Carribean or Port Orleans Riverside

[max'smom]

Hello. We are traveling to Disney for the first time since 2001. We are bringing our two boys ages 3 and 6. We stayed at ASM last time and want to try a Moderate Resort this time. We need some advice on which one to choose. We liked the look of Carribean, but have read that it is very spread out. We are concerned about getting around easily with the little guys. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

 

[kimmar067]

...would NOT stay at a Mod (just my personal preference, since I've been spoiled by those Deluxes!), but if I had to choose, my vote would be for CSR (BTW - I've stayed at ALL of 'em!)

 

[scoutsmom99]

First off welcome to the Dis ,

I voted for CBR. The resort is just gorgeous and the theming is splendid. Yes the resort is large, but most of the mods except POFQ are spread out. If you are able to afford a preferred room (extra $15 a night) then you will be very close to the main pool and food court area (called Old Port Royale). If you don't want to pay the extra then I suggest putting a request for Jamaica or Aruba on your ressie (they are a hop skip and a jump away from OPR).

The past two times I have gone to CBR I have stayed in Jamaica (Bldg 44) and have loved the location (about 5 minutes to OPR, btw they have a playground on the beach there). Also at CBR each village has it's own pool and CBR doesn't share a bus with another resort (nor does CSR). Here is a playground pic:

Here is the link to the CBR FAQ:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=655543

Here is a recent CBR discussion:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=877426

 

[tiggersmom2]

Hey!!!!!

I have an 11 yr. old and a 2 yr. old......they LOVE POR!!!! We stay in the Alligator Bayou section...it is like a Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn storybook!!! The rooms are great but the grounds are awesome!!!! My boys hunt lizards and frogs at night outside our rooms and the quiet pools are worth their weight in gold! There is also tons of playgrounds.

 

[TAKitty]

My husband hated CB because it was so spread out. I did pay to be close to the food court, but the place seems to have no logic. We walked from the check in to our building and it was such a pain. It definately took some magic out of our trip. When we were at POR the check in is in the same building as the food court. The walk was much less, and it was easy to find our building.

 

[jellymanoffspring]

My husband hated CB because it was so spread out. I did pay to be close to the food court, but the place seems to have no logic. We walked from the check in to our building and it was such a pain. It definately took some magic out of our trip. When we were at POR the check in is in the same building as the food court. The walk was much less, and it was easy to find our building.

Just wondering...why would you do that?? (Walk from the custom house??)

edited to add : I think walking to (finding) your own room from check in at any Mod would be confusing....

I like the separate Cusom house/check in building.....last July after check in we never went there again.....so it does not even seem like a busy resort with folks checking in and out alll of the time.....you never see it...

 

[jellymanoffspring]

I love the CBR theming...but I love palm trees when I am in Florida!!
It is a relaxingatmosphere..
enjoyed renting the boats and watching the Epcot fireworks above the trees.

Stayed at POR Riverside (when it was dixie landings) Beautiful... (but I missed the palm trees)
Loved renting a boat and cruising down the river....also loved the Boat that takes you to DTD.......

Whatmonthare you going....CSR looks neat....We were traveling last July and the atmosphere just looked too dry and arid for me. We stopped in for a peak and walked into loud music from one of the convention rooms.....seemed like a different Bustling atmosphere than CBR...But we did not explorebeyond the main area.... so I can't give a fair assesment...

All of the moderates are great and you just have to choose which Disney Themeing you prefer!!

 

[purplern]

We have stayed at both CBR and POR and have enjoyed them both! The Caribbean theme is nice. CBR does have an internal bus that will take you around the resort. The lake is beautiful!
POR is also nice and with boys they would probably like staying in the bayou section more than the mansions! There is a fishing hole if they like to fish. Catch and release at POR by the pool.

 

[Buzz2001]

THE PROS
No sharing bus service with other resorts
Centrally located with short rides to the parks
Largest hot tub on WDW property
Awesome main pool area with bar, snack bar, playground and kiddie pool
3 quiet pools
New shuttle service eliminates long walks to any of the villages
High speed internet service
WiFi available too
Free use of the gym
Spa
Fridge in the room
Coffeemaker in the room
Iron and ironing board
full room service menu
2 arcades
beautifully landscaped
central air, not a noisey wall unit

THE CONS
Full size beds (kings size beds are available)
one sink

IN THE MIDDLE
The Pepper Market is either a love it or hate it place. We love it but some folks just don't care for it.

