What would you choose? The Polynesian or Disney's Contemporary Resort

[DisneyDaze928]

I have just begun the planning for our Fall 2015 trip and I am stuck - the Polynesian or the Contemporary? Which do you prefer and why?

I know that the last time that I was at the Polynesian (May 2014 - only there for dinner) there seemed to be quite a bit of construction happening there. And as for the Contemporary, I HEAR that it's nice, but I've also heard that the rooms are older, etc., but the proximity to MK is awesome, especially since we will be there for MNSSHP.

Thoughts?

 

[Kristina4109]

Unless things go terribly wrong, the construction should be done by Fall 2015. I've stayed at the Contemporary once and the Poly twice. Much prefer the Poly. I'm not a fan of the Contemporary's style or theme, and I find it quite noisy. I would check out Tikiman's Facebook page to see updates of the Poly construction. He seems to be the best source out there when it comes to construction updates.

I love the Poly's theme, dining options, and location. The transportation options are also excellent.

 

[disneydude365]

when we get chance for deluxe we always go with contemporary its very modern but with a little effort you can find many hidden mickeys all over the resort.

the rooms are amazing, and the service has always been so well

they are walking distance from MK, and you can take a monorail to mk or even to epcot.

they also host firework voyage nice staying at resort where your event is located where you are lol

but honestly its all about taste i love the style contemporary offers check out photos of both and decide also based on what appeals to you

 

[petrola]

hands down the Polynesian for our family! love it there. not a fan of the Contemporary and have to say it's my least favorite of all the Disney deluxe resorts (loud, cold atmosphere, etc.)

 

[floralmouse]

Contemporary would be my choice, but I like the theme.

 

[Newsies]

I really like the Polynesian. I'd probably choose it for the theming. For location, however, you can't really beat CR.

 

[DisneyDaze928]

so I think that the REAL ME would love the Poly. And with DD4 and DS9, they would probably like the theming of Poly better than the Contemporary, BUT they would love the idea of staying in a hotel that a monorail runs through....

Can you hear the monorail from your room, when it comes through?

I think that both resorts have decent food choices, and being close to MK is ggggrrrrrreeat...

I will check out some more pictures though, to see if I am swayed one way or another. Or maybe we can just pick straws?

 

[disneydude365]

its actually not that loud, and they have a garden wing thats attached to the main building which guaranteed you'd never hear the monorail, though I've stayed once when you open the door you can literally board lol, and when door was shut never heard any annoying sounds

 

[Skywise]

Love both, prefer the Poly for the themeing but the geek in me loves the monorail going through the hotel!

 

[BlondeAppetit]

We stayed in the Garden Wing at the CR. We had a garden view room. I requested the first floor. We could walk out to the pool and could see the sunrise from the dock. It was also nice to stash the stroller outside. Our room seemed recently renovated.

We also had a perfect view of the nighttime water light parade.

We thought that they had great dining too (Contempo Cafe, The Wave, and Cali Grill...all very good. We did not do Chef Mickeys. I loved the mid-century architecture and art work by Mary Blair. People criticize the pool for lack of a theme but we loved it. My daughter loved the slide.

We never took the monorail to the MK - we always walked....it was VERY nice!

For our next trip, we will be staying at the Poly. It will be post renovation and I wanted to try something new.

The Poly has a more tropical feel. There are also some kid friendly things that happen for free - hula lessons, nightly torch lighting with a fire dancer, etc.

 

[emldrl]

We are having the same debate, only for spring of 2016. We are splitting the cost with my stepmom, so really excited to stay deluxe. What I've figured out so far is that for theme park view, we can actually get club level at CR, but not at Poly. (cost wise, for us) Plus CR is a lot closer to MK. We like the Poly theme better, but the CR is definitely growing on us. I've found the your first visit website to be really helpful with pictures and stuff. Good luck to you! Our own debate continues!!

 

[ophelia2002]

I'd go with the Polynesian if you are traveling with kids. The Contemporary is a very nice hotel but I didn't find the theme-ing as fun or engaging as other Disney resorts.

 

[lborne]

This question comes up often because it is such a difficult choice. I like both, but my wife does not care for the CR and she's been to both many times since she was 3. To her, the CR is just too much like a convention hotel. She likes the tropical setting of the Poly and the landscaping. The kids like the Volcano pool at the Poly and don't care for the pool at the CR at all. But they love the monorail going through, the larger arcade (at least back when we went), and just exploring the CR better.

I prefer the CR for a MK view because it is higher and closer. No matter what you pick, remember you are just a short monorail ride from the other. No, you can't pool hop, but you can explore the shops, restaurants and grounds of any resort.

Please be sure to let us know where you booked and what you thought when you get back.

