Monorail Resorts

[Mr Toad]

I am going back to WDW after a 5 year hiatus. The spouse and I will be taking our 2 1/2 year old and 15 month old. Because we don't want the hassles of a long commute, we have decided to stay on the monorail loop. So the question is...GF, Poly or Contemporary. If you have to tote around 2 toddlers, which one is better. Mind you, I have never stayed at these 3 resorts, only eaten there. Thanks for the input.

 

[BalooChicago]

For me, with kids that age, the walk from the Contemporary to the MK makes it a no-brainer IMNSHO.

 

[Bowler Hat Girl]

For me, with kids that age, the walk from the Contemporary to the MK makes it a no-brainer IMNSHO.

This. Plus, if you're willing to pay for a room at GF, just book a tower room at the Contemporary instead. You can't beat it for convenience. Everything in one building, monorail included. I've stayed at GF before (even in the main building), but the Contemporary is still my fav!

 

[Disvillain63]

Contemporary...you've got monorail, boat, and walking path.

 

[olinecoach61]

Poly all the way. Easy monorail access, you can ride the ferry to mk, you can walk to the TTC and take the monorail to Epcot. The theming is great for little ones, my daughter loved making sand castles on the beach, playing in the squirt area and swimming in the volcano pool.

 

[zurgandfriend]

I have stayed in all of them, I would have to agree with the Contemporary IMHO there is less walking than the GF or Poly.

 

[Tinkerbell397]

We stayed at both the Contemporary and the Poly with our children when they were small. A tower room, if you can financially, would be my choice. Off the monorail and your are "home"....and my kids loved to wake up and walk out of the from to overlook Chef Mickey's and the monorail. Kind of sets the Disney mood for the day. I must confess that The Contemporary has always been my favorite. The GF is a huge property and it is quite a walk to your room once off the monorail...especially with tired toddlers. The Poly can also be a walk but not quite as long.

 

[mouse_luv]

Contemporary.

 

[Mr Toad]

Sounds like Contemporary is the way to go...I like the thought of a tower room facing MK...

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Contemporary.

What she said. There's lots for kids to do at Contemporary, easy access to MK, just a really nice place.

Grand Floridian is over the top for my taste, and you tend to get snobby people there (not always, but there's a tendency). Polynesian is fake Hawaii. Now that I've been to Oahu twice, it's never appealed to me.

 

[DaGoof00]

I'd pick the Grand Floridian (although it's my favorite so I am biased. My reason for this is; with kids that you - they may not be all that into walking the path from the contemporary to the Magic Kingdom, where I assume you'll spend most of your time. The nice part about the transportation at the Grand is that you are just one monorail stop the the Magic Kingdom, and then (instead of monorailing back to the hotel) take the boat - you're the first stop on the return for the boat!

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Mr Toad]

What she said. There's lots for kids to do at Contemporary, easy access to MK, just a really nice place.

Grand Floridian is over the top for my taste, and you tend to get snobby people there (not always, but there's a tendency). Polynesian is fake Hawaii. Now that I've been to Oahu twice, it's never appealed to me.

I'm from Oahu (Waipahu) so I'm not eager to stay at Poly...unless they get a Zippy's restaraunt there

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I'm from Oahu (Waipahu) so I'm not eager to stay at Poly...unless they get a Zippy's restaraunt there

Oh, cool. Yeah, don't stay at Poly. It reminds me more of the airport than actual Hawaii. You can hop a monorail over there to see what I mean. Kona is a good restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

 

[Mr Toad]

Oh, cool. Yeah, don't stay at Poly. It reminds me more of the airport than actual Hawaii. You can hop a monorail over there to see what I mean. Kona is a good restaurant for breakfast and dinner.

Your right, the dark wood is like the airport in Honolulu. The only difference is people don't speak pidgin at Poly lol. If I heard someone say "da kine" I would just die!!!

 

[Sweet Melissa]

For me, with kids that age, the walk from the Contemporary to the MK makes it a no-brainer IMNSHO.

Agreed. I've yet to stay on the resort monorail loop, but the Contemporary is definitely the one that piques my interest most. The easy "commute" is definitely part of that.

 

[kane47]

The GF is awesome. So much to do and so close to MK. I have been down there with my sister and her children who were close in age to yours. They had a blast. Not one person was snobby at all. A huge misconception about the resort. It is one of the friendliest places on property.

 

[GoofGoof]

Another option to consider is Bay Lake Tower. We stayed in a 1 bedroom at BLT with a 2 year old and a 5 year old last summer. Nothing beat putting the kids to bed and still being able to stay up and unwind with a few beers from the fridge in a separate room. We watched the fireworks each night from the balcony while the little ones slept.

Logistically speaking the rooms are pricey if you book direct through Disney. However, if you rent DVC points from an owner you can probably get a 1BR with theme park view for around the same price as a studio room at CR or Poly. For example, lets say you want a MK view 1BR for a week in November it would cost 287 points. If you rent the points for $12 a point it would cost about $3,400 for the week. The rack rate for a studio room at CR in the tower with a MK view for the same week would cost $4,375 after taxes. Even if you got a 30% discount its still about the same price as renting DVC points and with BLT you get a full kitchen, Living room, master bedroom and 2 full bathrooms. Renting points from an online reseller takes a lot of the hassle out of the process.

 

[DaGoof00]

The GF is awesome. So much to do and so close to MK. I have been down there with my sister and her children who were close in age to yours. They had a blast. Not one person was snobby at all. A huge misconception about the resort. It is one of the friendliest places on property.

Couldn't agree with this post more. Your kids will enjoy the splash and play area themed to Alice in Wonderland, too!

 

[DisneyDebNJ]

You can't go wrong with any of the monorail resorts, however, our fav is the Poly.

 

[mickey2008.1]

Right now POLY is under refurb, so not a good choice, but it is a great place. Grand Floridian is awesome, but big bucks!. Now the Contemporary, garden wing rooms are a good value while receiving all the perks of a monorail resort. Just remember, a monorail resort only has access to Magic Kingdom Directly, other than that, you still have to take buses, and/or transfers through ticketing and transportation. Great resorts with a view and access to MK, or save $$$ and still have a great time.