Hotel Decision Help! BW v. POFQ v. POR

[glk2009]

We are finally planning another WDW trip and I’m having a hard time deciding on a hotel.

Most recently, we’ve stayed at BWV and love that you can walk to Epcot and DHS. We are definitely Star Wars fans so it would be great to be able to walk to DHS and not worry about the bus.

But, I’m wondering if it’s better to be a little more economical and stay at POFQ or POR. We stayed at POFQ awhile ago and I can’t remember how good/bad the buses were. We did like the resort but I do worry my kids have aged out of the pool. They would be 12 and 8 for our trip. We haven’t stayed at POR but it sounds like a fun resort.

So help me decide. Is the convenience worth the extra cost for BW?

TIA!

 

[sullyfam]

I would say that the convenience of BW is definitely worth it. You can't beat the Epcot area resorts especially if you plan on visiting HS often. I also find it hard to go backwards once we stay Deluxe; you notice the differences, but we tend to bounce all over depending on the trip.

Between POR and POFQ, I would pick POFQ. It's smaller and much easier to get around. POR is large and spread out with multiple bus stops. You could have a hike from your room to the pools, main building and bus stops depending on where you are put. The nice thing about POFQ is one bus stop. But from either POR or POFQ, you're going to need to rely on buses for all your transportation.

POFQ is a fine option but if you can splurge, I would do BW in a heartbeat! I don't think you'll regret it.

 

[glk2009]

I would say that the convenience of BW is definitely worth it. You can't beat the Epcot area resorts especially if you plan on visiting HS often. I also find it hard to go backwards once we stay Deluxe; you notice the differences, but we tend to bounce all over depending on the trip.

Between POR and POFQ, I would pick POFQ. It's smaller and much easier to get around. POR is large and spread out with multiple bus stops. You could have a hike from your room to the pools, main building and bus stops depending on where you are put. The nice thing about POFQ is one bus stop. But from either POR or POFQ, you're going to need to rely on buses for all your transportation.

POFQ is a fine option but if you can splurge, I would do BW in a heartbeat! I don't think you'll regret it.

Thanks! You’re definitely right that it’s tough to go backwards. My DH is hesitant about it. Lol.

Good info on POFQ! I didn’t realize how sprawling POR was.

Thanks!

 

[glocon]

I agree that for SW fans an Epcot area resort is the way to go. If nothing else, do a split stay... with BW for the second part of your stay.

 

[manicstreet]

I would definitely say the convenience is worth it. However, it depends how much you would save staying at port Orleans. I can only use myself as an example. I’m a deluxe guy, I love the amenities. However, we are planning a last minute trip this November and we got an unbeatable rate at Coronado. I can not justify the increase in cost to stay at a deluxe. I wish I could but as much as I think I’m made of money, I am sadly not.

 

[JoJoGirl]

If BW fits comfortably in your bugdet, then hands down it is the better choice for convenience and amenities. We stayed there in December and loved it. But it’s not worth giving up other stuff or going into debt for.

If the pool at POFQ is a concern, don’t forget that guests there can also use the pool at POR, which is more extensive. My daughter liked the slide there better. The breakfast/quick service food situation is also a lot better at the Port Orleans resorts, and the larger POR food court is only a 5-10 minute walk from FQ, depending on where your room is. At BWI, we tired very quickly of the pizza window and the to-go stand.

POFQ bus service is about the same as anywhere else, with the advantage of only having one stop. At the slow times when FQ shares a bus with POR, FQ will be the first stop (bonus).

We’ve stayed at all three places multiple times and never been unhappy. Only you can know what the price difference means to your budget.

 

[pixiedustedme]

Boardwalk is a very beautiful hotel with a fantastic water slide. It is not a quick walk to Hollywood Studios- it takes about 15 minutes or so for a healthy adult walking at a normal pace. So while it is nice to be able to walk to and from & especially to avoid endless bus lines at closing, just realize that it isn't a short walk. That's especially significant when it rains.

 

[BebopBaloo]

Last year we had the opportunity to stay at both POFQ and BWV in the same trip. It was our first stay at each. The first part of the stay was at POFQ and we really loved it. There was not a single thing to complain about. The size of the resort was great in that it was very small and never felt crowded. We didn't get a chance to use it, but there is the boat to Disney Springs. We only shared buses with POR twice over the span of 5 days. We were sad to check out. My daughter of similar age enjoyed the pool.

BWV were really nice, but we missed having a food court less than a two minutes from our room. It took forever to walk to our BWV room at the end of a very very long hall, but I wasn't complaining at all because we did get an unasked for upgrade to a waterview room. It was very quiet too because we were not over the actual boardwalk. We actually had less privacy at BWV in the room when getting ready. There is a curtain divider to the bathroom at FQ, so even though the bathroom was bigger at BWV in the studio, it was less private. My kids did like having a sofa bed and a pull down murphy bed so that they didn't have to share. The air vent does blow straight onto the murphy bed, so extra blankets for whoever sleeps there. My kids took turns.

I feel like I'm rambling. They are both great places for different reasons. I did get an excellent deal on both last summer. It would be really hard for me to choose BWV without that even if it were in my budget just because the overall setup didn't work as well for us. Walking to Epcot was super, but I wonder how much busier that entrance will be once the gondolas open. Of course, that is still perhaps a perk.

 

[glk2009]

Boardwalk is a very beautiful hotel with a fantastic water slide. It is not a quick walk to Hollywood Studios- it takes about 15 minutes or so for a healthy adult walking at a normal pace. So while it is nice to be able to walk to and from & especially to avoid endless bus lines at closing, just realize that it isn't a short walk. That's especially significant when it rains.

Thanks! We’ve stayed at BW before so are familiar with the walk. Walking is less stressful than the bus for us! Luckily it hasn’t rained on us yet. Knock on wood!

And we love the water slide!

 

[glk2009]

Last year we had the opportunity to stay at both POFQ and BWV in the same trip. It was our first stay at each. The first part of the stay was at POFQ and we really loved it. There was not a single thing to complain about. The size of the resort was great in that it was very small and never felt crowded. We didn't get a chance to use it, but there is the boat to Disney Springs. We only shared buses with POR twice over the span of 5 days. We were sad to check out. My daughter of similar age enjoyed the pool.

BWV were really nice, but we missed having a food court less than a two minutes from our room. It took forever to walk to our BWV room at the end of a very very long hall, but I wasn't complaining at all because we did get an unasked for upgrade to a waterview room. It was very quiet too because we were not over the actual boardwalk. We actually had less privacy at BWV in the room when getting ready. There is a curtain divider to the bathroom at FQ, so even though the bathroom was bigger at BWV in the studio, it was less private. My kids did like having a sofa bed and a pull down murphy bed so that they didn't have to share. The air vent does blow straight onto the murphy bed, so extra blankets for whoever sleeps there. My kids took turns.

I feel like I'm rambling. They are both great places for different reasons. I did get an excellent deal on both last summer. It would be really hard for me to choose BWV without that even if it were in my budget just because the overall setup didn't work as well for us. Walking to Epcot was super, but I wonder how much busier that entrance will be once the gondolas open. Of course, that is still perhaps a perk.

Ramble away! I love the info.

I briefly considered a split stay but I’m lazy and don’t love the idea of packing up and moving after two or three nights. We are also going to be at Universal for two nights prior to DW, so already moving once.

Thanks!