Poly or Wilderness Lodge or…in spring 2023?

[DeeBee3]

On the hotel side, I believe 2 queen beds are the most common, but there are ones with 1 King. (that doesn't help you)
Does anyone know if the Boulder Ridge side has the drop down bed? That would be a queen, pull out couch, and murphy bed. Boulder Ridge does need a refurb, but that configuration would meet your needs.

I know the hotel side was redone a few years back, but the Copper Creek section is also new.

Look into renting DVC points to save money - that goes for all of these Deluxe DVC resorts.

 

[Jen81NYC]

On the hotel side, I believe 2 queen beds are the most common, but there are ones with 1 King. (that doesn't help you)
Does anyone know if the Boulder Ridge side has the drop down bed? That would be a queen, pull out couch, and murphy bed. Boulder Ridge does need a refurb, but that configuration would meet your needs.

I know the hotel side was redone a few years back, but the Copper Creek section is also new.

Look into renting DVC points to save money - that goes for all of these Deluxe DVC resorts.

Thanks! And lol at the image of my husband reacting to both a second trip to Disney and me booking a room where all 4 of us are in one king bed

 

[EilonwyWanderer]

I'm also a huge WL fan but I don't know that you'll really save any money staying there as it's also Deluxe.

Don't discount the value resorts either--your kids are at the right ages that the Art of Animation might be a HUGE hit. The rooms are certainly smaller (I think there's two beds in each a regular and then a big pull down) but the theming and the pool is really cool. Last time we were there we were at Animal Kingdom Lodge but my mom surprised the kids for their birthdays and stayed at Art of Animation and they were MAD that we weren't staying there instead when we went to visit. Not only are there huge statues of things but they had games lining some of the walkways like pingpong. They LOVED it!

If you want to go middle of the road Port Orleans is great as is Coronado. We didn't care for Caribbean Beach since it was so huge, but with the skyliners that might be a good option too. And you'll save LOTS not staying in a deluxe.

 

[moonshadow]

I’ve watched some videos but curious to hear more about what you like about it! Can you see fireworks from it?
I did like the Poly grounds a lot so genuinely curious if there’s anything in the WL grounds you particularly like. I’m assuming 2023 packages are opening up soon so trying to decide now so I’m ready when they become available!

The Poly has the upper edge if you want to see fireworks. There is a water parade that goes by each night at the WL. A few things I like is everything is in the lodge if the weather is bad. With the Poly you have to walk outside to get to the lodge. I feel the WL is less crowded. I love the grounds and the waterfall. The outside restaurant/bar Geyser Point is also a great place to relax.

I would suggest if you chose the Poly which is not a bad choice, go take a stroll through the WL during your visit. We always enjoyed visiting other resorts to get a firsthand experience. This helped to see if we would want to stay there during our next visit.

 

[CaroM8]

We are considering these two resorts as well for our 2023 trip. We are actually going to do a split stay - 4nights at CBR and then 3 nights at either Poly or WL. I was swaying more towards Poly but looking into it more now we may switch it to WL. For our MK days, we won't be in the room/resort that much but still want to be close to the park so I think WL is a better choice in terms of saving a bit of money and still being able to take the boat to MK for example.

Just my two cents but I've never been to WDW so what do I know haha

 

[Karebear]

For those who are WL fans/experts, is there a sofa bed option in standard room like at Poly? I don’t see it in the ones I’ve looked at so maybe that’s the deciding factor, unfortunately. My kids don’t do well sharing a bed When we stayed at the Poly, one kid was on 2nd queen bed and other kid was on pullout and it worked well.

I don't believe the standard WL rooms have a day bed. Just want to mention that I have a teenage son and daughter and we have packed and flown with a blow up bed/sheets for one kiddo in situations where there were only 2 beds. The rooms at the Epcot resorts do have a daybed and if you are somehow given a room without one, the YC/BC will give you a rollaway bed for free. I know that you didn't mention the Epcot resorts but just throwing it out there.

 

[ParklandDISDad]

For those who are WL fans/experts, is there a sofa bed option in standard room like at Poly? I don’t see it in the ones I’ve looked at so maybe that’s the deciding factor, unfortunately. My kids don’t do well sharing a bed When we stayed at the Poly, one kid was on 2nd queen bed and other kid was on pullout and it worked well.

