Poly, contemporary or CSprings?

[lolobug]

Hi!
We are going in January (most likely) w 2 little girls- I imagine the MK will be our biggest draw. This is our first time at DW and I want our vacation to be as smooth as possible. We will either have a double stroller or 2 singles.
I'm interested in the contemporary, Polynesian and Coronado springs, mainly due to transportation. I want to be able to access the whole park easily, in case there is something really special for our girls to see.
January will have a pretty good resort discount deal. I'm not sure how much the contemporary will be, but I know that there is about $1000 difference in costs between Poly and CSprings. We will NOT have a car.
Comments? Suggestions?
Thanks!

 

[SarahFarra]

While the Poly is beautiful and perfect in every way, the Contemporary is much more affordable and is actually the closest resort to MK! You could walk to the park! Also it's on the monorail so you could easily get to Epcot and the ticket and transportation center (TTC). Poly is too, but Coronado Springs is not. CS is also very adult focused, you will see suits, not sure if that makes for a fun environment for your kiddos.

Also with it being your first trip, if you have time, I would suggest visiting other resorts to have an idea of what they're like since they're all so different. Maybe even just go for a lunch to get away from the parks for a while, or a breakfast before you head to the parks! There is some great dining hidden in the resorts!!

 

[lolobug]

While the Poly is beautiful and perfect in every way, the Contemporary is much more affordable and is actually the closest resort to MK! You could walk to the park! Also it's on the monorail so you could easily get to Epcot and the ticket and transportation center (TTC). Poly is too, but Coronado Springs is not. CS is also very adult focused, you will see suits, not sure if that makes for a fun environment for your kiddos.

Also with it being your first trip, if you have time, I would suggest visiting other resorts to have an idea of what they're like since they're all so different. Maybe even just go for a lunch to get away from the parks for a while, or a breakfast before you head to the parks! There is some great dining hidden in the resorts!!

Thanks! So was the contemporary your reccomendation?

 

[ljmclin]

We are partial to the Poly - It is our favorite resort and where my kids always want to stay. The atmosphere, location, restaurants, pool and general feel of the resort are amazing. Having said that, you can't go wrong at CR or the Poly. I would definitely recommend staying in a monorail resort for your first visit if your budget will allow. With two small kids and frequent trips to Magic Kingdom (and no car), it will make your trip so easy. I wouldn't use cost to determine your stay at CR vs the Poly. There really isn't that much of a difference in cost between the two. If those are the two resorts you end up looking at, decide which appeals to you more.

 

[Butterflygirl35]

Poly is gorgeous and close to everything!! But so is Contemporary...

I would see which costs less as you can't go wrong with either one.

I have not stayed at either but did visit when staying at GF which is my favorite monorail resort....

CSR is a gorgeous resort with a great pool area but lacks convenience of monorail and boat to MK.

 

[lolobug]

Poly is gorgeous and close to everything!! But so is Contemporary...

I would see which costs less as you can't go wrong with either one.

I have not stayed at either but did visit when staying at GF which is my favorite monorail resort....

CSR is a gorgeous resort with a great pool area but lacks convenience of monorail and boat to MK.

We may have our huge double stroller and I'm sure, MK and AK will be our biggest draw. I just want to be able to see everything. It would be a huge bummer to be burdened on our first trip. Is there a difference in convenience between poly and CR?

 

[SarahFarra]

Thanks! So was the contemporary your reccomendation?

Yes, contemporary

 

[marylandgirl]

With small children and the fact that you will be spending a lot of time at MK, I would say definitely go with the Poly or Contemporary. Both are really nice. We prefer the Poly for the theming and we love the zero entry pool for our little ones. Our girls also loved the beach area too. Believe me, it is worth the extra $ to stay on the monorail with little ones. They get really tired by the middle of the day, so you can get back to room quick for a break or nap and even come back to MK at night. One thing we always loved about Poly (or Contemp) is that you don't have to go back to the park at night for fireworks with tired little ones. You can sit on beach, away from crowds, and watch the fireworks there. They pipe in the music so it's perfect. Also, you can see the electric water parade from the Poly, GF, or Contemp beaches too. That goes by a little before the fireworks and little kids love it. It is a parade of boats that have fun lights in shape of animals, etc and is timed to music. The best part is, when it is all over, you can just take a quick walk back to your room to put kids to sleep, rather than fighting crowds to getg back to hotel. Definitely worth the money, it will make your first trip magical!!

