Poly v. YC for first timers?

[SweetRenee]

Salutations everyone! My husband and I with our two boys ( 5&7 ) are finally doing it, we are Disney bound in march of 2012! YIPEEEEEE! We are so confused as to where to book our stay, Poly or the YC. The poly looks great but reviews of foul odors, thin walls and a crowded pool have given us pause even though it seems so convenient with the monorail. The YC has SAB and is so close to Epcot but is a little out of the way as far as MK goes and isn't as "themey" as the Poly. AAAAAHHHHHH...SO CONFUSING! We are first timers, we know this is the first of many big eared adventures and we are soooooo excited. Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

PS. Are the rumors that they give first timers room upgrades true?

 

[mickeynut1]

We haven't stayed at the YC, but we've stayed at the BC and the Poly and our preference is the Poly . It is nice being able to walk to Epcot and DHS from the YC/BC, but we love the Poly more for the larger rooms and being so close to MK. Plus it's great having the beach for watching the fireworks and having a short walk back to your room without having to fight the crowds out of MK. But with that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either resort as they are both great...they each have their own perks .

As far as the upgrade rumor, that's one I've never heard of. Upgrades are totally random and are usually given due to a room (or rooms) being taken out of inventory for a particular reason, the resort being overbooked, etc. But I've never heard of an upgrade given just because it's a first visit, as Disney would constantly be giving upgrades as there are always people visiting for the first time .

 

[mariamouse]

First off, welcome to the DIS!

I think all of the options you have listed above are great! Of the resorts you listed, I would opt for either the YC/BC or Polynesian depending on which resort theme appeals to you most. The pool at the YC/BC is undoubtedly the best on property if the pool is important to you. These resorts are also great since they are just a walk away from all of the activity at the Boardwalk and Epcot/the Studios. If, however, you intend to spend much more time in the Magic Kingdom than Epcot/the Studios, I would go with the Polynesian. It should also be mentioned that this resort has slightly larger rooms than the YC/BC. While I am sure that your sons would enjoy the Grand Floridian, the theme there is a bit more feminine than the Poly and may not be quite as appealing to young boys. Some feel that the Contemporary theme is lacking, but I bet your sons would love seeing the monorail run through the building and being just a walk away from the Magic Kingdom. That said, I am not a huge fan of the pool at the Contemporary and do feel that the Polynesian feels like more of an "escape." The Polynesian is often criticized for being "outdated" since it is one of the oldest resorts on property-- while it is definitely a bit dated and could use some refurbishment, we still love it exactly as it is. The castle view from the beach, volcano pool and restaurants are all fantastic. Walking along the torch lit paths at night with that view of the castle across Seven Seas Lagoon is also just so . The easy access to the TTC is also quite convenient when you want to head to Epcot. I would not worry too much about the Polynesian cons you mentioned.

In regard to the AKL, I am certain that your boys would be ecstatic about the resort if they love animals. I would absolutely suggest your going there on a future trip with them, but would not choose it for your very first trip. The location is just not as convenient as any of the other resorts you mentioned since you must take a bus to get to any of the parks from there. Definitely grab breakfast/dinner at Boma, though, so that you can check out the beautiful resort and animals! A great alternative to the AKL for a first trip might be the Wilderness Lodge. The lobby is quite similarly designed and the WL has the added bonus of boat access to the Magic Kingdom. The rates at both resorts are the same and both are the least expensive deluxes in WDW if $ is an issue.

If $ is not an issue, I would go with either the BC/YC (I give the BC the edge since it just feels more laid back to us than the YC) or Polynesian. Check out the themes of both resorts and assess what is most important to you this trip. Monorail access? Proximity to the MK? Being able to walk/boat to Epcot/DHS/the Boardwalk? An amazing pool? A larger room? A New England vs Polynesian resort theme? My bet is that you will end up finding that the Polynesian pros outweigh the YC/BC pros-- especially since you will be there in March when the weather is not necessarily ideal to use the pool.

If $ is an issue, I say go with the WL.

