Poly, WL, or AKL?

[simba51104]

I thought I had narrowed down my resort choices to AKL or Poly, but after looking at all the pretty pictures on this board of WL, I've added another resort to my decision. I like all 3 resorts and have never stayed at any of them. It will be for a 5 night/6 day stay, and the Poly garden view comes out to about $600 more than AKL standard view and $500 more than WL woods view. I have the Poly booked right now because I love the idea of the monorail and the resort looks so pretty. I know the rooms are bigger, but it's only going to be 2 adults, so, that's not a big deal. What do you guys think? Is the Poly worth all that extra money? How is the transportation from each of these resorts? I think that is really the deciding factor. The only other resort we've stayed at is the Pop Century, and the busses there were not that great. They came frequently, but the lines were so long! And they were always crowded. Any input would be really great. Thanks!

 

[liv4pixiedust]

I love the Poly, too - even the 'Disney Water' smell when you walk in the lobby! We've stayed at WL and loved it too. It's hard to beat the WOW factor of the WL lobby, and the grounds are so peaceful. Nice pool with a fun slide and great theming. The Poly grounds are just as nice, but the lobby isn't quite as . . . something. When the Poly was built, the focus wasn't on that lobby WOW factor. The rooms are nice, esp. since the recent renovations.

Where do you plan to spend most of your park time? If you answer MK, then go with the Poly or WL. Poly has advantage of direct monorail, WL has a ferry to MK that is pretty quick and a nice ride.

Keep in mind that the MK hotels, and AKL are all on the fringes of the park. When we stayed at WL, the bus to Epcot or DS (the park formerly known as MGM) seemed to take forever. We're also 2 adults and spend most of our time in the Epcot/DS/DTD areas, esp in the evenings. We've spent our last trips at Beach Club, Swan, And POFQ and found them to better suit our habits.

Sorry for the rambling, but just some food for thought.

 

[abner1776]

Since it's just 2 adults, the monorail is really not an advantage in my mind...why pay the extra $$$ for it. The WL is far more rustic and romantic and you will enjoy the WL lobby and grounds far more than the Poly. Also, the boats from WL to MK are great and my DW and I have been known to take an evening ride on the MK boat around Bay Lake...just for the hell of it.

...and when you get home from your WDW vacation you will have an extra $600 to spend on ...next years WDW vacation !!!!

 

[geokeim]

Since it's just 2 adults, the monorail is really not an advantage in my mind...why pay the extra $$$ for it. The WL is far more rustic and romantic and you will enjoy the WL lobby and grounds far more than the Poly. Also, the boats from WL to MK are great and my DW and I have been known to take an evening ride on the MK boat around Bay Lake...just for the hell of it.

...and when you get home from your WDW vacation you will have an extra $600 to spend on ...next years WDW vacation !!!!

We've stayed at all 3 and the main attraction for the monorail is ease of getting back to let the kids (&dad) take a nap w/o a hassle.
From WL the boat easily takes you to MK (where you can transfer to monorail for Epcot) so that leaves a bus (or your car) to AK & MGM. (you can also walk to MGM (about 3/4 mi.or take the boat if you exit Epcot in World showcase by Great Britian) so transportation to me, was not a huge hassle from WL.
AKL is much move isolated and a bit of a transportation hassle, but is just beautiful!
So while the Poly is great, I too would opt to keep the $ for something else. (dinner @ Artist Point @ WL or Jiko @ AKL)
But lets face it, you can't go wrong with ANY of these great spots!

Enjoy!

 

[NannyPooh]

Wow -
That is a tough decision! We have stayed at the WL and the AKL and loved both of them! We will have our first Poly stay at the end of August.
DH and I had a fantastic king-bed room at the WL, Courtyard view looking straight out over the pool and lake. It was really nice, and yes - quite romantic We have stayed here many times - love the theming, transportation to MK is fun and the grounds are great! Food and restaurants are also good.
We loved AKL - had our 2 boys with us. Deluxe pool view room - loved the view, the lodge and (almost) everything! The only downside that we saw was that AKL is quite far out from everything, except DAK.
We visit the Poly for dinner or breakfast every time - we also really enjoy the atmosphere there!
If money is an issue - then I would definitely vote for the WL.
Just rest assured that you can't go wrong with whichever resort that you choose!

 

[simba51104]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I would like to save that $500 or $600, but want to make sure that I will not regret not staying at the Poly. I've read some bad reviews of the transportation at the WL, especially with buses not showing up for 30 minutes at a time, so, I am hesitant to stay there. We do spend most of our time at MK and Epcot, so, having the monorail would be a big plus. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that the transportation at the WL is really not that bad. The Poly has been my dream resort since I was a kid, but that price tag is awfully steep.

 

[TJA]

I agree with the others that the strong point about the monorail is the convenience with kids and strollers. With just 2 adults, I would think WL or AKL would be awesome to stay at. I also want to add that the buses can and will have issues at all the resorts in disney at one time or another. I think it's all just a matter of timing and luck of the draw. Some trips we've had awesome bus service....other trips we've stayed at the same resort and had terrible bus service.

Just to put a spin on things, with just 2 adults and Epcot being a park you spend a lot of time at, have you considered the Epcot resorts? Standard rooms would cost less than Poly, but more than your woods view room at WL. You could walk to Epcot each night for a nice dinner and also have the boardwalk area to enjoy every day/night. Sorry to get off-topic of your question, but I just had to add this note!

 

[Ratpack]

IMO, I wouldn't spend the extra money for Poly for just two adults unless you are really set on that theme and the monorail. WL is by far our favorite resort. It is like being in a secluded mountain cabin yet right there at MK. The transportation has never been an issue for us when we were staying there. The monorail was nice when we were at the Poly since we had strollers, but our kids still wanted to stay at WL.

