Grand Floridian vs Polynesian

[dottie]

What is the difference between the two resorts ?

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

First and foremost the most obvious difference is the theming. GF is well just more grand than the Poly. The Poly is very nice but has a more relaxed vibe. Both resorts have pros and cons when you compare them. For instance, when you walk from your room to the main building at the poly, it's outdoors and not covered, some of the rooms at GF are in a different building so you also will have to walk outside some. Both are on the monorail loop so they are very heavily visited resorts as far as the food/dining and lobby areas are concerned. I prefer the poly theming and my husband prefers GF. I think when it comes down to it, if you're looking at both, it may come down to personal preference and cost.

 

[Newsies]

In a nutshell:

• Theming. One lends itself to the Polynesian islands, the other lends itself to Victorian-era American beach resorts. I recommend looking at photographs and videos of both grounds to see if one appeals to you more than the other does, as you might enjoy your stay there more. For example: the lava pool at the Polynesian is a lot of fun, but the Grand Floridian has an exquisite lobby and turn-down service in all of the guest rooms.
• Food. Your dining options are extremely different between the two. While you can obviously book a meal at any restaurant, it might be worth looking over the menus at the dining locations at both resorts, particularly at the QS locations. The Grand Floridian has more dining options in general, but I love the food at the Polynesian Resort, which is also home to my favorite bar, Trader Sam's.
• Shopping. This isn't important to some people, but it's worth noting that the Grand Floridian has more shopping options than the Polynesian Village Resort.
• Spa services. The Grand Floridian has a spa (I think multiple spas, but someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!) on property if that's important to you.

As far as transportation goes, which is normally something I look at when comparing two resorts, the two are similar enough. The only thing that is a little annoying is getting to Epcot from the Grand Floridian. You can walk to the TTC from the Poly, which will take you to Epcot via monorail. In theory, you can walk to the Poly from GF and then from the Poly to the TTC, but I think I would rather just get on the monorail from the GF to the TTC and transfer.

Unless there is a marginal cost difference between staying at the two resorts, I'm more inclined to recommend the Grand Floridian. We love the Poly (our DVC home!) but there's something extremely "magical" about the Grand Floridian to me. I would definitely look at both and see which one appeals more to you/your travel party!

 

[buzznina]

There's a reason WDW uses the GF in their commercials GF is our families favorite deluxe and the only thing I give POLY over GF is that you can walk to the TTC to catch the Epcot monorail, which does save you time.

 

[GoingSince1990]

These days we use Minnie Van or Lyft from VGF to Epcot. Much quicker than taking the two monorails. From Poly, though, we will walk to TTC and take the monorail.

 

[heidijanesmith]

Agree with the above poster. I take an Uber to and from GF to EPCOT, I tried the two monorails and it took me over 45min to get there.

Uber took me less than 10min.

We love the Poly; the theme, the location, the atmosphere and the pools. All of these get the Poly a leg up for me.

The GF is gorgeous and I did like my stay there.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would recommend going on youtube and searching for video tours of the two resorts. There are some fantastic videos on there that will give you detailed looks at the resorts and the room.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Stayed at both, and we return to Poly. But never back to GF to stay, just visit.. eat or shop etc.
prefer the theming and overall the feel/atmosphere is more to our liking.

 

[toodycat]

We love the GF. The cast members are outstanding. We have stayed there about half a dozen times and have seen CMs go above and beyond in so many ways. As a guest there, you really are treated like royalty. The lobby is gorgeous. I could spend hours just sitting there and enjoying atmosphere and the pianist. The lobby’s floral arrangements are gorgeouse and the whole area has this fantastic smell. The grounds are stunning. Both pools are really relaxing and appealing, though not very theme-y. The rooms are quite pretty and roomy, though not the equal of comparably priced non-Disney hotels. All of the restaurants are excellent. The location is convenient in terms of transportation—-monorail and boat access. Being on the lagoon is lovely. The resort has a marina and you can watch the Electrical Water Pageant and the fireworks from the dock. Sometimes one reads on these boards that the GF is “stuffy,” but we find it exceptionally welcoming and child-friendly.

The Poly’s lobby is darker—-employing the dark woods associated witn the Polynesian islands—-and smaller than the GF’s. The general atmosphere is tropical and the landscaping is very pretty. It genuinely feels like a tropical island. The public spaces are nice, but not as comfortable or well-appointed as the GF. The rooms are spacious, and like everything at the Poly less light and airy and more dark and exotic. The Poly restaurants are all very similar in cuisine. Kona Cafe is beloved fot its Tonga Toast. The layout of the Great Ceremonial Hall feels a bit mallish to me, especially at the Kona Cafe where you are looking out at the activity going on in the resort. The pools are more themed than those at the GF. In my opinion, the Spirit of Aloha show is not a great use of one’s time or money at Disney. The food is nothing special and the show feels like a lot of the same things over and over. Transportation at the Poly is awesome. You can take the monorai directly to MK or from the transportation center to Epcot. Both resorts have all the advantages of the marina and are great to watch thr EWP and MK fireworks. I have not had as much outstanding attention from the Poly CMs as I have at the GF.

