WL or Poly Villas for a First Timer?

[Irish_Mike]

Hi all!

Currently in the beginning stages of planning a Disney trip (6 nights) for next fall with my partner, who hasn't been since he was a kid in the early 2000s and thus we are treating this as his first time ever. I've been plenty of times, so he's tasked me with really planning a bulk of the trip and just getting his input when necessary. Since we're so far out, right now I'm looking primarily at the hotel part. Since we're two men in our late 20s, and because he isn't a super hardcore Disney fan, he's gravitated towards the deluxe resorts (and ideally DVC properties) for more of an upscale feel, amenities and restaurants.

Right now, we're on a DVC rental waitlist for a studio at the Poly based on his input, but I'm also intrigued by the Wilderness Lodge studios (both Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge). I've never stayed in either but love the aesthetic of the lodge, along with the restaurants and "Not in the middle of everything" feel. The Poly wins points for the double bathrooms, being right on the monorail and for Trader Sams.

Since I feel like I'm going in circles, I figured I'd come to you trusted experts for some insight. Any preferences or thoughts as to which of these two villas would be better for a first time, not-super hardcore Disney but wants a more upscale hotel visitor? Or is there another hotel on property that might be better?

 

[peabody58]

For a first time experience, I would go with the Poly DVC. More upscale than WL, has the monorail, view of the MK, great eateries and larger villas.

 

[CrystalClear82]

Im partial to WL bc i prefer more of a staycation. That being said if you want to be in the heart of it... Poly is the way to go.. IMO

 

[Willow1213]

If that trip is over the holidays, Wilderness Lodge wins hands down for the Christmas tree in the lobby! Honestly you can't go wrong with either, but I would steer clear of Boulder Ridge until it is finished with a much needed refurb. The rooms are looking a bit rough on the DVC side since they didn't see the same reno the hotel side did during COVID closures.

 

[Marthasor]

Hi all!

Currently in the beginning stages of planning a Disney trip (6 nights) for next fall with my partner, who hasn't been since he was a kid in the early 2000s and thus we are treating this as his first time ever. I've been plenty of times, so he's tasked me with really planning a bulk of the trip and just getting his input when necessary. Since we're so far out, right now I'm looking primarily at the hotel part. Since we're two men in our late 20s, and because he isn't a super hardcore Disney fan, he's gravitated towards the deluxe resorts (and ideally DVC properties) for more of an upscale feel, amenities and restaurants.

Right now, we're on a DVC rental waitlist for a studio at the Poly based on his input, but I'm also intrigued by the Wilderness Lodge studios (both Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge). I've never stayed in either but love the aesthetic of the lodge, along with the restaurants and "Not in the middle of everything" feel. The Poly wins points for the double bathrooms, being right on the monorail and for Trader Sams.

Since I feel like I'm going in circles, I figured I'd come to you trusted experts for some insight. Any preferences or thoughts as to which of these two villas would be better for a first time, not-super hardcore Disney but wants a more upscale hotel visitor? Or is there another hotel on property that might be better?

For location alone, I would do Poly. You will have easy access to everything on the monorail, making it super easy to get to MK and all of the restaurants and lounges that GF and CR have, plus a walking path to TTC making it super easy to get on the monorail to EP. CCV is lovely (don't stay at BRV until they renovate the rooms!), but you will have limited dining options and just the boat to MK with buses everywhere else. If he really wants a more upscale experience, see if Villas at Grand Floridian is available - it terms of the quality of the rooms, it blows all the other DVC properties out of the water, IMHO.

 

[jppeek]

I will start off with I’m very biased because I have always loved the Poly! Out of our 30 something trips to Disney our Poly stays have been our favorites! The vibe just makes me feel like I’ve escaped the world from the second I walk in that lobby.

Little background my wife and I like to do the park for a few hours in the morning and sometimes come back in the evening but we are big on chill/unwind time. Also love making things easy and simple/little thought required once we are there!

I Love the inside and outside part of trader sams, great places to grab some of the best drinks in Disney and just kick back and relax. Kona is our favorite breakfast spot, and we would always do one night at Ohana and one night through room service (not sure if this is an option again though).

We enjoy the signature dinning and bars at Grand Floridian / Contemporary which is a quick and very convenient monorail ride away. We are not bus people, (many vacation killer moments have been because of buses lol) so having the convenience of the monorail is huge for us.

Monorail to magic kingdom is super easy, plus I love that I can walk to the transportation center and get the monorail to epcot instead of having to transfer.

