POLY Garden or Lagoon

[thwinters]

We are planning a trip in September 2006 with a then 4 year old and trying to determine which longhouse would be better and whether a lagoon view is actually worth the extra cost. We are currently considering Tahiti, Tokelau and Samoa. Also, does anyone have any idea when Tokelau is scheduled for the remodel.

Thx.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I would say that it all depends on how much time your going to be spending at the Poly. If your not going to be staying in the room much I would say gardenview, however since your taking a 4 year old, I can imagine that you will be doing some afternoon naps and such so maybe a nicer view is worth it.

 

[cara loves the poly]

with a 4 year old, she will not make it to watch fireworks in the park, she can watch from her bed every night in a lagoon view in the Tahiti longhouse! That is what our 4 year old did!!! LOVELY!!!! Plus-mom and dad- can enjoy the view from the belcony too!!!! Very romantic!!!

 

[eclectics]

That's the time frame for my next years trip too. Disney claims it will be totally done with everything by next summer. I stayed in Tokelau this Sept. and would love to return there (with a refurbed room) next Sept. I tend to doubt every longhouse will be done by then, but who knows? Although I loved Tokelau, I would prefer to try a new room so I'll take any longhouse. Personally, I wouldn't be inclined to pay extra for a lagoon view (Concierge, maybe yes). You are so close to the beach anyway, walking down to watch the fireworks and electric pageant wasn't a big deal. Garden view rooms are very nice at the Poly.

 

[PhilliesFan]

I've done both garden and lagoon view. The lagoon view is wonderful; you enjoy it first thing in the morning and right before bed time. But I've also stayed in a garden view room and loved that view as well. It's all preference. If your son likes to swim, you may want to go with a garden view that is closer to the pools. Also, with a young child, you may want to consider a room close to the GCH, so you are closer to the monorail and restaurants.

 

[Mommy Poppins]

Lagoon view all the way. That balcony with a view of castle and fireworks is to die for!!!

 

[Tikiman]

I get this question all the time and I can only give my opinion.

Do I think you have to get a lagoon view to have a great view at the Polynesian? NO.
Do I think the lagoon view is worth the money? YES!!
Would I take lagoon view over concierge if I could only get one or the other? YES

I love concierge and I don’t spend much time in my room but there is nothing like the added experience of a lagoon view.

With a lagoon view it starts from the minute you check into the room and open the drapes to see the view. It also is something I look forward to every morning when I get up. I like to go outside and sit with some coffee and the paper and watch the beachcomber and the boats on the water getting ready for the parks to open. You can also hear sounds from the MK. It is nice to just watch the activities on the Seven Seas Lagoon during the day. Than at night if you are in your room and the electric water pageant starts or the fireworks are going off you can open the door and watch. If you were somewhere else you would have to run to the beach to see. There were many times we were in the room to get ready to go somewhere when the fireworks were going off and we could just look out the window while we were getting ready. Also if you have kids and they are going to bed you don’t have to pack them up and head to the beach. When I first stayed at the Polynesian, if I had stayed in a garden view room I might never had known there was an electric water pageant. I only noticed it from being in a lagoon view room.

Again this is just my opinion and there are many that feel it is not worth the money but if the money is not a big deal I believe it is money well spent. It made it so that after a long day in the parks I was looking forward to returning to the room.

Aloha

Steve

 

[lark]

It's one of the biggest jumps in price from one view category to another in all of disneyworld -- about $100 the time of year you're going. (Just by comparison, the GF is about $60 to jump from garden to lagoon, and I think it's pretty much the same kind of jump.)

I think there's a double message there. On the one hand, it's a considerable jump in price and thus makes it a tough decision. On the other, it tells you that people really like the lagoon view and there's a good market for it, which suggests it's much better.

I think one big difference between lagoon view at the Poly and the various water views at other resorts, is that there are virtually no bad lagoon views at the Poly. Going by tikiman's maps, I'd say maybe there are 4 questionable views tops. In all the other resorts, you can pay for the better view and be a little disappointed -- the Beach and Yacht and BWI for example. Even at the GF, there are maybe 10 percent of the lagoon view rooms that aren't really worth the extra money. Not so at the Poly. (Again, of course, I haven't stayed at all of them -- just going by tikiman's maps and from having been on the grounds.)

My bottom line is that the poly garden view, with some discount (e.g., AAA) is perhaps the best value in all of disneyland, taking all things into account and assuming an intention to spend some time at the MK. Maybe the non-tower rooms at the contemporary would have a very slight advantage. On the other hand, the lagoon views at the poly start to lose an awful lot of that value -- there's a lot you can do at disney if you're prepared to pay for a $410 rack room. For a long stay, it starts to add up.