You truly cannot go wrong with any of these resorts. I highly suggest checking out the FAQ threads for each of these resorts right here on the Resorts forum since they are full of great information and pictures! Please let us know what you decide.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I didn't vote.....we used to be Poly fans but the room rate just got out of hand.......have you considered the Wilderness Lodge? It's in the MK area, boat ride to the MK, FW and CR.....all under one roof and a decent pool...

I wouldn't recommend BC or AK just on distance to the MK, where you'll probably spend most of your time with children that young......and as for the Poly....could be a good walk to your longhouse plus the back and forth to the pool and GC....granted the rooms are bigger but we rather save a few bucks....the boat ride to the MK is fairly fast and a pleasant ride from the WL..I'd give it a check out at least......

 

[bowbat]

Salutations everyone! My husband and I with our two boys ( 5&7 ) are finally doing it, we are Disney bound in march of 2012! YIPEEEEEE! We are so confused as to where to book our stay, Poly or the YC. The poly looks great but reviews of foul odors, thin walls and a crowded pool have given us pause even though it seems so convenient with the monorail. The YC has SAB and is so close to Epcot but is a little out of the way as far as MK goes and isn't as "themey" as the Poly. AAAAAHHHHHH...SO CONFUSING! We are first timers, we know this is the first of many big eared adventures and we are soooooo excited. Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

PS. Are the rumors that they give first timers room upgrades true?

For a first-time visit to WDW with kids your age, I'd recommend the Poly...even though we are among those who weren't crazy about it.

We were there in March of this year, and it rained quite a bit. The Poly isn't all under one roof, so we found it annoying to have to dash about in the rain whenever we needed/wanted to go to the main building or catch the monorail. Also, we had a second-floor room so no balcony PLUS we faced the quiet pool...which was under construction so "quiet" then meant "sound of jackhammers all day long." And we thought Captain Cook's smelled gross.

So why would I recommend it? Well, convenience #1. You can monorail it or boat to MK and the other monorail resorts, and walk to TTC to catch the monorail to Epcot. The theming is really immersive & so well done; it's very much a vacation getaway feeling. There's a lot to do. There are great food options (stinky Captain Cook's notwithstanding...although most people don't seem to think it smells bad ).

One that you didn't mention that I'll just throw out a plug for is the Contemporary. It's really lovely having everything under one roof, great food options, you can walk to MK (avoid the crowds!), and our son (who was 5 when we went) thought having the monorail go right through the hotel was the coolest thing ever. Downside would be the "theme" isn't so in-your-face as other Disney resorts and the pool is sort of remote to the main building.

As for upgrades, while they *may* be more likely to choose you for an upgrade if it's your first visit, that doesn't mean they *will*. Probably half of the people going to Disney on a given day are celebrating something or visiting for the first time...obviously they can't give them all upgrades. Your best bet is to assume you definitely won't get upgraded, then you won't be disappointed.

Good luck deciding where to stay -- I generally book a place then change my mind 10 times.

 

[Brian Noble]

With kids that age, you will probably find it more convenient to be nearest Magic Kingdom. You can find negative reports of any Disney resort if you look hard enough.

As for the negative Poly reports: You can also find some reason to not like the room you get if you try hard enough. But, if you go in expecting a pleasant vacation that won't necessarily be perfect but will be thoroughly enjoyable, you'll probably have a good time at either one.

 

[clanmcculloch]

Our favourite resort is Poly. We stayed YC on our most recent trip and found that it just wasn't for us. That doesn't actually mean one is a better resort than the other but rather one suits US better than the other.

If the two main parks you'll be spending most of your time at are MK and EP then Poly is much more convenient while DHS and EP are more convenient for YC.

If your family is early birds then Poly is a better choice while if your family likes nightlife then YC is a better choice (we were so annoyed at YC that the main pool didn't open until 10am but at Poly you can swim in the volcano pool at any hour though there may not be lifeguards).

IMO SAB is overrated. My kids really only wanted to be in one area of the pool most of the time. If they wanted to play in sand we'd go to the beach rather than play in the zero entry area of the pool since the "sand" doesn't stick together like regular sand and they didn't like the lazy river. They did like the slide a lot but they prefered to just stay in the water rather than shlep over to the slide. Some really do enjoy SAB a lot but my kids seem to like simple pools as long as there's a good slide. I have read just as many negative crowd reports at SAB as I have at Poly but I think people complain about Poly because more resort hoppers get away with crashing the pool there as you just can't get in to SAB without a KTTW card but many times you can at Poly.