Convention resort - some guests don't like seeing other guests at work. Doesn't bother us and helps keep the buses empty. GF, Cont, BW, Y & B Club are also convention resorts.

Check out my website below

 

[Buzz2001]

Here are some threads showing all the popularity of all the moderate resorts.

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

Thread 4

Thread 5

Thread 6

Thread 7

Thread 8

Thread 9

Thread 10

Thread 11

Thread 12

Best Mod Pool

TOTAL VOTES OF ABOVE THREADS
POFQ = 442
POR = 413
CSR = 405
CBR = 219

 

[Lizzybee]

I can't really compare the different Mods because we've only stayed at POR but we all loved it there from age 7 to 65. It's has a very laid back Southern Charm type of feel which is a welcome change of pace after the busy days at the parks. Also some not to miss features at POR include:

Breakfast at Boatwrights (Sweet Potato Pancakes and Blueprint Omlettes outta this world good)

Bob the Piano Man in the River Roost Lounge (he's a ton of fun for all ages, it doesn't have a "bar" feel at all when he's there)

Boat to DTD (great way to travel, beautiful and relaxing like the resort itself)

Both Pools - legal pool hopping between POR and POFQ gives you access to two beautifully themed main pools

 

[Tiffany]

Hello. We are traveling to Disney for the first time since 2001. We are bringing our two boys ages 3 and 6. We stayed at ASM last time and want to try a Moderate Resort this time. We need some advice on which one to choose. We liked the look of Carribean, but have read that it is very spread out. We are concerned about getting around easily with the little guys. Thanks for any advice you can provide.

Hi,

I would reconmend POFQ. It is the most compack of the moderates. You do share buses with POR but you are the first bus stop on and off.

 

[bubba73]

I have been to POR to check it out for a future trip with just my DW. It was quite large and even the CM got lost while walking around. I haven't been to CBR so I can't say anything about that. If I could pick one, I would actually pick CSR. I love the pool area and the look.

 

[robinb]

I have stayed at CBR and POFQ. My choice with 2 young children would be POFQ because it is small. You are never far from the pool, food court or bus stop. Plus, I really like the New Orleans theme. If you choose CBR, then pay extra for a preferred room that is close to the OPR (food court & main pool).

 

[Tidus]

I stayed at POFQ last summer with my DD6 and DS8. I also loved that it was small. I was in BLD. 5 and only had to cross the "street" to get to the laudry fac., pool and food court. It was great being the first pickup and drop off when taking the bus. At the end of a long day, it was such a quick walk to our room. The Serpent slide was a huge hit with the kids! We drove through POR when we were on the bus and it seems very nice, but huge. I might try CSR on my next trip because I would like to try diff. resorts.

 

[TwinMom7]

I can only speak for PORiverside and Caribbean Beach.

We've stayed at Riverside 4 times and will be there again in two weeks. We've stayed at CBR once.

That should tell you where we lean right there.

Caribbean Beach was very nice - but the food court is TINY in comparison to Riverside. We stayed in Jamaica, but still felt like we had a very long walk to the food court and main pool.

...as for Riverside, I just love the theming and the landscaping - my personal favorite is the bayou area.

The boat to Downtown Disney is another fun perk.

I'm counting the days until we're back on the bayou.

 

[JMD]

I prefer CBR, only because I like the theming better than the others. Alot of people complain about the size of CBR, and the rooms are far away from everything. But I've stayed at other moderates and had to walk just as far as when I stayed at CBR.

 

[FaerieG]

We stayed at CBR last time and loved it. We asked for the furthest building from food court. We had a lovely garden view and the walk, which is not long at all, to the food court and main pool was really nice.
Plus the smaller pools in between buildings were great, not to mention the handy laundry facilities and quick bus pick up (max. wait then was 10 min.)
I didn't have children with me, but saw a lot of them having a good old time.
This time, we're staying at POR, just to try something different. However, I would go back to CBR in a flash.
I'm sure either place will be just fine.
Enjoy.