Long winded post that manages to say very little, I guess, but ultimately, if having the lagoon view is something you would think of as "nice" but not cruicial, save the cash. If what gets you excited when you think about the trip is primarily attractions or shows or meals, then it's probably too much. But if what gets you excited about the trip is your resort, and your view, then it is pretty great.

 

[*Fantasia*]

As for my family... garden view is fine for us. We are out in the pool/beach a lot that we can enjoy the lagoon view from the pool/beach/hammocks. We enjoy the lagoon view just by strolling along or riding the surrey bike around the ground. We can watch the fireworks and the ewp every night as well from the pool/beach. Being near the GCH and the monorail is important to us... so we prefer the garden view.

 

[Tina1]

Were doing a split stay, 2 nights at Poly and 4 at Sog. I'm paying for the garden view at the Poly , and asking for a free upgrade when we arive. I've done this everytime and half the time we recieve the free upgrade. It helps if your there during the slow season. Last year we were bumped up to sugar loaf at the GF Don't get your heart set on the free upgrade its just a nice bonus if it happens. Tina

 

[lark]

Were doing a split stay, 2 nights at Poly and 4 at Sog. I'm paying for the garden view at the Poly , and asking for a free upgrade when we arive. I've done this everytime and half the time we recieve the free upgrade. It helps if your there during the slow season. Last year we were bumped up to sugar loaf at the GF Don't get your heart set on the free upgrade its just a nice bonus if it happens. Tina

Poly and GF are pretty good for upgrades. One thing I've heard -- not sure if it's true -- the more requests you have on your garden view reservation, the less likely of getting an upgrade. For example, if you request a particular building, you may get assigned that building even though you otherwise might have been given an upgrade if you hadn't made the request. Not sure if it's true, but every time at the GF we have just had a standard garden reservation with no requests other than no smoking, we've been upgraded without saying a word.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Tikiman correct me if I am wrong but

isn't fiji a garden view price with lagoon view standards?? I think on the even side of Fiji (we were on the odd) that you can see the marina and maybe even the castle...am I wrong in that?? I might be but had we been in room 2306 or 08 I think our view may have been close to that for garden price..(once again I could be wrong.) Either way, we had a garden view but our actual room view was of the lagoon, luau cove, a small beach area, and the Grand Floridian (and the monorail distant enough not to hear it only see it!!) We prefered to walk to the beach, play in the sand and swim in the volcano pool during Wishes...so a lagoon view I felt was not worth it for us but I am sure there are some who swear by it!!

Have fun and you made a great choice....your family will LOVE the resort and WDW!

 

[Tikiman]

Lark,

I agree that I never make requests and we were moved into concierge in 2000 for free. I go during busier times and I find free upgrades are very hard to come by.

MOMOFMNM,

All of Fiji is considered garden view. It use to be part of a category that is gone now called marina view. It would never be considered lagoon view because there is no view of the castle. While not all lagoon views can see the castle they all face it (with an exception of 2 rooms). Samoa, Fiji, some rooms in Aotearoa, Tokelau, Niue and even a small few in Rarotonga can see the lagoon from a garden view room but the lagoon view rooms are all placed along the beach. Fiji does not have an even and odd side. The rooms go in order of number around the longhouses clockwise. There are many great garden view rooms that have views of more than just garden areas. In my case it makes more sense and less worry to book a lagoon view room so I have a better idea of what I will get.

 

[MOMOFMNM]

Lark,

I agree that I never make requests and we were moved into concierge in 2000 for free. I go during busier times and I find free upgrades are very hard to come by.

MOMOFMNM,

All of Fiji is considered garden view. It use to be part of a category that is gone now called marina view. It would never be considered lagoon view because there is no view of the castle. While not all lagoon views can see the castle they all face it (with an exception of 2 rooms). Samoa, Fiji, some rooms in Aotearoa, Tokelau, Niue and even a small few in Rarotonga can see the lagoon from a garden view room but the lagoon view rooms are all placed along the beach. Fiji does not have an even and odd side. The rooms go in order of number around the longhouses clockwise. There are many great garden view rooms that have views of more than just garden areas. In my case it makes more sense and less worry to book a lagoon view room so I have a better idea of what I will get.

steve:

it makes more sense for me to save the nearly 100 a night and feed my children...darn kids anyway!!

Just kidding...

of course I have been there once and think I should be renamed Tikigirl...don't you hate not knowing know it alls ?

 

[Tikiman]

The kids can just eat the bananas off the trees at the Polynesian.