Can't Decide: WL vs Poly - Opinions?

[adamcav]

We are planning to travel late summer/fall (with fingers crossed for another free dining promotion). There will be (3) Adults, (1) 3 year old and (1) child under 2. The youngest will sleep in a pack & play. So bunks work as well as rooms with 2 queens and a day bed.

We've stayed at the WL before and loved it so much it has become our fall back resort if we can’t afford another. Now we're considering the Poly. Our ultimate goal is to eventually stay at every one of the resorts on property. But of course $$ can also be a concern. At this point I have been weighing the monorail as highly important because of being able to wheel two strollers on without the hassle of cramming onto a bus.

How should we compare the two resorts? Is the Poly (and by extension the monorail access) worth about $300 dollars difference for 7 nights? At first glance it seems kind of negligible.

What are the pros and cons of both the WL and the Poly?

We appreciate all your opinions.

 

[wdwwdeagle]

Disclaimer: Haven't yet stayed at WL (only a few weeks, though, until I do! yay!), but have stayed in AKL bunk room, which I understand is the same as WL bunk room, and have stayed at Poly.

I would go with the Poly for your situation. The rooms there are quite a bit bigger than WL/AKL rooms, for one thing, and having 3 adults... this could make a difference for your group. Also, the bedding arrangement at Poly gives you more flexibility. With 2 queens and the day bed, technically, there is room for all 5 of you in "real" beds, if you want to arrange yourselves that way; plus, the 3rd adult in your room may appreciate a queen over a bunk, as well. smile.

Also, as you said, monorail access is great when you've got little ones, and with Poly, you can catch the bus at the resort, or walk to the TTC if you want to catch a bus to other parks or the monorail direct to EPCOT.

The only thing I can think of that puts WL above Poly is that the bathrooms at WL/AKL have the separate tub/toilet area, so that you can use the sink while someone else is showering. At Poly, it's all together in one room.

 

[bgraham34]

I have always wanted to stay at the Poly. I never had because of the cost factor. I usually always stay at the WL and love it. I am now a DVC member there as well so I can make sure I can always go home. If I were you I would go with the Poly. As much as I love the WL the Poly will be a great choice and how could you not want to be able to take the Monorail to the MK.

 

[adamcav]

I must admit, the prospect of taking the monorail from your resort to the magic kingdom without getting in a car or bus and driving down a highway is magically luring.

I hadn't considered the bathroom area setup before. In all the recent resorts we've stayed at with the kids (POP, WL, AKL, BWV) we've had a sink seperate from shower area. It definately helped with getting ready in the morning. We'll have to talk about that one a bit. Altough I don't know if it would be a deal breaker.

 

[mickeymatt]

I have never stayed at anything past a moderate but I have always wanted to stay at the Poly. If it were me I would stay at the Poly because of the monorail. Oh one day to have enough $$$ to stay at a monorail resort! But saying that I love the WL grounds and lobby too. You my friend are really in a win-win situation.

 

[travelgip]

I have stayed at both and personally, I like WL better. Busses run regularly and are accomodating with strollers, etc. Also, just walk down the dock to the boat launch and take a boat directly to MK, TTC or Contemporary for monorail access. I think WL is more "kid friendly" and the entire resort is attached and central to the main lobby. Depending on what building you are in for Poly, could be walking quite a bit to the monorail, defeating the purpose. Just a thought, but you might want to look into a room at WL vacation villas. You could have kitchen that would save time and money on your trip. Enjoy!

 

[adamcav]

Luckily the three adults are able to split the cost of the room to defer the higher resort rate. That way it doesn't end up straining one income. It's at least one of the benefits to traveling with friends.

For those familiar with the Poly, being that the buildings are spread out quite a bit from the main lobby, what is considered to be a better building (location wise)?

 

[captainkidd]

Eh, I hate to say it, but in this case, MAYBE the Poly. Hands down, WL is the superior resort, but the standard rooms don't have a day bed. You'll want that with 3 adults. The monorail (if not overly crowded) is super convenient with the strollers. However, it isn't a deal breaker for us. The monorail is only good for Magic Kingdom and Epcot. For MK from the WL you have the boat, which is no less convenient than the monorail.

I've stayed at both. The 3 times I've stayed at WL I've always found it was well worth the price. The 1 time I stayed at the Poly, I felt it was too expensive.

If you could get a deluxe room at WL with a daybed, no question about it - Wilderness Lodge.

 

[captainkidd]

For those familiar with the Poly, being that the buildings are spread out quite a bit from the main lobby, what is considered to be a better building (location wise)?

I really liked Tokelau. There are 3 longhouses which all have larger rooms (476 sq ft) and all have balconies. Tokelau is one of them, and it's the most centrally located.

 

[Boomdog15]

We stayed at Wilderness 3 years ago and Poly (Tokelau) 2 years ago. They both are great so you really can't lose.

We preferred Poly for two reasons. The pool for the kids and the monorail.

Have fun!!!

 

[zurgandfriend]

I have stayed at both and highly recommend staying at the Polynesian if you can afford it for the following reasons.
A standard room is bigger at the Poly. 404 sq feet Vs 344 sq feet at the Wilderness giving you more room for the pack and play.
The Poly rooms have a sofa bed that is perfect for a child or for that matter an adult if you are sharing a queen size bed with a restless sleeper.
The Poly is of course on the Monorail and much more convenient getting to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
That said we enjoyed the Kona Café and Whispering Canyon for breakfast, lunch and dinner equally. I highly recommend making at least one ADR at both restaurants.

 

[tigsmom]

Have stayed at both and even though the WL is our favorite (over 10 stays there) at this point in time the Poly may be the best solution for you.

