Poly or somewhere else... Beach Club?

[twoboysmom]

I love the Poly, probably because it is where we stayed when I was little in the 70's. DH, 3 kids and I have stayed there the last four visits, including last three years in a row each time late Jan for about six nights when kids are out of school for a few days. Last year the front desk sent up a plate of delicious chocolate covered strawberries when they learned I had been a regular guest for over 30 years. Such nice cast members there! Have also stayed at WL, CBR, predecessor of POR, and SoG. As a family of 5 now-choices are limited. Starting to plan for next Jan. and was thinking about maybe a change. I was going to make the plunge for Poly Club this year but now understand that isn't possible due to renovations. Standard GV Poly is fine for us-love staying in Fiji overlooking lagoon. Kids love the marshmallow roasts and movies on the beach. Plus of course transportation options a great. Plus love convenience of Captain Cook's.

Finally to my questions, does Beach/Yacht Club have similar activities for kids like movies, marshmallow roasts etc. DH usually does that one or two nights with whatever kids want Captain Cook's for dinner and numerous marshmallows for dessert. Does BC/YC hace something like Captain Cook's for quick meals? I am concerned about the renovation rumors I keep reading about for Poly. I also am considering 1 bdrm villa at BLT but the lack of Disney theming at both BC and BLT and family tradition (and DH saying just pick Poly) make me a leaning towards Poly.

 

[holden]

We too are Poly lovers. It is the only Disney hotel we have stayed at, and I've been going to WDW since I was a kid in the 70's. Our daughters don't even know what another hotel looks like inside!

Having said that, we are taking a gamble and staying at BC this time around. I think they'll love the pool there and its proximity to Epcot is a plus for us (our fav. park).

DH still wants to stay at the Poly, but I think we should try something new. From what I hear, BC is as beloved as Poly. BLT, on the other hand, has gotten some mixed reviews from what I"ve read (and heard). Our friends stayed there and said it was fine, but there is no quick service food on site (you have to walk across the bridge to the Contemporary) and the pool is just OK.

I don't know how much that helps, but wherever you decide you'll have a great time!

 

[ThreeKMom]

We usually stay at the YC, so just let me start by saying the Pool is AWESOME!

The YC/BC doesnt have as good a CS as Captn Cookes, they have Hurricane Hannas at the pool, which is good but the menu is much more limited than Captain Cookes. That being said the burgers there are the same as Beaches & Cream (YUM) and the turkey sandwich is my personal favorite!. They also have the Beach Club Market Place - there are limited sandwhiches and I think they added flatbreads - we usually just grab breakfast there.

The YC/BC does have movies on the beach with a campfire and marshmellows! You can also stroll around the Boardwalk and there are lots of choices for a quick meal or snack.

 

[mickeynut1]

We like to try new resorts, but I do understand you being hesitant to try something new when you find a resort you love. The Poly is our favorite resort and we love it for many reasons. We've also stayed at the BC, which is a beautiful resort and is in a great location as it's within walking distance to Epcot and DHS. I think there are movies on the beach, but I'm not sure about the marshmallow roasts. We had a great stay at the BC and loved the resort, but the one thing we didn't like was that there was no CS like that of the Poly (and the other deluxe resorts, minus YC & BWI). There is the Marketplace at the back of the BC gift shop that has grab-n-go items and Hurricane Hannah's by the pool, but the variety is rather limited, IMO, and neither has hot breakfast items like eggs, bacon, waffles, etc. With that said, if limited CS isn't a problem for you, then I think the BC would be a great resort to try. The atmosphere is nice and the boardwalk is close for nightly entertainment. Good luck with your decision as I know exactly how you feel. We are doing a 3 night cruise in July 2013 and while we've decided on the Poly for a few nights after the cruise, I'm having a hard time deciding where to stay for a few nights prior to the cruise. I want to try the YC, but my DSs keep telling me no since there's no CS.

 

[ThreeKMom]

http://allears.net/menu/menu_bcmp.htm

This is a link to the menu at the Beach Club Market Place.

