Opinions Please - AKL or Poly?

[bhyer]

Hello,
We came to Walt Disney World a few years back. Did a split stay. First half at POR and then for the 2nd half of our trip we were lucky enough to rent points and stay at the Grand Floridian Villas (which was amazing). This trip I didn't get to rent point for the Grand but I was able to rent DVC points for a Villa at the Poly for the 1st part of our trip.

For the 2nd part of our trip I booked AKL directly through Disney (would have loved GF but was hugely expensive and no availability to rent DVC points).
Now I have found an offer through an agency where I could stay at the Poly for the 2nd half of our trip as well for an affordable price. So, gotta decide. Stay with AKL or change to Poly.

My adult daughter was looking forward to staying somewhere different for the 2nd half of our trip and the AKL looks lovely (we have a standard view room). But I get the impression that the commute time between AKL and MK can be lengthy at times.

For the 5 days we are scheduled to stay at AKL we will be at the MK 3 of those days, once to Animal Kingdom and once to Hollywood Studios or Epcot. Would we be better off moving to the Poly simply for the convenience of being closer to the MK.

Not quite sure exactly how long it takes to get from the AKL to MK or if the length of the commute is that much longer.

Would appreciate any thoughts or advice please!

 

[barbliny]

We've stayed at AKL many times over the years. It has a very different feel to me than other Disney resorts. It truly transports you and immerses you in it's environment. You do not feel like you are at Disney. The lobby is amazing.

We have never really found the transportation to be an issue - including this past January.

We did feel that our room could have used a little refurbishing in January, but I have seen similar comments about the Poly by some.

How much time are you planning on spending at the resort? What about meals - where do you think those might be during the second half of your trip? And will they be more difficult to get to from AKL (resort to resort, is definitely more difficult from AKL than Poly)

If you prioritize staying at a new resort vs. a shorter 'commute' to MK - which is more important? I personally would choose a new resort, especially since you are already at the Poly at the beginning of the trip. But, then again I have never stayed at a monorail resort (will be for the first time at Poly in June) - so, I have not yet been spoiled by the quick train rides (have stayed at BC with easy access to Epcot).

 

[rance]

If you are going to spend that much time at MK I would go with Poly. The pros of AKL are that it has a great pool, great storytime around the firepit and the animals of course...but for me convenience is king. So nice to visit MK, hop on monorail and go for a swim then back to MK. If you had more resort time I would say AKL, but if mostly MK I would say Poly. Both awesome resorts.

 

[Rikariko12]

If I got points for a Villa, there is no way I'd turn that down. Plus, It's an easy ride to MK and Epcot. I've always wanted to stay at the AKL, but hands down I'd go with the Villa at Poly!

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I think it really comes down to how much you plan to enjoy the resort. For me personally, the novelty wears off at any resort after 2-3 days. The fact you will be at MK that many days suggests to me you will have a good amount of park time. With that, I think the "escape" of AKL would be great. I would definitely start with Poly. I think going from the excitement of Poly to the "relaxation" and "separation" of AKL would be wonderful. The trip is somewhat longer from AKL, but no more so than going to DAK itself (or going to MK from CSR, SSR, etc.). It's a matter of a few minutes compared with other bus-serviced resorts.

I don't think you will go wrong either way. But, if people would like novelty as you suggested, I think you made a great choice.

 

[Rikariko12]

Sorry, must not have read your post correctly the first time. I thought you were choosing between AKL and the Poly Villas. I'd switch half way through.

 

[bhyer]

We've stayed at AKL many times over the years. It has a very different feel to me than other Disney resorts. It truly transports you and immerses you in it's environment. You do not feel like you are at Disney. The lobby is amazing.

We have never really found the transportation to be an issue - including this past January.

We did feel that our room could have used a little refurbishing in January, but I have seen similar comments about the Poly by some.

How much time are you planning on spending at the resort? What about meals - where do you think those might be during the second half of your trip? And will they be more difficult to get to from AKL (resort to resort, is definitely more difficult from AKL than Poly)

If you prioritize staying at a new resort vs. a shorter 'commute' to MK - which is more important? I personally would choose a new resort, especially since you are already at the Poly at the beginning of the trip. But, then again I have never stayed at a monorail resort (will be for the first time at Poly in June) - so, I have not yet been spoiled by the quick train rides (have stayed at BC with easy access to Epcot).

