BC vs POR...I'm having the struggles here

[SharonZ]

It sounds like you can't convince yourself to stay anywhere but BC, and I don't think that you will be able to get a rate close to what you are paying at POR. IMO, I would postpone the vacation and save money towards your next vacation at BC. It's not worth going if you are going to be disappointed.

 

[disny_luvr]

My two favorite Disney resorts are the BC and the Poly and we usually do a split stay between the two, but with the soaring cost of staying onsite, we can’t afford them this year. We are booked at POR and some days I’m excited and some days I’m not, but I’m in Disney regardless if I’m at POR or BC. Something I’ve been doing to get excited is watch videos of POR on YouTube and it is helping. POR looks lovely. My DH and sons are excited to try it. I am looking forward to the food court at POR. The lack of QS options at BC is very disappointing especially when we want to grab something quick in the morning on our way to the parks. I’m also looking forward to the boat ride to DS. We never visit there but do have an ADR at Homecomin our arrival evening. I am going to miss the walk to Epcot and DHS from BC, especially after the evening shows and fireworks. I do think POR looks relaxing. We are going for 10 nights and we spend a lot of downtime at the resort resting, relaxing, and swimming. POR looks like a great respite from the parks vs. BC. If you can’t get excited about POR maybe wait a year and save up money. That way you’ll be able to enjoy your trip more by staying at the BC.

 

[maxiesmom]

I have stayed at both, and I have to tell you, unless you are planning a lot of pool time, the Beach Club is not worth an additional $140 a night.

Sure being able to walk to Epcot is great. But at POR you are a 5 minute bus ride away. And being able to boat to Disney Springs from POR is so nice! When I stayed at the Beach Club I missed having a decent food court, and POR has one of the best ones on Disney property. I also really like the gift shop at POR too.

For me, POR has a much more peaceful feeling than the Beach Club. The Beach Club feels more public, if that makes any sense. It has so many visitors, and with being on the boardwalk there are always people walking around. The themed pool at the Beach Club is right on the walkway around the boardwalk. In fact to use the big slide you have to cross the public sidewalk. POR feels like a peaceful oasis away from the parks.

I have to agree with a previous poster. If you dislike the look of POR so much you may want to postpone your trip. It is a lot of money to spend knowing you won't be happy. Or as another poster suggested, check out the rates at the Swan and Dolphin. They tend to be competitive with Disney moderates. You do lose a few perks, like Magical Express and being able to charge to your room. But they may be worth a look.

 

[JCornell]

POR is probably our favorite resort and we go there more than any other. Don't get me wrong, we also love the Poly and BC but we always say POR is a moderate that feels like a deluxe. Like deluxes it has:
- something other than just buses (boat to Disney Springs is really nice)
- a TS restaurant
- nighttime entertainment
- good counter service selections (better than BC)
- nice pool, pool bar, plenty of seating
If you're doing park hoppers, food and wine or enter Epcot frequently for other reasons then I'd give the nod to BC. Otherwise, I'd say POR has a lot to offer and is worth trying.
As others also mentioned, YC sometimes has more deals than BC and they're basically the same property though we all have our preferences (some said they preferred YC while we actually prefer BC). The pool is pretty great but we also don't spend as much time in it as we did when the kids were younger. Last time we stayed at YC we only made it in twice and both times thunder rolled in and we had to get out.

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

We love both resorts. PP's all make great points of the pros/cons of each resort. Would you consider spending all but one night of your trip at PORS and move to BC for your last night at Disney? Maybe check into BC early in the morning / walk into Epcot for the day until your room is ready, swim all afternoon at SAB, then walk back into Epcot in the evening? It is nice to be able to walk back to BC after having seen Illuminations and not have to deal with buses. Then the next day you can enjoy the pool as long as you want (even after check out) until your flight leaves (or if you're driving, leave whenever you want). That way you get use of SAB and a taste of the BC. This way, it's only one night of the more expensive resort, but 2 days benefit of location/pool?

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Funny how people seem to be choosing between those 2 resorts a lot. We stayed BC 2 years ago and POR the following year. We all preferred POR. Something very special about that resort. We liked BC too, but not half as much as POR.

 

[mousefan73]

We have stayed at both POR and BC. We prefer BC simply due to the quick walk to Epcot in the pool my kids just love storm along bay. But I will say they want to comes to service I can see no difference checking in at both resorts was the same experience and I did not feel any more special as a customer staying at BC. POR has to be the best moderate resort in my opinion the grounds are simply beautiful and lush. You also have the boat to Disney springs and an awesome food court. One year we compromise and did a split stay maybe look into that. It is a huge price difference between the two resorts that difference can either save you a lot of money or give you more money to do other things. I found the bus situation at POR not bad at all we never had any issues. I love the BC rooms just because that’s more my style and the beds are higher. For us it really is the fact that we can walk to Epcot and that my kids love that pool we also love peaches and cream getting ice cream there

 

[anniemae]

POR is lovely. They food court is really really good, as is Boatwrights. The deluxe hotels are beautiful, but it can be hard to justify the cost. We love the POR atmosphere, it is so relaxing.

 

[piratepride]

POR has the best quick service dining in my opinion. We have stayed there three times and loved it! Alligator and Mansion sections are both nice! The boat service is great as well. The pools are not overly crowed.