Polynesian Question

[tater1206]

We are considering buying and my husband would like to stay at Animal Kingdom. I on the other hand, have always wanted to stay at the Polynesian. I know people say buy your home where you want to stay.
I like the idea of being right on the monorail and he likes the animal aspect.

Right now, Disney is only offering the Polynesian and Aulani resort.
I am leaning towards the Poly because the Murphy bed. We are a family of 4 but we are use to sleeping in big beds.
I have seen mixed review for the Polynesian.
I know we should also buy resale due to the price difference.

I guess what I am trying to ask is who owns at the Poly? I need some review on it, please!

 

[TheDisneyFour]

We stayed at Poly for the first time in January, we loved it and ended up buying a small contract there. We are also a family of four. Studio was plenty big for a few days. We prefer one bedrooms and like to do split stays. So, a few days at Poly with the rest of our trip some place else is perfect. People say the rooms can be loud due to thin walls, we didn't have that issue.

We have also stayed at AKV many times, we love that too. The resort is so big, you really don't have to own there to get in. We've stayed in one, two, and three bedrooms there. Never had an issue booking it.

I don't think you can wrong at either resort. There is something to be said for being on the monorail and close to things, AKV is not.

 

[disneynutz]

PVB is studios only, might have availability at 7 months, too new to tell. AKV is a big resort, different sizes of rooms, usually available at 7 months.

I would buy somewhere less expensive resale, use the points to stay at all of the resorts, learn the system, decide where you really want to stay that requires 11 month booking, sell original points if necessary and buy at your new favorite.

Bill

 

[_auroraborealis_]

At the very least, consider booking a split stay, either via rental or via Disney reservations, to try them both. They are very different and I don't think you should marry yourself to either without trying first. Go on a date.

 

[ziravan]

It's a more effective use of points to buy AKV and book PVB from time to time than the other way around.

IF Poly becomes difficult to book at 7 months down the road, then buy a small Poly contract then.

For example. If you're looking to buy 150 points, you can buy Poly now for $168, or $25k total, or AKV at $90, or, $13.5k

If in 5 years you need to buy Poly to stay at Poly, then buy a small contract resale, 50 points at $150 or 7.5k, and you still come out ahead.

You come out about even if you buy both - 200 total points - instead of 150 Poly points.

It's a poor use of points to spend 25k for 150 points to stay at AKV when you can have AKV points for 13.5k.

I'm a Poly owner. It works for me because I also own BCV points. If I were a new owner and torn between the 2, I'd pick AKV.

 

[Minniesgal]

For me Poly fails at the first hurdle as they only offer studios no 1 or 2 bedrooms villas. For me the Bungalows just don't exist as they are ridiculous.

AK is a fabulous resort for families, the 1 bedroom at Kidani gives separate sleeping spaces and 2 bathrooms.

AK points can be bought for about half what you would spend on the Poly and you could still stay at the Poly using AK points.

I'm usually all about buy where you want to stay but in this case I'd buy AK.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It sounds like you've never actually stayed at the Poly? Because of the fact that DVC is only studios there for a reasonable option I'd definitely recommend a stay or two there as I think you really need to love it to make it worth the cost to own there. I like the Poly, but I like our 1BR's and larger villas when we need them. I'd rather own at a location that I was able to buy less expensively and that I can book larger villas sizes. And I'd not own Poly and then trade out on any consistent basis. Better IMO to own less expensive elsewhere that you like and meets your needs and trade into Poly if it's available.

I actually recommend owning a resort that you don't mind staying at rather than where you want to stay. Unless you're always going at a really high demand time you will be able to trade. And if the fall back is a resort you're ok staying with that makes it more reasonable. Now, if you have only one resort you are willing to stay at then yes, own there.

 

[pangyal]

I completely agree with those who have suggested trying out the resorts before deciding. We own at both AKV and Poly (bought a small resale there, enough to stay up to five nights a year as part of split stays, which we love to do). If you like the idea of the Murphy bed and being near MK, don't forget that VGF and VWL also have them (maybe BLT as well?), so you are not tied to Poly just for occupancy's sake. Other resorts that have the Murphy bed are BWV and soon BCV after the refurb is complete.

We love the Poly, but honestly, the noise from the ferry boats is so incredibly, unbelievably loud if you are staying Lakeview that we simply can't stay more than a few nights with our industrial strength earplugs before it gets too much. And we knew what we were getting into with the noise levels there when we purchased. I would really caution against buying sight unseen, especially at direct prices.

