Just got back today:

[Amy&Dan]

We just got back from five full days at WDW. We stayed at POR for the first time and absolutely loved it! We had previously stayed at ASMO and POP and thought this resort suited us better. For one thing, the crowds made us want to get to the park early when possible (no easy task for our Mountain Timed bodies) and then take a break for swimming and relaxing. This has to be one of the most relaxing resorts I have stayed at anywhere. Even our kids didn't mind leaving (a couple of days we barely even did the parks) the parks for once. The main pool was great although the heater seemed to be hit or miss. Also we rented a surrey bike which was very fun and just enjoyed strolling the grounds and riding the boat to DTD. The rooms didn't seem that much bigger than the values but having the double sinks, frig, and privacy curtain was really nice. Also, the place was crowded but you never heard anybody. I think the tranquil surroundings just make everybody mellow! Way different than POP in January which sort of sounded like a dorm every morning as everybody headed out at the same time! I just cannot recommend this resort enough.

Crowds: MK was generally crazy, surprise, surprise. Did EMH last Wednesday night and the crowds never really thinned out much. We generally watch Wishes back by Dumbo and usually have few people back there with us. Not this time. Maybe since everybody was staying at the park afterwards they just stayed back by the rides. We did manage to get in some things but were surprised to still see crowds after midnight. Still worth it in my opinion. EMH on Friday morning was also crowded. We started out on Peter Pan with no line and in fact did that twice. We ate breakfast at the little counter service place by Dumbo at around 8:30 and I would say that line was already at 45 minutes. We stayed at MK until 11:30 and were able to do: Peter Pan (2X), Mickey's Philharmagic, Splash, BTMRR, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, Teacups and Indy Speedway in three and half hours. It definitely pays to get there early! We went to MK last night around 7:00 just to see Wishes and eat dinner and it seemed less crowded. It was a little cloudy and looked like rain (sprinkled briefly) so maybe people left early. At 7:30 last night we were able to ride Buzz with a 10 minute wait and Mickey's Philharmagic was a walk on. We saw Wishes from Casey's and then hung out on Main Street until 10:15 saying goodbye.

The other parks, especially Epcot and AK were very doable, crowds wise. MGM on Friday was not too bad except for TOT and RNRC had waits between 45-60 minutes. Epcot on Saturday was wonderful, we rode Soarin, it is exactly like the DCA version and as usual we loved it.

All in all, the trip exceeded our expectations mostly because we didn't have too many! We knew that many of the schools on the east coast were out so we went in with open minds. The nicer resort was very key in our having a good time since it was not torture to hang out at POR! I agree with another poster that if you plan to spend much time at your resort and like peace the moderates are worth it! Would still go back to ASMO and Pop but would miss the quiet for sure!

 

[disvaclub92]

Thanks for the post!! Looks like you had a great time.

 

[ptrbryant]

We'll be staying at POR for the first time in 2 weeks...glad to hear the good review...pretty and relaxing are the two adjectives we're hoping for at POR!

Karla B.

 

[tinkerbee]

Thanks for the report. POR is a great resort for some peace and quite.

 

[Rootskate]

Glad to hear such a great review of POR! We will be arriving on Sunday for our 1st stay there and we are really looking forward to it!! Glad you had such a nice trip!!

 

[shafke]

I was also at EMH last Wed and though the crowds thinned nicely after the first hour. We did HM right after Wishes and waited about 10 min. After we got off the wait was about 30 min. About an hour later HM appeared to be a walk on. We were able to get to HM, Philharmagic, Splash, Aladdin, Carrousel, and Small World in 2 hours. We did not rush and left by 12 (we could not push 2 yo DD further). Overall, except for MK, the crowds were very manageable.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I guess I base my EMH experience on Peter Pan! I don't think that ride's que ever calmed down last Wed., which is why we waited and rode it at the morning EMH on Friday. Dumbo was also nuts. The ride times weren't the only problem as crowd congestion was a factor all night in my opinion. So many people still in the park itself especially on Main Street and Fantasyland. I heard many people commenting about the crowds that night on the bus back to POR. Also the CM I talked to at the Pooh Bear ride at 12:15 (we waited maybe 10 minutes at that time) said the evening EMH crowds really surprised her. I never got to do an E Ride Night but I wonder if maybe they were better since you had to pay for a ticket. Crowds mean different things to different people I guess. I agree that MK definitely had the worst crowds last week. For example at MK on Thursday some rides were totally out of fast passes at 3:30 or before. The fact that there was Wishes and Spectro that night, followed by two grad nights probably made that happen.