We are leaving in a matter of days for the World. Originally we were staying at AKL, but due to unforeseen circumstances we had to switch to POFQ to save a little money. I am super excited about our trip in general, but I can't seem to care about the resort. I don't know what my deal is, but it just doesn't do it for me! What's wrong with me?
Nothing is wrong with you, and I get it! OK, I'm a very "glass half full" kind of person, but I find it helps to have realistic expectations going in, so my post will include both pros and cons. For background, we've stayed in every deluxe except GF and every mod except POR. For the past nine years or so, it's been entirely deluxe. Last spring, I took our youngest son for a few days during Easter week - rack rate, holiday season everywhere and I just didn't like those prices. So I decided to do three nights at POFQ and then switch to YC when the discounts kicked in.
I'd say POFQ is either my favorite mod or even with CSR. I LOVED the small size of the resort - very cozy and wonderful that were so close to the buses, to the food court for refill mugs, to the pool, etc. I also liked the fact that if you want to walk further, POR is just down the path. So while POFQ is small, it's not isolated or too small. The food court was one of the least chaotic resort food courts I've seen. The CMs at the gift shop were wonderful and the selection was great. The grounds were very nice and well-themed. The pool slide was fun for our 5-year-old. The bus service was quite good first thing in the morning to MK (not so good to Epcot in the afternoon for dinner ADRs.) If a deluxe doesn't fit your budget, POFQ is a great choice.
But POFQ was an adjustment after sticking with deluxe resorts exclusively for such a long time. I was thrilled to get to YC at the end of our trip. I think part of the problem was that I read several posts suggesting that POFQ was similar to a deluxe, and some from posters who preferred POFQ to a deluxe. I thought the difference between POFQ and a deluxe was significant. I missed the easy walk from the Epcot deluxes to Epcot and DHS. I missed the quick monorail or boat to MK from the MK area resorts. But if you are used to AKL and buses, that may not be as big of a deal. I missed the balcony we have at deluxe resorts quite a lot - I think that was one of the biggest issues. And I think the difference between the AKL lobby and the POFQ entry is, well, significant.
But I agree with others that the best thing to do is focus on the other aspects of the trip and spend as much time out of the resort as possible. If we're staying somewhere I'm excited about (whether at WDW or elsewhere), then I include that in my focus. If not, I just think about the other things I love. (And if you're thinking about a possible switch, I wonder what the WL rates are like for your stay - those are often really reasonable and not much more than a mod!)
Really hope you have a wonderful trip!