ASM suites vs. POR

[choirfarm]

Ok...here is my thinking

1. More room at the suites with 2 tv, but...how much room are we going to spend in the room.

2. The ambiance is nicer at POR than ASM??? Will it be quieter there?

3. The pool is better at POR, right?

4. They both have refrigerators.

5. How does the bus service compare?? I'm thinking we will drive to the parks some days as it might be faster??? Also, we definitely have the possibility of splitting up: dh with 2 boys (13 &11) and me with 6yo girl (boys at Epcot, us at Cindy's and MK as an example)
So therefore one could use the car, the other group the Disney transportation. Also possible to use transportation if someone gets tired out... probably m

6. Still can't decide window of stay, if we stay during Pop Warner week, would POR be better.

7. The new window we are looking at is October 27- November 2nd... any differences at the resorts in that window??

Any other differences I should be looking at?
Christine

 

[Native NYer]

I would say go with POR. However if you want a kitchenette and an extra bathroom, the family suite might be a better deal.

 

[choirfarm]

surely more of you have opinions or comments on comparing the two.
Christine

 

[connie1042]

We had Por booked for Sept. But I changed it to ASMU family suites. I have stayed at Por. Very nice, but it is small. There were just 2 adults in the room at the time. Your 6 year old would have to use the trundle bed. You have to decide if you want 2 bathrooms or one, A refridge, and microwave, and room to roam. You also have to decide how much time you are going to spend in the room. Either way you will have a great time. There were no kids with us on that trip, so only used the quiet pool. I did like the boat to DDTD, and the Sea Racers or mouse boats.

 

[typhoonlagooner]

It's a tough call... personally for us? We'd go with the Family Suites...

Location:
The Family Suites are located in the 4 closest buildings to the main building/main pool. At POR, your could be placed anywhere and with needing a trundle bed, it limits your luck on any requests. We hated the layout at POR... everything was very "scattered" and walkways were confusing at times, and even the closest buildings were a good 2-5min walk away.

Room Quality:
A Family Suite not only provides you with 2 tvs, but also 2 bathrooms. This is a huge help when getting ready/settling down and trying to leave on time. We like the seperate living area (with Queen sized bed, not double like at POR) so that if the kids fall asleep, we can "retreat" and get re-organized; it's not "lights out" for everyone! We like the kitchenette area that provides extra storage/counter space plus an additional sink (great for mug washing) and a microwave. The suites are newly constructed and we prefer the decor/quality over POR

To "answer" some of your comments:

1. We've found that while we may not spend enough time in the room to enjoy a balcony or view, we do want to enjoy what little time we do spend. Meaning that if it's a rainy afternoon and we're stuck in the room or if everyone's trying to wind down for bed... we're going to want that extra space/living area.

2. We were perfectly content at ASmu and preferred it compared to POR. Yes, POR is much more appealing in some aspects but ASmu was perfect for our needs. The layout was simple/easy and our third floor room was just as quiet. We never had any issues with plumbing or neighbors!

3. Better? Maybe more well themed, but a pool is a pool! The bigger differences will be lack of slide, hot tub(s), and quiet pools. The location of the Family Suites will place you right inbetween the main pool (guitar shaped) and second pool (piano shaped). At ASmu during the day, pool games are played at the main pool as well as music; they inflate a screen and play Wii games and a Disney movie each night as well. We watched PotC from the pool! Best part was that it was always a short, easy, well lit walk back to our room from either pool!

4. Yes both have refridgerators, but the suites also have an extra sink, microwave, storage, and counter space.

5. On our trip in Sept we noticed several occassions were our bus line was shorter at closing than POR, CBR, and Pop. Bus came often and rarely did we share with another All Star resort. We felt we received the same level of service, if not better at ASmu compared to POR.

6. It depends on what Disney decides to offer as a resort choice, but under those terms, I would recommend POR over an All Star resort or CBR during Pop Warner week.

7. Not sure... but I don't see anything wrong with that time frame with exception to Halloween! It's not say that a music/sport team will not be at ASmu, but surely not on the same size level as Pop Warner week.

Overall ASmu appealed to us more than POR but you'll notice everyone has different opinions/experiences!

 

[minnie61650]

Family Suites at All Star Music vs. POR

The Family Suites run about $35 more than a standard room at POR-AB.

Comparisons:


The Family Suites has 2 seperate sleeping areas.
POR has 1.

The Family Suites are 520 square feet.
POR is 314 square feet.

The Family Suites has 2 bathrooms.
POR has 1 bathroom.

The Family Suites have 2 dressing areas with a privacy curtain.
POR has 1 dressing area with a privacy area.

The Family Suites have 2 sinks( 1 each next to the bathrooms), 2 closets, 2 safes, & 2 hair dryers.
POR has 2 sinks ( a double) .1 closet,1 safe, and 1 hair dryer.

The Family Suites have a kitchette with a nice storage area,lots of counter space, a microwave , paper plates & bowls, plastic ware, can opener, Paper towels, fridge,& coffeee pot.
POR has a fridge &a coffee pot.

The Family Suites -Sleeps up to 6 (plus one child under age 3 in a Pak-n-Play crib)
POR-Sleeps up to 5 (plus one child under age 3 in a Pak-n-Play crib)

The Family Suites--Queen bed, full-size pullout sofa, convertible ottoman & chair sleepers (4 separate sleepers) & 2 TVs.
POR has 2 double beds and a trundle bed&1 TV.

The Family Suites -Studio amenities and separate sleeping areas giving more privacy than a standard room.
POR is a standard room.

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Here is the layout of POR:

POR room lay out

Family Suite layout
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Here are some photos of the POR room with the trundle bed from Allearsnet:

the trundle bed

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Here are some photos from the DIS resort website:

** NOTE there is a wall mounted hair dryer next to the bathroom sink.
Look at 8th and 10th phots down and you will see it.

For more info about the All Star Resorts Please visit the FAQ thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1072409





Have fun at Disney wherever you choose to stay!

 

[tejasranger]

We stayed at POR. We loved it. It was small but the nice quiet atmosphere was wonderful. My husband is in a wheelchair and we still had plenty of room. Our room came with a walk in shower for his wheelchair. As far as bus service they came about every 10 minutes.