Help a gal decide- which Port Orleans??

[weesignlanguage]

I've looked at the threads on POFQ and POR and just can't decide which is the best fit for our family...me, hubby and a 9 year old son. We will be booking the s/p/d deal. I currently have a standard room view at POFQ booked but I am now wondering if it will be thrown in the mix for the discount. So that got me looking at Riverside and it seems really neat too. I love the little pull out bed that our son could sleep on in some of the rooms. But I worry about the size of Riverside vs FQ.

What do you guys think?? Is there a benefit to one over the other?? I need wisdom from y'all b/c this will be our first time at PO! Thanks!!

 

[podgirl]

I think you have already figured out the differences. POR is huge and it can be a 10 minute walk to the main building. However, the landscaping is just beautiful, so the walk can be very pleasant unless you are going in the summer! The water slide at POR might be more appealing for your son as it's longer. In my opinion the food court is better at POR, but even if you stay at POFQ you can walk over to POR. The appeal of POFQ is that it's very small so you'll never be too far away from the main building. Both resorts are lovely, so you can't go wrong either way!

 

[DCDisney]

We really like both of them. I like the food court at POR MUCH better. If I don't have a car with me I tend towards PO-FQ because of the size issue. If you are planning on the boat ride to DTD a few times the wait is less from POR. We usually lose our standard category room when a sale comes out but not always-- we do have a disney visa though and often can book offers a few days early. Honestly I think you'll be happy at either one, we are. It's easy to go back and forth between the 2 resorts to use either pool and restaurants.

 

[mullysisters]

We/I have stayed at POR but not FQ. I've visited FQ, they sure have a great pool! But then so does POR. They are two very different resorts. POR is very large and the AB section is woodsy and dark and quiet. The mansions are formal and most are closer to the main building I think. We stayed in a mansion next to the quiet pool, it was wonderful for that after park, late night swim.
I think the CS area at POR is better than FQ and there's always the piano man at POR who is very entertaining (Yeehaw Bob?) I always enjoy the TS restaurant too.
I didn't think that FQ was very interesting in it's theme. Blocks of buildings with small gardens.
POR has a very large water wheel, and the landscaping is better. The bridges and river are fun. Of course both resorts have the boat to DTD.
I think you could love either one, I would always book POR over FQ based on the above.

 

[trishadono]

We stayed at POFQ when Ds was 10. He did not like the theming. Then at age 13 we stayed at POR in AB. He liked that theming much better. Kind of feels like Huck Finn will show up at any moment.

Unless you have any issues with walking, the distance should be fine. It is a spread out resort but if a boy is happy he will walk anywhere

The food court has great options at POR.

And

The pool at POR has warmer water too!

However I like FQ and would be happy at either one. If in doubt I would pick cheaper one and be fine with it.

 

[Babsy]

Either one is great! If you get a discount at one and not the other, decision is made! Either way you can't go wrong!

They are sister resorts which, I believe that if you are staying at either one you can use the facilities at the other! It is a short walk between them.

 

[Danielle3699]

We stayed at POFQ 2 years ago and loved it. Riverside does have a bigger food court with more choices so we ate most meals over there, but it is just a short walk, or you can take the ferry that goes between the 2. We loved how small POFQ was and that the bus stop was super close, no matter where your room was located. We are going again in a month and staying at POFQ again! Love it there!

 

[minnie mum]

One thing to note is that discounts sometimes are not offered for POFQ stays. Because of its small size it usually has very high occupancy rates, so it isn't necessary to offer discounts to fill rooms.

POR is too big for us. I could book a preferred room and be closer to the main buildings, but would rather just get a standard at POFQ- same end result for a lower price. If the OP really wants that cute Murphy bed for her son, she will have to pay extra for a preferred room. She could try requesting AB section, but it's not guaranteed, and preference is always given to families of 5.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I have stayed at both and loved both. I think your DS may enjoy POR a little more but it is a larger resort so you might have a little longer walks. After staying at CBR the walk at POR was a breeze. Honestly though I think the best rate provided will be your best choice. Both tie for my favorite mod resorts.

