BC vs PO - help me decide

[grapefruitjellybean]

Who knew that planning a vacation was going to be so stressful?
I booked a split stay: one week at BC and one week at AoA. We are a party of 3 adults and 2 kids (5,7).
The cost of the BC stay is $5,158.39 or $6700 CAD and that does not include our park tickets. We have rescheduled this trip 3 times and I have to admit that the word budget flew out the window. This will be the first Disney trip for my kids and I wanted to make everything extra special and got caught up in the Deluxe Resort Hype and trying to make everything super special.
I was looking at other options today and I can book PO-R for $2600 USD.
That’s a huge price difference for what looks like the same room: 2 queens and a child sized pull out couch.

Should I keep the BC room or change to PO? What are the pros and cons? Help me decide.

 

[peabody58]

We've done both BC and POFQ with our kids. POFQ was great when they were younger, BC when they were older. For your kid's age, you may find the food court at POR better than the BC dining options. They are kids and will love either place as long as you're having fun. It's easy to have fun when you know you saved $2600. Plus the boat ride to DS is awesome if you plan some time there.

Either way, have fun.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

We've done both BC and POFQ with our kids. POFQ was great when they were younger, BC when they were older. For your kid's age, you may find the food court at POR better than the BC dining options. They are kids and will love either place as long as you're having fun. It's easy to have fun when you know you saved $2600. Plus the boat ride to DS is awesome if you plan some time there.

Either way, have fun.

How is the transportation at PO?

 

[SwanVT2]

With 3 adults and two kids, the PO room might be tight. I know BC rooms are bigger and some have balconies. But if you aren't spending time in your room except to sleep, save the money and stay at PO. Like previous response, they have a better food court, you can use POFQ and POR pools, you can take the boat to Disney Springs! The grounds are beautiful! First time at Disney, kids ages 5 and 7 will be blown away either way, and PO is very nice!

 

[unrequited23]

I'm always a fan of saving money, so I'd probably go with POR...but that depends on your relationship and comfort level with the 3rd adult. The room will be tight with 5 people, and the child size pull out couch is smaller than a twin size bed. I agree with PP regarding the POR food court having more kid friendly options than BC. I've read that it's hard to keep an eye on kids at Stormalong Bay, but don't have personal experience.

Other options would be two value rooms, cabin at Ft. Wilderness, a family room at the Swan & Dolphin.

POR offers bus only to the parks, but a boat to DS. There are multiple bus stops. We used the stop closest to the QS and would get a dedicated bus in the morning that did not go to any other stops. In the afternoons the bus would go to all of the other stops first (and sometimes POFQ) on the way back to the resort.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

With 3 adults and two kids, the PO room might be tight. I know BC rooms are bigger and some have balconies. But if you aren't spending time in your room except to sleep, save the money and stay at PO. Like previous response, they have a better food court, you can use POFQ and POR pools, you can take the boat to Disney Springs! The grounds are beautiful! First time at Disney, kids ages 5 and 7 will be blown away either way, and PO is very nice!

PO is 318sq feet and BC is 381. Either way we’ll be cramped. Luckily we’ll have more space when we move into the AoA suite and a larger suite at UO.
Do you know if the resort will store our luggage? Im worried we won’t have space to put them anywhere.

 

[SwanVT2]

PO is 318sq feet and BC is 381. Either way we’ll be cramped. Luckily we’ll have more space when we move into the AoA suite and a larger suite at UO.
Do you know if the resort will store our luggage? Im worried we won’t have space to put them anywhere.

For specific questions like that, I would go to the POR main thread: https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...tion-questions.3374035/page-481#post-64074400

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

I'm always a fan of saving money, so I'd probably go with POR...but that depends on your relationship and comfort level with the 3rd adult. The room will be tight with 5 people, and the child size pull out couch is smaller than a twin size bed. I agree with PP regarding the POR food court having more kid friendly options than BC. I've read that it's hard to keep an eye on kids at Stormalong Bay, but don't have personal experience.

Other options would be two value rooms, cabin at Ft. Wilderness, a family room at the Swan & Dolphin.

POR offers bus only to the parks, but a boat to DS. There are multiple bus stops. We used the stop closest to the QS and would get a dedicated bus in the morning that did not go to any other stops. In the afternoons the bus would go to all of the other stops first (and sometimes POFQ) on the way back to the resort.

If we go with PO and save all that cash I could spend more on Ubering to the parks and back. I don’t think FW has a 5 sleeper option. Are there any value rooms that you recommend?

 

[gatormom2tots]

Also consider whats important to you....many people feel the BC pool is the best on property(we would be in that group!). We book staycations just for the pool sometimes and now that our kids are older, the pool is just as important as the parks on our trips. If going in January, we don't even consider BC as there are other (cheaper) options because as Florida natives, we are just not that intrested in swimming in 60-70 degree weather!

