Which resort?

[lomillerin]

Which resort?

 

[ConcKahuna]

The bed layout at the Poly would probably work well. DS could take his own bed and DD could take the daybed (or visa-versa). The rooms have been fully remodeled, so the interiors are not outdated as they used to be. The buildings are modeled after a traditional Polynesian style of "longhouses."

Google Tikiman and Polynesian for Tikiman's site. He's got LOTS of pics.

 

[kujoman]

I would do the Poly. First, it is a very nice place, particularly post-renovation. Also, I think they have the best food of any resort (love Kona Cafe and Ohana). Lastly, there is nothing like staying on a monorail line. It will be a great comparison for you between that and BC with the "back-door" into Epcot.

 

[tiggersmyguy]

We have stayed at both Poly and YC. For our family, DH,DD17,DD13, and myself, YC wins hands down. Our family liked Poly but thought it was just OK. We LOVE the YC. Being able to walk to Epcot and MGM (yes, we walked to MGM twice in June!). My girls thought SAB was fun but they loved the quiet pool at YC. Most times we were the only ones there! And being able to soak in the hot tub at 10:00 at night after walking back from Illuminations is awesome.

 

[simonkodousek]

I think your kids will like both resorts, but I would go with the Polynesian. IMO, it has excellent dining options, and the rooms are tastefully decorated.

 

[Hopefully]

We have done both and both and totally enjoyed both, for different reasons.
If you have little ones (you don't) I think being on the Monorail is wonderful. It is very convenient for an afternoon rest/nap. And the Poly is beautiful. The new rooms are very pretty and they are larger than the YC/BC
However, we love the Epcot Resorts location. We love being able to walk to Epcot and MGM. We really like SAB and Hurricane Hannah's for a cold beverage while we are at the pool.
My choice would be the Beach Club.

 

[Disneychix]

I love the YC and BC for location. I love walking around the BW area and of course right to EPCOT. But I do not enjoy the big pool being right out in the open for all to see.
If you've never done the Poly now's your chance! Don't worry about the hot tub, just bring your bath salts and fill up the tub after a long day in the parks!

 

[ducklite]

Some pros and cons...

The rooms at the Polynesian feel substantially larger than the Y/BC rooms.

The bathrooms at the Polynesian don't have the split plan, the sink is in teh same room with the toilet and shower.

All Polynesian rooms have a daybed that is a standard twin, so very comfy for all but very tall or large guests.

Not all Y/BC rooms have day beds. Some of the day beds are smaller than a standard twin, more like a loveseat in length.

All Y/BC rooms have the split bathroom with the sinks in a dressing area outside.

All YC rooms have a full balcony.

99% of BC rooms have a balcony, but only half are full, some are small standing only balconies.

About 25% of Polynesian rooms have no balcony at all.

You can walk to Epcot and MGM from the Y/BC. You take a bus for AK and MK.

You can take a monorail to the MK and Epcot from the Polynesian. You take a bus to AK and MGM. (I personally think that the monorail to Epcot from the GF/PR/CR is a long process and I'd prefer a direct bus, JMHO)

At the Polynesian you will find three dining options, Ohana which is almost impossible to get into without an ADR, the Kona Cafe, and Captain Cooks counter service. You can take a 10-15 minute walk to the GF for fins dining at V&A's or Citrico's, as well as Narcooses which is probably the most family friendly of the WDW Signature restaurants. There is also 1900 Park Fare which usually requires an ADR and the GF Cafe, plus a counter service restaurant. A quick monorail ride takes you to the MK or Contemporary for additional dining.

At the Y/BC you'll find fine dining at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, family dining at the Yacht Club Galley, an old fashioned ice cream shoppe atmosphere at Beaches and Cream, and some "counter service" at the gift shop at the BC and the pool bar. A five minute walk to Epcot gives you ESPN, the Big River Brewing Company, the Flying Fish, Spoodles, and the Boardwalk Bakery. At the Swan and Dolphin you'll find another six or seven restuarants including Blue Zoo (fantastic upscale!), and a place to get Starbucks in the morning. You can also walk into Epcot and have all of the world showcase restaurants available.

One nice thing about the Y/BC is that it's all self-contained under one roof. At the Polynesian, if the weather is bad you're going to get drenched. At the Y/BC you can get to the lobby or restaurants without getting wet. That's something to keep in mind.

SAB is a fantastic pool, the main pool at the Polynesian is nice, but I love the lazy river, and they don't ahve one of those. Both get jam packed during the warmer months.

Any of them is a great choice, and I'd think about which park you are planning on spending the most time in.

 

[frdeb1999]

I agree with everything ducklite says. We have tried quite a few resorts and still the Poly is our favorite. Our kids absolutely love it. The monorail for us is a huge plus. And we love being able to see the water parade and fireworks from the beach without having the hassle of having to get back to another resort after. Everyone has their opinions and favorites for their own reasons. We love to try other resorts from time to time just for a change. Only you can decide....but I think you and your family will be very happy if you do choose the Poly!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Dh and I did a split stay this past Oct, 4 nights at YC first then 4 nights at Poly. He has always wanted to stay at the Poly but I could not get the consecutive dates and I really wanted to be close to Epcot for the F&W stuff so we split it (which is a super easy thing to do if you have your own car)

The YC has a very nice and quiet lobby, we had a ground floor room with a view of the gazebo and water (we watched a nice little wedding ceremony) and is just a step from the quiet pool and spa (where we were the only ones at the pool for our entire stay, seriously no one else was ever out there) and the gift shop. We had a nice quiet breakfast at the YC Galley and could easily walk to BC and BW and Epcot. (BC was total chaos by they way, hoards of families everywhere).

We switched to Poly mid stay and the check in area was LOADED with people and the noise level was out of control. You could not hear what the CM's were saying to you at the check in desk. They did present you with a pretty lei and made you feel very welcome. The gift shop was awesome! No hot tubs and the 2 pools were swarmed with people at all times and the noise level at the pools was crazy. The beach area was packed too so we went to the quieter (but not by much) pool and found a little corner to sit at. The CS place was always packed and when we went to the monorail or Kona the amount of people you had to manuever around was crazy and the noise was nuts. What was very nice was on a few nights they had a Hawaiian singer who was fantasic. Our room had a pretty view of the marina.

To compare the rooms the YC was bigger, had a bigger bathroom with a private shower and toilet area, double sinks and were really nice and bright. The Poly had a very tight bathroom with one sink and mirror and had a much darker ambiance.

If we go back for a weekend we would go to the Poly but for longer stay it is YC all the way!

 

[ConcKahuna]

It's funny you should say the rooms are bigger at YC. YC standard rooms are 400 sq ft. PR standard rooms are mostly 404 sq ft (the rooms in Tokelau/Tahiti/Rapa Nuie are 50 sq ft more).

I've seen both check in areas swamped, it just depends on the day of the week and time of day. They are both great resorts though

 

[B3LLE]

I would go Poly. I love the Polynesian. I've been there about 3 times. The rooms are decorated nicely, the decor overall is beautiful, and the monorail factor is a nice treat as well. The restaurants are also very nice. I like Kona Cafe for a nice bite to eat if you can't get into O'Hana. The shops are also a nice way to pass the time. Plus you can get quick access to the Transportation and Ticket Center which has connecting monorails to Epcot and other Disney theme parks.

 

[lomillerin]

Wow! Lots of good information to think about. I am still unsure, but leaning towards YC.