Would the polynesian be a better match for us?

[RaTJ]

We were almost certain we were going to stay at the AKL, but you lovely people talked me out of it do to it's location and room size. So do you think the polynesian would be a better match for a family of four including a 2 year old and a 3 year old?

 

[AllyGirl_79]

I love the Poly and I think the AKL is stunning. I imagine you'd be happy at either resort.

I think AKL is great for kids. If your little ones are into animals, then they'll love it, and the theming is amazing. That said, you can always visit AKL and look at the animals a while or go see them at AK. So, it might be worth deciding how much the kids like animals. You have to take buses everywhere from AKL, but the bus service there seems to get pretty decent reviews.

The rooms at the Poly are some of the biggest on property. You shouldn't have any problem if you want to use a pack n'play for the younger one. Also, the monorail makes the MK very, very convenient for naps and breaks during the day or meals at the other monorail hotels. You can also walk to the TTC to take a monorail to Epcot. You will have to take buses to AK and MGM, and that transportation can be a bit spotty.

Both resorts have great pools, nice theming/landscape, and activities for kids (though your kids might be too young to really enjoy them). Poly rooms are more expensive, but, by the time you pay for savannah view to make the animals really exciting for the kids, the gap might not be that great. For size and location, Poly has the advantage in my mind. However, I think theme trumps all the rest. If you really want AKL, that's probably the way to go.

 

[cara loves the poly]

We love the polynesian, have a GREAT trip!

 

[Disney Fool]

It always amazes me how many people on this board trash the AKL because of its location, "it's so far away from everything", blah, blah, blah...when it's actually right next to ALL STAR resorts and Blizzard Beach, but they don't complain about those locations. I find it interesting that there is a huge thread on this board of complaints about POR bus service and the fact that it shares with PORFQ. AKL shares with no one-bus service is quite good actually. Please don't let other's comments spoil your desire to stay at a specific Disney location. check it out for yourself--it just may suit you. Either resort is great; children love animals--the AKL is superb in quality, and theming. The Polynesian is also a great resort for theming, --but it's best feature is it's proximity to Magic Kingdom. But, then again, it's not close to Animal Kingdom, or Disney Studio. There are plenty of times that I've stayed at the Poly and waited endlessly for a bus to either place or to Downtown Disney. The rooms are much larger than AKL, but then the Poly doesn't have bunkbeds! The AKL has a great signature restaurant, Jiko; and although Kona Cafe is wonderful, and Ohana is fun, they are not on the same level as Jiko. As you can see, there are a lot of personal choices you should make, it's all relative. Please do your own homework and don't be swayed or disillusioned by one bad experience, or a post from someone who had a bad experience two years ago. Their experience may not be yours. Enjoy your planning.

 

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

We have not stayed at AKL yet (although I can't wait to!), but it is hard to beat the Poly when you have preschoolers. If you expect you will spend most of your time at MK, the monorail is a huge perk. We have stayed twice at the Poly and love it. If you are bringing your own stroller instead of renting, you can roll it onto the monorail instead of folding it up to get on the buses. You will still need to take a bus or your car to AK and MGM.

The Poly has some of the largest rooms on Disney property, which is great if you are bringing a stroller or a pack n play. There is also a daybed in the room if your kids don't sleep well together (if you are not using a Pack n Play). You can also watch the fireworks from the beach at Poly - very helpful if one of your kids doesn't like the loud noise but wants to see the fireworks. The sand beach and hammocks are fun for the kids. The Volcano pool is zero entry (I am pretty sure AKL is too), but it is smaller than the AKL pool and can get very crowded, depending when you are going.

Given the choice, I would probably stay at the Poly for the convenience and book an ADR at Boma to go to AKL and look at the animals, play on the playground, etc. (You don't need an ADR to go there, but we love Boma!)

I wouldn't be scared off from AKL by its location, though. As a PP said, AKL doesn't share buses with any other resort and it is not that far from anywhere. My kids always loved to ride the buses, but they love the monorail too!

 

[Manda]

I stayed at AKL in 2005 with my then-2-year-old and he still talks about it. That's the resort that made the most impression in his little mind. He was and is amazed by it. He loved laying on his bed and watching the giraffes at the window. Very magical for him. I would think any small child would love that place. He stayed at Poly last September (as a 4 year old) and he loved the water slide, but the hotel certainly didn't make as much of an impact on him.

However, from a Mom and Dad perspective, we loved having the Monorail right there and we're choosing to stay at Poly again for our May trip. Since we spend most of our time at MK and Epcot, it's just ideal. I wouldn't let the location scare you away from AKL if you want to stay there though. It wasn't a problem for us at all. Once you get used to having a monorail, it's kinda hard to go back though. Have you considered WL? We're staying there for the second time when we go next month. Same price point as AKL, but a quicker trip to MK. But no giraffes.