Since there will be 2 small children being on the monorail is a plus and it can be accessed at the front of the resort in the main building or at the back at the TTC...very convenient. We enjoyed the restaurants and the atmosphere is great. The only drawback we found was the fact that you had to walk outside to get to the restaurants & shops, not good when it's raining, late at night as the pathways were not lit well and if you have kids that like to go get their own snacks (mine got lost along the way ).

We stayed in Rapa Nui at the rear of the resort, near the path to the TTC.
My kids loved the volcano pool (probably not an issue with you) and the fact that we could sit on the beach and watch the fireworks from the MK (they pipe in the music) and then stay and watch the Electrical Water Pageant. The sink is in the same room as the toilet and tub/shower, but the room is huge (it was the same size as one of the bedrooms in my house ). Two queen size beds and the daybed as well as the large room made for a very comfortable stay and we overlooked some very beautiful gardens.

 

[swimmom]

Although WL is our personal favorite, in your situation with 3 adults, I would stay at Poly for the larger room with the daybed.

 

[Mr.EPCOT]

Polynesian Village

Those are my two favorite Resorts! The Polynesian is the best, though. To add to the many excellent reasons above:

-I've always felt that the Polynesian is the most relaxing, most soothing Resort. Once you walk into the Great Ceremonial House, all of your worries just melt away. There's nothing like just sitting in a hammock on the beach watching the watercraft go by, or standing up at Sunset Point at night taking in the serene beauty of the Vacation Kingdom at night, with the majestic Grand Floridian off to your left, the towering, sharp and sophisticate Contemporary to your right, and the Magic Kingdom straight ahead producing a wonderfully strange vista of spires in the form of Big Thunder Mountain, Cinderella Castle, Astro Orbitor, and Space Mountain, and the distant sounds of the train whistle and howl from The Haunted Mansion.
-TONGA TOAST! The Polynesian has my very favorite dining experiences. Kona Cafe with the amazing Tonga Toast, a big block of sourdough bread covered in cinnamon and filled with banana. (It's also been served at the Polynesian much longer than the current restaurants have been there.) 'Ohana is wonderful for dinner, and my very favorite restaurant. They serve a family-style menu of steak, shrimp, turkey, and pork, all cooked on the world's largest indoor open-firepit grill. There's the classic Polynesian Luau (Spirit of Aloha), an incredible dinner show, with great food and exceptional Polynesian dancers. And for quick service you have Captain Cooks. Excellent flatbreads, and they also serve Tonga Toast as well.
-It's my opinion that the Polynesian is one of the few Walt Disney World experiences that has actually greatly improved over the years, even with a couple of questionable changes such as moving the arcade into the main building, and opening one big, large garish and cartoony gift shop right in the front of the main lobby, instead of the quiet and pleasant scattered little shops around the back.
-It's a Walt Disney World original, a founding member of The Vacation Kingdom of the World! I always feel it's something special to be a part of, that you're getting a good taste of the true flavor of what was intended for Disney's Florida destination. You get that sense of Walt Disney World history and legacy that is very rare now.

 

[CBug88]

I haven't stayed at either resort, but have heard great reviews about both. However in your case I would say Poly b/c you can take advantage of using the monorail for MK and EPCOT- which would make life much easier in dealing w/ kids and transportation. But then again, there is the sink in the bathroom issue as well. I would weigh out the advantages/disadvantages- but I think Poly would take the cake in my opinion just for sheer convenience of the monorail.

 

[Eyorefan]

Have stayed at both the Poly and WL. We love both, in fact, we were at the Poly on our trip in September and have just book the WL for our next trip in June.

I will echo what others have already said about the Poly though, it is our hands down favoriate.

For you I would stress that the monorail makes transpertaion so nice and its a great place to just hang out for those afternoon breaks. Also, since you are going to have that extra crib you will love having the extra room space.

Also, make sure you eat at Kona while you are there. Its the BEST.

 

[Mystic]

Because you have 3 adults I would suggest the Poly. The three adults get the 2 queen beds, the 3 year old can have the day bed and the 2 year old can have a pack and play crib.

 

[JerseySkiddie]

My vote is for the Poly. I've stayed at both within the last year (I'm on the same mission to stay at every resort!) The Poly was fantastic. Its great to be able to hop on the monorail or walk to the TTC for starters. I also felt that the room at Poly was MUCH nicer. We wound up complaining to Disney about the cleanliness of our room at WL. Plus the Poly has the day bed like some other folks have mentioned.

The conclusion I reached about WL was that I love the common areas lobby, pool, etc., but the rooms are not worth it to me. I really had no complaints at all about the Poly.

Oh, and another thought I like Capt. Cooke's counter service better than the one at WL. And there's a coffee cart by the entrance to the monorail stop with real coffee, none of that insant crap they serve everywhere else.

I'm sure you'll have a great time either way! Enjoy!

 

[KaliSplash]

I'm one who voted for WL. I base that strictly on your question of is it worth the extra $300 for a seven-night stay. (frankly somewhat surprised the difference would only be $300 over seven nights!)

We love the WL a lot. A very lot. But yes, if $$ is not that important, then by all means stay at Poly to get the extra room and the monorail.

 

[adamcav]

I'm one who voted for WL. I base that strictly on your question of is it worth the extra $300 for a seven-night stay. (frankly somewhat surprised the difference would only be $300 over seven nights!)

We love the WL a lot. A very lot. But yes, if $$ is not that important, then by all means stay at Poly to get the extra room and the monorail.

I was surprised at first as well. But with the room rates being divided evenly among the adults it ends up being about $150 extra per person. I pick up the tab for myself and my wife so $300 is my magic number.

So far it looks like the monorail, pool and room size are weighing heavily. I'm leaning Poly. Hopefully there is some sort of promotion, as in years past, which can take a little pressure off.