Another consideration is location- at BC you can walk, boat, or take skyliner to studios and epcot. This is a huge consideration if the hassle of strollers or just hate waiting for a bus (especially at the end of the night.)

If neither of these things are important for your family or not an issue, than AoA might be a better choice to save money. But these factors are part of the reason you are paying more for BC.

I really think you just have to consider what is best for your group as it will vary for everyone.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Who knew that planning a vacation was going to be so stressful?
I booked a split stay: one week at BC and one week at AoA. We are a party of 3 adults and 2 kids (5,7).
The cost of the BC stay is $5,158.39 or $6700 CAD and that does not include our park tickets. We have rescheduled this trip 3 times and I have to admit that the word budget flew out the window. This will be the first Disney trip for my kids and I wanted to make everything extra special and got caught up in the Deluxe Resort Hype and trying to make everything super special.
I was looking at other options today and I can book PO-R for $2600 USD.
That’s a huge price difference for what looks like the same room: 2 queens and a child sized pull out couch.

Should I keep the BC room or change to PO? What are the pros and cons? Help me decide.

We have a split stay at BC and POR every trip. We are also Canadian, so I feel the exchange pain. We are 4 adults (DD20 and DD23). DD23 is small enough to use the pull out bed in the 5th sleeper rooms at POR. Yes, it can be tight, but we always manage with our 4 full size suitcases and carry-ons stored away in the room. We tuck a lot of stuff in the closet area (it's an open closet area next to the washroom, but some space there). The sink area has lots of storage underneath too. We do POR as it is less expensive than a deluxe but we LOVE going to Disney Springs. The boat ride is terrific and relaxing. Dining options are great there too. Our family still enjoys T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe which your children might like. There is a splash pad at POFQ - you can use pools at both resorts. Transportation is usually good but like any resort, there are ups and downs. We give ourselves an hour to get into parks or to dining reservations, just to be safe.
We always add a few nights at BC for the pool and the walk into Epcot (it is our favourite park). We only started to do BC as the girls got older and appreciated Epcot more. When they were younger, we were mainly at POR and POFQ. If you think you might do Disney again, I would try POR this trip to save some money, then add on a couple of nights at BC on a future trip. Your children will love everything no matter what you pick - you're at Disney!

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

We have a split stay at BC and POR every trip. We are also Canadian, so I feel the exchange pain. We are 4 adults (DD20 and DD23). DD23 is small enough to use the pull out bed in the 5th sleeper rooms at POR. Yes, it can be tight, but we always manage with our 4 full size suitcases and carry-ons stored away in the room. We tuck a lot of stuff in the closet area (it's an open closet area next to the washroom, but some space there). The sink area has lots of storage underneath too. We do POR as it is less expensive than a deluxe but we LOVE going to Disney Springs. The boat ride is terrific and relaxing. Dining options are great there too. Our family still enjoys T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe which your children might like. There is a splash pad at POFQ - you can use pools at both resorts. Transportation is usually good but like any resort, there are ups and downs. We give ourselves an hour to get into parks or to dining reservations, just to be safe.
We always add a few nights at BC for the pool and the walk into Epcot (it is our favourite park). We only started to do BC as the girls got older and appreciated Epcot more. When they were younger, we were mainly at POR and POFQ. If you think you might do Disney again, I would try POR this trip to save some money, then add on a couple of nights at BC on a future trip. Your children will love everything no matter what you pick - you're at Disney!

Thank you my Canadian friend! I have decided to go with PO. I can’t justify paying $3000 more for location and an extra 63 sq feet. The savings can go toward Uber when we don’t feel like waiting for a bus.
We can save BC for another time when the kids are older and it’s just the 4 of us.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Thank you my Canadian friend! I have decided to go with PO. I can’t justify paying $3000 more for location and an extra 63 sq feet. The savings can go toward Uber when we don’t feel like waiting for a bus.
We can save BC for another time when the kids are older and it’s just the 4 of us.

That is what I would do too. The vibe at POR is amazing and laid back. Great pools at POR and a fun arcade for kids too. We enjoy the leisurely, scenic walk from POR to POFQ (about 7 minutes I would say), so your kids can enjoy the pool / waterslide and splash pad there as well. And $3000 is a lot. Enjoy your trip!

