Disney's Club Level (CL) Information & Questions

[no one]

Hi @MinMou - your trip will be here before you know it!

I'll see if I can address some of your questions.....

1) This pic is technically of a Poly fridge, but CR is similar, if not identical. Think a dorm room type/size fridge. It's a legit fridge in terms of keeping things cold. Note, I tend to find that when empty they don't really 'feel' all that cold at first, but once you put some stuff in there it keeps things perfectly cool. Note, CR's fridges are in a rather enclosed cabinet with not a lot of air circulation - if you find yours not working well, just tell a CL CM.

View attachment 285718

2) To me, there's not much storage at CR. While the rooms are big, the furniture doesn't really facilitate a lot of places to put things away. There is some, but not a ton. There's more "surface" storage (meaning the desk area, the shelf under and next to the TV) than places to actually store items out of sight.

3) Yes, you can take snacks/food wherever you want. Many people will grab a plate and take back to the room, or a drink to go, etc. Very common.

4) Probably nothing really worth taking to the parks. The afternoon snacks are usually a make your own trail-mix type of deal. You scoop what you want into a little baggie. That might be worth it for a snack, although I'd be a little worried about melted chocolate and such (depending on the temp).

5) Hours...

Coffee: 6:30am
Breakfast: 7-10:30am
Lite Bites: 11:30-4pm
Apps: 5-7pm
Cordials/Desserts: 8-10pm

They might leave some sodas in the fridge overnight, but other than that they put everything away at 10pm

6) I am 'pretty sure' the box underneath the TV in this pic is a DVD player, although not 100% confident in that. Someone please correct me if you know for sure.

View attachment 285724

Hope that helps!

You always have great information and pics to help us all. But there are times when I chuckle thinking about what your vacation slide shows are like at home "and this is the empty fridge, this is the bathroom sink, look at this amazing iron, here is the tv stand in wonderful walnut stain, etc"

Just having fun. We all appreciate the information you give for all of us that dont get there as often as we would like.

 

[beesly]

You always have great information and pics to help us all. But there are times when I chuckle thinking about what your vacation slide shows are like at home "and this is the empty fridge, this is the bathroom sink, look at this amazing iron, here is the tv stand in wonderful walnut stain, etc"

Just having fun. We all appreciate the information you give for all of us that dont get there as often as we would like.

I’ve never thought about it that way before but can totally picture it now!

 

[tjkrk]

What's everyone's experience been like with Disney's Signature Services? We just booked our trip and are staying CL at the Grand Floridian in the Sugarloaf building the beginning of February. We booked way past our 180 day window. Therefore, we could use some help booking dining reservations since many restaurants are booked up. I know there will be cancellations and I am checking on Touring Plans, etc. but I was wondering how helpful the club level staff is when it comes to getting dining reservations and hard to obtain fast passes? Also, do you think the Sugarloaf concierge would be able to help my elderly grandparents get to their spa appointment, or is that not something they do? Thanks!

 

[mmmears]

What's everyone's experience been like with Disney's Signature Services? We just booked our trip and are staying CL at the Grand Floridian in the Sugarloaf building the beginning of February. We booked way past our 180 day window. Therefore, we could use some help booking dining reservations since many restaurants are booked up. I know there will be cancellations and I am checking on Touring Plans, etc. but I was wondering how helpful the club level staff is when it comes to getting dining reservations and hard to obtain fast passes? Also, do you think the Sugarloaf concierge would be able to help my elderly grandparents get to their spa appointment, or is that not something they do? Thanks!

We booked our last trip about 60 days out, so I was way behind as far as dining goes. I called DSS and they were able to get me some hard-to-find ADRs and not others (I guess it was just luck of the draw on those?). For the ones they couldn't get, I used TP and eventually got what we wanted. But they really helped me get a bunch that first time I called. For FP+ they basically told me I should book them myself since they aren't open when the FPs are released, so we booked them online (at 4am our time). I would think they can help with spa appointments, but I'd just call and ask them and see what they say. I called instead of sending email since we were well within the booking window and wanted to grab those ADRs right away.

