Solo trip with a toddler- Contemporary or Poly?

[Glam]

Hi! I'm looking forward to a Labor Day trip to Disney, but my DH is not feeling the Disney love.

This trip will likely be just me and my 2 yo
DS (will turn 3 approx 2 mos after the trip). It is possible my mom will come along, but if she can't, we are still going.

I'm excited about the trip but a bit nervous about traveling solo with a toddler. Being at a monorail resort is important to me for the stroller convenience factor. We would be in a standard room at either resort, tower TPV is not an option.

I am anticipating this will be a go with DS 's flow trip and that we'll spend a lot of time at MK. I foresee breaks, fairly early evenings and some pool time.

I initially booked CR for the convenience of walkability to MK for breaks, plus i like the room size and decor. However, now I'm second guessing that.

The pluses for the Poly are that its pool looks nicer, is zero entry, and has what appears to be a better splash pad. Also, 'Ohana room service.

*We stayed at the Grand Floridian last summer (with my mom and my DH) and DS loved the splash pad. I just want to try a new resort this time. We were never out late enough for fireworks last year, but I'm hoping DS can hang a little longer this year.

Any thoughts or recommendations re: resort?

 

[NicoleLarson]

I would recommend the contemporary. Walking to MK is awesome, espically at busy times. The monorail is nice but goes down frequently and can have a very long line. If it goes down you are stuck with the boats at the poly. These are small and you must fold your stroller. Not a fun task with a two year old and by yourself. The splash pad is nice at the poly but it can be difficult to keep an eye on little ones. Its much, much larger than GF. Plus the main slide is in the dark volcano. My kids were terrified at 2 and neither would go down and you can't go with them. At CR, it's not as exciting but still fun and not a scary dark hole.

 

[alliecat523]

First time I took my DD she was 3 and we did Poly for these exact reasons. It was a great option. I can't remember which building we were in but it was close to the TTC so we had the ferry and monorail options. We loved our stay there!!

 

[caliope]

For me, it's a toss up. We love the Poly but what makes it special may be lost on a 2 year old when convenience for mom is a priority. As noted, the splash pad is great but it's large, dark in spots, and can be overwhelming for smaller children. My DS at 4 is independent there (with me nearby) but at 2+ he wouldn't have been. The zero entry pool at Poly is nice, though. Also, the boats are less stroller friendly than walking. A negative for CR is the elevator needed to get to the monorail platform is tight for strollers when there is a line, but then again, so is the elevator for second floor GCH at Poly. I guess that's a wash. Whichever you choose will have very special elements so go with your gut (or your wallet) and enjoy!

 

[aristocatz]

Most definitely Polynesian Standard!!

Don't be fooled by the Contemporary Garden Wing! It is a hike from the main building/monorail & totally isolated from everything.

Polynesian has the monorail to MK & has a walking trail to the T&T Center to grab the monorail to Epcot.

 

[OnThisMagicNight]

I vote Contemporary Garden Wing. Nothing can beat the ability to walk to MK and it was the best feeling to leave the park at night and walk back to the resort while everyone else lined up for a boat, bus or monorail. I do like the theming of Poly better, but both of my boys loved the Contemporary and now it's grown on me to the point where I think I'll miss not staying there on our next trip! We've stayed Garden Wing before and actually enjoyed it and didn't feel like the walk to the main building took away from the experience. We had an awesome view of the Electrical Water Pageant and it was very peaceful.

 

[rosiebean]

It's close, it really is, but my vote is for Poly due to (IMO) better amenities for adults (and an overall more relaxing atmosphere) and slightly more child friendly options with the splash pad and zero entry pool. CR is tempting for the walk to MK, but as noted elsewhere, it's not exactly a short walk to and from the garden wing. I'd rather wait a bit for the monorail or a boat given that I personally would enjoy hanging out at Poly more with a small child.

I did a stay at Poly with a 6 month old years ago, and it was great. We loved our location, loved our balcony view (we were in Fiji, looking toward GF), ordered room service for convenience, loved sitting on the beach looking at MK, and had no issues getting our stroller onto the monorail, and no issues with the stroller going onto the boat or even bus transportation (it was just slightly more inconvenient than using the monorail).

 

[southjerseymom]

I vote for the Poly. With the TTC and the monorail you are have all the great transportation options. We always stayed deluxe when the kids were younger. Loved putting the kids down and being able to enjoy the balcony. We would come back to the room. Enjoy our adult beverages and order room service. It was wonderful!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

I have done quite a few solo trips with my DS at both Poly and CR, although not quite that young though.

