poly or contemp

[terribm]

I need your opions. I am in the early stages of planning a trip for my ds 5th b-day. It's over a year away but I am trying to decide between the Poly or the Contemporary. We want to be close to MK and have the option of a character meal at the resort. We have done Ohana's before but not Chef Mickey's. DS will be turning 5 and DD will be 3 1/2. Any suggestions would be great.

Terri

 

[sotoalf]

These are two very different hotels. Both feature character buffets.

As WDW's former flagship hotel (before the Grand Floridian took the title in 1988), the Contemporary has a futurist ambience and architecture that was state-of-the-art in 1974 but is less so now, which is why so many disapproving guests say it's a sterile, dated resort. You have the option of staying in the Tower facing the MK or Bay Lake; or in the Garden wings. Whichever view you choose, the rooms are the largest in WDW. From the Contemporary you can walk to the MK (a few minutes) and get there before the monorail. You also have the option of taking a boat launch to Ft Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge for more dining and recreation options.

My take? I love the resort. It has a bustling, big-city feel which, admittedly, may turn off some guests. Its views are unequalled.

The Polynesian is the most popular deluxe, and I won't argue. It's much cozier and relaxed than the Contemporary. Besides the monorail, you have the option of walking to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail or taking a boat launch (shared with the GF) to the MK. Except for the Kona Cafe, the Poly's restaurants aren't great; the Contemporary has the California Grille, the best restaurant in WDW.

I'll be happy to answer more questions.

 

[jenanderson]

I'll cast my vote for the Polynesian.

Location - Even though the Contemporary is actually closer to MK, I think they are both great in terms of location. It is really quick and easy to get to the MK from the Poly by monarail or boat. We thought it was really convienent. We also liked that the Poly was so close to the transportation center for the other parks as well.

I would say even though you are staying at the Poly to go to Chef Mickey's for the birthday. This is what we did for our DD and it was wonderful - lots of fun.

My kids (DD7 and DS4) love the Polynesian. They love the volcano pool, swinging in the hammocks, watching the fireworks and electric water parade on the beach, and the relaxed atmosphere of the Polynesian. Each time we go over to the contemp resort, they make comments about how "wierd" it all looks. They do not like the modern feel of it all. We are also from Minnesota so I know that we all love the beach type theme at the Polynesian.

We have never stayed at the Contemporary Resort so I am not sure how the rooms are. We loved how big the rooms are at the Poly. Some people think that the bathrooms are really dark - they are a bit dark at times but it never did bother us. I just took note of it each day because I had read that comment here a lot.

The Polynesian was so beautiful when we were there in December. We cannot wait to go back and stay there again this upcoming fall!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Another vote for the Poly. O.k. its our 3 ds favorite resort too. As the other posters said the pool is awesome, and the water paegent and watching fireworks from the beach and always looking at the castle and playing on the beach. Our 3ds also like the childrens activities. Their favorite is the arcade challenge, free video games for 1 hour 2 days a week. Also pool games, hula lessons, and arts and crafts in the neverland lounge, I think its from like 12-4 each day and must be accompanied by parents. Also watching the ducks stroll along etc. Paradise.

 

[JayCT]

I have to disagree with stoalf on the Poly's restaurants. Ohana's is great. Our favorite. Another thing to consider is that the Poly's pool has a zero entry end which would be perfect for your DD. Also there is a great beach for the kids to play on. The Poly is really geared for families. Our DS's were 6 and 4 when we went and loved it. Too bad this year we are trying WL to save money and try something different.

 

[Jynohn]

I haven't stayed at the Polynesian since I was little and don't remember much of our stay there, but we did just recently get back from the Contemporary Resort.

Having said that, I'll also cast my vote for the Polynesian. We don't necessarily have any complaints about the Contemporary, but there's a definite lack of theming. Other than the fantastic location and the monorail, it felt like a hotel in any other city to me.

We did visit the Polynesian for a few meals, however, and it just has much more of a "vacation" feel to us. All the lush plants, the waterfalls and tiki torches make you truly feel as if you're someplace tropical and exotic. If we had stayed there, we would have definitely taken more time away from the parks to simply enjoy the resort and relax. At the Contemporary, we didn't feel like we wanted to spend any time there other than to sleep.

Although we'll stay at SOG on our next trip, we definitely have the Polynesian on our radar for the future. As far as the Contemporary goes, we're glad we got a chance to check it out, but we're in no rush to go back...

 

[SeaSpray]

Originally posted by Jynohn

We did visit the Polynesian for a few meals, however, and it just has much more of a "vacation" feel to us. All the lush plants, the waterfalls and tiki torches make you truly feel as if you're someplace tropical and exotic. If we had stayed there, we would have definitely taken more time away from the parks to simply enjoy the resort and relax.

We felt the same exact way when we toured the Polynesian and had 2 meals there, back in 2001, when we were staying at the Grand Floridian. We fell in love with the Polynesian and now we'll finally be staying there this summer. As much as we LOVED the Grand Floridian (we had an awesome view of the entire lagoon plus the castle), we liked the look and feel of the Polynesian even more. I know we won't be disappointed with our stay.

We LOVED the restaurants there too! Kona for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and O'Hana!! We'll be staying there following our 7 night cruise, and we have no plans to do the parks; we'll just relax and enjoy this wonderful resort