switch WL to Poly?

[csamom]

Hey guys,

My family has a Disney trip planned this September at the Wilderness Lodge, which looks beautiful. However, my anniversary is Sunday, and my husband has suggested that he may upgrade us to the Poly since I had originally had my heart set on that one. (We initially chose WL b/c of the $500 savings.)

I am excited, but then I start second guessing myself as I read the Unofficial Guide and see how they can no longer recommend the Poly b/c of inconsistent service. Yikes! I am so drawn to the monorail and beach and size of the room. Please help me decide if switching to the Poly is the right decision. We are doing a Grand Gathering and have family and friends at Port Orleans and Wilderness Lodge. Right now, I've had to put my youngest of 3 in a room with grandparents since WL does not accommodate 5. That's also a plus for me to switch.

We will need to escape the heat and hang out at our resort during the afternoons. Will the Poly's pool have any lounges available or is it usually terribly overcrowded? I"d take an empty hammock on the beach in a heartbeat, though.

What I need to know is - is the Poly as great as I imagine it to be? Thanks,
csamom

 

[Disney grandma]

We had a similar decision and decided to switch from AKL to Poly because of the convenience and the larger rooms. I think if you want your 3 year old to stay with you then definitely go to the Poly. I know a lot of people like WL and the boat to the MK but we have never found it as convenient as actually staying at a monorail resort. There is always plenty of room on the beach at the Poly and the quiet pool is usually very "quiet".

 

[WDWBarb]

Our recent stay at the Poly was absolutely FANTASTIC! The place is so beautiful and the proximity to MK was such a perk. We had both good and bad service but nothing that would come even close to "ruining" the experience there. The volcano pool does get busy at times but it's really not that big of a deal.

There are lots of lounges around the pool and on the beach - you should be able to easily find something to sit and relax!

I have never stayed at WL (and always wanted to but now I'm "Poly Addicted" and may never get the chance!) but I have been there and it is truly beautiful. I can't imagine regretting either choice but I'll vote Poly simply for the monorail. It's great to be able to say, "Let's just zip on over to the MK for the fireworks!"

 

[Poly Pal]

We've stayed at both WL and the Polynesian. Both are nice properties but the Polynesian rooms are so much nicer IMO. If your heart is set on staying at the Polynesian, do it!

The service at both resorts has been the same for us. Most of the CM's at the Polynesian offer a friendly "ALOHA".

There is that "cranky" woman who works the counter at Captain Cooks. I think she has been there since we first started staying at the Polynesian 20 years ago and I hope she is still there when we return in 24 days!

 

[pepe of ohio]

We've had quite a few stays at both and the Poly is a remarkable resort but in my experiences not worth the extra money. We'ld stay on a good discount or code but for the sheer beauty and ambience we now prefer WL. Both resorts have their problems but we've had more at the Poly in recent years, nothing to ruin a stay but things that are slow to resolve. The pool, Poly, is really nice but small and can get over crowded real fast since its a popular resort, especially summer. WL pool is small also but off the beaten path of tourists and we never have run into any problems there.

Being you need a room for 5, Poly rooms are huge, thats why we liked the Poly but we rather like the resort being under one roof now. honest opinion, its a win, win situation either way but we take the extra saving from the WL and stay longer. the boat to MK is quick and relaxing and we still have access to the monorail via boat to the CR. when we used to stay at the Poly, it seemed the boat was quicker to the MK than the monorail but we used to bust up the whole stay using all the modes to get to the MK, even walked to TTC and taken the big ferry boat. Its all good no matter where you stay.

 

[grannyminnie]

I've stayed at both and I'd vote for either also. I'm with pepe...it's a win-win situation! That being said, what's so bad about having the three year old in the room with the grandparents????

 

[kaysmommie]

I have stayed at both and really love them both. I have a return trip booked to Poly for October but am actually thinkng of switching to WL. The pool is less crowded (pool hoppers at Poly) and I could always find a chair. Also I just love both resorts so it doesn't matter to me much which we stay at. My DH likes WL better and my DD likes Poly better. Both have good restaurants too. I guess being on the monorail versus taking a boat or bus to MK would the plus with Poly. Also the rooms are a bit bigger at the Poly. If the $500 doesn't matter than upgrade. I almost forgot our housekeeping was definately much better on our trips to WL. Things might have changed sine they contracted out their houskeppers at all the resorts though . We just had a less than clean room at the Poly which annoys me because of the amount of money paid I should not have to complain.