 

[Babsy]

Next year we are trying the Poly again. the construction will be finished and we are excited to go back to the newly refurbished resort. The CR is our usual favourite, but the poly was our first WDW resort stay and has a special place in our hearts, Whichever you choose, you really can't lose.

For your age children, I would probably try the Poly this time. It's new and you won't have strollers that make the CR super convenient. You can always go back to the CR another trip to decide which resort is your favourite.

 

[mickeynut1]

I have just begun the planning for our Fall 2015 trip and I am stuck - the Polynesian or the Contemporary? Which do you prefer and why?

I know that the last time that I was at the Polynesian (May 2014 - only there for dinner) there seemed to be quite a bit of construction happening there. And as for the Contemporary, I HEAR that it's nice, but I've also heard that the rooms are older, etc., but the proximity to MK is awesome, especially since we will be there for MNSSHP.

Thoughts?

We've never stayed at the CR, but we love everything about the Poly. The tropical atmosphere is beautiful, the pool is great as it backs up to the beach with a distant view of the castle, it's convenient to MK as it's only 2 stops away, and it's just a 5-7 minute walk from the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Captain Cooks is also great for quick CS meals/snacks. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either resort. I would choose the one that the theme/decor appeals to you the most. Good luck.

 

[Aurora0427]

I have just begun the planning for our Fall 2015 trip and I am stuck - the Polynesian or the Contemporary? Which do you prefer and why?

I know that the last time that I was at the Polynesian (May 2014 - only there for dinner) there seemed to be quite a bit of construction happening there. And as for the Contemporary, I HEAR that it's nice, but I've also heard that the rooms are older, etc., but the proximity to MK is awesome, especially since we will be there for MNSSHP.

Thoughts?

If the construction is over, which all of the major stuff should be, Poly. It has a great location. Easy access via monorail or boat to MK. Walking distance to TTTC to catch the Epcot monorail. Lovely atmosphere. Feels like a resort. The CR feels like a typical hotel to me. Nothing special. But that is my opinion. A lot of people love it.

 

[clapton]

Have never been a Poly fan, stayed there years ago and wasn't impressed. That being said I'm curious to see if my opinion changes after all the construction is done. The CR has always been a favorite of mine, just like the theme, the location and the monorail.Also love the boat ride to the WL.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

We love the contemporary. We've never stayed at the Polynesian but it seems to have a dark color scheme and I like bright open and airy color schemes. I love the contemporary the rooms are awesome I love sitting on my balcony and watching the fireworks and the staff is great. My husband who hates spending lots of money on a vacation won't stay anywhere else when we go to disney lol. It's a little loud on the level where chef mickeys is but u can't hear anything in your actual room. It's a great resort I can't say enough good things about it

 

[SharonLowe]

We've stayed at both, usually CL, and are going back for my son's 30th birthday and he picked CR. We love the location, love the modern feeling in the rooms, and the rooms are so large compared to most other resorts. We like walking to MK and the ease of the monorail to other resorts. The food choices there are good (we don't do Chef Mickey's). While the "theming" isn't up to many people's idea of what a WDW theme should be, we really just like the clean feel of it.

For the Poly, I would be concerned about what the new DVC units are doing to it and what changes they are making to the Great House and Volcano pool. The Great House was always so lush and inviting; I'm worried it won't be as inviting anymore. The volcano pool, which we loved, was often crowded and I am sure it will be more so with DVC there. The rooms can feel dark and heavy but that goes with the theme.

In the end, you can't go wrong with either - they have their pros and cons but for both, the pros outweigh the cons.

 

[loveshak22]

This thread is perfect timing for me! I'm planning a November 2015 trip and I can't decide between Poly and CR but I've also got a third option with YC.

We don't have kids so I'm thinking YC would be nice for its proximity to Epcot for dinner or even just drinks at night. However, I've always wanted to stay at a monorail resort ever since I was a kid so I'm really thinking maybe this trip I'd do Poly or CR.

I like the balcony at CR and the idea of watching the fireworks from the balcony as one poster mentioned but I feel like the CR reviews on Trip Advisor are somewhat mixed in that a lot of people seem to have given it good reviews just because of location but had a lot of negatives about the hotel itself. Location to MK isn't a make or break benefit to me so I'm worried that I'll be underwhelmed if that's the only draw to CR. Of course there are a lot of great reviews as well!

I also am conflicted about the theming of the CR. I've stayed at WL, AKL, and POFQ and loved all of them so I do feel like I may be disappointed by the CR just feeling like any other hotel (minus the monorail in the lobby), as some people have noted. But I'm not ecstatic about the Poly theming either and I feel like it's more of a family resort than a couples resort...but that could just be a misimpression from the few times I've been there to eat.

So many tough decisions!!!