Need advice between Poly, AKL and Contemporary- possibly splitting between two

[Kim Sid]

We are going to be in Orlando in October for my middle son's Make-a-Wish trip. My parents and my sister and her family are going to come down and meet up with us and we will be staying together in Disney for 5 nights. My middle son has a wheelchair, we also have a three year old and another son, my mom has had two knee surgeries and has trouble walking a ton, and my sister has two small kids. We are trying to not spend a fortune, want convenience, but also a nice resort. We were debating between the Animal Kingdom Lodge or villas, the Contemporary and Polynesian. We can't afford a theme park view for 5 nights but we would want one at the poly or contemporary- and the easy short walk at the contemporary or monorail, as well as the monorail at Poly. We know we would still need to use the buses for Hollywood studios and animal kingdom- so we had the idea of splitting our nights and staying two at AkL and then just needing a bus one day for HS and then switching to Contemporary or Poly. Which of these is better or do you recommend?? And is splitting time between two resorts a bad or good idea? What are pros and cons of Poly versus Contemporary? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

 

[DizDaD7]

We are going to be in Orlando in October for my middle son's Make-a-Wish trip. My parents and my sister and her family are going to come down and meet up with us and we will be staying together in Disney for 5 nights. My middle son has a wheelchair, we also have a three year old and another son, my mom has had two knee surgeries and has trouble walking a ton, and my sister has two small kids. We are trying to not spend a fortune, want convenience, but also a nice resort. We were debating between the Animal Kingdom Lodge or villas, the Contemporary and Polynesian. We can't afford a theme park view for 5 nights but we would want one at the poly or contemporary- and the easy short walk at the contemporary or monorail, as well as the monorail at Poly. We know we would still need to use the buses for Hollywood studios and animal kingdom- so we had the idea of splitting our nights and staying two at AkL and then just needing a bus one day for HS and then switching to Contemporary or Poly. Which of these is better or do you recommend?? And is splitting time between two resorts a bad or good idea? What are pros and cons of Poly versus Contemporary? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

1st off to the Disboards.

2ndly Do any of the resorts theming intrigue you...? Trying not to spend a fortune, is kind of misleading, because you picked out 3 deluxes, and 2 of 3 of the higher priced ones....If you could afford those 2 , then for the convenience I'd say gravitate towards them. Poly would be my choice. You have the monorail for at least 2 resorts.
With only 5 nights, I wouldn't split stay at all....Too much of a hassle....Not to say I wouldn't ever S/S but maybe with an 8 night or more I would...
Whichever you choose, I'm sure it'll be awesome, so I wouldn't fret too much. Sit back Relax & enjoy the process.

 

[jlnten17]

I love the Polynesian so that would be my first choice. I just prefer the theme over CR. Either resort will have monorail access to MK and Epcot. From Poly you can walk to TTC but that may not be a huge advantage if you are trying to minimize walking. As far as MK view CR will have a better (closer) view. The best MK view at Poly is in Tuvalu which also happens to be the farthest from the GCH (monorail, food, etc) and may be an issue again with the walking. On the flip side MK view at Poly is usually cheaper. Other pros at Poly - dole whips, much better pool. Pros at CR - walk to MK, everything under one roof. I enjoy the food at both equally. I really do not think you can go wrong with either of these resorts. I do not mind a split stay and would not rule it out even for a 5 night trip. The pros - you get to experience 2 resorts and save $ staying at AKL a couple nights. Cons would obviously be the time it takes to pack up and move as well as being "homeless" for a few hours between check out at 11 and check in at 3.

 

[ErinsMommy]

we've stayed at CR in the past 1and will be staying at the Poly this September. CR TPV is less expensive than Poly TPV as I've priced out both. Another building at Poly that you can stay at is Aotearoa and is not that far from the GCH. If you plan at going to MK a lot, CR will win hands down just because you can walk to/from. Poly on the other hand, you can walk to the TTC rather than go down the ramp and back up the ramp to transfer from TTC to the Epcot line. Love the theming at the Poly which is why we're staying there this time and they not only have an awesome pool and slide, but also a splash/water structure area for the little kids. CR has always been my husband's favorite.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

My thoughts... with a large group like this, multiple rooms, and a variety of ages (as young as three), some with mobility considerations, don't split a five night stay. The hassle is real. I guess if you're a WDW pro and know what you're doing then OK, but just seems like more trouble than it's worth. The hours you'd devote to the logistics of splitting could be put to better use.

