poly conc. vs. akl concierge

[avalon]

Help! I thought we were all settled on the AKL concierge but now I can get the Poly concierge for $30 a night more. I know nothing about the Polynesian, have only been to Disney once and stayed at Wilderness Lodge. For all you experts I need advice. Is the Polynesian a nicer hotel than the AKL? The one thing I do know is that it is an older property. Is the convenience worth the extra money? I understand the AKL busses are dedicated and take no more than 10 minutes. How about the food? I have two boys 11 and 14 who love to eat and eat a lot, how about the differences in food between the two. All advice and experiences would be very much appreciated!!

 

[vbfamily]

I know people love the Poly but when we were staying at WL Concierge in Oct we went over to the Poly to ride the monorail, have lunch, look around, etc.

Something just didn't feel right. The entire hotel smelled musty and just seemed old.

We are staying at AKL Concierge in April and haven't given it a second thought. We've heard nothing but great things about AKL Concierge. We have also heard good things about Poly Concierge. I was just glad that we had picked WL Conc in Oct.

This is just my opinion but you seemed concerned about the age of the Poly and it was something that stuck out at me when we were there.

I'm sure you won't be sorry with either choice

 

[tammyh-oregon]

Welcome to the boards

You don't say when you are going so this may or may not help.

We leave in 2 days and are staying one week at the AKL with 4 days concierge then a week at the Swan and then a week at the Poly concierge.

We haven't asked for too many PS's or anything and have only made a few special requests from the AKL staff for a birthday but from my planning experience the AKL concierge staff responds faster than the Poly and seems to be more on top of things.

I am planning on taking notes during the trip and so may be better able to help when I return the middle of December with things like what is available and how the staff is once you get there.

I have stayed AKL concierge before and just fell in love with the staff and the hotel and that is why we are returning. We have only stayed at the Poly once back in 1989 and that was not concierge but I got a great rate and so am going back to see the hotel again and am looking forward to it.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

We just returned from the Polynesian Concierge last month. It was spectacular! We originally wanted to stay at the CR. But with the renovations of SOG, we had to "settle" for the Poly. My DH is very critical of hotel rooms. (He's kind of cheap) LOL And he told me while we were there that he couldn't believe they were closing down the concierge building to renovate it in the summer. We both thought the rooms were in great shape. No musty smell. The service, CM's, pool and location of the hotel can't be beat!

 

[JayCT]

We stayed at the Poly, Concierge Lagoon View, in May and loved it. It is very convenient to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, which is a big advantage for a family with small kids. There is nothing better than watching Cinderella's castle turn colors every night and the fireworks or the Electric Water Pagenant on the lake.

AKL is newer but to me is very remote. It is only convenient to Animal Kingdom, which my 7 and 5-year olds were not that crazy about. Too much walking for only a few attractions.

It is true that the Poly is older, but that is part of its charm. AKL is new and, to me, that does not make it better. Despite what the other posts said, we did not notice any musty smell. We were very observant of this because we had read so much on these Boards about it. What people smell in the lobby is the tropical plants and the fountain. The lobby is not even attached to the buildings that house the hotel rooms.

If you have small kids and want a night out, there is nothing better than the Neverland Club. My kids loved it. They also loved the volcano pool and the beach. The Poly is wonderful and we are planning to go back in two years.

 

[vbfamily]

It's true that the Poly is very close to MK and sometimes you feel far away from things at AKL.

If you have younger kids, it's definately a place to consider.

Have you ever checked WL Concierge?

We were there right before all the sewer problems at Captain Cook's so I'm sure the smell had something to do with that whol situation because what we smelled wasn't plants.

You just have to make an informed decision. Stay where you are going to feel most comfortable.

I see a lot of posts about the Poly, people either LOVE it or they complain about smells in the rooms. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground.

Have fun

 

[Tikiman]

We were at both this summer and I think both are nice but the Polynesian would be my choice. It was great to be out at the AKL for a few days but the transportation was not what we had hoped for. We are so use to getting around easily at the Polynesian. Also with the monorail, access to the other resorts (Contemporary and GF) and the boat to the WL makes it easy to enjoy the food and shops at the other resorts. I think the lounge at the Polynesian is better for its view. We love to just sit and snack while we watch the boats or the fireworks. The AKL just has a view of the lobby. We would go back to the AKL concierge in a second but not over the Polynesian concierge.

Steve

 

[karenfm]

We just came back from 2 days at the AKL Concierge and 6 days at the Poly Concierge (we have 3 kids 7-9-11). Here are what we found to be the major differences.

AKL - Newer resort - bigger. Rooms are smaller than Poly and lighting is lower (not a bad thing at the end of a busy day). All rooms have balconies. Double sink outside of toilet & bath. Good hairdryer. Less bureau space. Kids loved the bunkbeds, and we found the daybed was better here. Concierge area is larger, staff seems a little more formal than at Poly. Only Transportation are buses. Great Lounge view of Lobby (for people watchers). Big pool, small water slide, hot tubs! Busier resort since it's bigger.

POLY - Older resort - cozy atmosphere, did not encounter any "musty" smells. Rooms are larger and better lit. Not all rooms have balconies. Single sink in bathroom. Lousy hairdryer. Bigger bureas than AKL. Concierge area a bit smaller, staff extremely friendly. Many transporation options - bus, monorail, boat to MK, walk to TTC. Great Lounge view for fireworks and water parade. No hot tubs , but a great volcano slide, smaller pool.

We liked both resorts and would return to either, but the Poly is still our favorite!

 

[jdads2]

We stayed AKL Concierge on our last trip and loved it. Our kids absolutely loved it! Concierge was wonderful! Our first stay was the Poly standard room. The kids loved that as well.

The votes for favorite: 2 for AKL(for the food), 1 for the Poly (waterslide and the beach).

I will guess that if the kids had food at the Poly they would have chosen that.

We were at the Poly for the Luau in late Septenber and we didn't notice any smell...and we would have it was 90 outside at least! So I would guess that the smell was probably from the drainage problems.

Transportation was easier from the Poly but not enough to make a decision on where to stay based on it alone.

Most people fret on which resort to stay. No mater which you chose you'll be pleased. Just be happy once you make that decision...NO SECOND GUESSING...causes too much stress!

Have fun!

 

[LvsTnk]

In addition to what has already been mentioned, the Polynesian has a marina. Mouse Boats are awesome!

For a shorter or more relaxing stay I would go with AKL, otherwise I would choose the Polynesian.

 

[mirlow]

You can't go wrong with either resort Here is what I like about both resorts and the concierge at them.

Polynesian- Location, location, location. The theme of the resort. The landscape. The music. The pool and beach. The size of the resort. Easy access to other MK resorts. The rooms are big. The Hawaii Bldg is the concierge bldg and it is very easy access to the lounge, the pool, the beach, the boat dock and the GCH. The view from the lounge. Fireworks and EWP.

ALK- Animals, animals, animals. A newer resort. Rooms that wow you. You don't have to pay extra for a SV. The theme of the resort, the music, and the pool. When staying in concierge you get a better selection of food and there is more offered throughout the day IMO. The lounge was never crowded. Maura is much better than Captain Cooks and I think the drinks at the pool are outstanding

They both have great restaurants and some great shops. To sum it up, I like the Polynesian for it's location and the AKL for relaxation

 

[preshi]

we left Poly conc. for AKL conc. and were much much happier at AKL...

JMHO