Spoiled by Poly :( Need Help Choosing Other Resort

[aprilbabes]

We has an amazing time at Poly with our two little ones last year and have been considering going back this May. However, there is going to be Longhouse construction taking place. We can choose to take our chances and book poly hoping the construction doesn't impact our trip too much or stay somewhere else. We are considering GF and WL.
What we adore about Poly is the monorail access, theme, restaurants, watching fireworks from beach, and spacious rooms.
GF is beautiful and on the beach, but I don't love the theme and restaurant options. It just doesn't look as "fun". Plus, it's a little more $ than poly which is already a fortune! However, it is on the monorail which is a major factor for us.
WL, on the other hand, is a few hundred
Less than Poly and I love the way it looks (on-line - never saw in person.). I love the theme too! However, no monorail access!!! We go back and forth for naps and I worry we might regret staying at a non-monorail resort.
I would really appreciate any feedback you could offer! TIA

 

[Mousemommy1]

We has an amazing time at Poly with our two little ones last year and have been considering going back this May. However, there is going to be Longhouse construction taking place. We can choose to take our chances and book poly hoping the construction doesn't impact our trip too much or stay somewhere else. We are considering GF and WL.
What we adore about Poly is the monorail access, theme, restaurants, watching fireworks from beach, and spacious rooms.
GF is beautiful and on the beach, but I don't love the theme and restaurant options. It just doesn't look as "fun". Plus, it's a little more $ than poly which is already a fortune! However, it is on the monorail which is a major factor for us.
WL, on the other hand, is a few hundred
Less than Poly and I love the way it looks (on-line - never saw in person.). I love the theme too! However, no monorail access!!! We go back and forth for naps and I worry we might regret staying at a non-monorail resort.
I would really appreciate any feedback you could offer! TIA

The WL is absolutely amazing!!!! No, there is no direct monorail service, but access is pretty good by taking the boat to the contemporary and hopping on from there. Plus, you can take the boat to MK!!! A nice, relaxing ride!

I don't think you (or your wallet) would regret staying there.

 

[Marthasor]

We has an amazing time at Poly with our two little ones last year and have been considering going back this May. However, there is going to be Longhouse construction taking place. We can choose to take our chances and book poly hoping the construction doesn't impact our trip too much or stay somewhere else. We are considering GF and WL.
What we adore about Poly is the monorail access, theme, restaurants, watching fireworks from beach, and spacious rooms.
GF is beautiful and on the beach, but I don't love the theme and restaurant options. It just doesn't look as "fun". Plus, it's a little more $ than poly which is already a fortune! However, it is on the monorail which is a major factor for us.
WL, on the other hand, is a few hundred
Less than Poly and I love the way it looks (on-line - never saw in person.). I love the theme too! However, no monorail access!!! We go back and forth for naps and I worry we might regret staying at a non-monorail resort.
I would really appreciate any feedback you could offer! TIA

I don't think the "construction" will impact you at all. They are only renovating the interior of the rooms and are only closing one longhouse at a time. There won't be any cranes or noise. We were there during their last rehab and the only thing I ever noticed were workmen coming in and out of one of the longhouses - no noise, no disruption whatsoever.

The volcano pool is scheduled to be closed 2/18 - 3/1 and, it appears, depending when in May you go, Aotearoa, Tonga and Fiji may be closed (but would imagine they are rotating so not all will be closed at once).

I would book Poly again. I really don't think you will be impacted by the rehab at all.

 

[kpm76]

We have little ones as well and break for naps. We had an absolutely amazing stay at the WL. The boat is very efficient and a beautiful ride. What I really like about WL is that it's "all under one roof." The lobby is a fun place to hang out, Roaring Forks is small but a great place to grab counter service. My DD LOVED the pool (thought I will say the volcano pool at Poly is one of her faves).

We have not stayed at the GF with kids but when we were there for our honeymoon, we were not overly impressed. I'd go with the WL...

 

[wiigirl]

I would suggest WL...

 

[mickeynut1]

We've stayed at all 3 and even though the Poly is our favorite resort, I don't think you can go wrong with either the WL or GF. We visited the GF many many times before actually staying there and just from visiting, I didn't think it was a resort for us. That changed after the first stay (and there have been 2 other stays since). The Poly is still our favorite, but the GF is a beautiful resort and has it's perks, one of which is that it's just 1 monorail stop away from MK. With that said, the WL is also an amazing resort, with a huge plus being it's a deluxe resort near MK for less money than the Poly and GF. We've had 2 great stays at the WL and we love taking the boat to MK as it's quick and efficient, IMO. It's also great to hop on the boat to visit and shop at the CR, then hop on the monorail to visit the Poly and GF. I don't think any of the 3 would be a bad choice, even with the refurb going on at the Poly. I agree with the pp that since they are redoing the longhouses and there is no outside construction, there won't be cranes or anything else to take away from the atmosphere or resort experience. Good luck deciding, but if you do choose to book something other than the Poly, you can't go wrong with either one of the other two choices.