 

[PolyLover]

I'm partial to the Polynesian (obv!) but I would also consider the Wilderness Lodge. It is a quick boat ride to the MK. It is a little bit cheaper than Poly and Contemp (which are very similar in price). HOWEVER in January the resort discount is only 25% at the WL but 35% at Poly, GF, and Contemp.

We stayed at Coronado Springs this summer and loved it for the pool. It is a much different feel, more like a motel not a hotel (room opens up to outside vs. a hallway in the deluxe resorts). The pool waterslide was so fun but I doubt you will use that in January! (The Polynesian Volcano slide is the best of the WDW resort slides.) I personally wouldn't stay off the monorail loop or Wilderness Lodge without a car.

 

[TJA]

We may have our huge double stroller and I'm sure, MK and AK will be our biggest draw. I just want to be able to see everything. It would be a huge bummer to be burdened on our first trip. Is there a difference in convenience between poly and CR?

We have also brought a large double stroller, now double jogger, to disney on all of our trips. And we've stayed at lots of different disney resorts, so hopefully I can help a bit. We feel the same way as you do about not being burdened on trips, especially your first trip because that may sour how you feel about furture trips.

As for your question about convenience differences between Poly and CR, the main one is that you have a walking path between MK and CR, and you'd take the monorail to MK from Poly. Both great transportation options, but to us, the walking path to MK was/is the best perk out there. It's so easy to be at CR and simply take a walk over to MK in about 15 minutes or so.

Having said all that, we've stayed in the CR wing and also the tower. I have to be honest and say we had a MUCH better disney-feel when staying in the tower. But the cost is much higher -- you'd have to weigh all that out, but I just wanted to put that out there. The wing felt like an apartment complex to us. On the flip side of that, the tower was amazing - walking out of our room and immediately being able to see Chef Mickeys, monorail, etc.

The atmosphere at Poly is very different than the atmosphere at CR. The CR is more fast-paced excitement with everything happening on the 4th floor (Chef Mickeys, shopping, monorail running through the building, views are spectacular). Poly is more laid-back and tropical. Your view there is just of the top half of the castle, if that matters to you. While the view at CR is of the entire castle and everything around it (including the parking lot).

No matter which resort you choose, while you are in Epcot, take a walk through the international gateway (in the world showcase) and see the boardwalk area. We did this with our kids when they were 1-1/2 years old (twins) and we fell in love with that whole area. Beach Club is located there and it's our favorite resort.

 

[ninafeliz]

I would choose the Poly. I have stayed at CS, and while I didn't dislike it, it was my least favorite of the moderates. If the price difference is not your decidig factor, I would definately choose a monoral resort with 2 young kids.

We're staying at the Poly for the first time Oct 27-Nov 4, so I can't yet speak from experience, but I've always loved the Poly to visit and am excited to stay there. I do like that you can walk to the MK from the CR, but the theming and grounds have never really done anything for me. That being said, the rooms do look really nice, and you can get a great view there. When we priced it out, the MK view in the CR was considerably more than we are paying for a garden view club level at the Poly, so we decided to go that way. I would think the garden wing prices at the CR would be comparble to the Poly - in fact I always think of the CR as being slightly more than the Poly in general? I'm not completely sure, for our trip they only had MKV and suites at the CR available when I looked. I don't think you would go wrong with eiter one - either choose based on the theming you prefer, or go with the least expensive. Have fun!

 

[~Piglet~]

in Epcot, take a walk through the international gateway (in the world showcase) and see the boardwalk area

Can I ask whereabouts in World showcase the international gateway is? I don't think I have seen it despite two previous visits to WDW

 

[DannysMom]

Can I ask whereabouts in World showcase the international gateway is? I don't think I have seen it despite two previous visits to WDW

Right between the UK & France pavilions.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards App please excuse any typos.

 

[~Piglet~]

Right between the UK & France pavilions

Thank you! I can't believe I haven't noticed it before

 

[sjw4870]

I've stayed at all 3 you've mentioned and I'd go with Poly. I'm a recent convert to Coronado Springs (you mentioned the $1000 savings....that is one reason...) but with little kids on the first visit I say Poly all the way.

Things to think about....

Theme - while the rooms at CR look very nice and modern, I personally prefer the overall ambiance of the Polynesian. The amenities within the room (size...TV, etc) are pretty similar.

Location - from CR you can walk to MK. Not sure I ever would though. I'd be on the monorail - its half the fun. From Poly you can walk to the TTC and get a direct monorail to Epcot (from CR you'd have to do the resort loop, then transfer to Epcot monorail). Admitedly, the walk from certain longhouses at Poly is long.

