Poly or Yacht Club with 2.5 yr old?

[sponica]

I would absolutely do the same if we went with Poly! I'm curious how often they can't accommodate even if you are willing to move rooms after a day or two. From the browsing I've done on this topic, I've seen a fair number of posts from people who really wanted the balcony who were able to get it if they were willing to move a day or two later.

This is good to know that you found TPV rooms were also remote! Someone else also said they're really noisy, which I am worried about. We would travel with white noise but that won't work if it's super loud. I had been assuming construction would be done by the time we went so I had been discounting the benefit of being far from construction, but maybe that is not actually a good assumption. The other downside to these rooms is just that we want two real beds because my toddler will sleep with me in one and my husband will get the other. A pullout/murphy kind of works, but it also kind of kills me not to have everyone in a 'real' bed for these prices....

We were there pre-construction, but the absolute worst night is when MK has Deluxe Extended Evening hours, especially if it's a time of year when they end at 1 AM. The boats just keep coming and coming and coming forever. My husband usually has a white noise app on his phone, but it couldn't overpower those boats for me.

I haven't priced these out or looked at the room configuration, but another option to look at on cash is a studio at Riviera. The splash pad is pretty decent, it's on the skyliner. All the food was good.

Also, my kids go to bed early at home, I will say whenever we've gone to Disney, they have surprised me by how late they stay up. One night last month, they were both up to 10!

 

[pixiedust33]

Poly2 is scheduled to open "late 2024." So you could really be in peak construction mess.

Ah, that is very good to know! Heading off to go look into the Contemporary a bit more. Chef Mickeys there is a plus. We used to go to breakfast there when I went as a kid in the 90s and I always thought it would be cool to stay at the hotel with the monorail through it!

 

[pixiedust33]

I would not do the YC or BC if you plan on pool time in the afternoon. Stormalong Bay is fun and a little crazy, not really great for a little one. And it can be absolutely impossible to get chairs together in the afternoon. And as others have said, no splash pad. Look into the WIlderness Lodge, all rooms have balconies and they do have a good Club Level there. You would have to rely on busses to most parks, and there is a boat to the MK. It has 2 great pools and a splash pad. Quick service is good and Geyser Point is fantastic.

I think I have been firmly talked out of YC/BC! Still debating the Poly and maybe considering DVC to get further from construction after all.

Is the recommendation for Wilderness Lodge over AKL just because I already said my husband was making faces about the food at AKL or do you think it would be the better choice for us anyway? The Savannah view rooms at AKL are very appealing to me if I give up my dreams of not having to fold up a stroller every day.

 

[Kae]

you can't go wrong with either. MonoRail huge plus but no guarantee of a balcony is a negative. We got lucky at Poly years ago with a first-floor room so we could sit outside when Ds went to sleep and we weren't ready.

We also stayed in a first-floor water view room at YC we were by the quiet pool & tennis court & wow what a great spot.

 

[Mle8308]

I think I have been firmly talked out of YC/BC! Still debating the Poly and maybe considering DVC to get further from construction after all.

Is the recommendation for Wilderness Lodge over AKL just because I already said my husband was making faces about the food at AKL or do you think it would be the better choice for us anyway? The Savannah view rooms at AKL are very appealing to me if I give up my dreams of not having to fold up a stroller every day.

I've stayed at every Disney resort and the WL is my favorite. It's so relaxing and the theming is wonderful. For me, the AKL is too far away from most things, though it is beautiful. Your son might like seeing the animals and the pools are really nice, too. The AKL is similar to the WL, but it can be more spread out and I am not a fan of the food there, either (the bread service at Sa'naa is good). No matter where you stay, you will have to fold the stroller up at some point. Lots of things to consider!

