WWYD POR or AOA

[rymahoney]

I'm having trouble getting my plan down looking for opinions. I have to possibility's for size of party.
1st
Myself, wife, 2 daughters (2) (6) and my mother inlaw. This was our party at time and we stayed at the poly. Due to a good discount from us running for charity. On this trip my wife and mil want to do it as cheap as possible. There is some things I just won't due. For this situation Iv narrowed it down to a moderate CBR, POR rr room, or a suite at AoA.
2nd
Will add my mom to the mix. So it will be 4 adults and 2 kids (2)(6). For this option it would be a AOA suite or 2 rooms at a moderate. The second option will make it more expensive for my mil who is going whether my mom wants to or not. She and my wife are worried about the price. What do you guys think? I'm a guy who likes amenities but in order to keep price decent have to look at other options. I think one of main concerns is transportation. At the poly I got so used to monorail and loved it. Not looking forward to bus travel but looks like I have no choice. Our main park is mk. Thanks

 

[Disneylover99]

If buses are important I would choose AofA over POR/CBR. AofA has one main stop and at the end of a busy day, you can easily take a Pop bus back and walk across the bridge to AofA if that bus arrives first. POR/CBR have multiple stops around the resort which can add on travel time.

 

[pepe of ohio]

I'd go with the moderate....not a fan and the huge masses...

Not a fan of POR, again size... Huge resort and 4 bus stops... By the time the bus gets to you, it might be filled and sometimes POR shares with POFQ... POFQ gets picked up first...

We do prefer POFQ for a moderate, size alone is compact... Not a bad building anywhere and if you must.. Pleasant walk to POR , they are sister resorts... You can use either pool...

 

[Amy&Dan]

I definitely say go with two rooms. And my suggestion would be POFQ. Simply because its a smaller resort, its first on the shared bus route with POR (and they often, to almost always share busses based on my numerous stays). Your kids would love the pool at POFQ.

I cannot really recommend a suite at AoA. They are great especially for two parents with kids. But your mothers will be sleeping on pullouts. The main family area is crowded and that over the top theming might get old, especially for your moms.

Having real beds for everyone, a pool with a slide that is great for the age of your kids, a hot tub and lovely grounds will really be a winner.

I love POR and its my favorite resort but its large, as in really large. And when it shares busses with POR that can often mean that a bus arrives to you full. Meaning some of the time you'll be standing. At POFQ you are first on and first off when you share. And since Disney does not guarantee anything, if you don't get rooms close to each other, you could be very far away at POR. At POFQ the resort is smaller so if you do get rooms in different areas, it won't be as big of a deal.

When our kids were younger, we travelled with both my parents and my husband's. We always had fun. But the time we did a value with my in laws it was a disaster. They hated it. Now we did do a value with my parents and they enjoyed it but not as much as the moderate and DVC level resorts we had previously done.

AoA is a great resort. But the food court is funky and crowded, and its FULL of kids. Your moms will much prefer the quiet theming of a moderate.

 

[rymahoney]

Por and porfq are not our favorite theme or even close probably last choice. Just going off pictures. The royal rooms kinda changed it on the scale to be on the top for the kids. Are some of the rr room closer to a bus stop at porfq. So we will be guaranteed a seat? Has anyone timed the average bus waite and time to get there from POR or AOA. Thanks guys for your help. My thought was por but the price for the two moms goes way up. If it were my 100% choice and not trying to meet everyone's needs Id be at WL or renting points from BLT.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Por and porfq are not our favorite theme or even close probably last choice. Just going off pictures. The royal rooms kinda changed it on the scale to be on the top for the kids. Are some of the rr room closer to a bus stop at porfq. So we will be guaranteed a seat? Has anyone timed the average bus waite and time to get there from POR or AOA. Thanks guys for your help. My thought was por but the price for the two moms goes way up. If it were my 100% choice and not trying to meet everyone's needs Id be at WL or renting points from BLT.

Some of the Royal rooms are in Parterre Place which is the closest building to POFQ. There would be a bus stop close by (at POR) and POFQ would be maybe a 5-10 minute walk along the river.

I don't want to use the word guarantee, even if you stay at POFQ or use their bus stop.

I love POR but for sure its a large resort. It has four bus stops of its own. If your room is nearest the last bus stop or two, then getting a seat will be challenging especially during the mornings. You can always walk over to the first bus stop, I can't remember which one is first and if memory serves (haven't stayed at POR in a couple of years now) the order can change sometimes in the POR route.

