The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Our BC / Poly Split Stay Review.

[Missoutandabout]

Sit right back and you'll hear a tale... or somesuch.

First Half of Our Split: BC Garden View, Sept 14th - 20th.

All went as planned. Smooth flight; quick ride to the BC on the Magical Express. We were greeted promptly upon walking into the lobby. After waiting a bit, the man who greeted us took us over to the concierge desk to have them check us in as the regular desk was busy.

Trever, the woman checking us in, was a total doll... and I'd say this regardless of what happened next. She was chatty, warm and cordial -- exactly what you love to experience on check-in. After she added our park tickets to our room keys, I asked her if she could tell me what floor and room my parents would be on as they were checking in about an hour after us. She looked and said they had been given an upgrade to club level! Lucky devils. She then picked up the phone and asked the room assigners if they could do the same for us. Needless to say, I was waiting with bated breath. Trever gave me the thumbs up and said "Happy Anniversary! You'll be staying on our 5th floor." At this point, I stopped cursing my parents' luck and couldn't stop thanking her whilst grinning from ear to ear. Total BLAST in the face with the proverbial Pixie Dust.

Other "Goods" from the Beach Club:

• Stormalong Bay. Seriously. It's an amazing pool. It practically felt like we had the place to ourselves. We spent the majority of our swim-time in the lazy river bit and the kiddo adored it.
  
• BC Cast Members. Every single person we interacted with was just... exactly what you want when you go to Disney. Nice, efficient, cordial. Some of the standouts, outside of Trever at the concierge check-in desk, were Jacob and the women working the CL lounge (wish I had caught their names, one was British and an American with long reddish hair). Every request for a bottle of water or a beer was met with a genuine smile.
  
• Mousekeeping. Every day, we returned to find our room in tip-top shape and the turndown service was also quite nice. I only wish they had left little cards with their names on it as whoever the mousekeeper at the beginning of our stay and turndown mousekeeper was throughout did an excellent job. An added, unexpected bonus were a vast assortment of towel animals and arranging of our kiddo's stuffed animals every night. Cute stuff.
  
• Our room (5692). Outside of the obvious upgrade, of course. The room we were in was listed as a "standard view, club level" -- it was to the right of the main entrance -- with a "standing only" balcony. This "standard" room also boasted a fabulous view of the fireworks as well as a daybed. I could just be imagining things, but it seemed bigger than our garden view room at Poly's CL.
  
• Walking to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. This was the probably the best part of staying here -- along with the pool. We loved being able to just hoof it back and forth to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and over to the Boardwalk every night. Also, walking to the Dolphin (or as we called it the "Goldfish") for breakfast at Fresh was well worth it. Do yourself a favor and check out Fresh for their AM offerings ... and real coffee (Starbucks). It's a welcome break from the overpriced sameness of Disney nosh.
  
• Beaches & Cream. No Way Jose. 'Nuf said.
  
• Hurricane Hannah's. Cute little kid's meals. Nice staff.
  
• The Marketplace. Great assortment of stuff to spend your dough on. Nice staff. Tried to help me out when a crow had lovingly christened my kiddo's just-bought Mickey swim Cover-up.
  
• The Bed. Comfy, comfy, comfy.

The BC "Bad":

• Food offerings at Beach Club CL. Mind you, I understand these are nibbles and not intended as meal replacements. Breakfast was fine. Boiled eggs. Pastries, etc. Same thing every day. They could've gone for a couple of days with cold meats or cheeses to mix it up. The midday snack was the same every day of our stay: "homemade potato chips" with a dip -- greasy and not very nice. The dinner snacks were pretty much the same the entire stay. Not my thing really. It was what it was, just nibbles -- not a meal replacement. The beer and wine were plentiful. Unfortunately, what I'm comparing it to is Poly CL food which was much more interesting/tasty to us.
  
• The Lounge at BC CL. It's just far too small for the amount of people it's servicing. The cast members working the lounge do need to "hover" a bit but only because of the space being so ridiculously small, there's simply no place for one's used dishes to go. So, they come along and take them away promptly.
  
• Beaches & Cream (for food). Didn't find the food offerings particularly great or memorable. See the "Good" section above for the ice cream.
  
• The Marketplace (for food). I made the mistake of trying to get a sandwich from here later in the evening. I wanted the turkey sandwich with cranberry brie spread and bacon. They were out of bacon and the cranberry brie spread. I was waiting for her to say they were out of bread too and still try to sell me the sandwich. LOL. Perhaps I just got them on an off night.
  
