wilderness lodge or polynesian?

protiius

protiius

Member
we were considering staying at wl for our next trip but i've recently been considering the polynesian (though i don't tend to hear much about this resort on these boards).

so which would you prefer to stay at? what are the benefits (and flaws) in staying at each of these?

thanks for the help :xmas:
 
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happymom52003

happymom52003

Active Member
Put the WL right next door to the Poly, and I'd choose WL, hands down. WL is by far our favorite resort as far as atmosphere goes. However, for me, the location of the Poly just can't be beat.

We had stayed at the WL multiple times and loved it, and had another trip booked there for October 2008. However, we had to change our trip dates to December a few weeks before our trip, and the WL was booked for the dates I wanted. So we reluctantly switched to the Poly. We ended up loving it.

We spend most of our time at MK and Epcot, so the Poly is ideal for us. I love the short walk to the TTC to get on the Epcot monorail line, having the choice between boat and monorail to go to the MK, and being able to see the castle and fireworks from the Poly beach. And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the large size of the rooms at the Poly, and that they have two queen beds AND a day bed. Perfect for my family.
 
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J

jzimm

New Member
This is a big debate in our houshold too. We love them both and will probably alternate between the two. 1 year at the Poly and the next at the Lodge. If we are going for a shorter trip and need/want to do a lot of things, I would chose the Poly for its access to transportation, but if we have time and want to take it slow, then I would chose the Lodge for its ambiance.
 
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wvdisneyfamily

wvdisneyfamily

Well-Known Member
The Poly is a monorail resort. It has a beautiful lobby and awesome views of the Magic Kingdom. Those are the best reasons I can think of to stay there. As if my signature doesn't indicate it, I'm a big fan of the Wilderness Lodge. The reasons I love the WL? It's gorgeous. The Artist Point is my favorite restaurant ever hands down. It's a Magic Kingdom resort which means I get to stay inside the gates of the Magic Kingdom (the ones you drive through). There are a ton of ways to get from the Wilderness Lodge to the various parks and resorts. It's close enough to everything to be handy, but not so close I am exposed to constant noise and bustle. I don't have to break the bank to stay there. Everything is under one roof (except the villas). Perhap splitting your stay between the two might be a good option.
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
tomm4004 said:
Just priced rooms at the website for Jan 23-30th. Poly $510 a night; WL $240. (Yacht/Beach $420). That's a massive difference. I don't ever remember there being that much disparity. Even straight up it's a toss up, but with this price difference it's no contest. If you long a bit for the Poly, walk from the TTC to the GF then grab the monorail. That should do it.
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I'm sorry - This is laughable. No disrespect to Poly fans, but to save almost 60% by staying at Wilderness Lodge????? There should be no question about it.

If anyone ever has any doubt whether the Poly is worth $510 a night, all you need to do is go to Ohana for dinner and sit by a window. May have been cleaned about a year ago. Or, go to one of the longhouses and get in an elevator.
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Mystic said:
I actually found it easier to relax at the Poly than at WL. People seemed more relaxed overall at the Poly. Nobody seemed to be racing anywhere like they might miss that last boat/bus somewhere.
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I find the outside relaxing at the Poly, but the lobby is a zoo pretty much any time of day because of Ohana. Going down to the Tambu Lounge for a drink at night was pointless. There were never open chairs at the bar. As for the lounge area, they removed 75% of the tables and chairs that were there.
 
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Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
tomm4004 said:
Just priced rooms at the website for Jan 23-30th. Poly $510 a night; WL $240. (Yacht/Beach $420). That's a massive difference. I don't ever remember there being that much disparity. Even straight up it's a toss up, but with this price difference it's no contest. If you long a bit for the Poly, walk from the TTC to the GF then grab the monorail. That should do it.
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Did you bother to read the room category you were looking at before posting that the room was $510 a night? The $510 a night room at the Poly is a Theme Park View. You can't compare a Theme Park View at the Poly to a standard view room at the WL.

I just ran the room rates for your window as well, that's how I know it's a Theme Park View at the Poly that came up at $510 a night. A Garden View room at the Poly, which is their standard view room is actually only $365 a night.

So the price difference between STANDARD rooms is only $125 a night, NOT $270 like you were making it seem. Next time, make sure you are comparing rooms that are in the same room category.
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Mystic said:
Did you bother to read the room category you were looking at before posting that the room was $510 a night? The $510 a night room at the Poly is a Theme Park View. You can't compare a Theme Park View at the Poly to a standard view room at the WL.

I just ran the room rates for your window as well, that's how I know it's a Theme Park View at the Poly that came up at $510 a night. A Garden View room at the Poly, which is their standard view room is actually only $365 a night.

So the price difference between STANDARD rooms is only $125 a night, NOT $270 like you were making it seem. Next time, make sure you are comparing rooms that are in the same room category.
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I had a feeling that may be the case. Nevertheless, $125 a night is quite a chunk of change. Especially considering we've had a standard view room twice at the WL with fantastic views of the castle, monorail, Contemporary and fireworks. And didn't have to pay extra for "theme park view".
 
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happymom52003

happymom52003

Active Member
captainkidd said:
I had a feeling that may be the case. Nevertheless, $125 a night is quite a chunk of change. Especially considering we've had a standard view room twice at the WL with fantastic views of the castle, monorail, Contemporary and fireworks. And didn't have to pay extra for "theme park view".
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This could be extremely misleading to people who are not familiar with the Wilderness Lodge. I would not want anyone reading this to think that was a realistic option while staying at the WL.

