stay anywhere else. We like to visit the Grand Floridian for dinner at Citros or 1900 Park Fare but we love coming home to the Polynesian.

Good Luck

 

[dawnrose]

Even though we haven't stayed at either resort, we so enjoyed the atmosphere at the Poly... that we decided that it would be our pick on our next trip. The food is great at both restaurants and the pool looks really fun...plus, they have good coffee available every morning...a rare commodity at WDW! The bar/lobby is lovely and fun...a great place to hang out. While the GF is lovely and peaceful, it seems a little too 'elegant' and formal for us.

 

[Blogreader]

Don't think the GF theme implies no children or it's too adult. IMHO, they have the best children's programs. I think that you should look at the theme of both to decide your preference. We never felt uncomfortable with children there.

 

[Tinkerbelll]

I LOVE the Poly! It's my second favorite deluxe, next to BC/YC! I really don't like the GF. We've never stayed there, but we've visited....and leave after ten minutes every time. It's very fancy, and lots of people love it... we just don't like the overall atmosphere. I guess you have to look at the overall themes and choose which one would appeal to you more (they are VERY different) Another vote for Poly!!

 

[swilphil]

For only $200 more I would definitely do GF. There are lots of kids that stay there, and at your kids ages they will not have a big preference. The GF lobby has two kiddie areas with little table and chairs and a tv. It is easier to get to and from MK. The Poly is great too. Look at the resort pictures at allears to see which appeals to you.

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

We enjoy all of the monorail resorts but my children: 3, 8, and 10 prefer the GF. The Grand is bustling with children. I prefer it because it is just a beautiful resort. As someone else said, you really can't go wrong anywhere on the monorail. It will be very convenient for you.


Lori

 

[bellarella]

I don't think you can go wrong. We chose the Poly over GF because the theming seemed better for our family. Personally I would love to stay at GF, but not with kids. It's not that it isn't kid friendly (we visited several times with our DDs), it's just that there are more adult things to do that I would want to be doing and would spend part of my trip wistful (would love to do some of the dining with just DH, linger over high tea (though we did take our DDs there and it was great, just not as relaxing for us), have cocktails in the evening, etc., etc.). At the Poly I never felt like I was "missing out" on adult time. Everything we did was totally kid friendly and not something that I was wishing I could be doing as an adults only activity. Also, if you plan on going to Epcot, Poly is great because you can walk to the TTC and grab the monorail to Epcot. Transportation is equally as easy to MK. You can take the express monorail from TTC, the water launch to TTC, the resort monorail (one stop at GF before MK), the resort water launch (no stops), so you have a ton of options. I wouldn't make your decision based upon ease of getting to MK, because it is equally easy from either the GF or Poly.

Really, it's just which themig do you like better. GF sort of transports you to another time and place -- more refined, I think (and I'm *not* using that as euphimism for stuffy). Poly is more laid back, very tropical. Both are great.

 

[MinnieMelanie]

I would say Polynesian since it's a tropical theme and because it's just really nice there!! You can walk to the Grand Floridian from the Polynesian Resort. You can also use the Grand Floridian Resort And Spas own work out facility. You have acess to the monorail. The Polynesian has great coffee. It feels like you're actually inside a small island in Hawaii!!! I have stayed there twice and loved it. My parents both loved the coffee there since they don't drink other kinds of coffee. I loved the pool with the Volcano Slide!! Oh don't get me started about the Kona Cafe food. Two words Delicious Food!! So my input would be to stay at the Polynesian. If you have kids it will be a balst to stay there!!

 

[Gary M]

We have stayed at both resorts and like the GF much more than the Poly. The Poly has no hot tubs and the bathroom sinks at the Poly are in the same room as the bathtub/shower and stool. We didn't have the "stuffy feeling" at the GF at all. Kids are all over the place at the GF.

 

[klofan]

I haven't stayed at either of them, but I've been to both of them twice. I just like the atomosphere of the GF better. But the Poly is great too.

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i love GF
it was great places to eat and lots of alice touches whih i just love

 

[Lalita]

My vote would be for GF!!! Its kid friendly don't worry about that!

 

[mlwear]

I had the same debate when planning. Haven't been to DW in years and it is our first trip with our two boys. GF or Poly--what to do? I feel your pain. (Thankful that we have a blessed life.) Price of GF was not much more at all, in fact I remember pretty much the same cost. The kids picked Poly. So, we went with that. Beware though, as you get more into the planning (esp. reading some great posts here ) you start thinking, well, concierge would be nice...ok, we can swing that. Hmmm...lagoon view would be nice, too. So, we ended up booking LVC with the dining plan. (It's so the kids will have a great first trip ).
Our trip is August 13-19, I'll post and let you know if I had any regrets not chosing GF.

 

[Lives4Disney]

I have 3 kids and have stayed at both. Both are lovely. I have only stayed at the Poly one time, but honestly looking back on our experiences with the resort CMs at both places they were much better and friendlier at the GF. Every CM looked at us, smiled and asked how we were/said have a good day.... At the Poly, they didn't even want to meet your eyes. There was nobody to repsond to "aloha". My girls were VERY excited to stay at the Poly (mine had grass skirt coverups for the pool area, too!) but the CMs were a downer.

I am returning in August and was torn between the Poly and GF also because I really love the atmosphere of the Poly, but part of the atmosphere is the attitude of the staff. That clinched it for me. GF is where we will be staying again! GF gets my vote.

Happy planning!
Lives4Disney

 

[shelly3girls]

We absolutely love both but we tend to pick the GF over the Poly if there is not a big price difference. One of the reasons we prefer the GF is because there are two pools so neither one ever gets very crowded. The Poly has the advantage of walking to the TTC and feels less spread out to us (although I think that had more to do with our room assignment than the actual resort layout). We love the dining at both but I prefer the shopping at the GF. The Poly main store is smaller and offers less.

I forgot to mention that we have DDs (4 and 6) and started staying at the GF when my youngest was 2 months old. It is by far my DDs favorite resort with the BCV coming in second then the Poly.