What don't you like about the Polynesian.

[HauntedMansionFLA]

I don't love Park View at the Contemporary since it's really more parking LOT view. CR's value is in the Garden Wing rooms which are very hard to book. If you can stay at the Poly for cheaper, I don't think it's really much of a contest at all.

What type of views do you have with the garden views? Still a 10 minute walk to MK?

 

[DarthVader]

Closest resort when heading to Epcot along the monorail. Pricing I think is excessive. Think they should be more the price of the contemporary.

A little bit of apples and oranges but the STD room for the Poly is 552 per night for my planned vacation (04/16) where as the cheapest room available for the contemporary is 648. Granted the Contemporary is giving me the park view and the Poly's park view room is 770 per night. Still if I were to change my reservation, I'm looking at saving about 1,000 dollars off the price by moving towards the std room of the Poly.

I don't usually upgrade our room stays at DW, but for the contemporary seeing the park in such close proximity its hard not too (plus I had no choice as I mentioned). I don't know if its worth upgrading the Poly's standard room to the lagoon or park view.

 

[DarthVader]

What type of views do you have with the garden views? Still a 10 minute walk to MK?

The building is right next door to the main building, so I think it adds something 5 to 10 more minutes of walking.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

My screen name is Tuvalu and my avatar is the view from my favorite room in Tuvalu ~ so my answer to "What Don't You Like About The Polynesian" is




NOTHING.

What building would be best to get a park view along with a good location to walk to the TTC? Sounds like the best access to the MK and EPCOT would be the Poly for no hassle - we are two adults with no kids.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

Up until they made those horrendous changes to the lobby in the Polynesian......there was nothing wrong with it.

The old lobby was far superior to the garbage they replaced it with. The old waterfall feature gave the place a certain personality and looked much better than the "plain Jane" seating area they changed it out with.

 

[Electricsoup]

The new lobby is vastly superior to the old lobby in every conceivable way, other than nostalgia for what once was. The old lobby felt very much like a 1970s lobby that hadn't been updated since. It smelled musty and the skylights were stained brown. The new one is sleek and modern.

This all the way. My husband wouldn't even consider staying at the Poly when the old lobby was in - he thought it was so dated, that it smelled terrible (personally I actually liked it, but I think I was just used to it) and that it looked crowded and unwelcoming. We were there last week for dinner and the changes were awesome. He even changed his response to 'maybe someday'.

I'd have a hard time picking Contemporary over Poly myself. I love them both, but still not as much as the GF

 

[mouse_luv]

I agree with those (I think it was @Tuvalu ) that said the "dark" interior of the Poly no longer exists. I would say the same about the rooms at the AKV's esp Kidani where we stayed last year.

OP @maflynn, is it important that you and your wife stay at a deluxe near MK? How about one of the EPCOT/Boardwalk area deluxes? Yacht Club/Beach Club and Boardwalk are all excellent resorts and you can walk to EPCOT via the International Gateway. (which also gives you a lot more choices for dining as well).

The Disney buses aren't that bad. I never really had that big of a problem with them in the first place, but after having to stay at SOG a few weeks ago with my family who is ret. military, and deal with SOG buses and always having to go via the TTC (unless you are walking to the Poly and getting a monorail straight to the MK), I will NEVER complain about the official Disney buses again.

 

[Tuvalu]

What building would be best to get a park view along with a good location to walk to the TTC? Sounds like the best access to the MK and EPCOT would be the Poly for no hassle - we are two adults with no kids.

Buildings with the closest walk to the TTC are now DVC units. Tahiti (now Moorea) had the majority of the theme park view rooms and was a very short walk to the TTC.

Hawaii has theme park view rooms and is centrally located, but it is the club level building so expect to pay an additional premium of $100/night for that park view.

Aotearoa and Tuvalu have the remaining theme park view rooms; both are located past the marina and have the furthest walk from the TTC. Of those two, you can guess my favorite.

If location is more important to you than the view, Rarotonga is smack-dab in the middle of things, with the shortest walk to pools, transportation and dining.