Thank you so much for your response. My daughter definitely wanted to experience a different resort. I think we definitely spoiled ourselves on that first trip being at the Grand Floridian. So easy to hop on the monorail. For the last part of our trip (5 days) we have one full day at Magic kingdom (meals in the park), one full day at Animal Kingdom, one full day at Hollywood Studios or Epcot (not sure which yet) and then two days where we are attending the evening Christmas Parties. We don't have meals booked at other resorts so transportation between resorts isn't an issue. I'm just trying to imagine say a 13 minutes commute to get to MK vs a 40 minute commute from AKL. BUT I'm also seeing very different information about how long the commute actually is. OLP Transportation Wizard says it's only 21 minutes. 13 vs 21 doesn't seem bad. 13 vs 40 seems like it could get a bit tiring at the end of a long day. What makes the decision so hard is that there is no WRONG choice. In the end I know we are lucky to be on holiday.

 

[bhyer]

Sorry, must not have read your post correctly the first time. I thought you were choosing between AKL and the Poly Villas. I'd switch half way through.

Thank you. I'm starting to lean that way.
Yes, we were thrilled to get to rent points to stay at the Poly.
There was no availability to rent points for the 2nd half of our trip when I tried - apparently it's a very busy time for the DVC villas.

 

[bhyer]

I think it really comes down to how much you plan to enjoy the resort. For me personally, the novelty wears off at any resort after 2-3 days. The fact you will be at MK that many days suggests to me you will have a good amount of park time. With that, I think the "escape" of AKL would be great. I would definitely start with Poly. I think going from the excitement of Poly to the "relaxation" and "separation" of AKL would be wonderful. The trip is somewhat longer from AKL, but no more so than going to DAK itself (or going to MK from CSR, SSR, etc.). It's a matter of a few minutes compared with other bus-serviced resorts.

I don't think you will go wrong either way. But, if people would like novelty as you suggested, I think you made a great choice.

Thank you. I can't get over how helpful everyone is. Thank you for taking the time to respond to me.

 

[mickeynut1]

We've stayed at AKL many times over the years. It has a very different feel to me than other Disney resorts. It truly transports you and immerses you in it's environment. You do not feel like you are at Disney. The lobby is amazing.

We have never really found the transportation to be an issue

I agree!

My daughter definitely wanted to experience a different resort. I think we definitely spoiled ourselves on that first trip being at the Grand Floridian. So easy to hop on the monorail. For the last part of our trip (5 days) we have one full day at Magic kingdom (meals in the park), one full day at Animal Kingdom, one full day at Hollywood Studios or Epcot (not sure which yet) and then two days where we are attending the evening Christmas Parties. We don't have meals booked at other resorts so transportation between resorts isn't an issue. I'm just trying to imagine say a 13 minutes commute to get to MK vs a 40 minute commute from AKL. BUT I'm also seeing very different information about how long the commute actually is. OLP Transportation Wizard says it's only 21 minutes. 13 vs 21 doesn't seem bad. 13 vs 40 seems like it could get a bit tiring at the end of a long day. What makes the decision so hard is that there is no WRONG choice. In the end I know we are lucky to be on holiday.

Since your daughter wants to try a different resort, I'd go with Poly/AKL split. We've stayed at both the Poly and AKL and while the Poly is our favorite resort overall, we also love AKL. We've had 2 stays at AKL and visit every trip to eat at Boma and we have never had a problem with transportation. The resort is kind of isolated, but we didn't find it to take more than maybe 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. The buses only service AKL and Kidani, so there's no sharing with any other resort(s). Hope you have a great trip .

 

[bhyer]

I agree!



Since your daughter wants to try a different resort, I'd go with Poly/AKL split. We've stayed at both the Poly and AKL and while the Poly is our favorite resort overall, we also love AKL. We've had 2 stays at AKL and visit every trip to eat at Boma and we have never had a problem with transportation. The resort is kind of isolated, but we didn't find it to take more than maybe 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. The buses only service AKL and Kidani, so there's no sharing with any other resort(s). Hope you have a great trip .

Do you prefer the Poly over GF? I see in your signature you have stayed there as well.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

I would always prefer to stay at the Poly. It's a great resort!

