Standard room at the Polynesian or 1 bedroom villa at boardwalk with a 2 & 4 y/o

[Mflaherty]

Would it be better to have a villa at the boardwalk or standard room at the poly with a 2 and 4 year old?

 

[pepe of ohio]

I'll always stick to the adage....location, location, location.....where you will be spending the majority of your time....

Two small children, we'd be at the MK mostly, other parks as they become older and getting to and back ( afternoon breaks) making travel easy.... The monorail, ferry and paddle wheeler couldn't be easier, plus the Poly is heavenly....

I'm not a pusher of the Poly but do enjoy the MK area and resorts better than any other... A little off the beaten path is WL, a deluxe, in the MK area, ease of travel via a boat to the MK and a lot cheaper....

Be it as it may, MK holds our interest even after all the years and trips we've made to WDW, so we go with that we'll be doing more of.....

 

[Villians4me]

A 1 bdrm villa would be better....it would provide you with a full kitchen, and a living room with a pull out couch that is separated from the adjoining bedrrom. You would have a lot more space in my opinon. The Polynesian is a better location with a 2 and 4 year old because of proximity to MK but the Boardwalk is a really great hotel, you have easy accesss to Epcot and DHS and the buses are relatively quick. There is a nice atmosphere around the Boardwalk and I think the kids would have a great time.

 

[NJRRK]

How about a 1 BR at the Villas at WL?

 

[ScottOKW2K]

Or how about a 1 bedroom villa at Bay Lake Towers? All the advantages of the Poly location + the villa amenities.

 

[amym2]

Would it be better to have a villa at the boardwalk or standard room at the poly with a 2 and 4 year old?

Depends which you value more... monorail access to MK or sleeping space away from the kids. Personally, we would have chosen BWV so we could put the kids to bed without having to sit in the bathroom while they fell asleep (we did this many times when we traveled and they were that age).

And if you plan on going to EP/DHS, you'll have easier access from BWV. If you only plan on going to MK, Poly is probably the better choice.

 

[Wood Nymph]

A one BR villa gives you a full kitchen, a washer-dryer, a whirlpool bathtub, a king bed in the master BR, two TV's, (you won't have to watch cartoons), two sleeping areas, and plenty of space.

It is up to you to decide what is most important to you.

 

[Carrie772]

Depends which you value more... monorail access to MK or sleeping space away from the kids. Personally, we would have chosen BWV so we could put the kids to bed without having to sit in the bathroom while they fell asleep (we did this many times when we traveled and they were that age).

And if you plan on going to EP/DHS, you'll have easier access from BWV. If you only plan on going to MK, Poly is probably the better choice.

That was us! I felt so silly sitting in there with the paper and a bedtime snack, but there was no other way to encourge the kids to sleep!
I recommend the Polynesian becasue the transportation is so awesome!

 

[alex9179]

We stayed at the Poly with 3 kids (8,7, & 5) and loved it. DH and I would put the kids to bed and go out on the balcony with a beverage and talk about the day and what to do the next. They were OUT within a few minutes, so we could go in and out to the lounge and they weren't disturbed.
You may not choose club level, but we found it really convenient with ever-hungry kids.

The location was perfect and we loved taking the boat back and forth to MK.

 

[cindym]

Just remember that the fully stocked kitchen has knives, etc. that are not in child proof drawers. The sofa bed is in the living room where the little ones would have easy access to the kitchen if they sleep on the sofa bed. We had a 2 bedroom villa and we still worried about our 2 year old who was sleeping in the second bedroom with his parents. He was too big for a pack and play. That said, we are taking both he (now 5) and his 2 year old little brother back to the 2 bedroom villa again in Dec.

 

[Carriesouthard]

Location, location, location!! We spent a week at the Beach Club last summer with our dd's aged 6,7,8 at the time. We loved it, boardwalk area is just awesome. Loved the walk to Epcot and boat to HS. It was the best vacation. That being said.....we discovered how much time we spent at MK and this summer will be staying at the Poly. I just think being on the monorail will make life so much easier. I truly can not wait...wishes on the poly beach, electric water pageant, monorail to MK and Epcot (our two faves), Ohana!!!! Less running around and riding the bus to and from. It will all be right there for us! So....where will you be spending most of your time???

