POLY or BEACH CLUB?? Help us pick,PLEASE!!!

[ldc12377]

We can't decide between the Poly or the Beach Club. This will be our first time at either resort but this is what we are thinking are the benefits of each one. What do you guys think? Are we on the right track? If you had to pick between these two wonderful resorts which would you pick?

Poly: MONORAIL
Captain Cook's- hear it is really good
Monorail - worth mentioning again

Beach Club: POOL
walk to Epcot
pool - also worth mentining again

[DisneyorBust]

Tough decision! I voted for the POLY.
I like the theming of the rooms and resort and the polynesian music!
The ease of transportation, being on the monorail especially, is important to us. Magic Kingdom and Epcot are our two favorite resorts, so using the monorail is a big plus.

[4277]

Haven't stayed at Beach Club but we sure love the Poly. Just walking into the ceremonial house gives me chills with all of it's plants & flowers and you just feel like you're in paradise. It is so relaxing just walking around the resort. We love the fact that it's on the monorail line plus watching the fireworks from the beach is great. We enjoyed breakfast at Captain Cook's and O'Hana's and lunch at Kona Cafe. All great eating places.

[heidiho]

I vote Beach Club.. nothing beats walking to and from the different parks.. (You can also walk to MGM studios...) I also like the fact that there is the boardwalk, the Swan and Dolphin to visit... Good places to eat. If you don't like walking, there is a boat shuttle. That is the best reason to vote Beach Club...

The pool has it's plusses and minuses... it all depends on how crowded it is... We have stayed at Beach Club twice now... and the first time was the very BEST.. October... not so crowded.. and loads of fun...
Second time we went.. Man oh man, it was horrible... May, Memorial Day weekend hot, really hot and too many people... awful! No chairs, loads of kiddies, thongs and abrasive loud people. If you go during the dinner hour it tends to be less crowded, but, the pool isn't the cleanest either. Especially after a full day of bodies.. Hate to tell you this one, but they actually closed the pool because of a diaper gone bad.. eEEEEEewwwwwweeee! One more damper... The bar is located at the pool.. and even though there is a no food/beverage policy.. it doesn't get enforced enough.. the edges of the pool and on the sand were drink remnants and paper..

After all that.. I will tell you it is a nice spot.. just that ONE bad experience was enough for me to say, "Check when you are going to see how crowded and how hot it is going to be before you make your decision!"

Best wishes!

[playdead88]

wow that is a tough one! i guess it depends on which parks you want to be closer to - they both are awesome resorts and you really can't go wrong with either choice - they both have character bfasts at the resort - the beach club has stormalong bay which my kids thought was a waterpark the beach club pool is the best resort pool disney has IMHO. the beach club is so close to epcot you could walk there in about 5 min and it is very close to the boardwalk for nighttime fun - but on the other hand the poly is just breathtaking - we never stayed there but we have visited and it is beautiful! its a monorail ride away from magic kingdom - to me the poly made us feel as if we were in a tropical island - the rooms at the poly seemed bigger to us also - some friends of ours stayed there the year we stayed at the beach club and i have to say the rooms seemed larger at the poly - im not sure im being much help because im trying to think if i were you what i would choose and im not sure!!! :faint:

[BigFerrell]

Poly over Beach every time.

Monorail
Ohana
Kona
Fireworks from the beach
Hammocks

[moe513]

We did both in Dec 2005. I liked them both very much but my family prefers the bc location. We love to be near the boardwalk and the entrance to epcot.

[sillyolbear]

Poly being on the monorail is a great convenience particularly if you are traveling with little ones who will want to spend a lot of time at the MK. Makes it really nice to be able to hop on the resort monorail line to get back for nap time.

If your traveling party is older and Epcot and DHS will be as big a draws as MK is for the little ones, Beach Club is a great location. Plus the proximity of the Boardwalk is a nice amenity.

I'm not sure you can go wrong with either one, just depends on what your needs/wants are.

[BelleCiavo]

We did like the Beach Club pool, but the Poly's volcano pool is pretty cool too. I don't know if you have children or how old they are, but it can be difficult to keep track of younger kiddos at Stormalong Bay if you have children of various ages, some needing the baby area, and others that don't want to hang out there, but are too young to go off alone.

