Contemporary or Polynesian

[kenziesnow]

I would like to know which resort you would recommend for a brother and sister. We have never stayed at a MK resort before and we would like to in the future. We are not pool people. We are older brother and sister. We would appreciate any recommendations you have for us. Thanks in advance.

 

[Smittolis]

Depends on what you prefer and like in a hotel. If you like theming and Disney hospitality then I would go with the Poly. If you like a little more modern design and access to the walkway to MK then I would go Contemporary. We usually do a split stay between the 2, the Poly is our kids favorite and its a great hotel! However, depending on price and the comparison between the two you may want to check what options you have.

 

[Minnie1222]

This is solely my biased and subjective opinion: I do not like the Contemporary because I don't like the dry theming, the shallow sinks, the crowded elevators, and being so high up with an open balcony.

 

[wannabee]

The poly is my favorite. Love the theme, the restaurants , ease of transportation, I would pick it every time.

 

[mickeynut1]

The poly is my favorite. Love the theme, the restaurants , ease of transportation, I would pick it every time.

The Poly is my favorite as well for the above reasons. We had our first stay at the CR this past December and while we had a great time and enjoyed the resort, the Poly is always my first choice. The theme/decor and overall atmosphere of the Poly is more appealing to me than the CR. With that said, we wouldn't hesitate to stay at the CR again, but Poly is always in the running when planning our trips.

 

[Heather07438]

We haven't tried CR yet but are staying in a Poly studio villa (DVC) for the first time next trip. The things we're looking forward to at the Poly: Easy Monorail access to both MK and Epcot. The food options at the resort. The views of MK from the Poly beach. The vibe at the resort. Contemporary is cool from the nostalgia and wow factors but I think Poly offers more warmth and comfort overall.


^This is the regular studio

^The DVC studio 'villa' which can also be booked cash (or renting DVC points)

The villa has a tub and a shower, and also a kitchenette in the front hallway (instead of just a fridge it's set up with sink, microwave, some dishes, coffee maker).

 

[dsnymnkyuncle]

I would like to know which resort you would recommend for a brother and sister. We have never stayed at a MK resort before and we would like to in the future. We are not pool people. We are older brother and sister. We would appreciate any recommendations you have for us. Thanks in advance.

Try them both. Each is great but in different ways.

 

[JM23457]

I would like to know which resort you would recommend for a brother and sister. We have never stayed at a MK resort before and we would like to in the future. We are not pool people. We are older brother and sister. We would appreciate any recommendations you have for us. Thanks in advance.

They're both very nice- we've stayed twice at each resort. Since you're not into pools, I recommend the Contemporary, which has bigger rooms and walking access to Magic Kingdom. Also, if you stay in the Contemporary's tower, you won't have to go outdoors to get between your room and the lobby/resort restaurants/resort shops/monorail. That helps a lot when it's raining, hot or cold outside. And you'll have a view either of MK & fireworks or of Bay Lake & the Electric Water Pageant. I also felt that the rooms at the Contemporary were in a bit better condition than the rooms at the Polynesian.

The Polynesian is very popular on these boards, but objectively, it is not a better hotel, particularly for someone who won't be using the pool. It's themed Hawaiian style, and that's charming. The lit torches at night around the resort are lovely & the beach offers a nice view of MK. Few rooms have a good MK view, though. The bungalows do get in the way a bit. Also, second floor resort rooms at the Polynesian do not have a balcony, so you risk having no way to get fresh air directly from your room.

Whichever you choose, rent a real resort room, not a DVC studio. Only resort rooms offer 2 real queen beds. DVC stidios only offer 1 queen bed & 1 couch pull-out bed, which is not ideal for 2 adults who won't share the same bed. You'd end up flipping coins to decide who gets to sleep in the "real" bed.

 

[Aardvark747]

We much prefer the Poly, the theme is so much nicer.

 

[Marionnette]

I would like to know which resort you would recommend for a brother and sister. We have never stayed at a MK resort before and we would like to in the future. We are not pool people. We are older brother and sister. We would appreciate any recommendations you have for us. Thanks in advance.

I would not choose a studio at either Poly or BLT because one of you would end up sleeping on a pull out sofa. Neither of those resorts has the new Murphy-style beds and the sofa beds can be rough on the back.