 

[mickeynut1]

That's a tough decision We've stayed at both the Poly and the WL and both are great resorts. We LOVE the Poly (the grounds, the pool, beach, etc), but we also LOVE the WL as well (beautiful lobby, nice pool, etc). As far as transportation, the monorail is nice for getting back and forth to the MK (even without little ones...ours are 13 & 15); but the WL also has the boat which is a nice ride You will have a great time whichever resort you choose (sorry, can't comment on AKL as we've never stayed there). But is the Poly worth the extra $$$$$???? To our family.....YES......we stayed there for the first time in September and we will definitely be back Many people will disagree because they feel it's way too much money for just a place to sleep, but that's what's so great about Disney......something for everyone's taste and budget We do spend lots of time at the resort, so the rooms and the atmosphere are important to us. For our family, it will either be the Poly or the WL on all our future trips to Disney

 

[Lovetherodent]

Well, keep in mind that you can't lose, no matter what you pick.

My dh is not into the whole lodge thing (reminds him of Northern Minnesota), so WL is never an option for us. So, I can only tell you about the Poly and the AKL.

For 2 adults, I might be inclined to go AKL. It would save some money with a Standard View room, and there are still plenty of trails and viewing areas for watching the animals. The pool is huge and you can easily find an open chair for lounging. We never had any trouble and we were there in July, right after the 4th. The educational programing is more "adult". The theming is really unique. How many well-done African themed resorts do you find in the US?

The only downside to the AKL is the buses, and that's only a negative for us because our oldest has terrible motion sickness. We never had to wait long for a bus, and the AKL doesn't ususally share a bus with other resorts, so you get on and go straight to the park. (DTD and the water parks were another matter--drive your own car to those if you can.)

I loved the Poly (just something about a beach and the ease of the monorail), but I don't know if I'd love it $500 worth.

 

[minniebeth]

We've stayed at all three as well, and I don't think anyone has mentioned that AKL has its own buses, so you are not sharing resort routes with any other hotel. We found that the buses there ran quite frequently and never had a hassle. We had a very positive experience there with it.
We loved all three resorts, but our favorite is the Poly. We keep going back...but that's what works for us. You can't go wrong in any of them and will have a great time! Make sure you resort hop when you go so you get the best of all worlds!

 

[MikiDisney]

Also keep in mind that the monorail is just a boat ride away from the WL. The boat rides are sooooo peaceful. We always stay at the WL and have never had any problems with the buses. I guess it depends on what time of year you go and the crowds. We have chosen a number of times not to go to AKL just because it is the furthest resort away from the other three theme parks. I have heard both good and bad about the Poly but for some reason we really don't get into that particular theme, just a personal decision.
Go with your heart and you will never go wrong!

 

[the who #3]

those 3 resorts are all fantastic. the poly is just beautiful, the lobby is lovely and the restaurants are great. the boat and monorail are very usefull.
the wl also has the boat which can take you straight to the monorail at mk or to another boat which will go to the poly or gf if you wish to dine at one of those resorts. the akl only has buses, but they have boma which is a fantastic restaurant. we go to boma on every trip to wdw. but we also like staying at akl because of the beautiful surroundings and the animals.

the lobby wow factor is a delight! i think akl wow has wl wow beat, altho they are both splendid. if at wl you can walk down to the wlv lobby which has a little wow factor of its own. or join dvc and stay in the villas

if you like the beach try the beach club sometime. sab is a swimming pool beach that is so much fun. the pool has a sand bottom and is probably the most unusual pool ever designed.

 

[Laren]

If you can afford it. . .

Poly, Poly, Poly.

(three times for emphasis) LOL

The walk to the TTC to go to Epcot without having to change monorails makes it hands down the most convenient resort ever to stay at for transportation.

and it's GORGEOUS. I still love to close my eyes and think of the music we heard by the pool. Still wish they'd sell it on a CD already!

Have a magical trip!

 

[Bob NC]

I've stayed at all 3. They are all great. I don't see why to pay more for Poly. I'd give a slight edge to WL & AKL, cuz I like hot tubs. Poly doesn't have one.

 

[markm0926]

I wish I had the same decision to make this year!!

I don't think you could be dissappointed no matter where you choose.

We have never stayed at the Poly.

If it were me and I never stayed at any I would have to go with AKL for the unique expierence.

Good luck with your decision!!

 

[pbharris4]

If it's always been a dream to stay at the Poly..I'd stay at the Poly because the price will only get more expensive. Maybe you can do a spilt stay. One or two days at the Poly and the rest at one of the others?

 

[lunapnp]

I'm somewhat trying to decide the same thing. With one big exception...my oldest daughter is in a wheelchair. So, that's why I'm looking more at Poly...just for the convenience of the monorail. But, regarding the WL boats...are they wheelchair accessible? Does anyone know? THANKS!

 

[MissionMouse]

I'm somewhat trying to decide the same thing. With one big exception...my oldest daughter is in a wheelchair. So, that's why I'm looking more at Poly...just for the convenience of the monorail. But, regarding the WL boats...are they wheelchair accessible? Does anyone know? THANKS!

Yes but with a cavet. Typically last on - first off.
The boat and dock do not always align to the same height. When this occurs (as we witnessed in December) the crew ask the guest on the boat to move to a specific side of the boat so the boat aligns to the dock level.

 

[polyfan60]

I love all of these resorts they are great! It depends what you are looking for. I'd choose the Polynesian on all factors but the Animal Kingdom Lodge would be my next choice!