Poly or BC and why??

[corvair]

Hi, I just booked AKL for 3 nights and Poly for 3 nights. I have been reading alot of bad posts for poly lately. Now I am second quessing myself and maybe should of went with the BC. Any advise. Why do you like or dislike the poly or BC??? thanks...amy

 

[Samsma]

I'm in the same boat. People who love the Poly really do LOVE it. But there are a lot of people who think its "dark, smelly, old, even unfriendly." I think it looks great, love the location, but I would hate to spend the money if it isn't great, but just okay.

 

[MamaQuack]

Unless my child was 4 or younger and I was only going to visit MK I would not stay at the Poly for the following reasons: location, walking distance choices for dining and pool.

We stayed there last when mine was 4. The food was mediocre at best and its a monorail ride to anywhere. If you enjoy good food choices then BC/YC or BWI puts you at the back gate to EPCOT and within an easy stroll to The Boardwalk. There are also great choices in the Swann and Dolphin as well as in the hotels themselves.

Stormalong Bay is the most incredible pool facility I've seen at Disney and you've got easy access to MGM and great bus service to AK.

 

[Scoootch]

Originally posted by corvair
Any advise. Why do you like or dislike the poly or BC??? thanks...amy

While I love the theming and monorail access at the Poly, you just cannot beat the location and the POOL SAB over at BC. It's so much more convienient to practically everywhere. You can walk or take the boat to Epcot, MGM and even across the way to BW and the POOL!! Best Pool area on property IMHO

Plus you have the added advantage of being able to just walk over to BW at night as another evening activity. We rented the surrey bikes one night from the BW while staying at BC and had so much fun!

Have fun no matter what you decide. The Poly is wonderful -- but BC is definetly easier for getting around if you will spend alot of time at Epcot or MGM. Either way I'm sure you'll enjoy.

 

[corvair]

Thanks for the BC replies...any poly lovers out there????thanks..amy

 

[lucysdad]

A Poly lover checking in. We have stayed there several times and are going back in June. True, some of the buildings have needed a face lift, and they're doing that now. We've always stayed in the Tahiti building with a lagoon view and it's awesome. You have unobstructed views of the lake, MK, the castle and the fireworks. It is a bit of a stroll to get around the property, but no more than 5 minutes to get anywhere, and you're walking through a beautiful tropical garden. The food is great, not only are Ohana's and Kona Cafe both really good, even Captain Cook's (which is open 24/7) is good for a quick meal. The transportation, in our opinion, is unequalled. AK is a bus ride away from anywhere, we don't go to Epcot or MGM more than once or twice during our stay, and the TTC which is next door makes getting to those places not that bad. The monorail comes right through the property and you can also take the boat over to MK, which is a great way to unwind after spending hours in the heat. The best part about the Poly is it seems like it's miles away from the hustle and bustle, yet you're only minutes away from everything. There's so much to do on the property: rent boats, the luau, the torch ceremony, sitting on a swing on the beach while watching the electric light pageant, or the fireworks, the volcano pool. It's like two vacations in one. All the fun of WDW, and all the relaxation of a tropical get-away. Never stayed at BC, but looks a little crowded for my taste. Hey, I SAID I was a Poly lover.

 

[Tikiman]

I will just add that the Polynesian rooms were renovated Summer 2001 and now most of the longhouses and rooms were completely redone. As far as dark, it is part of the theme of the resort and if they went with bright colors (like the BC) it would not look like a Polynesian theme. It would look like an easter egg.

As for being close to the parks. The MK is a short boat ride or monorail ride away and it is a shorter trip walking to the TTC and taking the monorail to the entrance of epcot than it was when we walked from the YC to the international gateway. I know because I timed it.

If you are judging the resort by the few that did not like it than you are making a mistake. Judge for yourself. The few that have negative reports are a very small minority (who still have opinions that count). If the resort was in bad shape they would not have the largest repeat guests out of any WDW resort.

Aloha

Steve

 

[corvair]

Thanks for the positive poly replies....amy

 

[cmcvean]

Well, I haven't stayed at any resort other than the Polynesian, so I can't really compare, but.......WE LOVE THE POLYNESIAN.

We were there Jan 10 through 16th and it was great. There is just something about the calmness that really lets you relax on a Disney vacation. We stayed in the Hawaii building (which I think may be one of the oldest) and we didn't smell anything bad and we were even on the smoking floor. It was very clean.

There is just something watching the fireworks from your bed and the electric light parade that just seals the deal for us everytime. And the swings on the beach.....I just love them.

Have a great time!!!