So for us, we found that poly helped us really relax and have an incredible time. Saves time on transportation, tons of great options for food/drink on property but so many more on the monorail line and the vibe makes you really feel like your on vacation! Hope this helps and no matter where you decide you guys have the most amazing trip!

 

[Dug720]

For me, Poly hands-down.

I know I'm in the vast minority, but I don't get the appeal of PNW themeing when you're on vacation in Florida. Just go to the PNW. (At least Florida is kind of semi-tropical so palm trees and the like fit.)

Even if I were interested, I'd stay away from Boulder Ridge at the moment. It looks really dated and is supposedly up for refurb at some point, but until then, if you're going with WL I'd pick Copper Creek.

 

[Marionnette]

BRV is scheduled for a refurb. It's been pushed back over and over. It is a full refurb and will take months once it is started. I would steer clear of it just based on the fact that it could be a construction zone when you're there.

CCV is very hard to book. People who own there compete for the few studios that it has when compared to the number of owners. I would put it on my list but I would not count on getting it.

Poly is beautiful and the studios there are currently undergoing a soft goods refurb. It would be my first choice. It is also a choice where you have the highest chance of success for securing a rental, even if you have to wait until the 7-month mark when any owner can book there.

 

[Ursula_Fan]

I'd go with Poly since your partner is a hardcore Disney fan. I love love love WL and have stayed hotel side, Copper Creek & Boulder Ridge. Copper Creek is much preferable to Boulder. During the holidays WL is magical but it is more so in a Pacific NW Hallmark feel. Poly has the castle view, the monorail, the volcano pool which are unique to WDW. You can monorail to CR then boat over to WL to check it out.

 

[VandVsmama]

Hi all!

Currently in the beginning stages of planning a Disney trip (6 nights) for next fall with my partner, who hasn't been since he was a kid in the early 2000s and thus we are treating this as his first time ever. I've been plenty of times, so he's tasked me with really planning a bulk of the trip and just getting his input when necessary. Since we're so far out, right now I'm looking primarily at the hotel part. Since we're two men in our late 20s, and because he isn't a super hardcore Disney fan, he's gravitated towards the deluxe resorts (and ideally DVC properties) for more of an upscale feel, amenities and restaurants.

Right now, we're on a DVC rental waitlist for a studio at the Poly based on his input, but I'm also intrigued by the Wilderness Lodge studios (both Copper Creek and Boulder Ridge). I've never stayed in either but love the aesthetic of the lodge, along with the restaurants and "Not in the middle of everything" feel. The Poly wins points for the double bathrooms, being right on the monorail and for Trader Sams.

Since I feel like I'm going in circles, I figured I'd come to you trusted experts for some insight. Any preferences or thoughts as to which of these two villas would be better for a first time, not-super hardcore Disney but wants a more upscale hotel visitor? Or is there another hotel on property that might be better?

There are pros of both WL and the Polynesian, which makes it a tough choice. Whichever you choose, you're going to have a fabulous time. Here's my own personal list of why I'd choose either one:

WL:

• does NOT feel "Pacific Northwest." Feels more like staying at a big lodge in Yellowstone National Park. The PNW area in Oregon and Washington state has a different feel than WL.
• the lobby has museum-quality pieces of Native American head dresses & other art work on display. It's really beautiful. The lobby leaves me just standing there and saying, "Wow." There's a fireplace (or 2?) which you can sit in front of in huge comfy chairs. I love the lobby.
• Geyser Point - great restaurant in a great location with great service, great food, and great atmosphere
• everywhere at the resort, it feels like you're a world away from everything else, even though you're not
• you can take a boat to MK or to Fort Wilderness...taking a boat to Fort Wilderness means it's easier to go to the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. If that show has reopened by the time you go on your trip, the 2 of you should totally splurge for this dinner show. It's super fun. Everyone, even people who aren't super Disney fans, should experience this show once in their lifetimes.

Poly:

• also great atmosphere, but different than WL. I've been to Hawaii a few times and the Polynesian to me just sort of feels like fake Hawaii, so that's why I've never opted to stay here. However, if you've never been to Hawaii or anywhere else in Polynesia and you're looking for more of a tropical island feel kind of vacation, then this would definitely be the resort to stay at!
• Guests really love the pool here a lot.
• Trader Sam's bar plus there's another lounge whose name escapes me.
• Monorail access, which would make it easy to get to MK, Epcot, Contemporary, & GF. Bonus if you want to get a spa treatment at the GF spa because then you can take the monorail to get there. Transportation definitely is a huge plus here.
• Is one of the original WDW resorts.

