AoA or POR?

[PracticallyPerfectPoppins]

Hi Everyone! We are booked for our vacation November 2nd-6th (I'm running the W&D Half Marathon). We booked through a travel agent and I was torn between one of the AoA Family Suites (either Nemo or Cars) and one of the Royal Guest Suites at POR. I went with the POR suite, however am definitely having second thoughts and am considering switching. It's our first trip to WDW, so I know nothing about the resorts. It will be my husband, myself, and our 4 year old and 2 year old boys (almost 5 and 3 by then). They aren't big into princesses but love Nemo and Cars. We are mainly interested in convenience (food, transportation,etc.) as well as staying in an all around decent hotel. Is there a huge difference in quality between to AoA and POR? It seems to me from reading these boards that AoA might be better suited for young kids, but just wanted some input from the veterans to help sway me one way or another TIA!

 

[happymommy]

To me, the main difference between your choices is that POR is not a suite; it is one room with one bathroom. The AOA suite has two bathrooms and a separate bedroom with a door you can shut.

That alone may be a deal breaker to me. You can put the kids to bed and stay up in the bedroom in the evening! Plus you'd have a microwave if needed.

Neither has a private balcony. AOA has interior corridors in the suites from what I understand; POR has exterior.

The pools at AOA look amazing (I've walked around them while staying at Pop).

If it were me, and the price is the same, I'd go with AOA suite over the room at POR.

 

[LaurEm378]

Just in case there's any confusion the royal guest rooms at POR are just standard hotel rooms, not suites. Two beds, two sinks, one toilet/shower area, and one TV. They're beautifully themed but they're small.

The AoA suites are compact but they're actual suites. There's a living area with a table that turns into a Murphy bed, another pullout couch, a TV, a small kitchen setup with microwave/sink/coffeemaker. Off the living room is a full bathroom with a tub and shower. Then there's a separate bedroom with another full bath (which has a huge shower, no tub).

I'd choose the AoA suite for the extra space and because your boys are young enough to really love it. All Disney resorts are kid-friendly but AoA takes the cake. I think it has a lot of "wow" factor for the whole family, especially first-time visitors.

I feel that the Nemo suites are in the best location closest to the main building/transportation/food court. If you go the Nemo route, request building 5, closest to Animation Hall. If you choose Cars, building 1, closest to AH.

Both resorts have food courts; AoA's has slightly more "interesting" food (which can be good or bad, depending on your family's tastes, but there are plenty of options for pickier eaters). It's also a short walk from AoA to Pop Century Resort, which is fun to explore and they have a food court there as well with slightly more traditional options.

Either way you'll have a blast, as they're both wonderful resorts, but I'd stay at AoA because your kids are at the perfect age for it.

 

[PracticallyPerfectPoppins]

Thank you for the great replies!!! My husband's only concern (and one of the main reasons why I went with POR initially) is noise. Is it possible to find parts of AoA that are quiet at night? We don't wan't museum quiet, obviously, but after seeing pictures of the hotel I'm pretty sure the hubby is imagining a non-stop party hotel with kids screaming down the halls at 3am lol. Just want to make sure tha it's possible for the little ones to sleep

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I have stayed at almost every resort on property and AoA was definitely the loudest and most uncomfortable. By night two, I could not wait to leave. POR is so much more comfortable. Quieter, more comfortable bedding, better amenities, etc. If you don't mind sleeping in the same room with your children, POR is a great choice. I'm just wondering, why a Royal Room? They are really cute, but if your boys aren't into princesses, you would most likely save money by simply booking a standard room or even a preferred room.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Thank you for the great replies!!! My husband's only concern (and one of the main reasons why I went with POR initially) is noise. Is it possible to find parts of AoA that are quiet at night? We don't wan't museum quiet, obviously, but after seeing pictures of the hotel I'm pretty sure the hubby is imagining a non-stop party hotel with kids screaming down the halls at 3am lol. Just want to make sure tha it's possible for the little ones to sleep

I have never stayed at POR (only POFQ) so I cannot speak to the noise level there. However, I have stayed in a Lion King suite in AoA, and our room was perfectly quiet; I never heard our neighbors. (I have never witnessed kids screaming down the halls at 3 am in any of the Disney resorts, for that matter.) The common areas do get a bit loud (food court, etc.), but that is to be expected at any resort.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I think a POR Royal Room would be wasted on two boys. I stayed in one and both my girls appreciated the princess theme. But don't get confused by the "suite" name. The POR Royal rooms are just that - a hotel room with princess decor. The AoA suites are proper two-room suites with two bathrooms, living room, master bedroom and small kitchen. I was in a Nemo suite on the ground floor right next to the pool. I did hear some traffic in the hallway on the night, but it wasn't overly disturbing. If you are concerned about noise, you could request an upper floor which would cut down on walk-by foot traffic a little. As for quality, I I didn't think there was any difference in quality in the rooms or food at either resort. If you do decide to stay at POR, I would suggest trying a standard or preferred room in Alligator Bayou which have a more "boyish" theme.

 

[PracticallyPerfectPoppins]

Thank you everyone for the advice! We managed to snag a Nemo Suite at AoA after all, can't wait!