 

[Scooter2376]

Can you guys help me decide between Poly CL and WL CL for

What's everyone's experience been like with Disney's Signature Services? We just booked our trip and are staying CL at the Grand Floridian in the Sugarloaf building the beginning of February. We booked way past our 180 day window. Therefore, we could use some help booking dining reservations since many restaurants are booked up. I know there will be cancellations and I am checking on Touring Plans, etc. but I was wondering how helpful the club level staff is when it comes to getting dining reservations and hard to obtain fast passes? Also, do you think the Sugarloaf concierge would be able to help my elderly grandparents get to their spa appointment, or is that not something they do? Thanks!

I have not used DSS for ADRs because it's easier to do them myself online. I have used them for things I can't easily do online like reserving pool cabanas and adding my room request to my reservation. Being able to send an email rather than sitting on hold with Disney to talk to a CM was a very nice benefit.

 

[Scooter2376]

Double post to ask for help choosing between Poly CL and WL CL for a January trip with DH and DS6. Here are our priorities:

1. Easy transportation to MK. We plan to center our trip here and are fine taking Uber or Lyft to the other parks. I assume Poly wins here since there are two transportation options to MK? If wea re planning to rope drop, is the WL boat a bad idea?
2. Good theming with a nice kid-friendly pool (this is what knocked out CR and GF with the Beach Pool closed). This is probably a draw.
3. Enjoyable resort public spaces. This is what has me worried about the Poly. I will be disappointed if the beach and other public areas are insanely crowded. WL seems quieter.

From what I've read here, the CL offerings at the Poly and WL seem similar, but the Poly lounge has the location advantage.

The Poly is about $1k more for the week, but I think this will probably be our last WDW trip for a long time, so I'm willing to pay more if we will really enjoy it more. WWYD?

 

[Eastern]

Double post to ask for help choosing between Poly CL and WL CL for a January trip with DH and DS6. Here are our priorities:

1. Easy transportation to MK. We plan to center our trip here and are fine taking Uber or Lyft to the other parks. I assume Poly wins here since there are two transportation options to MK? If wea re planning to rope drop, is the WL boat a bad idea?
2. Good theming with a nice kid-friendly pool (this is what knocked out CR and GF with the Beach Pool closed). This is probably a draw.
3. Enjoyable resort public spaces. This is what has me worried about the Poly. I will be disappointed if the beach and other public areas are insanely crowded. WL seems quieter.

From what I've read here, the CL offerings at the Poly and WL seem similar, but the Poly lounge has the location advantage.

The Poly is about $1k more for the week, but I think this will probably be our last WDW trip for a long time, so I'm willing to pay more if we will really enjoy it more. WWYD?

I don't think Poly public spaces are ever insanely crowded except for maybe the beach area on special fireworks events like 4th of July? Poly has a nice fireworks view from the lounge or beach, good pool and nice transportation options.

A $1k difference is a good amount. Where do you really want to stay? I usually have 2 or 3 places in mind and pick the one with the best deal.

Disney rule: you will have fun no matter where you stay. Not sure if you will have $1k more worth of fun if you choose Poly over WL.

 

[Scooter2376]

I don't think Poly public spaces are ever insanely crowded except for maybe the beach area on special fireworks events like 4th of July? Poly has a nice fireworks view from the lounge or beach, good pool and nice transportation options.

A $1k difference is a good amount. Where do you really want to stay? I usually have 2 or 3 places in mind and pick the one with the best deal.

Disney rule: you will have fun no matter where you stay. Not sure if you will have $1k more worth of fun if you choose Poly over WL.

Thank you so much for the response. We have only been to WDW once before. We stayed at AKL and loved it, but said that if we ever come back, we want to stay at a monorail resort. It sounds crazy to pay an extra $1000 for the monorail access, but I don't think we'll probably take another WDW trip (at least not for a long time!), so we are okay with paying more to optimize our experience. And since it's likely our last trip, I am, of course, overthinking everything!

