Poly or BWI

Trying to decide which one would be better for me and dd8, even though we will not be going until 10/07 or so. Both resorts look great, havent ever stayed at either. Just looking to have a fun getaway for "the girls". Any advice? :king:
 

MissDiznee66

Member
Original Poster
Forgot to mention that my cousin may also be going and she has NEVER been to Disney at all. So would be really hoping to impress her and have a great all girls week out! Thank You
 
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tecowdw

Well-Known Member
Can't beat either one but couple things to consider:

Do you prefer to be closer to the Magic Kingdom or Epcot?
If the MK, then the Polynesian is best including the monorail. For Epcot, it would be BWI since it is in walking distance, as well as DS if you're in for a little longer walk.

Do you prefer peaceful tropical tranquility or seaside boardwalk entertainment? <insert obvious answers here>

What price are you willing to pay? Polynesian runs a little bit more than the BWI.

Does the room makes a difference? Polynesian rooms will be freshly renovated with upgraded amenities. BWI will likely not be.

My personal preference is all about the atmosphere and ambiance I feel while at the resort, so I would choose the Polynesian. BWI is a great location though.
 
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Moustronaut

New Member
Yep that's pretty much it, Epcot or Magic Kingdom. Both offer great views of their perspective park if you get the right room. We had a top floor room at Boardwalk and walked out on our balcony every morning to see the Eiffle tower and Spaceship Earth. The room we've had at Poly was simply wonderful since the refurb, but not as a great a view but did have some lovely tropical gardens right off our patio. Both resorts have great pluses. I would say Boardwalk skews a little more to the adult side and Poly skews a little more to the young kid side. Boardwalk has some excellent restaurants and entertainment with the ESPN club and Jellyrolls as well as the carnival atmoshpere on the boardwalk itself. Poly has arguable the best breakfast joint in the "World" with Kona Cafe and great fun and dining at Ohana and their Luau show.

If you are a big fan of Epcot, especially the World Showcase side, I would highly recommend Boardwalk. It's no more than a 5 minute walk from the lobby to the international gateway, Epcot's back door.

Now if you're a bigger fan or Future World fan or the Magic Kingdom, I'd lean towards Poly. The MK resort monorail stops right at your resort, so easy to walk on right on and ride over to MK. Depending on which Poly long house (building) you are staying in, the TTC is just next door. There you can catch the Epcot Monorail and ride a direct monorail right into the front entrance of Epcot.

You can't really go wrong with either.
 
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MissDiznee66

Member
Original Poster
Glad to hear BOTH are winners! Will just have to think about it as far as closest to the parks. I think we are leaning towards EPCOT. :animwink:
 
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tigsmom

Well-Known Member
We've stayed at both also and they both have their good & bad sides.

We loved the atmosphere of the Poly and the monorail and the proximity to the MK. Seeing the fireworks from the beach and the Electric Water Pagent afterwards was definately a plus. The kids love the slide in the pool. What we didn't like was the having to go outside to get to the restaurants & shops, we were in one of the farthest buildings...very close to the TTC.

The Boardwalk Inn is quite beautiful, but very, very large. If you are in a far room you will walk for miles to get anywhere. We were on the top floor above the Flying Fish and had a great view. I thought it would be nosiy from all the boardwalk activity, but it wasn't at all. The walk to EPCOT was very nice as is the boat ride to MGM. The bus transportation was horrible (shared by the 5 area resorts), but I understand that has now been changed. Another thing is I have a family of picky eaters and they didn't like the food offerings so we usually travelled to the other resorts or to EPCOT to eat...just my family. The pool and water slide were magnificent and my kids had a great time.

The rooms in both are large and nicely decorated. IMHO, I don't think you would be disappointed either way. Happy planning! :wave:
 
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kachow

Member
I think everyone already nailed it. It's mostly in the theming and park access. Poly is obviously a more exotic setting, that is probably more interesting and exciting for kids, with Boardwalk definitely having more interesting things for adults, in the restaurants, bars, and clubs, and the fact that the theming is NOT over the top, if you're looking for a more subtle setting.
 
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campdisney

New Member
The Polynesian volcano pool was a huge hit with my kids (6 & 8 at that time). And the ability to see the fireworks display from the Poly's beach, as well as the electrical water pageant, was really quite a fun and relaxing way to end the day on the odd night we weren't at the parks. The Monorail was also big draw. The convenience access to MK and Epcot almost spoils you for when you actually have to catch a bus to hit AK and MGM. However, the advantage to this is that when you do need to ride a bus back from a park, the Polynesian is always one of the closest bus stops.

We never stayed at the Boardwalk. I don't do clowns -- and the clown pool at BWI would have done me in (or at least required a few extra poolside drinks)! However, we were across from the Boardwalk at the Beach Club (while other family members were staying there). The primary draw to this area, as everyone else has mentioned, is the close proximity to World Showcase. We walked over many times and had convenient viewing for Illuminations -- plus a relatively quick exit from the park after the show.
 
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