QUICK help: Should we change resorts from POR this weekend due to crowds/buses?

[Violet Parr]

I'll preface this by saying that we are not summer Disney people, and we went for our first real summer visit weekend before last. We decided never to do summer again, but this weekend is my daughter's birthday and all she wants is to go to Disney on her birthday for the first time ever.

So we're booked at POR in a Royal Room. While we weren't fans of the parks in the summer, staying at the Poly made things more bearable and convenient.

SO, my questions:

Is POR crazy-crowded this time of year? Are there Brazillian tour groups that clog up the buses? How is bus service?

I just read on the unofficial POR website that in peak times, buses can often show up full, and sometimes 2 buses in a row will be full. This does not sound like fun to me!

My daughter wants to stay in a Royal Room, but she also said that she doesn't want the experience to be stressful and would switch resorts if the buses are too crowded (we'll have a stroller) and there are noisy tour groups staying at the same resort. I told her if we switched, we could go back to a Royal Room any time after school starts. (We homeschool and we are living in Florida temporarily, so we can go back any time.)

Given those conditions, what would you suggest?

Thanks!

VP

 

[Violet Parr]

I just did a little searching and found so much conflicting information. Some reviews say that buses are horrible and the place is overrun with tour groups. Other reviews say that the buses are better than BWI and the place is very serene with no tour groups.

We just all feel uncertain about our choice! We're not deluxe snobs (we've spent more nights camping at Fort Wilderness than any other resort) but we are seasonal snobs.

Any suggestions/reassurance/reviews would be greatly appreciated!

VP

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'll preface this by saying that we are not summer Disney people, and we went for our first real summer visit weekend before last. We decided never to do summer again, but this weekend is my daughter's birthday and all she wants is to go to Disney on her birthday for the first time ever.

So we're booked at POR in a Royal Room. While we weren't fans of the parks in the summer, staying at the Poly made things more bearable and convenient.

SO, my questions:

Is POR crazy-crowded this time of year? Are there Brazillian tour groups that clog up the buses? How is bus service?

I just read on the unofficial POR website that in peak times, buses can often show up full, and sometimes 2 buses in a row will be full. This does not sound like fun to me!

My daughter wants to stay in a Royal Room, but she also said that she doesn't want the experience to be stressful and would switch resorts if the buses are too crowded (we'll have a stroller) and there are noisy tour groups staying at the same resort. I told her if we switched, we could go back to a Royal Room any time after school starts. (We homeschool and we are living in Florida temporarily, so we can go back any time.)

Given those conditions, what would you suggest?

Thanks!

VP

The big tour groups usually stay at the value resorts.

I read a trip report by someone who stayed in a Royal Room at the POR for their daughter's birthday and they had a great time. Their daughter loved the room and the family loved POR. And they are a family that usually stays at deluxe resorts. They were very happy with their decision.

Since it is a weekend trip for your daughter's birthday I would just go with her wish and try it out.

ETA: Here is a link to the trip report I refereed to. http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3128912

 

[Missytara]

You get conflicting reports about buses at POR, because some people are not used to public transportation or are very impatient. I have seen people waiting in line for a bus for three to five minutes and already are complaining about how long it takes (and that they have been standing there for 20 minutes).

But the buses at POR can get very crowded at peak times, just like any other buses at any other resorts.

If you go over to the POR thread, you will definitely see that there are all kinds of posters who have differing opinions about the bus service. I have been to POR many times and have never had an issue, but I don't travel at peak time and I take advantage of being able to return from a resort, to the bus hub at DTD and then over to POR via water taxi. It does give you another nice option that not all the resorts have to offer.

 

[florence1]

I'll preface this by saying that we are not summer Disney people, and we went for our first real summer visit weekend before last. We decided never to do summer again, but this weekend is my daughter's birthday and all she wants is to go to Disney on her birthday for the first time ever.

So we're booked at POR in a Royal Room. While we weren't fans of the parks in the summer, staying at the Poly made things more bearable and convenient.

SO, my questions:

Is POR crazy-crowded this time of year? Are there Brazillian tour groups that clog up the buses? How is bus service?

I just read on the unofficial POR website that in peak times, buses can often show up full, and sometimes 2 buses in a row will be full. This does not sound like fun to me!

My daughter wants to stay in a Royal Room, but she also said that she doesn't want the experience to be stressful and would switch resorts if the buses are too crowded (we'll have a stroller) and there are noisy tour groups staying at the same resort. I told her if we switched, we could go back to a Royal Room any time after school starts. (We homeschool and we are living in Florida temporarily, so we can go back any time.)

Given those conditions, what would you suggest?

Thanks!

VP

We have stayed at por 2 times and yes at busy times the busses are very busy and do show up full but that would happen at any resort

 

[Violet Parr]

Oh, that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear! I have a friend who hates Disney buses. In our family we always say it is one of our favorite rides each day!

We're just going to go with it and have a great time!

VP

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

We did POR in August 2011 and it was fine. There was one large group but they were not bothersome.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[2Tiggies]

Oh, that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear! I have a friend who hates Disney buses. In our family we always say it is one of our favorite rides each day!

We're just going to go with it and have a great time!

VP

Good for you! Missytara is right in saying that you get varied reports, often based on what people are used to. We stay onsite every year with no car and I think the Disney buses are great. You can't take one 20 minute wait for a bus late at night and let it overrule all the other good experiences you have with the transportation system. Leave for the bus stop a little earlier than you would normally plant to so that you can allow for the odd occasion when a bus might be full or have standing room only. The good thing about busier seasons is that the buses are more frequent than in the slower times of the year. We've done Easter Week, Spring Break and super quiet Septembers and Octobers. I can't say that we felt we waited any longer for buses when it was crazy busy. If anything, we found them to be more regular so if a bus showed up full, we knew the next one was on its way.

Have a great time and Happy Birthday to your DD

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

We go every August and typically alternate our stays between POR, POFQ and Poly (we leave in 2 days for our Poly trip! ) Honestly, we've always thought the bus service at POR was fabulous. We never had a bad experience. Are the buses crowded? Sure. But we've never had to wait for another bus because the one that arrived was full. We've never had a long wait for any park bus. We actually prefer POFQ because of it's small size and the fact that they both share buses and POFQ is 1st picked up and 1st dropped off. It just seems less busy due to its size. But that being said, POR is a wonderful resort and we truly never had a bad bus experience there - and this is coming from a Poly lover! Enjoy!