POP or Port Orleans with a 4 1/2 year old?

[lissiesmum]

DH and I are planning our first Disney trip ever in 2009. Our daughter will be 4 1/2 and I have been poring over resort photos to see which one might be more appealing to her age. We have heard great things about both these resorts but are trying to figure out which one would be more fun for her. It seems like PO is geared towards adults more, but I don't want to be misled by pictures. Could you share your stories and help us out? DH and I definitely like a quieter place, but we would give that up if one resort would be more fun for her than another. We have waited to go to Disney together as a family so I want it to be fun for all of us! If you think PO would be better, which one would be best? FQ or Riverside? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Illuminations06]

i've never stayed at port orleans, but i've stayed at POP twice. i think that POP is a great place for children because it has a very colorful/playful atmosphere. for instance, every morning in the dining area, the CM and guests dance along to the "Twist". it's very fun, especially for children!!! hope this has helped you in deciding

 

[msteddom]

I have stayed at both, and while I personally prefer both of the Port Orleans resorts, for a 4 1/2 year old I would go with Pop. I think she will love the Goofy Pop Jets and the bright atmosphere of the resort. Plus you get to save a bit of money!

Melissa

 

[lissiesmum]

I figured most people would probably say POP. I think DH and I would prefer the lush gardens and riverwalk of PO, but POP is what DD will prefer. How is the noise level in the rooms of both? I hate to hear a TV or word for word what people are saying in the room next door. My DD and I are really light sleepers. Is one resort better than another on that aspect? Or both about the same?

 

[Kae]

I DD will love either one. POFQ is way smaller which is nice. The pools have a slide & there are hot tubs. And you can use all the pools at FQ or Riverside. The boat to DTD is nice & DD might think it is another ride. POFQ is so beautiful. I loved walking the grounds in the AM.

Kae

 

[Ragetti]

Welp, my just-turned-5-year-old LOVED POFQ. Loved the food court... loved the pool... loved the room. YMMV, but it was a great fit for us.

 

[JennyDrake]

Most children will enjoy Pop more for the bright colors and icons.

 

[skoba-nelson]

Put her in front of the computer and show her some of the photos for each. I'm a 39 year old kid and I like POP a whole lot better. Although during our stay at PO-R Old Man's Island or whatever the main pool is called was closed for rehab. Noise level room-to-room seemed to be the same as POP. If we had to stay again at a mod I would choose PO-FQ. Less walking, kind of nifty architecture-not boring like PO-R.

 

[simonkodousek]

DH and I are planning our first Disney trip ever in 2009. Our daughter will be 4 1/2 and I have been poring over resort photos to see which one might be more appealing to her age. We have heard great things about both these resorts but are trying to figure out which one would be more fun for her. It seems like PO is geared towards adults more, but I don't want to be misled by pictures. Could you share your stories and help us out? DH and I definitely like a quieter place, but we would give that up if one resort would be more fun for her than another. We have waited to go to Disney together as a family so I want it to be fun for all of us! If you think PO would be better, which one would be best? FQ or Riverside? Thanks in advance for your help!

My cousin and her husband went to WDW a few years back and stayed at POR with their 5 year-old daughter. They said that their DD loved it so much that she actually said that she wants to live there! Apparently this is a good resort with kids.

 

[STOPxmickeytime]

i've never stayed at POP, but it's similar to all star sports, which i've stayed at.
port orleans is great, it's scenic and has lots of activities, like fishing or biking.
but it is a lot of walking (on the riverside part) for a toddler.
the POP has the appealing look that she might enjoy, but i would personally choose PO, as it seems like your family as a whole would appreciate it more.

 

[disneyfan19712006]

I have stayed at both, and while I personally prefer both of the Port Orleans resorts, for a 4 1/2 year old I would go with Pop. I think she will love the Goofy Pop Jets and the bright atmosphere of the resort. Plus you get to save a bit of money!

Melissa

I've stayed at both with a child. The kids pool by the Hippi Dippi Pool is great, the water jets are fund and the larger than life toys (big wheel, Mr Potato Head really excited him. Definately POP!

 

[Maggi May]

I've stayed at and loved both resorts. They have such a different vibe, but as previous posters have described, they are each great in their own way≈

A few other considerations -- Pop has one bus stop, POR/POFQ have a total of 5, which makes the bus ride a bit longer as you may have to go past several stops to get to yours.

The rooms at PO at a bit bigger -- not by too much, but there is a bit more room to manuever.

Walking around Pop, to and from the room, food court and pools. It's upbeat, lots of people, open (not much shade). The same walk at POR is quieter, more shaded, and because the resort is more spread out, doesn't seem as crowded.

The pool at POR is a bit nicer, but my DS loved the Goofy Popjets at POP.

Either place would be a great choice.

 

[Cinderella2006]

We have stayed in both with our children but i much prefer POP. The theming is great and we actually felt that we were at Disney. Dont get me wrong, POR is lovely but we would never go there again with the kids, only if it was an adult only holiday.

 

[KimWDW]

We've stayed at Pop three times with my son (at ages 3 and 4). He LOVES it there. The pools are great. The kiddie pool is big, too. But the Goofy splashpad is the big hit with this age group. The playground is nice and my son LOVED the arcade. The food court is very big with a lot of choices for picky eaters. There are great opportunities for cool pictures with all the giant icons everywhere. And the music! We stayed in the 70's building and in the morning when we'd leave our room and start walking and hear the music, we would start dancing. What a way to start the day. I was in a good mood all the time.

If you stay at Pop make sure you're in the food court at 6:00 pm some night to see the employees all stop what they're doing and do the hustle. The first time my son saw that, his jaw dropped to the floor. The second time, he ran out and danced with them.

Pop is a really good time.

Plus, if you're using Disney transporation, it's the best because they don't share buses.

We're staying at POFQ next because we want to try something new after 3 times at Pop, but I would definitely do Pop again.

 

[I Believe n Fairies]

We stayed at Pop last Sept with my then 5yo dd. She can get overwhelmed at times, and I think Pop was a little much for her. She liked looking at all of the icons, she loved the pool, but I think that she loved the fact the she was at WDW the most. For us, at the end of the day, returning to our rooms was not fun. We were all exhausted and dd would be grumpy and we had to walk FOREVER to get to our room. We really do not think that we'll stay at Pop again. Well, it will never be our first choice.

Next time, it will be just me and dh and we're staying at POFQ and we're really excited. We're looking forward to a more compact resort. Little things like the fridge in the room will be nice. The water slide will be fun, too. We're hoping that we really like POFQ and that next time we will take both kids there.

Good luck with your decision, but remember that your child will LOVE being in WDW no matter which resort your in.

 

[Augustheather97]

we have stayed at Both with our daughter and Perfer POR much more...I wouldn;t even ever stay at the POP again....people were rude at the food court and slobs.....Riverside is much nicer