No sofa bed options at WL. It would be difficult, but I'm they could figure out a 5th sleeper if they were able to... but they aren't. Fire code caps the standard room capacity at the WL to 4 guests, while a standard room at the Poly can accommodate up to 5.

The rooms at the Poly are 17.5% (60 square feet) bigger than the rooms at WL, 344 sq ft vs. 404 sq ft.

 

[ParklandDISDad]

I'm probably the biggest WL fan you've ever met and WL is my favorite place on property (yes, place, not just resort).. but the WL camp is likely not going to appreciate my response.

My first stay at WL was as a six year old the year the Lodge opened, in December 1994. I still remember the first time walking into the lobby, and running up the stairs until we reached the door for the club level access. I was in complete awe and have been hooked ever since. I can't count how many times we have stayed at the Lodge.. there were many years growing up where we stayed at WL 6+ times in one year.

Now, 28 years later, I still love the Lodge. Every bit as much. We are booked at WL for my son's 2nd birthday next month and for a week in December. At a minimum, my wife and I take our kids (1 and 5) every year for a week in December for one of our main stays of the year (had to book a CCV studio direct through Disney for December 2020 - requested and ended up getting one of the corner studios with separated living area!) Nothing beats WL at Christmas time. NOTHING! (I had to talk my wife off the ledge a few months back when I was booking our December 2022 trip and she was pushing for the GF, lol). Sure, I also accept that a great deal of my feelings for the WL stems from my nostalgia for the place and all of my memories of growing up there, but it's still objectively awesome.

Now.. for the divisive bit. The Poly is better, objectively. There is a reason that rooms at the Poly start at $633 for a standard view while a room at the WL starts at $439, demanding whopping 44% premium of the WL. They are bigger, and better. The resort is also better. It's all just better. There is also a reason that the Poly rarely offers any AP, FL resident, etc. discounts on their rooms and is always booked out well in advance, even with over 2x the number of rooms vs. WL post CCV annexation . Simply put, they don't need to offer discounts as often, because.. it a better [read 'more desirable' or 'more luxurious' - your pick] resort.

Things have changed a lot in recent years as we've entered the CCV era for WL, which saw the number of rooms available at WL get cut in half, but Disney is still offering a 10% AP discount on WL rooms as of this writing for Early Summer 2022. Things have also changed a lot in the post Iger era for Disney at large. We actually paid rack rate for both our October Poly stay (~$800/night for Marina/Pool view) and our December Wilderness Lodge stay (~$750/night for Courtyard view) in 2021 for the first time, possibly ever. I'm hoping that had more to do with the timing of the WDW 50th Anniversary kickoff than anything else.

Having recently stayed in the newly renovated rooms at each resort, as much as it pains me to say it, I have to conclude that the Poly is better.. or at least I have to accept that, objectively speaking, it will be considered better by the majority of guests.. and not just in terms of the rooms. Whenever I stay at the Poly (or the GF for that matter) I just feel like I am staying at a nicer, more luxurious resort. I almost feel a little out of place at times (being a WL native, lol), like I am getting a taste of what the other half on the other side of the lake (or lagoon, lol) get to live like. It is all just better.

Now... again, for me personally, WL is and will always be my favorite resort. Nothing beats the feeling that walking around that resort give me.. but given the opportunity to stay at the Poly over the WL (and taking the price out of the equation) I will choose the Poly nearly every time. Unless it's December! December is for the Lodge. No matter the price.

... if the cost is a big consideration for you Coronado Springs - Gran Destino Tower offers the most bang for your buck anywhere on property. We loved the tower rooms when we stayed there for one night on the front end of a Poly (DVC points rental) stay in 2020. Three Bridges Bar & Grill and Toledo - Tapas, Steak and Seafood are both amazing and the resort as a whole has always been beautiful (think, Poly-light). Personally the ~$150-$200/night price difference between the WL and CS-GDT is never going to be enough to sway us away from the former to the latter (especially after the 2019 WL room refurb.), but I can certainly understand how it may be for some.

 

[Jen81NYC]

I'm probably the biggest WL fan you've ever met and WL is my favorite place on property (yes, place, not just resort).. but the WL camp is likely not going to appreciate my response.

My first stay at WL was as a six year old the year the Lodge opened, in December 1994. I still remember the first time walking into the lobby, and running up the stairs until we reached the door for the club level access. I was in complete awe and have been hooked ever since. I can't count how many times we have stayed at the Lodge.. there were many years growing up where we stayed at WL 6+ times in one year.

