Pleae help - need to decide on WL vs. POFQ!

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

For now we are booked at POFQ 4/30-5/7 of this year. I realllly want to stay at WL, BUT it is about $900 more for just a standard view. It'll be pretty hard to justify spending that much more when we can have a perfectly good time at POFQ, BUT we probably won't be going back to Disney for a while after this trip so I want to make it as memorable as possible. I have read so many good things about WL so I've always wanted to stay there. Plus, we will spend at least 3 days of our trip in MK. What would you do? We're a family of 4 with 2 DS ages 5 and 6.

 

[MommyBuzz909]

I'd say save your $$$ - you'll hardly be in your room as it is. I'm staying at WL only because I'm doing the Platinum Dining package - WL & AKL are the cheapest Deluxe resorts. Plus it's my first time, so I'm going all out.

 

[Pakey]

If trying to justify a budget, I would stay at POFQ and have a meal at WL.

 

[Candid]

I'd save your $$$ and go with POFQ! We stayed there in October and loved it! The small size of the resort meant short walks which was really nice after a long day at the parks.

 

[loco4dis]

I've stayed at both, WL in 04 and POFQ last February. WL is nice, but it's really just an expensive but rather ordinary hotel. I know people will argue that point, but it's simply my humble opinion. The boat to MK was really nice, but the transportation from POFQ was fantastic. At POFQ, we had a ground floor room that looked out to the most beautiful courtyard. When we walked out, it felt like a vacation paradise. When you leave your room at WL, you enter a dark, interior hallway. WL has a beautiful lobby area, but it's smallish and, again, rather ordinary as upscale hotels go. You see it for 5 minutes, you've seen it all. The pool at WL is really designed for little, little kids. It was shallow, grossly lukewarm (this was summer) and totally crowded, though my kids liked the geyser (for the first 5 or so times it went off; then, been there, done that). The POFQ pool was less crowded (admittedly, it was Feb.) and my older (11 and 14) kids liked it better. The grounds at POFQ are just gorgeous. The boat to Downtown Disney is so cool and convenient, especially as it goes past the Treehouses! POFQ has no sit-down restaurant, but we took the 10-minute boat ride to POR and had dinner at Boatwright's. It was perfect. You can also use the pool at POR if you like. My kids really liked the dinner at Whispering Canyons at WL -- it was fun -- but you don't need to be a guest there to eat there. The counter service at POFQ was never crowded and the whole area is more wide open and freer feeling. POFQ even has ceiling fans, which we loved and which made the room more breezy and fresh. If I had to choose between the 2, I would never, ever pay the extra for WL.

 

[momtoBrandon&Jacob]

I've stayed at both, WL in 04 and POFQ last February. WL is nice, but it's really just an expensive but rather ordinary hotel. I know people will argue that point, but it's simply my humble opinion. The boat to MK was really nice, but the transportation from POFQ was fantastic. At POFQ, we had a ground floor room that looked out to the most beautiful courtyard. When we walked out, it felt like a vacation paradise. When you leave your room at WL, you enter a dark, interior hallway. WL has a beautiful lobby area, but it's smallish and, again, rather ordinary as upscale hotels go. You see it for 5 minutes, you've seen it all. The pool at WL is really designed for little, little kids. It was shallow, grossly lukewarm (this was summer) and totally crowded, though my kids liked the geyser (for the first 5 or so times it went off; then, been there, done that). The POFQ pool was less crowded (admittedly, it was Feb.) and my older (11 and 14) kids liked it better. The grounds at POFQ are just gorgeous. The boat to Downtown Disney is so cool and convenient, especially as it goes past the Treehouses! POFQ has no sit-down restaurant, but we took the 10-minute boat ride to POR and had dinner at Boatwright's. It was perfect. You can also use the pool at POR if you like. My kids really liked the dinner at Whispering Canyons at WL -- it was fun -- but you don't need to be a guest there to eat there. The counter service at POFQ was never crowded and the whole area is more wide open and freer feeling. POFQ even has ceiling fans, which we loved and which made the room more breezy and fresh. If I had to choose between the 2, I would never, ever pay the extra for WL.

Ok, you sold me LOL!! We did stay at FQ on our last trip and absolutely loved it, which is why we booked again for this year. Reading your post made me realize that the WL is just hotel that is closer to MK. We also had no problems with transportation at FQ in 2007 and we're going at around the same time. Thanks!