The struggle is real... Poly ferry horn noise

[CheetoGuido]

We just got back from our 1st DVC visit to WDW. We have LOVED the Poly for almost a decade, always making ADRs there and staying there once before. Now that we own DVC we jumped at the chance to stay at the Poly again. We were a bit disappointed in the monorails that never worked in the morning to get to MK and EP. This problem was compounded when the cast members gave misinformation as to how to get to MK, opposite of the bus drivers at the bus stop. We ended up just getting a taxi both times.

BF & Dinner at Ohana & Kona Cafe felt rushed and the food was a notch below what it used be. Our meat skewers cold, eggs a strange consistency and quality of steak at Kona was questionable. They did sit us down promptly every time and that was definitely helpful when you are tired or a schedule to stick to.

I have a hard time sleeping in hotels and the ferry horn blasting all night kept me up for hours. I had read other dvc'ers report this problem and thought it was impossible, but alas no, it is real and it is every 20 minutes. The walls must be made of cardboard because one night a family below us on the 1st floor let their children run amok in the grassy area in front of their room from midnight to over 1 am. They were screaming wildly and it literally sounded like they were playing tag in our balcony. It was awful.

I really love the Poly so I was a bit surprised to end up coming away from our trip that we might prefer elsewhere and in addition, I think we would prefer a 1 bedroom instead of a studio. The Poly location is definitely a WIN if the monorail is actually running in the morning. And we loved having 2 showers. The room decor was nice too. But having to walk to another building for laundry was hard. Real world problems, i know. It is just that after a couple of days at WDW in the summer, you just don't want to have to take any extra step that is not absolutely necessary . Oh and the new pool was really nice, not crowded and the hot tub was amazing for aching sore feet.

We were in Tokelau, 3rd floor, facing Moorea, near the MK end (closer to lagoon). We had a great view, could see MK. But maybe further from the lagoon is better if you are a light sleeper and the ferry horn will bother you. It does a double toot every time it approaches the TTC.

Everything else was great.

 

[EvilDrPorkchop21]

You took a Taxi from Poly to MK? Thats crummy about the monorail. Staying the Poly is on my list of to do's, but everything I hear it sounds like its not worth the points. I'm glad everything else was great though!

 

[CheetoGuido]

You took a Taxi from Poly to MK? Thats crummy about the monorail. Staying the Poly is on my list of to do's, but everything I hear it sounds like its not worth the points. I'm glad everything else was great though!

Actually the taxi took us to the contemporary and from their we walked to MK. The cast member told us to take a bus to the TTC to then get on the ferry to MK. It was faster to pay a taxi $6. Heck it would also be faster to have walked from our room to the TTC, then taken the ferry but of course we didn't know the monorail was having a late start instead of the 7 am schedule.

 

[EvilDrPorkchop21]

Actually the taxi took us to the contemporary and from their we walked to MK. The cast member told us to take a bus to the TTC to then get on the ferry to MK. It was faster to pay a taxi $6. Heck it would also be faster to have walked from our room to the TTC, then taken the ferry but of course we didn't know the monorail was having a late start instead of the 7 am schedule.

Ahh okay that makes sense, for a second I thought I was missing some inside secret. It sounds silly, but in the moment I'd probably spend the $6 to avoid the ferry as well. Was the monorail down every morning of your trip?

 

[DizBub]

The cast member told us to take a bus to the TTC to then get on the ferry to MK.

Bad advice from the CM since the walk between the Poly and TTC is quite short especially from the DVC end of the resort. Do buses even go from the Poly to TTC?

OP, sorry to hear you had a less than great time during your Poly stay. Hope you give it another try sometime in the future.

 

[CheetoGuido]

Ahh okay that makes sense, for a second I thought I was missing some inside secret. It sounds silly, but in the moment I'd probably spend the $6 to avoid the ferry as well. Was the monorail down every morning of your trip?

Well we only tried to use the Resort monorail twice to MK, and both times it was having a "late" start and when asked when the monorail would start, the transportation cast member was not helpful and responded "I told you, 7 am but it is having a late start". At this point it was already 7:30, I guess in the end, he didn't know and didn't want to say he didn't know what time it would run.
The one time we walked to the TTC for the Epcot monorail, we were just too early I guess. They had a bus ready to go that we took instead. EP opened at 9 am and I believe we were arrived at the TTC at 8 am, and they said it wouldn't start running until 8:30 which I thought was crazy late.

 

[CheetoGuido]

Bad advice from the CM since the walk between the Poly and TTC is quite short especially from the DVC end of the resort. Do buses even go from the Poly to TTC?

OP, sorry to hear you had a less than great time during your Poly stay. Hope you give it another try sometime in the future.

I am not sure if they always do, but they did have a TTC bus come to the bus stop & the bus driver explained the ferry. I realized how long it was going to take in the end and opted for the taxi.

In reality we had a great time, they were small misses that in the end slowly added up but I would not say I would never come back to the Poly; nor would I in any way, say it ruined our trip. We very much enjoyed ourselves, we just learned a few things along the way. I knew going in there were some monorail issues and I had read about the complaints on the ferry horns, so nothing new to me. We still love Disney and we are so happy to be DVC members. Our discount worked every where, we enjoyed the new lounge at EP. We really felt re-affirmed by our DVC membership and it didn't feel bad leaving because we know we will be back to WDW. YAY!

 

[hakepb]

We were recently also on the 3rd floor of Tokelau (but further from the lagoon, facing the BBQ pavilion) I only, faintly, heard the ferry horn a few times when the A/C wasn't running. If it was a bigger issue for us, I would have checked if there was a "fan constant on" option with the A/C.


I'm sure it helped that I had buildings blocking a direct path.

 

[mommacat56]

Was the smaller shuttle boat not working? It stops at the Poly, Grand Floridian, and MK. I'm not sure if it stops at the Contemporary any more. I would take that before the monorail. And, YES, the ferry horn is awful! I don't own at the Poly and won't ever due to that racket (and the high point usage)!

 

[Disney_traveler]

I highly recommend you voice all of these issues to customer services/guest relations. Even now. They don't know what to,fix if they aren't repeatedly told.

 

[officer tigger]

We had a lake view studio last year and were close to the ferry's. I heard the horn EVERY TIME they went off, however my wife and kids did not. They slept through it all night, every night.

 

[Harlemgirl720]

The smaller boat should've been working. That was the only way we went from MK to Poly and vice versa.

 

[JWG]

We were in Pago Pago (3rd floor facing the lake / away from the parking lot) this past January and never heard a thing from our room.