YC is a BEAUTIFUL resort but we prefer the heavier tropical theming at Poly. That's purely a matter of taste.

We've had a lot of luck in our neighbours and don't seem to have any bad stories about noise from either resort.

My 11yo has a lot of allergy issues including mold and mildew and we didn't find Poly to be any worse than any other resort. We didn't have a problem with mustiness or mold. I think things like mold or mildew can happen at any resort and you just have to notify mousekeeping immediately if you do see such problems. Again, this is true of any resort.

There is no rhyme or reason to who gets resort upgrades. General rule of thumb is book what will make you happy and don't count on any kind of upgrade. That way you'll be happy.

 

[padawans]

My boys were the same age as yours when we took our first trip. We stayed at the poly. We loved it. We will be making our 4th trip to the poly in April. We have also stayed at the BC, and it was just ok. The one think I love about the poly is pool and the beach. Its so much easier to keep an eye on your kids. The yc pool is huge and you will not be able to see the whole pool from one place.

The rooms are much larger at the poly, and the bathrooms are bigger. One thing I did not like about the BC was the bathrooms. Their tiny and its almost impossible to get dressed in them. Since I have boys I like a little privacy. The poly bathrooms have the sinks inside the shower area behind a closed door which gives you more room.

I would not pay attention to reviews. The majority of the reviews are going to positive for all the resorts, but their will always be some negative reviews. We have always had spotless, well maintained rooms at the poly,and I have never heard people in other rooms. I would request a third floor room if your worried about noise, but then you have to worry about your kids being the ones making the noise. I think mustiness and bad smells come when it rains a lot. We stayed at the BW in Oct. The last 2 days it rained and everything just smelled bad. We have never had rain on our May trips at the poly so I have not noticed any musty smell. Good luck with your descision.

 

[goofybabe]

My vote is for Poly love love love it!We have been taking our kids since they were 7 and 9 and will be going back January 8th .They will be 19 and 22 this visit and they love it!

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

As others have said, with kids that age, near Magic Kingdom is the best. We stayed at Poly last year and LOVED it (going to Wilderness Lodge in January to spend a little less). The convenience of getting to MK can't be beat. The pool is a lot of fun for that age if you get a chance to use it (what little boy doesn't love a volcano slide?), you can watch fireowrks and the water parade from the resort if you're back early one night, and Ohana for breakfast on a day when you're not headed to the park super-early is a fun character meal.

We thought Captain Cook's had a good selection for counter service at a deluxe.

I'd vote for YC if kids were a little older and you were going at a time when you would definitely get to enjoy the pool there.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I voted for the Polynesian because of their theme and atmosphere.

 

[nklooz]

Poly for the theme and the monorail with kids those ages.

 

[mickey2minnie1]

My boys loved the Poly and still do. I would not want to worry about looking for them. In SAB when they could be right in front of me in the volcano pool. My boys saw SAB while visiting the BC, and told me the Poly wins, hands down.

Your kids will love wherever you take them to make your own family memories. Good luck!

 

[FF/MEDIC MEL]

Been to both and leaving in a day to go to WDW and staying at Poly. Yacht club seemed stuffy to me as far as snobbiness goes, Poly is laid back and relaxing. I'm hoping the rumors are true about extensive rehab coming to Poly. That would make it all the more better.

 

[SweetRenee]

I can't believe how wonderful everyone is who took so much time and energy to help us out. It's terrific to get such great advise from such great people. For my family and I the magic has already started and our trip is still four long months away. We booked the Poly and I know now it was the right decision.
Thanks again for all the help and best wishes to all!

 

[PrincessNoelle'sMom]

I can't believe how wonderful everyone is who took so much time and energy to help us out. It's terrific to get such great advise from such great people. For my family and I the magic has already started and our trip is still four long months away. We booked the Poly and I know now it was the right decision.
Thanks again for all the help and best wishes to all!

Great choice - we will be there in April. Our favorite resort! Have a "magical" vacation!