AKV is a lovely resort with tons of options at both Jambo and Kidani, and I would lean towards that as a first purchase over Poly for pretty much any given situation, to be honest.

 

[gdrj]

Do your homework as you seem to be doing. I would look at floor plans etc. as well.

While the idea of staying at the resorts prior to purchase can be helpful, I think it also is important to think how you like to vacation now as well as in the future.

When we first bought at the Boardwalk, we did it so we could stay in a 1 or 2 BR and not have to be in hotel room or studio with 4 people. While the kids were young they could go to sleep and we could stay awake in the other room. As the kids got older it reversed itself and we got to go to sleep!. We never once thought about staying in a studio with kids.

Fast forward a few years, we still have Boardwalk but purchased a 2nd contract at the Poly. It is just 2 of us most trips now and a studio is perfect, and we love the Poly atmosphere, but we would never had bought there if we had young kids still. We still have Boardwalk points so when we do have others join us we can use those points.

 

[Dean]

We are considering buying and my husband would like to stay at Animal Kingdom. I on the other hand, have always wanted to stay at the Polynesian. I know people say buy your home where you want to stay.
I like the idea of being right on the monorail and he likes the animal aspect.

Right now, Disney is only offering the Polynesian and Aulani resort.
I am leaning towards the Poly because the Murphy bed. We are a family of 4 but we are use to sleeping in big beds.
I have seen mixed review for the Polynesian.
I know we should also buy resale due to the price difference.

I guess what I am trying to ask is who owns at the Poly? I need some review on it, please!

I feel potential members need to spend enough time getting educated on the system and resorts to make an educated decision plus they need a certain amount of on property and timeshare experience to make buying anything a reasonable choice. Generally that takes several on property trips over a couple of years minimum and about 6 months of active investigation. Resale is always preferred because it tends to be much cheaper and you lose NOTHING of value with the restrictions on resale. One should only buy Poly if they are experienced enough to say it's truly worth it to them to spend double (literally) to own there and want to stay there almost every single trip forever with the points that are based there. It's actually more than double because you'll also need more points so it's closer to triple the buy in.

$$ wise SSR is the best value and it should get you into AKV most of the time and likely Poly as well. IMO for WDW the order from a $$ value standpoint is SSR best, BLT second and AKV third. For those wanting try different resorts over time, all of these should work relatively equally though you will have the nuances of that home resort. No one new to DVC is going to have enough info to truly know their preferred resort long term. My opinion is it's best to buy low and try the system then either add on or sell and re-buy if it doesn't work. Buy low means looking at the resorts I mentioned and potentially buying less points than you think you need though I also feel one should look at 150 or so minimum in most cases.

To get the on property and DVC experience, renting DVC at least a couple of times at different resorts is one of the best ways to get knowledge more quickly. Even those who have been going to Disney multiple times a year and staying on property but not DVC resorts are behind in timeshare education but that type of experience is helpful.

IMO the order of questions one should ask themselves are:

1. Can I afford DVC. To me that's pay cash, no consumer debt and otherwise be stable financial.
2. Have I proven that staying on property is worth paying significantly more for, off property is much cheaper and may be better in many ways.
3. Am I comfortable with the limitations and risks of a timeshare in general and DVC specifically.
4. Can I plan and reserve at least 7 months in advance.
5. Only then do you reasonably get to home resort(s), # of points, UY, etc.

 

[tater1206]

Thanks for all the tips!
We want to rent this year but my father in law has been sick on and off. We are afraid of the cancellation policy. So I am not sure renting is an option this year. We had been looking at renting either AKL or Poly. AKL is much cheaper to rent too but the Poly has that murphy bed that we need. We go in June and still haven't booked our trip yet. Through Disney there are no special offers out yet for our dates. We are so confused this year.
I have been researching for quite some time on purchasing a DVC. My husband is finally on board with considering purchasing one. We go quite often and by now could have paid for one in full. When we go this year, we plan on speaking with them and touring as well. I have been compiling a list of questions to ask. We probably won't buy in while we are there but I feel that I need to speak to them face to face to get answers. I am pretty sure our option will be resale.

