Poly vs. GF

[Freiden8]

Everything considered... they are so very comparible! But the GF is $200 cheaper? Hm. Even though my instinct is to sway Poly, I think the deal for GF probably shouldn't be passed up. Price out the rack rate for each trip and see the actual value difference. A lagoon view at the GF vs a standard/garden view at the Poly is considerable! When I looked the per night rack rate in early Sept was about $460 vs $598. Getting the GF for cheaper than the Poly is a serious value!

 

[Kricketnp]

I feel like this is just a matter of theming preference. I've never stayed at the GF, but the overall theme and feel doesn't really appeal to me. I'd definitely choose Poly.

 

[Fluffy626]

Everything considered... they are so very comparible! But the GF is $200 cheaper? Hm. Even though my instinct is to sway Poly, I think the deal for GF probably shouldn't be passed up. Price out the rack rate for each trip and see the actual value difference. A lagoon view at the GF vs a standard/garden view at the Poly is considerable! When I looked the per night rack rate in early Sept was about $460 vs $598. Getting the GF for cheaper than the Poly is a serious value!

Its only because it was 25% off and one was available yesterday, saved about 150 off each night. I couldn't get the 15% on our Poly reservation. It keeps saying they are sold out of rooms.

 

[Tikiman]

The theme is a big difference. As far as sleeping 5 all the Polynesian Village Hotel rooms are the same size whereas GF has different size rooms depending on the room and some are smaller than the standard Polynesian room. The main difference is the transportation. The GF is the last stop for the monorail and the bus and often can be quite full by the time it gets to the GF. Also at the Polynesian people have an easy option of walking next door to the Transportation and Ticket Center to get on the ferry, both MK monorails and the Epcot monorail. This makes getting to and from Epcot about a 10-15 minute trip from your room to the park. If either of the monorails are down for reduced hours, Polynesian guests have easy access to the one that is running from the TTC. Parking at the Polynesian is also much closer to your room than the self-parking at the GF that is across the street. Your car is never more than a couple minute walk from your room.

 

[TJA]

I'm more worried about getting to the other monorail hotels I think. We do a lot of our dinners at GF, Contemporary, or Poly. Then in Epcot. Does this really mean it will be shut down still in October? Any idea?

I would hope that by October everything would be back to normal with the monorail system, but I'm not sure if anyone knows for sure. To be honest, it didn't impact our trip at all....we found them to be very accommodating in getting guests to their destinations if the monorail wasn't running. And we still rode it a lot, so I'd say it was running most of the time we needed it.

My family is a huge fan of Poly, all 4 of us, and we are going back in a couple months. However, staying at GF was a whole different kind of trip -- it just felt like luxury but yet relaxing and full of excitement. There's something about that lobby, piano/band, shopping... I think GF has the edge in that regard. I think Poly has the edge as far as views from the pool and my kids like the slide better there too.

I don't think you'll notice a difference in room size, but the actual rooms are nicer at GF -- I think more recently refurbished.

Lastly, I'd always choose a lagoon view anywhere. When we stay at Poly, we always get a lagoon view and there's nothing more relaxing to me than sitting on our patio with that view, especially at night after the fireworks and water show have ended.

 

[Aurora0427]

In all the madness yesterday with the opening of discounts, I couldn't get through to be one of the lucky ones to score a %off discount on my pre-existing Poly reservation. However, while on hold for my 1hr+ wait I was able to score a discount on a room at GF for the exact same days. Now here is the hard part...deciding which to choose so I can cancel one and settle today.

If it helps the decision...
5 People, 2 adults, 3 kids (12, 9, 4).
Going the last week of Oct into Nov. for 9 nights/10days
The only deluxe we have stayed at is WL, and while the transportation was a bit better there than most moderates we've tried (bus wait times, boat option), I think we need a monorail in our lives LOL.
The only room I was able to get weeks ago at Poly was a standard. Not too much of a care there, except I hate pool views. The garden is fine.
At GF it is a lagoon view. Is there a big difference?
The difference in price between full at Poly and the discount at GF is only $200 cheaper in the direction of GF. Not a big enough deal to be a tie breaker for us. We like both. Poly a bit better.

So....Opinions? I need help!

We've stayed at both. If WL is the only deluxe you've stayed at, you're in for a real treat. The GF is a beautiful resort with lots to do, many restaurants from which to choose, lots of shopping, great pools, great location, and just a great ambiance. A lagoon view at the GF is a great upgrade from standard at the Polynesian. We've had both of those views, and for a stay that long I think you'll really enjoy having a nicer view. Make sure you build in time to spend at the resort. My personal favorite is the GF, followed by the Poly. We had an issue at the Polynesian, and it's why we've never gone back. The service has always been excellent for us at the GF.

I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. If you request a lagoon view room in Boca Chica at the GF, you may get lucky and have a view of the fireworks!

 

[tinkerdorabelle]

I would probably do GF, you're getting a discount, a lagoon view you view the water and that to me would be wonderful. I can't even imagine complaining when you're at GF being so close to everything. I never heard about monorail problems there. You can always go to Poly to eat. Maybe $200 isn't that substantial but it's still a decent discount, enough for extra souvenirs or whatever, etc. Both resorts are absolutely beautiful but I would definitely pick GF this time.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I would hope that by October everything would be back to normal with the monorail system

Normal is downtime and continuous maintenance. It's a 40-year-old system!

 

[Fluffy626]

Well I was swayed toward GF after all of your comments, but the hubby and oldest won and we just dumped our GF res and have it at the Poly now. Hopefully it is perfect come October!

 

[PlainJane]

It would have been hard for me to accept paying more for the Poly than the GF, but in the end I would have wanted to stay at the Poly. Full disclosure, I haven't stayed at GF, but I love going there for the restaurants, shops, and general ambiance.

Things that would have swayed me to the Poly:

1.The pool. A lot of thought went into the feature pool at the Poly. The feature pool at GF is pretty boring for the most expensive resort on property.

2. Transportation. You can walk to TTC. So, if the resort rail is down, but not the park rail, you can still take the monorail to the MK and Epcot. Also, it's way faster to walk to the TTC for the Epcot line than to have to wait through all the stops from the resort monorail to TTC.

3. I can easily walk to the GF. All of the things I enjoy at the GF are a short walk away from the Poly.

4. Theme. I just prefer the tropical paradise theme to the turn of the century elegance over at the GF.

Note about transportation: The boat from the Poly and the GF to the MK is quite pleasant. I often opt to take that over the monorail. If you did have a reservation at CR, and the monorail was down, you could either take the provided bus to the MK from the Poly, take the ferry from the TTC to the MK, or take the boat from Poly to the MK and then walk over to the CR. Definitely not as fast as by monorail, but still doable.

 

[TJA]

Well I was swayed toward GF after all of your comments, but the hubby and oldest won and we just dumped our GF res and have it at the Poly now. Hopefully it is perfect come October!

The Poly will be perfect, and you can always keep checking for discounts. People cancel and rooms free up all the time. Good luck!