POFQ or Riverside? Help me decide! - The DIS Discussion Forums

UrsulaGirl · 01-17-2013, 10:18 PM

My mom and I are planning a Disney trip for the first week of December. We've narrowed our hotel selection down to the French Quarter or Riverside. I think I'm leaning towards the French Quarter, but want to hear your thoughts!

One special note, I'm very interested in learning about the FQ bus system. My mom is handicapped and will need to use a wheelchair. Does the FQ have their own bus system or are they the last stop after the Riverside's stops? I want to make sure she'll have space on the buses.

TIA!

becalubob · 01-17-2013, 10:24 PM

Never stayed at either, but I've been looking into them as well... I think FQ would be your best best; its smaller and not so spread out. Also, it either has its own bus, or when it shares with Riverside, I believe its the first stop. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Both seem nice though, but FQ should be more convenient.

WILDERNESS FAN 55 · 01-17-2013, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UrsulaGirl

My mom and I are planning a Disney trip for the first week of December. We've narrowed our hotel selection down to the French Quarter or Riverside. I think I'm leaning towards the French Quarter, but want to hear your thoughts!

One special note, I'm very interested in learning about the FQ bus system. My mom is handicapped and will need to use a wheelchair. Does the FQ have their own bus system or are they the last stop after the Riverside's stops? I want to make sure she'll have space on the buses.

TIA!

Sorry I don't normally use buses but IMO Riverside is more pleasant atmosphere. Themeing is just more relaxing to me.Obviously FQ alittle smaller but you can request any room location you want at either.POR is one of my favs but you'll have fun either way.DW and I will be there then for 5 days also! OKW studio.Here's hoping for great weather

disneybliss2 · 01-17-2013, 10:32 PM

We've stayed at POFQ. It's very small (for Disney) and has a quaint, lovely feel to it. It's much smaller than most of Disney's resorts, so it may be easier for your mom to get around there. It was very quiet and a nice get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks.
When we stayed there, the bus only stopped at POFQ and dropped off there. It did not share with POR, even when only a few people got on the bus and there would have been room to go to Riverside and get more people. I had heard here on the boards that it stopped at POFQ first and then at Riverside, so I was expecting to have to go there but was happily surprised that we never did.

DisneyLover75 · 01-17-2013, 10:41 PM

French Quarter all the way!!!! I'm here now and I LOVE it!

I liked Riverside too. I've stayed there twice. This was my first time at POFQ. It was WONDERFUL.

Re the buses: Sometimes they do share with Riverside, but when they do, FQ is first to be picked up and dropped off at the resorts.

gray52 · 01-17-2013, 11:03 PM

Before DVC, POFQ was definitely our favorite. Small and quiet... Not as busy as the others.

shell8558 · 01-17-2013, 11:08 PM

We have only stayed at Riverside- but we absolutely love it! And we did share the bus with FQ, I just dont remember who got picked up first, etc.

Mickey_for_President · 01-17-2013, 11:14 PM

LOVE French Quarter! It only has ONE bus stop, and a dedicated bus (for most parks). This means we rarely have to stand on the bus. The resort is really pretty, too.

We only stay at Riverside when there are five of us in a room. I hate having to walk a long distance to the nearest bus stop... lol. I'm spoiled.

mamamary · 01-18-2013, 04:58 AM

When we stayed at POFQ in June we were always picked up first except for early one morning the folks from Riverside were already on the bus. I believe we were going to the MK but I don't remember for sure. With that said the bus was maybe 3/4 full when it got to POFQ. In all my planning this was the only time I had heard of Riverside getting picked up first. Also, for the week in June that we were there I was surprised how often we shared with Riverside. I had read that in busy months usually POFQ would go straight to the parks but that wasn't the case. We went in mid-June.

This is a great resort if you don't want to have to do alot of walking!!

Chaoticsweetness · 01-18-2013, 05:31 AM

Me & my sister stayed at both. They both are gorgeous.

At PORS we stayed in the mansion section, we were the third stop for the buses.

At POFQ we stayed near the river, it was quiet except for the occasional toilet flush next door.

