French Quarter or AKL

[jd65]

I know, it's deluxe vs moderate.
We just love deluxe but most are way too expensive. However, we got a deal. AKL isn't bad given it is deluxe but French Quarter is just so cheap. We have read iffy things about POFQ rooms having paper thin walls and creeky mattresses. AKL seems a bit far from the parks as we have read iffy things about their bus system. Besides these things, both seem nice (both are new to us). We are staying late June through July 5th if that helps. As I've said, ignore price because we have a deal whether we go deluxe or mod. Just give me opinions and tidbits...thanks!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

We love POFQ. It's our favourite moderate resort. We enjoy the rooms and haven't had any issues with noise. We have always found it very peaceful and the bus service has usually been very good. The resort is so easy to get around (compact size) with beautiful gardens. You can walk to Riverside if you want a change of scenery (they have a nice QS restaurant there, and a table service - we haven't eaten there so can't comment on it). Our favourite feature is the boat to Disney Springs. We aren't staying there on our next trip (they only offered Bounce Back offer for Riverside, so we are going there, but will miss the French Quarter). We haven't stayed at AKL (but we've been to Boma several times). Good luck deciding - we had so much trouble deciding that we have a triple split stay coming up . Maybe a split stay is a compromise? Have fun

 

[jd65]

We love POFQ. It's our favourite moderate resort. We enjoy the rooms and haven't had any issues with noise. We have always found it very peaceful and the bus service has usually been very good. The resort is so easy to get around (compact size) with beautiful gardens. You can walk to Riverside if you want a change of scenery (they have a nice QS restaurant there, and a table service - we haven't eaten there so can't comment on it). Our favourite feature is the boat to Disney Springs. We aren't staying there on our next trip (they only offered Bounce Back offer for Riverside, so we are going there, but will miss the French Quarter). We haven't stayed at AKL (but we've been to Boma several times). Good luck deciding - we had so much trouble deciding that we have a triple split stay coming up . Maybe a split stay is a compromise? Have fun

Thank you! We have read mostly great things about POFQ. How are the beignets? They seem great!
Unfortunately, this trip is already a split stay...between Key Largo in SoFlo and Disney!

 

[mamabunny]

Here to second what @OurLaughingPlace said.

Probably the "worst" thing about POFQ is the lack of TS dining, but we never notice because we have all of Disney Springs at our disposal via a quick cruise down the river.

It really is the best moderate on property as far as our family is concerned.

Hope your trip is as Magical as you could wish for!

 

[mamabunny]

Also forgot - there is a fan site for POFQ & POR that has TONS of info: PortOrleans.Org

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

 

[jd65]

Also forgot - there is a fan site for POFQ & POR that has TONS of info: PortOrleans.Org

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Thank you!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Thank you! We have read mostly great things about POFQ. How are the beignets? They seem great!
Unfortunately, this trip is already a split stay...between Key Largo in SoFlo and Disney!

We enjoy the beignets - DD's love them. I think they are good, but I wouldn't make a trip to the resort just for the beignets like some people will do.
The site that @mamabunny mentioned is fantastic!

 

[HairyChest]

Id pick akl. Even though port orleans is beautiful, the way the rooms are it gives me a motel feeling whereas akl is a true hotel. You would have to take busses from both except downtown disney from port orleans. I also think the pool area in akl is lush and beautiful. If you arent saving money going port orleans, AKL is the way to go

 

[StellaD]

I've never stayed at POFQ but may try it next time. We did just come back from AKL and loved it. It was just a completely unique experience and atmosphere. We loved the amazing pool area with water slide too, which may be nice in the summer. We thought the bus service was fine. We never waited long and found the rides to go quickly. I think magic kingdom was 20 minutes. We loved Boma and Mara was good too. We liked the Mara setup of ordering and paying and getting a buzzer to go up and get our food when it was ready. It gave our family a chance to get settled at our table. It sounds like two great choices for you and you can't go wrong either way.

 

[jd65]

Id pick akl. Even though port orleans is beautiful, the way the rooms are it gives me a motel feeling whereas akl is a true hotel. You would have to take busses from both except downtown disney from port orleans. I also think the pool area in akl is lush and beautiful. If you arent saving money going port orleans, AKL is the way to go

We will save $700 with the deal we get if we stay at POFQ... probably half that at AKL but it is still cheap for that resort.

 

[jd65]

Anyone know if POFQ and Riverside share buses? That ,ay be a deal breaker for us unless POFQ is last on the way to the parks and first on the way back.

 

[StellaD]

We will save $700 with the deal we get if we stay at POFQ... probably half that at AKL but it is still cheap for that resort.

Do you know if it is savanna view? We had that and it was great. But I think I'd like pool view there too. Or I've read some standard view room overlook animals too.

 

[mamabunny]

Anyone know if POFQ and Riverside share buses? That ,ay be a deal breaker for us unless POFQ is last on the way to the parks and first on the way back.

ATM POR & POFQ don't share buses... much LOL. The PortOrleans.org website has a great explanation of how the bus system is working there currently. Andre' keeps it updated, and in addition posts on Twitter, etc. and is super responsive to any questions you may have!

Also, the beignets are not *quite* Cafe DuMonde, but close enough if you close your eyes, and listen to the music!

