Poly or CR?

[glencoe]

Help....heading back to staying on property and the monorail. First time in 15 yrs (honeymoon at the GF..wow!-had $$ then!LOL) Anyway now we have 3 kids 9 and 5 (boys)and a 2 yr old girl. First I was set on the CR for location and hopefully views. Now I am reading so much on the Poly. We are going Feb. 14-19 so not sure if the weather is truly pool weather. What is everyones suggestions and opinions? If I do CR garden or should I spend for the tower. If we can swing Poly garden or lagoon? Is the Poly more $$ because it is better? I want to do it right, we have done off property for so long I want the magic. thanks...

 

[Carrieberry]

With kid's the ages you listed I would go for the tower at CR. I would stay at the Poly only if you can't afford the tower. The tower is just the best! The poly is nice, but if you can afford the tower I would definitely do that!!! The CR isn't worth it in my opinion if you are just going to stay in the garden wings, the Poly is much nicer for those types of rooms and views.

 

[glencoe]

thanks for the info. So basically...go for the tower if not then Poly? From what I am seeing the tower $ is just a little more than the lagoon at the Poly right now. I will find out for sure tomorrow. I can't wait!

 

[Carrieberry]

You just can't beat the tower views at the Contemporary! Now you might want to find out, but I don't think they can guarantee MK view-I think it is just a request. If you think you will be unhappy if you are on the other side of the tower facing the lake, you might want to book the Poly lagoon view if the castle is something you want to be sure you can see. Contemporary tower has a great arcade, from what I hear kid's love it. Poly is nice, but it is quieter and more mellow. It is nice though and much better than the garden wings of the Comtemporary which are like little cement apartments-no real themeing at all.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I have not stayed at either one BUT... After reading A LOT on these boards about both I would stay at the Poly.
Please go back and read the posts on here about both resorts. There are many pros and cons that I would want to read if i were you.

 

[Carrieberry]

That is excellent advice. What might appeal or bother one family might be different for you and your family. We did not care for The Poly at all BUT I feel like it is still a resort I can recommend to others that have different tastes. We also hated AKL which lots of people here LOVE! Some people think the CR is cold and loud but we love the themeing there with the monorail going through the building, the larger tower rooms and the colorful decor. The FAQ threads here on the DIS as well as the info(resort fact sheets) listed on www.allears.net under the accomodations section in extremely valuable. You should read up on both for sure. Have fun!

 

[tiggersmom2]

POLY!!! I love the CR but....you just can't beat the Poly for the kids....they have children's activities throughout the day and pool games....it rocks. My kids are 11 yrs and 2 yrs.

 

[glencoe]

thanks to all. My plan is to compare $$ for Contemporary tower and Poly Lagoon view. I will let the $$ decide. I think my kids will love the Poly more because I have a volcano loving 9 yr old, pirate loving 5 yr old and a girl who just loves everything! thanks for your help. I can't wait, hope I can get res. this late in the game for what I need.

 

[limabeanmom2003]

If your kids like pirates, you may want to look into the pirate cruise that is offered for children on Seven Seas Lagoon. Sounds like a lot of fun.

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

We have stayed at both several times and these are my choices.
1. Poly (any room)
2. Cont. tower
3. Cont. wing room

The Poly is the best for families with young children IMHO. The transportation options are the best on property. It is the only resort that gives you the ability to have DIRECT access to both the MK and Epcot monorails. It is a short walk to the Epcot monorail, so you don't have to ride all the way around the MK monorail and transfer at the TTC.

The garden view/lagoon view does not matter much to us. I would personally take garden view over the cont. tower. You should check what the garden view concierge rates are. Sometimes they are not very far from regular lagoon view.

 

[Tink561]

My boys prefer the Contemporary Tower, but we all love the Poly. I would stay at the CR *only* if I stayed in the tower. We've never stayed in the garden wings and I wouldn't. I just don't see the point in staying at the CR if you're not in the tower with the monorail.

JMHO,

 

[Micca]

I prefer the Poly for the theming. Either resort is a good choice.

 

[mariamouse]

I would only stay at the CR if I was staying in the tower... I believe it's worth the extra money compared to the garden wings. The views from the rooms are amazing and the monorail/restaurants/giftshops are closer by.

I prefer the Polynesian resort, however... Kona Cafe is one of my favorite restaurants in WDW, the volcano pool is far superior, there is a nice sandy beach to watch the castle/fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant from, etc. The Hawaiian theme is so appealing-- I went to the CR when I was 11 and, after a visit to the Poly, wished I could have been staying there instead. After my stays there, it could be my favorite resort in WDW.

Have fun--and whatever your decision is, call soon!!

mariamouse

 

[RayJay]

Sorry to add to your dilema, but you asked, I think your going to find it's
50-50.

Poly, hands down. Stayed at Contemporary, both are great, Poly wins because it is more relaxed. Close to everything. Pool is easier to walk to, better theming, close to main building. Beach is awesome, views are awesome. Monorail is awesome. TTC is right there.

Poly Drawback - No hottub

Contemporary pluses - Arcade (we just ride over for that), better fast food.
Chef Mickeys.

JMHO
RayJay

 

[chrisp]

Another vote for CR Tower - we've stayed at the Poly and CR and our family of 5 unanimously votes for the CR Tower.

 

[Tink561]

Contemporary pluses - Arcade (we just ride over for that), better fast food.
Chef Mickeys.

JMHO
RayJay

We ride the monorail over just for the arcade, too!

 

[MommyBoo!]

We've stayed at both and prefer the CR. We stayed in a wing although we will be in the tower this year. My older kids both prefer the CR for the arcade and the atmosphere. We all like the design and styling of the interior. There is a beach at the CR as well.

We were all dissapointed in the Poly. There were a lot of things broken or unavailable at the time we stayed there though, so I am sure that had a lot to do with it. Not to mention the mousekeeping problems.

We were just happier overall at the CR. However, everyone's experiences will vary and maybe if we had stayed at a different time or in a different section at the poly, we might feel otherwise.

 

[glencoe]

Ok, I booked Lagoon view at the Poly. The tower was going for 345 per night, however I am still numb at the 400 per night rate I booked at the poly, and that is even "value" time too!! The garden view is 304, now my next question.....is the lagoon view really worth an extra 100 per night? Thanks again!!

 

[Carrieberry]

How much would it be to do concierge garden view? I would rather have the garden view and the concierge offerings than the lagoon view. When we stayed (they have redone it since) the concierge lounge had a great lagoon view so anytime we wanted to enjoy the view we just went to the lounge and had a snack. If it is around the $100 a night extra I would go that way!

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

How much would it be to do concierge garden view? I would rather have the garden view and the concierge offerings than the lagoon view. When we stayed (they have redone it since) the concierge lounge had a great lagoon view so anytime we wanted to enjoy the view we just went to the lounge and had a snack. If it is around the $100 a night extra I would go that way!

Yup, the GV concierge and LV non-concierge are about the same. Although the lagoon view does sound lovely, we chose to spend the $$ for GV concierge. We'll watch the fireworks either from the lounge or beach, and are looking forward to staying in the Hawaii longhouse and enjoying the tasty snacks. Good luck, OP, with whatever you decide.