Wilderness Lodge or Polynesian

K

Kevlin

New Member
Hello all,
We are getting ready to make our reservations for a July trip and are torn between the Wilderness Lodge and the Polynesian. What I do not get is why the $100 difference in rates when they are both in the deluxe class. Is the Polynesian that much nicer? I have never been in that resort. We ate at the Whispering Canyons at our last visit two years ago and were blown away by the Wilderness Lodge. It was all my wife could do to keep our two small kids from jumping into the pool there. So we have been planning to stay there all along until I started looking at pictures of the Polynesian and reading various reviews. I just do not understand the big jump in price at the Polynesian.
Thanks
 
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TIGGER-FAN

TIGGER-FAN

New Member
The big difference between the two is that the Poly is on the monorail loop, so you are paying more for that service. Also the rooms at the Wilderness Lodge are a bit smaller. Both are great resorts. If you liked the atmosphere at the WL, than that would be a good choice.
 
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D

DivineMadness7

New Member
Personally, I think the Wilderness Lodge is much nicer than the Polynesian. I've stayed at the wilderness lodge and my aunt and uncle stayed at the Polynesian. Their room looked very outdated and I was much more satisfied with the choice we made in staying at the wilderness lodge.

The jump in price for the Polynesian maybe be due to the fact that its a monorail resort? I don't know that for certain, it is just a guess. There is also a beach at the Polynesian.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure there is construction/refurbishment going on at the Polynesian right now as well...

The Wilderness Lodge doesn't have monorail service but there is a boat to the MK and buses that run just fine. Our family loved our trip there last Christmas and has already begun planning a trip there for next December.

It really boils down to a matter of opinion, good luck making a decision! :D
 
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BRER STITCH

BRER STITCH

Well-Known Member
NO question......WILDERNESS LODGE!!! :sohappy:

If you liked it that much just by eating dinner there, imagine how much you'll enjoy the week there!

Then.....go to dinner at Ohana (at the POLY) and check that place out closer for your NEXT trip! :lol:

The WL is our favorite place to stay, for reasons mentioned on so many other posts....

HAVE FUN!!!....and let us know what you decide!!!

:sohappy:
 
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tigsmom

tigsmom

Well-Known Member
No question....the Wilderness Lodge!!!!!!


There are a few threads going on right now about resort choice & the WL is always mentioned.

The WL is not on the monorail, but a launch will take you across the lake to the Contemporary (where you can hit the monorail) or to the MK.

We have stayed at both and usually find our way back to the WL...we like the atmosphere, restaurants and most of all the fact that you don't have to travel OUTSIDE to reach the lobby, food & shops. (think JULY in Florida with the daily thunderstorms & trying to find your way back to your room in the dark). You can always go to OHANA for dinner or the Kona Cafe for breakfast & head out from there. The WL also has a beach, but remember there is NO swimming at any beach in WDW.

We also have 2 kids...girls 15 & 9 (who enjoyed both resorts)...the pools were a big hit with them, but they like the fact that they can go to the shops by themselves or hit the snack bar while we relax in the lobby.

Feel free to pm me with any questions.
 
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Djali999

Djali999

Active Member
the thing about the Polynesian, to me, is that it has a very tacky "1970's hotel" look and feel to it - it has not aged gracefully at all. you're sticking your $100 on the monorail, basically, and the fact that you can walk to the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Wilderness Lodge wins far and away. :)
 
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S

Son_of_Sam

New Member
Polly and the Contemp are the original hotels and much older that WL which opened in the 90's. The monerail is not worth the 100$ b/c you can take the boat to the MK from the WL. The Lodge is a much better choice.
 