 

[KaptKaveman]

I think everyone should try AKL at least one. That was our first resort and it is tough for me not to book that every summer(we typically stay Deluxe in the summer and Mod in the fall/Holiday season). The thing that makes it so tough is typically you can get a really good deal, we stayed there last summer Club Level for less than any other deluxe non-Club level. The pool is better than POFQ and you can always try out the Kidani pool. I like the hidden mickey scavenger hunt at AKL too.

We stayed POFQ two years ago and I really enjoyed it. My wife did not care for it and we wound up doing POR Royal Room this past Christmas she enjoyed that alot more. On that trip there was no rhyme or reason(seemingly) to when POR and POFQ would share buses. It was the same on our recent trip to POR, most of the time it went straight to POR coming back from the parks but twice we stopped at POFQ first. I did enjoy the hot tub at POFQ better than AKL but that may be because of the time of year we went to both.

 

[Freiden8]

I'd actually go with POFQ!

AKL was just too far out for our liking. Also, I just saw an interesting graph that broke down the room sizes of the resorts. While the overall square footage of AKL rooms are more than the mods, the moderates actual bedroom size is greater than both AKL and WL... and it feels like it! We felt cramped more than ever before when we stayed at AKL.

In case it interests you: http://**************.net/planning-...tegory/how-many-square-feet-in-a-square-foot/

 

[loves to dive]

My first instinct is go with AKL, it is a beautiful resort and a bus is a bus. You are going to have to use them either way. We didn't notice AKL being that far out when we were there, yes it is farther than POFQ. I've not stayed at FQ, did stay at RS and loved it, for a moderate it was comfortable and I loved the feel of the place. I did it with a split stay with OKW, 2 nights PORS and 3 nights OKW. After leaving PORS I wished I had just booked the entire trip there, since as I said, a bus is a bus and you have to take them from OKW as well. I usually only stay at the moderates unless it's just for 1 or 2 nights with a split stay with a deluxe so I can't say I'd stay at PORS for an entire week. Having said all that, $700 is nothing to sneeze at so I don't know that I wouldn't think long and hard about that.

 

[HopperFan]

If money is not an issue then no doubt AKL. I know of no hotel in this country you can enjoy exotic animals just outside the hotel. It's a stunning hotel with some of the best dining of any resort. The pool area is really nice, with tucked away hot tubs, animals nearby, food court right there and given you are going summer months a plus. It has one of the best gift shops, often African music entertainment and we loved talking with all the CMs about their country in Africa. We never had any bus issues and it's not that far out at all. DHS and Epcot are only a few minutes away and the ride to MK is all "highway". I think folks don't like that it's a deluxe totally dependent on buses.

POFQ is a nice resort, fairly compact and I love the real French Quarter but it doesn't wow me amenity wise. The biggest plus is the boat to Disney Springs if that is somewhere you plan to spend time. (Beignets are good but if you've had real ones they don't compare.)

 

[kyleandconnorsmom]

My last two stays were at POFQ and AKL. We really loved POFQ and I was skeptical about staying somewhere else because we loved it that much. But my boys really wanted to try out AKL, so we stayed there last June and LOVED it. It was so unique, we enjoyed Mara, the pool was great, and we had zero issues with buses. In fact, I was surprised how quickly we got to MK on our first night because I had heard so many negative stories. You can't go wrong either way, but given the choice, I'd choose AKL. Sadly, we are a family of 5, so we can't stay at either again unless we get 2 rooms, I take my boys without DH or my mom (always a possibility), or we get a 2 bedroom villa at AKL (pricey).

 

[mamabunny]

I'd actually go with POFQ!

AKL was just too far out for our liking. Also, I just saw an interesting graph that broke down the room sizes of the resorts. While the overall square footage of AKL rooms are more than the mods, the moderates actual bedroom size is greater than both AKL and WL... and it feels like it! We felt cramped more than ever before when we stayed at AKL.

In case it interests you: http://**************.net/planning-...tegory/how-many-square-feet-in-a-square-foot/

To go along with that, I found this graphic (I'm pretty sure it was here on the DIS, I would love to find who to credit for this, because it's so clever!) that we have printed, and keep with our planning "stuff", lest anyone ever think that Mama is going back to the Values again...

 

[Bobb_o]

Those are the last two resorts I've stayed at. The two biggest questions to ask yourself is how much time will you spend at the resort and how important is cost. If you plan on spending any significant time at the resort AKL is worth it because it is the most unique resort on property. If you're waking up, going to a park all day and coming back to sleep then not only will you not get to enjoy the resort but you'll actually feel like you're missing out. I didn't plan to spend much time at AKL (Early Feb so no pool time) but after my first day there I decided to make time since the resort really is amazing.

Now, once you factor in DVC for me there is no reason to stay at POFQ anymore. I rented DVC points for a standard studio (I got a partial savannah view) which made actually made AKL cheaper than POFQ (56 points for 4 nights @ $14/point = $196/night vs. $221/night) and even second most expensive DVC season it's pretty much a negligible difference. If you went during the summer it would be $233/night at POFQ and $238/night at AKL. Booking DVC at AKL is actually one of the easier resorts (along with OKW and SSR) and at David's DVC for example doesn't charge a premium for booking 11 months in advance.