Poly vs Beach club with a young family

[Grace&Carolinesmom]

I know you are looking between Poly and BC but I am going to throw in another suggestion. I would pick GF. Basically all of the rooms at GF have a balcony which affords the adults somewhere to hang out while the kiddos are napping/sleeping early. The kids waterplay area and both pools are really nice, have great sightlines, nicer pool bathrooms, and attentive servers. Staying 10 days you will need to do laundry and at GF each building has it's own laundry room which is so convenient. GF has 3 options for MK access with monorail, boat and walking.

If only considering Poly and BC, I would choose Poly for the access to MK and the kids splash area. Poly also has better food options at the resort IMO. Watching the MK fireworks and the EWP from the resort each night is magical for kids and adults!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Another vote for Poly.

 

[RoseGold]

I'd split stay so you get both an Epcot resort and a MK resort.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I wouldn't split with little ones. Switching just when they're finally settled in sounds tough to me.

 

[Anthony1971]

Poly has a great kids splash area within the main pool area. I would steer clear of BW, BC, YC the walk up the hill(s) (there are 2 as once you enter EPCOT it up again) to EPCOT with a stroller in the blazing sun is almost enough to call it a day. Once the kids are walking that are would again be a consideration but for now any resort that has a bus, boat or monorail. The few minutes rest time is well earned and deserved.

 

[DLgal]

I wouldn't split with little ones. Switching just when they're finally settled in sounds tough to me.

Second this. Plus you will be homeless from 11am to 3pm on moving day, which is a terrible time to be without a room when you have kids that young.

 

[Mikey_B]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I’ve booked the Poly - the proximity to MK and the theming/vibe has won it for me.

 

[Poohbear80]

I would say BC for the pool because of the trip length. You are prob going to spend sometime at the resort and you can’t beat the pool at BC (in my opinion.)

 

[Jacq7414]

Poly for sure. We did a Poly/BC split when my daughter was 5 and she asked us when we could go back to the Poly. BC was kind of a disappointment in comparison. I know everyone raves about SAB, but my daughter (and myself) liked the Poly pool better. I liked how everything was generally in the same area. With SAB the whole pool area felt very disjointed. I didn’t like how we had to cross the public walkway to get to the slide. It wasn’t easy to just watch from a chair because the pool was so big. I wish we had just stayed at the Poly the entire time and never did the split.

 

[flav]

Recommending the Poly also. We appreciated so much the convenience of pushing the stroller directly onto the MK or the Epcot Monorail while the kids slept in them. The restaurants were also a bit easier: Breakfast at Ohana with the characters, coffee grab in the lobby and Captain Cook practical location were all pluses. Catching the fireworks from the beach when they were too tired to be in the park was surprisingly pleasant.

We did love the BC when the kids were much older and could easily walk or wait for the boat to/from HS.

 

[jcvalenti]

I just got back from a 7 day split stay at AKL (2 days) and Beach Club (5 days) on Sunday - the first time I've stayed at BC. My kids were a little older (the youngest is 16), but we stayed a week at the Poly last year and we all much preferred that resort. We found Beach Club very sterile - the resort itself is not that great. The rooms weren't particularly exciting, the restaurant and lounge very lackluster. Of the 5 Disney deluxes we've stayed in since Covid, this one was definitely a one and done for us.

Sure the pool is fantastic, but it's nothing compared to going to Typhoon Lagoon or Volcano Bay for the day ... and I'm not sure managing kids that young at that pool would be easy. Getting cots and a spot when it opens is practically a blood sport, and if you don't plan to spend a good chunk of the day at the pool, does it really matter ? Poly on the other hand really makes you feel like you are on vacation - The Volcano Pool and splash pad is perfect for little kids, and the quiet pool a great place to cool off after the parks. The rooms are much more themed, and the food offerings are much better for little kids. Seeing fireworks from the beach or just walking around the resort at night is great, and if you plan to spend significant time at MK, what could be better than being able to choose whether to walk, boat or monorail there ?

