Deluxe to a Moderate or Value? Which One?

[zad's mom]

My DH, DS(3) and I have stayed at the AKL in the past and have loved it. I was really excited to hear about the MYW package with dining when I first heard about it. Despite people on these boards saying that the room rate for the MYW package will be at rack, I was keeping my fingers crossed that they would be discounted. Alas, now I know that is not to be.

Now that I've somewhat recovered from the disappointment of knowing that I could not afford to do the MYW package w/ dining for the AKL, I am now thinking of booking the package at either a moderate or value? Any suggestions on which resort to stay? And why? Thanks.

 

[armomof3lvsdisney]

We love POR

My family loves POR. The grounds and buildings are beautiful. The boat to DTD is a great perk. We love this resort and can't wait to back in March.

 

[helenk]

I have really enjoyed staying at the POFQ, the resort is relatively small, and it is easy to get from your building to the main building in just a matter of minutes.
I have had no trouble with the transportation, and the boat to DTD is a nice perk.
The selections in the food court are a bit more limited than the POR, or the values but we usually just ate there for breakfast or a quick lunch so we had no complaints.
You do not indicate when you are going to WDW, but if your trip is later in the year there could be discounts offered later.

 

[robinb]

I would suggest POFQ. It's a small, quaint, romantic resort with a great pool. It's themed like a collection of quiet streets in New Orleans' French Quarter. Your 3 year old may even be brave enough for the wonderful slide. The bus service is very good, it usually picks up and drops off at POFQ then goes to PO-R. The food court is nice and it's a sister resort to PO-R which is bigger with another food court and pool and a sit-down restaurant.

 

[jordanyosh]

Try POR--the Mansion Area as opposed to the Alligator Bayou. It has a more stately feel to it. The resort is pretty big, but nice looking. POR still has a sit-down restaurant while POFQ does not. The rooms are smaller in comparison to a deluxe, but should be fine for a family of 3. Have a great time

 

[goofy4tink]

I don't know, but with a 3 y/o, you might have a terrific time at AllStarMovies. My dd and I stayed there and loved it. Yes, the rooms are smaller but not that much smaller than a moderate. The beds are the same size and you only get one sink. But in your case that shouldn't be an issue. The pools looked to be fun. No slide but with a 3 y/o that might not be an issue either!!

We enjoyed the food court and the bus service was as good as other resorts we have stayed at. Sometimes it was even better!

We have stayed at POR twice now and we love it. But, unless we plan on using the pool a lot, I think we get more for our money from ASMs. They are so bright and 'in your face' type places. Kids really seem to love them.

But,if you don't want a value resort, then I would go with POR. The mansion section is really nice. More formal and stately than AB. I did love the walk back to our room in AB tho. So peaceful and bunny filled!!

 

[Selket]

I've only stayed at the AKL or POFQ when staying on property and I'd highly recommend the POFQ. It is a small resort - perfect for the toddler set as you don't have to walk far to get to the food court, pool, busses. Your room can be anywhere really. My son was 2.5 when we stayed there and he LOVED it - especially the pool. We stayed at the AKL this past trip and even with the animals and so forth I think he would have been just as happy at the POFQ. That pool really takes the cake. Even though my son didn't want to swim in it - he liked the baby pool better - he LOVED looking at it and being around it (baby pool is next to it and you can watch folks on the slide, etc.) You can always walk to the POR if you feel the need and there is a boat to DTD.

I'll add that I've never been attracted to the POR and I would probably stay off-site rather than the value category hotels (if I went several times a year I'd reconsider). The moderates however appear to be worth that little bit of extra cash to bump up from the values if the vacation is a special one - like you visit WDW once a year or less.

 

[septbride2002]

We stayed at the AKL in February and then at the POR-French Quarter in December - I liked French Quarter better!!! The resort is small but with a very open feel to it. I loved walking down by the river and just strooling through the resort. The courtyards are very nice and I loved the lobby area with the fountain in the middle. Everything is very understated at these two resorts which is why I think I liked them so much. CBR and CSR seemed so loud and huge to me. We have also stayed at the Poly which I thought was understated as well. No matter what you choose you will be at Disney and that is all that matters!

~Amanda