Set up of hotel - CR is a traditional hotel, all the restaurants, shops, services are under the same roof (for the most part...). Poly has a central building (The Great Ceremonial House) that contains the shops, restaurants and services. To get to your room, you will have to walk outside (along beautiful firelit pathways....) to get to your "Longhouse". All the longhouses are 2-3 stories with interior hallways. Some people consider this a con - I consider it a huge PRO as the grounds at the Poly are just lovely. At night, there are firelit torches and Polynesian music quietly piped in.

Worth considering - as a previous poster mentioned Wilderness Lodge has a wonderful boat to MK and comes with a slightly smaller price tag than Poly or CR.

 

[nanhol]

Definitely Poly or CR, but I think which one depends a little more on the ages of your girls. If you'll be going back and forth to MK (for naps, meltdowns, change of clothes, etc), then the CR is more convenient. Even with the monorail and boats going to the Poly from MK, there is generally some waiting, which is no fun with an unhappy child. If your girls are a little older (I know you said they're in a stroller, but that's a big range, especially at Disney!) then definitely consider Poly.

We stayed at both CR & Poly on our last trip. We liked them both a lot, but felt like Poly was more fun for the kids (their ages were 6,8 & 11 at the time). My kids loved how the monorail comes right into the CR and they liked the pool there, but they adored the theming at the Polynesian (the water feature in the lobby really impressed them) and they couldn't get enough of the pool at Poly.

I preferred the room at the CR--it felt fresher and brighter and we got a view of Bay Lake that was beautiful. The Poly room (though clean and spacious) seemed kind of dark due to the decor there (I probably noticed this because we moved from CR to the Poly, not sure if it would have bothered me if we'd just stayed at the Poly the whole time). We explored the Poly a lot--loved walking on the beach, watching the parade at night and the fireworks across the water at the MK. You really can't go wrong with either CR or Poly.

CSR gets great reviews--my SIL has stayed there before and loved it and she is staying there when we all go in February. If the savings you get are worth the trade-off in bus/monorail/walking convenience then definitely consider CSR. If I didn't have 5 in my family I'd consider it...except that now that I've stayed at deluxe resorts I don't want to give up the convenience!

 

[disneyairforceguy]

With the stroller, I would have to say Poly or CR. Coronado Springs you would have to bus it to everywhere. While we love the Poly, if it comes down to money you can always go to the Poly from the CR via monorail. If you are planning to spend the money for Poly, why not consider a split stay? That could make you decision a little easier.

 

[lolobug]

With the stroller, I would have to say Poly or CR. Coronado Springs you would have to bus it to everywhere. While we love the Poly, if it comes down to money you can always go to the Poly from the CR via monorail. If you are planning to spend the money for Poly, why not consider a split stay? That could make you decision a little easier.

What do you mean by split stay?

 

[letsgoreds]

Depends on your budget and your taste. Big difference between the moderate and deluxe resorts. I have stayed at WL and BLT (DVC at the Contemporary). The Poly never really appealed to me because the rooms looked dated. I know many people that LOVE the resort, but the advice to stay in a MK resort is good. Price out WL, Contemp, and Poly and look at pictures on Google. The walking path to MK is great, we used it quite frequently. You can also ride the boat (at the Contemporary), which is fun for kiddos.

We're going in January too...but renting points and staying at AKL-Kidani. Love having the extra room (1br + living/kitchen/dining areas) for pretty much the same price as a deluxe room with discount.

Forgot to say that we have stayed at CS twice. It is the most deluxe of the moderates because of updated furnishing and amenities. Lots of walking (big resort), buy great pool, playground, hammocks, etc. Not a bad choice if that is better for your budget. I have never stayed at a value...but the theming at AoA, especially for the younger set, is pretty damn impressive.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[nanhol]

What do you mean by split stay?

A split stay is when you move resorts in the middle of your visit--it's a great way to experience different resorts or to stay on budget. My sister often does 4 nights at Pop Century and then 3 nights at Contemporary just to be kinder to her bank account. (If you do a split stay at different levels I recommend you start at the value or moderate level and end at the moderate or deluxe, not the other way around!)

A split stay requires packing up and moving resorts which can be a pain (if you don't have a car you will probably want to get a taxi, especially with the kids). My last split stay was a result of adding days on to my trip at the last minute and my original resort not being available to book for additional days--it gave us a chance to try the CR, though, which was great.