Poly or GF - Help me please!!

[Pinky166]

I will be at WDW in September with my DH. We are doing a split stay & can't decide where to spend our last 4 nights.....Polynesian vs. Grand Floridian (GF is only an extra $30 per night)

I need all the Poly and GF fans to tell me what you like best about that resort. Even better if you've stayed at both, which did you prefer and why? We have never been to the Poly but have eaten in Narcoosee's & seen the lobby at GF.

Thanks for any info in advance.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Both are great locations are great in there own way so you can't go wrong no matter what you pick. Anyway my family and I have stayed at the Polynesian and we thought it was a nice place to stay because of it's theme and the whole atmosphere around it.

 

[daannzzz]

Really it depends on the atmosphere that most appeals to you. I have stayed at both. We had a great "attic" room at the GF with a vaulted cieling and a water view across the beach to the Polynesian. The room was nice sized but a bit to frilly for me. Service was fine but not that much better than any of the other deluxe resorts. The grounds are beautiful as you know. I eat at one of the restaurants on almost every trip.
The room at Polynesian was on the second floor and had a view of the marina. The room was quite large and I liked the less flowery decor, and I love the grounds there, BUT I love Tiki culture and tropical gardens so I like the Polynesian better. It is much more laid back and more casual.
If you prefer it a more formal Victorian atmosphere go with the GF. But remember it is a short walk form one to the other.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

Honestly, I think the only factor that would make you choose one over the other is preference of 'theming'. They both have amazing locations, the food options at either are available at both with a quick monorail ride, the room sizes *i think* are the same... The only other thing I can think of is that the Poly does not have a hot tub/gym/spa..so if those are important things to you to have , GF would be the better choice. Personally we adore the Poly because we love the tropical island feel.

 

[mickeynut1]

I can't comment on the GF as we've never stayed there....but we LOVED the Poly . With that said we are booked for our first stay at the GF this summer . They are two totally different resorts as far as theming goes.....I would look at each one and see which one appeals to you the most . Both resorts are in a great location and both have monorail access . We loved the Poly but we are also very excited to try the GF . Good luck deciding.....I'm sure you'll have a magical trip regardless of which resort you choose .

 

[WeRblam]

I will be at WDW in September with my DH. We are doing a split stay & can't decide where to spend our last 4 nights.....Polynesian vs. Grand Floridian (GF is only an extra $30 per night)

I need all the Poly and GF fans to tell me what you like best about that resort. Even better if you've stayed at both, which did you prefer and why? We have never been to the Poly but have eaten in Narcoosee's & seen the lobby at GF.

Thanks for any info in advance.

Spent many times in both locations. Hands down it is the Polynesian. Reason: casual, homey, more tropical. Really makes you feel like you are on vacation. Both locations are excellent...

 

[Pinky166]

Thank you all.

I think I am swaying towards the Poly as I prefer the themeing....I've given myself a headache over it!

 

[DLo]

We have stayed at both and loved both. Besides the theme being part of your decision, I think transportation is also a consideration. If you plan on going to EPCOT from there, you can't beat the Poly for the closeness to TTC.

I really think you can't go wrong either way. Both are beautiful, on the monorail, and have great restaurant options.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

My whole isssue with the Poly is no hot tub at a Deluxe resort. I hope disney sees my complaining and addresses the issue. I have had dinner at both resorts and both are full of energy. We picked the Red Roof Inn this trip

 

[johnsonet]

You really cannot go wrong with either one. For years we stayed only at GF and I eventually tried Poly out of curiosity (SO many loyal fans here on the Dis ) and b/c my SIL was dying to stay there. We really fell in love with it too!
Both have nice big rooms, lots of amenities and a great location. As you can tell by researching the two, Poly is much more lush and tropical...tiki torches, views of the Magic Kingdom from ALL over the resort and 'Ohana for dinner (although we prefer Kona)...
GF is more traditional, more chintzy, very pretty and feminine. More formal in decor, but it's Disney - so it's by no means "stuffy" - a term often applied to it Plus several great restaurants.
Here are just a couple of my pics to give you a feel for each:

Good luck with your decision!