[ldc12377]

I don't know if you have children or how old they are, but it can be difficult to keep track of younger kiddos at Storm Along Bay if you have children of various ages, some needing the baby area, and others that don't want to hang out there, but are too young to go off alone.

That is an excellent point that I had not thought about before. We have 3 kids who will be with us (9,7, and 2), and I can see that being a problem for us. The older two aren't old enough to go off by themselves but I will be the only one who will actually get in the water so it can make it very difficult to keep track of all three all the time. Thank you for thinking of that point.\!:thumbsup:

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I picked Beach Club

you can easily get to Epcot and Disney Studios
at night they have a movie on the beach
really nice pool

[SBETigg]

The Polynesian- it has Beach Club beat in my book.

For transportation options, it's easy to anywhere. The buses(for us) have been effective, timely, not overcrowded and you don't need to bus to Epcot or to the MK. You have the monorail, the boat launch, and a short walk to the TTC and monorail to Epcot.

For sheer magic, the MK is right there, with the beach for fireworks viewing and the Electric Water Pageant. The atmosphere is lush, tropical, and so relaxing- you feel like you're combining an island getaway with a Disney trip. And you have great restaurants, lounges, and the 24-hour Captain Cook's.

The Beach Club would win out if the Epcot/MGM combo was my favorite over the MK and if having the Stormalong Bay pool area was a priority-- but the volcano pool/beach at the Poly is pretty incredible, too.

[Jillirose]

I don't know how many days you are going, but can you do both? I'd vote for BC, just because we love it, but haven't had the chance to stay at Poly yet.

[mrsgaribaldi]

I've stayed at both. Loved the Poly, hated the BC. The only thing I liked at the BC was the location to Epcot. Poly I loved everything. It's so beautiful and relaxing. You can't beat the monorail:mickey:

[LudwigVonDrake]

I love 'em both but I have to go with the Poly :tikki:

[laughingplace<3]

I'm a Beach Club girl forever.
:number1:

[DDBird]

On our very last minute last trip - we stayed at the Yatch Club for the first couple of nights. We hated it....never again.
It just felt like any other large hotel, the service was not up to par with the Poly, the pool was so warm it made me feel ill. The only thing we did like was the boat to World Showcase....we really enjoyed not having to walk the whole way around Epcot and enjoyed ourselves. I am assuming that since Yatch and Beach club are the same complex they are comparable. We are a Poly family the whole way.

[Mom2princesses]

The Poly is my all time favorite. To us it is "home". I'll never forget after a long day of catching a flight and spending the extremely HOT day at Universal when I walked into that lobby, heard the water.... smelled the air.... I completely relaxed! It was a wonderful feeling. The atmoshpere, the location, the monorail, walking distance to the TTC, the resturants and pools... It is my favorite resort.

[Jimenyfan]

I picked Beach Club

you can easily get to Epcot and Disney Studios
at night they have a movie on the beach
really nice pool


:thumbsup: I couldn't agree more, while our favorite resorts are BC,YC and Poly I would choose BC just for the location to Epcot, Boardwalk and Disney Studios.

[WDW24]

I love the BC! The theming is amazing, and the pool is the best! :thumbsup:

[BigRedDad]

I chose Poly. Why not split the resorts? This way you will know which way to go in the future.

[eyoreswife]

we stayed at the poly last year because it was a short trip 4 days so the monorail was great, but we are trying the beach club in july, a little scared about that post of the crowded dirty pool, we absolutely loved poly but the kids are older traveling with another family two 12 year olds and two 10 year olds they are good for one day at mk the rest def epcot hs and ak, so i would say location to fave parks made our choice,

[jakeybake]

The Beach Club hands down. We always felt close to home there. While at Epcot we knew we were only a short walk back to the hotel to swim. Same thing with the Boardwalk and Disney Studios. There was a real comfort level for us knowing that our resort and the beautiful pool was close by. Also, the buses to the Magic Kingdom were always there and were never crowded.

The location, the pool, the proximity to so many wonderful restaraunts were all keys for us.

Also, look at my signature for Mrs. Jakeybake's thoughts on it.

Jay

[jpH/keD]

I would have to choose Poly simply because they have the monorail. I know the themeing is very important and I GET IT! But I hate the busses so I am opting out of them!! As much as possible! Boats or monorail or walking for me!

