Poly vs. POR -- difference of $2,000+

[gluestickgirl]

We love POR - it's a gorgeous and peaceful resort. I'd save the money - but maybe split your stay and add 2 days at the Poly at the end? You could plan your character breakfast for then, as well as a lot of resort time to enjoy the amenities. We did a similar split (CBR / YC) on our last trip and found it worked really well for us. By the end of the trip we were ready to chill out and relax and it was a great change of pace!

And for what it's worth - my kids are now 15, 13 and 9, and still get totally hyped about the monorail. Well, the 15yo as much as he gets hyped about anything.

 

[aleh021]

We love POR - it's a gorgeous and peaceful resort. I'd save the money - but maybe split your stay and add 2 days at the Poly at the end? You could plan your character breakfast for then, as well as a lot of resort time to enjoy the amenities. We did a similar split (CBR / YC) on our last trip and found it worked really well for us. By the end of the trip we were ready to chill out and relax and it was a great change of pace!

And for what it's worth - my kids are now 15, 13 and 9, and still get totally hyped about the monorail. Well, the 15yo as much as he gets hyped about anything.

Split stay is a great idea! I love doing split stays (although some people are strongly against it). LOL.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

If your children are intrigued by the monorail, I would check to see if there is availability in CR, garden wing. You will get the convenience of a monorail resort at a lower price. Or, if you are simply leaning toward a deluxe, I would also price out 2 rooms at WL and also the EP resorts (BWI, BC/YC). You may also want to price out Swan/Dolphin (look on the Swan/Dolphin website for best pricing) or even a 2-bedroom villa at BLT, BC or BWV.

Especially with the extra hands of a nanny, you would be fine at POR in terms of buses and walking, but you will be missing out on the amenities that a deluxe can offer including the upgraded restaurant options. I would really suggest looking at some of the other deluxes before making your final decision.

 

[Amcd33]

POR!
We stayed at the Grand Floridian at the end of January last year because of the monorail. We had an 8, 6, and 4 year old and a double stroller. We LOVED the Grand Floridian, but the monorail was on a refurb schedule, so we couldn't use it every time. Also, we had a double stroller, so we had to take the elevator up to the resort monorail station. At the Poly and the GF, the elevators are small and there was typically a line. One time the monorail was supposed to be working and we walked all the way to the lobby, got on the elevator, and to the station only to discover it was broken down. Then we had to walk all the way to the boat (which was by our room) and take it. The boat on the way to MK stops at Poly, and more than once we had to wait for another boat to leave Poly, so our boat just sat in the water. We still had a magical time, but we chose the GF for convenience, and it wasn't as convenient as we hoped. I decided for this January trip, it was much cheaper to stay at POR, save the few thousand $$$, and use Uber or Taxi to and from the parks when we didn't want to use the bus. Uber will actually come to the parking lot by your building, so you don't even have to walk to the lobby. For MK, we could just taxi to Contemporary and walk to MK from there. THAT was the plan, until I discovered the magical deal of around 30 percent off for a Beach Club Standard Room for our end of Jan/beginning of February trip. It's only $400 more than POR for us,we can walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios, and we can always Uber or Taxi to the other two parks if the bus waits are horrible.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Might I suggest something else all together? Would you be willing to stay in the Epcot area, at, say, the Beach Club? That should put you at a price point in between the 2 resorts in question, and it has a spectacular pool. It's also got close access to 2 of the parks.

My concern with POR is the amount of space compared to the number of people. If it were you and 3 young kids, it would be a no-brainer. However, Nanny isn't going to fit in the pull-down bed, so either one of the kids has to share a bed with Nanny, or someone is going to be on an air mattress (and you also have to then consider how to pack the air mattress). At a deluxe resort, Nanny will fit fine on the daybed and you won't have this issue.

Sidenote - $2800?!?! I knew the Poly was expensive, but I didn't realize it was ~$400 more per night than POR during value season. Yikes!! I'd love to stay there, but at that rate, I doubt I'll ever be able to.

 

[HopperFan]

Thanks. We go every 2 to 3 years. One of my concerns with this trip is that my boys are at ages where they are really enthralled with the monorail. They might not be when we go back in a couple of years. So maybe this is the time to splurge a little since that magic might be over for them on the next visit. I realize I'm probably totally overthinking this!

$3000 for a train ride that is free to all? POR is a nice and fun resort. Boys love the AB section and rooms. Schedule a day that hops between Epcot and MK, riding the monorail. Make an adventure of it. Poly is going no where. I'm not sure about the magic timeline, my kids are in 20's and still enjoy it all.

I'm at the point I rarely get on monorail. I ferry, bus etc. Its old and it stops with issues too much. I don't want to miss park time let alone be trapped up on that rail in that small car.

 

[momof2gr8kids]

Or stay at por and get an extra room for the nanny.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Or stay at por and get an extra room for the nanny.

