Grand Floridian Vs Poly

[NicTom1211]

Hi Disney People.

My husband and I are in the process of deciding on which resort to buy into. We currently own in Saratoga and are looking to buy into the second home resort. We have stayed in Wl and BLT which he both likes. I have never stayed in GF or Poly before so I don't know which one would be better themeing wise. We both also like the convenience of having the villas near the main building, unlike Saratgoa where we have had more then one unhappy experience. I know where the GF villas are going to be and they seem pretty close to the main building, but will Poly be the same. Our DVC guide suggested Poly over GF but I knew it would be best to ask the people here as well.

Any insights are greatly appreciated!

 

[EOD K9]

@NicTom1211 Just curious, what didn't you like at Saratoga?

 

[Ariel484]

Have you ever been to either resort?

If you can't book a stay before deciding I'd at least try to visit before you purchase - maybe book a meal at both and wander the grounds to get a feel for both?

Not a bad decision to have to make. Good luck!

 

[NicTom1211]

EODK9 - we had to complaints about saratoga (which we knew about it going into it). The resort is very spread out, the first time we stayed there we were literally in the last possible room. This was also before the built the second pool area. So every time we wanted to get something to eat it was a bus ride to the front. Which usually was never running on time. I know that this has probably been fixed at least a little bit by the second pool area, but if you need anything its ultimately a bus to the main building. The other main thing is we felt the theme was a bit blah, so to speak. Before DVC we always stayed at WL, so we might of been a bit spoiled with the decor. We just don't feel that there is much difference between Saratoga and a regular hotel room (besides the size and layout).Its totally our opinion,

Ariel -
We have been to dinner at the buffet in GF, but haven't been to Poly. We have had friends who swear by Poly, but unfortunately we wont be able to visit before we plan to buy. I know, hubby just wishes we were deciding BLT but it is what it is..

 

[slappy magoo]

The resort is very spread out, the first time we stayed there we were literally in the last possible room. This was also before the built the second pool area. So every time we wanted to get something to eat it was a bus ride to the front. Which usually was never running on time. I know that this has probably been fixed at least a little bit by the second pool area, but if you need anything its ultimately a bus to the main building.

When we stay at Saratoga, we always request a room in the Congress Park section (except for a single night stay where we requested to be close to the new pool). So far we've never been denied our request. What's great about the Congress park section is that you have a quiet pool right there, but it's less than a 5 minute walk to the main building and it's the closest section to DtD Marketplace. When we stay in CP, we usually bypass any quick meals in Artist's Palette and get quick meals at Wolfgang Puck Express. If we're having a go-to-bed-early-eat-at-"home" night, I'll walk to WPE and pick up our dinner (they'll take to-go orders), and it's almost always a better selection that what's at Artist's Palette.

 

[NicTom1211]

Since we have been going there since 2005 - they have only honored one request. So I guess it just depends on when you go and what is available at the time. We have gotten food from downtown, im a big fan of earl of sandwich. But we would like to have it all in the resort. Saratoga is just not for us, it was the only one available to us when we bought it so now we have an opportunity to find a new home resort so we are looking to see members opinions.

 

[GoofGoof]

For me personally Poly has better theme and better vibe. Based on the construction that has started you will be close to the main building. Not the closest set of rooms for the Poly, but nothing like SSR. You can also walk to TTC directly for the monorail to EPCOT which cuts out the change in monorails.

It's probably going to be a year or more before Poly points go on sale. The construction is just starting to go vertical so I can't imagine them being done in less than a year and maybe up to 18 months. I think the original press release said some time in 2015. I could maybe see points going on sale this time next year. You have some time to decide if you want Poly in the mix.

One suggestion I have is to carefully review the point charts. GFV require quite a bit more points and has higher MFs than BLT. There were a few threads about this. Here's a quote from one:

dvcnews.com had a fascinating article suggesting that sales at WDW's latest DVC, The Villas at the Grand Floridian (VGF) are lagging far behind expectations:

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/dvc-program/financial/2434-disney-concerned-about-recent-grand-floridian-sales

Not surprisingly, buyers are citing the combined high purchase price, high annual Maintenaice Fee (MF), and high numer of points needed per night.

