I am a little bit of a hotel nut, I spend nearly as much time visiting hotels on my trips as I do the parks. (Well, that may be an exageration but you get the idea.) My wife will tell you stories of how she is always being dragged to other hotels wherever we go on vacation, but hey, it really pays off. I have found great hotels to visit and some that I was going to visit that I would never have once I had seen them. Rest assured, Port Orleans French Quarter is definitely the former.
On my Nov 95 trip, we stayed at a dissapointing off site hotel, not realizing how the Unofficial Guide to WDW was only concerned with room size. We thought we were getting a nice offsite spot and the place was just kind of old and depressing. We were driving through WDW and I of course had to drag my wife to the food court at Port Orleans to check it out since we had never seen the hotel. It's hard to describe, but it was one of those moments in life when you realize you've made a really big mistake. To think that I had made the trip down and spent it in a dump when I could have been in this wonderful place for just a few dollars more made me ill. I have been there twice since however and have recovered nicely.
To me there is Port Orleans French Quarter and all the other moderates are a distant second. Not that they aren't wonderful in thier own way but POFQ has some special elements that few other resorts, deluxe included have.
1) It's size. There are many horror stories from people who get out of the way rooms at the Carribean Beach Resort or Corranado Springs resort having to hike 20 mins to get to the food court or the pool. When you are walking 7 miles a day in the parks the last thing you need is to trek across your resort. In Port Orleans, everything is close. (Well maybe not building 7).
2) It's one of the only Resorts that mixes vibrant colorful characters and sedated elegance. At most places you get either one or the other. The All-Stars scream at you will wild colors , but some people get a headache looking at them the whole time. The Floridan, Beach and Yacht club are wonderfully elegant but not exactly stimulating. Port Orleans FQ has beautifully decorated gardens , building with wrought iron balconies and babbling fountains, its so peaceful and beautiful, yet when you go to the swimming area, you see big cartoon aligators marching along, the jester, the wonderful sea serpent pool and dont forget the food court which is themed as a floatworks factory, the place they keep the floats for the Mardi Gras parade. Giant faces and props so colorful you will stare up at them for days.
3) The pool. It deserves mentioning again. This pool is the coolest looking pool ever. Pure Disney imagineering genius.
There is a nice little hot tub as well.
There is also a boat which connects Port Orleans Riverside, French Quarter and Downtown Disney, and while I'm not usually big on wasting alot of time on Downtown Disney, it is a beautiful and relaxing ride worth taking just for the pleasure of the ride itself.
A few notes:
- There is no longer a full service restaurant at POFQ so you will have to head over to Boatwrights Dining Hall at PO Riverside. I did this anyway in the old days cause it was such a nice walk but it isn't that close. If you are tired you will probably wind up using the food court. Also consider eating dinner at the theme parks, if you want a sit down meal.
- This is real nitpicking, but I would request a building 2 room over a building 5. Building 5 has that empty patch of grass on the garden side and its kind of bland, Building 2 has that nice fountain there which is much nicer to look at. This info is from my last trip there in May 99 so things may have changed.
- Do whatever you have to to avoid getting a parking lot view, put garden view on your reservation, call 5 days in advance to confirm it, check in early and tell them you will wait for a garden view room to be ready if you have to. There is a huge difference between garden view in building 2 and a parking lot view in one of the outer buildings. In general if you are in buildings 2,5 or 6 I dont think you can have a parking lot view. Try requesting "building 2 fountain view" and they should get the idea. Somtimes the difference between a good view and bad is asking.
Have a great time, I'm sure you will love it.
Matt
Jun 72 offsite
Apr 89 offsite
Mar 95 All-Star Sports
Nov 95 offsite
Aug 96 Boardwalk Inn
Dec 96 Port Orleans French Quarter
Sep 98 Beach Club
May 99 Port Orleans French Quarter
Jan 00 Polynesian
May 01 Swan
Oct 02 Grand Floridian