Poly or AKL savannah view????????

[gabylin]

Hi there,
I wanted my last 3 days to be at a luxury resort. I booked AKL savannah view with my ap rate. Now I'm wondering if the Poly might not be a better choice. I haven't stayed at either one but did visit both last year. Any suggestions?? Also would Poly be cheaper since it is during the value season ??? I'm paying $211 a night for the AKL. Thanks!!

 

[Tikiman]

The Polynesian would probably be more but I think you would have better access to more stuff at the Polynesian. I love the AKL but if I had 3 days at one or the other, I would pick the Polynesian. Which did you like the best when you visited them?

Also remember when you stay at the Polynesian, you have quick access to the GF and Contemporary with all their restaurants and shops. You also can pop into the MK and Epcot very easily.

Steve

 

[donnamerry]

That was my dilemma, which is why I think I may be doing both!LOL! They are both sooo awesome!

 

[smjj]

We are staying 4 nights at the Poly and then 3 nights at the ALK this Dec. Our only problems was trying to decide which to do for four nights and which for 3. We have stayed at the Poly before and just loved it so we opted for 4 nights there..smjj

 

[Tikiman]

We are doing the first 3 nights at the AKL and then 7 nights at the Polynesian. We always have to finish out trip at the Polynesian

 

[Bstanley]

I love both the AKL and the Poly. But they are so different that you might be able to pick based on the differences.

Location:

* The Poly is perfect for visiting the MK - and I personally love it for EPCOT also. A quick walk to the TTC and a 15 minute Monorail ggggglide to EPCOT (the only way to truly enter Future World IMHO . If you are going to be visiting the MK you can save a bunch of time by staying at the Poly.

* AKL is perfect for visiting AK or Blizzard Beach. Also you get direct buses to everything (you don't share with other resorts like at the Poly). If you will be going to DTD, etc this can make a difference.

Rooms (note - both resorts have comfortable, quiet rooms):

* The Poly rooms are much larger, and have true Queen size beds. How many folks will be in the room and what ages are they? If you've got 4 full sized people the Poly will be a better choice.

* You can see exotic critters out the window of your room at the AKL! Bunches of them! I was astonished at how close they came to our 2nd floor room (there is no 1st floor . Make sure to have some morning and evening time available to just sit on the balcony and watch the fun - and also go to Arusha Rock and watch from there.

Theming:

Even though the Poly is very nicely themed the AKL is just that much better. It seemed like there was something special every few feet.

Also I have found the Poly CMs to be excellent, but the AKL CMs are even more special. Not only are they excellent, but there are so many of them from various Arican countries that you could spend an entire day just listening to their stories.

And to top it off the AKL has the best restaurant at WDW IMHO - The Boma. The good news is that you can eat there without staying at the AKL

The good news is that both resorts are excellent so you are not going to 'lose' anything whichever one you choose!

 

[Gandalf98]

Just had an outstanding stay at AKL last month . We stayed in Rm 3573 along Zebra Trail and had a watering hole about 20 yds from our balcony. We had giraffes, zebras, etc there throughout the day. Bus transportation is typical outstanding WDW efficiency.
Only down side is too many parents use the 2 spas as wading pools for their kids.

 

[ead79]

On our last trip we stayed at the AKL and the Poly. Though it's really personal preference, I preferred the AKL. The newness of the resort really showed compared to the Poly. Plus, I think the AKL is much better themed. The savannah view is so neat--it's just incredible to see animals grazing right outside your balcony. Of course, the Poly has better transportation options with the monorail. It was nice too, don't get me wrong. I just prefer the AKL.

 

[gabylin]

Thank you all for your wonderful replies!!! What I liked about the Poly when I visited was the tropical feeling as we hung out by the pool (which we did legally because my brother was staying there) also, it seemed very convenient location wise and everyone had a smile on their faces. When I went to visit the AKL I was mesmerized by the tranquility of it all. We went to one of the viewing spots and sat out a thunderstorm and it was just beautiful. It is only going to be my DD 10 and I so space is not an issue. I'm just torn I guess. Maybe they will come out with the great deals like last summer and I can split 2 days at one and 2 days at the other!! Thank you all again for your input!!!

 

[Ricola]

One more thought: if you really want to spend time at the parks, stay at the Poly. When we were at AKL for 4 nights in Nov, we hardly left the place; when we were in the parks, we couldn't wait to get back to the room to swim and watch the animals.

Either will be a great choice for you and DD! Good luck getting a great rate!