[jillluvsdisney]

Are you vacationing with small children? If you are, then you might be spending more time at MK. That's makes the POLY a great choice.

Is it just the two of you? Which parks are your favorites. If you see yourself spending more time at Epcot, the BC is great.

Kep in mind also that if you are looking for some nightlife, ther Boardwalk is right across from the BC. Jellyrolls and ESPN are both fun times.

I've stayed at the POLY 3 times. I would love to try the BC just because Storm Along Bay looks awesome.

[rj]

I voted for the Poly. Both are great.

If you are going with young kids, the Poly is the best because of the monorail to MK.

BC does have easy access to Epcot and the Boardwalk, not to mention Beaches and Cream.

[cinderella crazy]

I vote for the Poly. We've never stayed at the BC though. Having said that, if I was to pick between the BC or the YC I would pick the YC. We just like the appearance of the YC better.

We are really big on atmosphere. We love the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Poly because you just can't beat the theming.

We absolutely loved the pool at the Poly! We were there everyday (it was probably our sons favorite thing about the resort).

Before staying at the Poly I never really believed that having monorail access would be that big of a deal. Boy was I wrong! We rode that thing so many times I now am able to recite the "Please stand clear of the doors" in Spanish!

[diz_girl]

I chose Poly. Why not split the resorts? This way you will know which way to go in the future.

My thoughts exactly. But if I had to choose just one, it would be the Poly. I've never stayed at the BC, but I just can't bring myself to stay anywhere except a MK resort.

[LilHooligan74]

I saw this thread and had post a question because of some possible changes in our resort choice. This is only our second trip on site. DW's parents are going with us as well. They have been to WDW many many times, but always stayed off site. We were planning on staying at the Poly, but now all of the sudden my lovely MIL is talking all about the Beach Club...Help!
We stayed at Boardwalk last year and loved both resorts but we were really shooting for the Poly this year. This was due to its proximity to MK. My girls are 5 and 7. I also love the atmosphere.
I think some of the problem may be MIL's impression of the Poly is from 15 years ago when they were there for dinner. She claims she was not impressed. She may like the GF better but I don't know how well my girls would fit in there, they are full of life.My wife and I are impressed and now I don't know how to convince her. There still is rooms available at BC and it is just slightly cheaper than the Poly but I would much rather pay the difference completely myself just to stay at the poly. I just need advice. Could I get a little?

[disneymajik]

Don't sell the Poly's volcano pool short. Great waterslide and zero entry pool.

[bruin1344]

Beach Club hands down. Ive never stayed at Poly but ive been there a few times. The only benefits of Poly is if you want to be near MK or you like the Poly decor. At the BC, you dont have to take the dreaded bus as much, other than DTD and AK. Its awesome to be in walking distance to Epcot/MGM. You can take the monorail from Epcot to MK. Beach Club has a nice pool. It is across from Boardwalk which some nice restaurants and decent nightlife. There are a lot of nice dining options around BC.

[BrerGnat]

I saw this thread and had post a question because of some possible changes in our resort choice. This is only our second trip on site. DW's parents are going with us as well. They have been to WDW many many times, but always stayed off site. We were planning on staying at the Poly, but now all of the sudden my lovely MIL is talking all about the Beach Club...Help!
We stayed at Boardwalk last year and loved both resorts but we were really shooting for the Poly this year. This was due to its proximity to MK. My girls are 5 and 7. I also love the atmosphere.
I think some of the problem may be MIL's impression of the Poly is from 15 years ago when they were there for dinner. She claims she was not impressed. She may like the GF better but I don't know how well my girls would fit in there, they are full of life.My wife and I are impressed and now I don't know how to convince her. There still is rooms available at BC and it is just slightly cheaper than the Poly but I would much rather pay the difference completely myself just to stay at the poly. I just need advice. Could I get a little?

My advice? Stay where YOU want to stay. MIL can stay at a different hotel if she really wants. You can still meet up in the parks/for meals. They don't have to stay where you do.