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Djali999

Djali999

Active Member
and you could sink the $100 into renting a car and go wherever you want! :D always a good choice IMO, Disney transport annoys me.

at WL you're limited to buses and boats, so you know. you can also take a boat to the Contemporary and hop on the monorail to get to the MK or Epcot, but you'd get to Epcot faster if you just drove and to MK faster if you rode the boat all the way across.

that is the only drawback of WL, but I wouldn't want more transport options there either. it's a wonderfully secluded little chunk of paradise. =)
 
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wdwfan22

wdwfan22

Well-Known Member
I too have stayed at both. Our choice everytime would be the Polynesian. The Polynesian has larger rooms better shopping, wonderful restaurants, views of the Magic Kingodm and it's on the Monorail. The Polynesian is a Southseas Paradise!! Well worth the extra dough. The Wilderness Lodge is nice. It's themed very well. However the rooms are small, (the reason for the price difference) and there is only one gift shop.

Both are excellent choices, but if it were up to me I would chose the Polynesian.
 
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ajrwdwgirl

ajrwdwgirl

Premium Member
not too helpful of a post but....

I have a question. I was wondering if anyone had pictures of the WL and the Poly decorated for Christmas? My family is split between those two places for Christmas next year. I think that because of the lodge the WL would be better for Christmas, but I also like the Poly. I just need some more info to make up our minds.
Also, WL has a hot tub unlike the Poly right?
Thanks!
 
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lebernadin

lebernadin

New Member
Wilderness Lodge.

The Poly is one of our least favorite resorts, the only highlights being the view from its beach and monorail access. I know its a favorite for many Disney veterans but it just doesn't do anything for me.

We've stayed in Grand concierge and a regular wilderness lodge room and i actually prefer the lodge over the Grand.

Now the AKL versus the WL is a tough call for me. But that's for another thread. :)
 
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Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall

Well-Known Member
The only thing that doesn't appeal to me at the Wilderness Lodge is the transportation. I don't really like that the only way to the MK is by boat. I would think that would take a lot longer to get there.
 
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A

AkEverestAK

New Member
Polynesian!!

I would always stay at the poly over wildernes lodge. poly IS on the monorail loop, this makes it easy and fun to get around. also, you dont have to worry about a car when MK closes and the line to go to the hotels is very slim at night.
Poly is a beautiful place, inside feels like outside and outside feels like outside! ( if that made sense)

:sohappy: :sohappy:
 
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lebernadin

lebernadin

New Member
Re: Polynesian!!

Originally posted by AkEverestAK
I would always stay at the poly over wildernes lodge. poly IS on the monorail loop, this makes it easy and fun to get around. also, you dont have to worry about a car when MK closes and the line to go to the hotels is very slim at night.
Poly is a beautiful place, inside feels like outside and outside feels like outside! ( if that made sense)

:sohappy: :sohappy:
Click to expand...

Well a car wouldn't come into play with re to the Wilderness Lodge due to the launches.

Poly is nice, but if you're a big fan of the indoor foliage, you should check out the Gaylord Palms off-property down from the Wide World of Sports and the new Pop Century resort.
 
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Dizknee_Phreek

Dizknee_Phreek

Well-Known Member
i've stayed at the WL Villas twice, and though i'm sure the villas are a tad bit different from the regular rooms, i'd definately choose WL over Poly any day! my dad has always wanted to stay at Poly, but i've never had any interest in it. i'm usually a big fan of vintage and antiques, but even Poly is too outdated for me. it even smells old. i wish more than anything that they'd give that place a major face lift. they did a great job with the volcano pool, now they need to focus on the buildings, inside and out!

but really, if your whole family liked WL that much in the short amount of time you spent there, you'll love staying there! no matter how many times i go to WL (even when we don't stay there, we usually visit) i'm still a bit overwhelmed by the massive lobby! i just love WL...the smell, the music, the overall feel. when i stay there, i don't feel like i'm in FL, i feel like i'm out west. the only draw back is the transportation. i don't mind the buses, although they do get a little annoying, but that's at every resort. what i do mind is the boat to MK. the ride isn't too bad (although fairly large bodies of water do tend to make me uneasy) it's the wait. i think they only have two boats going at a time, and they stop at WL and FW. the wait is definately the worst part. but nowadays you usually have to wait just as long for a bus, so...

but i'd recommend WL to anyone! especially if you enjoy visiting there! and think about the money you'd save!! :animwink:
 
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