WL or Poly

[chelynnah]

Background, we have been coming across from the UK every few years. We stay offsite, because it's cheaper. The first 2 times stayed at my parents' Hilton property, last time rented a 3br townhouse (for just two of us) that was 1/2 the price of most Disney resorts, and cheaper than most decent offsite hotels, and much more space!

Anyway, our last trip was truly a dream trip. Two full weeks during MVMCP and we got to do so much, but still feel we missed some things. We have decided that our next trip will be in 2-3 years, and are saving up with the hope that we could do 3-4 nights at the beginning and end at resorts and a week at a townhouse off property. Kind of best of both worlds (though I don't look forward to all the extra packing). We plan to rent DVC points

We've tossed around a lot of ideas. AKL for atmosphere and animals, Boardwalk for the boardwalk and proximity to Epcot and HS, SS for proximity to DS (and value), Poly as its been a dream to do a monorail resort and DH loves the feel when we visited, and just recently we've added WL in the mix.

We had pretty much decided to start with SS for 4 nights, a week offsite then Poly for 3 nights. But have been browsing WL today after hearing good things, and it's intriguing me. In respect of price, it would probably have to be in place of Poly. We've another couple of years before we go, but just deciding on what our ideal is for when the time comes to book.

In a nutshell this was my long winded way of asking people for pros/cons of either/both, particularly those who have stayed at both.

Thanks in advance

(Ps please ignore any glaring iPad keyboard/autocorrect errors)

 

[ajh88]

I have not stayed at both resorts, so my opinion is not fully informed. I've always thought Wilderness lodge looked nice and would like to try it out myself, but once we stayed at the Poly, we have never stayed at another resort again (oh wait, we did spend one night in a Lion King suite at Art of Animation right after it opened so we could check it out). I've even booked different properties, ultimately only to change back to the Poly. We are just a family that fell in love with it from our first time - I know that not everyone shares that opinion. I have not visited since the completion of DVC, so perhaps my opinion will change after my trip in October. But as of now, I'm a strong vote for Poly - the monorail convenience just cannot be beat, IMHO.

 

[Babsy]

We have stayed at both and both are spectacular resorts. We have stayed in the regular rooms, rather than DVC, however. WE did look closely at the Poly DVC thinking to actually buy into DVC at our 'favourite' resort, but we found that the studios would not suit our needs and the bungalows were simply priced out of our budget as a regular place to stay.

FWIW, here is our take on the WL and Poly resorts:

The WL has an amazing lobby that is impressive and welcoming. All the rooms and amenities are under one roof, which we love. Dining is really good as well. the pool was a bit small when we stayed here, but may have since been improved in recent refurbishments. The rooms are small and a bit dark for my taste, but are reasonably priced and quite comfortable. The boat ride to the CR or MK is very nice.
The theming is as good as it can possibly get and the grounds are equally impressive.

The Polynesian is just simply in a league of its own. There are some people that are not impressed with the Poly, but they are definitely in the minority. The Poly is definitely in my top three of all the resorts in WDW and most likely our favourite. This place is special. The atmosphere is welcoming, relaxing and romantic but equally well suited to families with children. It is beautiful and deluxe without any pretensions. It is beautiful yet it invites you to relax and be comfortable. The food is delicious. O'hanas is an experience and a delight. The Quick service is really good. Both pools are lovely, but the volcano pool with its view of the castle and fireworks is simply magical. Being on the monorail and located next to the TTC, you have monorail access to both the MK and Epcot. You can walk from here to the GF and enjoy the amenities of another beautiful resort with even more wonderful dining options. Via monorail you also have access to the CR which has the California Grille and Chef Mickey's - two must for us on each trip to WDW.

There are two cons to a stay at the Poly. The first is the high price tag. The other is not a factor for DVC because all the DVC rooms have a balcony. However, if staying in the regular hotel portion only 1/3 of the rooms have balconies. 1/3 of the other rooms have patios and the final 1/3 have sliding glass doors that open onto a rail.

There is quite a range of views from rooms at the Poly. Some are among the best in WDW with views of the castle and fireworks. Others overlook the lovely grounds and still others over look parking lots or less desirable spaces.

There is a great deal to enjoy at both of these resorts, but the Polynesian easily wins hands down in any comparison, IMO.

The only thing that might have me looking more favourable at the WL would be budget or, if staying DVC, the need for a one or two bedroom unit. I would look at the Poly bungalows, but they are large and expensive for only two people. (There are only two real beds in a Poly bungalow, so for us, it would only sleep two! Not really a viable option.)

Which ever of the two that you choose, I am sure that you will enjoy tremendously. However, if I were choosing, I would book the Poly!

