POFQ...questions and advice WANTED!!!

[cambra]

Hi all

Many of you have offered such great advice about the resorts and I have done searches on old threads of POFQ...but I thought I'd start my own to get more recent advice!!

We are going in 2 weeks (I couldn't resist the banana!!)

I would love to hear your opinions on which building and floor is the best! It will be me, my hubby, and 2 boys (6 and 4). The older will turn 7 while we are there!!

All the reviews of POFQ sound sooo great!! I still keep thinking about AKL...but some of the reviews say the rooms are dark...I can stay there for about the same price (I am a FL resident). The resort seems so far from everything..and we will NOT be visiting the AK park this time...so does that defeat the purpose?? Also, we see those kinds of animals all the time...we live very very close to a zoo where we feed giraffes and such...and we have been to Busch Gardens countless times (as well as AK). So, it's not so much the "theme" that interests me, but the fact that it's a Deluxe and the beds and rooms are slightly bigger?? Is it worth it, then, just for that??

POFQ was always my first choice, anyway!

Thanks!!!

 

[gigi1313]

we did a split stay between POFQ and AKL (w/a night at Royal Pacific/Universal) back in august/september and we LOVED POFQ... not so much AKL...

there is really no "bad" building to be in at POFQ... we had requested bldg 5 (i think) and got 6... i was bummed 'til we got there and then i was very happy! the resort is so compact and everything is convenient! it was so peaceful which was the perfect prescription after a typically hectic park day!

the rooms are light and airy... the theming is great... decor is lovely... landscaping beautiful... pool was awesome (*perfect* for your children's ages)... food court was more than adequate... arcade was on the small side (disappointing after our '04 trip to pop and our visit to the contemporary LOL)... transportation was above-average... boat to dtd and por was excellent! we also liked the opportunity to visit por w/minimal hassle, even swim in their pool and fish in their river!

really cannot find a bad thing to say about POFQ!

unfortunately, the same is not true of AKL... we were disappointed... POFQ was so perfect for us, and AKL was so NOT! LOL! i understand why some love it, but it just did not do it for us... it was dark and the rooms seemed small (smaller than POFQ imo, although i know square footage they are bigger, but the layout makes much less efficient use of space and we had a bunk bed room!)... we did, however, enjoy the animals outside our balcony... food court had limited selection... transportation was not efficient (after waiting too long for a bus to MK we took a $25 cab 'cause we had adr's at chef mickey's)... overall, we were kicking ourselves for leaving POFQ!

 

[dadto1girl]

Can't say anything bad about POFQ. We requested and received Bldg 5 with an inner courtyard view. We were probably 40 yards from the pool and 1 minute from the food court. The resort is compact and beautiful, you will enjoy it.

 

[cambra]

Thanks for great reviews!! Even thought I keep reading about AKL, and it sounds wonderful...I think it is always best to stick with your rfirst choice!

As I said, it wasn't so much the "theme" of AKL that appealed to us...we really do get to experience those types of animals a lot...I guess it was just the room situation, and the fact that is a "Deluxe" hotel...the others are not in our budget for this trip (WL, Poly, etc...).

Some have said they can see fireworks from their room at nite?? I guess you have to be on the top floor to see them, then? How many floors are at FQ?

 

[EthansMom]

I agree with the assessment that there is no bad building at POFQ. We had Bldg 1 on our last stay. It is one of the furthest from the Lobby, but we had no problems as it was still less than a 5 minute walk to the Lobby. Also, there were painters removing and painting the shutters of our building during our stay and my first thought was, "Oh great, this will be noisy and messy." I was totally wrong -- the painters were very quiet (they removed the shutters from our window while my daughter took a nap in the room and we hardly heard a peep) and very professional.

For our upcoming trip, we have requested a "courtyard view" which is just a standard view, but at POFQ the buildings surroung charming little courtyard gardens and I would prefer to have the gardens right outside my room.

 

[maxaroni]

No complaints about POFQ from us, either. We have stayed twice, with the first being in building 4 and this last visit, building 7. Still, being in building 7, a short walk to anywhere we needed to be. Not a problem at all....loved it.