 

[stormer]

While the Poly is awesome, I would take a 1 bedroom anywhere. Nothing beats having a kitchen, washer and dryer, separate bedroom. You will love it, especially with little ones.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I'd pick Poly over more space any day. We'd just hang out on the balcony while the kids fell asleep. Besides, who with kids really stays up that late when at WDW anyways?

 

[Hopefully]

Location, location, location!! We spent a week at the Beach Club last summer with our dd's aged 6,7,8 at the time. We loved it, boardwalk area is just awesome. Loved the walk to Epcot and boat to HS. It was the best vacation. That being said.....we discovered how much time we spent at MK and this summer will be staying at the Poly. I just think being on the monorail will make life so much easier. I truly can not wait...wishes on the poly beach, electric water pageant, monorail to MK and Epcot (our two faves), Ohana!!!! Less running around and riding the bus to and from. It will all be right there for us! So....where will you be spending most of your time???

I agree with some of this. Location, Location, Location for sure. And being close to the MK with little ones is great.
That said, the extra room of a 1 bedroom villa, but more importantly, the full kitchen with refrig to store things to feed them is great. And with the washer and dryer you can pack less.

While the Poly is awesome, I would take a 1 bedroom anywhere. Nothing beats having a kitchen, washer and dryer, separate bedroom. You will love it, especially with little ones.

I agree!

We stayed at the Poly with 3 kids (8,7, & 5) and loved it. DH and I would put the kids to bed and go out on the balcony with a beverage and talk about the day and what to do the next. They were OUT within a few minutes, so we could go in and out to the lounge and they weren't disturbed.
You may not choose club level, but we found it really convenient with ever-hungry kids.

The location was perfect and we loved taking the boat back and forth to MK.

Did you leave the kids in the room alone when you went to the lounge?

 

[Marthasor]

I would go with the villa. If you want to be closer to MK, look into BLT or WL, however I LOVE the EP resorts for lovely strolls on the Boardwalk, to EP, etc.

We have only stayed in a regular room with DS5 once - once at the Poly and once for a short trip to GF. We stayed at the Poly when he was one and was going to bed at 7 pm. Loved the Poly, but it wasn't fun. Once the lights were out, we were stuck. After that, we always got villas. Even if DS got scared or woke up early, one of us could go out and be with him, while the other got to sleep in, etc. Loved the fridge and ESPECIALLY love the washer/dryer.

 

[LiloH]

I'd pick Poly over more space any day. We'd just hang out on the balcony while the kids fell asleep. Besides, who with kids really stays up that late when at WDW anyways?

This! We've done about a dozen trips with kids in the past few years. I love having the one bedroom space and we opt for that about half the time. However, I have noticed that staying in a traditional room encourages me to go to sleep earlier and I come back from vacation very well rested. As someone who tends to go until I drop this is a very nice side benefit of the close quarters.

 

[snorkelyn]

Definitely the poly!! We stayed there with our 2, 4 and 6 year old kids a couple years ago. Our travel agents told Disney that our children were climbers, and we MUST have 1st floor. That way, we could sit outside while they were napping or going to sleep at night. And, if 1 kid woke up early- one of us could take them out to run around while we sat on the patio.

The monorail was priceless! We would put the younger 2 kids in the double stroller after a long day at MK...roll it onto the monorail....the vibration put our tired kids to sleep. Then we would roll the stroller off the monorail, right up to the beach bar. We would enjoy an adult beverage and mingle with other parents while our youngest 2 slept in the stroller, and our oldest built sandcastles with new friends.

You can enjoy the fireworks with out the crowds at the beach, and walk back to your room. The music is piped in for you.

We were on the dining plan, so we didn't care about the kitchen. But you will get a fridge for drinks. We kept milk in the fridge (purchased at the Poly gift store) and we all ate cereal for breakfast so we could save our dining credits for character meals.

I am looking forward to staying at an Epcot resort in the not too far future when my kids are older.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[alex9179]

Did you leave the kids in the room alone when you went to the lounge?

Yeah. DH went to the lounge and I usually stayed out on the balcony. He'd bring the goodies back and the kids didn't register a thing. They were exhausted.