 

[chelynnah]

Thank you both so much! All great info to consider. We would be renting a studio as it will be just the two of us, and looking at the DVC rental sites there's not a massive difference in price. The Poly has always been the plan, but all of a sudden we started to second guess ourselves as we hadn't explored the WL option. I think we're still leaning toward Poly, but definitely interested in people's experiences. Plus, it's probably a good idea to have a backup just in case.

 

[TeamSy]

I would choose Poly. We tried WL in 2010 and never again. By far our least favorite DW hotel and we would choose ANY DW hotel over it. We were floored because we read such great things, but we just had a bad experience. We found the lobby to be super loud (roaring forks), and our room was on the ground floor with a swamp outside, so it smelled. Plus, they gave us handicap accessible, which we didnt need/want, and seemed like THE last room available since we checked in later in the day. They couldn't move us. The room itself looked like something out of my old college dorm (although this was 2010, so I would hope they have renovated since and youre talking about the villas anyway), and the boat to MK's horn was BLARING outside our door. We ended up switching hotels. Visit it at night and it's pretty, but stay at Poly. You can't go wrong with monorail access to MK and Epcot and SO many dining choices!!

If you're considering doing an Epcot resort I wouldn't hesitate! Check out Beach Club! You get proximity to Boardwalk (entertainment & dining), walk to Epcot, boat to HS, and an amazing pool complex (if you luck out weather-wise during your trip). We've gone in it in Jan so you never know.

Also, FYI for a studio it's about $30 for a full clean per day if you want to add it (with the savings of renting it usually works out well) and it'll be just like if you were staying hotel-side! We stay hotel-side mostly, but in the past we've rented at BW, SSR, AKL, & VGF so if you have any questions just shoot me a message!

 

[chelynnah]

I would choose Poly. We tried WL in 2010 and never again. By far our least favorite DW hotel and we would choose ANY DW hotel over it. We were floored because we read such great things, but we just had a bad experience. We found the lobby to be super loud (roaring forks), and our room was on the ground floor with a swamp outside, so it smelled. Plus, they gave us handicap accessible, which we didnt need/want, and seemed like THE last room available since we checked in later in the day. They couldn't move us. The room itself looked like something out of my old college dorm (although this was 2010, so I would hope they have renovated since and youre talking about the villas anyway), and the boat to MK's horn was BLARING outside our door. We ended up switching hotels. Visit it at night and it's pretty, but stay at Poly. You can't go wrong with monorail access to MK and Epcot and SO many dining choices!!

If you're considering doing an Epcot resort I wouldn't hesitate! Check out Beach Club! You get proximity to Boardwalk (entertainment & dining), walk to Epcot, boat to HS, and an amazing pool complex (if you luck out weather-wise during your trip). We've gone in it in Jan so you never know.

Also, FYI for a studio it's about $30 for a full clean per day if you want to add it (with the savings of renting it usually works out well) and it'll be just like if you were staying hotel-side! We stay hotel-side mostly, but in the past we've rented at BW, SSR, AKL, & VGF so if you have any questions just shoot me a message!

Thanks for that

We're used to not having cleaning every day. Even in regular hotels we leave a dnd on the door every other day.

SSR wasn't on our radar originally, but over the past couple of months it has come to really appeal to us, so would be interested in your thoughts on there

 

[TeamSy]

Thanks for that

We're used to not having cleaning every day. Even in regular hotels we leave a dnd on the door every other day.

SSR wasn't on our radar originally, but over the past couple of months it has come to really appeal to us, so would be interested in your thoughts on there

This is just IMO, but... As far as SS goes there are a million properties like it just outside of the gates by Marriott, Hilton, etc. If you're going to spend to stay IN Disney, stay at a hotel that offers something unique (monorail, walking, boat access to parks, other hotels nearby where you can walk/monorail to (without having to take a bus) to dine at, seeing animals from your balcony, etc). To me, that's the point of staying IN Disney. If you're going to consider SSR then I would also consider renting someone's points at Marriott's Sabal Palms. It's like a mile from the gate, nicer villas, and you have access to the Marriott World Center (you can walk or call for a golf cart), which has amazing pools, restaurants, and a shuttle to the parks. You'll pay for a 2 bedroom there less than you would for a studio at SSR which will then give you a washer/dryer and full kitchen. Since you've already done the offsite and want to do onsite, I would stick to a MK or Epcot resort!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Important thing to note right now is that certain dates at the Poly during MVMCP booked full up before the 7-month window. While you're looking to the future, it may very well be by the time you are looking to travel that Poly will be a mandatory 11-month booking to get 2 weeks during Food & Wine or early December.

Just an advance warning. Hard to predict where Poly sell-through and booking will be by 2018, but across DVC in general, the 2 weeks immediately after US Thanksgiving are among the highest demand weeks for DVC. Food & Wine also has high demand, and this year has been absolutely brutal at 7 month bookings. Poly is becoming popular as a F&W booking, because Boardwalk and Beach Club are much smaller, and of the monorail resorts Poly has the best Epcot access.