POLY 100% booked 9/11-916...

[Dicecatt]

I'm not sure if this will make you feel better or not, but we stayed Sept 21-30 at the Poly last year, and it did not feel crowded at all. It might be worse this year because of the AKL fiasco but the crowd level at the parks shouldn't be impacted by that, they'll be the same. The resort won't be bad, the restaurants will be packed, and so will the days that have EMH.

Let me put it to you this way...I waited on average 10 minutes or less for almost everything last year.

Edited to say, I just checked online, my dates (Sept 8-15) still have GV rooms available, and there are also GV rooms available for Sept 11-16 right now.

 

[wendylovesdisney]

I am there too during this time and feel a little sick. I actually did not get free dining because I had another discount. I could have stayed in December which is when I usually go but instead opted for Sept. because last year the crowds were so low during that time frame.
Ugh....

 

[jamounger]

I wondered about the Poly being full after all the people who were shifted there from AKL. Maybe it will be like on the cruise lines where they keep booking the cheaper cabins and upgading the people who booked early. Maybe we will se a rash of upgrades to concierge. I think my trip falls too late in the whole AKL construction thing so I am sure I will be content sitting in the GV I booked

 

[FormerH8er]

I was trying to upgrade from a GV today and they informed me that they were 100% to capacity during our stay. This is our first September visit and I'm kind of shocked by that. Should I be?

I just checked Travelocity and they show your dates are open. ????

 

[kileybeth]

I think what happens in the hotel industry most times is that "blocks" of rooms are "sold" to different agencies (ie. travelocity, expedia, hotels.com, AAA, etc.) and then when you look on Disneyworld.com what you are seeing is what that specific agency has left. I know there are some agencies that have some magic pull and can find you a room when everything appears booked solid so, my advice is keep trying if you are still looking to get in, and give up worrying if you are hoping no one else comes!

I was really making myself nuts for a few days. What's done is done. Am I totally happy about giving up our Jan trip for heat and full resorts? Not really but I do get to try free dining (or whatever discount you got in with) and staying on site too, It's vacation! Yeah! and if it were me getting those fabulous upgrades from values and less expensive deluxes I would be estatic as well! so what I paid $329 a night. That's how it goes sometimes. I wouldn't be looking for any cruiseline upgrades though for booking early as most of the AKL refugees were booked savanah view (those are the ones who got moved the most at first I think and got into the POLY) and were given lagoon view/magic kingdom view to compensate them.

I'm going in expecting Rapa Nui parking lot view and anything from there is icing!

 

[fla4fun]

I'm going in expecting Rapa Nui parking lot view and anything from there is icing!

Don't knock it! Those are some of the best parking lot views I've seen, plus you're about equal distance from the Epcot monorail and the GCH. I've actually been known to request Rapa Nui.

Something that has been brought up in the past, and may or may not be a factor this year, is that during the slower times of the year, the resorts tend to take a few rooms out of service for refurbishment. So you may be seeing a resort as "sold out" but only 75% of the total rooms are available to sell. I remember a few threads last year about resorts being sold out, and when I went in September, I didn't notice any crowds at all. They didn't even have Fastpass running most of the time, because there was no need. I'm hoping this year will be the same.

 

[mainstreetmickey]

I just checked Travelocity and they show your dates are open. ????

I'll call the Mouse today and revisit the upgrade. Thanks for checking!!! I'll report any changes later today.

 

[shyjade]

I'm not sure if this will make you feel better or not, but we stayed Sept 21-30 at the Poly last year, and it did not feel crowded at all. It might be worse this year because of the AKL fiasco but the crowd level at the parks shouldn't be impacted by that, they'll be the same. The resort won't be bad, the restaurants will be packed, and so will the days that have EMH.

Let me put it to you this way...I waited on average 10 minutes or less for almost everything last year.

Edited to say, I just checked online, my dates (Sept 8-15) still have GV rooms available, and there are also GV rooms available for Sept 11-16 right now.

We were there Sept. 27-30 last year (during free dining) and the crowds were LOW. Most rides were walk-on or very short (less than 10 minutes) and the resorts were quite full because of free dining. I wouldn't hesitate to go back to Disney during September because of the low crowds. In fact, we can't make it this September and are considering booking our trip for January because that's probably the next "least crowded" time to go and we would rather give up warm weather & swimming to enjoy low crowds.

So put your mind at ease, I'm sure it won't be very crowded. (Yes, dining within Disney will be chaotic, but that's the "price" you pay for free dining). Have fun!

 

[my2tinkerbells]

We'll be at the Poly Sept 14th - 23rd. I just plugged out dates into disney.com and it shows GV rooms available. No worries! Just prepare for crowds, and when there's none it will be a pleasent suprise. Right?

Either way crowds or not we're going to Disney and having fun!

 

[mawdryn32]

You can blame the free dining plan for the larger crowds due in September. Spend the morning hours in the parks, and take a midday break back at the hotel pool to swim. Go back to the parks at night. That should help with crowd control a little.

 

[kileybeth]

see you there my2tinkerbells! we are at the POLY from Sept 18-25, our first ever stay and I am so looking forward to it.

thanks for the encouragement all of you and the good perspective on Rapa Nui!

that's our plan, tour in am, back to resort, tour in evening!

anyone notice the downward trend reported on accuweather.com temperature wise for Sept?? more good news, we may only sweat not swelter!

 

[Poly Pal]

We just stayed in Rapa Nui (1st floor, parking lot view) and really were quite happy with the location (close to the TTC and our rental car when it wasn't in valet) and the room was one of the larger ones with 2 sinks in the bathroom. It was also very quiet there.

My picky....I mean choosy...wife wants to request Rapa Nui next time she liked it so much.

I may have to start a "Support Rapa Nui" fan club!

 

[kileybeth]

Polypal, need your opinion, if you didn't have a car (we won't) and you did have 2 toddlers with strollers and 2 teens (yes all in one room, so we are hoping for one of the larger rooms) would this still be a good longhouse choice for us? (rapa nui I mean)

Only thing I can think of is my teens will want to be refilling those mugs often and hitting up the shops and arcades?? they are familiar with the monorail and parks but not the resorts so I am pretty sure they will be fine to wonder off alone when need be.

two sinks would be nice I think, can't decide on advantages of that one.

right now I have Toukalou (?sp) requested as our one and only "request"

guess it is really up to the Tikigods anyway huh?

 

[Poly Pal]

Kileybeth, With that many people in a room (assuming at least one is in a crib) the few extra square feet of space in Tokelau, Rapa Nui, or Tahiti would make a difference to me. Also, with those 2 sinks in the bathroom you get alot more counter space for toiletries. None of those longhouses will be as convenient for teens who want to fill up their mugs often as say Rarotonga, Fiji and Samoa. But we are talking about difference in distances of less than probably 100 feet between buildings and seconds rather than minutes in walking time to the GCH where Captain Cooks, the shops and arcade are located. When our kids were in strollers we stayed in Fiji, Aotearoa and Tokelau. We never felt like we had a long haul back to the room. I guess I wouldn't worry too much over which longhouse you are assigned. Each has small advantages and disadvantages over the others. Tokelau is probably the best compromise location, not too far to the GCH, not too far to the pools, not too far to the TTC - but then it is not the closest to any of those things either! Have a great time!

p.s. Some of the bathrooms in Tokelau may not have 2 sinks according to what I've seen posted. Disney tested several different room layouts when Tokelau was built.