If you’re looking at the hotel side, then I would go with the Poly for the sake of convenience. Easy access to the MK and the EPCOT monorail if it’s running. Easy walk to GF for additional dining and lounge choices or monorail to the CR dining there. The theming is more relaxing and the leisure pools are not exceptionally crowded, if you just want to relax poolside.

 

[MomOTwins]

Normally would say Poly, for the reasons already given here, but if you are going soon before the Poly resort side is open (currently only dvc studios available until October) I would go Contemporary so you have two real beds (DVC had a bed/sofa bed combo)

 

[SmartyBacon]

Another vote for Poly, make sure you request a third floor room so you get the balcony. CR is certainly cool too but with the distancing requirements I would assume the elevator situation is miserable.

 

[ChanaC]

You said you're not pool people, but are you planning on spending any time in the resort or are you in the parks open to close? If you are just doing the parks, it's a bit of a toss up. At Contemporary you are walking distance to Magic Kingdom and once you hop on the monorail you are only one stop away from Epcot. However, some of the Poly rooms/buildings are in walking distance to the ticket and transportation center, so it might be easier to get on an Epcot monorail from there. The resort monorail and the boats also take you to Magic Kingdom pretty quickly. I know I personally like starting the day early with breakfast at the resort, and both have decent quick service places, although I haven't been to either first thing in the morning. I think Contemporary has a more "adult" theme for adults, but of course you will still have kids everywhere. Also, being on the upper level of the Contemporary probably means you have less of a chance of hearing kids running around and playing later at night in the pool or just in the grass.

 

[MomOTwins]

You said you're not pool people, but are you planning on spending any time in the resort or are you in the parks open to close? If you are just doing the parks, it's a bit of a toss up. At Contemporary you are walking distance to Magic Kingdom and once you hop on the monorail you are only one stop away from Epcot. However, some of the Poly rooms/buildings are in walking distance to the ticket and transportation center, so it might be easier to get on an Epcot monorail from there. The resort monorail and the boats also take you to Magic Kingdom pretty quickly. I know I personally like starting the day early with breakfast at the resort, and both have decent quick service places, although I haven't been to either first thing in the morning. I think Contemporary has a more "adult" theme for adults, but of course you will still have kids everywhere. Also, being on the upper level of the Contemporary probably means you have less of a chance of hearing kids running around and playing later at night in the pool or just in the grass.

To clarify--not sure when OP is planning to go, but the Epcot monorail is currently not operating.

 

[ChanaC]

To clarify--not sure when OP is planning to go, but the Epcot monorail is currently not operating.

Good point, should have clarified that as well. They said "in the future" so hopefully it's a some point when everything is back up and running.

 

[jlnten17]

We always stay at the Poly because it is my favorite and we own DVC there. However, we stayed at BLT last month per my daughters request and I did end up liking it quite a bit more than I would have thought. The only thing I didn't care for was the distance from BLT to the dining in CR but if you are staying in the CR that wouldn't be an issue. If you want modern, close to the MK choose CR. If you like the outdoor walk to the longhouses, Hawaiian music and dining, then I would go with Poly. Poly has Dole Whips!

 

[Deb & Bill]

We haven't tried CR yet but are staying in a Poly studio villa (DVC) for the first time next trip. The things we're looking forward to at the Poly: Easy Monorail access to both MK and Epcot. The food options at the resort. The views of MK from the Poly beach. The vibe at the resort. Contemporary is cool from the nostalgia and wow factors but I think Poly offers more warmth and comfort overall.

View attachment 516440
^This is the regular studio hotel room
View attachment 516441
^The DVC studio 'villa' which can also be booked cash (or renting DVC points)

The villa has a tub and a shower, and also a kitchenette in the front hallway (instead of just a fridge it's set up with sink, microwave, some dishes, coffee maker).

A hotel room isn't a studio at WDW. Calling a hotel room a studio will only confuse people.

 

[Blondie58]

Have never stayed at the Poly but have spent a good deal of time there. The rooms are very dark for my preference but I love the grounds. Have stayed at the Contemporary four times in the main building. The lobby area seems steril and the theming is not great but the rooms are a wonderful size, light/airy, and pristine from our experiences. (I know this was NOT a part of your question but hands down the Grand Floridian is my favorite of the three for theming, room size, decorating, eateries, and grounds etc.)