Those who were watching the DVC market were pleasantly surprised by the starting price of $150/point. With Bay Lake Tower (BLT) at $165/point, many were expecting VGF to start above that.

However, many have been taken aback by the initial high MF ($5.41/point) and high points per night (ranging from 17 to 43 points per night for a Studio).

For some perspective, a sample July one-week stay in a Lake View Studio works out to:

- BLT: $4.50/point X 153 points/week = $689/week
- VGF: $5.41/point X 199 points/week = $1077/week

In this sample, VGF is 56% more than BLT!

After many years of price increases that far outpaced inflation, perhaps direct DVC sales have finally reached a tipping point.

Or perhaps corporate Disney needs to stop sitting on its duff and start building something new at the theme parks that's worth visiting.

 

[NicTom1211]

Thank you GoofGoof - based upon what I have been reading and looking at I think Poly is the way we are going to go. 2015 is about the time we are going to purchase so it works out for us.
Thank you again! We appreciate it!

 

[harryk]

suggest you try to find out how many rooms are planned, 'studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, etc'. When is the usual time you travel to WDW. Time of year affects availability of rooms - even to owners.

 

[durangojim]

We used to stay at GF often, then felt the quality had declined as the prices went up. We switched over to the poly about 3 years ago and loved the ambiance, rooms, cabana's and whole vibe. We're going to try the GF again this November because we don't want to be around the construction.

 

[Goofnut1980]

So only being a DVC member for 2 years... I have a question about having multiple home resorts...

How do the points work if you have points at both? Can you move points from one to the other? Do you buy into two so it allows you to book sooner at another resort but then before you check in you move points? Or do your points simply "pool" together automatically so you can use them at either sooner?

 

[slappy magoo]

So only being a DVC member for 2 years... I have a question about having multiple home resorts...

How do the points work if you have points at both? Can you move points from one to the other? Do you buy into two so it allows you to book sooner at another resort but then before you check in you move points? Or do your points simply "pool" together automatically so you can use them at either sooner?

Your points do not "pool." If you own 200 points in Saratoga and 100 points in Bay Lake, and want to take a trip starting May 1, then on June 1 you can book 200 points worth of lodging in Saratoga and 100 points worth of lodging at Bay Lake. Then on September 1, you can, if you choose, see if you can use all your entire 300 points in one resort, or the other, or any of the other resorts if you so choose. That 4 months between the 11 month window and the 7 month window is about the only difference...

EDIT: Unless some of your points were purchased from Disney and others were purchased resale. Resale points don't have the option of being used for RCI, or anything beyond DVC resorts.

 

[Goofnut1980]

Your points do not "pool." If you own 200 points in Saratoga and 100 points in Bay Lake, and want to take a trip starting May 1, then on June 1 you can book 200 points worth of lodging in Saratoga and 100 points worth of lodging at Bay Lake. Then on September 1, you can, if you choose, see if you can use all your entire 300 points in one resort, or the other, or any of the other resorts if you so choose. That 4 months between the 11 month window and the 7 month window is about the only difference...

EDIT: Unless some of your points were purchased from Disney and others were purchased resale. Resale points don't have the option of being used for RCI, or anything beyond DVC resorts.

Thanks! That helps a lot! I was kinda confused. I bought directly from Disney but do not see me going anywhere else but the world or land.

 

[GoofGoof]

Your points do not "pool." If you own 200 points in Saratoga and 100 points in Bay Lake, and want to take a trip starting May 1, then on June 1 you can book 200 points worth of lodging in Saratoga and 100 points worth of lodging at Bay Lake. Then on September 1, you can, if you choose, see if you can use all your entire 300 points in one resort, or the other, or any of the other resorts if you so choose. That 4 months between the 11 month window and the 7 month window is about the only difference...

EDIT: Unless some of your points were purchased from Disney and others were purchased resale. Resale points don't have the option of being used for RCI, or anything beyond DVC resorts.

Resale points can be traded in through RCI. If you bought resale after March 2011 they can't be used for the Disney Collection (Disney hotel rooms and DCL), Adventurer Collection and Concierge Collection.

 

[slappy magoo]

Resale points can be traded in through RCI. If you bought resale after March 2011 they can't be used for the Disney Collection (Disney hotel rooms and DCL), Adventurer Collection and Concierge Collection.