• The safe. Oh my, oh my... I'm thinking only Oompa-Loompas can utilize this safe to its fullest potential. Thankfully we didn't have a laptop to try and Tetris in there. Haha.

The BC "Ugly":

• Nothing I can recall. We did have a somewhat "surly" East Coast waitress at Beaches & Cream but she gave us some extra grapes and carrot sticks for the kiddo when we were leaving -- and being an East Coaster myself -- I get the attitude.

Last Part of Our Split Stay: Polynesian Garden View Club Level, Sept. 21st - 25th

We stayed here last year, however, only in a standard garden view room. When we arrived on the 21st, we didn't get the "club level" check-in you read about -- with the club car ride over to the Hawaii longhouse. The woman at the main check-in was efficient and had us on our way quickly, though. We walked over to Hawaii and were greeted by Kathy. Kathy was fabulous. She did some emergency "surgery" on our kiddo's Mickey balloon. Very sweet of her to do this as Mickey was looking a bit sickly.

The "Good" of the Polynesian:

• Club Level Food Offerings. Much nicer and varied selection of snacks (except for breakfast). The sangria/punch drink in the evenings -- gooooood stuff.
  
• Kathy in Concierge. So sweet.
  
• Location. We realized after our only ride on the Resort Monorail, why we preferred to walk over to the TTC to catch the monorail. Walking over to the Grand was nice, too.
  
• The Grounds. Love to stroll around the longhouses. (Much better than perusing the lobby, see below.)
  
• Watching the fireworks from the beach. Can't beat this view for MK fireworks.
  
• The Safe. Bigger. Could fit all our worldly junk and then some. (Pssst, BC?!)

The Poly "Bad":

• The Lobby. I find the changes they've made to the seating area outside of 'Ohana very poor. We sat outside of the Tambu Lounge last year and had a fabulous time drinking and eating appetizers and drinking some more. This year, with the changes to 'Ohana reservation desk and the seating area, it was unpleasant at best at the Tambu Lounge. Loud and not relaxing was how we found the lobby every time we had passed through. Result of it being during "free dining"? The lobby was never quiet... ever.
  
• The Pool. This is a direct result of being thoroughly spoiled by the immense Stormalong Bay. The Volcano Pool just can't compete with that. Unfair maybe -- but there ya go.
  
• The Bed. Old mattress and not comfy, comfy, comfy. Plywood boards sticking out from underneath the bottom of the mattress. Meh.

The Poly "Ugly":

• The CL Guests. I'm sure it's not unique to the Poly nor is it really the resort's fault, however the club level guests here struck me as "overly entitled" to the point where they let their kids run wild up and down the halls and in the lounge, left their dishes on the table and generally were ill-mannered. Old buildings with thin walls, maybe? It doesn't really excuse the kids screaming in the lounge to the point where the Wishes music couldn't be heard, nor the cooler door being left open or the kid who was taking food from the tongs and putting it right into his mouth. Seriously. *shakes head* Uncouth folks are every where, this I get, but they seemed to be in an overflowing abundance in the Hawaii building.

My verdict on the Poly: For us, the Poly was a stellar place to have stayed last year. We were really looking forward to staying again this year. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to our lofty expectations -- and after our wonderful stay at the BC -- we found ourselves disappointed. As much as it pains me to say, I can't say that we'll be booking a stay at the Poly in the future. Now, going over to grab a Lapu Lapu or three is a different matter entirely...

Decisions, Decisions...

In conclusion, when we decide to visit Disney World again, we will most probably book a stay at either the Beach Club or at the Yacht Club. Regarding club level, we more than likely wouldn't bother spending the extra dosh on it. We personally feel it wasn't worth it. There ya have it, the opinions of a former Poly fanatic on both The Beach Club and The Polynesian. And as my dad always says, "You know what they say: Opinions are like a.. *ahem*. Everyone's got 'em." It really does make you realize there's a perfect place for everyone at Disney.

 

[Mississippianna]

Love your review! Thank you so much! Poly lover here, and we're headed to BC next month! Our biggest complaint on the Poly was the uncomfortable beds. I'm definitely encouraged by your review. Now I'm even more excited about the BC!