 

[Tinkrbell]

I'm partial to Both.

I've stayed at both, and think it really depends on what resort you want to go to the most often. If you are going to be at MK alot stay at Poly, Epcot alot, stay at BC.

I think they are both great resorts for different reasons. Pool is definitly better at BC, so are some of the ammenities there. Poly has a better overall theme but, its also very spread out so be prepared for alot of walking. As for dining, Ohana IS one of my favorites so is Cape May, so I think they are similar in quality, just different.

Listen to Tikiman, judge for yourself. We had Excellent vacations at BOTH of these resorts and I'm sure yours will be also.

 

[corvair]

Thanks for all the great info.. You said there will be alot of walking at the poly. Is it that spread out?? I also thought even though the BC was one building depending where your room location was it also could be alot of walking to get to the pool.. One reason we chose poly was we liked the idea of a 24 hour food court. The kids always are hungry late...any place to get quick bites at the BC late at night?? We had friends who stayed at BCvillas...said they did not like it...they had to walk forever to get coffee or a bite to eat ...thanks...amy

 

[Tinkrbell]

I guess there is alot of walking at the BC too, but since it is one large building it doesn't seem as bad, but still alot to get to the main pool/lobby area.

As far as food they both have 24/hr room service but neither(unless I'm wrong) have a 24/hr food court. Poly has Capt. Cooks which is fast food counter service, and BC has Beaches & Cream, not quite the same level as Poly. It's supposed to change with the addition of the BCV. But I don't think has yet.

Good Luck.

 

[wdwnutze]

We have stayed at both and prefer the Polynesian. We thought the rooms were small at the BC and we are a family of 5 so we appreciated the extra space at the Polynesian. We stayed in the Tahiti bldg with a view of the castle which was amazing. The Polynesian is really not that big or spread out. I think the furthest any bldg is from the GCH is about a 5 minute walk(we loved this very relaxing, peaceful walk especially at night with the Tikis lit). I thought the walk from our room to the lobby at the BC was longer and not nearly as nice. BC does not have a 24 food place other than room service but the Polynesian has Capn Cooks(open 24 hrs)which we used quite a bit with the kids. Kona is one of our favorite restaurants. We find the whole atmosphere at the Polynesian relaxing and inviting. We weren't that impressed with the BC but like Tikiman said, you have to judge for yourself. I'm sure you will love the Polynesian.

 

[zeeker2]

We have stayed at Poly and YC in the same visit. I really think it is a matter of personal opinion, what factors you give the most weight.There are pro's and con's for both resorts. Factors to consider for the Poly- monorail access is great, tropical atmosphere is fun, less crowded more quiet than the Epcot resorts. We we able to float in the pool (which was never as crowded as SAB) while watching fireworks from the MK. Very relaxing resort. Hammocks on the beach. There is a distinct aroma-rather tropical but could be interpreted as mildewy. THe rooms/resort decor is on the dark side but it is part of the tropical atmosphere (think Tiki Room).
Factors to consider for BC/YC- great location for Epcot. Fun to walk along the boardwalk. Probably more fun for young children at the BC and SAB. Very different decor than Poly- pastels and summery colors.Much more crowded than Poly. A sense of constant activity. Also, while it is situated on the lagoon similar to Poly, the lack of tropical landscaping(shade) at Epcot resorts made us feel hotter. To escape the heat you were either indoors or in the pool.
My advice - look at pictures online of both resorts, decide which atmosphere you prefer and think about how you will be spending the majority of your time. We were treated well at both resorts, and it was good to experience them both. However I prefer the YC/BC but I don't think we were staying in one of the refurbished rooms at the Poly.

 

[cinbis]

We had reservations at the Poly, but I had my doubts...it seemed so dark. After reading this thread, I convinced my children the YC would be better. I changed the reservation this morning. My question now is, should we request a specific location at the YC? What would be convenient to the pool, restaurants, transportation? I'm sure one location won't fill all those needs! Is there a floor that may be more desirable than another? We are staying in a standard room. My children are 9 and 12.

 

[dylansdad]

Corvair, We stayed in both and like each for different reasons. I also was concerned about BC not having 24 hr snacks but was no big deal, other than the convenience of the refillable mugs. At the BC there is so much more to do and we walked everywhere. Really liked epcot and boardwalk at nights. Stormalong bay is ok but the real good thing was that water was very warm, had to be in the low 80s. The BC has the feel of a big hotel with the hustle and bustle. The Poly was more relaxing, being spread out and the tropical theme just puts me at ease. Monorail and being next to TTC is a plus. All the food was great there and the mugs were very convenient.