I have to say, I fell in love with POFQ! No matter where you are on the grounds, the food court, store, front office & bus stop were just a few minute walk. The pool bar was awesome. The pool was adorable & there was barely anyone taking advantage of it.

The best thing? We stayed in the beginning of December, not once did we share the bus with PORS. We caught the bus mid afternoon to DTD, we barely waited 3 minutes for it & we were the only 2 on it.

Jacquie668 · 01-18-2013, 05:56 AM

BF and I are wanting to stay at PO and at first I was PORS all the way, but then I read reviews (soooo many that I have lost count) and there was one comment over and over again.

"River Side is so spread out, you do a lot of walking...."

Now this isn't really a problem in theory, but I started to think about it and lugging your luggage around or getting back say after a marathon run, eh...I started looking at POFQ and though the theme is less relaxing, in my opinion, the more compact hotel/resort space is a huge plus for us.

Besides, you can always go over to RS and explore the grounds or eat there, so we are now POFQ all the way.

pigletto · 01-18-2013, 08:01 AM

I love Riverside. I prefer the themeing , the landscaping and the overall feel of the resort. However, I make sure to book or at least request a category that means I am not walking from the back of the resort to the amenities.

OP POFQ might be best for your mom because of it's compact size and because I think when the buses are shared (which isn't all the time) POFQ is first (don't quote me on that though). But if you went with POR you could easily book preferred category to be right next to the main building and the first bus stop. So, go with what theme appeals to you most. The nice thing is they are both lovely and you can't really go wrong with either

ciera321 · 01-18-2013, 09:45 AM

We just returned from POFQ and have stayed at POR a few years ago. We absolutely LOVED FQ. For some reason we had put off staying here over our many DW trips, and now I really wish we would have stayed here sooner. The resort is so convenient. All the buildings are within a 3 minute walk to the bus stop and main building. We requested building 5 and it was a perfect spot. My DH would leave the room in the morning for coffee and be back in under 4 minutes. The only time we shared a bus was on the way back from Animal Kingdom. If you have to share a bus, you will be picked up first on your way to the parks/DTD and dropped off first on your return (Only 1 bus stop but the way). The staff was very friendly, mousekeeping (Ofelia) did a great job, the themeing was so quaint with all the narrow "streets" and ironwork, the boat to DTD was a nice transportation change and very convenient.... just a perfect place for us. I can't wait to stay here again!!!

HerRoyalHighness · 01-18-2013, 09:50 AM

We stayed at Riverside last time...loved it. Best part: A smaller pool was close to our room. Worst: We were on the back side and the bus stop was several buildings down which was not a problem except when it was pouring (pouring) down rain when we came back for an afternoon break.

This upcoming trip, we were going to try out the French Quarter mainly because my husband liked the food court choices better there than at Riverside...but we're going to spend a bit more and stay at AKL

wiigirl · 01-18-2013, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gray52

Before DVC, POFQ was definitely our favorite. Small and quiet... Not as busy as the others.

Agreed....I love the French Quarter....

01-17-2013, 10:18 PM	#1
UrsulaGirl Earning My Ears Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 48	POFQ or Riverside? Help me decide! My mom and I are planning a Disney trip for the first week of December. We've narrowed our hotel selection down to the French Quarter or Riverside. I think I'm leaning towards the French Quarter, but want to hear your thoughts! One special note, I'm very interested in learning about the FQ bus system. My mom is handicapped and will need to use a wheelchair. Does the FQ have their own bus system or are they the last stop after the Riverside's stops? I want to make sure she'll have space on the buses. TIA!