We are taking our boys next May for a first family trip. We also chose the Poly. My parents may or may not go, but they probably won't want to pay for the Poly (dad is a bit stingy), so they will probably end up elsewhere. No big deal, really, they'll still be in "the World" with us. When we got married at WDW, our entire families came down for the wedding and for a few days before/after. We all stayed at different resorts, but never had issues spending time together.

[LilHooligan74]

I figured out what was the problem. We are all staying at the Poly. She wants to be close to the girls. It was more of a financial reason than anything. I thought it was her impression from years ago. We were able to rectify what she thought of it by surfing the web and showing her pictures. I think we are just going to take care of more of the cost than before. We may drop a day, not sure yet. But we are definitely staying at the Poly...YEAH:woohoo:
Again thank you to everyone for your help. I brought up the different resort idea and her look chilled my drink so I will be forking over more dough...hehe

[GrmGrninGost]

The only resort I like better than the Poly is the Wilderness Lodge! Just my humble opinion! :mickey: Either way, I'm sure you'll have a great vacation!

[Maleficent's Dad]

You have a good problem - the Poly or the BC? Really, you can't go wrong! ;)

I will tell you this much, for whatever reason, the folks here at Intercot seem to be very biased towards the Poly. It gets rave reviews here!

We have stayed at both resorts; and both offer much in the way of positives.

BC:

Location to EPCOT, DHS, other resorts
A plethora of dining options when you take location into account
Amazing pool with large area for kids
Art the Greeter :thumbsup:
Boat launches for transportation


Poly:

Location to MK & monorail resorts
Adjacent to the TTC ("express" monorails to MK & EPCOT)
Good dining options based on location
Very good pool (with genuine zero entry)
Better themed
Without question, the best transportation of all WDW resorts


Now for the flip-side.
We don't care for Poly's dining. Kona's good, but O'hana is not our cup of tea (although it gets raves here). We do like O'hana's b'fast.
Wish the BC had more than 1 sit-down restaurant. Prefer b'fast over dinner at Cape May, too.
BC's pool is not for everyone - and if your kids are not proficient swimmers, you'll have a tough time keeping an eye on them - the area's large and a bit confusing at first - the slide entrance is actually across a public walkway.
Poly's pool is very nice, but not large enough IMO for summer crowds. That zero entry area is shoulder to shoulder at times...
You'll have to take buses from both resorts to different locales. And both resorts usually share a bus with someone (BC with YC, and Poly with WL, for example).

There are more "plusses and minuses" to each resort, but you get the idea.

As I said earlier, the Poly's a hugely popular resort on these boards, and with good reason. However, we would take the BC over the Poly any day of the week. EPCOT's our favorite park, keep in mind, and we thoroughly enjoy the Boardwalk area. My kids love DHS more than MK (go figure! :scratch:), so the location for us is tops. I admit my bias, but you have to choose the resort that's right for you! :mickey:

[Kairi_7378]

Wow, that's a tough one. I like the suggestion about the split stay if you can handle that. Each resort has its own perks. I would start at the BC and "trade up" to the Poly half way through. (Might be a bit difficult with 3 kids.) With the BC you have so many restaurants and 2 parks at your doorstep. The Poly has the monorail and the MK right there, and it's simply a Disney Classic. Do either of the themes appeal to you more? Have you been to the Jersey shore or to the coast of New England? Have you ever been to Hawaii? I think as far as theming goes, the Poly wins out (at least in our household of Jersey shore vacationers!) but the Poly is a bit more expensive which may be a concern for a family with 3 kids. I guess all of this rambling is supposed to say that you can't really go wrong at either.

[FTDW Poly 08]

I will tell you this much, for whatever reason, the folks here at Intercot seem to be very biased towards the Poly. It gets rave reviews here!



Would there be any reason why people would be biased (own stock??)? Everyone seems to give pretty good arguments. Honestly, I've never been to DW yet (going in August!), but everyone here seems to care about giving accurate info.

[Maleficent's Dad]

Would there be any reason why people would be biased (own stock??)? Everyone seems to give pretty good arguments.
My point was that here on Intercot, there are loads of Poly lovers!!! It tends to be the "choice resort" amongst those who post! :mickey:

[FTDW Poly 08]

Yeah, it makes me feel pretty good about our choice to go to Poly. We actually chose it before I found this terrific site. I didn't know if by "bias" you meant that people favored Poly for some poor reason.