I think both are valid options with some pros/cons that in some ways balance each other out. It's close to 50/50 to me. But for me, the nod goes to Poly primarily for the zero entry pools and splash pad. It's just a superior setup for small kids compared to CR. It's hot around Labor Day and you'll likely appreacite the pool time.

Every kid is different but my 2 year old daughter was queen of the Poly splash area last summer. She loved it and pitched a fit every time we left! I kind of get why people are saying it may be too big/intense for a 2-3 year old, but that wouldn't apply to our kids. There's still a bunch of play area besides that one larger slide in the splash pad.

Room sizes are pretty similar between Poly and CR (and among the largest at WDW).

One vote Poly from me.

 

[Glam]

Interesting points all. My guy is fearless, so he may be okay at the Poly splash pad, but i do need to be able to see him easily.

The monorail breakdowns are another factor to consider and the overall theme.

Sigh, this is a tough call.

If we stick with the contemporary this time, I'll probably book the Poly next time. Seems like there have been a lot of good experiences with young kids at both.

 

[Glam]

I vote for the Poly. With the TTC and the monorail you are have all the great transportation options. We always stayed deluxe when the kids were younger. Loved putting the kids down and being able to enjoy the balcony. We would come back to the room. Enjoy our adult beverages and order room service. It was wonderful!

Good point about the balcony at Poly. I would probably miss not having that

I have done quite a few solo trips with my DS at both Poly and CR, although not quite that young though.

I think both are valid options with some pros/cons that in some ways balance each other out. It's close to 50/50 to me. But for me, the nod goes to Poly primarily for the zero entry pools and splash pad. It's just a superior setup for small kids compared to CR. It's hot around Labor Day and you'll likely appreacite the pool time.

Every kid is different but my 2 year old daughter was queen of the Poly splash area last summer. She loved it and pitched a fit every time we left! I kind of get why people are saying it may be too big/intense for a 2-3 year old, but that wouldn't apply to our kids. There's still a bunch of play area besides that one larger slide in the splash pad.

Room sizes are pretty similar between Poly and CR (and among the largest at WDW).

One vote Poly from me.

I hear you on the zero entry. And, i predict DS will be like your DD. He loves the water and has a fit when it's time to leave swim class

 

[Glam]

I vote Contemporary Garden Wing. Nothing can beat the ability to walk to MK and it was the best feeling to leave the park at night and walk back to the resort while everyone else lined up for a boat, bus or monorail. I do like the theming of Poly better, but both of my boys loved the Contemporary and now it's grown on me to the point where I think I'll miss not staying there on our next trip! We've stayed Garden Wing before and actually enjoyed it and didn't feel like the walk to the main building took away from the experience. We had an awesome view of the Electrical Water Pageant and it was very peaceful.

The view of the parade and peacefulness sounds nice. Glad to hear the walk wasnt too burdensome.

It's close, it really is, but my vote is for Poly due to (IMO) better amenities for adults (and an overall more relaxing atmosphere) and slightly more child friendly options with the splash pad and zero entry pool. CR is tempting for the walk to MK, but as noted elsewhere, it's not exactly a short walk to and from the garden wing. I'd rather wait a bit for the monorail or a boat given that I personally would enjoy hanging out at Poly more with a small child.

I did a stay at Poly with a 6 month old years ago, and it was great. We loved our location, loved our balcony view (we were in Fiji, looking toward GF), ordered room service for convenience, loved sitting on the beach looking at MK, and had no issues getting our stroller onto the monorail, and no issues with the stroller going onto the boat or even bus transportation (it was just slightly more inconvenient than using the monorail).

Love the balcony point. I was curious about the stroller on boats, because I couldn't remember whether we had to fold it last year, but we were in a group of 7, so there were lots of extra hands

 

[Glam]

I would recommend the contemporary. Walking to MK is awesome, espically at busy times. The monorail is nice but goes down frequently and can have a very long line. If it goes down you are stuck with the boats at the poly. These are small and you must fold your stroller. Not a fun task with a two year old and by yourself. The splash pad is nice at the poly but it can be difficult to keep an eye on little ones. Its much, much larger than GF. Plus the main slide is in the dark volcano. My kids were terrified at 2 and neither would go down and you can't go with them. At CR, it's not as exciting but still fun and not a scary dark hole.

Yes, I feel like monorail issues are a wild card. Thanks for your experience on the Poly pool.

First time I took my DD she was 3 and we did Poly for these exact reasons. It was a great option. I can't remember which building we were in but it was close to the TTC so we had the ferry and monorail options. We loved our stay there!!

Thanks!