 

[aw14]

We are staying at Poly in August at the club level theme park view. We have also stayed at a theme park view at CR. we LOVE CR, but are thrilled to be at Poly for 5 nights

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Buildings with the closest walk to the TTC are now DVC units. Tahiti (now Moorea) had the majority of the theme park view rooms and was a very short walk to the TTC.

Hawaii has theme park view rooms and is centrally located, but it is the club level building so expect to pay an additional premium of $100/night for that park view.

Aotearoa and Tuvalu have the remaining theme park view rooms; both are located past the marina and have the furthest walk from the TTC. Of those two, you can guess my favorite.

If location is more important to you than the view, Rarotonga is smack-dab in the middle of things, with the shortest walk to pools, transportation and dining.

Awesome thanks

 

[zurgandfriend]

Last we stayed there was 2009 and the Poly needed a face lift, for our upcoming trip we are booked into the GF but after the refurb we may give the Poly another visit next time. I want to check it out and decide in August.

 

[DisneyJunkie]

To the OP, "Poly lovers" are going to have some pretty unique criticisms of the Poly because many of them are obsessed with how it used to be and abhor change in all its forms. The new lobby is vastly superior to the old lobby in every conceivable way, other than nostalgia for what once was. The old lobby felt very much like a 1970s lobby that hadn't been updated since. It smelled musty and the skylights were stained brown. The new one is sleek and modern.

Couldn't disagree more with those statements. I may be a "Poly lover", but I don't "abhor change in all its forms". If they had wanted to slightly modify or take SOME away from the original waterfall feature in the lobby, I wouldn't have had any problem with that. But for them to do what they did was basically to ruin the look and remove all personality from the Poly's lobby. The old lobby was vastly superior to the garbage they have in there now, which basically makes it look like a sitting room and nothing more. The smell in there wasn't bad, it actually added to the charm of the place. The new lobby is a joke, even if some view as "sleek and modern".

 

[KeithVH]

Oh, let's open up this can of worms. Besides all the other points already listed, there are more. As was stated in an earlier post, if you had stayed at the Poly in the 90s, maybe through mid-2000s and you compare that to now, you'll also see:

• A crapton more cement all over the place - really gives me that South Seas feel
• In certain areas, less appealing landscaping
• While still one of the better concierge stays, a big downturn in offerings (quality/quantity) in the Hawaii lounge in the last 10 years
  
• And yes, I'll go there, starting around 2006 or so, the human element who thinks having one family staying at Hawaii allows them to bring in their 30 family members staying at mods and values so they can "get their money's worth" in the lounge
• Heck, in general, the amazing attitude and lack of consideration for others that many guests now seem to exhibit in Hawaii during typical mealtime hours

Funny thing is, since we moved to club at GF, I don't see the same things. So what is it about the Poly?

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

Oh, let's open up this can of worms. Besides all the other points already listed, there are more. As was stated in an earlier post, if you had stayed at the Poly in the 90s, maybe through mid-2000s and you compare that to now, you'll also see:

• A crapton more cement all over the place - really gives me that South Seas feel
• In certain areas, less appealing landscaping
• While still one of the better concierge stays, a big downturn in offerings (quality/quantity) in the Hawaii lounge in the last 10 years
  
• And yes, I'll go there, starting around 2006 or so, the human element who thinks having one family staying at Hawaii allows them to bring in their 30 family members staying at mods and values so they can "get their money's worth" in the lounge
• Heck, in general, the amazing attitude and lack of consideration for others that many guests now seem to exhibit in Hawaii during typical mealtime hours

Funny thing is, since we moved to club at GF, I don't see the same things. So what is it about the Poly?

What are the pros and cons with the GF? Transportation to other parks? Trying to decide on a monorail resort.

 

[BigRedDad]

As with any Disney property, the value for the price. For $300+ savings per night, I am happy to drive into the World. I can experience everything there except the room.

