116 responses

  1. Anne
    July 14, 2021

    If you could get the same price for either a standard view room or a deluxe studio standard view room- which would you suggest?

    Reply

  2. Arielle
    March 7, 2018

    Your website and information is amazing! Thank you! Based on your information, we are deciding between the Polynesian and Art of Animation. We are a Cars-fanatic family and love the thought of separate sleeping spaces to have extra kid space and privacy. But we could probably afford the Polynesian and convenience to the parks is a high priority. My question is about the bedding and mattresses. Is there a difference in mattress and pillow quality between deluxe and value resorts? We don’t plan on being in the rooms other than sleeping or getting ready to leave.

    Reply

    • Dave
      March 8, 2018

      Hi Arielle, and thanks!! On the beds and bedding, there is a difference, but it is not huge. It’s not wildly better in the Poly. The choice between the two is either easy or hard–flip a coin to make it easy.

      Alternatively, if your trip is long enough, consider a split stay–with a reservation for part of your trip at each hotel. Disney will take care of your luggage transfer, so the only “cost” is an extra round of packing and unpacking–which is annoying if you are in town only a couple of nights, but less so if you are there longer. Focus your MK and Epcot days on when you are in the Poly, and your HS and AK days at AofA.

      Reply

  3. Liza
    February 28, 2018

    For the DVC rooms do you recommend a standard or a lake view studio room? Also, which DVC room buildings are recommended? I do not see the Tokelau building labeled on your map.

    Reply

    • Dave
      March 1, 2018

      Hi Liza, yes I need to update my map! For standard studios, I recommend Tokelau, then Moorea, then Pango Pango. I’m not too keen on the lake view rooms at the extra price (~$200 a night) as many of them are less than a football field away from the blaring horns of the ferry boat dock.

      Reply

  4. Eric
    January 19, 2018

    Christa, Rarotonga, third floor. Was just there, very happy with it. Had same goals as you. Enjoy!

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 20, 2018

      Eric, great minds think alike…

      Reply

  5. Christa
    January 19, 2018

    Going right after Feb break – wondering what room to request at Poly – we have a standard room. We are going with a 6 year old and was hoping we could sit outside the room when he goes to bed and have a good view of something. We have touring plan and will try too request a room and longhouse – wondering what you suggest? I like the look of FIJI – but wondering of the night activities are TOO loud for our 6 year old? Probably the only trip we will ever get to take to disney so any advice is GREATLY appreciated. We are only staying at Poly because we got an ex militaryt dicount.. :)We don’t mind walking and definitley do not want views of the monorail or parkinglot

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 20, 2018

      Christa, I recommend rooms on the eastern side of the resort, as these have the shortest walks in total to the Magic Kingdom monorail, Resort monorail, Epcot monorail, and bus stop. Of these, Niue and Rarotonga are quietest–although half of Rarotonga looks out over the parking lot (although greenery makes many room views not bad.) So request a third floor room (second floor rooms don’t have balconies; first floor rooms have patios–OK if you like such) in Niue, or on the Niue side of Rarotonga.

      Reply

  6. Donna A.
    April 26, 2017

    Hi Dave. Wanted to say thank you for your website and all the info. you gave me via email. Got back from our trip last week and 3rd time was indeed a charm. More importantly your advice on Tokelau was spot on. They gave us 3rd floor too. It overlooked the pool and it was the ideal centralized location. Only down side was the walk to do laundry was a bit far, but who cares about laundry when on vacation :). I could even use my rapid refill mug at the Oasis pool from 7am-10pm, i did not have to walk to Capt Cooks which was a nice surprise. Only disappointment was the Volcano pool. It was like a water park within the resort. Crazy crowded. Disney really should have made it bigger to accomodate all the guests. Thank you again for recommending Tokelau. It really made our trip magical.

    Reply

    • Dave
      April 27, 2017

      Great, Donna! So glad to have helped!

      Reply

  7. Kris
    March 12, 2017

    Hi! What foryou thk of the figi rooms?

    Reply

    • Dave
      March 13, 2017

      Sorry, Kris, not sure what you are asking…

      Reply

  8. Donna A.
    March 5, 2017

    Hi Dave! I could not get 5 consecutive nights at the Poly, so we are doing a split stay at the Beach Club. We will check out of the Beach Club at 10am, give our luggage to concierge, and head to AK. What is the likelihood that our luggage will be at the Poly when we arrive there at 4pm?

    Reply

    • Dave
      March 6, 2017

      Donna, that should work!

      Reply

  9. Cat
    February 20, 2017

    Thank you for all the info. I keep coming back to your pages as they are so chock-full even for us not exactly first-timers. We are planning our first full family trip for Thanksgiving/beginning of Dec. It’ll be myself and hubby along with a 7yo, 5yo, 4yo and newly turned 2 year old. We like the Poly for all the reasons listed but while we would technically fit do you think it would be way too tight? (It would be in a DVC studio.)

    Reply

    • Dave
      February 21, 2017

      Cat, it’ll be close to being too tight, especially during nap times or if your posse goes to bed/wakes up at different times. The space is short on great spots for a crib when the otehr beds are folded out, with the only obvious position being at the connecting door.

      That said, hundreds of thousands have done just this.

      There are both more expensive and less expensive options that would give you much more space, but none at the Poly. More expensive would be one of the One Bedroom Villa at one of the DVC villas that sleeps five in one bedroom (not all the DVC 1BRs do), e.g. Bay Lake Tower. Less expensive would be a family suite, e.g. at Art of Animation.

      Something else you could do is start in the Poly studio, and then mid-stay shift to a bigger space. Do it in this order as the excitement of the first few days means you won’t much care about the room, but by the middle of your trip you will be appreciating/needing more the opportunity to relax in it, whereas the posse might moan if you shift from a larger to a smaller space.

