Poly booked for March, but should I cancel?

[WDW_Diane]

DH and I have a DVC studio rental reservation for March 2021 at Poly, my spring break. I now regret making the reservation as the refurbishment was announced right after I made the reservation. This is supposed to be our first time stay at my dream resort but Poly doesn't seem dreamy at all right now, based on the construction and closures.
I bought the points rental insurance but will still lose about $400 all told if I cancel, which I'm considering. I'm a teacher and I really hate to lose the money, but I don't want the stay I've dreamed of for 30 years to feel like less than expected. What would you do? I feel like trying again for Fall Break October 2021 or Spring Break March 2022.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Your chances of a DVC rental for fall break at Poly are super duper bad if your fall break is typical and near Columbus Day. Spring 2022 is far better odds of both booking and stuff being open.

 

[Sandisw]

Honestly, based on what you said, I think you will regret going and should cancel. It won’t be the same experience, especially given the monorail shut down, and the Epcot monorail not running from TTC with no date yet announced when it will.

I agree with other that getting a Fall DVC reservation may be tough as people are booking already.

But, given what happened, be sure you are comfortable getting into another rental as this is one of the drawbacks...you can’t just change or cancel and can lose money, regardless of refurbishments that could be announced after you book.

 

[WDW_Diane]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I don’t think I would cancel. It’s your spring break, and you’re going to be in WDW! It will not be as convenient, but you will be at the Poly. If you can’t get excited about the stay, by all means cancel, but I would not.

 

[WDW_Diane]

I don’t think I would cancel. It’s your spring break, and you’re going to be in WDW! It will not be as convenient, but you will be at the Poly. If you can’t get excited about the stay, by all means cancel, but I would not.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. This is why I’m perplexed!

 

[KSR0330]

Your trip is what you make it. I'm a school administrator and planned a March trip. Will it be perfect, no. Will it be a wonderful break during all of our hard work trying to keep our kids in school, learning and healthy during COVID? YES! It will only be 4 days, without park hoppers and limited dining at our resort, but I'm so looking forward to it! Only you can decide if you'll be happy with your trip. It doesn't have to be perfect, but is it what you need right now? Can you be happy with not perfect? If not, re-schedule. If so, focus on the things that you're looking forward to- a view of the castle, time in the sun with no lesson plans, a beautiful room, lush grounds, dole whip, Kona coffee, a beautiful stroll to Grand Floridian, etc, etc, etc! Good luck and thanks for all you do for your students, I know it's so hard right now!

 

[DebLovesPooh]

If you cancel, would you be able to travel somewhere during your break that would bring you joy for the amount of your refund? For me, if I went somewhere else, I would just wish that I was at Disney, even a less than normal Disney. In other words, you would be paying the same amount for less during this trip. But would you still enjoy it more than whatever your second or third choices for your break are?

Also, is this is a once in a lifetime trip? If you’re only going to go once, then I would definitely cancel and wait until you can access everything that you want to. Spring 2022 will be a great time to be there, I think, as I expect the 50th celebrations to still be ongoing. And I think you’ll have an easier time getting a rental for then than next fall.

Deb

 

[WDW_Diane]

Your trip is what you make it. I'm a school administrator and planned a March trip. Will it be perfect, no. Will it be a wonderful break during all of our hard work trying to keep our kids in school, learning and healthy during COVID? YES! It will only be 4 days, without park hoppers and limited dining at our resort, but I'm so looking forward to it! Only you can decide if you'll be happy with your trip. It doesn't have to be perfect, but is it what you need right now? Can you be happy with not perfect? If not, re-schedule. If so, focus on the things that you're looking forward to- a view of the castle, time in the sun with no lesson plans, a beautiful room, lush grounds, dole whip, Kona coffee, a beautiful stroll to Grand Floridian, etc, etc, etc! Good luck and thanks for all you do for your students, I know it's so hard right now!

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! In a sense, this is the bucket list trip that I had been waiting for after 20 other trips to Walt Disney World, but it is not the only time in the future that I expect to be going to WDW.
As a person who works on a school calendar, I’m sure you understand how it is hard for me to work around the limitations of available weeks.
I started renting DVC points a few years ago because of the price and my ability to stay in deluxe resorts for the same price as a moderate. This is the first time I have run into the possibility of cancellation. It is also the first time I have purchased insurance to go along with my reservation, all because of Covid.
I suppose mostly I am unhappy with Disney for changing the Poly at this time!
I’m likely going to cancel this reservation, lose the $400, but use the cancellable room I have already booked elsewhere because of this situation. It’s a Moderate again like I have most other trips.
I am likely going to look into booking the Polynesian in October 2021 or within a few months thereafter, when my school schedule allows me to go for five nights.
Thank you again for your time!

 

[WDW_Diane]

If you cancel, would you be able to travel somewhere during your break that would bring you joy for the amount of your refund? For me, if I went somewhere else, I would just wish that I was at Disney, even a less than normal Disney. In other words, you would be paying the same amount for less during this trip. But would you still enjoy it more than whatever your second or third choices for your break are?

