Help,Serious Family Issue...POP VS. POR

[Emme]

This is our dilema...

My brother, his wife and 13 year old dd have decided they would like to join us for our August vacation to WDW, the free dining convinced them. We are booked @ POR and love it there!! They want a value and booked at POP. They really want us all to be together (touring and meals are a given) and REFUSES to spend the extra $400 on POR (yes, that's all the difference is).

They want us to come on over to POP and stay there. We are; me, my DH, and 17 year old DS. Not my idea of where I want to spend my vacation, BUT we go often they don't. Should I break down and go stay at POP or just keep what we have and meet up at different times.

Please if you can be as specific as possible on the pros and cons it would help, we are REALLY struggling with this

 

[mommykds]

We traveled on our last trip with a very dear friend & her family of 4. We stayed at CBR & she stayed at ASmovies. It did not affect our being together as a group. We planned ps together, planned park days together, etc. You do not have to be at the same resort to vacation with another family. I think you should stay at the resort you are comfortable in & your brother should stay where he is comfortable & plan your days in the parks & dining together. Hope all works out well.

 

[eeyore45]

first thoughts- - Be careful what you wish for!!

I get the sense if you move down to appease family, you will be resentful from time to time, esp if anything should go wrong, or not be "perfect" You will always wonder why you didnt just keep your reservations... and I dont see the converse being true... (If you keep your ressies, and your brother stays at Pop... altho, if your brother spends an extra $400 he may resent you every time he feels a money pinch, it wasnt worth it, it was just a room...)

The Pros for you moving to Pop, read the trip reports from those Dis'ers that've stayed there - I have read so very many positive things from the Pop!! From the food court, to the theming, to the overall sense of "fun" Much more to do there for the teenagers...

Con, you are an adult and want the advantages POR holds for adults. This is your vacation, you planned it, organized it, and have a "dream" of what it will be.. I dont see you giving that up - why should you?

So in the end , you get to decide, I think you both will be happy with the choices you made (pop/POR) for the reasons you each made them... if the boys get along, make arrangements for sleepovers in case of seperation?? just a thought... could be wrong...

 

[Nolcrest]

If they are joining you for your vacation I would not budge from POR. That is their choice to stay at POP. Don't be bullied into moving. (I just hate when people try to manipulate others).

Especially since your son is a teen I would definately stay with POR. Access to DTD and Disney Quest is worth the stay at POR, plus the family lounge at POR is a plus.

I would just state that you don't care to switch your ressies. This won't prevent you all from having a great time though, especially if you'll be at the parks and dining together.

Please don't give in (unless you want to of course).

 

[cowtownmom]

If they are joining you for your vacation I would not budge from POR. That is their choice to stay at POP. Don't be bullied into moving. (I just hate when people try to manipulate others).

Especially since your son is a teen I would definately stay with POR. Access to DTD and Disney Quest is worth the stay at POR, plus the family lounge at POR is a plus.

I would just state that you don't care to switch your ressies. This won't prevent you all from having a great time though, especially if you'll be at the parks and dining together.

Please don't give in (unless you want to of course).

I agree completely. You already had your trip planned and they've decided to go along. You'll have lots of time together at the parks and you could have them join you at POR for any activities you may do there. They might even end up wishing they had made the choice to stay there once they see it!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have NEVER changed my plans when family decided to come along unless WE decided---noone has ever commanded me to change. If their trip isnt going to be as lovely if you guys aren't together--then he needs to suck it up and spend the extra money.

 

[Mysteria]

I would stay at POR. It also creates some space between you so you aren't all together all the time. Some time apart now and then usually makes vacations with extended family a little easier.

Myst

 

[Tishke]

I have to agree with what has been posted, stay at POR. You will still be able to tour the parks as a family, but you shouldn't have to sacrifice the resort that you love. Plus, I have learned in the past that while a vacation with family is fun, a little space is a GREAT thing.

Just tell your family you are excited that they will be coming along, but that your family prefers the POR and feel you would be happier there. They did decide to come after your had made your plans, so don't change anything, just work on the touring schedule

 

[Julia M]

Question for you.......can your brother really not afford the extra $400, or doesn't want to?

If he really can't afforf to, it might be a nice gesture to join him at the Pop, since you take many trips to the World.

If, on the other hand, he just doens't want to, then stay at the PO and just plan to join him.

Julia

 

[maxaroni]

I would stay put. You had your vacation planned prior to him wanting to join you. I know that in many situations, we feel as though we bend to accomodate others and sometimes I regret not sticking to your original plans. Just my .02

 

[Emme]

My brother is a wonderful man, really!! He is not trying to be difficult, just want us to be together. He just loves the value resorts and doesn't want to stay elsewhere. He has more than enough money, just prefers to stay at the values...

 

[tlbwriter]

My brother is a wonderful man, really!! He is not trying to be difficult, just want us to be together. He just loves the value resorts and doesn't want to stay elsewhere. He has more than enough money, just prefers to stay at the values...

