The Poly2 Pricing Thread

[Mikey15]

Disney World is almost a city
– a community of tomorrow, if you will –
and it’s gradually running into the challenges urban planners are seeing with real cities. You densify where desirable land is limited by building up, instead of out. The challenge is doing so without losing the charm and theme of the resort area.

Contemporary->BLT was an easy one in comparison, since they just needed something to fit with the classic CR building but also not copy or detract from it. This one is a bit more challenging. If they ever had to build up^ at GF, I’m not sure how they’d pull it off.


The next challenge in community planning, of course, is transportation. It doesn’t make sense to make another monorail stop for the new building, but the walk in either direction to existing stops is probably close to the limit of what they can get away with while presumably charging top dollar for the accommodations. The bus stops for the other two parks also seem a little on the far side, unless they’ll have the DHS and AK buses stop at both their existing stop and the tower, similar to how the AKL buses stop at Kidani and Jambo.

I don’t think transportation is at its breaking point… yet, but adding more people to the monorail loop is going to start to find the pressure points. At least the new tower is fairly close to the Poly->MK boat launch.

 

[Jwaire]

Do you happen to know if this firm also was hired for Reflections? The new tower renderings don't match the Poly style as much as the older one for the never built expansion of the Poly1. I think that rendering was done by Imagineering. Slightly concerning if Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo were allowed to run free willy without any input from Imagineering.

Yes, WATG was contracted to design Reflections. Someone at Disney management approved the Poly2 Tower. It's not WATG's fault. They're just a contractor. They do what they're told.

RIV was a WDI project, but I'm sure they had a partner. It's probably WATG, but I'll keep looking.

 

[TheDailyMoo]

It doesn’t make sense to make another monorail stop for the new building, but the walk in either direction to existing stops is probably close to the limit of what they can get away with while presumably charging top dollar for the accommodations.

I can already tell if I stayed at the new tower I'd probably just hoof it on over to MK by foot through GF. Just walking to the monorail stop, up the stairs, then waiting for the monorail to arrive would almost feel worse than the whole bus system. I'm very impatient anyway. Agree with a PP that the new tower, as it is now with no design, feels like it's part of GF rather than Poly. Walking from GF to Poly it just felt like the building was closer to the GFV lobby than the Poly lobby.

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

I can already tell if I stayed at the new tower I'd probably just hoof it on over to MK by foot through GF. Just walking to the monorail stop, up the stairs, then waiting for the monorail to arrive would almost feel worse than the whole bus system. I'm very impatient anyway. Agree with a PP that the new tower, as it is now with no design, feels like it's part of GF rather than Poly. Walking from GF to Poly it just felt like the building was closer to the GFV lobby than the Poly lobby.

Yep, they might as well roll it into the VGF association.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

I can already tell if I stayed at the new tower I'd probably just hoof it on over to MK by foot through GF. Just walking to the monorail stop, up the stairs, then waiting for the monorail to arrive would almost feel worse than the whole bus system. I'm very impatient anyway. Agree with a PP that the new tower, as it is now with no design, feels like it's part of GF rather than Poly. Walking from GF to Poly it just felt like the building was closer to the GFV lobby than the Poly lobby.

I was thinking that people going to MK (or maybe even Epcot) would be smarter to take the monorail from MK than GCH.

 

[Genie+]

We see so many questions and reports about ‘sprawling’ WDW resorts it makes me wonder if towers are intended to improve guest satisfaction. How long will the monorails be around? At some point will skyliner extensions take over.

 

[Frugal Fairy Tales]

We see so many questions and reports about ‘sprawling’ WDW resorts it makes me wonder if towers are intended to improve guest satisfaction. How long will the monorails be around? At some point will skyliner extensions take over.

I don’t think the monorail will last forever. It’s already so old.

 

[KimMcGowan]

The *original* concept art for the Poly tower looks like it would perfectly blend in with the rooftops and theming of the longhouses. The new tower jumps out at me as completely out of place between the adorably themed GF and Poly. I think my brain refuses to remember the new concept art. It will add a third, wildly different, color scheme and architectural style to a relatively closely crowded area. I hope they reconsider but we’ll know soon enough.

We already own direct and resale at VGF (in addition to non-monorail resorts), and the only way we’d buy direct at Poly is if the resorts are combined — otherwise I’ll take the original longhouses and unrestricted points…but the real advantage of being in the tower is that you don’t have to look at it, instead you are enjoying views of the charming original resort.

As I have noted many times, the “original “ plans for the Poly tower are much worse than what we have now - and Walt was a part of that design.

While I don’t love the final design as much as the design that would have matched the longhouses, I actively dislike the original tower design

 

[TheDailyMoo]

As I have noted many times, the “original “ plans for the Poly tower are much worse than what we have now - and Walt was a part of that design.

While I don’t love the final design as much as the design that would have matched the longhouses, I actively dislike the original tower design

That building would fit in with the Swan and Dolphin. Maybe call it the Crane?