Go over to www.portorleans.org It has a wealth of information!

I hear you on trying to meet everyone's needs lol. I think you may be surprised at how nice a moderate resort is. And the room at a mod vs a room at WL are almost identical in size. Having multiple pools at POR, a food court, lots of grounds and the river all make it (whether its POFQ or POR and remember they are sister resorts and you can use the amenities/pools at either regardless of which one you stay at) very nice.

 

[ncc1701]

OP,
We got back last month from POFQ. Regarding buses during the morning rush we did not share with POR but headed straight to the parks, same if we left around closing. Even if you stay at AOA you won't be guaranteed a seat.
The shortest ride was to Epcot but MK wasn't a long ride by any means.
Staying at either PO resort you can take take the boat to DTD. Since they are sister resorts you can use either one's pool
There is also Yeeha Bob's show 4 night most weeks in the POR lounge. It is suitable for all ages.

 

[rymahoney]

So the other scenario is my mom not going. Would 1 por rr be big enough for 3 adults 2 kids (2)(6). We were okay in poly standard room but my youngest was not walking yet.

 

[Amy&Dan]

So the other scenario is my mom not going. Would 1 por rr be big enough for 3 adults 2 kids (2)(6). We were okay in poly standard room but my youngest was not walking yet.

I think it would be a bit tight. You will be okay on occupancy level because your youngest is not three. But remember that there is no trundle/daybed in a Royal Room. You can bring an airbed or sleeping bag, we have done that in moderate rooms for years and it works quite well.

Not having outdoor space, a balcony and the square footage you had at the Poly would be potentially not fun or it might be fine. Every family is different. For example I could have totally done one room with my mom but not mother in law lol. Also make sure you add in the extra per night cost of having three adults in the room. I think its $15 a night in a moderate.

We absolutely love POR. To be very honest, I would pick it over the Poly or any other deluxe even if cost was not an issue. But that's just us. But I have stayed at every level of WDW resort, including my fair share of DVC one bedrooms and to me the moderates really offer the perfect balance. Another idea I would throw out for you would be two rooms at a value. You pay A LOT for those AoA suites. It is generally quite a bit cheaper to do two rooms at a value besides AoA since standard rooms at AoA are never discounted and the suites are outrageous. Our last trip we did two rooms at Pop Century. The cost of two rooms at Pop over one room at a moderate was a total of about $8 a night more. My kids are 18 and 20 so not having to pay the extra per night cost on both of them plus having the two bathrooms was a big winner. We love Pop Century and we requested rooms in the back of the resort on the lake and it was quiet and great. We find no difference in bussing at the different levels of resorts. My only complaint with bussing at the larger moderates including POR is that the size of the resorts means lots of people and often times standing. But you can have that any resort. Even the Poly uses busses to some of the parks and it shares them with other resorts. There is no perfect bussing at any resort!

 

[rymahoney]

Thanks. The Aoa suite would probably be the only value we would consider for size and theme. If LM rooms were part of discounts we might consider 2 rooms in those but they are typically not involved in discounts. I also understand por has been excluded recently. So that could change things.

 

[MouseOfGold]

We stayed at AoA a few weeks ago I was pleasantly surprised. (Our 1st time at a value) We did a split stay and had a LM room for a few nights and then switched to a Cars suite. We loved our Cars suite! For your situation though I would personally prefer 2 rooms. 2 grandma's sharing a pull out isn't ideal. Or one could opt for the murphy bed (I layed on it with my son for a nap and we both fit fine) and one share the pull out with one of your children. LM rooms were ok, décor was great but the rooms are very basic as far as space and amenities. You can book a LM room through Orbitz and get a discount. I booked ours when Orbitz was offering 20% off. My kids loved the theming of the resort and the nemo slide area. You could possibly look into renting points through DVC for a 1 or 2 bedroom and going that route too.

 

[goofy4tink]

Have you considered renting DVC points and staying at VWL? A studio would give you a queen bed, a double sleep sofa and a fold down twin bed (it's actually comfy!), or you could book a one bedroom...a king in the master, a queen sofa bed in the living room (or it could be a double, I can't remember). But there's plenty of room for an airbed if you wanted, in both the living room and in the master.
A two bedroom would be perfect, but you aren't sure how much room you need yet.
Worst case scenario, I would go with a suite at AoA.