01-17-2013, 10:24 PM	#2
becalubob Mouseketeer Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 404	Never stayed at either, but I've been looking into them as well... I think FQ would be your best best; its smaller and not so spread out. Also, it either has its own bus, or when it shares with Riverside, I believe its the first stop. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong. Both seem nice though, but FQ should be more convenient. __________________ me and DH DSS14 DS14 DD11 DSS8 DS7 DSD4 DS1

01-17-2013, 10:41 PM	#5
DisneyLover75 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,171	French Quarter all the way!!!! I'm here now and I LOVE it! I liked Riverside too. I've stayed there twice. This was my first time at POFQ. It was WONDERFUL. Re the buses: Sometimes they do share with Riverside, but when they do, FQ is first to be picked up and dropped off at the resorts. __________________ Me DS (stillborn 12/6/00) DD10 DS9 1983- Offsite,1987- Offsite, 1992-Dixie Landings(POR),1993-Dixie Landings(POR), 2005 -Pop Century,2006- All Star Movies,2007- Wilderness Lodge,2008 -All Star Music, 2009- All Star Sports, 2010- Coronado Springs, 2011- All Star Music, 2012-Pop Century, 2013- French Quarter 2014- Wilderness Lodge

01-17-2013, 11:03 PM	#6
gray52 Mouseketeer Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: PA Posts: 246	Before DVC, POFQ was definitely our favorite. Small and quiet... Not as busy as the others. __________________ 1992 Off Site - 1995 Dixie Landings (Honeymoon) - 1997 Offsite - 2000 Disney Institute - 2001 Swan - 2002 Coronado Springs - 2003 Off Site - 2006 Port Orleans French Quarter - 2007 Carribean Beach - 2008 Disneyland (Hotel Del Coronado) - 2009 POFQ/OKW - 2010 BLT - 2010 OKW/BCV - 2012 BLT/BWV - 2013 OKW

01-17-2013, 11:08 PM	#7
shell8558 DIS Veteran Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Lake Charles, La Posts: 634	We have only stayed at Riverside- but we absolutely love it! And we did share the bus with FQ, I just dont remember who got picked up first, etc. __________________ 1994 WL * 2007 ASMo * 2008 ASMo* 2009 POR * 2010 CBR * 2011 POR * 2012 Wyndham Bonnet Creek * 2013 ASSp *

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01-17-2013, 10:32 PM	#4
disneybliss2 DIS Veteran Join Date: May 2008 Location: Arkansas Posts: 1,536	We've stayed at POFQ. It's very small (for Disney) and has a quaint, lovely feel to it. It's much smaller than most of Disney's resorts, so it may be easier for your mom to get around there. It was very quiet and a nice get away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. When we stayed there, the bus only stopped at POFQ and dropped off there. It did not share with POR, even when only a few people got on the bus and there would have been room to go to Riverside and get more people. I had heard here on the boards that it stopped at POFQ first and then at Riverside, so I was expecting to have to go there but was happily surprised that we never did.

01-17-2013, 11:14 PM	#8
Mickey_for_President My job's only purpose is to support our WDW habit. Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: IOWA - Go Hawkeyes! Posts: 370	LOVE French Quarter! It only has ONE bus stop, and a dedicated bus (for most parks). This means we rarely have to stand on the bus. The resort is really pretty, too. We only stay at Riverside when there are five of us in a room. I hate having to walk a long distance to the nearest bus stop... lol. I'm spoiled. __________________ Mommy33 to DS11 ; DS9 ; DD1 ; wife to DH43 (1/11) June 1992: Offsite... (2/11) January 2000: Dixie Landing... (3/11) June 2008: A-S Spo... (4/11) August 2008: CB... (5/11) October 2008: A-S Spo (MNSSHP 10/28)... (6/11) Dec '08 - Jan '09: PO:FQ (Adults Only!)... (7/11) March 2009: PO:FQ... (8/11) May - June 2009: A-S Spo (Adults Only!)... (9/11) May 2010: Pop (Adults Only!)... (10/11) Dec '12 - Jan '13: PO:FQ... (Adults Only!) (11/11) April 2013: Animal Kingdom Lodge

01-18-2013, 04:58 AM	#9
mamamary DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,228	When we stayed at POFQ in June we were always picked up first except for early one morning the folks from Riverside were already on the bus. I believe we were going to the MK but I don't remember for sure. With that said the bus was maybe 3/4 full when it got to POFQ. In all my planning this was the only time I had heard of Riverside getting picked up first. Also, for the week in June that we were there I was surprised how often we shared with Riverside. I had read that in busy months usually POFQ would go straight to the parks but that wasn't the case. We went in mid-June. This is a great resort if you don't want to have to do alot of walking!! __________________ CBR - November 2006 CSR - May 2010 POFQ - June 2012 me dh ds (15) dd (14) and Baxter (my 7 year old lab - rescued from a shelter)