 

[mrsap]

I think the main difference with the two is atmosphere. I feel like Poly is more of a fun/party atmosphere (lots of bars!) Love the theming and the Hawaiian music playing all day. I felt like there were more kids at this resort compared to GF.

I think GF has a more laid back feeling. Peaceful and beautiful. Love the lobby here, especially at Christmas!!!! Pool isn’t as crowded as Poly, in my experience.

Restaurants are great at both!! Can’t go wrong with either.

 

[trishadono]

In a nutshell:

• Theming. One lends itself to the Polynesian islands, the other lends itself to Victorian-era American beach resorts. I recommend looking at photographs and videos of both grounds to see if one appeals to you more than the other does, as you might enjoy your stay there more. For example: the lava pool at the Polynesian is a lot of fun, but the Grand Floridian has an exquisite lobby and turn-down service in all of the guest rooms.
• Food. Your dining options are extremely different between the two. While you can obviously book a meal at any restaurant, it might be worth looking over the menus at the dining locations at both resorts, particularly at the QS locations. The Grand Floridian has more dining options in general, but I love the food at the Polynesian Resort, which is also home to my favorite bar, Trader Sam's.
• Shopping. This isn't important to some people, but it's worth noting that the Grand Floridian has more shopping options than the Polynesian Village Resort.
• Spa services. The Grand Floridian has a spa (I think multiple spas, but someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!) on property if that's important to you.

As far as transportation goes, which is normally something I look at when comparing two resorts, the two are similar enough. The only thing that is a little annoying is getting to Epcot from the Grand Floridian. You can walk to the TTC from the Poly, which will take you to Epcot via monorail. In theory, you can walk to the Poly from GF and then from the Poly to the TTC, but I think I would rather just get on the monorail from the GF to the TTC and transfer.

Unless there is a marginal cost difference between staying at the two resorts, I'm more inclined to recommend the Grand Floridian. We love the Poly (our DVC home!) but there's something extremely "magical" about the Grand Floridian to me. I would definitely look at both and see which one appeals more to you/your travel party!

The spa is actually shared between the two resorts. Its on the path between the 2 for convenience.

My MB worked on the gym doors after hours recently with a poly DVC room .(even those allowed access)

 

[Newsies]

The spa is actually shared between the two resorts. Its on the path between the 2 for convenience.

My MB worked on the gym doors after hours recently with a poly DVC room .(even those allowed access)

You're right! The Grand Floridian also has Ivy Trellis, which is in the lobby.

 

[buzznina]

These days we use Minnie Van or Lyft from VGF to Epcot. Much quicker than taking the two monorails. From Poly, though, we will walk to TTC and take the monorail.

Agree with the above poster. I take an Uber to and from GF to EPCOT, I tried the two monorails and it took me over 45min to get there.

Uber took me less than 10min.

We love the Poly; the theme, the location, the atmosphere and the pools. All of these get the Poly a leg up for me.

The GF is gorgeous and I did like my stay there.

Yes that is quicker, but that's also the sad part. You're paying so much more to stay there and the best option is to pay more for transportation. I would much prefer them just adding bus service to Epcot.

You're right! The Grand Floridian also has Ivy Trellis, which is in the lobby.

FYI; Ivy is being relocated to the Senses spa and a new BBB will be put in to the current Ivy spot.

 

[Newsies]

FYI; Ivy is being relocated to the Senses spa and a new BBB will be put in to the current Ivy spot.

Good to know.

 

[kylenne]

I don’t think you can go wrong with either resort, it just comes down to personal preference. We loved the Poly last year but are considering both resorts for our trip next year. The nice thing is because they’re right next to each other, you can easily access the public spaces/amenities of one when staying at the other. It is hard to beat the transportation convenience of the Poly though.

 

[Nabas]

I'm debating whether to stay at the Polynesian versus the Grand Floridian. Which has the better pool? We will be traveling with kids in the summer, spending mornings in the parks, and coming back to the room for the afternoon and evening.

We've stayed at the Grand Floridan and Polynesian a few times. IMO, the Poly is more kid friendly.

IMO, the pool at the Poly is more kid friendly too.

If you stay at the Grand Floridian, you have the option to walk back from the Magic Kingdom. But in the heat of the day, it feels like a looong walk!

Construction will be going on at the Polynesian until July. Best to avoid that.

However, if you go immediately after that, you'll get to stay in one of the new Moana themed rooms!