Now, 28 years later, I still love the Lodge. Every bit as much. We are booked at WL for my son's 2nd birthday next month and for a week in December. At a minimum, my wife and I take our kids (1 and 5) every year for a week in December for one of our main stays of the year (had to book a CCV studio direct through Disney for December 2020 - requested and ended up getting one of the corner studios with separated living area!) Nothing beats WL at Christmas time. NOTHING! (I had to talk my wife off the ledge a few months back when I was booking our December 2022 trip and she was pushing for the GF, lol). Sure, I also accept that a great deal of my feelings for the WL stems from my nostalgia for the place and all of my memories of growing up there, but it's still objectively awesome.

Now.. for the divisive bit. The Poly is better, objectively. There is a reason that rooms at the Poly start at $633 for a standard view while a room at the WL starts at $439, demanding whopping 44% premium of the WL. They are bigger, and better. The resort is also better. It's all just better. There is also a reason that the Poly rarely offers any AP, FL resident, etc. discounts on their rooms and is always booked out well in advance, even with over 2x the number of rooms vs. WL post CCV annexation . Simply put, they don't need to offer discounts as often, because.. it a better [read 'more desirable' or 'more luxurious' - your pick] resort.

Things have changed a lot in recent years as we've entered the CCV era for WL, which saw the number of rooms available at WL get cut in half, but Disney is still offering a 10% AP discount on WL rooms as of this writing for Early Summer 2022. Things have also changed a lot in the post Iger era for Disney at large. We actually paid rack rate for both our October Poly stay (~$800/night for Marina/Pool view) and our December Wilderness Lodge stay (~$750/night for Courtyard view) in 2021 for the first time, possibly ever. I'm hoping that had more to do with the timing of the WDW 50th Anniversary kickoff than anything else.

Having recently stayed in the newly renovated rooms at each resort, as much as it pains me to say it, I have to conclude that the Poly is better.. or at least I have to accept that, objectively speaking, it will be considered better by the majority of guests.. and not just in terms of the rooms. Whenever I stay at the Poly (or the GF for that matter) I just feel like I am staying at a nicer, more luxurious resort. I almost feel a little out of place at times (being a WL native, lol), like I am getting a taste of what the other half on the other side of the lake (or lagoon, lol) get to live like. It is all just better.

Now... again, for me personally, WL is and will always be my favorite resort. Nothing beats the feeling that walking around that resort give me.. but given the opportunity to stay at the Poly over the WL (and taking the price out of the equation) I will choose the Poly nearly every time. Unless it's December! December is for the Lodge. No matter the price.

... if the cost is a big consideration for you Coronado Springs - Gran Destino Tower offers the most bang for your buck anywhere on property. We loved the tower rooms when we stayed there for one night on the front end of a Poly (DVC points rental) stay in 2020. Three Bridges Bar & Grill and Toledo - Tapas, Steak and Seafood are both amazing and the resort as a whole has always been beautiful (think, Poly-light). Personally the ~$150-$200/night price difference between the WL and CS-GDT is never going to be enough to sway us away from the former to the latter (especially after the 2019 WL room refurb.), but I can certainly understand how it may be for some.

Thanks for taking the time to provide this detailed info!! I really appreciate it. I’m bracing myself for what the 2023 package pricing will be but I am now pretty sure I’ll return to the Poly, at least for this second trip. Maybe after this trip, then I’ll expand to the Epcot hotels but since before this year I hadn’t been since I was a kid, I feel like I have one more very MK heavy trip in me!

That said, if Disney prices and inflation keep rising, airfare remains very high and stocks keep diving, it will be hard to justify a 2nd big Disney trip, let alone the Poly, sigh

 

[Beachmom0317]

I would try wilderness lodge or POR, you could even splurge for the Royal room!

 

[_19disnA]

Polynesian is a nice resort but has become one of the most expensive places to stay at Disney and not sure it is worth the extra cost. I would choose something else instead and WL is a good choice. Also depends on which parks you plan to spend the most time. If only going to MK, then monorails resorts or WL are good choices. If you were going to spend most of your time at Epcot or HS, then resorts on that side of the property might be more convenient. While you can take a monorail to Epcot, I know some people find it takes too long, have to change cars at the TTC, etc.