Advice Wanted About Old Disney Tickets and Two Resorts for Upcoming Trip

[PacMan2006]

Hey everyone!

We are planning a trip to Disney around mid December, but I could really use your help. We usually go in April or May, so going in December will be a brand new experience for us. We are trying to book everything within a day or two.

1) We found old Disney 4 day Hopper passes that we THINK haven't been used at all. They were bought in 2004. Here's my question...is there any way to figure out if they have any Disney days left on them? Can we find this out someway in advance BEFORE we get to the park? I ask because sometimes online, they have deals on park hoppers and such. So, if indeed this have been used, it'd be nice to know now so we can buy new tickets at possibly a discounted price, rather than finding out as we're about to enter the Magic Kingdom, you know?

2) We usually stay at the Vistana Resort, but we are planning to stay at one of the Disney Hotels. We have never done this. Based on our reasearch, we have chosen two hotels: The Polynesian and the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

In your opinion, which one is better and why? What do you feel are the pro's and con's of each--from transportation to food to room quality and service and everything in between. And would you maybe NOT recommend one of these hotels for some reason, and recommend a different one? I'd love to know everyone's opinions on this!!

Thanks in advance, everyone!

 

[Nemo14]

As far as your tickets go, there is really no way to tell how many days are left on them until you actually get there. They can check them out at Guest Relations for you, but unfortunately there is no way to tell other than that.

 

[Monty]

Disney will only confirm what's left on a ticket on-site, sorry. They don't want to facilitate illegal sales of old tickets.

As for Poly or AKL, you can't go wrong with either. Poly is on the Monorail loop if that appeals to you. AKL is the newest of the Deluxe Resorts and is breathtakingly beautiful. Both have some excellent restaurant choices. I really enjoyed Boma and The Mara at AKL and Tonga toast at the Kona Café is a must for every trip! :slurp:[FONT=&quot]
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[PacMan2006]

Thanks a lot for your help.

And any more opinions on the Animal Kingdom Lodge and Polynesian would be GREATLY appreciated.

 

[Goodtimes]

Animal Kingdom Lodge is great

I stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge a few years ago and really loved it.
Is there a significant price difference between the two resorts for the time you are staying? If the Polynesian is a lot more expensive, I would definitely go with Animal Kingdom and not even worry about researching the choice beyond that.
Be aware that what sets Animal Kingdom Lodge apart from every other hotel is its exquisite themeing. There is nothing like having giraffes and other African animals outside your balcony when you wake up in the morning.
One morning, we could even hear a lion roar from the theme park down the road. The lobby, the huge pool, the delicious restaurants all add up to a spectacular experience. But as for the rooms...
I'm not sure how often you stay in hotels, but I stay in quite a few and would caution you not to expect the same level of room qualilty at Animal Kingdom Lodge that you would find for the same price in big city hotels (like a nice Hyatt, Marriott, Westin).
The rooms are fine and well themed...just not luxurious or even chic. The bathrooms are spartan and tiny (although family friendly with a big double sink outside of the toilet/shower area).
It's not about the rooms here, it's the experience. And the experience is worth the somewhat outrageous prices Disney charges for a so-so room.

 

[PacMan2006]

Thanks a lot for your response. What I'm curious about is this, also.

How is the transportation to and from the AKL? For our trip, we probably won't rent a car. Are the buses slow, making lots of stops? I know that, for example, the Polynesian is fairly close to the monorail and boats, etc. It seems the AKL is pretty remote.

So is transportation an issue at all?

 

[stalkingmickey]

AKL busses stictly transport guest from the AKL. They do not stop at anyother hotels so getting to the parks is easy. Now getting to other hotels and DTD is a different story

 

[SnowFire]

Poly is a great resort. There's something really magical about being able to get the monorail right at your resort. We haven't tried AKL yet, but we would like to some day.