 

[JoJoGirl]

I'm just trying to imagine say a 13 minutes commute to get to MK vs a 40 minute commute from AKL. BUT I'm also seeing very different information about how long the commute actually is. OLP Transportation Wizard says it's only 21 minutes. 13 vs 21 doesn't seem bad. 13 vs 40 seems like it could get a bit tiring at the end of a long day. What makes the decision so hard is that there is no WRONG choice. In the end I know we are lucky to be on holiday.

My daughter and I were at AKL this past weekend and loved it. I have already booked a short solo trip there in December. We also love the Poly and stayed there our previous two trips, once in the villas and once in CL.

When planning commute times from AKL to the MK, count on *at least* 21 minutes for bus ride alone. We found it was more like 25 minutes if there was much traffic. Add on 5-15 minutes waiting at the bus stop ahead of time, then the additional time to go through the general bag check at the MK. So 40 minutes probably a good starting point, minimum. While we found the AKL buses to be very good, and never waited very long for one, there is no denying that the commute to and from MK is significantly more time consuming and less magical than at the Poly.

My understanding is that the monorails and boats now have their own bag checks, which eliminates the need to go through the cattle call bag checks outside the MK gates. These reportedly move quicker and save a little time and aggravation as well.

Both resorts are gorgeous, and you are right that neither is a bad choice. But do be prepared for more transport time from AKL. Hope this helps!

 

[mickeynut1]

Do you prefer the Poly over GF? I see in your signature you have stayed there as well.

I love both resorts, but the Poly is my favorite. I love the tropical atmosphere and find the Poly a bit more relaxed, but the GF runs a close second for me .

 

[Babsy]

I agree!



Since your daughter wants to try a different resort, I'd go with Poly/AKL split. We've stayed at both the Poly and AKL and while the Poly is our favorite resort overall, we also love AKL. We've had 2 stays at AKL and visit every trip to eat at Boma and we have never had a problem with transportation. The resort is kind of isolated, but we didn't find it to take more than maybe 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. The buses only service AKL and Kidani, so there's no sharing with any other resort(s). Hope you have a great trip .

I agree with Mickeynut1!

I would also do the split stay. The Poly IS amazing, but the AKL is also in a different way. I agree with your daughter, too, that trying another resort during a trip is just a lot of fun! The extra commute time once on the bus is about 5 - 10 minutes over other resorts to the MK, but this is the only theme park with any appreciable time difference, except the AK which is a much quicker a ride of only 5 min. Also remember that you will have a longer bus ride to the AK when travelling from the Poly (it works both ways).

Frankly, I am often surprised at how much people seem troubled by the small amount of extra bus time to the MK from the AKL - we barely notice it! Once we are on the bus, we are so busy chatting about our plans that we always seem to arrive before we know it.

The wait times for the bus can be up to about 20 minutes. Except for the monorail, the same is true for all Disney transportation. The monorail is more frequent, but then the monorail isn't always running, so that may or may not always be an advantage. We find the monorail service good when it is running, but a bit spotty as to availability.

The AKL has wonderful theming, delicious food that we always make a point to go eat on every trip, great activities, nice pools and friendly CM's. Your experiences there will be wonderful and well worth a few extra minutes on the bus on a handful of days. If you get an opportunity, you should really try to eat at Jiko, Boma or Sanaa while staying here. Yummy!

The Poly is a wonderful choice for the start of your trip! We often like to start or finish our WDW trips at the Poly - except when we are staying at the GF or the CR!!! We have a three way tie for our favourite WDW resort - the CR, GF and Poly. No way can I choose a favourite among these three. We love each equally in its own special way. So, I'm not surprised that you loved the GFV, but I am certain that you will also love the POLY. The relaxation, beautiful tropical surroundings, tiki torches, direct view of the castle from the beach, huge comfortable rooms, convenience, and great pools are a few of the many things that we love about this popular resort.

It sounds like you have a Magical trip planned!!!!! Enjoy!

 

[mickeynut1]

Frankly, I am often surprised at how much people seem troubled by the small amount of extra bus time to the MK from the AKL - we barely notice it! Once we are on the bus, we are so busy chatting about our plans that we always seem to arrive before we know it.

This is us as well

The AKL has wonderful theming, delicious food that we always make a point to go eat on every trip, great activities, nice pools and friendly CM's. Your experiences there will be wonderful and well worth a few extra minutes on the bus on a handful of days.