Narrowed down to 2 (or3) Resorts

[newfiegirl]

Ok, We have gone all over the place with trying to decide which resort to choose. We stayed at POP twice, so we are looking for a new experience. I have spent hours researching PO French Quarter and Coronado Springs, and although we are currently booked with CSR, we may switch to POFQ or even Movies. Here are our main things to consider in the order of importance:
1. short walk to bus, pool and main building (we hated the walk from rubics cube room at pop century)
2. Not having to stand or wait long times for buses (heat of July, agg)
3. Interesting for Children (they love the brightness and environment of pop)
4, Nice Counter service place to get breakfast daily
5. Nice newly decorated/renovated rooms

 

[Shaden]

Ok, We have gone all over the place with trying to decide which resort to choose. We stayed at POP twice, so we are looking for a new experience. I have spent hours researching PO French Quarter and Coronado Springs, and although we are currently booked with CSR, we may switch to POFQ or even Movies. Here are our main things to consider in the order of importance:
1. short walk to bus, pool and main building (we hated the walk from rubics cube room at pop century)
2. Not having to stand or wait long times for buses (heat of July, agg)
3. Interesting for Children (they love the brightness and environment of pop)
4, Nice Counter service place to get breakfast daily
5. Nice newly decorated/renovated rooms

CSR - You can get a preferred room with the spring/summer discount for far cheaper then your POFQ room. In fact you could afford to stay a day or two extra for the same Price as POFQ.

CSR is beautiful, (SO is POFQ i am sure) and has probably the best Pool at disney (IMO), Kids will love the CSR pool. And again, book preferred, or just request Cabanas, they are very close to the bus and the main building and the main pool, AND they have a quiet pool.

The difference in price between CSR (with the deal) and POFQ(which doesn't get the deal) is significant, its about $250, dunno how significant that is to you.

Your dates are July 25-June 3 ?

 

[newfiegirl]

there is only a difference in 40 bucks over the 8 days, so not an issue between CSR and POFQ.

 

[Shaden]

there is only a difference in 40 bucks over the 8 days, so not an issue between CSR and POFQ.

Should be 1676 for POFQ
1447 for CSR

June 25-Jul 3

 

[newfiegirl]

i have a pin, doing dining plan, water parks, 8 days. overall 40 dollar diff.

 

[Shaden]

i have a pin, doing dining plan, water parks, 8 days. overall 40 dollar diff.

Buahaha, well then, I think you just go with whatever resort appeals most to you.

They are both going to be fantastic resorts, each with particular appeals to particular people. Some will like the pool or grounds or layout more at either resort. Some will like the boat to DTD others will like the centrality of CSR. Some will like the decor in CSR and the Big wood doors to the bathroom, others will like the decor of FQ ...

I say look at the pictures, and do what appeals to you most

 

[Once Upon a Time]

I'm am by no means a Disney expert and am pretty new to the boards, but in the past two years DH and I have stayed at both CSR and POFQ in mid- October. We both very much preferred POFQ, however, we do not have kids.

I really loved the small size of POFQ as compared to CSR. Though our building at POFQ was probably one of the farthest from the bus stop/main building (POFQ has only one bus stop area located right outside the main building) it was only a few minutes walk and we ended up taking a shortcut through a parking lot on most days.

I really liked that POFQ only had one bus stop, because that meant when we were picked up we got to go straight to the parks. CSR has four bus stops which, depending on which stop you use, meant waiting a while on the bus before actually heading to the parks.

I've read that POFQ often shares a bus with POR, however, when we were there in October 2012 this only happened to us on the way back to the resort from Epcot and HS. In those instances, the bus dropped off the POR guests first and then us. It is possible to get off at POR and walk to POFQ, though we didn't need to do that in that instance.

Clearly, busses are a big deal to me and I was a lot less stressed and irritated taking the buses at POFQ.

When we stayed at CSR we were near the main building as well as the main bus stop; however, this resort is so spread out it could make a trip to the main building a little less convenient than it would be at POFQ. I feel like our wait times at the resorts were similar, but overall I would say we waited less as POFQ; however, that could just be luck.

One thing I did find to be better at CSR was the main pool. We enjoyed the slide and theming. This may be more important to you since you are traveling with kids in July.