 

[JiminyCricketNJ]

My vote would be for the Poly. The location. The Lapu Lapu drink at Tambu Lounge. The two separate bathroom areas (one full bath with tub/shower, toilet and sink, the other with shower and sink) makes a difference to us! It keeps the peace during vacation

 

[RoseGold]

I'd pass on WL. CCV studios are notoriously difficult to get because of the way DVC split the points with the point hog cabins. BRV is the older side and the renovation keeps getting pushed. You might get a threadbare, sad room, you might get a brand new room, you might get constant construction noise.

Poly studios are not that hard to get. I'd consider directly renting points from an owner who will help you, preferably a Poly one who can just get this done now. This does have risk, so something to consider. I rented multiple times before I bought without issue. I'd pony up a little more for the lake room. This puts you in a newly renovated unit right on the TTC, so right on the ferry boat! Lake view is already renovated, but the others should be by then for sure.

The obvious answer for two adults is Poly. Transportation is unmatched to any Disney hotel with the TTC right there, Trader Sam's, watch the fireworks from the beach, lake view, torches at night, Dole Whips by the pool. It's quintessential Disney for a reason.

 

[2vets]

So, I’m going to give you a few comments potentially in dissent of Poly. To be clear, I love Poly, and there have been many reasons already in support for you to consider. Transportation, recent refurb, original hotel. Larger rooms, even the studios, right?

BUT. You’ve said your partner isn’t hardcore Disney, and you’re also two adults. A few years ago, I took DH (not hardcore, and we traveled w/no kids), and we stayed at Poly. We both like kids, and obviously there are kids all over WDW. But the Ceremonial House (lobby area) at the Poly and grounds were absolutely full of families visiting to see the resort, to eat at Ohana, to watch fireworks from the beach. A virtual stroller parking lot existed next to Ohana. My husband - who loves Polynesian theming - wanted out and would be reluctant to go back. Again, not a dislike of kids, but just such a draw for many families that it was pretty extreme compared with every other resort I’ve stayed at, except CR right next to Chef Mickey. There are now restrictions on parking at hotels for non-guests, but it is very easy for people to get there via monorail from MK. I have always found WL to be quieter, to draw fewer visitors and have more of an adult feel, more of a respite if you will. The boat transportation to MK is easy.

Eta: clarifying that dh isn’t hardcore into Disney - he was indifferent to Poly being an original resort.

 

[RoseGold]

Again, not a dislike of kids, but just such a draw for many families that it was pretty extreme compared with every other resort I’ve stayed at, except CR right next to Chef Mickey.

That’s going to be true for all the DVC WDW resorts, except maybe SSR/OKW. Those resorts are so far, you might as well just stay offsite.

The quietest WDW I’ve stayed at was the swan, but that might have just been lucky. It could easily be overrun with kids and strollers if you stay there. If you want to avoid kids and strollers, WDW in general might not be a great pick. There’s plenty of adult-centric vacation spots, this isn’t one.

 

[2vets]

That’s going to be true for all the DVC WDW resorts, except maybe SSR/OKW. Those resorts are so far, you might as well just stay offsite.

The quietest WDW I’ve stayed at was the swan, but that might have just been lucky. It could easily be overrun with kids and strollers if you stay there. If you want to avoid kids and strollers, WDW in general might not be a great pick. There’s plenty of adult-centric vacation spots, this isn’t one.

To be clear, I'm not advising OP on a way to avoid kids/strollers at Disney overall, and that wasn't the intent of my response - if that's how it sounded, it truly wasn't intentional. I'm not one of those "there was a kid crying next to me! The horror!" people . Clearly, WDW is not the appropriate vacation destination to avoid all kids. I don't have kids myself, but some of the most wonderful times I've had at WDW involved traveling with my nieces and nephews (and overhearing some of the fantastic things kids say there in general).

However, there are "relatives" at WDW's Deluxe Resorts and these two resorts in particular - in my opinion, of course. And I stand firm that in my experience (YMMV), the Polynesian's grounds and GCH attracted huuuge numbers of non-guest families to the point where it impacted the space and crowds more than other resorts (with the exception of the Grand Concourse area of CR at times). The WL, less so. This may not be a factor to OP - or to many other people, for that matter - but I've seen this posted elsewhere about Poly/GCH, so I don't think I'm alone in this impression. I felt it was important to provide this side of things in case it's important to OP.