 

[nancipants]

Ugh, I hear you. I was actually pretty set on AoA because my son loves Cars, until I realized there were no balcony/patio options, which is really kind of a dealbreaker for us. That 2 hours between my son's bedtime and my bedtime is the only real vacation I'll be getting on this 'vacation' so I'm not willing to give up the outdoor space and a cocktail

Do a Disney cruise and book a veranda room.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I agree with a previous poster that YC/BC SAB pool area is very stressful with littles. There is just too much danger and too many people. Wait until your child is older and a good swimmer for those resorts.

The Poly is beautiful but can be quite loud in certain areas and the construction zone will still be in full swing. I would only stay there if paying for a cash ressie in the DVC longhouses to guarantee a balcony. You would not want a lagoon view/MK view DVC room as it would be too noisy from the ferry boat going back and forth to the TTC.

I would suggest GF for a guaranteed balcony, great kids splash/water play area, and nice pools that are never very crowded. We also enjoy Gaspie's food selections and remember you have easy monorail access to QS/TS at Poly and CR. We also really enjoy the seafood at Narcoosee's. Another plus for GF is the laundry rooms in each building just in case you need to wash a few loads of clothes from accidents or to generally pack less.

GF is our favorite Deluxe resort. We have stayed at POFQ (our favorite mod) our last two visits because our girls are now older and we need two rooms but we still visit GF to eat at Gaspie's outside at the patio tables. It's very relaxing both day and night eating by the marina and looking at MK in the distance. Our favorite room was in Sago Cay facing the marina. It's super close to Gaspie's and we could walk around the end of the building to the bus stop without going through the main lobby. We would sit out on the balcony and people watch or just take in the scenery and fresh air.

 

[pixiedust33]

The Poly is beautiful but can be quite loud in certain areas and the construction zone will still be in full swing. I would only stay there if paying for a cash ressie in the DVC longhouses to guarantee a balcony. You would not want a lagoon view/MK view DVC room as it would be too noisy from the ferry boat going back and forth to the TTC.

This makes sense to me. Have you (or others) stayed in the DVC longhouses and have any thoughts on whether the queen sized pull down is actually comfortable for an adult? Also thoughts on what the view looks like for non-lagoon rooms? Is it at least tropical trees mostly or like a parking lot?

I am looking more into the Grand Floridian and I can see the upsides of it, but the theming just doesn't feel very fun to me so I'm feeling less excited about that as an option. I wish more of the deluxe properties had a fun theme! Last trip (as adults), we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside for the Princess and the Frog rooms and I loved the light up headboard

 

[kylenne]

I would suggest Poly or GF. GF if having a balcony really is very important to you because it's guaranteed. I saw plenty of small kids when I stayed there and they were all losing their minds at the splash pad (the giant Mad Hatter hat tips over every so often to dump water on them). I'm biased because these are my two favorite resorts on property, with Poly being my absolute fave, but both are great.

To each their own but the lack of a food court at the deluxes is honestly a plus to me, I found the food court at POFQ extremely lacking when I stayed there and that's allegedly one of the better ones. If you count the different lounges, pool bars, etc at most deluxes it ends up being a comparable number of options as the food courts especially when you factor in the ability to mobile order from the mid range TS restaurants. But between YC and Poly, as someone who has stayed at both, there's just no comparison to me. YC is better than BC imo but still so much more limited with QS and kinda basic. I do a lot of eating at Epcot there. Poly has more options and all of them are great.

This makes sense to me. Have you (or others) stayed in the DVC longhouses and have any thoughts on whether the queen sized pull down is actually comfortable for an adult? Also thoughts on what the view looks like for non-lagoon rooms? Is it at least tropical trees mostly or like a parking lot?

If you are in a DVC studio you run the risk of straight up parking lot view in Pago Pago but with the other buildings the resort is so well landscaped that it's very difficult to notice parking lots imo. We stayed standard view in Rarotonga on the hotel side a few years ago and could see the monorail from our balcony, which was awesome.