01-18-2013, 05:31 AM	#10
Chaoticsweetness Mouseketeer Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 359	Me & my sister stayed at both. They both are gorgeous. At PORS we stayed in the mansion section, we were the third stop for the buses. At POFQ we stayed near the river, it was quiet except for the occasional toilet flush next door. I have to say, I fell in love with POFQ! No matter where you are on the grounds, the food court, store, front office & bus stop were just a few minute walk. The pool bar was awesome. The pool was adorable & there was barely anyone taking advantage of it. The best thing? We stayed in the beginning of December, not once did we share the bus with PORS. We caught the bus mid afternoon to DTD, we barely waited 3 minutes for it & we were the only 2 on it. __________________ It's just another day in paradise.

01-18-2013, 05:56 AM	#11
Jacquie668 Mouseketeer Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: NJ Posts: 85	BF and I are wanting to stay at PO and at first I was PORS all the way, but then I read reviews (soooo many that I have lost count) and there was one comment over and over again. "River Side is so spread out, you do a lot of walking...." Now this isn't really a problem in theory, but I started to think about it and lugging your luggage around or getting back say after a marathon run, eh...I started looking at POFQ and though the theme is less relaxing, in my opinion, the more compact hotel/resort space is a huge plus for us. Besides, you can always go over to RS and explore the grounds or eat there, so we are now POFQ all the way. __________________ (Me) (BF) (Cat)

01-18-2013, 08:01 AM	#12
pigletto DIS Veteran Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Canada Posts: 6,915	I love Riverside. I prefer the themeing , the landscaping and the overall feel of the resort. However, I make sure to book or at least request a category that means I am not walking from the back of the resort to the amenities. OP POFQ might be best for your mom because of it's compact size and because I think when the buses are shared (which isn't all the time) POFQ is first (don't quote me on that though). But if you went with POR you could easily book preferred category to be right next to the main building and the first bus stop. So, go with what theme appeals to you most. The nice thing is they are both lovely and you can't really go wrong with either __________________

01-18-2013, 09:45 AM	#13
ciera321 DIS Veteran Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Kansas City, MISSOURI Posts: 3,579	We just returned from POFQ and have stayed at POR a few years ago. We absolutely LOVED FQ. For some reason we had put off staying here over our many DW trips, and now I really wish we would have stayed here sooner. The resort is so convenient. All the buildings are within a 3 minute walk to the bus stop and main building. We requested building 5 and it was a perfect spot. My DH would leave the room in the morning for coffee and be back in under 4 minutes. The only time we shared a bus was on the way back from Animal Kingdom. If you have to share a bus, you will be picked up first on your way to the parks/DTD and dropped off first on your return (Only 1 bus stop but the way). The staff was very friendly, mousekeeping (Ofelia) did a great job, the themeing was so quaint with all the narrow "streets" and ironwork, the boat to DTD was a nice transportation change and very convenient.... just a perfect place for us. I can't wait to stay here again!!! __________________ *WORRY LESS, DISNEY MORE !!!* Robin Tim Alex Pixie Winnie OS 7892 AKL 0210 BC 06 BVP 90 CBR 96 CR 89970708 CSR 99040912 Poly 08 POR 05 WL 04*06 POP 11 POFQ 13

01-18-2013, 09:50 AM	#14
HerRoyalHighness Earning My Ears Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 36	We stayed at Riverside last time...loved it. Best part: A smaller pool was close to our room. Worst: We were on the back side and the bus stop was several buildings down which was not a problem except when it was pouring (pouring) down rain when we came back for an afternoon break. This upcoming trip, we were going to try out the French Quarter mainly because my husband liked the food court choices better there than at Riverside...but we're going to spend a bit more and stay at AKL

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