 

[DLo]

Thanks for posting your detailed review. We stayed BC CL 2 years ago and enjoyed it. You are right about selections . It was our first cl stay so we didn't know any different. we have only stayed std at poly. It is a beautiful resort and we love all the transportation options. (and food options) We are trying YC CL this trip. Can't wait.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

well,...dang! I am in a quandry!! We are the biggest BC lovers out there! (my hubby and I)..we were there last year and so, on this return trip, we were going the Cont-theme park view. Got the free dining offer and that came with a switch to the Poly. Been there twice:first time fabulous!, second time was bleh...finally got myself worked up and excited (kids are ecstatic) and now you have me missing the BC already!!! WOW!! I am calling tomorrow to see if the FD we recieved is available over there..if so, I will have to decide whether or not to disappoint our kiddos, or make us happy! Hopefully they will tell me it's full and i won't be responsible! We are not staying club level though-unless we get an upgrade! You did an awesome job with your review! Thanks so much!

 

[Missoutandabout]

Love your review! Thank you so much! Poly lover here, and we're headed to BC next month! Our biggest complaint on the Poly was the uncomfortable beds. I'm definitely encouraged by your review. Now I'm even more excited about the BC!

Thanks muchly. I hope you love it. We were obviously very pleased with our stay -- enough to change our allegiance (except for the drinks though). The beds are far and away much more comfortable.

Thanks for posting your detailed review. We stayed BC CL 2 years ago and enjoyed it. You are right about selections . It was our first cl stay so we didn't know any different. we have only stayed std at poly. It is a beautiful resort and we love all the transportation options. (and food options) We are trying YC CL this trip. Can't wait.

Most welcome. I'm really leaning toward choosing the YC for our next stay -- whenever that may be. It strikes me as a quieter resort. Though, I'd stay at the BC again in a heartbeat.

 

[HelenParr]

Great resort notes! Thanks for taking the time to update us.

We are YC/BC fans -- but we like to mix it up sometimes. We will probably try Poly CL at some point. I feel like I "need" to try them all. LOL.

 

[Missoutandabout]

well,...dang! I am in a quandry!! We are the biggest BC lovers out there! (my hubby and I)..we were there last year and so, on this return trip, we were going the Cont-theme park view. Got the free dining offer and that came with a switch to the Poly. Been there twice:first time fabulous!, second time was bleh...finally got myself worked up and excited (kids are ecstatic) and now you have me missing the BC already!!! WOW!! I am calling tomorrow to see if the FD we recieved is available over there..if so, I will have to decide whether or not to disappoint our kiddos, or make us happy! Hopefully they will tell me it's full and i won't be responsible! We are not staying club level though-unless we get an upgrade! You did an awesome job with your review! Thanks so much!

Uh-oh, don't hold me responsible! We did really enjoy our stay last year at the Poly, though that was not CL. It was quieter and more relaxed overall: in the non-CL longhouse and in the lobby last year. That said, the BC just hands-down won us over on the peaceful factor, comfort factor (beds) and bodacious pool factor. Hope your decision isn't too difficult!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Uh-oh, don't hold me responsible! We did really enjoy our stay last year at the Poly, though that was not CL. It was quieter and more relaxed overall: in the non-CL longhouse and in the lobby last year. That said, the BC just hands-down won us over on the peaceful factor, comfort factor (beds) and bodacious pool factor. Hope your decision isn't too difficult!

Called and she said BC didn't have availability! so...there ya go!! I requested Tokelau, 3rd floor Hopefully we will get a perfect view and only miss out on that request because they are upgrading us to Club Level. We have never been to the YC..when we go we usually take advantage of the discounts/codes are only offered to the BC. We just loooove being there!

 

[KB24]

nice review, YC and BC are the most underrated Deluxe's IMO.

 

[Missoutandabout]

Called and she said BC didn't have availability! so...there ya go!! I requested Tokelau, 3rd floor Hopefully we will get a perfect view and only miss out on that request because they are upgrading us to Club Level. We have never been to the YC..when we go we usually take advantage of the discounts/codes are only offered to the BC. We just loooove being there!

We loved the location of Tokelau. Hoping you get your request. We were on the 3rd floor there and loved it being a nice walk to the TTC and right near the quiet pool.

 

[DebbyLof428]

Sit right back and you'll hear a tale... or somesuch.