 

[rymahoney]

Thanks keep thoughts coming. As far as renting points. I have really considered it and someday really want to do it. This trip it's not in the cards. I would need a good chunk of money up front from mil and mom. I also am nervous about not having complete control over our reservation if something crazy would happen loss of job or something else serious than k would loose a lot of money. Wife says I have anxiety thinks she right!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Hmmm. I think I'd go with AoA. While I adore POR, the money thing and not knowing if your Mom was going or not would definitely put me in AoA.

The reason I say that is because you and your wife could have the queen bed, MIL could take the pull down table which was really comfy when my DD15 slept on it last summer.

2 year old in Pack N' Play - which would leave the pull out chair (or is it ottoman? I can't remember) and the pull out couch for the other 2 people to decide between. Or you could just have the 2 and 6 year old share the pull out couch and if your Mom goes and is short enough she could take the pull out chair.

You would have 2 bathrooms, plus the mini kitchen for the fridge, a microwave, and coffee pot so you could bring or buy some breakfast stuff and save money that way too.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Hmmm. I think I'd go with AoA. While I adore POR, the money thing and not knowing if your Mom was going or not would definitely put me in AoA.

The reason I say that is because you and your wife could have the queen bed, MIL could take the pull down table which was really comfy when my DD15 slept on it last summer.

2 year old in Pack N' Play - which would leave the pull out chair (or is it ottoman? I can't remember) and the pull out couch for the other 2 people to decide between. Or you could just have the 2 and 6 year old share the pull out couch and if your Mom goes and is short enough she could take the pull out chair.

You would have 2 bathrooms, plus the mini kitchen for the fridge, a microwave, and coffee pot so you could bring or buy some breakfast stuff and save money that way too.

I just want to clarify something highlighted above. AoA suites do not have a pull out chair. In the living room area, there is a double sized murphy bed and a double sized sofa bed. It is the All Star Music Family Suites that have a pull out chair bed.

So if you do AoA one grandma in one double bed with a kid, another grandma in the other double pull out with the other kid.

OP I seriously would book the AoA suite. POR with three adults and two kids would be very tight. And if the rooms are not discounted that furthers the problem with staying there. Which pains me because its my favorite resort lol. But I have travelled with grandmas and one bathroom and tight space would be tough.

This way, you have the suite. If your mom decides to come you have the space. If she doesn't your wife's mom will still have space and a bathroom to share with fewer people.

AoA is a great resort, we spent quite a bit of time over there during our last stay at Pop. But the pricing is crazy since in the end its a value with a few added amentities. But for your scenario it seems like the best fit. And your kids will love the theming, pools etc. Another nice thing about AoA is that you can reserve the section when you make the reservation. So its nice to be able to pick your theme ahead of time. And even though two Little Mermaid rooms would be great, they are very far from the main area.

Good luck!

 

[Off to Neverland 7]

For option 1, I would go with AoA since there will be 5 of you and everyone will be comfortable. Grandma would have her own pull out bed and the kids could share the murphy bed. No problem.

For option 2, I would probably go with 2 rooms at a value resort or moderate resort. If money is an issue, then definitely a value resort. Pop century isn't a bad resort. They have 1 dedicated bus stop for their resort and are within walking distance from AoA. While CBR is a wonderful/affordable resort with newly redone rooms but that resort is ginormous. There are 7 bus stops with a lake in the middle of the resort.

No matter what you choose, it can't be too bad considering it's Disney Happy planning!

 

[rymahoney]

For option 1, I would go with AoA since there will be 5 of you and everyone will be comfortable. Grandma would have her own pull out bed and the kids could share the murphy bed. No problem. For option 2, I would probably go with 2 rooms at a value resort or moderate resort. If money is an issue, then definitely a value resort. Pop century isn't a bad resort. They have 1 dedicated bus stop for their resort and are within walking distance from AoA. While CBR is a wonderful/affordable resort with newly redone rooms but that resort is ginormous. There are 7 bus stops with a lake in the middle of the resort. No matter what you choose, it can't be too bad considering it's Disney Happy planning!

Thank you for your input you make great points. CBR room just does not appeal to me. At POR the only thing I really like is royal room. Seems to me all the moderates don't appeal to me decor wise in room. But then again Iv never laid my head there so I'm judging and I probably should not.