Also, is this is a once in a lifetime trip? If you’re only going to go once, then I would definitely cancel and wait until you can access everything that you want to. Spring 2022 will be a great time to be there, I think, as I expect the 50th celebrations to still be ongoing. And I think you’ll have an easier time getting a rental for then than next fall.

Deb

 

[WDW_Diane]

Thank you so much for your reply! I expect to still be traveling to Walt Disney World during my spring break. My airfare is already booked on points, and although I could cancel if it I want to,I really need to get away from here.
I’m not even sure what my comfort level will be going into the parks in March because of Covid. The only vacation we have taken since last January has been to a Big Cedar Lodge it is an outdoorsy resort on a lake. Time will tell!
I expect to use the back up reservation I made at a moderate in March. And of course, I will visit the Polynesian like I always do.

 

[limace]

Couldn’t you just switch to a different DVC resort?

 

[WDW_Diane]

I’d have to start over and still lose the $400. I could try it but could likely only get OKW or SSR at this point.

 

[vascubaguy]

We are booked at the Poly in February. I'm thinking it might be nice to stay there with the rest of the resort closed.

 

[Deb & Bill]

So what's not going to be open when you go in March 2021? Ohana might still be closed and the main front entrance will be closed. You still have Capt Cook's and Kona Cafe. You still have the shopping. You still have the pools. You still can get on the monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center which is just a hop skip and jump from the DVC villas at the Polynesian. You can still get a Dole whip. You will be able to take a boat from the Polynesian to the MK (starting soon I heard). You can walk to the GF and dine or shop there. You can still go to the MK and maybe hours will be better in March. I'd go and enjoy the resort not being so darned busy.

 

[WDW_Diane]

So what's not going to be open when you go in March 2021? Ohana might still be closed and the main front entrance will be closed. You still have Capt Cook's and Kona Cafe. You still have the shopping. You still have the pools. You still can get on the monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center which is just a hop skip and jump from the DVC villas at the Polynesian. You can still get a Dole whip. You will be able to take a boat from the Polynesian to the MK (starting soon I heard). You can walk to the GF and dine or shop there. You can still go to the MK and maybe hours will be better in March. I'd go and enjoy the resort not being so darned busy.

Hi! For the high price anyone pays to stay at the Poly, I expect to be able to use the monorail service for MK or Epcot, and I want the whole place to feel dreamy. It sounds like monorails aren't running to either place currently, even from the TTC, but that may not be accurate. I will definitely visit the Poly even if I don't stay there; I always do. I'm wondering if all of the DVC rooms are going to be refurbished at any point during this construction process. I don't see how they could be. You have good points, and this is why I am wavering. I have to decide by mid-January to get the most money back.

 

[WDW_Diane]

If you cancel, would you be able to travel somewhere during your break that would bring you joy for the amount of your refund? For me, if I went somewhere else, I would just wish that I was at Disney, even a less than normal Disney. In other words, you would be paying the same amount for less during this trip. But would you still enjoy it more than whatever your second or third choices for your break are?

Also, is this is a once in a lifetime trip? If you’re only going to go once, then I would definitely cancel and wait until you can access everything that you want to. Spring 2022 will be a great time to be there, I think, as I expect the 50th celebrations to still be ongoing. And I think you’ll have an easier time getting a rental for then than next fall.

Deb

Yes--staying at the Poly is probably a one time thing. I've made just over 20 trips to WDW previously and never put up the big bucks to stay there, and I may only be able to do it once, ever.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Hi! For the high price anyone pays to stay at the Poly, I expect to be able to use the monorail service for MK or Epcot, and I want the whole place to feel dreamy. It sounds like monorails aren't running to either place currently, even from the TTC, but that may not be accurate. I will definitely visit the Poly even if I don't stay there; I always do. I'm wondering if all of the DVC rooms are going to be refurbished at any point during this construction process. I don't see how they could be. You have good points, and this is why I am wavering. I have to decide by mid-January to get the most money back.

The monorail is running to the MK. It just won't stop at the main Polynesian stop. You are as close to the main Polynesian stop as you are to the TTC stop for the MK. You can even get the express monorail to the MK from the TTC and not stop at the GF at all. Maybe in March the Epcot monorail will be open. Who knows? But it sounds like you don't want to go, so cancel and try to rebook and just be out that money you could have spent on dining or other stuff. The longer you wait to rebook a stay, the harder it will be to rebook a stay unless you are sure you don't want to go in Fall 2021 and are still thinking about Spring 2022. That's a long way away and you'll probably owe an owner who rents a lot more money.

None of the Polynesian DVC villas will be refurbished during this time. They are all pretty new and are totally separate from the hotel portion of the resort. They are on a totally different schedule for renovations. All the DVC renovations are backlogged since covid hit and stopped them. SSR should have been finished and it's about halfway done.

 

[WDW_Diane]

Thank you for your reply! You have a lot of information that is helpful.

 

[suebeelin]

I would still do the trip- walking to the TTC is really not a big deal— and the resort is my favorite of all time (when we stayed there, we always came back from the park by 2/3pm to enjoy the resort- especially the salt water pool).

we also love Kona cafe.

go!