The Poly "Ugly":

• The CL Guests. I'm sure it's not unique to the Poly nor is it really the resort's fault, however the club level guests here struck me as "overly entitled" to the point where they let their kids run wild up and down the halls and in the lounge, left their dishes on the table and generally were ill-mannered. Old buildings with thin walls, maybe? It doesn't really excuse the kids screaming in the lounge to the point where the Wishes music couldn't be heard, nor the cooler door being left open or the kid who was taking food from the tongs and putting it right into his mouth. Seriously. *shakes head* Uncouthe folks are every where, this I get, but they seemed to be in an overflowing abundance in the Hawaii building.

We are Poly lovers and have been going for over 20 years with most visits spent staying CL. I have to agree with you about the screaming kids in the lounge, the huge mess they make and the parents who just don't seem to care I am a person who normally minds her own business, but if we run across some screaming rude children in the lounge this trip, I think I will finally say something to the parents. I just don't get the attitude - teach your kids some manners and maybe actually stay with your children and enforce them. The lounge isn't meant to be an activity center for children. After all, it is my vacation too. Ok, sitting back and waiting for the flames

 

[Minnie&Nana]

Missoutandabout! So good to see you back!

Fantastic and honest reviews - just the style I like!

We've stayed at both BC and Poly and unless you happen to get one of the rare large corner rooms at BC the room size would be 380 sq ft, while Poly Hawaii rooms are 415 sq ft. (Tokelau rooms are 476 sq ft!).

When we walked into our BC room we all repeatedly commented on how much smaller the room was than a Poly room. We've had several Poly stays over the years, but have only stayed in the "newer" bldgs, all with the 476 sq ft rooms.

As for CL - it was really good to read your opinion. I've had very little desire to try CL because other than the special attention at check-in (which I've read does not always happen), most of the offerings are foods I'd never eat and I'd rather pay for a better view in a regular room. ( we have had fabulous views from Tokelau - our first stay Tahiti was not yet built so we had a clear view of the end of the lagoon and Ferries. Other stays we always wind up on the same side - now with a more limited lagoon view, but still wonderful for a GV rate. We can see the monorail in the distance, CR, Ferry boats, hear the horns, and see the top of WL - we really enjoy the balcony in the early morning.

Thanks so much - great reviews!!!

 

[Stitch2244314]

Thanks for the great review! Sounds like you had a good time-- Both resorts are on my list to try!

 

[Missoutandabout]

We are Poly lovers and have been going for over 20 years with most visits spent staying CL. I have to agree with you about the screaming kids in the lounge, the huge mess they make and the parents who just don't seem to care I am a person who normally minds her own business, but if we run across some screaming rude children in the lounge this trip, I think I will finally say something to the parents. I just don't get the attitude - teach your kids some manners and maybe actually stay with your children and enforce them. The lounge isn't meant to be an activity center for children. After all, it is my vacation too. Ok, sitting back and waiting for the flames

Hear, hear. You'll get no flames from me. Mainly, what I was seeing, was a lack of respect and disregard for anyone else on the part of the parents -- as if the lounge was their personal living room. Lots of kids going around unsupervised, etc. Although, with that said, I saw plenty of adults with a good need for some manner lessons.

Missoutandabout! So good to see you back!

Fantastic and honest reviews - just the style I like!

We've stayed at both BC and Poly and unless you happen to get one of the rare large corner rooms at BC the room size would be 380 sq ft, while Poly Hawaii rooms are 415 sq ft. (Tokelau rooms are 476 sq ft!).

When we walked into our BC room we all repeatedly commented on how much smaller the room was than a Poly room. We've had several Poly stays over the years, but have only stayed in the "newer" bldgs, all with the 476 sq ft rooms.

As for CL - it was really good to read your opinion. I've had very little desire to try CL because other than the special attention at check-in (which I've read does not always happen), most of the offerings are foods I'd never eat and I'd rather pay for a better view in a regular room. ( we have had fabulous views from Tokelau - our first stay Tahiti was not yet built so we had a clear view of the end of the lagoon and Ferries. Other stays we always wind up on the same side - now with a more limited lagoon view, but still wonderful for a GV rate. We can see the monorail in the distance, CR, Ferry boats, hear the horns, and see the top of WL - we really enjoy the balcony in the early morning.

Thanks so much - great reviews!!!

Christine! Helloooooooo!

Regarding the room size, our room was on a corner; are these normally bigger? All I had to compare it with was my parents' room right next door (non-corner) which had no daybed -- it was much bigger than theirs. Not sure about the Poly room, though the BC one seemed bigger -- it could be due to the difference in colour schemes between the two: the darker Poly woods and browns with the white-washed BC theme.