Is there a big difference in convenience of getting from Poly to MK vs. WL to MK? If so, that could be the decider for us. I am hoping to be able to pretty easily hop back and forth between MK and our resort during our stay. That was what was missing from our previous stay at AKL.

I really want to stay at the Poly, but I don't want to regret that choice if it's really noisy and chaotic there. I know it draws a lot of people who aren't staying at the resort, but that's probably true of AKL too, right? We stayed at AKL the same week that we'll be visiting this year, and I didn't think AKL public spaces were crazy busy during our last visit.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Double post to ask for help choosing between Poly CL and WL CL for a January trip with DH and DS6. Here are our priorities:

1. Easy transportation to MK. We plan to center our trip here and are fine taking Uber or Lyft to the other parks. I assume Poly wins here since there are two transportation options to MK? If wea re planning to rope drop, is the WL boat a bad idea?
2. Good theming with a nice kid-friendly pool (this is what knocked out CR and GF with the Beach Pool closed). This is probably a draw.
3. Enjoyable resort public spaces. This is what has me worried about the Poly. I will be disappointed if the beach and other public areas are insanely crowded. WL seems quieter.

From what I've read here, the CL offerings at the Poly and WL seem similar, but the Poly lounge has the location advantage.

The Poly is about $1k more for the week, but I think this will probably be our last WDW trip for a long time, so I'm willing to pay more if we will really enjoy it more. WWYD?

I haven’t ever stayed at the Poly, but we stayed at WL CL in May. It was fantastic! We had a view of the castle and fireworks from our room (I had put this down as a room request). The food was very good and had some great kid-friendly options. I think it’s also the only CL with draft beer. We did breakfast and dinner most days and the lounge was never crowded.

We used the bus to get to MK for RD with no issues. Other times of the day, we used the boat, which my toddler son really enjoyed. We drove to the other parks.

There are great public spaces at the resort as well, but it’s fun to just sit in the lounge and people watch!

I really can’t recommend WL highly enough. It was just wonderful. If it were up to me, I’d save the $1K and stay at WL. I understand everyone has different tastes, though. I’m sure you will have a great trip no matter what you choose. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Eastern]

Is there a big difference in convenience of getting from Poly to MK vs. WL to MK? If so, that could be the decider for us. I am hoping to be able to pretty easily hop back and forth between MK and our resort during our stay. That was what was missing from our previous stay at AKL.

I really want to stay at the Poly, but I don't want to regret that choice if it's really noisy and chaotic there. I know it draws a lot of people who aren't staying at the resort, but that's probably true of AKL too, right? We stayed at AKL the same week that we'll be visiting this year, and I didn't think AKL public spaces were crazy busy during our last visit.

Not sure why you think Poly will be noisy/chaotic? The grounds are very tropical and relaxing. The only time I noticed 'busyness' at Poly was at breakfast/dinner hour near the bar area which is by 'Ohana and Kona. CR had more of a 'busy' feel to me, if I had to pick a 'busy' resort.

If you want to be on a monorail resort, then pick Poly. Monorail access is probably the quickest way to get back to your hotel. WL has bus and boat but I think monorail is quicker/easier.

 

[NicoleLarson]

Thank you so much for the response. We have only been to WDW once before. We stayed at AKL and loved it, but said that if we ever come back, we want to stay at a monorail resort. It sounds crazy to pay an extra $1000 for the monorail access, but I don't think we'll probably take another WDW trip (at least not for a long time!), so we are okay with paying more to optimize our experience. And since it's likely our last trip, I am, of course, overthinking everything!

Is there a big difference in convenience of getting from Poly to MK vs. WL to MK? If so, that could be the decider for us. I am hoping to be able to pretty easily hop back and forth between MK and our resort during our stay. That was what was missing from our previous stay at AKL.

I really want to stay at the Poly, but I don't want to regret that choice if it's really noisy and chaotic there. I know it draws a lot of people who aren't staying at the resort, but that's probably true of AKL too, right? We stayed at AKL the same week that we'll be visiting this year, and I didn't think AKL public spaces were crazy busy during our last visit.