I am looking more into the Grand Floridian and I can see the upsides of it, but the theming just doesn't feel very fun to me so I'm feeling less excited about that as an option. I wish more of the deluxe properties had a fun theme! Last trip (as adults), we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside for the Princess and the Frog rooms and I loved the light up headboard

I get that these things are subjective but the nice thing about the GF is you are right next door to the Poly if you want more fun theming but are put off by the busier feel of the latter.

 

[Mle8308]

This makes sense to me. Have you (or others) stayed in the DVC longhouses and have any thoughts on whether the queen sized pull down is actually comfortable for an adult? Also thoughts on what the view looks like for non-lagoon rooms? Is it at least tropical trees mostly or like a parking lot?

I am looking more into the Grand Floridian and I can see the upsides of it, but the theming just doesn't feel very fun to me so I'm feeling less excited about that as an option. I wish more of the deluxe properties had a fun theme! Last trip (as adults), we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside for the Princess and the Frog rooms and I loved the light up headboard

Also, check the GF construction schedule, a lot is going on there right now and it is also next to the site of the new DVC Poly tower. There is going to be lobby construction there, however it may be done by the time you go, again, I am not sure of the timeframe. I was never a fan of the GF, to me it was like an upscale retirement home. The refurbs of the rooms are very nice and I'm looking forward to seeing the new lobby, I may change my mind!

 

[pixiedust33]

This discussion has all been very helpful - thanks everyone! Going with the feedback here and also my gut feeling on what theming/vibe we most want, I think we are going to go with the Poly, but may be reconsidering the DVC option I had ruled out to get further from the construction and to guarantee the balcony/patio. Would love any feedback on how comfortable that pull down bed is though!

 

[maxiesmom]

Poly. Save the Yacht Club for when your little one is a bit older and can enjoy the pool more. The Poly has a great splash area.

 

[RoseGold]

but may be reconsidering the DVC option I had ruled out to get further from the construction and to guarantee the balcony/patio. Would love any feedback on how comfortable that pull down bed is though!

I'm an average sized adult female. I've slept on both the queen murphy and the single murphy under the TV and thought they were both great. The fifth sleeper would mean that you could put him in the single bed, it's cute and he might like it.

I've also put my 2 year old on a pack n play mattress in the extra shower room. My kid loved dark, cave spaces, and that worked awesome.

 

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

This makes sense to me. Have you (or others) stayed in the DVC longhouses and have any thoughts on whether the queen sized pull down is actually comfortable for an adult? Also thoughts on what the view looks like for non-lagoon rooms? Is it at least tropical trees mostly or like a parking lot?

I am looking more into the Grand Floridian and I can see the upsides of it, but the theming just doesn't feel very fun to me so I'm feeling less excited about that as an option. I wish more of the deluxe properties had a fun theme! Last trip (as adults), we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside for the Princess and the Frog rooms and I loved the light up headboard

I can't speak to the current DVC room comfort as I stayed there pre-DVC. All of the standard view DVC rooms will have a tropicalish(is that a word?lol) view except for the parking lot side of Pago Pago. SO....if you decide to make a cash ressie through Disney for DVC (which is cancellable/refundable), you may want to make your one and only room request (to increase your odds of having it granted) to be in Tokelau as both sides of the building have nice views and it's more centrally located.

I can see where the GF doesn't have as exciting of a theme as Poly. I get it. We really enjoyed the theme when we stayed at Poly. It's really the reason everyone stays there, IMO. It's like a tropical vacation on a Disney vacation kinda vibe. We stay at the GF for the amenities, room/building floorplan, location and the overall bright, fresh feeling the whole resort exudes. Kinda makes us feel more pampered....if that makes sense. Not in a snooty way but just all the nice touches in the rooms and around the resort. It's also less crowded than Poly which we prefer.

You may want to go to touringplans website and check out the room views tool for the resorts. It's not 100% accurate but it does give you a pretty good feel of the views from different buildings on different floors at all the resorts. You can actually use the view finder tool without a subscription.

