Hi Stacey
my name is Ty, I am not an expert on Disney but I do love to plan.
I have never stayed at the Poly but I have heard it is great, you really can't go wrong with any Disney resort, they all have their ups and downs. Mostly ups though
You can buy your package through Disney, if you have a room booked through them and then buy a package the cost of the room might go down a little. At least that is what I was told. I have always booked through a
travel agent and when comparing prices they were about the same.
The Dining plan is wonderful, make sure you get your ADR's made fast, you can make them 180 days out from your vacation date.
Park hoppers are the way to go, it doesn't add too much on to the cost. But here's the good news. Fastpass is free. You use your park ticket to get a pastpass, just insert your ticket into the machine at the attraction you wish to see or ride and it will shoot out a fast pass, it will tell you on the ticket what time to come back and it will also tell you when you can get another fastpass. By working the fastpass system it really cuts down on your wait time and allows you to see and do alot more. You are able to get as many fast passes as you have park tickets, so there's 4 of you, you can get up to 4 fast passes at a time.
If there is a ride that you and DH want to ride but the kiddies can't then ask the CM at the entrance for a ride swap, they will give you a ticket that will allow one parent to ride while the other waits with the kids then when you switch you wont have to wait in line, you just go to the front with your ticket.
Some dining suggestions for your little ones...
Crystal Palace is a character dining with Pooh and friends, it's buffet and it is yummo, I prefer the breakfast.
I hear Chef Mickey is great, I haven't made it there yet but plan to.
Cinderellas Castle is a hard one to get, you might have to call several times and even then it's not easy, if you can't get that you could always try Akershaus, it's a Princess character dining in Epcots World showcase, Norway I think. And it's only 1 table service credit as opposed to the 2 it takes at Cinderellas Castle.
Sci-Fi Dine in Theater is fun, you sit in old cars and watch old sci-fi movie reels while you eat, it's just like being at the drive in.
For counter service, I think Toy Story Pizza Planet is great. You don't need to make reservations for counter service meals though, just the table service.
But like I said you need to call 180 days in advance to make these reservations.
I hope I was able to help a little.
