Right choice? Poly over CR

[jacksonsmom]

We had originally planned to stay at the CR for our 5 day/4 night trip in December. We hade ressies for a starndard wing room at $226.xx (tax included) with the DC discount.

Well, today when the APs came out I tried to call. Well, the CR is not avaible for the dates of 12/11-12/15. The CM mentioned that the Poly has room for $189.50 (tax included) I wasn't sure about the Poly, haven't read alot of about it. But the CM I talked to was really nice & told me she really enjoys staying at the Poly when she can.

Our main reason for picking the CR was for the monorail access. We will NOT be in our room much at all during this trip. We plan on spending most of the time at the parks.

I talked to DH last night about whether we want to stay with the CR or switch to the Poly. He said whatever one is cheaper, as long as we have a monorail resort.
The CM did mention that I might want to call later today or even in a few days because something might open up at the CR.
I am thinking of not even worrying about that & just stay at the Poly. This is our 3rd resort switch..first we were going to stay at AKL (but wanted the monorail access more), so then we made ressies for the CR & now we switched to the Poly.

On our last trip we did stop at the Poly & looked around & really loved the "feel" of the resort.
Basically I just want to know some of the pros & cons of the Poly vs CR.
Is the Poly at good resort for a 4 yr old?
Is there any room request I should make for the Poly?

Thanks!

 

[Keith]

Excellent choice! Stick with Polynesian. More people prefer POLY over CR. It's close to TTC, new themed pool.

 

[wdwrich]

I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. We've stayed at both and each has it's own advantages. Have a great time!

 

[DisneyKidds]

I'd take the Poly over the CR 100% of the time. Well, maybe not 100%. The one time we stayed there it was shortly after 9/11 and we got a garden wing room for $115 a night. That was substantially cheaper than the Poly so we did it. Barring that kind of a difference in price I'd never do it again.

Of course, opinions are subjective but I don't care for the theming of the CR at all. It seems old, dated, and cold. Some people like the psuedo-futuristic feel from the past, but we didn't. The resort lacks nooks and crannies and comfortable places to sit. It lacks lush, landscaped areas to walk. It just didn't do anyhting for us. Not that the CR is a bad resort..........we just didn't like it as much as some other Disney resorts. While the monorail access is nice, we found it much quicker to walk to the MK. Believe it or not, by the time you leave your garden wing room, walk to the Tower, take the two elevators/escalators required to get to the monorail platform, wait for the monorail, make stops at the TTC, POly and GF..............well, it can (but won't always) take you more than 30 minutes to get to the MK. The walk takes 15 tops.

We stayed at the Poly for the first time in May. It is a much more comfortable resort and the themeing, as far as we are concerned, blows the CR away. I just made ressies for the Poly for our Nov/Dec trip at the $189 rate. That is a great rate. We paid $221 with tax in May, which was a good rate as well.

At the Poly you have the same monorail access, although the boat to the MK is the most efficient way of getting there. I think the Poly pools are nicer. The new pool is "zero entry", meaning it has a shallow end where your 4 yo can walk right in without any steps and it won't be over his head. The only thing to watch out for is the floor of the pool can be a bit slippery. Our 2 yo loved to run in and out of the pool, but I had to watch over him like a hwak because he slipped a few times and might have hit his head had I not been there to cushion the fall. Word of warning............our 4 yo daughter saw everyone going to the Spirit of Aloha Luau and begged us to do it next time. I just made reservations for December. I don't think you will be disappointed at all. I really do think the Poly is the better choice...............and the fact that it is cheaper is icing on the cake.

 

[ksmg]

We stayed at the Poly last year and this year we are trying the CR. I can't compare the two yet, but I think the monorail access at the Poly is better than the CR because you can take the monorail to the MK and walk to the TTC and take the monorail directly to Epcot.

We stayed in the Tokelau building which was most centrally located to everything. My three kids loved it --they were 4, 6, & 8. The pool was great, the fireworks from the beach were beautiful, and the kids most favorite part of the whole trip was the Neverland Club, which they will going back to. They loved the great desert dispaly at the Kona Cafe also.

I have gone through the pros and cons of both the Poly and CR and read so much on this site that I'll just have to decide for myself in October! Every time I start planning a trip, I change my mind on which resort to stay at least a dozen times. This time, I finally settled on the CR Tower because of the FTP package. I say go for the Poly--you will not be disappointed!

 

[uncle_dude69]

Can anyone tell me what the AP discount is?

Thanks

Unc

 

[DisneyKidds]

Can anyone tell me what the AP discount is?

That would be an Annual Passholder discount. These discounts are available at various times of the year and availability may be limited when offered. The amount of the discount varies by resort and season.

We took advantage of an AP discount at the Poly in May and we have AP discount reservations at the Poly for Dec. In both instances the discount was about 43% off rack rate.

 

[DisneyFan79]

We booked the Polynesian for Dec 5-12 7 nights at 170.00 GV per night + tax. I think its roughly 43% off. I couldn't pass it up!!

 

[jacksonsmom]

Thank you everyone for the reassurance!

DH & I did like the feel of the Poly when we stopped in it last June, so hopefully we like the rooms & service just as well.

Since we are on a short trip this time, we plan on spending most of the time at MK and Epcot. I do like the fact that you can walk to the TTC & just hop on the monorail to Epcot.

I do have one question, what is the best way to get to AK? We want to spend a half day there. Is there a bus at the Poly that takes you to the parks or do we have to walk to the TTC and get a bus from there?

I am now very excited to try the Poly! The price is right & now I can't wait until December gets here

 

[Twigs]

We love staying at the Polynesian. We too love the convenience for MK and Epcot. The polynesian makes you feel like you are not staying in a large hotel. The buildings are only 3 stories and walking around the grounds is beautiful and relaxing with the music piped in around the gardens. My kids also love the volcano pool. Yes there is a bus to AK for there, we usually drive anywhere we go if we don't take the monorail so I can't comment on the bus service. Be sure to eat in O'Hanas, we had a great time and loved the food.

 

[JayCT]

We stayed at the Poly last year with our 4 year old and 6 year old and they loved it. The pool is great because it has a zero entry section where a kid can walk right into the water and go as deep as they feel comfortable with. It also has a great slide that goes right through the volcano. My 6 year old loved it. Also the Poly has a great beach that they both loved to play on. It is without a doubt the best hotel on the property (IMHO). We are just starting to plan our next trip to Disney and I think the Poly is going to be it. You can learn more about the Poly at Tikimans web site: tikiman2001.homestead.com

 

[ksmg]

You can take the bus from the Poly to AK--I have no complaints about the bus service--we never waited more than 10 minutes.