 

[dancemomnj]

Just got back yesterday from the Poly. All services were wonderful! Mousekeeping was great! Everyone was so helpful and polite!
It was such a magical place!

 

[SeaSpray]

Hey guys,

My family has a Disney trip planned this September at the Wilderness Lodge, which looks beautiful. However, my anniversary is Sunday, and my husband has suggested that he may upgrade us to the Poly since I had originally had my heart set on that one. (We initially chose WL b/c of the $500 savings.)

I am excited, but then I start second guessing myself as I read the Unofficial Guide and see how they can no longer recommend the Poly b/c of inconsistent service. Yikes! I am so drawn to the monorail and beach and size of the room. Please help me decide if switching to the Poly is the right decision. We are doing a Grand Gathering and have family and friends at Port Orleans and Wilderness Lodge. Right now, I've had to put my youngest of 3 in a room with grandparents since WL does not accommodate 5. That's also a plus for me to switch.

We will need to escape the heat and hang out at our resort during the afternoons. Will the Poly's pool have any lounges available or is it usually terribly overcrowded? I"d take an empty hammock on the beach in a heartbeat, though.

What I need to know is - is the Poly as great as I imagine it to be? Thanks,
csamom

I've made bold some of your comments above, which say to me that you'd be happier at the Polynesian. For all of the reasons you've mentioned, I think you should stay at the Polynesian. Many of your same reasons, are also the reasons why I love the Polynesian resort.

I have stayed at both resorts, and agree that it's a win-win situation, but in the grand scheme of things, I personally think you'll be happier at the Polynesian.

In regards to "spotty service", personally that doesn't factor in for me when I'm choosing a resort because EVERY single Disney resort has had complaints of apparent bad service at one time or another over the years, and even if the resort you're going to stay at doesn't currently get bad reviews, there is NO guarantee that you'll avoid a negative encounter or situation during your own trip.

Have a great trip, wherever you stay!


P.S. OUR anniversary is Sunday (July 8th) too!! And my trip to the Polynesian in 3 weeks is my DH's anniversary present to me! We actually "upgraded" from a weekend in Boston for our anniversary, to 4 days at the Polynesian! Happy Anniversary to all of us!!!!

 

[simonkodousek]

I say go for it! You really can't go wrong with either resort IMHO.

 

[GOOFYDONALDMICKEY]

Another vote for the Poly. We are going again in August. I haven't stayed @ WL but my uncle just came back from a week long trip and was disappointed due to the transportation options. We like the ability to walk to the TTC and hop on the monorail to Epcot which save alot of time. Have a great trip.

 

[jlcd]

We have stayed at both and prefer the Poly. The WL was very nice and we would stay there again if we couldn't swing the $$ for the Poly. But, we just loved the Poly. The rooms are much bigger, the monorail option from the lobby and the TTC is great and we really like both Ohana and Kona. We also like the tropical feel. The Volcano pool is very croweded though in the afternoons. We used the quiet pool most of the time. They really need to address the pool hopping issue at the volcano pool.

Have a great time wherever you decide to stay!!

 

[m-i-c-cakeywhy]

switch switch switch

 

[disneyforme33]

I have stayed at both and would definitely go with the Poly. There is no turning back for me. The updated rooms are beautiful and have much more room for a family of 5. You can't beat having the monorail especially with small children. I have never had a service issue with the Poly and have stayed there once a year for the past 5 years. I have always found the staff to be very helpful. Lots of happy Alohas! Yes the pool can be crowded but I have never had a problem getting a chair somewhere and it has never been too crowded to swim. There is always the quiet pool which is usually pretty empty all day. Plenty of chairs available and lounges. I would definitely upgrade if my husband was offering. Any way you will have a great time no matter what you choose.

 

[tyandbash]

Well, here is my opinion. Since you mention that you have a grand gathering going, and some are staying at POR and some at WL, my vote for you would be the POLY. Only because when you have lots of family with you as much as you may love them, it is always really nice to get away by yourselves in the evening!! We spent a week with lots of family and that was the best thing we did was stay at different resorts!! ALSO...when my DH agrees to upgrade I don't wait for him to change his mind,lol. He may never decide to do that again!!LOL But..I do agree with everyone else it is a win/win with either resort!!