 

[vdoucet78]

We've stayed at both and I love both. POFQ's main advantage IMO is the small size and single bus stop. I think POR is a more beautiful resort by far but it can be a lot of walking, plus there are four bus stops that they have to stop at before heading out to the park. Depending on where your room is, it can be a far walk to the main building and pool. We stayed in the mansions rooms last year and drove to the parks most days instead of taking the bus. This year we booked a preferred room and we won't have a car with us. I would've preferred POFQ for this trip without a car but my DH wanted POR and I love it too except for all the bus stops.

 

[darkwing818]

I have stayed at both and loved both. I think your DS may enjoy POR a little more but it is a larger resort so you might have a little longer walks. After staying at CBR the walk at POR was a breeze. Honestly though I think the best rate provided will be your best choice. Both tie for my favorite mod resorts.

We also love both, but push come to shove, FQ is our favorite of the 2. Our 2 DDs also like it better. Maybe because it's smaller, who knows.
As long as we get beignets, we're happy.

 

[freckles04]

We are choosing POR because it has a water slide more suited to my 9 year old DS (POFQ's slide is really tiny). We booked a Preferred room so that the resort size wouldn't be as much of an issue.

 

[Shaden]

We are choosing POR because it has a water slide more suited to my 9 year old DS (POFQ's slide is really tiny). We booked a Preferred room so that the resort size wouldn't be as much of an issue.

A preferred room is always a great option, it seems like you can often get a preferred room, thus closer to main buildings then most of POFQ rooms, at RS for less then a room at POFQ (because often discounts aren't offered at FQ).

Personally, we were booked at FQ, because we loved the look of it, but then switched to POR because of the discount offered. SO glad that we did. We visited FQ several times, took the bus to FQ and walked to POR a couple times as well. Did not like the feel of the resort at all. Sure its smaller, but its also far more packed in, the resorts are three stories tall, so there are more people in a smaller area. There aren't long beautiful views, and the theming (mardi gras, alligators and clowns) really didn't do it for us. POR for us, is a far nicer resort. The walking is often very over stated, is the resort big ? Yes. Huge ??? No. Even the longest walk possible is still under 10 mins, and really, most walks are quite short, 200-300 yards, a couple mins.

 

[TSM]

We stayed at POFQ last week and absolutely loved it!! We also visited POR and though it was beautiful it is just so huge!! I would stick with French quarter if u can with the deal because you can use riversides pool and food court while your there!! If the deal excludes French quarter u could switch then.

 

[ChelseaLynn]

The first hotel I ever stayed at in WDW was POFQ. I was 8 or so back then and it was AWESOME. We've stayed there multiple times and love it each time. More recently we have stayed at POR, however, and it's just such a beautiful hotel. It really is, not to say POFQ isn't, it's just a different type of beauty. POR seems quieter, calmer, fancier, where POFQ tends to be busier (not people wise, but scenic wise), a bit louder, and children would probably tend to like this hotel more than POR.

The pool has a dragon slide, which kids totally find awesome, and there are lots of fun animated sculptures, colors, very mardi gras feeling (which is the theme, of course).

The food court at POR is much larger than POFQ, and tends to have more selection. Though theme wise, they are both pretty neat.

POR is very large, and as people have stated above, don't be surprised by long walks from here to there. But don't worry, they are very beautiful walks, and you are at Disney and loving the Disney experience, so it shouldn't be any problem. But at the end of a long day at parks, I do know the desire to just be back to the room can be pretty strong, especially with kids.

My final thought is go with POFQ! I think I may like POR slightly better now, but POFQ is still such an awesome place to be, and I intend on staying there many more times. And it really was awesome to stay at as a kid. No matter what you pick though, they are both great and you will love it, I'm sure. Good luck picking! Happy travels

 

[Mom2G]

My girls were 4 and 8 at our last stay and did not