......and the kids.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Just as a point of comparison:

• POR AB rooms: 314 square feet
• Poly longhouse standards: 415 square feet
• Beach Club: 381 square feet

So, yeah, Poly and BC are bigger, but it really depends on how much time you intend to spend all 5 in the room. And if that time is worth $2800.

 

[loves to dive]

Another one for POR, I can afford to stay at any WDW resort I want to and frankly don't stay at the MK resorts unless it's a split stay and I can't find a moderate for the time frame. I split my stays and do a moderate for the arrival night and usually the next night and do AK on that day since you have to bus there no matter where you stay. I then move over to an Epcot deluxe for the rest of my stay. For $2000 especially with little ones and a Nanny, POR would be a no brainer for me. You can still give your boys a ride on the monorail when you are MK.

 

[jennw75]

Wow! Thank you for all the replies. We had planned to share a room with me, hubby, two kids and our nanny (who also doubles as my cousin), but it sounds like the room at POR will be too close for comfort. We're back to the drawing board with one day left to book it before the Disney Visa deal goes public. We're leaning towards the Poly again, but now thinking maybe we should look into 1 BR villas.

Have stayed at BLT before and LOVED it, but $10k is more than we wanted to spend on this trip. We've also stayed in a 1 BR at BC and we weren't impressed. Open to suggestions...in the $7-8k range all in.

 

[Roy Disney]

Wow! Thank you for all the replies. We had planned to share a room with me, hubby, two kids and our nanny (who also doubles as my cousin), but it sounds like the room at POR will be too close for comfort. We're back to the drawing board with one day left to book it before the Disney Visa deal goes public. We're leaning towards the Poly again, but now thinking maybe we should look into 1 BR villas.

Have stayed at BLT before and LOVED it, but $10k is more than we wanted to spend on this trip. We've also stayed in a 1 BR at BC and we weren't impressed. Open to suggestions...in the $7-8k range all in.

Stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge or the Boardwalk. Both are 25% off.
Beach Club is only 10%. The Yacht Club and Wilderness Lodge are also 25% but they both are undergoing construction.
You need a bigger room with 3 adults and 2 kids.

 

[bellebud]

If you don't mind bussing everywhere, AKL, Kidani Village, 1 bedroom villa gives you 2 full bathrooms. The kids will adore the animals, and it's a gorgeous resort.

 

[TJA]

Wow! Thank you for all the replies. We had planned to share a room with me, hubby, two kids and our nanny (who also doubles as my cousin), but it sounds like the room at POR will be too close for comfort. We're back to the drawing board with one day left to book it before the Disney Visa deal goes public. We're leaning towards the Poly again, but now thinking maybe we should look into 1 BR villas.

Have stayed at BLT before and LOVED it, but $10k is more than we wanted to spend on this trip. We've also stayed in a 1 BR at BC and we weren't impressed. Open to suggestions...in the $7-8k range all in.

I agree you'd be too tight with 3 adults and 2 kids in POR room. We were hardly comfortable with 2 adults and 2 kids....can't imagine adding another adult in the mix. I like the suggestions above to check into AKL Kidani one bedroom villa with 2 bathrooms -- we've never stayed in that type of room but it sounds intriguing! If it's more expensive than the Poly stay, check out CR standard wing room which *might* be less money.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

By the way, I agree with those who are flabbergasted at a $400/night difference unless you're pricing Poly CL or something.

 

[jennw75]

By the way, I agree with those who are flabbergasted at a $400/night difference unless you're pricing Poly CL or something.

Not CL. Pricing regular rooms both with "standard" views. I think part of the savings is that POR is eligible for the PSD promotion and the Poly is the room-only discount because the only SPD promotion available at Poly is theme park view club level.

 

[teachertink]

We stayed at POR with my husband and 3 kids. I felt we were too crowded. I didn't like the bathroom was separated with a curtain and it was just plain hard to have your own space. We have stayed twice at Art of Animation in the suites and what a difference did the space make on our vacation. Even if you aren't in your room much, when you are it helps to have some space. There are 2 bathrooms, an extra kitchen area sink and three separate sleeping areas, 2 tvs. Made a world of difference.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Not CL. Pricing regular rooms both with "standard" views. I think part of the savings is that POR is eligible for the PSD promotion and the Poly is the room-only discount because the only SPD promotion available at Poly is theme park view club level.

Keep in mind that SPD is a discount only against dining. At a mod, it's about 45%.

So I think you may be looking at rack rate or very nearly that for Poly. Difference in Rack Rate for the rooms is ~$300/night. Dining for your 5 would be ~$250/night. 45% of that would be $112. That would account for the $400/night, once I do the math out.

So I think the Poly quote you have has no discount at all. It looks to be full price room, full price dining.

 

[Babsy]

Check the bedding arrangement in the one bedroom villas. They often only have one real bed (king size). Plus pull outs or fold down type beds.

I would stay at the Poly if at all possible. Comfortable accommodations and good sleep are essential to a good trip for us.

 

[karm12]

Consider a family suite at Art of Animation. 2 bathrooms and different sleeping spaces for everyone in your party. They might enjoy the Cars, Nemo, or Lion King theme.