 

[rfc0001]

IMO, the "negative reviews" of the Poly are more DVC members who have never stayed there just bemoaning either how high the points are for the studios or that there are no 1-3 bedrooms. As far as points, keep in mind it's the same point structure as VGF, which sells out regularly, and no one complains about it. Also, keep in mind it's the largest Studio in terms of square footage. Lastly, keep in mind these are people who haven't stayed at PVB expressing why they won't stay at Poly. You should only consider reviews of people who actually have stayed at Poly and actually want to stay there more often, which is why they are buying there. Of people who have actually stayed there, I would say the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. The one nit is the boat fog horn in the lake view studios, which isn't an issue for us (we go to bed after the parks close and need all the help we can get getting up). Even then, I think people are just expressing their opinion that they prefer a standard view over lake. At the end of the day, it is what it is. You either love Poly or you don't. We love the Hawaiian resort feel, the beach, theme park/lake/fireworks from your balcony, Lilo's Playhouse, 'Ohana, Kona Café, MK & Epcot monorails, etc. We are firmly 1 bedroom travelers, but are fine in a PVB Studio given the size (we split our stay to have laundry in room at a 1 Bedroom before or after Poly -- or just suck it up and use the community laundry). The lack of kitchen isn't a big deal for us, since we rarely eat in the room, and just donuts and oatmeal if so. Keep in mind Standard Studios have yet to sell out before the 7-mos. window, so owning there (so far) has not been necessary to book.

 

[ziravan]

IMO, the "negative reviews" of the Poly are more DVC members who have never stayed there just bemoaning either how high the points are for the studios or that there are no 1-3 bedrooms. As far as points, keep in mind it's the same point structure as VGF, which sells out regularly, and no one complains about it. Also, keep in mind it's the largest Studio in terms of square footage. Lastly, keep in mind these are people who haven't stayed at PVB expressing why they won't stay at Poly. You should only consider reviews of people who actually have stayed at Poly and actually want to stay there more often, which is why they are buying there. Of people who have actually stayed there, I would say the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. The one nit is the boat fog horn in the lake view studios, which isn't an issue for us (we go to bed after the parks close and need all the help we can get getting up). Even then, I think people are just expressing their opinion that they prefer a standard view over lake. At the end of the day, it is what it is. You either love Poly or you don't. We love the Hawaiian resort feel, the beach, theme park/lake/fireworks from your balcony, Lilo's Playhouse, 'Ohana, Kona Café, MK & Epcot monorails, etc. We are firmly 1 bedroom travelers, but are fine in a PVB Studio given the size (we split our stay to have laundry in room at a 1 Bedroom before or after Poly -- or just suck it up and use the community laundry). The lack of kitchen isn't a big deal for us, since we rarely eat in the room, and just donuts and oatmeal if so. Keep in mind Standard Studios have yet to sell out before the 7-mos. window, so owning there (so far) has not been necessary to book.

We love the Poly. We own there. Fireworks from the Lake View balcony are one of our favorite things.

We love AKV. Don't own points there but it's our backup 7 month resort.

We love BCV. We got a great contract there for lots of points just before the current price spike. Who wouldn't love BCV at $84/point?

Even though I own Poly, if I could only keep one contract, it'd be BCV. It's not even close. I asked DW this once and she said she'd rather keep BCV without hesitation. In fact, I believe she said that she wouldn't sell our almost always stripped BCV contract if someone offered $150/pt.

Because it's cheaper, we were able to buy more at BCV. And staying at BCV or AKV is far cheaper points per night than Poly.

If I were buying my first points, it wouldn't be Poly. The points cost too much per point, per night's stay and they cost too much to justify using elsewhere. And then add in no 1-2 BRs. All this issues are solved for me because I own a large amount of points elsewhere.

My advice is buy 100 AKV points resale and spend a year or two test driving DVC. If you don't like, easy to sell at a very small loss and no great financial harm. If you love it, then you'll be much more knowledgable about how or if to add on.

Oh. And if you're talking about going THIS June and still haven't booked a room, that kind of strategy won't work for DVC. DVC works far better when you're planning 11 months out, or at least exactly at 7. The closer you get from 7 months, the more difficult it becomes to book.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Beyond the difficulties of booking closer than 7 months in terms of resort and villa type, there are also issues of use year and banking if you have to cancel a booking on your own points.

Do a lot of research, because there can be costs and drawbacks cancelling even on your own points, not just when renting.