 

[kutchyone]

Don't get me wrong I love POFQ is it my favorite moderate hands down. If you can stay at AKL for the same price as POFQ it is my opinion that you should do that. AKL is a deluxe and the accommodations while being a bit dark are far more luxurious. I'm surprised that you are unable to get the same rate for WL because it is normally the same category and rate as AKL. We usually stay at a moderate out of necessity and have never been disappointed with POFQ but you can sure bet that if I could get the same rates at AKL or WL I sure would not heisitate.

 

[cambra]

The WL is not available for the time we are going...otherwise, I would consider it...only the cabins are available...and we don't want that.

Yeah, I just don't know...I keep reading reviews...we are only going for 3 days...since I have never stayed in ANY Disney hotel...I cannot imagine what the difference is between the Mod and Deluxe. Would we truly benefit in 3 days? I hear there are activities for the kids at AKL...but I don't know if we would be there long enough to enjoy them...

And, I really like the boatride thing to DTD...oh decisions!!

 

[kutchyone]

If you have never stayed at a DW resort your in for a treat.

Please believe me when I say the difference between the delux resort, even though AKL and WL are on the lower end, and the moderates is substantial. If you can pay the same price for both always go with the top and in this case stay at AKL. If you want to ride the boat go to DTD, hop on the boat and head over to POFQ to see what you are missing. As I said I love POFQ but if the price is the same you would be silly, in my opinion, not to stay at the more expensive resort.

 

[cambra]

hmmm....I still just don't know....it would cost me the same for a standard view room at AKL as it is for an upgraded room at POFQ...or $100 more for a pool view room at AKL...we can't go higher than that for this trip...we live in FL...so we go to Orlando a lot...but just have never stayed on property.

I still don't know! The only thing that I think would be so much different is bigger beds and indoor corridors...can you shed some more insight on what else is different? I know, you have to experience both yourself to be able to tell...I am sure it is hard to put into words..so I appreciate that you all are taking the time to do so!!

Something about POFQ is just calling to us, ya know?? I guess the theme of AKL just isn't that impressive to me, not because it ISN'T impressive, but just because we do "animal" kinds of things all the time...at our zoo, BG, AK...etc...Now I am just confusing myself!!!

 

[gigi1313]

more expensive does not equal better for everyone... it's all a matter of personal preference... we "paid" for amenities we did nto use, it was wasted on us... we were disappointed in AKL...

but, it is a wdw vacation, so no matter where you stay, it's bound to be magical... enjoy

 

[kutchyone]

POFQ - lobby is nice
AKL - lobby is beautiful

POFQ - 314 sq. ft.
AKL 344 sq. ft.

POFQ - 2 double beds
AKL - 2 Queen beds

POFQ - no balcony
AKL - balcony with chairs

POFQ - no mirrored closet area
AKL - mirrored closet area

POFQ – no children’s program
AKL – children’s program

AKL - Jiko, one of the best places to eat at DW. The food was very good.

From what I recall the bus stops at the parks are usually closer for the AKL buses then the POFQ busses.

Yes it is true more expensive is not always better but in this case that does not hold true. As I said before if you can get the same rate go for the luxury resort. Why get what you pay for when you can get more then what you pay for in this case. Disney does not offer gifts like this to often, grab it while you can. You can always stay at a moderate any other time.

It sounds like your sold on POFQ and that is a very nice choice so why you don’t just go ahead and make your plans. It doesn’t make sense to me but then it doesn’t have to. You keep talking about the animals and how your not really interested, you can always not look out the window if you don’t want to see them . Or if you don’t mind seeing the animals it is really nice to have a balcony to sit on to relax, who know you might even enjoy seeing an animal or two. I sure wish that I could get your deal, now that is getting a real bang for you buck!

 

[dixiedizfan]

We had stayed at POR and visited POFQ, and they are gorgeous resorts with beautiful landscaping. It's also neat to ride the boat to DD. We also visited AKL, and I was surprised at how dark the lobby was; all the decor is dark wood and furniture, and not much lighting anywhere. We peeked into a standard view room and to us it didn't look any larger than the rooms at the moderates, but I'm sure it was because the queen size beds took up more space. All in all, even though AKL is a deluxe, POR and POFQ had more of a "Disney" feel to them. If you like to stroll outdoors these are the places to be. Plus they're so much brighter!