 

[Phelia325]

I have a soft spot for the Poly; however, I find the rooms to be a little disappointing compared to other resorts. Our last stay there was April of 2010 and there was a dirty tissue above the tv from a previous guest that was missed by mousekeeping for our entire stay, quilts instead of duvets, a broken fridge door, the emergency exit info had been torn off the door and not replaced....it just felt tired and maybe a bit neglected.

We had a theme park park view in 2 bedroom villa at BLT the following year which was GORGEOUS! Yes, it's a bit inconvenient to cross the bridge to the main resort for food, but so worth it. It was, by far, the nicest resort room we have stayed in on the property (of course, it was the newest at the time).

Our past two trips have been to the BC which we LOVE. The pool is, imho, the best on the entire Disney property. We love eating dinners in Epcot so the location was awesome. It's a bit of a pain to get over to the MK, but we really enjoy the resort. It has such a fun casual feel. And the rooms always feel so clean and fresh and bright (as compared to the Poly).

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Phelia325]

Also - as for the lack of disney theme in BLT - we were able to watch the castle from our bed and master tub - it was magical!!! PLENTY of "Disney" theme for us!

 

[DisneyDoc5]

We have stayed BC 2x and Poly 1x (although we go to Poly every visit for food at least once) and our next trip will probably be back to BC. We loved our Poly stay and will likely do it again, but I feel like that resort is so BUSY. We are able to relax more at BC, LOVE the pool, the easy walk and boat to EPCOT and HWS, the atmosphere, etc. just to name a few. The bus to the MK is not a big deal.

Food wise, the marketplace has good offering, as well as Hurricane Hannah's, but better yet, you have the entire counter service option in World Showcase, just steps away!

There are fun activities around the pool all day for kids and families and they have movies at night (including marshmallows).

I hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

Piggybacking on OP here. I am having a similar dilemma - my husband and I are going next year to celebrate my 50th, and I loooooooooove the Poly.

Backstory: I've been to WDW lots of times with just my kids, or just my kids and a babysitter, or with previous husbands. Have stayed at the Poly several times. Absolutely love it - stress seems to go out of me, just being on the property. Husband has never stayed at a Deluxe resort. We've eaten at the Poly, hung out there, and watched the fireworks from there, but he's never stayed there.

Fast forward to now: This is his (belated) 50th birthday celebration as much as mine, and my heart tells me to stay at the Poly, theme park view. However, we both agree there is NO WAY we're splurging on ourselves and NOT getting a king bed. So no Poly. It's simply a deal-breaker for us. Truly.

So now everything is on the table, and I simply can't make up my mind! I tried to love the GF; it's just not doing it for me. The Contemporary sounds interesting (tower, theme park view), but the food options there don't excite me much. The WL is intriguing - not on the monorail but close enough - but the food options rear their ugly head again. Even the AKL is appealing to me, except for the remoteness (and actually, it's also one of the pluses). So then we turn our attention to the Epcot area resorts - the wonderful pool is NOT a draw for just my husband and me. Being so close to WS and DHS is a huge plus, but again, none of them make my heart sing like the Poly. I wish they would just move a king bed to a theme park view room for me.

To complicate matters, we plan to have the kids come for the weekend of my birthday, and then just he and I are staying the week after. I don't want to resort hop, so whatever we do, I need to get the kids a room as well, for the weekend. His last trip to WDW in 2008, my husband declared that no matter what, we're not sharing a room anymore!

Opinions? Experiences?

 

[shannonstar]

For the original poster, I say try the Beach Club. I think you will be happy there. We are super excited about staying there and my son is over the moon about the pool.

Piggybacking on OP here. I am having a similar dilemma - my husband and I are going next year to celebrate my 50th, and I loooooooooove the Poly.

Backstory: I've been to WDW lots of times with just my kids, or just my kids and a babysitter, or with previous husbands. Have stayed at the Poly several times. Absolutely love it - stress seems to go out of me, just being on the property. Husband has never stayed at a Deluxe resort. We've eaten at the Poly, hung out there, and watched the fireworks from there, but he's never stayed there.