 

[DougEMG]

IMO, the "negative reviews" of the Poly are more DVC members who have never stayed there just bemoaning either how high the points are for the studios or that there are no 1-3 bedrooms. As far as points, keep in mind it's the same point structure as VGF, which sells out regularly, and no one complains about it. Also, keep in mind it's the largest Studio in terms of square footage. Lastly, keep in mind these are people who haven't stayed at PVB expressing why they won't stay at Poly. You should only consider reviews of people who actually have stayed at Poly and actually want to stay there more often, which is why they are buying there. Of people who have actually stayed there, I would say the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. The one nit is the boat fog horn in the lake view studios, which isn't an issue for us (we go to bed after the parks close and need all the help we can get getting up). Even then, I think people are just expressing their opinion that they prefer a standard view over lake. At the end of the day, it is what it is. You either love Poly or you don't. We love the Hawaiian resort feel, the beach, theme park/lake/fireworks from your balcony, Lilo's Playhouse, 'Ohana, Kona Café, MK & Epcot monorails, etc. We are firmly 1 bedroom travelers, but are fine in a PVB Studio given the size (we split our stay to have laundry in room at a 1 Bedroom before or after Poly -- or just suck it up and use the community laundry). The lack of kitchen isn't a big deal for us, since we rarely eat in the room, and just donuts and oatmeal if so. Keep in mind Standard Studios have yet to sell out before the 7-mos. window, so owning there (so far) has not been necessary to book.

I've stayed at the VGF, BLT and the POLY. The POLY is my least favorite of the monorail resorts. BLT has the advantage of being less points and being able to walk to MK while for the same points as the POLY the VGF feels luxurious and makes me feel spoiled. The only good thing about the POLY is that right now it is the easiest monorail resort to get into at 7 months so if I can't get BLT or VGF I have a good chance of getting the POLY.

 

[jerseyduke]

7 month availability at the Poly is hard to predict, as it is too new. Everyone is going to want to stay there. It may become less in demand as time passes, but who knows.

I would not buy Poly points to use at AK. If that were the case, I would buy half the number of points at the poly, and half at AK, and alternate stays or something. Possibly even switch some AK stays to Poly stays at 7 months when possible. This will guarantee a 50-50 split, and less out of pocket!

Also, another idea, that is admittedly some work, but can save you a small fortune:

Buy all the points resale at the AKV. 200 points seems to be going for about 85 per point. That is 80+ per point less than buying the Poly.

Certain years, you can rent out your AKV points, and rent Poly points. Since most rental sites do not consider AKV premium points, you will probably net in the area of 5$ per point less than you are going to pay for Poly points. However, with an 85$ per point difference, you can do this 16 times! And that does not include any ROI on the money saved up front. Just another way to look at it.

 

[tater1206]

Thanks for all the tips!
This is a major decision for us and I just want to make sure we make the right one.

 

[MouseOfCards]

It's a more effective use of points to buy AKV and book PVB from time to time than the other way around.

IF Poly becomes difficult to book at 7 months down the road, then buy a small Poly contract then.

For example. If you're looking to buy 150 points, you can buy Poly now for $168, or $25k total, or AKV at $90, or, $13.5k

If in 5 years you need to buy Poly to stay at Poly, then buy a small contract resale, 50 points at $150 or 7.5k, and you still come out ahead.

You come out about even if you buy both - 200 total points - instead of 150 Poly points.

It's a poor use of points to spend 25k for 150 points to stay at AKV when you can have AKV points for 13.5k.

I'm a Poly owner. It works for me because I also own BCV points. If I were a new owner and torn between the 2, I'd pick AKV.

Very eye-opening!

 

[MouseOfCards]

At the very least, consider booking a split stay, either via rental or via Disney reservations, to try them both. They are very different and I don't think you should marry yourself to either without trying first. Go on a date.

I like this.

 

[MouseOfCards]

For me Poly fails at the first hurdle as they only offer studios no 1 or 2 bedrooms villas. For me the Bungalows just don't exist as they are ridiculous.

AK is a fabulous resort for families, the 1 bedroom at Kidani gives separate sleeping spaces and 2 bathrooms.

AK points can be bought for about half what you would spend on the Poly and you could still stay at the Poly using AK points.

I'm usually all about buy where you want to stay but in this case I'd buy AK.

This would be a deal breaker for us as well, especially with 2 young ones. But would really LOVE to try the bungalows!