Art of animation or Beach Club?!?

[VeronicaZS]

If you really want to save money look at Port Orleans Riverside for one of the Alligator Bayou rooms. They sleep five with the sideways Murphy bed that folds down. My favorite resort, by far, for what you get for the money. The resort has a wonderful laid back vibe and lush beautiful grounds. Good food court. Dedicated buses. Boat to Disney Springs.

Dan

I seriously looked at POR but I just really didn't care for the theming of the Alligator rooms, the vibe I get is a motel in a bayou... I loved the rooms in the Mansion area but alas we do not fit in those as a family of 5. I understand they are refurbishing the Alligator Bayou rooms so I will definitely give them a second look however it is nice to have a suite with 2 BATHROOMS when you are a women travel with 4 boys!!!

 

[DisneyFive]

I can verify that it doesn't feel like a motel in a bayou. I can see why it may appear that way though. This website is amazing for all things POR.

www.portorleans.org

Dan

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thanks guys, the opinion seems unanimous!

We were looking at a Little Mermaid room, and I know that I heard they were pretty far from the amenities... I guess it really comes down to that one night extra and the 1500$ savings for me. That water park is awesome, but the last 2 times we were in WDW in December it was pretty cool and rainy so not exactly pool weather for me. But the Christmas decorations at BC are so awesome...

I really loved being able to walk to Epcot, but with my two young ones I was thinking we were going to spend a lot more time in AK and MK so the close access to the other 2 parks while awesome was less of an issue. I'm also wondering how my youngest will fare on the walking front; she's a bit of a drama princess! Last time we were in WDW my oldest was 5 and the youngest was 2, so the stroller was definitely a no brainer for us, and strollers on the bus are such a pain that access to the parks with minimal bussing was a priority.

Last time we were also staying on DVC points, while now it's all $$$, so that also makes a difference...
Maybe a split stay?

So confusing! But it's definitely a good problem to have!

I've never been to either, and up until I read this post, I was going to say BC would be my choice if the money wasn't an issue. But this sounds as if you'd really like to save the money and try AoA.

We've stayed moderate, value, and even offsite, and had great trips every time. So I say go with your gut.

 

[Lanie]

If you really want to save money look at Port Orleans Riverside for one of the Alligator Bayou rooms. They sleep five with the sideways Murphy bed that folds down. My favorite resort, by far, for what you get for the money. The resort has a wonderful laid back vibe and lush beautiful grounds. Good food court. Dedicated buses. Boat to Disney Springs.

Dan

I did like POFQ when I stayed there, but for some reason I'm a a Value or Deluxe kind of girl... No in between! lol

 

[Lanie]

Hi,
I just wanted to add my two cents and say that I would focus on what the kids really prefer as well at this point. My wife and I greatly prefer Beach and Boardwalk for the park access and amenities but when our kids were younger, they really didn't pick up on that. 1500.00 is a large difference, and if it must be considered as well. If all things were equal I would go with Beach but it comes down to what you can afford and whether the experience justifies the difference. If the kids are perfectly content with AofA and you would be doing mostly MK for example, I would go that route. If the kids also appreciate Beach and you will be doing a lot of Epcot/ HS then that may make up for the price.

Thanks, that's what we've been trying to do, because in a few years we want to do a Food and Wine trip and that would definitely be worth the BC! I know Epcot has added a lot of Holiday options too though, so that is weighing on my mind as well...

 

[cheapster316]

We did AOA pre cruise last January and POFQ after the cruise. Everyone agreed next stay will be back at AOA.
There was nothing wrong with POFQ other than the old springs in the bed. We just like the space of the suite and the 2 showers. POFQ felt rundown and AOA shows ear on the carpets and other places it still feels like a newer hotel. My kids love the pool and the theming.
Our next visit is AOA Lion King , cruise and then AOA Nemo. Lion King is the only room we have not tried yet. Nemo is my favorite but the theming for Cars is amazing

 

[DisneyFive]

We did AOA pre cruise last January and POFQ after the cruise. Everyone agreed next stay will be back at AOA.
There was nothing wrong with POFQ other than the old springs in the bed. We just like the space of the suite and the 2 showers. POFQ felt rundown and AOA shows ear on the carpets and other places it still feels like a newer hotel. My kids love the pool and the theming.
Our next visit is AOA Lion King , cruise and then AOA Nemo. Lion King is the only room we have not tried yet. Nemo is my favorite but the theming for Cars is amazing

Yeah, POFQ was in need of refurbished rooms at that time. They just refurbed them this year I think.

I get the love of AoA. It's my favorite value. Awesome theming, great pool and the best value food court IMO

Dan

 

[MDH]

I have a different opinion. Beach club was awesome on our stay. But the price, just ouch. Art of animation is awesome. Now saying that we've only stayed in family suites with a sweet passholder rate. If you can get a discounted rate on a suite at AOA you'd still save a bunch of money over beach club and be able to stay the extra day. Wouldn't be as much, but still a lot. And yes, the Beach club pool is amazing, nothing compares, BUT AOA's pool is no slouch either.

Caveats: We don't like to eat at table service, we're a get and go family, so if you want table service, BC might make more sense.

Now saying all of that, I've told my family that what we will do next time is spend 7 days at AOA and then 2 nights at beach club for the pool and boardwalk with one of those days being a no park day. mixed stay, save money and best of both worlds.

 

[monica9]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/resort-scented-candles.3558391/page-2#post-57184962

Here's the link to the description of what is used in the Lobby. I believe they only sell to commercial venues, but when I type in Green Clover Aloe in the scentairhome.com website it directs me to their Rain Forest Auto sticks. Worth at try!

Dan

So worth a try. Thank you!!!

 

[michyi]

Also, when we were at AoA in Feb 2018, the bus line to magic kingdom was long. They kept sending buses, so they kept the line moving. I didn't mind and it felt like the line moved quickly. Waiting a few extra minutes is worth $1500 & an extra night. I didn't stay in the LM section, but we walked around the resort and I didnt think the walk was bad. Plus, there is so much to look at, it's an enjoyable walk. Truly, either resort is wonderful. I've stayed at both and love them both. If I were you, I'd save the money. You can put that towards your next trip. Happy planning!

 

[aml3679]

We only live 90 miles from Disney. Recently, we bought silver annual passes (just a few black out dates: June 1 - August 9 and a the weeks around Easter and Christmas). We drove to Disney Springs and had a nice brunch at Raglan Road - saved 10%. We took a bus to the Art of Animation. Very busy and loud. We are hoping that our stay in January is a little quieter. We are only sleeping there and saving a ton of money. The pool looks awesome and it is heated in the winter.