 

[Mikey15]

I can already tell if I stayed at the new tower I'd probably just hoof it on over to MK by foot through GF. Just walking to the monorail stop, up the stairs, then waiting for the monorail to arrive would almost feel worse than the whole bus system. I'm very impatient anyway. Agree with a PP that the new tower, as it is now with no design, feels like it's part of GF rather than Poly. Walking from GF to Poly it just felt like the building was closer to the GFV lobby than the Poly lobby.

IIRC the GF->MK walk is pretty long, but the resort boats are where it’s at for crossing the lagoon. It surprised me how much I like the WL->MK boat because I’ve never liked the big TTC ferry.

I don’t know what the best option for Epcot is. GCH or GF still have at least two long stops before the transfer to the Epcot line, so even if Tower to TTC is a 15 minute walk, it’d probably be the go-to outside of inclement weather.

 

[HyperspaceMountainPilot]

As I have noted many times, the “original “ plans for the Poly tower are much worse than what we have now - and Walt was a part of that design.

While I don’t love the final design as much as the design that would have matched the longhouses, I actively dislike the original tower design

Wow—so on the one hand it looks kinda like the Swolphin had a baby with the Contemporary…on the other (maybe just because of its big 1980s energy?) it actually looks more like something that you’d see on Oahu.

Anyway, I didn’t realize that was ever a tower concept so I guess I meant the penultimate tower concept (that matches the original longhouses) not the actual original concept.

 

[mamaofsix]

Wow—so on the one hand it looks kinda like the Swolphin had a baby with the Contemporary…on the other (maybe just because of its big 1980s energy?) it actually looks more like something that you’d see on Oahu.

Anyway, I didn’t realize that was ever a tower concept so I guess I meant the penultimate tower concept (that matches the original longhouses) not the actual original concept.

Do you have a picture of what you mean? I feel like you're talking about the concept art for the current tower that came out a few years ago. In which case, the current construction is nearly identical to the layout of that concept art. It's concrete blocking now, but it won't stay this way. The finishes will be very similar to the concept art...

 

[lovethesun12]

I was thinking that people going to MK (or maybe even Epcot) would be smarter to take the monorail from MK than GCH.

They might be better off taking an airplane.

 

[peder]

I don’t think transportation is at its breaking point… yet, but adding more people to the monorail loop is going to start to find the pressure points. At least the new tower is fairly close to the Poly->MK boat launch.

Maybe approaching a critical mass to justify full bike trail around the Seven Seas Lagoon and (the southern half of) Bay Lake.

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

Towers are here to stay. Density increases the total points available to sell with minimal land use and easier for everything from utilities to housekeeping to be in one place. Wait till BCV becomes the newest tower in 2045.

My concern is Trader Sams. Every year it gets early and earlier you need to line up get get in line to get called hours later.

I will NEVER understand why Trader Sam's was given so little space. Who didn't know it would be massively popular? As only one option, the ongoing refusal to remediate or rebuild the spacious Tangaroa Terrace is mystifying.
I'm hoping the new dining/lounge amenities in the Tower help diffuse the crowds...but just like fireworks on the beach & Ohana, some of the mobs are NOT Poly guests & that may increase too.

 

[Matty B13]

I wonder if they will start up the "Resort" only Monorails again, skipping the Transportation Center with the addition of the Poly Tower. Anyone who has been at Poly or VGF the past 5-10 years knows that you can barely get on a Monorail in the morning because it gets filled up at the Transportation Center.

 

[KimMcGowan]

I wonder if they will start up the "Resort" only Monorails again, skipping the Transportation Center with the addition of the Poly Tower. Anyone who has been at Poly or VGF the past 5-10 years knows that you can barely get on a Monorail in the morning because it gets filled up at the Transportation Center.

That is such an excellent suggestion!

 

[Mai Ku Tiki]

I wonder if they will start up the "Resort" only Monorails again, skipping the Transportation Center with the addition of the Poly Tower. Anyone who has been at Poly or VGF the past 5-10 years knows that you can barely get on a Monorail in the morning because it gets filled up at the Transportation Center

Excellent suggestion!

 

[CarolynFH]

I wonder if they will start up the "Resort" only Monorails again, skipping the Transportation Center with the addition of the Poly Tower. Anyone who has been at Poly or VGF the past 5-10 years knows that you can barely get on a Monorail in the morning because it gets filled up at the Transportation Center.

If the Resort monorail skips the TTC, how do monorail resort guests get to Epcot? Disembark the monorail at Poly GCH and walk to TTC? Disembark the Resort monorail at MK and board the Express monorail to TTC? Bus from their resorts to Epcot?

I guess using MK as the transfer point works in the morning when all those offsite guests get off at MK and leave plenty of space for monorail resort guests, but do you really want to change monorails twice to get to Epcot?

 

[mamaofsix]

If the Resort monorail skips the TTC, how do monorail resort guests get to Epcot? Disembark the monorail at Poly GCH and walk to TTC? Disembark the Resort monorail at MK and board the Express monorail to TTC? Bus from their resorts to Epcot?

I guess using MK as the transfer point works in the morning when all those offsite guests get off at MK and leave plenty of space for monorail resort guests, but do you really want to change monorails twice to get to Epcot?

I was thinking the same thing.