Question for Moms about POFQ resort

[Heidijs]

Okay, I'm almost ready to book our trip. So excited! I haven't been there since 1984???? Anyway, we're taking our 4 year old daughter with. My husband wants to lean for a Moderate resort but I think she would like the All Star Movie resort much better, which is obvious why...but the only resort I would consider for moderate is the POFQ because it's smaller and it's not that much more than a Value resort. The Coronodo is full and the Caribbean is a little pricier and Riverside, well I keep hearing how spread out it is and it's the last on the bus route after FQ and blah blah blah...and a little pricier.

My question is this, I was looking at pictures on line of FQ and I'm kinda worried about all the scary jesture heads and all that stuff floating around the property. I can already say that my daughter will NOT like them. I don't think she'll kick and scream cry about them but I can see her not wanting to sit in the food court because they're hanging from the ceilings looking at her either...I don't blame her...the other stuff is neat except all those big heads...I don't want her memory of our resort to be scary for her....so what are your opinions of those resort with little ones? Are they all over the place? Or should I just stick with ASMovies where I know she'd be in heaven...she's not afraid of neat dragons...it's just those jesture heads and weird masks and faces that would do her in...

[alecam]

I can't obviously speak for your child, but mine loved it. The pool is an adorable dragon slide and they had a blast. Now that my boys are older, we are going to CSR because of the pool area, or else I would definitely love to stay there again. The jesters IMO are not scary at all, If I remember correctly, they are somewhat friendly looking. If you haven't seen pictures, look at unofficial websites, they usually have alot of pictures that she could look at ahead of time.

[becky1960]

We stayed there several years ago and our daughter was small but we stayed in the AB section and she seemed happy. I will admit that sometimes the buses were slow but the resort is a beautiful resort and the adults have to enjoy it also. I have read that reviews by Disney of what the kids liked and remember best and about 80% say the Pools...

[alecam]

Try this site:

http://portorleans.org

[Heidijs]

Wow, can't get over how cozy FQ looks with all the little streets and grass and trees. I think I'm going with this one instead...it's not so schocking with all the giant statues, although my daughter would have loved that, but I think my husband would appreciate walking out to grass and trees vs a giant Buzz Lightyear. Plus I like that we can take the ferry to downtown at night after the parks close! We're not "stuck" there after park closings. I like a little bigger room and fridge and how quaint it all looks. It's own little town! I'll feel more at home here.

[lwestwise]

The heads and masks hanging in the food court are not hanging so low and infact in our experience, we had to point them out to our little ones. They really enjoy POFQ.

[Heidijs]

I think that's what we'll go with. Thank you! I'll have to take her over to All Star movies though so she can see all the big characters and get some pictures.

[skier_pete]

Not a Mom, but we went there when our DD was 3.5, then 4.5, and again 5.5. The "Jester Heads" are really only hanging in the food court. Some are a little freaky looking, but you could easily sit away from them. (They are up high above your heads.) DD loved the coloring table in the corner of the food court...never looked up at the decor.

She absolutely loved the resort, and especially the pool and the dragon slide. A note on the slide, if your little one is not old enough to swim, you are not allowed to ride down the slide with her. What we would do is put one parent at the top, and the second at the bottom in the water. The water at the bottom is about 3.5 feet deep, so we would catch her when she came down. They let your child wear floaties or a life vest, too.

We went over the PO Riverside for a day to check out the pool on the last trip, the slide there is a little longer, but for little ones I think it might be too much. We didn't spend a lot of time there, but liked the POFQ theme much better, as well as the smaller size of the resort.

Here's another key to why to choose FQ over Riverside...the resorts share busses, but they pick up and drop off at FQ FIRST. So, in the morning, you are almost guaranteed a seat on the bus, and on the way home at the end of a long day, you get to be dropped off first. This is super-great even with a little one.

If you stay there, request Building 4 or 5. Close to the pool and food court, and also close to the bus stop. (Again, I think close to the bus stop is more important than anything.)

We are trying POP this trip to save some money, but there is no doubt we will miss POFQ, and we will go back some day.

SkierPete

[Heidijs]

I also read that about the busses being there first! I will remember that about the buildings. Not sure if I can request them if I book on line??? The dragon slide will be MORE than enough for her. She can go alone if I'm at the bottom and swims great with a ring or arm floaties on so this will give her a little independance and I just have to be there at the bottom to make sure she gets to the ladder okay. Perfect! If we were there in the summer when we'd be at the pool a lot more, I'd be more picky but this will thrill her for the little time we're there for the pool. Better than anything we have here in January!

[skier_pete]

I don't know if you can add a building request on-line, but if you book on-line, just keep your reservation #, and call at least 1 week ahead of time, and make the request. You can call Port Orleans directly at 407-934-6000 to make the room request a few days before your trip. (Yup, I have the PO phone # on my cell phone contact list.) Building 4 is better for the bus, Building 5 is better for the pool. The resort is so small, no spot is really bad, but our first trip in 2006 (DD was 3.5) we were put in Building 7, on the third floor in the absolutely farthest room. We came in rather late, and requested a move for the next day. They moved us with no problems, went to Building 2, which is the other side of the pool from Building 5, and was also a winner.

SkierPete

[Heidijs]

I'm surprised to read all the people who upgrade or move rooms when they get there. Last time I considered booking a trip last May, EVERYTHING was booked. I'm assuming when we get there there won't be options to move? I will call in advance and I will have their # in my cell phone as well! I want to be able to get to the bus quickly with my daughter. The walk to the pool isn't a big deal. Won't be there as much as we will the bus.

[skier_pete]

Originally Posted by Heidijs

I'm surprised to read all the people who upgrade or move rooms when they get there. Last time I considered booking a trip last May, EVERYTHING was booked. I'm assuming when we get there there won't be options to move? I will call in advance and I will have their # in my cell phone as well! I want to be able to get to the bus quickly with my daughter. The walk to the pool isn't a big deal. Won't be there as much as we will the bus.

The mods (and POFQ in particular because of its size) tend to book up the fastest. When I called about the FD offer in December the day it came out, there was nothing available in any MODS for FD for my dates. So, you are right to book as early as possible.

As far as changing rooms, there is always an option to move, just not necessarily on the day you check in. Remember, even a small resort like POFQ has 1000 rooms....the average resort stay is 6 days, that means on average 167 rooms open up each day. Disney is VERY accomadating to its guests...if you have a problem with your room location, they will gladly move you, and stick someone else in that room you had occupied. Understand though, to move rooms, you will need to be back at your resort in the middle of the day, so it definitely not convenient, and something I would only do if I REALLY don't like the room. (In our case, it was because our DD was still so small.)

I find the easier thing is to make a room request, but make it as broad as possible. For example, if you ask for Building 5, first floor, there are only maybe 40 rooms available there that are non-preferred rooms, and in any one day maybe 5-7 of them are changing over, so you are less likely to have your request honored. But if you say "anywhere in Building 4 or 5", out of the 300 rooms, there is a good chance they can honor your request. I did the same thing this upcoming trip at POP...I booked preferred, and requested two specific buildings...I guess I'll find out if it works. Even then, there is no guarantee....another way to improve your chances - the earlier in the day you check in, the more likely you are to get a room you like. If the pre-assigned room is not satisfactory, early in the day they can switch you to an empty room...while late in the day these rooms may have already been given out. Remember at POFQ all the rooms are the same inside (except for the occasional king bed) so location is really all you are looking for.

Sorry to be so long-winded!