We're taking our 3 year old DD to WDW for the first time and don't know which of these hotels to pick. WL is much cheaper, but we like the idea of being on the monorail, but since none of us has ever been to DW were stuck. Which do you guys think is the best and why? Thanks!
Of the three you listed, our choice would be the Poly, hands-down! Great views across the lagoon, exotic/fun theming, great dining choices, and perhaps the most transportation options of any WDW resort (monorail, boat, bus, walk to TTC).
I'd have to say the Poly, and aside from being a fanboy here are my reasons given your situation: It's on the monorail and the convenience of that can't be beat, especially if you want to be able to get back and forth to your room quickly. It's the cheaper of the two resorts you've chosen on the monorail. It's not "Hotelly" The outdoor walkways and lush theming really immerse you in the feel of the islands, much nicer than walking through endless hallways to get to your room. It's right next to the TTC, a short walk to the Epcot monorail. Whatever you choose, I hope you have a magical, wonderful experience!
Having stayed at both the WL and the Poly, I will say that they are both awesome resorts . We haven't experienced the GF yet but are booked for our first stay there in July. The WL is great because it's all under one roof, the resort is beautiful, great pool, and has convenient boat service to/from the MK . The Poly, on the other hand, has the monorail, great pool, the beach to watch the fireworks, and the rooms are bigger . As a pp said, the Poly is the cheaper of the 2 monorail resorts you mentioned, with the WL being cheaper than the Poly and GF. As much as we love the WL, I must say that the monorail is a huge plus . If you're looking for ease of transportation and the cost is affordable, my suggestion would be to go with either the GF or the Poly to be on the monorail . Good luck deciding and have a great trip .
I would vote for the WL. We loved it. As the PP mentioned the boat to MK is a nice, relaxing way, to go. Everyting under one roof ( great in bad weather!). Rooms are beautiful and since there are 3 of you the size is fine. Housekeeping was great! The buses were fine, never waited too long. The lobby, grounds, pool all beautiful!! Roaring Forks had great quick service and Artist Point is great, too! Since the cost is quite a bit lower, I feel you would get a much better value for your money!! We recently stayed at both WL and BC, and my four year old is still talking (only) about WL! good luck deciding!
I would recommend the monorail if you dont mind the cost of the Poly or the GF. When our DD was in a stroller, it was so nice to be able to wheel it onto the monorail with her napping inside it. We didn't have to disturb her like we would have on a bus or some of the boat transports. That alone was priceless for us. As for the Poly vs. the GF, we've only stayed at the GF. While we really liked it there, we're trying the Poly for our next trip. I would say just pick whichever theme you think your family will enjoy more, then go for a meal at the other one and check it out, too! Really, I dont think you'll go wrong with any of your three choices. WL is beauiful, just a bit less convenient. Have a wonderful vacation!
Wilderness Lodge! We took our daughter when she was three (our son, who was 18 months at the time, was with us, too), and I chose Wilderness Lodge for several reasons: *to our preschoolers, the boat ride to and from the Magic Kingdom is just as much of a thrill as any attraction within the parks *there are live bunnies hopping around the grounds, close enough to touch * the giant, sweeping cavern of a lobby quite literally take your breath away, even if you're three. It really is THAT stunning and THAT different from what you see in your every-day life. Also, it absorbs noise and distributes people well, whereas I find the other resorts (particularly the Polynesian) to be loud and cramped and kind of frantic. Regardless of how many times they renovate the other Magic-Kingdom resorts, the same basic structure of smaller, twisty-turny lobbies remains, because that's how hotels were designed in the 1970s. Wilderness Lodge is the newest Magic-Kingdom resort. For the price of some rooms at the other Magic Kingdom resort, you can get a "deluxe room" at Wilderness Lodge. A "deluxe room" is like a double-room-plus. Not a suite, but it has a little sitting room outside of the area with the beds, so you can put your preschooler to sleep and shut the bedroom door while you watch TV or relax on the couch with the lights on without disturbing them. This room (around $550 per night during the low season) also allows you access to the concierge's suite, which means breakfast buffet, light lunch buffet and pretty substantial heavy au d'oerves (sp?) at dinner time, all INCLUDED in the price of your room. There is private seating in a balcony area for this, with kids tables near a TV showing Disney cartoons and grown-up tables with newspapers. We ate breakfast AND dinner (hey, heavy au d'oerves go a long way with us!) in the concierge's suite every night, and only had lunch in the parks, except for our one Princess Dinner. What we spent for the room we helped make up for with included meals from the concierge's suite. When you have preschoolers who aren't much for waiting for waiter-service meals and who eat like birds to begin with, a quick dinner in the concierge's suite is wonderful. (They have kid-friendly food every night.) The grown-up buffet changes nightly, too, and beer and wine are included as well. The breakfast is more than danishes and cold cereal, and it's so nice to have the kids eat at the small table and watch cartoons (something we would never allow at home) while we sip lattes and read the paper before we embark on the parks. Just an idea.... Hope you enjoy a magical trip. We are headed to Wilderness Lodge in less than a month, our second visit. We have also stayed at Saratoga Springs and Port Orleans.