Not to confuse you more but I wouldn't completely rule out CR. It sounds like getting to and from MK is a top priority for you. Being able to walk to the MK is awesome. With that being said, the monorail isn't as fast and easy as it sounds. It has takes a good 20-30 minutes to get back to the poly. You have to wait for it, then stop at the CR, then TTC, then the poly. I know you said pool is a factor but Janurary is the coldest month here (i live here) and we had a really mild winter last year. Now it could be that way again this year but there's a good chance that it will more likely be 50/60s. I realize I'm a floridian but that's not what I would call swimming weather.

Based upon your 2 choices a would lean towards WL. The rooms are the same size as AKL. The poly has larger rooms but I don't know if they are worth 1000 more. Plus I know what you mean by wanting a relaxing resort. The poly to me just isn't that relaxing. The GCH is always crazy crowded. Personally, when I walk into the WL, it just a much more pleasant experience. As soon as I step into the lobby and see the giant fireplace with rocking chairs and the little babbling brook, it just instantly calms me.

To echo others, don't stress too much about picking a resort. All of the resorts that you are considering are great so you can't make a bad decision.

 

[Monorail_Man_NJ]

Just returned. Spent 3 days at Boardwalk CL. My new favorite resort. EXCELLENT STAY.

 

[dmetcalfrn]

So we switched up our plans a bit and changed our Poly CL stay in less than 2 weeks to a last minute Disney Dream Merrytime Cruise and are surprising the kids. We plan to come back to WDW the last 2 days (1 night) and so far have not been able to rebook Poly CL. I have Poly SV booked but seeing all the BWI CL reviews, I am intrigued and it is available for the night. Any thoughts?

 

[MouseMomx4]

We just returned from Thanksgiving week at Poly CL, and I couldn’t have been happier! We booked Lagoon View and ended up in 1504, and we were able to watch the water pageant and fireworks from the bed closest to the patio door. The location of the Hawaii building is perfect. We mainly used the monorail so we didn’t have to fold our strollers, but the resort boat launch was so close. Security was a breeze going to MK, even during the busy holiday week.

The breakfast offerings for the lounge were plentiful! It was enough to satisfy everyone in our party of 11. I brought to go boxes from home to pack the kids breakfast in a few days so they could sleep in and eat on the way to the parks, and none of the staff batted an eye.

Afternoon snacks usually consisted of grilled chicken or shrimp wraps, make your own trail mix, and cookies. We had no problem bringing alcohol back to our room or out to the pool or beach.

We never made it for appetizers, but desserts were delicious! They had these mini s’mores our first night that we all loved and we were hoping for them again all week! Lol It seems like they have a pretty good rotation going because I didn’t notice any repeat desserts all week.

I really wished I would have planned for more downtime at the resort. The kids had so much fun at the pools, with the lawn games, torch lighting ceremony, and just playing in the sand on the beach! I mentioned this to Denise one morning, and she asked what we hadn’t been able to do around the resort, and I mentioned my girls wanted to do the hula lessons, but we were always napping or in the parks at that time. She came back a little later with Lipoa and her ukelele and they sang and danced with the kids right there in the lounge! It was so sweet!! I need to write to guest services about her, because she made our trip so special all week either by interacting with the kids, giving us park tips, and just her kind words every time we saw her.

We were hoping to book a bounce back for Wilderness CL for next year, but when they told us it wasn’t available, but Poly CL was, we didn’t hesitate to book it again! The only thing that was available for the bounce back was theme park view, but we actually may request 2nd floor because we won’t use the balcony anyway. My 2 year old is a major climber so the balcony door will stay locked the entire time, and the closer proximity to the lounge will be nice with little ones.

Overall, the Polynesian was perfect. Everyone we interacted with from life guards, to mousekeepers, to bartenders, and managers were kind and attentive. The monorail was only down our last morning, which I considered really lucky for such a crazy week! We can’t wait to go back!