 

[Blessedx3]

We just came back from a split stay one week in a 1br suite at AKL and 1 week theme park view at the Poly. We have 3 kids 4, 2, and 1 and I think they liked the AKL better. My 2 yr ols got up every morning looking for the animals. The Monorail is nice at the poly but we always rent a car so transportation isn't an issue for us. Of course the 1bdr suite was huge but so was the Poly regular room. We had 2 pack and plays set up and had PLENTY of room. When we stayed in the regular AKL room it felt tighter with the pack and plays last year. Both pools are amazing. Although the volcano slide at the Poly was a much bigger hit with my 4 yr old. But the zero entry at both is very nice. We are returning to AKL again next year for Thanksgiving and the week after. So although we liked the Poly the AKL still has our hearts. Good luck making your choice it is a hard one.

 

[Cyril pb]

It seems to me that with the ages of your Children you will be spending a lot of time at the MK. If this is correct then to me staying at the Poly is a no brainier. When our girls were little that is where we stayed. It is so convenient to be able to take the Monorail or a ferryboat back to the room for afternoon naps and a swim. They also loved to play in the sand on the beach. I have never stayed at AKL so I can't comment on it.
No matter where you stay you will have a wonderful time.

Good luck to you
Cyril

 

[CoolPool]

The best kind of conundrum! A very good place vs. an equally very good place. May all our conundrums be so delightful. Have a great trip.

 

[TJA]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I'd say AKL is not a good option because of location and room size. Granted it's not connected via monorail to MK and it's not on the Epcot/MGM resort loop, but it has its own buses and doesn't share with other resorts, so it's a pretty quick trip to parks. And the room size is definitely smaller than Poly, but I'm not sure if I'd let that be a deciding factor. What the deciding factor for me would be your kids' ages and transportation. You will have 2 single strollers or a double stroller, probably, and it's hard to beat Poly when it comes to transportation. You probably already know that TTC is right next to Poly, so you have direct monorail service to both MK and Epcot where you can roll your stroller(s) right on and off, no unloading and folding strollers, so stay out late at both those parks and let the kids fall asleep in the stroller(s) and have a relaxing ride back to Poly. It's very easy. However, at AKL it's a different trip because if you stay out late, you have to wake up sleeping kids to unload the stroller and load the bus. Not fun (to us....). So....I'm not saying Poly is nicer than AKL by any means, but my opinion is for kids of that age and strollers, you may want to go with convenience. I should say that is what we are going to do, so that's why I'm recommending it to you. We stayed at AKL when our twins were 7 mos. old and said never again (LOL), it was terrible unloading and folding up our stroller constantly. But we vowed to go back to AKL when our kids are older and stroller is not a necessity like it is now. Good luck!

 

[mickey2minnie1]

We satayed with our 3 at the Poly. As adults, we just fell in love. The kids loved seeing Cindy's castle lit up at night from our resort...so magical. They loved the speediness of the monorail as did we. It saved so much time. There are great places to eat as well. The pool was a huge hit with all of them. As we watched the fireworks from the sand, the younger ones ran and played on it. It was at night and such a treat for them. Although I am sure the AKL is just stunning, the Poly seems to have more pros for us. Good luck! Let us know what you decide!!

 

[SeaSpray]

I've stayed at both resorts (several times at the Polynesian, once at AKL) and they're my top two favorite WDW resorts.

I agree that the transportation at AKL was a total non-issue for us. The buses were quick and plentiful. I thought the theme of the resort was outstanding and almost elegant in an African-theme sort of way, and I liked it even better than the Wilderness Lodge (And I definitely loved our stay at the WL too!). I would never try to dissuade anyone from staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, especially if they or their children wanted to see live animals around their resort every day!

Having said all that, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Polynesian resort and in my own personal opinion, NOTHING comes even close.

With the ages of your children, I would recommend the Polynesian (again, UNLESS they have a strong desire to see animals every day, in which case I'd then recommend AKL). You'll find it so easy to choose between the monorail or the resort boat to get back and forth to the Magic Kingdom. There's a path to go right next door to the TTC (Ticket & Transportation Center) to right onto the Epcot Monorail. You will have to take a bus to get to Disney Studios and to AKL.

The rooms at the Polynesian, as already mentioned, are among the largest on Disney property (comparing standard rooms, not suites). With the ages of your children, I would think that bunk beds would not be something you'd be interested in because I'm not sure that it's safe for a 3 year old to be in a top bunk, so the issue of bunk bed availability wouldn't come into play. However, in every room at the Polynesian there are 2 queen beds PLUS a twin-sized day bed. Plenty of room for your family.

While I agree that Jiko is outstanding and that there is no Signature Dining Restaurant at the Polynesian, I'm not sure if that's something that would effect your decision because of the ages of your children. That's not to say that people with young children shouldn't or wouldn't go to a Signature Dining restaurant, but many don't. I know that 'Ohana would be a lot of fun for your kids, and the Kona Cafe is my familys' all-around favorite Disney restaurant. Also, 'Ohana offers a character breakfast each morning, if that's something you'd want to consider.

I've taken tons of pictures of the Polynesian resort (as well as AKL and every other resort we've stayed at). You can see them by clicking the link below in my signature, then clicking on "Disney World Trips".

I don't think you'll go wrong choosing either resort, but my final recommendation is for the Polynesian Have a great trip, no matter where you decide on!!!!