Any Experiences at POFQ?

[Disneylvr]

We keep going over and over our budget for a 2011 trip and a moderate w/Quick Service Dining plan is probably the way to go. We had looked at WL CL, renting DVC points..... DD with/severe autism did well at CBR in 2009 and 2010 as long a we drove to the parks so we will rent a car again for 2011. Any experiences at POFQ with a child who has ASD? We stayed with her at POR but she was only 1 at the time. DH and I stayed at POFQ many years ago, before DD was born and liked it but liked POR more. Thought maybe the smaller size of POFQ would be better for her plus we want to do something different. Last 2 trips we stayed at CBR.

 

[KPeveler]

I stayed at POFQ before getting sick, so I do not have "disability" experience, but I really liked it. There is a pool with slide, and the resort is smaller and generally "quieter." There is a fair amount of color there (colorful bed linens, colorful pool), so that may be too much.

If you need a quiet resort with more muted colors, I suggest Coronado Springs. The rooms were just redone with dark wood and white bedspreads - very simple decor. It is a big resort, but I loved it because it was quiet. I have sensory problems and I was last there on my honeymoon, so I wanted a nice quiet place! Pepper Market is great, lots of options, and there is Rix Lounge, an adult place if one parent wants to go for a quiet drink.

If you check out allearsnet.com, they have photos of every resort and all the rooms. There may be some here too, but I have yet to master the complete wdwinfo site!

So, yes, I love POFQ (I promised my wife we could stay there next time), but I also love Coronado Springs. I've also noticed sometimes you can get better deals at CS because there are so many rooms they have to fill.

 

[Disneylvr]

Thanks! Actually DD isn't bothered so much by color. She can become over stimulated in crowded/active situations and I think that is why she did so well at CBR with it being so spread out and peacefully quiet. A nice break after the parks. I know that POFQ is allot more compact, but is it still a relatively quiet resort, well other than the food court area during peak meal times? Does the pool ever get overwhelmingly crowded like it does at the Poly? 2 years ago we stayed at the Poly which was wonderful but we could never use the themed pool. Those are my main concerns for DD. I am not sure the food court would work out so well for DD over at CSR due to a CM seating you and getting your drinks etc. We like being able to choose our own out of the way table and then one of use staying with DD while the other gets the food.

 

[KPeveler]

Thanks! Actually DD isn't bothered so much by color. She can become over stimulated in crowded/active situations and I think that is why she did so well at CBR with it being so spread out and peacefully quiet. A nice break after the parks. I know that POFQ is allot more compact, but is it still a relatively quiet resort, well other than the food court area during peak meal times? Does the pool ever get overwhelmingly crowded like it does at the Poly? 2 years ago we stayed at the Poly which was wonderful but we could never use the themed pool. Those are my main concerns for DD. I am not sure the food court would work out so well for DD over at CSR due to a CM seating you and getting your drinks etc. We like being able to choose our own out of the way table and then one of use staying with DD while the other gets the food.

I never made it to the pool at POFQ, so I cannot tell you about that.

I did like the pool at Coronado Springs. It has a weird shape, so I was always able to avoid the crush of people. There is also a kids pool and a couple playgrounds right around the pool.

When I went to Pepper Market, I was able to tell the CM which table I wanted. They were fine with me doing this since I had a wheelchair. I am pretty sure you could just tell the CM there, my child is autistic and we need to sit over there and point it out. They get the drinks, but then you go get your food on your own. We did the same thing, where I stayed at the table and my wife got the food for us (I cannot carry a tray and wheel my chair and I did not want to wear my burrito).

I really love CSR, but I was also okay with POFQ. I stayed at POFQ in 2005, so my memory is a little hazy. I am sure others here will have more info!

 

[Disneylvr]

My first and only stay at POFQ was 11 years ago and my memory is very hazy. We have never stayed at CSR but have stayed at CBR and POR numerous times. That is why we want to try something that is new or we haven't stayed in very often. Our budget is also for our moderate so that leaves POFQ or CSR. Now last year I did consider CSR but it was booked up (except for the suites) because of a nurses convention. We are going the same dates next year so I wonder if it is an annual conference.

 

[GraceLuvsWDW]

We just stayed at POFQ in May/June with dd7 who has AS. She enjoyed the resort. The pool is nice, although very spread out so it was a little hard "containing" her to one section of the pool. She did have an experience on the slide of the pool where a boy deemed himself "master of slide" and was telling each child when they could go down and dd complained he "slapped" her back (pushed) her to go down before she was ready. I told the lifeguard and they took care of it. The food court is small and that helped with the overwhelming meal times. DD loved the chicken nuggets and had those every night. There are areas of the food court that are less crowded and quieter (away from the tvs that are always showing Disney channel). We also enjoyed a soak in the hot tub at night.

The room was fine, nothing special. We enjoyed the short boat ride to DTD. And one bus stop was nice too. All in all, this was a nice resort and the smallness of it helped a lot in preventing overload. There was a large expanse of grass outside our room and dd would go out there and run around. We even made friends with another family who visited the grassy area every night.

I highly recommend POFQ!

 

[Disneylvr]

Thank you both for your advice! My DD is also 7 unfortunately she isn't in to princesses like your beautiful girl. My DD is a daredevil and Disney doesn't make a ride that she won't do! The faster the better.

 

[SueM in MN]

If you check out allearsnet.com, they have photos of every resort and all the rooms. There may be some here too, but I have yet to master the complete wdwinfo site!

So, yes, I love POFQ (I promised my wife we could stay there next time), but I also love Coronado Springs. I've also noticed sometimes you can get better deals at CS because there are so many rooms they have to fill.

I’ll help out with links.

This is a link to the DIS parent site (wdwinfo) page about resorts, with links to a separate page for each resort (including links to pictures and a map of each resort.

Thanks! Actually DD isn't bothered so much by color. She can become over stimulated in crowded/active situations and I think that is why she did so well at CBR with it being so spread out and peacefully quiet. A nice break after the parks. I know that POFQ is allot more compact, but is it still a relatively quiet resort, well other than the food court area during peak meal times? Does the pool ever get overwhelmingly crowded like it does at the Poly? 2 years ago we stayed at the Poly which was wonderful but we could never use the themed pool. Those are my main concerns for DD. I am not sure the food court would work out so well for DD over at CSR due to a CM seating you and getting your drinks etc. We like being able to choose our own out of the way table and then one of use staying with DD while the other gets the food.

This is a link to the POR and POFQ map. POFQ is the sort of grey-tan area at the bottom of the map. The 2 are ‘sister’ resorts and if you are staying at one, you can use the pools, food court, etc at the other resort. There is a very nice walkway along the water and it is a fairly short, pleasant walk from one to the other.
One thing that may be helpful is that POR has several more secluded pools in addition to the main pool. They are not always quieter, but do usually have less people. THere are 4 smaller pools scattered along the property - the main POR pool is in the center area where the map says Fishin’ Hole. One of those pools might be a nice alternative if you find the POFQ pool to be too busy.
Staying at either resort, you would be able to use the pools at the other.

For the food courts, a lot depends on exactly when you go. Both resorts food courts have a good amount of seating. If you are going at peak time of year at the peak eating times, you will find it busy, but it’s not too hard to find an out of the way table.

Coronado Springs also has a ‘quiet’ pool for each area in addition to the main pool - they are not real easy to find on this map, but if you look at the legend on the bottom, you will see one pool listed for each area.

Keep in mind that none of the ‘quiet’ pools at any resort have pool slides or lifeguards, but if you are looking for a less crowded place to swim, they are usually a very good option.