 

[NicoleLarson]

So we switched up our plans a bit and changed our Poly CL stay in less than 2 weeks to a last minute Disney Dream Merrytime Cruise and are surprising the kids. We plan to come back to WDW the last 2 days (1 night) and so far have not been able to rebook Poly CL. I have Poly SV booked but seeing all the BWI CL reviews, I am intrigued and it is available for the night. Any thoughts?

I say try the BWI. We had two great stays there this past Aug and Sept and I'm glad to hear all of the recent reviews are echoing our experience.

 

[GADisneyDad14]

Double post to ask for help choosing between Poly CL and WL CL for a January trip with DH and DS6. Here are our priorities:

1. Easy transportation to MK. We plan to center our trip here and are fine taking Uber or Lyft to the other parks. I assume Poly wins here since there are two transportation options to MK? If wea re planning to rope drop, is the WL boat a bad idea?
2. Good theming with a nice kid-friendly pool (this is what knocked out CR and GF with the Beach Pool closed). This is probably a draw.
3. Enjoyable resort public spaces. This is what has me worried about the Poly. I will be disappointed if the beach and other public areas are insanely crowded. WL seems quieter.

From what I've read here, the CL offerings at the Poly and WL seem similar, but the Poly lounge has the location advantage.

The Poly is about $1k more for the week, but I think this will probably be our last WDW trip for a long time, so I'm willing to pay more if we will really enjoy it more. WWYD?

Thank you so much for the response. We have only been to WDW once before. We stayed at AKL and loved it, but said that if we ever come back, we want to stay at a monorail resort. It sounds crazy to pay an extra $1000 for the monorail access, but I don't think we'll probably take another WDW trip (at least not for a long time!), so we are okay with paying more to optimize our experience. And since it's likely our last trip, I am, of course, overthinking everything!

Is there a big difference in convenience of getting from Poly to MK vs. WL to MK? If so, that could be the decider for us. I am hoping to be able to pretty easily hop back and forth between MK and our resort during our stay. That was what was missing from our previous stay at AKL.

I really want to stay at the Poly, but I don't want to regret that choice if it's really noisy and chaotic there. I know it draws a lot of people who aren't staying at the resort, but that's probably true of AKL too, right? We stayed at AKL the same week that we'll be visiting this year, and I didn't think AKL public spaces were crazy busy during our last visit.

This is going to be long winded, SORRY!

I don’t think you can go wrong either way. But from reading your goals/wants, my head is leaning more towards Poly. AKL and WL are somewhat similar types of resorts (designed by the same architect)... gorgeous lobby and grounds, wonderful common areas, smaller rooms, both have a more remote feel, etc. I think I would want something ‘different’ for this trip if it were me.

You said “if we come back we want to stay at a monorail resort” - I think you should probably stick to that feeling and go with Poly, if anything to scratch that itch!

I’ll see if I can opine on your other points as well...

1) Transportation to MK - I prefer Poly for the multiple options to MK... resort monorail, resort launch, or you can even walk over to the TTC and take the ferry. I find any of these incredibly convenient and the optionality depending on the time of day, weather, etc can be a big plus. And on this topic, you don’t mention Epcot but I especially enjoy being able to quickly walk to the TTC to take the monorail to Epcot. The boat or bus from WL to MK is easy too, but I’m a little partial to the monorail myself.

2) Kid-Friendly Pools - WL pools are fine and the new pool is fantastic, but my DS7 prefers the Poly pools over WL. The WL slide is somewhat boring compared to Poly. Also, at 6 your DS is going to be too tall to use the kids splash area at WL. The Poly splash area is much larger, more elaborate, and they let taller kids play there. My DS7 can spend hours going back and forth between the splash area and the volcano slide. Again, I think WL pools are fine, we just happen to like Poly’s better, particularly because of the larger kids area.

3) Enjoyable Resort Public Spaces - Both are great. Certainly can’t go wrong with WL... the new Geyser Point waterfront restaurant is awesome and the grounds are lovely. You have the beauty and serenity of being on the shores of Bay Lake. With Poly, you have the buzz and excitement of being on the 7 Seas Lagoon with the wonderful MK view. I love both!