Fast forward to now: This is his (belated) 50th birthday celebration as much as mine, and my heart tells me to stay at the Poly, theme park view. However, we both agree there is NO WAY we're splurging on ourselves and NOT getting a king bed. So no Poly. It's simply a deal-breaker for us. Truly.

So now everything is on the table, and I simply can't make up my mind! I tried to love the GF; it's just not doing it for me. The Contemporary sounds interesting (tower, theme park view), but the food options there don't excite me much. The WL is intriguing - not on the monorail but close enough - but the food options rear their ugly head again. Even the AKL is appealing to me, except for the remoteness (and actually, it's also one of the pluses). So then we turn our attention to the Epcot area resorts - the wonderful pool is NOT a draw for just my husband and me. Being so close to WS and DHS is a huge plus, but again, none of them make my heart sing like the Poly. I wish they would just move a king bed to a theme park view room for me.

To complicate matters, we plan to have the kids come for the weekend of my birthday, and then just he and I are staying the week after. I don't want to resort hop, so whatever we do, I need to get the kids a room as well, for the weekend. His last trip to WDW in 2008, my husband declared that no matter what, we're not sharing a room anymore!

Opinions? Experiences?

For you, I would recommend either AKL (even remote, it's still awesome) or the BWI. BWI is a bit more romantic than BC or YC, and you still get all the benefits of it being an Epcot resort. AKL probably wins it for me though. I can sit on a bus for a little while if it means I get great dining options, animal views, and the like.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

For you, I would recommend either AKL (even remote, it's still awesome) or the BWI. BWI is a bit more romantic than BC or YC, and you still get all the benefits of it being an Epcot resort. AKL probably wins it for me though. I can sit on a bus for a little while if it means I get great dining options, animal views, and the like.

Thanks for the input! So much to think about. I wish all my decisions were this much fun!

Bottom line, whereever we decide, we're going to have a great time!!!

 

[kddisney502]

.
The Contemporary sounds interesting (tower, theme park view), but the food options there don't excite me much.

Is it the contemporary's CS or TS meals that don't excite you?

We stayed there last Jan. and I have to say the CS was one of the best we've had on property (they have some unique items, very delicious).

As for TS, you can always hop on the monorail and go to the Poly or GF for a meal. It's a quick trip and allows you much more selection. We also thought that traveling on the monorail was much more fun and comfortable than on a bus.

 

[Singinglizzie]

We love the Poly but we also love AKL!!! I know AKL isn't on the monorail, but the theming is so beautiful and there are lots of kids activities. You can use the facilities at Kidani and Jambo, so it's like two resorts in one! You might consider a 1 bedroom at Kidani and there is also club level at Jambo. Some say AKL is not centrally located, but honestly it is a relief for me to get there in the evenings since I need a breather from all the high energy park crowds and find AKL so relaxing. Give it a try. I think if you love Poly, you will come to love AKL too!!

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

I'm am a Poly girl here that made the switch to BC for my DH. At the Poly my favorite longhouse is Tahiti though we've stayed in Rarotonga as well. I prefer the TPV but even the garden views at the Poly are nice.

Last month we stayed at BC for 3 nights before our cruise. Epcot is our favorite park and the walk on the first day to Epcot convinced my DH that BC was our new home and I bought into DVC a week later on the cruise.

The pool area is wonderful. The resort is nice and airy. Love the colors. I love the layout of the bathrooms much better! Just like GF. However I will say I give Poly the edge for room views, resort walkways (so relaxing and pretty) and counter service. Standard view rooms at BC can be downright unmagical. We won't spend as much time in our room as we did at the Poly. Also be aware that you will need to request a full balcony if you want one like you did at the Poly (although this was mainly asking for 3rd floor at the Poly for some longhouses).

Overall I'm really pleased with my new "home". We really enjoyed BC and will be happy to return there time and time again. But don't think I won't be adding points at the Poly when that DVC comes online.