I'm so with ya on not spending the dough on CL but putting it toward a better view. It was definitely nice to get the pixie dust upgrade but I'd not book CL for us again.

 

[DT83097]

Have to agree about going CL again - we've already discussed and decided next time we will just do garden grocer again and save the money. I love the Poly resort for its location and the grounds are absolutely beautiful and we love to just walk around but the CL just wasn't worth it to us - but you never know until you try it!

We also did not get the CL greeting that i read about on here - in fairness had I not read about all the experiences on the DIS I would have been perfectly fine with our check in experience but when you research and read all the reviews you kind of expect a similar experience and they just didnt deliver for us - hope to give a more thoroug review this weekend for all my Poly peeps who shard with me!

 

[mlittig]

Thanks for such detailed, honest and fair reviews I enjoyed your posts

 

[chimo2u]

Welcome back glad to hear you had a good trip! Arghhh, your review made me sad, I was looking forward to trying POLY club level on my trip next October. Now I am slightly concerned sad to hear it didn't live up to your hopes. I was the opposite last yr. My son and I gave up our POLY ressie to stay BC CL in Feb....I left feeling underwhelmed and missing our family favourite resort....AKL CL.
This time I was leaning towards keeping my ressie at the POLY as I need the 3 sleeping arrangements....I would do Boardwalk Inn Deluxe room, but that is quite a bit more costly than my current Poly reservation.
I don't want uncomfortable beds, loud rude neighbors and unruly lounge experience though.... Oh my, now I have a yr. To my trip and maybe my resort choice is not as settled as I had hoped

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

[*]The Lounge at BC CL. It's just far too small for the amount of people it's servicing. The cast members working the lounge do need to "hover" a bit but only because of the space being so ridiculously small, there's simply no place for one's used dishes to go. So, they come along and take them away promptly.

The BC CL Cast Members hovering over us is one of the many reasons my family and I hated the Beach Club and when they did that we honestly felt uncomftorable. I realize their job is to clear the plates and etc off the tables, however I feel like they should stand by the doors and not in the food area.

 

[Missoutandabout]

We also did not get the CL greeting that i read about on here - in fairness had I not read about all the experiences on the DIS I would have been perfectly fine with our check in experience but when you research and read all the reviews you kind of expect a similar experience and they just didnt deliver for us - hope to give a more thoroug review this weekend for all my Poly peeps who shard with me!

This reminds me of how different our check-in and concierge experiences were between the Beach Club and the Polynesian.

At the Beach Club, we were escorted up to the 5th floor by the woman who checked us in downstairs at the concierge desk. When we arrived upstairs, we were greeted by the CL concierge and given our anniversary pins. When we were there as my parents checked in there on the 5th floor (instead of in the lobby like us), we were offered a glass of wine. We were always greeted in the mornings and asked how our days were in the evenings or had one of the concierge tell us "Happy Anniversary" as we passed by the elevators. The overall vibe from the cast members was warm and friendly. The entire resort, even in its busiest moments, was laid-back and inviting which was reflected in the attitudes of the staff.

At the Poly, after checking in at the lobby we walked over to Hawaii ourselves. We sat down with Kathy in the Hawaii concierge; she was great. After a snafu with our room keys not working, she walked up to our room to make sure we got in. Other than Kathy, who was a sweetheart, the rest of the concierge staff couldn't be more different from what we encountered at the BC. The word which comes to mind is "stand-offish" and I can only speculate that perhaps some of this vibe is a result of being badgered constantly by guests; we saw this happening quite a bit to both the concierge and lounge staff.

Anyway, it was interesting how very different both experiences were.

 

[WDWKOOK]

But, the big question is: How many Lapu Lapus did you scrape?

Thank you for posting your Clint Eastwood-esque review. You may recall that prior to our last trip, I canceled our BC Deluxe Room in favor of staying at the WL/CL, and after checking-in at the WL, I canceled our 8-night Poly/CL split and extended WL/CL. So... I obviously have my own personal BC/Poly misgivings and some of my reasons overlap with what you experienced.

All was not lost for you, however. The upgrade was free and you can look at it as a great way to know that you wouldn't want to pay OOP in the future for CL at the BC. No harm, no foul.

So what are your plans for your next WDW trip?