From the allears.net Wilderness Lodge fact sheet:

[FONT=verdana, arial][SIZE=-1]"The Standard View generally faces the parking lot or driveway and sometimes the roof; the Woods View faces the woods towards the MK (no view of MK-maybe a glimpse of a monorail) on one side and the Wilderness Lodge Villas on the other side; the Courtyard View looks out over one of the pools or Bay Lake. Some guests report the upper floors do enable you to see the MK fireworks although since the trees have grown, these views have become very limited."

[/SIZE][/FONT]
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
happymom52003 said:
This could be extremely misleading to people who are not familiar with the Wilderness Lodge. I would not want anyone reading this to think that was a realistic option while staying at the WL.

From the allears.net Wilderness Lodge fact sheet:

[FONT=verdana, arial][SIZE=-1]"The Standard View generally faces the parking lot or driveway and sometimes the roof; the Woods View faces the woods towards the MK (no view of MK-maybe a glimpse of a monorail) on one side and the Wilderness Lodge Villas on the other side; the Courtyard View looks out over one of the pools or Bay Lake. Some guests report the upper floors do enable you to see the MK fireworks although since the trees have grown, these views have become very limited."[/SIZE][/FONT]
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While this is true, the majority of rooms at the WL will not face the parking lot. The majority of rooms are Woods View or Courtyard. They designate some of the Woods view as Standard view because the parking lot may be on the same side though looking out your window you wouldn't know it. And the majority of rooms that are considered standard view, will not face the parking lot or driveway.
 
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happymom52003

happymom52003

Active Member
captainkidd said:
While this is true, the majority of rooms at the WL will not face the parking lot. The majority of rooms are Woods View or Courtyard. They designate some of the Woods view as Standard view because the parking lot may be on the same side though looking out your window you wouldn't know it. And the majority of rooms that are considered standard view, will not face the parking lot or driveway.
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Not sure what your point is.:shrug:

I posted the room descriptions from allears so that others would not be mislead by your quote "we've had a standard view room twice at the WL with fantastic views of the castle, monorail, Contemporary and fireworks. And didn't have to pay extra for "theme park view"."

If you really had that view with a standard room (or any room for that matter) at the WL, please post the room number...I'm sure many of us would love to request it!
 
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worldfanatic

worldfanatic

Well-Known Member
Wilderness lodge by a mile.
WL stands up strong when compared to actual mountain and forest resorts.
Poly is a joke when compared to actual Hawaiian or South Pacific resorts.
 
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Mystic

Mystic

Well-Known Member
happymom52003 said:
Not sure what your point is.:shrug:

I posted the room descriptions from allears so that others would not be mislead by your quote "we've had a standard view room twice at the WL with fantastic views of the castle, monorail, Contemporary and fireworks. And didn't have to pay extra for "theme park view"."

If you really had that view with a standard room (or any room for that matter) at the WL, please post the room number...I'm sure many of us would love to request it!
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I agree with Happymom. The last time we requested woods view at WL, we ended up in a room in the Main Lodge overtop of Whispering Canyon, which we could hear from our room and we overlooked the service area of the resort. Yes we could see some of the fireworks from our balcony but we had to sleep with earplugs every night because of the incessant BEEPING that went with trucks backing into the service area.

I'd too would be interested to know what room number you had because this is the exact description of a standard view room taken from Disney's own website for the Wilderness Lodge.

Stardard Room with Standard View.

View of a parking area, rooftop or service areas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
Additional adult charge of $25 per adult per night for more than 2 adults
2 queen-size beds
Ceiling fan
Private balcony or patio
Table and chairs
Vanity area with 2 sinks and bath
Coffeemaker
Hairdryer
High-speed Internet access (for an additional fee)
In-room wall safe
Iron, ironing board
Pack 'n Play playard
Refrigerator
Television
Voice mail
Writing table
Wheelchair-accessible rooms available
All rooms are non-smoking rooms
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
I don't remember the room numbers. I don't think to write things like that down.:shrug:

We've been on the 6th floor twice and on the 7th floor once. As it turns out, the view from a standard room on the 6th floor was far better than the concierge view from the 7th floor.

I never said it was a guarentee. All we did was request a higher floor room facing the Magic Kingdom and got it both times. If you'd like, I can start a seperate thread asking who has received these rooms. Obviously, I'm not the only one.
 
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captainkidd

captainkidd

Well-Known Member
Mystic said:
I'd too would be interested to know what room number you had because this is the exact description of a standard view room taken from Disney's own website for the Wilderness Lodge.

Stardard Room with Standard View.

View of a parking area, rooftop or service areas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
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With all due respect, so what? Do they state that from a Standard View room from some rooms of Pop Century, you can see Spaceship Earth and Illuminations?

As I said, nowhere did I state that a Magic Kingdom view was guarenteed. I simply stated in a reply that there are rooms with views of the castle, and, the fireworks. I'm sure the view may not be as good as a Theme Park View from the Poly, but the room is also $270 less per night. If someone is torn between the 2 resorts and the make it or break it is getting a view of the castle, I'd chance it, save $270 per night, and request the room.
 
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