Polynesian vs Contemporary

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort seen from outside — Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Disney's Contemporary Resort seen from outside — Disney's Contemporary Resort

The short answer

Both sit on the monorail loop and both score a full 10 for Magic Kingdom, so park access is a draw. Everything after that isn't. The Polynesian has splash pads tied for the best on property and one of the four best pools, and it costs about $872 a night. The Contemporary is about $200 cheaper, has the shortest walk to Magic Kingdom, and ranks near the bottom for toddlers. With a little one, the Polynesian earns the difference. With older kids or none, the Contemporary is the better building and the shorter trip.

Choose Polynesian for families with a child under about seven who'll use the pool every afternoon.

Choose Contemporary for families with older kids, and anyone doing two or more Magic Kingdom days who'll walk.

Contemporary is about $209 a night cheaper on average, about $1,463 over a seven-night stay.

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Side by side

Category	Polynesian	Contemporary
Nightly rate, on average	$872	$663
Pools	9 / 10	7 / 10	7.0
Splash pads and slides	10 / 10	6 / 10	7.7
Things to do on site	6 / 10	7.5 / 10	7.0
Suits toddlers	8 / 10	6 / 10	7.4
Suits ages 7 to 13	6 / 10	7 / 10	5.9
Suits adults	6 / 10	5 / 10	5.4
Table-service restaurants	3	3
Bars and lounges	5	4
Getting to Magic Kingdom	10 / 10	10 / 10
Overall average	7.9 / 10	6.9 / 10

Averaged across the scored categories, Polynesian wins by 0.9 points, 7.9 against 6.9 out of ten. That is a summary and not the answer: a single line you care about can outweigh it. Green marks the better of the two on that line. Counts of restaurants, bars and beds are quantities, not scores. The average across all 32 resorts is pools 7.0, splash pads 7.7, things to do 7.0.

The case for each

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Deluxe · on average $872 a night · sleeps 5 · monorail station inside the resort

GoodSplash pads tied for the best on property, one of the four best pools, and five bars, more than any other resort. Plus its own monorail station, indoors.

Less goodNo signature restaurant, and things to do is below average. It's about $200 a night more than the Contemporary, with a weaker restaurant list.

Pick this one if: families with a child under about seven who'll use the pool every afternoon.

Dining on site‘Ohana, Kona Cafe and Capt. Cook's: three sit-down restaurants and no signature.

What there is to do on siteA campfire and movies on the beach, fishing, volleyball, a jogging trail and the Electrical Water Pageant.

Disney's Contemporary Resort

Deluxe · on average $663 a night · sleeps 5 · walk or monorail to Magic Kingdom

GoodThe shortest walk to Magic Kingdom, about 12 minutes. About $200 a night cheaper, with a signature restaurant and four bars.

Less goodNear the bottom of all 32 for under-fours: no real splash area, no zero-entry pool, and a concrete building a two-year-old won't care about.

Pick this one if: families with older kids, and anyone doing two or more Magic Kingdom days who'll walk.

Dining on siteCalifornia Grill, Steakhouse 71 and Chef Mickey's: three sit-down restaurants and one signature.

What there is to do on siteThe Game Station arcade, a marina with boat rentals, tennis, a fitness center and the Electrical Water Pageant.

Neither is a great pick for a trip built around EPCOT or Hollywood Studios. Both score 5 and 3 for those parks, because the monorail only solves one.

Your family will rank these differently

Ages, budget, room size and which parks you are doing all change the order. Resortings scores all 32 resorts against what your family actually needs, and tells you when not to spend the money.

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Common questions

Which is better, the Polynesian or the Contemporary?

The Polynesian with a child under about seven, for the pool and the splash pads. The Contemporary otherwise, because it's about $200 a night cheaper, has the walk to Magic Kingdom, and has a signature restaurant the Polynesian doesn't.

Which is closer to Magic Kingdom?

The Contemporary, and it's the only resort where walking beats the monorail: about 12 minutes on a paved path, with no line. The Polynesian is one monorail stop, plus the wait.

Which is better for toddlers?

The Polynesian, clearly. It scores 8 out of 10 for under-fours against the Contemporary's 6, which is near the bottom of all 32. The Lava Pool, the splash area and the beach are why.

Is the Polynesian worth about $200 more a night?

Only for the pool, which is the whole difference: the Polynesian scores 9 for pools and a full 10 for splash pads, against 7 and 6. If your family won't spend afternoons in the water, you'd be paying for something you won't use.