 

[gigi1313]

POFQ - lobby is nice
AKL - lobby is beautiful

POFQ - 314 sq. ft.
AKL 344 sq. ft.

POFQ - 2 double beds
AKL - 2 Queen beds

POFQ - no balcony
AKL - balcony with chairs

POFQ - no mirrored closet area
AKL - mirrored closet area

POFQ – no children’s program
AKL – children’s program

AKL - Jiko, one of the best places to eat at DW. The food was very good.

From what I recall the bus stops at the parks are usually closer for the AKL buses then the POFQ busses.

Yes it is true more expensive is not always better but in this case that does not hold true. As I said before if you can get the same rate go for the luxury resort. Why get what you pay for when you can get more then what you pay for in this case. Disney does not offer gifts like this to often, grab it while you can. You can always stay at a moderate any other time.

It sounds like your sold on POFQ and that is a very nice choice so why you don’t just go ahead and make your plans. It doesn’t make sense to me but then it doesn’t have to. You keep talking about the animals and how your not really interested, you can always not look out the window if you don’t want to see them . Or if you don’t mind seeing the animals it is really nice to have a balcony to sit on to relax, who know you might even enjoy seeing an animal or two. I sure wish that I could get your deal, now that is getting a real bang for you buck!

POFQ - lobby is nice
AKL - lobby is beautiful
both lobbies are lovely, but who spends time, on a 3 day trip, in a lobby? at AKL we walked thru the lobby a few times and the rest of the time we went from the elevator to the gift shop to cut thru to get to the buses!


POFQ - 314 sq. ft.
AKL 344 sq. ft.
in my experience, the layout of the room was such that even w/bunk beds at AKL the room felt smaller... maybe it was the darkness... but i really think it was the floorplan w/so much space dedicated to the short hall from door to the "main area" of the room as well as to the bathroom... it seemed like there was less storage space and the hooks on the wall at POFQ were definitely an asset!


POFQ - 2 double beds
AKL - 2 Queen beds
this is a toss up depending on how many are travelling... if there are two of us, it does not matter, for four of us, two queens are just as tight as two doubles... one queen and a bunk bed was the worst! (dh and i are used to a king at home)


POFQ - no balcony
AKL - balcony with chairs
the AKL balcony barely fit two people, and if you wanted to see the animals the chairs were useless because the railing was exactly at eye level... also, there was lots of noise coming in from the balconies of other families and i felt like there was little privacy on the balcony... at POFQ we saw many families pulling the chairs from their room out onto the walkway


POFQ - no mirrored closet area
AKL - mirrored closet area
this is not worth paying for, and it's included in the extra 30sq feet... imo it's a waste of space!

POFQ – no children’s program
AKL – children’s program
you're at Walt Disney World... the whole trip is a CHILDREN'S PROGRAM! LOL!

POFQ - Beignets... enough said!
AKL - Jiko, one of the best places to eat at DW. The food was very good.
did not try jiko, but would NEVER go back to Boma! (long story here)


<<From what I recall the bus stops at the parks are usually closer for the AKL buses then the POFQ busses.>>
bus stops at the parks are sometimes closer for AKL but not always... we found transport from POFQ to be far more reliable than AKL... and you have an alternate option at POFQ to take the bus to dtd...

<<Why get what you pay for when you can get more then what you pay for in this case>>
more what? Disney is not "giving away" AKL for free... you are getting deluxe amenities at a deluxe price... but they are only worth paying for if you will use deluxe amenities... health club? w/all the walking at the parks and resort, who needs it? sit down restaurants? plenty elsewhere w/in the 40 sq miles that is disney!

all that being said, i'd still try another deluxe if the price was right but not ALK or posibly even WL!

 

[cambra]

Thank you both for taking so much time to tell me (and others) about your experiences at both places...I appreciate the opinions! I guess that's why Disney offers so many resorts..everyone has their favorite!!! And I suppose when I have my favorite, I will try to convince everyone to try it too!!!

It's true we won't be spending much time in the lobby or gift shop, probably not even the food courts...for families traveling a long distance and staying a long time, I know these things are important...we are LUCKY enough to live less than an hour from Disney!! But, this will be our first stay INSIDE the park!!

