Trying to decide on first time Resort

IsThatYouTigger · Nov 28, 2015

I don't think you can go wrong with either PO or POFQ. My husband and I generally switch between these two based on where we stayed last. He prefers FQ and I prefer PO but in the end we are both excited to stay at either. On our last trip in October we decided that with as much as they've built up Disney Springs that staying at one of these resorts is worth it just for the easy/enjoyable boat ride.

dudlebut76 · Nov 28, 2015

Thinking of choosing between CBR and POR. My concern is that CBR has no elevators? How many floors are there? We have someone going with us that is in a wheelchair?

Travis B · Nov 29, 2015

We've stayed at CSR and POR mansions section. CSR wasn't bad, but I won't be running back. The theming didn't appeal to me all that much. The food court was nice though. I find POR so incredibly beautiful. While both are large, POR didn't feel as large because - as others have mentioned - you can go more directly from point A to point B, whereas at CSR or CBR you have to go around a huge lake. The boats to Disney Springs are awesome, and the store at POR is also very nice - nicer than the one at POFQ in my opinion. While staying at CSR I found myself pining and 'homesick' for POR.

jimmytammy · Nov 29, 2015

Blackadder337 said:
Port Orleans: French Quarter
Port Orleans: Riverside
Caribbean Beach
Coronado Springs

We have stayed at all but FQ. So I will take that out of equation. So I will rank them from our favorite to least with pros and cons for each.

1. Coronado Springs...Pros Theming. Very quiet and relaxing. The amenities are more like a deluxe, at a mod price. Very often, the prices are less here than other mods. Love the main pool, I feel like it is among the best themed on property. The restaurants/lounges are head and shoulders above other mods(in all fairness, this is a convention center hotel, therefore, a little more thought was put into this part)...Cons Proximity to parks. It is rather close to AK, otherwise, a bit removed from others

2. PO Riverside...Pros Boat ride to DS, Restaurants, Yee Haw Bob show at Rivers Roost lounge(very kid friendly and free), Theming...Cons Proximity to parks, though not as far as CS

3. Caribbean Beach...I cant really give a pros and cons on CB. We didnt have a bad experience there, but there was nothing that made me feel I got more for my money over the values other than the food court being a little nicer

Lee & Kerry · Nov 29, 2015

Blackadder337 said:
Hi all,

So we are planning our first WDW family trip for October 2016. My wife and daughter have never been to WDW before. The last time ** I ** went to WDW, the Disney Studios park wasn't even built yet, so I'm going to say that this is more or less all of our first times.

We are considering the 4 resorts below. It looks like many of you spend more time at Disney than at home, so if any of you have spent time at all 4 resorts, I was wondering if you could list a few pros and cons from your times at each?

The resorts we are considering:

Port Orleans: French Quarter
Port Orleans: Riverside
Caribbean Beach
Coronado Springs

We are looking to spend 10 days (including to and from travel days) and not really interested in switching resorts part way through either.

My wife and I are open to most things, and our 11 yr old loves to be in ANY hotel. While we're there to play hard at WDW and UO, we're also looking for some quiet time and relaxation periodically as well.

Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.

We have stayed at them all..you cant really go wrong on any of them. They each have some cool things that make them fun and enjoyable. See which one fits the budget and book it.

gdrj · Nov 29, 2015

Blackadder337 said:
Thank you all so much for your input so far. This is exactly the kind of comments, experiences etc.. I was hoping to come across.

I think we've narrowed it down to one of the Port Orleans resorts now.... We are going to have another 'round table' discussion this weekend, lots of photo and video comparisons to go through to see which one we want. I think * I * might be leaning more towards POR though. We'll see what happens. But in the mean time, I am finding these posts to be quite helpful!!

That would have been my recommendation. IMO either you will enjoy either one. I imagine you have seen the link I have here http://www.portorleans.org/

We love both resorts. Enjoy!

lustergirl · Nov 29, 2015

I am biased. I would go with CSR.

Sue M · Nov 29, 2015

soniam said:
We stayed in AB our first trip, last time. It was OK. I think I want to request a Mansion next time though. They really ooze New Orleans for me. Plus, with that hide-a-bed, that we didn't need for us 3, I felt we lost some storage space. I don't think I could stay at a deluxe again for a significant time after staying at POR. It just doesn't seem worth it, unless you really want to be within walking distance of MK (Contemporary) or Epcot (BC, YC, BDI).

That's true, the Murphy bed takes the place of the dresser. It usually only me and one adult daughter, occas the other comes along when she can get off work. So we don't need the pull down either. DH isn't a WDW fan, so he stays home & dog sits lol

Blackadder337 · Nov 30, 2015

I would like to once again thank you all for your insight to the resorts. You all had some interesting comments and observations, all which helped us come to a decision. I thought I'd let you know that for our first trip at least, we have finally decided to give POR a try. We're also setting a day aside to do a little resort touring as well so we can see what some of the other resorts offer, for future trips.

Brian Noble · Nov 30, 2015

They are all much more similar than they are different. So: start by choosing the theme that seems to resonate with you. For me, the bayou/old south vibe of Port Orleans Riverside really works, so that tends to be my favorite. A lot of folks prefer POFQ, but I've been to New Orleans, and the Disney version seems too ersatz to me. But, YMMV.

If the themes don't matter, consider CSR. As a convention hotel, it has more amenities (a real workout room, room service, etc.) than the typical Mod, but for only a few dollars more.

Edited to add: I see you've chosen POR. I think you will like it. I certainly do.

PlutoTheDog89 · Dec 1, 2015

We used to stay at Coronado but it got a little "old" for us. Like PP's mentioned, it's an extremely large, expansive resort. The bigger the resort, the more bus stops. The more bus stops, the less you have of getting the first or even second bus during busy times.

It's really a beautiful resort and we enjoyed it, but it was too large. After walking and being on our feet all day, you just wanna crash at your room. Sometimes it would take 10-15 minutes just to get from the bus stop to our room.

Now we stay at POFQ. It's a small resort close to everything. Want a quick bite to eat? We're within a 5-minute walk of the food court. There's only one bus stop. We've never missed a bus due to it being overcrowded and we go during Christmas week! I will say - it's annoying when you take the bus from Disney Springs or DHS (I think) and it stops at all the Riverside stops. Especially after a late night and you're trying to just get back to your resort.

I also like that you can hop on the boat and head to Disney Springs. It's relaxing and on a nice day, it's great to be out on the water!

surfcruiser · Dec 2, 2015

When our budget calls for a moderate, we choose Port Orleans French Quarter. We like the smaller layout, the fact that it's picked up first on the bus routes (before POR), and that you can, if you so desire, still use all the pools, boat rentals, surrey bike rentals, etc., at its sister resort just a short walk or boat ride up-river. We find the place to be charmingly beautiful, with a fun pool area you can easily enjoy... or avoid if you want peace and quiet. We've typically requested buildings close to the bus stop before, but for our upcoming trip in September 2016, I think we might go with Buildings 1 or 7 to "get away from it all." Really, no matter which one you choose, you will have a great time!

Trying to decide on first time Resort

IsThatYouTigger

Mouseketeer

dudlebut76

Earning My Ears

Travis B

DIS Veteran

jimmytammy

<font color=purple>Swivel, it's a hard habit to br

Lee & Kerry

Mouseketeer

gdrj

Boardwalk owner since 1999

lustergirl

DIS Veteran

Sue M

DIS Veteran

Blackadder337

Mouseketeer

Brian Noble

Gratefully in Recovery

PlutoTheDog89

DIS Veteran

surfcruiser

Man has a dream and that's the start...

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