Grand Floridan or the Polynesian?

[KenHutch]

I'm laughing because my DGD loved the Grand at 15, and would choose that resort over the Poly, mus to her parent's dismay. LOL! No one in my family other than my DH wants to stay at the CR, and I think he only wants to stay there to relive our first trips together. There was not much choice back then..the Poly and the CR. That's it. Good thing we have so many resorts to choose from, yes?

You are so right my desire to stay at the Contemporary goes all the way back to my childhood (almost 59). The girls do not want to stay there either they call it to cold. It the Poly for 2021 but for our 2023 trip its going to be either The Contemporary the Grand Floridian or The Boardwalk. For trip #7 I get to choose (for once).

 

[DSLRuser]

We will be using the pools! Also this year there seems to be heavier discounts on the Grand than the poly. Which would be best?

poly pools are crazy crowded.....for this reason i would lean towards GF of the 2 you listed

 

[sndral]

How important is a balcony/patio to you? At the GF you’ll have one, in a Poly room maybe you will, but many 2nd floor rooms do not. My one and done 10 night stay at the Poly I requested a balcony/patio & didn’t get one.
GF’s main lobby is larger and while both the GF & the Poly’s lobby are busy, the Poly’s lobby always seems more chaotic to me because it feels more cramped. At the GF if I want to sit in the lobby and listen to music I can always find a seat. The few seats at the Poly are usually being used by people waiting for ADRs.
Inside most of the Poly longhouses you have rooms along hallways. Each of the GF outer buildings have an open central lobby with a seating area as you enter which IMO is much nicer than the Poly long hallway configuration.
I prefer the Poly’s lush landscaping v. the GF’s more open landscaping, but GF is close enough for me to just stroll over to the Poly. I believe the shared buses stop at the Poly before the GF (I’m not 100% sure, tho’.)

 

[mickeynut1]

Both are great resorts and I like both for different reasons, but the Poly is (and always will be) my favorite. I find the tropical atmosphere very relaxing and it doesn't get much better (IMO) than to look out over the lagoon and see the castle in the distance. Both resorts have beautiful grounds and nice pools, so I'd choose the one that the theme appeals to you the most.

 

[Nancyg56]

You are so right my desire to stay at the Contemporary goes all the way back to my childhood (almost 59). The girls do not want to stay there either they call it to cold. It the Poly for 2021 but for our 2023 trip its going to be either The Contemporary the Grand Floridian or The Boardwalk. For trip #7 I get to choose (for once).

LOL! Buddy has not chosen yet since my DGD came along and she is 18! LOL! He suggests the CR but always defers to what "the girls" want.

 

[Liberator]

What I like most about the Poly is the possibility to walk to the TTC to hop on the direct monorail route to Epcot.

Even from the Tuvalu longhouse the walk is not that long to the TTC.

What @sndral said is something you should take into account when deciding for Poly - the 2nd floor non-DVC rooms do not have a balcony.

 

[Karen46]

8 days I would split stay 4 and 4 and get the best of both! Cant go wrong with either one

 

[NYCgrrl]

We've done both resorts in the last 10 months so my mind is still clear on most details.

Pools: Poly wins hands down, second only to the BC/YC mini water park masquerading as a pool, LOL.

Restaurants: GF has more choices by far even though Poly has one of the best food courts on property and as well is open 24/7. Poly also allows you to order the 'Ohana meal via room service.

Theming: Poly. It even smells like you're in the seven seas. Unfortunately, GF, looks like what it is (even though it 's done well) a copy of Victorian houses.

Staff: The staff at Poly is generally quite friendly however GF staff is more efficient.

Landscaping: Both equally beautiful in their own style.

Noise level: Poly is noiser by the Lava Pool pretty much until the smaller children go to sleep. The noise does not seem to travel to the longhouses though. The sounds of dragging metal chairs is noticeable at GF near the marina when people jockey for seats to watch the MK fireworks. The sound dies down fast.

CL: Sad to say it's a waste of money at Poly. Same food is served frequently and the lounge needs to be expanded. Now GF has some of the best lounge food on property IMO. Varied menus and service is frequent. My only bugaboo is the liqueurs and brandy are not self serve and since we were not on the same floor as the lounge it required a lot of up and down the elevator to get re-fills which was probably the point of having staff pour.

If you are up to it, a split stay will give you the best of the 2 worlds.

 

[SharonZ]

I'm not a big fan of the Poly, but love GF. I like the atmosphere, the dining options, and "less hectic" feel. There is no wrong choice with either hotel.

 

[Ghosthost42]

Thank you so much everyone this has been very helpful!