I do not find the Poly grounds to be “insanely crowded”, actually I have the opposite view. Sure, the GCH has a lot of foot traffic with the restaurants, Ohana, etc - but when I stay Poly CL I hardly ever go to the GCH except for walking through to the monorail or uber/taxi (ok, maybe a drink or two at Tambu Lounge). To me, nothing is more relaxing than cracking your balcony door and letting in the lovely sounds of the Poly soundtrack. I use the attached pic of the Poly lounge a lot, but in encompasses the peaceful and relaxing feeling I have every time I stay Poly CL. We just absolutely love everything about it.

IMHO WL food/lounge offerings are ‘better’ than Poly, generally speaking. The WL lounge is new and has wonderful views overlooking the lobby. The Poly lounge is more crowded/well used, but yes, you are paying for the view. The Poly CL lounge and Hawaii longhouse in general is an ideal location, IMHO.

Since our kids are young and we have more room time than some folks, we prefer the larger rooms at Poly vs WL. Also, we prefer being able to book a view at Poly, which you can’t at WL. That has some $ value to me.

Sorry for the ramble. Again, don’t think you can go wrong. You’ve have great input and differing opinions from others above as well. Happy Planning!

 

[yaya74]

For those of you who have stayed at the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Studio Florida, which Disney Club Level resort would you say is comparable to PBH?

My family stayed at PBH last summer. It was our first CL stay and we were so spoiled!!! The food there was plenty and yummy. We would love to stay at a CL room during our next visit to Disney World. Just hope what Disney has to offer is at least at par with PBH..

Thank you!

 

[GADisneyDad14]

We just returned from Thanksgiving week at Poly CL, and I couldn’t have been happier! We booked Lagoon View and ended up in 1504, and we were able to watch the water pageant and fireworks from the bed closest to the patio door. The location of the Hawaii building is perfect. We mainly used the monorail so we didn’t have to fold our strollers, but the resort boat launch was so close. Security was a breeze going to MK, even during the busy holiday week.

The breakfast offerings for the lounge were plentiful! It was enough to satisfy everyone in our party of 11. I brought to go boxes from home to pack the kids breakfast in a few days so they could sleep in and eat on the way to the parks, and none of the staff batted an eye.

Afternoon snacks usually consisted of grilled chicken or shrimp wraps, make your own trail mix, and cookies. We had no problem bringing alcohol back to our room or out to the pool or beach.

We never made it for appetizers, but desserts were delicious! They had these mini s’mores our first night that we all loved and we were hoping for them again all week! Lol It seems like they have a pretty good rotation going because I didn’t notice any repeat desserts all week.

I really wished I would have planned for more downtime at the resort. The kids had so much fun at the pools, with the lawn games, torch lighting ceremony, and just playing in the sand on the beach! I mentioned this to Denise one morning, and she asked what we hadn’t been able to do around the resort, and I mentioned my girls wanted to do the hula lessons, but we were always napping or in the parks at that time. She came back a little later with Lipoa and her ukelele and they sang and danced with the kids right there in the lounge! It was so sweet!! I need to write to guest services about her, because she made our trip so special all week either by interacting with the kids, giving us park tips, and just her kind words every time we saw her.

We were hoping to book a bounce back for Wilderness CL for next year, but when they told us it wasn’t available, but Poly CL was, we didn’t hesitate to book it again! The only thing that was available for the bounce back was theme park view, but we actually may request 2nd floor because we won’t use the balcony anyway. My 2 year old is a major climber so the balcony door will stay locked the entire time, and the closer proximity to the lounge will be nice with little ones.

Overall, the Polynesian was perfect. Everyone we interacted with from life guards, to mousekeepers, to bartenders, and managers were kind and attentive. The monorail was only down our last morning, which I considered really lucky for such a crazy week! We can’t wait to go back!

Great review! Thanks for taking the time to share your detailed experience, and glad you had a great trip!

