Poly or Wilderness Lodge?

[LeahM]

We are taking our first trip to Disney World in February. Currently we have a room for 4 nights at Poly as part of a 10 day stay in Florida. I'm looking at changing it to Wilderness Lodge (we can save about $700). Does anyone have any thoughts on either resorts that they would like to share? Our plan is to do one day at AK, one day at MK, one day at EC and one hotel day. This is really our first big family trip so I'm sure my kids will be happy anywhere - two girls, 4 and 9.

 

[Woth2982]

I am probably no help. My very first stay ever was at the Poly and I fell in love. My mom wanted to try a different hotel for our second stay, but the kids won and we stayed at the Poly again. The monorail is great to have right there, as well as boat transportation. I do love the Wilderness Lodge though. I felt like it was very relaxing, and I loved the boat ride to the MK. My cousins actually chose WL over Poly because they got a bunk bed room so their kids could have their own bed. I guess it boils down to how you feel about transportation. I don't have kids, but if I had to deal with a stroller Id prefer the monorail over the boat transportation.

 

[mickeynut1]

We are taking our first trip to Disney World in February. Currently we have a room for 4 nights at Poly as part of a 10 day stay in Florida. I'm looking at changing it to Wilderness Lodge (we can save about $700). Does anyone have any thoughts on either resorts that they would like to share? Our plan is to do one day at AK, one day at MK, one day at EC and one hotel day. This is really our first big family trip so I'm sure my kids will be happy anywhere - two girls, 4 and 9.

We've stayed at both and love both for different reasons. The Poly is our favorite resort overall, but we do love the WL. Both have beautiful atmospheres, great pools, and good dining options. I don't think you can go wrong with either one as they are both amazing resorts. Good luck deciding, although I'm sure you'll have a great trip no matter which one you choose .

 

[hedberg1661]

If you can afford the Poly I would stick with it. One of the best spots on property.

 

[pixarmom]

We've stayed at both several times each with our kids (more at Poly) and can add the following:

Poly: Transportation to both MK and Epcot is super easy most of the time. (If leaving after fireworks . . . that's a different story and sometimes we'd just prefer the bus!) The rooms are significantly larger at Poly. Room size and transportation options are really the main draws for us, in addition to the fact that our kids love the theme. Captain Cook's is the one quick service at Poly - we think it's quite good, but we prefer the atmosphere at WL quick service locations.

WL: Transportation - we've had some not-so-great bus experiences at WL but it's always hit or miss at lots of different resorts. I absolutely love the boat to/fro MK - so much more relaxing that bus or (in my opinion) even monorail. The rooms are smaller, but cozy and the lobby area is fantastic. Has a much more relaxed atmosphere for us because there is far less visitor traffic than on the monorail resorts (Poly always seems to have so much visitor traffic.) The new Geyser Point quick service is wonderful for quick service or appetizers, same with Territory Lounge in colder months and Roaring Fork is compact and in our experience, less chaotic than some of the other quick service locations. Love the photos of the new pool on the villas side and the pool slide at the main pool is great for tiny kids (our older boys loved it when they were 4 and 5 years old.) The splash pad at WL for little ones is also very tiny kid-friendly. The Poly splash pad is a bit busier with more older kids hopping in (again, in our experience.)

Also consider whether you want to be in the middle of the action (Poly) or have a retreat from the parks (WL.) Our kids tend to prefer middle of the action while my husband and I like the retreat! Right now, I would choose (and have chosen for January!) WL for that feeling of quiet retreat at the end of the day.

But with tiny kids, if transportation is a priority, Poly might work well for you. If you plan to take breaks during the park days, Poly will make that very easy.

Good luck - either is a great choice!

 

[LeahM]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think we are going to switch to WL. I like the idea of a more relaxing location. We are from a small Midwest town so my kids will probably be on overload as it is! I like the transportation convenience of Poly but I'm thinking that it doesn't justifies the cost. We have no problem taking buses or even taxis if needed.

We will still be visiting the Poly to have breakfast with Lilo and Stitch which I won't cancel even if we are not staying there. I'm also still thinking of keeping our dining reservation at Narccoossee for our hotel day.

Has anyone tried Artist Point or Whispering Canyon? Recommendations?

 

[mickeynut1]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think we are going to switch to WL. I like the idea of a more relaxing location. We are from a small Midwest town so my kids will probably be on overload as it is! I like the transportation convenience of Poly but I'm thinking that it doesn't justifies the cost. We have no problem taking buses or even taxis if needed.