The boat from Wilderness Lodge is relaxing, but quite slow. All other transport there is by bus. On the other hand, Polynesian is on the monorail (within walking distance to TTC for monorail to MK or Epcot), but it also has a boat to MK that's not only relaxing but also faster than the WL boat. Another vote for Polynesian. Monorail and theme are truly fantastic.
Go with your heart. It's your first trip and it should be everything you dream. Your 3 year old won't mind where you stay. Wl is fabulous! Just take your breath away gorgeous. Gf is wonderful too but I don't like it as much as WL. Poly, if someone offered me a free trip and it included the Poly, I'd refuse it and that is no joke.
Our family has stayed at all three, so I'll give you my 2 cents. WL-- pros: Lobby is incredible!! Overall theme of resort is top notch, down to the littlest details. cons: While the boat ride to MK is relaxing, we felt like it took too long. Standard room size is smaller at WL than at Poly or GF. GF-- pros: Very ornate decor, beautiful. Service was wonderful. Loved all the shops!! Character meal on premises. cons: Felt a bit too formal for me. I was uncomfortable going from my room(we were in the main building) to the pool in my swimsuit. I thought I was underdressed for the atmosphere. Poly-- pros: Zero entry pool is nice with a 3 year old. Flowers, flowers, flowers! They are everywhere, and they are beautiful!! Transportation options are the best! cons: Choose the location of your room carefully. In the rain, it can seem like a very long walk from the GCH to your longhouse. All this being said, we are a Poly family. But that's what is so great about Disney. There is literally something for everyone!! Enjoy your trip, wherever you stay!
Poly! I have stayed at both WL and the Poly with one of my girls being 3 at each resort. Just the simple fact of not having to collapse the stroller one more time the Poly gets my vote hands down. This past August we were at the WL (which I love BTW!), and we only rode the boat that you could wheel a stroller onto 1 time out of about 10 or more times. At the Poly, if you get a garden view room, ask for the Tokelau building, since it is equidistant from the GCH and TTC. And the fact that you get direct transport via monorail to Epcot without transferring from 1 monorail line to the other is a big bonus. One word of caution about the Poly - not all rooms have balconies, so if that is important to you, make sure it is noted in your ressie! Good luck and enjoy your trip! That's whe the Disney magic REALLY shines - through the eyes of a young child!
Last 2 trips have been at WL and Poly. I would choose WL by a long shot. I could list all the reasons, but I can sum it up a lot easier. If I had paid the same amount at WL that I paid at Poly, I would still have felt it was worth it. Even if I paid at Poly what I paid at WL, I still would have felt ripped off. In other words, the Poly is not worth the money they get. Not even close.
GF. We have stayed there three years in a row and my children love it. I asked them if they wanted to stay at a different hotel next time. They said NO. We visited the WL. The lobby is dark and has a closed in feeling. The pool area is has a closed in feeling. The boat to MK is very slow. This hotel is not on the monorail. The Poly is nice, but not like the GF. Lobby is very noisy. The GF is just beautiful. The lobby is huge!!! I don't feel that it is very formal. I have walked through the lobby with my bathing suit and have not felt uncomfortable. Here, you are on the monorial, boat and you can get a bus to the different park. The rooms at the GF are bigger than the WL and the Poly. You can spread out a bit more here. Hope this helps!
FTR - Not completely accurate. The standard rooms at 3 of the Poly longhouses are larger than standard rooms at GF.
We've logged 41 trips to WDW, and have stayed once at GF, not to our liking, long walks to main building and pool but depends on your room location, same at the Poly, have stayed there quite a few times. As for transportation, everyones loves the monorail but we've encountered packed cars and had to stand more often then sitting and have used the boat more and to us seemed faster. Our favorite of all mentioned is WL, last 10 trips have been here. Bottom line and biggest bang for our buck, the lodge boat to the MK is fast and a nice ride, everyone sits, no standing, the pool is better than the Poly, seems bigger more seating and tables and a big plus, WL gets less visitors for beach and pool viewing. I'll take the room cost savings and stay longer than the bucks they get at the Poly and GF in a heart beat. We boat to CR and get the monorail to EPCOT its a breeze and nice to stroll CR and the boat from WL to FW is fantastic, horse barn and some of the best buffet on property at Trails End. Everyone has their likes and dislikes but for the money and staying longer in a deluxe we're WL confirmed.
We have stayed at GF (1 day only) and the Polynesian (2 trips) and we definitely prefer the Polynesian. The theming is definitely more to our taste. Also, we like to park our own car, and the self-parking lot at GF is so far away you wish the monorail stopped there. If cost is a concern then I might go Wilderness Lodge, otherwise, Poly all the way.