 

[jandkmom]

I don't understand why you should rule out Poly just because of the renovations. Like the PP said, it's only one longhouse at a time and shouldn't affect you. Here's the schedule according to Tikiman (of course these dates aren't set in stone):

Hawaii January 6
Samoa February 3
Niue/ Rarotonga March 3
Tokelau March 31
Aotearoa April 21
Tonga (lounge only but will be closed) May 5
Fiji May 19
Tuvalu June 16
Tahiti July 14
Rapa Nui August 11

 

[firstwdw]

We stayed at Wilderness Lodge in may 2012 and LOVED it!!!! The boat access is so easy and so much fun!!! We had no issues at all getting back quickly from magic Kingdom for naps every day and then going back after dinner. We loved Roaring Forks Cafe and ate most of our meals outside at tables by the pool. It is an amazing place and if you get lucky you can see the top part of the fireworks from your balcony-we could even hear the music on some nights! The Electrical Water Parade goes right in front and you can watch it from the beach. The geyser is very cool and the lobby is amazing and fun to just hang out in (especially during those quick passing May afternoon thunderstorms!). If you like the looks of it, I would not hesitate to try Wilderness Lodge. Plus all the rooms have just been refurbished! We went back and forth between there and the Poly(where I had my childhood memories from) and we are so happy we stayed at Wilderness Lodge.

 

[lawrenceFletcher]

Maybe look at some You Tube videos of Animal kingdom Lodge Jambo house. The pool is awesome and the food is outstanding. Also not a monorail resort but worth it! Our kids loved the Animals on site.

 

[rotlex]

I would suggest WL...

This. Over the years I have stayed nearly every where. For us\me, nothing tops the WL. You get a gorgeous resort that is every bit s nice, if not nicer, than any monorail resort yet your not spending nearly $200 per night more for it. The boat access, IMO anyway, is more fun, and quicker, than the monorail. Try it. You'll love it.

 

[mouseketeermama]

We just went through this same thing. We are going in Feb and our beloved Hawaii longhouse was going to be under construction at the time. We settled on the WL and I am pretty darn excited about the trip. Maybe with the savings you can spoil yourself with a club level trip?

 

[kapoof]

i feel your pain, we adore the poly as well. you might be underwhelmed with the rooms at wl. we loved the bc! it has a very nice beachy feel.

 

[mfulk]

After a fabulous stay at the Poly last May we then stayed at Bonnet Creek in October and Grand Floridian in November. Both were nice but we really missed the Poly and wished we were there Especially the easy access to the TTC!!

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

If you really love the Poly - you might consider just staying there again - Disney is fairly good with construction - at least trying to make it as comfortable for guests as possible. However if you don't want to risk it - I would consider the Wilderness Lodge - it is a gorgeous resort with a little wow factor in there too - ! The ambiance is some of my favorite on property!

The rooms at the WL will be smaller than the Poly. I love the boat ride from MK - not too long - I find it relaxing for the most part and the dock on the MK side has covered area to get out of the sun. Of course depending on the ages of your little ones you might really want a monorail resort - have you thought about the Contemporary at all? The rooms are big there too - some of the largest on property though the theme not as exotic perhaps as the Poly or as unique as the WL.

Have a great time whatever you decide - all the Disney resorts are special in their own way!

 

[tinkgurl]

WL would be a great choice! We love it there. Plus, if you want to get on the monorail, just ride the boat over to the Contemporary! Roaring Forks has good CS food. The pool is nice. And the lobby is just gorgeous! If you don't want a standard room, maybe think about renting DVC points from someone and staying in the Villas part.

 

[aprilbabes]

Thanks for all the great feedback!
FW is looking Better and better!
Since I'd be giving up the convenience of the monorail, just to get a better idea- about how far a walk is it to get the boat?

 

[Shea&Van]

Hey there,

We stayed at the WL a few years back and LOVED it. My kids really enjoyed staying in a HUGE log cabin. The theming is outstanding and really warm and cozy. OMG, the lobby was stunning!

I thought the pools were great and the boat ride was really something special. It was just a quick 5 minute walk to the boat from our room and it was such a great site to see the castle from the water. Truly wonderful.

I haven't stayed at the Poly, so I can't compare. But -- for us -- the WL was awesome.

Heck, you are in Disney, so there is no "wrong" answer here.

Best of luck and happy planning y'all!!

 

[goofy4prez]

I love the WL. The location is great with just a quick ride via the boat to the MK or the CR. It has an incredible theming that makes you feel as though you are so far away from everything, yet so Disney, and yet so close to it all. The price along with the AKL is the lowest among the deluxe resorts so you get more value. And lastly, the rooms were just renovated last year and look great.

 

[FantasiaMagic]

I think to save some money - go with WL. With the boat ride it would give you transportation to MK. Like mousemommy said - you could take the boat to CR and then go one monorail from there. It would take a little longer but you would still be in the area!

Did you ever think of BC? That is one of my favorite resorts. I know its not on the monorail but it does have easy access to EPCOT and HS. It also has the best pool ever!

Good Luck deciding!

-FantasiaMagic