We will still be visiting the Poly to have breakfast with Lilo and Stitch which I won't cancel even if we are not staying there. I'm also still thinking of keeping our dining reservation at Narccoossee for our hotel day.

Has anyone tried Artist Point or Whispering Canyon? Recommendations?

WL is an awesome resort, you will love it! The Poly is amazing, but so is the WL. We've eaten at both Artist Point and Whispering Canyon and both are great, IMO .

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think we are going to switch to WL. I like the idea of a more relaxing location. We are from a small Midwest town so my kids will probably be on overload as it is! I like the transportation convenience of Poly but I'm thinking that it doesn't justifies the cost. We have no problem taking buses or even taxis if needed.

We will still be visiting the Poly to have breakfast with Lilo and Stitch which I won't cancel even if we are not staying there. I'm also still thinking of keeping our dining reservation at Narccoossee for our hotel day.

Has anyone tried Artist Point or Whispering Canyon? Recommendations?

I think you made a great choice! We've stayed at both several times and I LOVE WL. It is so much more relaxing than Poly. I could literally just sit in the lobby all day!

We love both Artist Point and Whispering Canyon. Artist Point is one of the best signatures on property IMHO and Whispering Canyon is so much fun. On our last trip, my DS9 loved it so much we are there 3 times!

Just some tips if you're interested. The front desk has a handout that explains the architecture of the lodge and all the artifacts inside. We had a lot of fun looking at and reading about everything. If you walk over to Boulder Ridge Villas, you can see some of the train cars Walt Disney used in his own backyard. I also really recommend heading over to Ft. W (you can walk or boat over). You can see all the WDW horses at the stable there. If you have time in your schedule also consider seeing Hoop Dee Doo.

 

[MrsDuck]

WL is so relaxing and laid back!

 

[Woth2982]

I LOVE Whispering Canyon! I am still trying to figure out where I can squeeze it in on my trip this weekend! Don't think it will happen though. It is a really quick trip.

 

[100acreHiker]

Both a great and I think you're making the right decision. Download Lyft or Uber before you arrive; that $700 savings can cover a few direct rides if you're tired and not in the mood to wait for a bus, etc.

 

[Shellyred8]

The other thing to keep in mind is that there is a boat that goes from WL to the Contemporary resort. So, if you feel like going for a boat ride, you can hop on a boat and go check out the Contemporary. Perhaps grab a snack at the Contempo Cafe. They have great cupcakes and other bakery options. I also like to wander around their shops.

You can also hop on a boat and go check out the Ft Wilderness Campgrounds. The Tri-circle D ranch is there and you can see some of the horses that they use in the parades at MK.

Have a great trip!

 

[pixarmom]

Thanks everyone for the help. I think we are going to switch to WL. I like the idea of a more relaxing location. We are from a small Midwest town so my kids will probably be on overload as it is! I like the transportation convenience of Poly but I'm thinking that it doesn't justifies the cost. We have no problem taking buses or even taxis if needed.

We will still be visiting the Poly to have breakfast with Lilo and Stitch which I won't cancel even if we are not staying there. I'm also still thinking of keeping our dining reservation at Narccoossee for our hotel day.

Has anyone tried Artist Point or Whispering Canyon? Recommendations?

Great idea to keep the Ohana breakfast reservation! It's a fun character breakfast and I appreciate the fact that it's family style service instead of a buffet. It's been a long time since our last Narcoosee's dinner, but we're returning in January. Really easy to take the boat to CR and then monorail to GF, although my husband will probably vote for the $20 minnie van service through the Lyft app. We've enjoyed Artist Point, but prefer the atmosphere in the Territory Lounge and have been able to order a mix of Artist Point entrees and Territory Lounge appetizers without an ADR. But with young kids, it would probably be easier to make the ADR and sit in the main restaurant. Whispering Canyon is fun and the food is basic but good - it was too much noise for our youngest son and he didn't like the antics (but he's on the autism spectrum, so that's not unusual.) They do have a card you can flip to "no antics" or "join in on the fun" but our server on the most recent visit didn't really adhere to the "no antics" that we requested.

 

[rotlex]

Our two favorite resorts on property. Honestly, you can't go wrong with either. Poly plus is of course the monorail access along with that wonderful MK view. The Wilderness Lodge is just a gorgeous resort overall. It's has our favorite pool area, walking paths, and honestly, we really like the fact all room are accessible without having to walk outside. For my $700, I'd probably stay WL and use it for a few nice sit down meals.

 

[starousse]

Our two favorite resorts as well. We like the Poly in the summer and WL for the winter. However, if you're going to be saving $700, 100% I'd go with WL.