 

[Scooter2376]

We just returned from Thanksgiving week at Poly CL, and I couldn’t have been happier! We booked Lagoon View and ended up in 1504, and we were able to watch the water pageant and fireworks from the bed closest to the patio door. The location of the Hawaii building is perfect. We mainly used the monorail so we didn’t have to fold our strollers, but the resort boat launch was so close. Security was a breeze going to MK, even during the busy holiday week.

The breakfast offerings for the lounge were plentiful! It was enough to satisfy everyone in our party of 11. I brought to go boxes from home to pack the kids breakfast in a few days so they could sleep in and eat on the way to the parks, and none of the staff batted an eye.

Afternoon snacks usually consisted of grilled chicken or shrimp wraps, make your own trail mix, and cookies. We had no problem bringing alcohol back to our room or out to the pool or beach.

We never made it for appetizers, but desserts were delicious! They had these mini s’mores our first night that we all loved and we were hoping for them again all week! Lol It seems like they have a pretty good rotation going because I didn’t notice any repeat desserts all week.

I really wished I would have planned for more downtime at the resort. The kids had so much fun at the pools, with the lawn games, torch lighting ceremony, and just playing in the sand on the beach! I mentioned this to Denise one morning, and she asked what we hadn’t been able to do around the resort, and I mentioned my girls wanted to do the hula lessons, but we were always napping or in the parks at that time. She came back a little later with Lipoa and her ukelele and they sang and danced with the kids right there in the lounge! It was so sweet!! I need to write to guest services about her, because she made our trip so special all week either by interacting with the kids, giving us park tips, and just her kind words every time we saw her.

We were hoping to book a bounce back for Wilderness CL for next year, but when they told us it wasn’t available, but Poly CL was, we didn’t hesitate to book it again! The only thing that was available for the bounce back was theme park view, but we actually may request 2nd floor because we won’t use the balcony anyway. My 2 year old is a major climber so the balcony door will stay locked the entire time, and the closer proximity to the lounge will be nice with little ones.

Overall, the Polynesian was perfect. Everyone we interacted with from life guards, to mousekeepers, to bartenders, and managers were kind and attentive. The monorail was only down our last morning, which I considered really lucky for such a crazy week! We can’t wait to go back!

MouseMomx4, thank you so much for posting this review. It sounds like a magical trip! I clearly have too much time on my hands that I can't stop fretting over plans that are already made! I talked to my family about switching to WL from Poly this morning, and it's clear that we all really want to stay at Poly. So I am vowing now to stop looking at other resorts!

NicoleLarson, you are right that we may not even end up using the pool. I just went back and looked, and it was in the high 70s last January when we were at AKL, but I understand that's not typical. My six-year-old is dead set on the idea of a cool pool now, but I'm sure he will completely get over not being able to swim (if it's too cold), given all the other awesome stuff there is to do at WDW. Personally, I am all in on CR and being able to walk to MK, but neither DH nor DS is feeling it AT ALL. They want something much more themed and resort-y feeling. And there is currently no availability at CR for our dates (even non-CL), so that makes that decision easy.

Eastern, I got the idea that the Poly may be noisy and chaotic from a few trip reports here in which people who stayed at the Poly recently complained about crowds of people gathering outside of Trader Sam's and just generally about the crowds of people who come to the Poly as an attraction at WDW. There are also a lot of disgruntled Poly visitors in the TripAdvisor reviews, but from reading some of the complaints, it seems to me that a lot of people who are complaining may have unrealistic expectations about what they are entitled to. In the end though, I think I am overthinking this and that my family is going to love the Poly CL! 42 days until we find out!

Edited to add: GADisneyDad, I missed your post before my response, but you have once again confirmed by gut feeling! Thanks so much for the thorough comparison. From reading your posts, I feel like we have similar views of what we are hoping to get from a family Disney vacation, so I really value your opinion!

 

[HoneyHoneyPot]

Hi!

We’re staying CL at the GF Main Building the end of January! Does anyone have a list of offerings in lounge? How about bottled water - is it available?

Any information would be great! Y’all are so helpful.

Thanks!!