 

[pixiedust33]

I'm an average sized adult female. I've slept on both the queen murphy and the single murphy under the TV and thought they were both great. The fifth sleeper would mean that you could put him in the single bed, it's cute and he might like it.

I've also put my 2 year old on a pack n play mattress in the extra shower room. My kid loved dark, cave spaces, and that worked awesome.

Super helpful - thank you! This is almost a year away so I am hoping my son will be into the idea of the single sleeper at the time, but also want to be prepared for the very real chance he will want to be sleeping with mom and/or dad, so ideally want two beds that are comfortable for adults as my husband and I would probably split up in that scenario.

 

[pixiedust33]

I can't speak to the current DVC room comfort as I stayed there pre-DVC. All of the standard view DVC rooms will have a tropicalish(is that a word?lol) view except for the parking lot side of Pago Pago. SO....if you decide to make a cash ressie through Disney for DVC (which is cancellable/refundable), you may want to make your one and only room request (to increase your odds of having it granted) to be in Tokelau as both sides of the building have nice views and it's more centrally located.

I can see where the GF doesn't have as exciting of a theme as Poly. I get it. We really enjoyed the theme when we stayed at Poly. It's really the reason everyone stays there, IMO. It's like a tropical vacation on a Disney vacation kinda vibe. We stay at the GF for the amenities, room/building floorplan, location and the overall bright, fresh feeling the whole resort exudes. Kinda makes us feel more pampered....if that makes sense. Not in a snooty way but just all the nice touches in the rooms and around the resort. It's also less crowded than Poly which we prefer.

You may want to go to touringplans website and check out the room views tool for the resorts. It's not 100% accurate but it does give you a pretty good feel of the views from different buildings on different floors at all the resorts. You can actually use the view finder tool without a subscription.

Thank you for the very thoughtful and detailed reply! I totally get it on the GF and the idea of a spa on-site is also very appealing. Anywhere but Disney and this is exactly the type of vibe we want in a hotel - I'm thinking maybe we save it for when our son is a bit older.

Making a note about requesting Tokelau!

 

[Pooh's World]

Rooms at Beach Club are tiny unless you have the suite. I assume Yacht club is the same.

 

[Karebear]

Ugh, I hear you. I was actually pretty set on AoA because my son loves Cars, until I realized there were no balcony/patio options, which is really kind of a dealbreaker for us. That 2 hours between my son's bedtime and my bedtime is the only real vacation I'll be getting on this 'vacation' so I'm not willing to give up the outdoor space and a cocktail

I completely understand your son going to be early but couldn't you put your son to sleep in the bedroom and then hang out in the living room portion of the suite until you go to bed. You can still have your cocktails and watch TV or something. You don't get the balcony but you get a whole extra room to hang out in and there is a door that you can shut between the 2 rooms. Just a thought!

 

[Minniemoo15]

Poly. We really missed the splashpad area when we stayed at Beach Club with our toddlers .

Poly ticks all the boxes for us and is why we ultimately made it our dvc home !

 

[pixiedust33]

I completely understand your son going to be early but couldn't you put your son to sleep in the bedroom and then hang out in the living room portion of the suite until you go to bed. You can still have your cocktails and watch TV or something. You don't get the balcony but you get a whole extra room to hang out in and there is a door that you can shut between the 2 rooms. Just a thought!

I have actually been considering the Cars family suite again now that I've ruled out YC/BC and am also now scared of boat/beach noise and construction at the Poly! I think what turned me off is just the idea that sitting on the couch watching tv or something felt a little too much like every other night at home I was hoping for something of a view and some nice weather. Plus the fact that the transportation isn't as good, the resort seems really spread out and no table service restaurants at all.

But, the pool/splash pad, the theming for a toddler, the sizing of the suite, the ease of the cafeteria style dining, and the access to the Skyliner might make up for it! Also would definitely save some money over the other options I'm contemplating.