And *you* prefer to stay at POR. So, since he is the one joining *your* vacation, he should join it all the way, kwim? It's not very nice to say "Oh, are you doing that? Can I do it with you? And would you mind doing something different instead?"

Anyway, staying at separate resorts won't prohibit you from spending plenty of time together. And if you're all together at one park and need a break, won't it be nice to have the choice of two resorts, and just pick which one is closer?

 

[lajones81]

It seems that you have really planned out your next trip. I think you should keep your current reservations and meet up to visit the parks, eat, etc.

I hope it works out! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Bunch24]

Since it sounds like money is not the real issue, but preference, maybe you should just explain to him the "value" of staying at POR. Tell him what you love about POR and make it clear that you'd like to keep your ressies at POR.

If he doesn't go for that, then just stay in separate resorts and meet up in the parks. With proper planning, the only time you'll ever spend apart is when you're sleeping.

Also, you might want to explain to him the benefits of having two pools to choose from at POR. I'd just try to sell him on how great POR is, and if he doesn't go for it, at least you tried.

It's YOUR vacation, he's joining you. Family is important, but so is personal comfort. I'd hate for you to drop your POR ressies and end up at POP and be miserable there.

That's my $.02.

 

[sue1013]

Even though your brother is a wonderful man, you may need some distance on vacation. I've travelled with wonderful family and you know what, we needed to have time apart. It's hard to spend 24/7 with anyone besides your immediate family. It works out better for us when family stays at another resort we all get a break from each other.

 

[DisneyJen0504]

If I were you I would stay put. You will be happier in the end.

 

[Stephanie VanMeter]

In 2003 we stayed at POR and loved it. Of course, it was the only one I had stayed in at the time. I did enjoy the boat ride to DD and the idea of feeling spread out. Last year my family did a Grand Gathering of 12 and we all stayed at POP. I also loved it too. I have a son who is 17 and he enjoyed it as well. I think both places are great. My family would probably go for POP. I will say that it was sometimes difficult with 12 to get everyone moving. If you stay at seperate resorts than you can just pick a time to meet and you don't feel as if you are spending your time waiting at the resort. On the other hand I would not trade the fact that all of us were together in one place. My family actually stayed an extra day and it was kind of lonely after everyone else left. Sounds like either way will work for you but I will say that POP is a nice place to stay.

 

[Luci D.]

I can totally understand the attraction of the lower cost of staying at POP. In the case of my own circumstances, the value resorts are truly the ones that we can afford....but, we've always splurged on resort, and made other economies elsewhere. (Like-I grabbed up a job at the Disney Store to get the WDW vacation discount, lol, but that was short-lived, and off topic )

Anyhoo-back to my point, heh,heh,

We recently returned from WDW. The day before we were scheduled to check out, in honor of my b'day in honor of my b'day, we snagged a room at Pop Century so that we could extend our vacation another couple of days. We'd been just dying to see them, and we really wanted to stay there.

BUT, after staying one night, we both agreed that we didn't want to stay at POP again. The room was awfully humid, and we couldn't turn the air down past 68, so the room was muggy and too warm. Also, I thought all WDW resorts had an outdoors hot tub...important to me b/c a spa soak keeps away my chromic leg cramps at night...but, they don't have any at POP.

POP is fantastic in theme, decor, their CMs were the absolute best I've encountered at any WDW resort, but, we agreed that we love the WDW resort experience so much more when we stay at a moderate or deluxe.

I think if you told your bro a little more about the particulars of POP---like food court instead of restaurants, spread out bldgs, parking lots not necc. convenient to room, distance to shlepp luggage, distance to WDW transportation, no "spa" at the pool, stuff like that, he may change his mind about stayng there.

 

[amyjo]

(Didn't read the other posts first, so might repeat what someone else said...) I'd stay at the resort you want to stay at. If they are set on touring the parks and eating together, you might need a "break" from each other and some family time at night, anyway.

You'd be doing the flip side of what we do on our big family trip (my parents, me and dh and our kids, my brothers, their wives and kids). We stay at the same resort--in rooms next to each other, if possible. We eat breakfast together and schedule one charcter meal together. Other than that, we go our own way and check back in at night to do Illuminations or something else together. You don't have to be joined at the hip.

 

[wide awake]

I'm in the minority here. If your brother really wants to stay at POP, for whatever reason...and your family visits WDW quite a bit, what is the big deal? Life is short...we all like to think we have unlimited time ahead of us, but that is not reality. Stay at POP, enjoy your brother's family and the resort, and stay at your choice next time. I've read POR and POFQ have lovely grounds and slightly bigger rooms..but they still have double beds...is it that big a difference ? I know if my sister and nephews went with us but wanted to stay someplace different we'd discuss it, then decide where all of us needed to stay...and knowing what we'd spend on food it would be a value resort. Family matters...a resort isn't that big a deal. POR and POFQ will always be there...are you certain your family will always be there to join you ?