 

[Jacq7414]

I just got back from a 7 day split stay at AKL (2 days) and Beach Club (5 days) on Sunday - the first time I've stayed at BC. My kids were a little older (the youngest is 16), but we stayed a week at the Poly last year and we all much preferred that resort. We found Beach Club very sterile - the resort itself is not that great. The rooms weren't particularly exciting, the restaurant and lounge very lackluster. Of the 5 Disney deluxes we've stayed in since Covid, this one was definitely a one and done for us.

Yes the Disney deluxes that we stayed at are Polynesian, Beach Club, Wilderness Lodge, & Boardwalk. Beach club definitely was my least favorite of them. If I’m staying in the Epcot area, we preferred the boardwalk. I don’t think I’d stay at Beach Club again. But that’s why there’s a resort for everyone.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

Staying 10 nights next year at either the poly or BC with a 2 year old and 4 year old. Does anyone have any thoughts on the best choice? Thanks.

I would recommend POLY, even though I have never stayed there. With kids that young, I wouldn't want to hassle with YC/BC pool. It would give my DW and I anxiety for kids that small in such a large complex (and in my experience, it's a busy pool complex). If your 4 year old is anything like our little ones at that age, they tend to like MK fantasyland rides. So, being closer to MK is a definite advantage and there are multiple transportation options to MK.

 

[DLgal]

I just got back from a 7 day split stay at AKL (2 days) and Beach Club (5 days) on Sunday - the first time I've stayed at BC. My kids were a little older (the youngest is 16), but we stayed a week at the Poly last year and we all much preferred that resort. We found Beach Club very sterile - the resort itself is not that great. The rooms weren't particularly exciting, the restaurant and lounge very lackluster. Of the 5 Disney deluxes we've stayed in since Covid, this one was definitely a one and done for us.

Sure the pool is fantastic, but it's nothing compared to going to Typhoon Lagoon or Volcano Bay for the day ... and I'm not sure managing kids that young at that pool would be easy. Getting cots and a spot when it opens is practically a blood sport, and if you don't plan to spend a good chunk of the day at the pool, does it really matter ? Poly on the other hand really makes you feel like you are on vacation - The Volcano Pool and splash pad is perfect for little kids, and the quiet pool a great place to cool off after the parks. The rooms are much more themed, and the food offerings are much better for little kids. Seeing fireworks from the beach or just walking around the resort at night is great, and if you plan to spend significant time at MK, what could be better than being able to choose whether to walk, boat or monorail there ?

We stayed at the BC for the 3rd time last week and it was a very lackluster experience. It has been our family's favorite resort, but this last stay was sub par at best. At this point, the only thing going for it is location.

On the other hand, we went to Polynesian for dinner one night and for the first time, THAT hotel drew me in and made me wish we were staying there. The lobby is so welcoming and it just FELT more like a resort. I have been to WDW and the Polynesian dozens of times, and something about the Poly is now very appealing whereas it never was before. Even my teens were like "wow, we should stay here next time."

The BC room refurb has made it feel like a Hilton. It's SO boring and yes, sterile. The lobby is boring. The entire resort is just endless hallways with nothing of interest. Even the pool was just not that fun. The slide has become downright painful with the gaps between the sections. I think we are done with the BC.

 

[bakerworld]

I was wondering which pool would be more suitable with youngsters. The pool at BC is obviously a big selling point of the resort but is the poly pool manageable with young kids? Does it get overcrowded? Is there a splash area?

IMO, yes, Poly is more manageable. However, I've never attended with small children. We did go to BC when our kids were young and I just didn't enjoy losing site of my kids.

 

[Mikey_B]

Thanks again - some good recommendations for the poly which is great to hear. Just need to try and get a room away from the construction now.

 

[MamaMermaid]

Poly. Can't beat the monorail.