 

[MickeyNicki]

We love the Poly and wil gladly stay in any type of room there. The location, the themeing, the restaurants, the staff...everything about this place is amazing.

We have not stayed at the GF yet, our dream room is the main building so when the 40% off codes came out DH said "Book us 3 nights in Dec", hey dont have to ask me twice! So I got the deluxe room RPC CL for three nights...I cannot wait!

We really like the GF but mostly around the holidays...the Poly I would take no matter what time of the year

 

[MiknMinMouse]

When we stayed at the GF the experience was not so good. We were in a room connecting to another family that was incredibly noisy, we heard everything. No robes in the room and room service was sloppy (we're used to the Boardwalk where it's a production).

Stayed at the Poly and LOVED it. Room was quiet, resort beautiful and service was outstanding. Save a few bucks and stay at the Poly

 

[wish4disney]

I hope that wasn't our family next to you at the GF!! The little kids can be kind of loud at times. We stayed at both the Poly and the GF last year. While both were lovely, as a family, we prefer the Poly for the grounds and atmosphere. It was just overall more relaxing.

 

[PolynesianAlex]

You really cannot go wrong with either one. For years we stayed only at GF and I eventually tried Poly out of curiosity (SO many loyal fans here on the Dis ) and b/c my SIL was dying to stay there. We really fell in love with it too!
Both have nice big rooms, lots of amenities and a great location. As you can tell by researching the two, Poly is much more lush and tropical...tiki torches, views of the Magic Kingdom from ALL over the resort and 'Ohana for dinner (although we prefer Kona)...
GF is more traditional, more chintzy, very pretty and feminine. More formal in decor, but it's Disney - so it's by no means "stuffy" - a term often applied to it Plus several great restaurants.
Here are just a couple of my pics to give you a feel for each:

Good luck with your decision!

Was that a standard room at the GF or was it a suite?

 

[KatMark]

We've only stayed at the Poly (we have no desire to stay at the GF--my DH won't even step foot into the resort). We love the Poly for the landscaping, the themeing and the overall friendly staff, food, pool, etc.

 

[MissionMouse]

We have stayed at both and probably prefer the PR due to its location which translates into many other factors of our stay. I would note the GF by far has better restaurants but the I would also comment we have always had a MK view at the PR too. Prefer the GF Main Building over the Main PR building Its also nice to have the TTC right next door with easy access to the Epcot monorail loop.

 

[Lv4Disney]

We've stayed at both and would not hessitate to stay at either again. One thing I recall from our visits is there were more strollers at GF then we saw at Poly. Another was we could hear the Haunted Mansion in the evenings from GF but I don't recall hearing it from Poly. It was really enjoyable sitting on the balcony at GF hearing the sounds from GF. The pace seemed a little slower there also. On the other hand, the Poly was a piece of Hawaii smack dab in the middle of Disney World. The aloha spirit was just like being at the real place, only with a Disney touch. If you are traveling without children and prefer a slightly more quiet setting I would say GF. Have a magical time!

 

[wish4disney]

I don't think that pic posted is a standard room - when we stayed in a standard room, there was a desk, the bench at the end of one bed and the chair that is closest to the balcony - but not the whole other area and chair - that seems like a lot more space than what we had.

 

[johnsonet]

Yeah - it was a corner room in Big Pine Key... had two balconies and an extra hallway area with the closet. That was just the best pic I could find of a room with 2 Queen beds.

 

[ekball]

We've stayed at both and I have to say, if I had a choice of the two for a trip with just my husband I would DEFINITELY choose the GF. The Poly was a little too.....hussle and bussle, and always.....busy. That picture of the GF pool above...we never saw the Poly pool look like that when we stayed there(the Volcano pool, that is). I found the GF to be more relaxing (aside from the FIREWORKS!!!!!!). It's what I would want for a trip with my DH.