It sounds like your trip is going to be pretty park heavy, is that a fair statement? If so, I'd rule out AKL in favor of Poly or CR just for tranportation alone. Also, it's October so the Mickey's Not So Scarry Halloween Party will be going on. Even if you don't go to this, you can still view the special party fireworks from Poly or CR.

You say you don't want a TPV room for five nights for budget reasons. No reason to pay for a TPV at either, IMHO. The other (cheaper) view categories are just fine at both resorts. Honestly I prefer a CR lake view over TPV.

So I'd focus on Poly and CR if I were you. You have a lot to consider with such a large group. Best of luck planning.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I agree with GaDisneyDad14 and the other PP's. 5 nights is too short a stay to split especially with a large group and family members with mobility issues. I, personally, would eliminate AKL from the list. It is lovely, but CR and Poly will offer incredible convenience to MK and EP. I also agree that, while it's nice, you really don't need TPV at either resort. Our BEST view at CR was a Bay Lake view - we could see both the EP and DHS fireworks (the Frozen ones were going on during our stay) from our balcony. We could see the electric water pageant too. If going down to a bay lake view at CR or garden view at Poly means you can stay at one of these resorts all 5 nights, I would do it. We've stayed garden view at Poly many times and the views are always lovely. On our last trip we stayed in Fiji, first floor, luau cove side and could simply walk out of our room, onto our patio and onto the luau cove beach to see the fireworks.

For your group, Poly gets the edge for me. I find the elevators at CR to be incredibly crowded. Especially with a wheelchair going on and off the monorail, you will be sharing one elevator with everyone coming and going who has a wheelchair, stroller or ECV. The elevators just get so backed up. Plus, we enjoy the theming at Poly so much more and the pools are so, so much better.

 

[PolyRob]

I have never stayed at AKL, but I have had ADRs here and utilized its transportation. Since it does bus everywhere, you will definitely notice the bus stop is very different with various sections for each destination versus Polynesian and Contemporary that only have one smaller seating area. Also, AKL and both Villas have long hallways which could pose an issue for mobility issues IMO.

Polynesian does not have the "convenience" the Contemporary does of taking an elevator downstairs to enjoy the resort amenities, however the grounds do not span very far. My mother also had two knee surgeries and has mobility issues and walking long distances can be an issue. We ultimately picked Poly to stay at since none of the longhouses are really that far from the Great Ceremonial House. As mentioned, the pools here are far superior to the Contemporary and AKL. The overall feel of the resort is extremely warm and you do feel like you are in a tropical oasis. The lobby smells fantastic and is much more inviting than the Contemporary. The transportation to Epcot is a little easier as you can walk to TTC. While it may not be right by Tuvalu, I found that making that walk was actually easier on my mother since she did not have to go down an additional monorail ramp (downhill is worse for her than up). Dining here is good, but if you dislike pineapple, teriyaki, or sushi, the menu options may get old fast. Theme park view here is further from Magic Kingdom, but a better line of sight to the castle.

The Contemporary is most convenient because of its distance to Magic Kingdom if you decide to walk. I stayed at the Grand Floridian when the monorail went down and waited 40 minutes for a boat that then had to stop at Polynesian before reaching Magic Kingdom. The whole time I was waiting I was thinking how I could have walked back and forth from the Contemporary in that amount of time. I do also enjoy the dining better at the Contemporary overall compared to the Polynesian based on types of restaurants (quick service, casual, signature, etc) and the variety they offer.

Having stayed at both the Polynesian and Contemporary, I would say Polynesian may be better given your travel party. I had also priced out both of these resorts as theme park views and personally found Polynesian to be more costly. Splitting can be a pain, especially if your new room is not ready. It can also take a huge chunk out of your day. Planning the logistics of transferring luggage, coordinating a ride since there is no resort to resort transportation and you can't bring luggage on regular Disney transportation can be hard. If price of the Polynesian theme park view is an issue, could you consider doing a few nights in a theme park view, and the rest in a Polynesian garden view room? Tuvalu has both of these rooms and garden will probably save $200 a night, easy. I feel transferring a room within the same resort may be easier to get the theme park view and save some money. Another Polynesian option could be to rent DVC points. The lake view category is limited, but all are in Moorea and have a theme park view. The first floor is a little obstructed by the Bungalows, but this could also help save on price. Just note, these studios will only have one queen bed, the queen sleeper, and murphy bed whereas the traditional rooms have two queen beds and the single sleeper couch.