 

[Glam]

For me, it's a toss up. We love the Poly but what makes it special may be lost on a 2 year old when convenience for mom is a priority. As noted, the splash pad is great but it's large, dark in spots, and can be overwhelming for smaller children. My DS at 4 is independent there (with me nearby) but at 2+ he wouldn't have been. The zero entry pool at Poly is nice, though. Also, the boats are less stroller friendly than walking. A negative for CR is the elevator needed to get to the monorail platform is tight for strollers when there is a line, but then again, so is the elevator for second floor GCH at Poly. I guess that's a wash. Whichever you choose will have very special elements so go with your gut (or your wallet) and enjoy!

Thank you. Argh, I'm so torn.

Most definitely Polynesian Standard!!

Don't be fooled by the Contemporary Garden Wing! It is a hike from the main building/monorail & totally isolated from everything.

Polynesian has the monorail to MK & has a walking trail to the T&T Center to grab the monorail to Epcot.

Thank you!

 

[Regan117]

All of the points have been made. Let me just say I have 3 and have taken each child to wdw on a solo trip as toddlers, and we stayed at CR each time.

The theming of Poly is lost on a small child. They don't care. They just want a pool, period. The walk to MK was priceless for breaks during the day. The kids' splash pad at Poly is too big and there's too many Bigger kids who use it and get too rowdy. The volcano slide is too scary for a 2-3-year old.

Poly has good food options, but so does CR. And the convenience of everything being in one main building is everything. Also, just a small thing: CR has much more comfortable beds. Like astronomically better.

Then again, I fall into the camp with "never staying there again" when it comes to Poly, so maybe I'm biased lol.

 

[LoopyDoopy]

Are you interested in child care? The Contemporary doesn't offer it, but the Poly does. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/lilos-playhouse/

 

[Imagineer5]

My old TR's have messed up photos, but if you have some extra time on your hands you might want to go check them out. I have a 5 yo DD who has been to WDW about 18 times (IDK I've lost count) and a 16 month old DD who has been to WDW/DL 3 times. At least half the time I take them by myself. I generally rent a car because I like to bring a large, comfortable stroller (City Select). But, I would 100% vote for the Contemporary if it's within budget. I generally rent DVC points and love staying at Bay Lake Tower. The pools at the Contemporary are just as good as the Poly, minus the huge splash pad, but they have a fun small one at the Contemporary as well. The restaurants and walkability to the MK are HUGE, big key factors in staying at the Contemporary.

If you have any specific questions feel free to ask! I have absolutely LOVED my solo trips with DD, and look forward to taking some with DD2 and DD3 (coming any day now!) when they are a little older and I can talk my DD1 into not being upset about it hahaha.

 

[NicoleLarson]

Are you interested in child care? The Contemporary doesn't offer it, but the Poly does. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/recreation/lilos-playhouse/

You have to be 4 and potty trained to use the childcare centers at Disney. However, we've used Kids Nite Out before. They come to your room and are the official sitters of WDW. Plus it's not just night time they offer. They'll come anytime and sit, so if you want to have some time at the pool while he naps they'll do that too. They'll even come in the parks with you but you have to buy their ticket and food so it gets very expensive....quick.

 

[Regan117]

You have to be 4 and potty trained to use the childcare centers at Disney. However, we've used Kids Nite Out before. They come to your room and are the official sitters of WDW. Plus it's not just night time they offer. They'll come anytime and sit, so if you want to have some time at the pool while he naps they'll do that too. They'll even come in the parks with you but you have to buy their ticket and food so it gets very expensive....quick.

We have used Kids Nite Out many times. They're great.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I have done countless solo trips with DS since he was 3 and have stayed at all the deluxes (including CR garden wing) with him. This is really a tough call, but my vote is for Poly standard. Yes, you can walk to MK from CR, but that's where the pluses stop for me when traveling with a toddler. CR's pool is in major need of a refurb and is definitely not toddler friendly. Also, if you want to access QS at CR, you will have to deal with the elevators and a stroller (you will have to do this when you get off the monorail as well). The elevators at CR get really backed up (the one at the monorail is the WORST) and with a stroller, it makes getting on the elevator even harder. At Poly, you'll be able to use the zero entry pool, the splash pad, QS is easily accessible as are the views of the water pageant and the fireworks. Heck, you can take your 2 year old to Trader Sam's to enjoy a mocktail and the antics! Yes, I know the monorail has its issues, but the amenity perks at Poly over CR trump the monorail issues for me. You can still walk to TTC to catch the EP monorail (big plus). I just think as an overall resort - Poly wins.