Advice please - Port Orleans vs AOA Suite

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Good morning!

This is my first time posting although I've read through a lot of information on here and it's been very helpful!

I've come across a few threads regarding the pros/cons between Port Orleans and AOA but I'm still having a hard time deciding.

Right now I have a hold on a POFQ room for February 2018. It will be myself, husband, my 6 year old daughter, and almost 2 year old son. We were in Disney during spring break in 2017 and stayed at AKL - I enjoyed it but would like to try something new.

Everyone says great things about POFQ but I know the theming isn't overboard disney. My daughter loved the pool at AKL and we walked all over to view the animals but she definitely didn't have any "wow there's Disney everywhere" moments. I'm also considering a Royal Room at Riverside but posters on here have me concerned about the size of that resort and I know my toddler will be exhausted at the end of the days. Then I started reading about AOA and the size of the suites there definitely sounds like a plus - my toddler is VERY active and I'm slightly worried that he will be bouncing off the walls in a regular room with no space for the rest of us to get ready, sit down for a minute, or whatever. Obviously we will not be out extremely late at night so there will be times when we are in the room. My concern is how busy/crazy AOA will be and if the buses will be bad, and the multiple bus stops at Riverside and size of the resort. I know the small size of POFQ is a plus but the rooms just look kind of blah to me (of course I've never seen them in person).

Sorry for the length of the post but I'm hoping for some input regarding all of these factors!! Thanks in advance

 

[Hopefully]

If you want "over the top" Disney theming than AoA is where you want to be.
We prefer the more subtle, non garish theming of POFQ.
There is something for everyone.

 

[Marc D]

The bus service at AoA is very good and fast. The busses for Pop Century can serve as a backup if you miss the AoA bus coming back from the parks.

We've stayed there multiple times since my son turned 3yo. We love the seperate master bed room, allowing us to stay up during midday naps and early evenings. We'll enjoy the extra bathroom when we go soon with our teenage nephew and now 7yo. The "over the top" theming is not too much for us and we've become fans over the years. The food court is one of the best on property. Our only minor issue is that housekeeping is sometimes problematic (they forgot our room on two seperate occasions) but it gets resolved easily at the front desk.

 

[masylimed]

We have stayed at both POR and AOA and love both. I would stay at either one in the future without any hesitation. Given your description of your upcoming trip and family, I would probably lean more toward AOA for the following reasons:

• POR buses can be slow due to the multiple stops at the resort. AOA buses seemed faster somehow since there was only one stop at the front of the hotel. But, the ride to Magic Kingdom seemed longer on the AOA buses. The ride to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios was shorter. I'm guessing the AOA is farther from MK than POR.
• We've only stayed in the Cars suites at AOA and loved them. They didn't seem that far from the food court or buses and the theming was awesome. The Cozy Cone pool was a quick stop from rooms and the main pool was very close. I think the Nemo suites are in high demand due to its location near the main pool, but the Cars area seemed more peaceful somehow yet still close to everything we needed.
• I think the theming of the AOA is perfect for the ages of your children. You definitely feel like you are at a "Disney" resort. With giant statues of Disney cartoon characters everywhere, there's no denying your at a Disney hotel. The lobby is beautiful with giant sketches from Disney movies everywhere.
• I was surprised how spacious the rooms were. We've stayed at the AOA with 5 adults and never felt on top of each other. The two bathrooms make getting ready much easier and there's plenty of room to stash your luggage. In a regular hotel room, it is sometimes easier to get to the bathroom by walking or rolling over the beds because there's so much luggage and park souvenirs all over the room.
• The kitchenette was a surprising treat in the suites. I didn't think we would actually use it but the fridge was nice to keep extra drinks and left over meals in. The in room microwave was nice to heat up leftovers as a late night snack. They provide paper towels and disposable plates and silverware. Very handy.
• I loved the food court. We are a food court family and think that AOA is one of the best on property. The walk to POP is nice and opens up a whole new option for dining and recreation.
• I thought the AOA resort seemed quite open and spacious.
• Just remember to bring your own towels to the pool. We were so used to them being provided at the pool from our stays at POR that we would forget to bring them with us from the room.
• Personally, I would avoid the Little Mermaid and Lion King rooms. Little Mermaid area is very cute but seemed far away from the lobby/food court area. I don't think there are any suites there. Not sure if there are suites in the Lion King area but I don't smoke and didn't like walking past the smoking area that is located between the food court and Lion King area. I would go to the Lion King area to check out the statues and play area just wouldn't want walk past the smoking area all the time to go to the buses/food court. There are multiple smoking areas around the resort. This one just seemed the most obvious to me.

Again, I love both resorts and would stay at both in a heartbeat. Enjoy your trip!

 

[Marthasor]

We've stayed at both and we really did not like AoA. Yes, you will have more space but the resort is so chaotic and really uncomfortable (literally, the most uncomfortable bedding I've ever slept on). The walls are also paper thin, so it's very noisy. Yes, POFQ and POR have smaller rooms, but they are so much more comfortable, IMHO.

If you enjoyed AKL, perhaps consider WL? (It was designed by the same person - same soaring lobby, plus they just added some new amenities). You may also want to consider a 1-bedroom villa at one of the DVC resorts (OKW and SSR will price out the least). You will get a bigger space, deluxe amenities plus a washer/dryer and kitchen.

 

[Sue M]

Sounds like you would enjoy some extra room, and at children's bed time you can have a separate room to retreat to and not worry about keeping the children awake with lights or tv on. So I'd go with AoA. Although I do love both POR resorts.