Want to try something different with our Poly stay.

[Roveer]

We are looking at our 08 disney trip for late april this year and I'm looking at arriving april 20th and leaving on the 26th. (6 nights).

We usually stay Poly because of the monorail. We've got 4 kids 1,3,6&9 so being close to the hotel can be a plus. We do just about anything to stay off the busses.

We've been doing Poly/GF for the past 5-6 years and while I still want to do poly this year, I'd like to see something different. I'm thinking about possibly a villas over by boardwalk/yaght/beach club, but no very little about it.

I'm thinking 2 nights over there and 4 nights at Poly. Any suggestions?

Would staying in a villa be similar or "same" as DVC as we've been considering that as well.

Any input would be appreciated.

Regards,

Roveer

 

[rlk]

I can't help you with the villa question, but like you, our family has stayed at Poly on our past trips. This May I decided to try Beach Club to change things up, but I'm a little nervous about the change I think my boys who will be 6 & 7 at the time will really enjoy Storm Along Bay. We also have them booked for the Pirate Cruise out of the YC.

Good luck deciding. Whatever you decide, I'm sure you'll have a great time.

 

[40-Something Kid]

All of the villas are DVC properties. Non-members, like you and me, can book available rooms through the regular resort reservations phone line (407)W-DISNEY--I don't know about internet booking for DVC. Discounts are sometimes available to non-members, but April might not be one of those times. DVC members get limited housekeeping, and non-members get regular hotel housekeeping service.

During 2 separate 2007 vacations I stayed at DVC properties, and had completely opposite experiences. First, in August, we were at Boardwalk Villas. That was a wonderful resort--well-kept, fun, with a walking path and a boat for both Disney Studios and EPCOT. That no-bus experience for 2 parks might be an advantage for you. You probably know you need a 2-bedroom villa for your nice-sized family.

Secondly, I stayed at Saratoga Springs DVC resort during a really busy time in November---Super Soap Weekend/Food & Wine Festival/ Veterans Day. There was nothing else available. So we spent $400/night/per 1-bedroom villa, thank you very much, and it was HORRIBLE! Not special, not Disney-like, not well-kept, not close to anything. We had rental cars, but I can only imagine what a nuisance the bus would have been. We rode bikes to Old Key West, and that resort is also not Disney-close and does not look Disney-special, in my opinion.

So, my suggestion is---Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Villas definitely rock, and you can save your Disney and EPCOT visits for that part of your trip. They are not cheap, but since you are staying at the Poly, maybe that's not a problem. Wilderness Lodge Villas look wonderful and woodsy (also great for biking!), but park transportation is also limited to boat and bus. AKL Villas, also new, look great for that part of the world. But no dreaded SSR or OKW. Please, don't do it!!!!

 

[Roveer]

Thanks for the great information. Based on everything I've seen and my own research I was thinking right along the lines of what you were suggesting. Boardwalk villa's for epcot/studio. Tonight I brought it up to my wife and she was in agreement. Yes it's expensive, and yes we'd need a 2 bedroom villa, but in a way it would give us a preview of DVC if we ever decided to go that route. We are very careful to position ourselves in the right properties so that transportation does not become an issue or cast a cloud over our stay.

We used to stay a night at the nickolodian hotel but they are pretty expensive, so I think we'll just put that money into a villa stay, enjoy the resourt and be close to epcot/studio for 2 nights. Wilderness lodge is great but for some reason my wife doesn't like the motif. Transportation to this hotel is non-existant. We visited one year and decided to watch how often busses came, 30-40 minutes, and the boat could be 40 minutes as well. Disney really needs to consider extending the monorail to open some of these properties up. Also, what gives with the contemporary? Seems to be the most expensive at times. Not my cup of tea

Unfortunatly I'm not seeing ANY discounts for our april stay, if anyone knows anything different, please post. Also, has anyone had any better luck calling disney vs booking on-line? I'm an on-line booker, but I have to say my wife has gotten better rates calling and having a real conversation with someone who might have a better way to book the trip. Last year I had an similar experience where I was 5 days at WDW then on a DCL 4 day cruise and back to WDW for 2 days. I was ready to buy part tickets twice and pay a premium for 2 seperate purchases. The CM booked the extra days on the original order since you have so many days to use your tickets and the additional days were only a few $$ more when added to the original tickets. I probably saved 300-400 bucks by talking to the CM.

Roveer

 

[mericletwins]

If I were you I would stay at the BCV over BWV because of your kids and the pool. The pool has something for your olders and your littles. There is a very shallow part that has a sand bar for your little ones to play in and build sand castles. There is also a big slide for your older two. We have stayed at the BCV twice in April and absolutely loved it. In fact, one stay we fit our park time in around the pool time instead of the reverse. I have to say for myself that there is nothing like walking around in that sand bottomed pool. It is like getting a massage on your feet.
We are leaving Monday and we are also doing a split stay, but the reverse of your family. We wanted to try something different also. However, we couldn't tear ourselves away from the Beach Club so we are doing the bulk of our stay at the BC and then switching to the Poly for a few nights.