2nd Guessing POR...

[peainapod]

2nd Guessing POR...

We want to do a moderate. Really the 2 reasons we picked it are:
-boat to DTD so we won't have to deal w/parking construction
-Renovated rooms




2nd guessing my choice of moderate. Wondering if CB or CS would be a better choice.

We are traveling with a 1 year old, so ease of the resort (food court,etc) is big for us. Pool doesn't really matter as we aren't big pool people. We plan to drive to all parks (only need bus for DTD).

 

[KonaKaiTom]

What are you second guessing? I've stayed at POR and CSR -- and will be staying at CBR in 9 days. I like POR ten times better than CSR -- location, ease of transportation, food court -- all better at POR.

So, what are you troubled about that you are second guessing?

Tom

 

[rteetz]

I agree with PP what are you concerned about you seem like a perfect fit for where you are now.

 

[peainapod]

Okay thanks! I am not a huge fan of the decor of the POR. We couldn't get POFQ for our dates. When I hear people talk about port Orleans, it is almost always about French Quarter. I just want to have something that is a "good fit" for a one year old.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Where in POR are you booked? There's two sections with different theming -- the more rustic Alligator Bayou and the more genteel Mansions. I've stayed at Alligator Bayou and enjoyed the room -- which had been redone 3 months before.

Tom

 

[TooBoyz4us]

If the ability to be near everything (food court,bus stop etc) is the most important thing to you, I would consider Port Orleans French Quarter over Port Orleans Riverside.
POFQ is much smaller and more compact making it a very strong chance that just about all rooms are close to the foodcourt,boat dock,bus stop etc.

Having said that, POR also has a preferred room category, and by booking and paying for that, you are guaranteed to be placed in a room close to everything.
Thus the "preferred" location

CSR is a beautiful resort, but is also a very LARGE resort.
There is a strong chance you may not be placed near anything at all.
However, we have stayed at CSR twice, and both times had our room requests honored and were very happy.Also, we thought the bus service was FANTASTIC!

CBR,was a one time deal for us back in 1997. Did not like it at all. Every single bus trip was standing room only.And that was in September.
I'm sure it has probably improved by now, but once burned......its hard to go back.

We are trying POR for the first time in 24 days ;-)

 

[buzznina]

The only thing I can add is that I read more about long bus waits to and from DTD from all resorts, then really anywhere else. So if DTD is important then POR fits.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

POR is my favorite moderate.

I love the food court, the gift shop, the rooms and the landscaping around the resort.

I would like to go back and try CBR again sometime but not until those rooms are redone.

Check out www.portorleans.org website. It's got tons of info on POR and will help you in your decision.

 

[wdwrich]

If the ability to be near everything (food court,bus stop etc) is the most important thing to you, I would consider Port Orleans French Quarter over Port Orleans Riverside.
POFQ is much smaller and more compact making it a very strong chance that just about all rooms are close to the foodcourt,boat dock,bus stop etc.

The OP stated that POFQ was not available for their dates. The suggestion for a preferred room at POR is a good idea.

 

[V2000]

I wouldn't suggest staying in the Alligator Bayou area POR. There is a lot of walking to get anywhere. Stay in the mansion buildings

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Alligator Bayou Building 14 - a preferred location room -- I stayed there in January -- 45 second walk to the River Mill.

Tom

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I've stayed at POR and we loved it. I do not remember where our room was but I know we had a standard room, not preferred. The access to the main building was much much better than the access at CBR. If you keep what you have I think you will be completely happy.

 

[momof3littles]

We are staying there for our first ever family trip in February. We decided that the extra for a preferred was probably well worth it, rather than rolling the dice and merely requesting a better location.

I will admit I am not super enthusiastic about the decor, but I prefer it to AoA, which we also priced out. As a family of 5, our choices are somewhat limited. At this point I wasn't willing to go over our original budget, and POR fits in nicely with what we budgeted for this trip.

I also am not too confident we'll enjoy the buses, so we are probably renting a car. However, that comes with its own challenges, as I have zero orientation and still have a poor grasp on how long it takes to get from one place to another. I haven't been to WDW since I was 4-5 yo, and while I have memories, they aren't practical ones LOL.

I am sure it will work out. I reprice other resorts but still think POR strikes a good balance for my family. I have a tough time looking at the other resorts and justifying the increased cost. We had also considered a trip in Dec and staying at the Contemporary. Perhaps this Feb. trip will have me wishing we were at a monorail resort and we'll have to have a do-over.

POR does look very peaceful, and I like that the food court seems to be a positive. We have our share of ADRs, but I have no idea how my kids will hold up over the course of a week. If we end up dialing back the pace of things, then having a decent food court on site seems like it would be particularly appealing.

 

[goofyintoronto]

What are you second guessing? I've stayed at POR and CSR -- and will be staying at CBR in 9 days. I like POR ten times better than CSR -- location, ease of transportation, food court -- all better at POR.

So, what are you troubled about that you are second guessing?

Tom

+2!!!!!!! I've stayed at both POR & CSR....I also love POR much more. Both grounds are pretty, but I liked POR much more. I like both pools. The food court at POR was better than CSR. More options. I love that POR has the boat to DTD. POR also has bike rentals, with a 1 yr old i guess you'd have to use either a surrey bike, possibly? or maybe they have the basket in the back for your 1 yr old to sit in.

You mentioned you wanted a resort that was a good fit for a 1 yr old. With all due respect, your kid is 1. At that age, theyre not very hard to please. They wont exactly pipe up and say "I hate this place!". If your concerned about distance to the main building, then I agree with the others about asking for a preferred room. Nice and close to everything.