Thanks again for all this great info!! I can't access the WDW site for some strange reason..for about 3 days now, my computer won't let me!!!!! It's totally weird! So, I am getting all my info from you all....A BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

 

[lap3]

If you're still interested, here's my experience:
We went to our first WDW trip this past Spring Break and stayed at the POFQ. We loved the idea of being a smaller resort that you can easily walk and everything being fairly close. I had requested Bldg 5 and got it. We were on the first floor. Access to the pool and food court were super close by! IMO, we wouldn't mind staying there again but we're thinking of trying a deluxe resort next time...

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Hey, cambra!

Thanks for starting this thread, DD and I will be trying POFQ in Dec. We have never stayed there, either, though we have stayed at POR.

I have to agree with the poster, though, who said that if you can have AKL at the same price as POFQ, grab it! I know that's not what your thread was about, but you seem to be struggling with your decision, so I thought I'd throw in my $.02, lol!

The theme of AKL is far more than just "animals" that you could see in the zoo. It immerses you in the feel of Africa. As you walk in the lobby, you are surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of Africa. The great, soaring lobby is made of dark woods and jewel-toned fabrics, there are giant chandeliers made of warrior shields, the balconies overhead have carved leaping gazelles and the whole thing is just gorgeous. You hear wonderful African music, and the firepit emits a luscious aroma throughout the Lodge. As soon as we enter this resort, we feel at once revived and relaxed, it is our very favorite resort - and at first, I didn't think it would appeal to me at all!

We have stayed in a std. room, we had an oblique view of the pool area, and we did not feel in any way cheated as opposed to our savannah view rooms. Many people have described the rooms as "dark" but we have never felt the room to be so. Yes, the furniture has dark wood, and the carpet is a chocolate brown w/cream pattern, but the walls are a wonderful umber/buff color and there are mosquito nets on the wall over the bed. The sheers are cream w/light brown images of animals printed on them, not sure of the color of the actual drapes, as the only time we have them drawn is when we are sleeping!

I really enjoy the bathroom set-up in the deluxe resorts, vs. the mod bathroom area. In the deluxe resorts, there is a nice, marble-enclosed shower and stool area, with a mirrored door between that and the large sinks/dressing area. I like that there is a vanity area with double sinks, as opposed to two separate sinks with no vanity. Makes it so much easier to have our toiletries out. And, there is more area to put your extra luggage, cooler, etc. underneath. Also, more room to get out the iron/board to touch up your luggage-wrinkled clothing! There is also more drawer space, as there is often an extra dresser right by the entry door.

The balcony is very nice, even though we don't spend all that much time out there! I like to be able to step out on the balcony while others are getting ready to leave, and feel a little more private.

Since DD and I often travel alone, I prefer the safety of inner corridors, though that may not be an issue for everyone.

I've really rambled on here, without answering your question!! Sorry, I just thought you might like another opinion - I would not hesitate to move on up to a deluxe, if it were the same price!

 

[owtrbnks]

Looks to me like everyone has done a great job in describing the attributes of each resort. We've stayed at both and like them both. POFQ is quieter, but AKL was awesome! The animals outside your balcony are an experience like no other. Just remember, no matter which one you choose, you're just saving the other for next time!

 

[bluedog20166]

Thanx for all the input. We're at POFQ this coming Thursday for a week and it is nice to know so many people like it. Our first stay outside of the All-Stars, so we're looking forward to it.

Just, please, Wilma go away before we get there.....

 

[cambra]

k&a&c'smom! Thanks for such a descript view of AKL...now I don't know what to do!!!!

I am one of those people who feels you should always stick with your first choice...but I do understand the benefits of the deluxe hotel...the only thing that bothers me about AKL is that it seems far from everything and the only way to get anywhere is by bus...we will be driving there...so it seems so silly to me to stay on Disney property...but you have to DRIVE to get anywhere (or bus, as I said...but hubby probably won't do the bus thing).

At POFQ, I understand there is a boat that at least gets you to DTD...and buses other places....oh well...I really am glad I started this thread! Everyone has their favorites...I just don't have one yet!!!!