At both POFQ and CSR we only ate breakfast at the CS location in the main buildings. The CS location in CSR consists of several different stations with different types of food and you can go and choose what you like and it will be made for you as you wait. It is very spread out and I always ended up confused. It's kind of like a buffet though because you have a server who brings your drinks and you pay as you leave instead of up front.

I feel that the breakfast food at each of these locations is pretty much the same, it's just the set up that is different. At POFQ you also get your food at different stations, but then you pay and sit down and do not have a server to bring you drinks. I liked this better just for the fact that the food area was smaller and more contained, though the are pretty much interchangeable in my book.

I also think the rooms at these resorts are very comparable in size and comfort, though I felt like my room at CSR seemed older, though this is not true at all, so maybe I'm just remembering wrong. One thing we could get at CSR and not at POFQ was a king size bed.

We also got to take the boat back to POFQ from DD, which was nice.

Overall, DH and I really enjoyed our stay at both these resorts, but if I had to pick right now which to go back to I would definitely pick POFQ.

Regardless of what you choose, have a wonderful trip!

 

[jcemom]

1. short walk to bus, pool and main building (we hated the walk from rubics cube room at pop century) -- POFQ is relatively small, not a long walk to anything
2. Not having to stand or wait long times for buses (heat of July, agg) -- this could happen anywhere
3. Interesting for Children (they love the brightness and environment of pop) -- how old are they? if under age 7 then POFQ, if older kids then CSR for the better pool slide
4, Nice Counter service place to get breakfast daily -- POFQ has yummy beignets but CSR has the better food court overall, IMO
5. Nice newly decorated/renovated rooms -- I prefer the decor at POFQ but CSR rooms are bigger, I think

 

[Yellosno]

1. short walk to bus, pool and main building (we hated the walk from rubics cube room at pop century)
2. Not having to stand or wait long times for buses (heat of July, agg)
3. Interesting for Children (they love the brightness and environment of pop)
4, Nice Counter service place to get breakfast daily
5. Nice newly decorated/renovated rooms

When I stayed at POFQ in 2011 I would definitely say it meets at least 4 out of the 5. The only reason for 4 is because I personally never ate breakfast there but that is only because I am not a big breakfast eater. My DB ate there for breakfast several days and enjoyed it (he is possibly the worlds pickiest eater). I ate there often at lunch and dinner and still think that it is one of the best counter service food courts in all of WDW. I haven't stayed at CSR myself but my cousin just got back from there and she had quite a bit of a walk everywhere, but she said it was a great resort.

 

[Belle2007]

Our favorite resort is the POFQ... (we don't have children)

Love it for all the reasons you've mentioned.... also, the pool is awesome, and there is a boat to take to downtown disney. The food is awesome and offers some New Orleans type things.

Your poll also had the Movies resort. I opted for this last year for one night before our cruise. And I loved it. While the room is noticeably smaller, it was very similar to POFQ. Food was great. We didn't have the chance to jump in the pool, but it looked nice. Lots of kids. The theme is movies, so there is a little movie theater type area of kids in the lobby area (very cool!). They also offer movies at night I heard. The bus area did not have a covering whereas the POFQ did. Big difference when you are in the heat of the summer!

Good luck choosing!

 

[donaldlovesdaisy]

Our last two stays have been at POFQ and we loved it. It is small and easy to navigate, the pool area and bar were a blast, food court one of the best IMOP, the cast members were friendly and helpful, and the resort is just lovely and themed great.

 

[newfiegirl]

I love all the positive comments about POFQ!!!!!!

 

[dminnie]

I haven't stayed at POFQ, but we visited there and used the pool when we stayed at POR. You can use the pools at either one if you want to. If you have kids, unless they are 3-4 years old or VERY timid in the water, I'd go for CSR. The slide at POFQ is unimpressive and not very long or steep in the least. We literally only stayed about 5 minutes at their pool before heading back to the pool at POR, and my kids are not big swimmers. It also does not have quiet pools, so if the main pool is busy that's it, unless you want the long hike to POR to use their pools. The decor at FQ just seems more geared towards adults too.