      Reply

  10. Rachael
    March 31, 2016

    My partner and I are considering Disney for honeymoon in 2017, probably around the end of November/start of December, for approximately two weeks (we will be visiting Universal at the same time). Would we be better off staying in Disney for the whole stay or split the accommodation between Disney and Universal? Can you recommend which resort for us may be best? We like convenience, good food, and some peace and quiet at the resort when away from the parks. A little touch of romance wouldn’t go amiss either. Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    • Dave
      April 1, 2016

      Rachael, yes I would do a split stay, see this. It’s hard to recommend a resort without knowing your price options, as none share the first two points except at high price levels. The Poly or the Wilderness Lodge would fit…

      Reply

  11. Sarah
    February 24, 2016

    Hello Dave,

    We are just about to book our first and only trip to disney. We are traveling from the UK with 2 kids (10 and 8).

    The dates we are planning are 31st march to 14th April.

    Any advice spring to mind?

    Your site is fabulous and I will definatley be making great use of it. Thanks for creating it.

    Reply

    • Dave
      February 25, 2016

      Sarah, if you are thinking 2016 I suspect you might have some trouble finding rooms, but otherwise those are OK dates. The parks will be quite crowded through April 1, but will be fine after that.

      Reply

  12. Kristen
    February 10, 2016

    Coronado Springs, in my opinion, has strong kid appeal. The pool and dig site are both amazing!!

    Reply

    • Dave
      February 10, 2016

      Agree, Linda! I just think it has less than some other options…

      Reply

  13. Beverly
    January 16, 2016

    Planning a trip in August and there will be three adults. Need a suite or two rooms, where do you suggest one older person age sixty and a married couple in there thirtys stay (same resort, separate rooms)? Looking for alternatives to deluxe rooms due to finances.

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 17, 2016

      Beverly, the next price level down is the moderates, whihc are around a third the cost of the more expensive deluxes. You can’t go wrong with any of them, but for adults I recommend Port Orleans French Quarter becasue of its compactness and loveliness, and Coronado Springs for its higher level of amenities than the other moderates.

      Reply

  14. Benita
    December 31, 2015

    Dave, do you think the east pool construction will be completed by 5/1/16?

    Reply

    • Dave
      January 1, 2016

      Benita, it’s possible. There’s no officially announced end date, but it’s expected to be done in the spring.

      Reply

  15. Ed
    December 15, 2015

    Hi, I love the website and all the advice you’ve given over the years. My question – my wife and I, and our 3 kids plan to go to Disney for 2 weeks in July/August 2017 (ie 18 months time). It’s our first time. When we go, our kids will be 11, 8 and 8. Do you know when we can first book? Which rooms (and views) you would suggest and any other tips (eg early bird discounts, restaurant bookings etc)? I know it will be expensive and I’d prefer to pay more to ensure that it was ‘the best holiday ever’. Many thanks, Ed

    Reply

    • Dave
      December 17, 2015

      Ed, you can book 500 days in advance–see this. All my advice on where to stay, where to eat etc., is linked to from the home page

      Reply

  16. Jackie
    November 17, 2015

    Hi, we are trying to plan a trip for 2 adults, 5 teens and 2 younger kids. What room at the Polynesian would you recommend? We would like to be cost effective here but don’t want to skimp on the experience

    Reply

    • Dave
      November 17, 2015

      Jackie, there’s no room at the Poly that will fit your group. You could try for connecting rooms. There is a huge price difference for the various views (and even the least expensive are very expensive. You can see prices here.

      Reply

  17. Lisa
    October 26, 2015

    Hi Dave,

    We are staying at the Poly in November for the first time with our 7 and 11 year old sons. We have booked a standard room. We’d like to be away from construction and have a decent view (ideally not a parking lot or monorail)….but not too far a walk from the main building/lobby/restaurants and transportation. Which building and floor do you recommend? Do you recommend a balcony or patio for extra room for any of the options?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Dave
      October 27, 2015

      Lisa, Fiji best fits your criteria, then Tuvalu. I’d strongly suggest a balcony or patio!

      Reply

  18. Bob
    September 21, 2015

    My family will be coming for the first time around November 5, 2015. I have a reservation for a standard Polynesian Villa, which I understand are DVC rooms. Any recommendation on standard rooms with a view ? Any guesses on how far along the East pool construction will be by then and/or heard when the pool is slated to be complete? Finally, should I cancel the Villa room and try and wait for an opening for a non-Villa room? I really appreciate any advice as we really want this to be special.

    Reply

    • Dave
      September 21, 2015

      Bob, the East pool will still be under construction then. Moorea will have the best views among the Poly DVC studios, so request it.

      Reply

  19. Jennifer
    September 15, 2015

    Hi, I’m going to polynesian this November 2015 with my husband and two daughters (5 and 2). . I’m kinda bummed to learn about the east pool construction but wanted to get your opinion on where to request to stay. I really don’t want to be affected by construction too much . Thanks !!!

    Reply

    • Dave
      September 16, 2015

      Jennifer, request a western longhouse–Tuvalu, Fiji, or Aoetearoa.

      Reply

  20. Jen
    September 12, 2015

    We are visiting week of October 22, 2016. Will East Pool renovations be complete by then? Any other renovations slated for that time period? I’ve checked tikiman’s website but didn’t see this info. Also, we plan to book a standard level room. Can you recommend a longhouse and / or a specific floor or room for a family of 5, (kids ages 13, 12 and 9)?

    Reply

    • Dave
      September 14, 2015

      Jen, I do expect that the East Pool will done well before then. No more renovations are known… Aim for Raratonga–views will be so-so, but it’s the most convenient.

      Reply

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