Newbie q re WL and toddlers

[sparklebuggy]

Hi. I have lurked a lot (you guys are GREAT) but this is my first post. I am very tempted to book a Fairy Tale Package for Sept at WL for me, DH, and my 2 kids (2 1/2 and 1 yr old), but I have a bunch of qs:

1) Do all rooms at WL have balconies? This is critical b/c I think this is going to be the only real "vacation" part for DH & me -- hanging on the balcony after kids go to sleep.

2) What is view from "standard" room (ie what will we see from our balcony)?

3) I heard you can walk from WL to Ft Wilderness, and there are fun activities for toddlers at Ft W -- are these true? How many mins is the walk (if kids are in a stroller)? What kind of activities?

4) Would Poly be better than WL for us? I like the idea of the monorail, but is the boat at WL just as good? Poly seems sort of "adult" & serene to me, and we really need a place that is good for kids that like to be entertained and MOVE.

5) Is there a zero entry pool at WL? Is that the kids pool? Does the kids pool have sprinklers and "kid stuff" in it?

6) Will we be comfortable bringing our kids to the casual sit-down restaurant at WL?

Seems to me that from everything I've read (here, Mousesavers, TourguideMike) that WL would be the best place for us if our goal is EASY AND FUN with small kids. Does anyone think differently?

Thanks so much!

 

[jel0511]

Here goes:

1. Yes, all rooma at WL have balconies. The ones on the highest floors, have "enclosed"wooden balconies, which make it hard to see when sitting down. Just ask for a room on a lower floor to avoid that. The Poly in some of the older longhouses don't have balconies on the 2nd floor.

2. Generally the parking lot. Here is a link to a standard view
http://www.wdwig.com/wl86.jpg

3. Yes, you can walk to Fort Wilderness from WL and it takes about 15 - 20 minutes. There is a petting zoo there, and they show movies at night.

4. That really depends on what you're looking for. Personally, I prefer the WL theming to the Poly, but that's a personal thing. I also LOVE staying on the monorail, and I'd have to say it's a little faster on the monorail than taking the boat to MK. Also, at the Poly you can walk to the TTC and board the Epcot monorail there. I've taken my kids to both and they like both for different reasons. They like WL for over all atmosphere and like the pool better, but they like the Poly for the monorail.

5. There is no zero entry pool at the WL, but there is a zero entry at the Poly. There are three pools at the WL. The main pool, the kiddie pool (1 1/2 ft deep) and the quiet pool located over by the Villas. I like the pools at the WL better, they are just more serene to me, again my opinion. There are no fountains or sprinklers located at the WL, but there are fountains at the Poly.

6. The casual sit down restaurant at the WL is Whispering Canyon Cafe and you definately would feel comfortable there. There are lot of antics going on and it's a VERY loud place, definately for children. They have stick pony races every hour and the kids love it!! The counter service restaurant at WL is Roaring Forks, and does have a small selection of stuff, mainly hotdogs, burgers, chicken nuggets, etc your usual park fare. The Poly also has two restaurants as well as a counter service place, all place are very casual.


Good luck with your decision, wherever you decide to stay you'll have a GREAT time!!

 

[Gillian]

If a balcony is important, the poly is not a great option. Many of the buildings do not have a balcony on the second floor, and it's not something they guarentee. Third floor rooms have balconies, 1st floor rooms have patios and second floors vary.

hope that helps!

 

[GlennandAnn]

Welcome Sparklebuggy!
We stayed at WL last summer with our then 3 y/o DS. It was great! We took a surrey bike ride over to Fort Wilderness and went to the pony rides and petting zoo (at which no petting is allowed if I remember correctly). The pool does not have any kiddie things or a zero entry, but the lifeguards did a great job organizing games for the kids at certain times during the day. DS was also very interested in the creek that flows thru the lobby.

Ann

 

[jaysue]

2) In March 03, we paid the extra $15 or so per night for a woods view - we were on the North East side by the boat launch on the 2nd floor - great spot

http://www.disneypix.com/2000ft/Roll3/Roll03_006.htm

Here is the Poly:

http://www.disneypix.com/2000ft/Roll3/Roll03_010.htm

4) Our 3 1/2 yr old DS loved the WL - the lobby, spring, geyser, pool and kids pool, and Whispering Canyon and the boat to the MK

5) No zero entry, small kids pool, no sprinklers etc. Decent slide - not too big and a waterfall into the pool from the river that "starts" in the lobby

6) ABSOLUTLEY

Thanks
jaysue

 

[mirlow]

We love the Polynesian I love the transportation to and from the MK and Epcot. I love the tropical feel of the resort. I love the GCH. The pool is great for our family. I much prefer a zero entry pool to a kiddie pool. The rooms are so much bigger at the Polynesian than at the WL. One thing you have to watch out at the WL is that the beds are high off the ground (I had to watch my 2yr old whenever she was on the bed) and because of that and with how small the rooms are I walked into the corner of the beds a few times and it hurts (I'm not sure if anyone else has had that happen). We did stay at the WL in January and we had a great stay. The standard room there is a bit cheaper than a GV room at the Polynesian and that can be very appealing. I have some pictures of our standard view.
I think both resorts have what you are looking for and you can't go wrong with either one. For me it would come down to which theme you prefer and price. Remember you can take the boat over to FW. We did that last summer. We had dinner and then did the movie and marshmellows.