Cabanas 8A would be ideal for you. It's close to the pool, a bus stop and just a quick walk across the bridge to the food court.

With the time frame you are going, it will be hot and humid. I hope you're planning lots of pool time! You may want to be sure to get to the parks at opening while it's not too busy or hot yet. So close to July 4th, it will be crowded.

Not sure why you start new threads about this so often. I hope you are enjoying planning the vacation and have a good time. Relax...you'll have a great time!

 

[trishadono]

Ok, We have gone all over the place with trying to decide which resort to choose. We stayed at POP twice, so we are looking for a new experience. I have spent hours researching PO French Quarter and Coronado Springs, and although we are currently booked with CSR, we may switch to POFQ or even Movies. Here are our main things to consider in the order of importance:
1. short walk to bus, pool and main building (we hated the walk from rubics cube room at pop century)
When check in ask for a building closer to bus stops. 7a and 7b were both short bus walks.
2. Not having to stand or wait long times for buses (heat of July, agg)
I just got back from spring break and the busses were fast and empty, even at rope drop times.
3. Interesting for Children (they love the brightness and environment of pop)
The dig site pool with adjacent playground is awesome in person. The jaguar slide is my favorite disney slide too.
4, Nice Counter service place to get breakfast daily
We don't eat breakfast but I like pepper market for lunch.
5. Nice newly decorated/renovated rooms

The queen beds are nice and the wooden door at bath keeps room dark and quiet. At night I move the desk chair and coffee pot in to the bath area. That way in the morning I go in, shut the door and have my morning coffee and quiet time while everyone sleeps. Sometimes I get ready and go outside and sit by the lake.

CSR has such a deluxe feel to it. The lake is so beautiful in the morning and lit up at night too! I enjoy watching the turtles(there are many) swimming in the lake areas as well. If available I just tried the new business class and really loved it. Children seemed to enjoy it too.

Really I love all the mods, you can't go wrong! CSR is just my favorite.

 

[Turk February]

POFQ has everything you're looking for. It's an amazing resort.

 

[bradleyjess]

POFQ has everything you're looking for. It's an amazing resort.

I agree. I love both resorts, but the ultimate question is: do you want the awesome pool or do you want less walking?

CSR definitely has a nicer pool, but it is soooo spread out. The walk to the bus, pool or main building can be long.

POFQ is so beautiful and much smaller. It also has a nice pool. If you're going to the water parks, maybe the pool doesn't matter so much? The boat ride to DTD is pretty neat there too

 

[blueskies115]

Ive stayed at both POFQ and CSR and would recommend either one. I dont have kids, but agree with what everyone else has said. POFQ is more compact so there is less walking in general, but that means the pool can be crowded. The food is good at both places. The food court at CSR is larger and there are more options, including mexican items. The POFQ food court is smaller and less overall options but has a few of the New Orleans style food items.

We stayed at building 7 at POFQ and Casitas 5 at CSR. I would say our walk to the bus stop was about the same, if my memory serves me correct. And we didnt have problems at either with waiting an excessive amount of time for the bus. The CSR bus does make more stops within the resort and most times when we left the resort, we stopped at the water parks before going to a park. It did seem like a much further walk to the food court at CSR though, but the lake was nice to walk around. And CSR does have a deli area where you can get breakfast items without going into the food court (muffins, danish, etc). I do not remember POFQ having that option.

Something I havent seen anyone mention....when staying at the CSR (Dec 2011), I noticed on some of the info in the room that they show movies on a big screen most nights near the pool. Not sure if they still do that. But it seemed like a nice change of pace for those who were at a park all day and looking for a more relaxing night.

Have a great trip!

 

[agavegirl1]

I only voted "other resort" because I would prefer POR. Just a theming preference.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

Looking at all your considerations looks like POFQ is a good fit for you - plus you can always use the pool at POR as well if you want a change from the pool at POFQ.

Have a great trip wherever you choose to stay!

 

[malacajo]

We are sort of in the same boat with decisions.....We stayed at CSR and loved it, loved the big pool so much! However, we wanted to try something different and POR is next in line....How does the pool at POR compare? I keep hearing how beautiful POR is, I think we would love the theming!! Price is not an issue, they are not that far apart that it would matter to us...Thanks!