I guess I stand corrected then. Thanks for setting me straight, I really thought RCI was excluded from resale points now.

 

[GoofGoof]

I guess I stand corrected then. Thanks for setting me straight, I really thought RCI was excluded from resale points now.

I've never actually tried to trade in through RCI so maybe you are correct. When I bought my resale contract in the fall of 2011 I was told that the points could be used for DVC resorts or trade in via the World Passport Collection which they said included RCI as well as some other program (can't remember the name). I have no desire to trade in anyway so I never really verfied if that was in fact true. I can search around on the web a little and see if I can find something verifying it. I don't want to put something out there that someone might rely on if it isn't really true.

 

[slappy magoo]

I've never actually tried to trade in through RCI so maybe you are correct. When I bought my resale contract in the fall of 2011 I was told that the points could be used for DVC resorts or trade in via the World Passport Collection which they said included RCI as well as some other program (can't remember the name). I have no desire to trade in anyway so I never really verfied if that was in fact true. I can search around on the web a little and see if I can find something verifying it. I don't want to put something out there that someone might rely on if it isn't really true.

No apparently you are right. Via http://www.resalesdvc.com/FAQs_for_Buyers/page_1927001.html#other locations

Recently Disney changed their policy on the sale of DVC contracts on the secondary market. Under the new policy, members who purchase from anyone other than Disney, on or after March 21, 2011, will not be eligible to use their DVC points to make reservations in the Concierge Collection, the Disney Collection or the Adventurer Collection. Those Vacation Points will instead be valid only for reservations at Disney Vacation Club resorts, as well as for RCI® exchanges, Club Cordial and Club Intrawest.

 

[tjkraz]

Yes, resale points can be used for RCI trades.

However, DVC and RCI recently re-upped their exchange agreement. In the press release, there was mention of DVC members having access to "thousands" of destinations through RCI. In reality DVC owners can only access about 500 select RCI destinations...not their full roster of several thousand resorts.

This wording has lead some people to speculate that direct buyers may soon gain access to all RCI trading partners while resale owners are limited to the current +/- 500 destinations. At the same time, DVC has been hyping its "Membership Magic" initiative and promising more destinations.

That's purely speculation, though. Coincidence? Sloppy press release?

 

[GoofGoof]

Yes, resale points can be used for RCI trades.

However, DVC and RCI recently re-upped their exchange agreement. In the press release, there was mention of DVC members having access to "thousands" of destinations through RCI. In reality DVC owners can only access about 500 select RCI destinations...not their full roster of several thousand resorts.

This wording has lead some people to speculate that direct buyers may soon gain access to all RCI trading partners while resale owners are limited to the current +/- 500 destinations. At the same time, DVC has been hyping its "Membership Magic" initiative and promising more destinations.

That's purely speculation, though. Coincidence? Sloppy press release?

I'm sure from the RCI side they want as many people as possible to trade in through them. Trading in for DVC is very popular. I remember trying it once before I owned DVC when a relative offered to let us trade in his timeshare for a room at WDW. Nothing was available on property, but we got a nice 2 bedroom condo right next to Sea World. The person we were dealing with told us that they have so many requests to trade in to DVC they end up filling several of the off property resorts with the overflow. I can't imagine they would do anything that could limit the number of people trading in. Opening up additional trade options would make sense.

 

[tjkraz]

I'm sure from the RCI side they want as many people as possible to trade in through them. Trading in for DVC is very popular. I remember trying it once before I owned DVC when a relative offered to let us trade in his timeshare for a room at WDW. Nothing was available on property, but we got a nice 2 bedroom condo right next to Sea World. The person we were dealing with told us that they have so many requests to trade in to DVC they end up filling several of the off property resorts with the overflow. I can't imagine they would do anything that could limit the number of people trading in. Opening up additional trade options would make sense.

It wasn't RCI that imposed the limits...it was DVC. RCI does have some sketchy resorts in its portfolio and DVC always argued that they wanted to steer its members to the highest-quality locations. They also did some geographic blocking--not allowing trades into other Orlando-area properties, HHI, etc.

If members do gain increased RCI access, it's because DVC is allowing it.