 

[DarthVader]

OP @maflynn, is it important that you and your wife stay at a deluxe near MK? How about one of the EPCOT/Boardwalk area deluxes? Yacht Club/Beach Club and Boardwalk are all excellent resorts and you can walk to EPCOT via the International Gateway. (which also gives you a lot more choices for dining as well).

My wife would love to stay at the Boardwalk yet my kids are not really all that jazzed up about Epcot, so the benefit it being near a park is nullified. I agree there are other deluxe parks, but kids being kids (and I'm a big kid) there's something about taking the monorail

The Disney buses aren't that bad. I never really had that big of a problem with them in the first place, but after having to stay at SOG a few weeks ago with my family who is ret. military, and deal with SOG buses and always having to go via the TTC (unless you are walking to the Poly and getting a monorail straight to the MK), I will NEVER complain about the official Disney buses again.

I agree to a point, I've not had too much issues with a buses. What I don't like and this may not sound PC but when someone in a motor scooter needs to be loaded, they do that (which is fine) and then all of a sudden an entourage of people get on the bus with them.

Keep in mind, the Contemporary has a good deal of convention space & when a group books a meeting, they get a reduced convention "group rate". The vast majority of those group rate rooms are in the garden wing. The rooms get blocked when the meeting contract is signed, taking them out of inventory. Good sized meetings sign contracts 1-2 years out. That accounts for a good deal of limited availability in the garden wing. I've done meetings for the non-profit organization I work for & I've always sold out my room blocks at the Contemporary.

As with any Disney property, the value for the price. For $300+ savings per night, I am happy to drive into the World. I can experience everything there except the room.

 

[mouse_luv]

My wife would love to stay at the Boardwalk yet my kids are not really all that jazzed up about Epcot, so the benefit it being near a park is nullified. I agree there are other deluxe parks, but kids being kids (and I'm a big kid) there's something about taking the monorail


I agree to a point, I've not had too much issues with a buses. What I don't like and this may not sound PC but when someone in a motor scooter needs to be loaded, they do that (which is fine) and then all of a sudden an entourage of people get on the bus with them.

I hear you on the monorail, one of my favorite rides at all of WDW! I'm not going to start a debate (because they are frequent on here) about the buses and scooters. All I'll say is, it happens and there's not really anything we can do about it. There are some bus drivers that enforce the scooter and maybe one other person only getting on the bus through that door before everyone else waiting out front of the bus to board, but some don't and that's something Disney definitely needs to address.

 

[DarthVader]

All I'll say is, it happens and there's not really anything we can do about it.

Agreed that is the world we live in and while I may have some issues on this, I understand for some people the scooter is their only option to visiting DW. I'm not knocking the use if it, but the fairness of boarding.

There are some bus drivers that enforce the scooter and maybe one other person only getting on the bus through that door before everyone else waiting out front of the bus to board

I've been to Disney World around 6 times, and I kid you not. I've never seen that ever, not even once. Granted I have seen people with scooters only have one or two people with them, but those that had more, always got to get on first. So much so, I thought it was some sort of rule that everyone connected to the scooter person got to get on first.

 

[DisneyGirl3820]

I'm partial to the Contemporary so forgive me if I don't like Poly as much. Even after the refurb it still has a "dark" aura to me and feels like it doesn't have an identity anymore. Yes, the rooms used to be gross and musty (with an orange "hue" to them), but the Poly had a "feel" that was really nice overall in the past. It's lost something in the refurb. My vote is for the Contemporary.

 

[mouse_luv]

Agreed that is the world we live in and while I may have some issues on this, I understand for some people the scooter is their only option to visiting DW. I'm not knocking the use if it, but the fairness of boarding.


I've been to Disney World around 6 times, and I kid you not. I've never seen that ever, not even once. Granted I have seen people with scooters only have one or two people with them, but those that had more, always got to get on first. So much so, I thought it was some sort of rule that everyone connected to the scooter person got to get on first.

I've been 20+ times and sometimes you see it and sometimes you don't. It's like roulette lol!