I wanted to add this website if you haven't already seen it. It's about the Port Orlean resorts. It is excellent!
https://www.portorleans.org/

 

[Selket]

I agree with your POR choice - its a great resort. My family has always like Coronado also - I haven't been since all of the renovations and tower addition. We've stayed at BC when the kids were younger and it is nice for sure - location is great. I think the Swan/Dolphin is usually cheaper (sometimes A LOT cheaper) and you get all the deluxe benefits and same location pretty much. You might take a look at the Marriott site (if you join the free Marriott reward program the rate is a bit cheaper also - make sure to check the price with the taxes and fees added).

That extra $3000 could get you a private car service limo to ferry you around haha!

I wonder if the the AS suites are available when you're there? I saw one that had a queen bedroom and two pull down queen beds which seemed really nice for a larger family. Maybe your AoA room has that as well...and you'd rather have the split stay.

 

[sewingmolly]

I've just returned from a split stay Beach Club followed by PO-Riverside. We found two advantages to BC - the location and inside hallways. BC has great access to EPCOT and good access to DHS. We love the skyliner. I like a inside hallway so that I don't have people walking by the windows. We really didn't have many people walking by at PO-Riverside. We stayed at BC for the deluxe extra hours, which did not turn out to be that much of an advantage. We had less problems with noisy neighbors at Riverside than at BC, but I'm sure that's just luck.

I think that the pool at Riverside is underrated. Kids seem to enjoy it just as much as BC, plus it's got shady areas and no sand which I think are big advantages. The food selections at BC are much more limited as is the shopping. Also if you need to do laundry, Riverside is much better - a lot more machines and by the pool. At BC there were only 2 machines and we ended up waiting until we got to Riverside because we could never find a machine free at BC.

The Riverside room didn't seem much smaller to us. It's arranged differently and more functional. The bathrooms are the same size - small. The shower curtain worked much better at Riverside. We kept flooding the bathroom floor at BC.

For young kids, I think Riverside is the much better choice. To me it just seems more like a resort than BC and with the money you're saving you can take an Uber anytime you're running late or hot and tired. You might also spurge for a carriage ride at Riverside.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

I've just returned from a split stay Beach Club followed by PO-Riverside. We found two advantages to BC - the location and inside hallways. BC has great access to EPCOT and good access to DHS. We love the skyliner. I like a inside hallway so that I don't have people walking by the windows. We really didn't have many people walking by at PO-Riverside. We stayed at BC for the deluxe extra hours, which did not turn out to be that much of an advantage. We had less problems with noisy neighbors at Riverside than at BC, but I'm sure that's just luck.

I think that the pool at Riverside is underrated. Kids seem to enjoy it just as much as BC, plus it's got shady areas and no sand which I think are big advantages. The food selections at BC are much more limited as is the shopping. Also if you need to do laundry, Riverside is much better - a lot more machines and by the pool. At BC there were only 2 machines and we ended up waiting until we got to Riverside because we could never find a machine free at BC.

The Riverside room didn't seem much smaller to us. It's arranged differently and more functional. The bathrooms are the same size - small. The shower curtain worked much better at Riverside. We kept flooding the bathroom floor at BC.

For young kids, I think Riverside is the much better choice. To me it just seems more like a resort than BC and with the money you're saving you can take an Uber anytime you're running late or hot and tired. You might also spurge for a carriage ride at Riverside.

I love your honest review, thank you for taking the time to go over everything. With the money I’m saving I can get all my laundry sent away and done for me!
I’m not bothered by hallways, although it would be nice to have a balcony.

 

[unrequited23]

Random POR tip--If you are traveling with a stroller, request a first floor room. There are no elevators in the Alligator Bayou section (where the 5th sleeper rooms are located.) Carrying a stroller (or a sleeping kid) up a flight of stairs after a long day at the park is no fun.

 

[katyjeka]

I would normally say deluxe but save the money and plan a second trip. POR is a great resort and your kids would love it.

 

[Wood Nymph]

At BC there were only 2 machines and we ended up waiting until we got to Riverside because we could never find a machine free at BC.

There are only two machines in the laundry room that is inside the BC. But there are several machines in the laundry room at the BC quiet pool.

We love both POR and BC. The main pool at POR is very nice and the pool bar is great.

 

[grapefruitjellybean]

I just changed my reservation! We will be staying at PO Riverside! Total savings is $2763.94USD or $3602.78CAD. With that extra savings I can book an all inclusive resort for a week in Mexico. It's really a no brainer.
We can save BC for when my kids are older.

Thank you so much to everyone who provided advice.

 

[peabody58]

Before we bought into DVC, we stayed at POFQ several times. POR was still Dixie Landings. The POxx resorts are Disney's hidden secret. They are so nice and we always had a wonderful time. You will not regret your stay and will always want to revisit it in the future. Almost went back to POFQ when our points were low, but then Covid came, reservations were cancelled (DVC & POFQ) and we were flush with points again. Some day.