Pop vs POR...my opinions

[speedyf]

We recently returned from an 8 night stay at Port Orleans Riverside. Last year (end of May 2004), we stayed at Pop Century for 7 nights.

While I am not as much of a Disney Veteran as many of you on these boards, I wanted to offer up my opinions now that I have stayed at both a value and a moderate.

Let me start by saying that I enjoyed Pop Century more than Port Orleans Riverside. Here are the reasons....

#1 - Pop Century does not share a bus with another resort. Port Orleans Riverside sometimes shares a bus with Port Orleans French Quarter. On many of our park days, the bus would arrive with standing room only to head to the parks. Our line for the bus from every park always seemed full no matter what time we departed the park. Also...our stop was always the final stop (east depot). We would make 4 stops before our stop (POFQ, South, West, North, then East). I found that the advantage of being a little closer to some of the parks at POR vs Pop was negated by the fact that we shared a bus with another resort and had multiple stops.

#2 - Our room was about a 5 minute walk from the main building at POR. Let me start off by saying that I'm lazy and I don't want to walk any more than I have to walk after walking 10 miles per day at the parks (I'm the desiginated FASTPASS runner). Even though we stayed at Magnolia Bend (room 8802)...which is relatively close..., the walk to the main food-court / main lobby building was about a 5 minute walk....over a bridge....completely around the pool area....and over another bridge. At Pop Century, our room was in the 50's section and was about a 2 minute direct walk to the main building.

#3 - Boat service is nice...but, the bus service is just as quick...if not quicker. We had boat service to Downtown Disney from POR, but only used it once. By the time the boat gets to you...docks...picks everyone up....then stops at POFQ...repeats the process...then gets to Downtown Disney....you could have taken a bus. In fact, our bus rides from Pop was quicker than the boat ride from POR. Of course, when we did want to take the bus to DD from POR, it was standing room only again.

#4 - Pop's food court is better. I found that Pop's food court offered a little more...like frozen coke.....and other meal varieties that POR didn't offer. I also found that the food was better prepared at Pop. Several times we were served cold pizzas and burnt to a "hockey-puck" hamburgers.

To conclude...we will not be staying at another moderate hotel any time soon. We did have a great time at the parks and the hotel itself was clean and very nice...but, I don't think it is worth the extra money (in my opinion) to stay moderate over value. The only reason I tried it was because we had a $79 pin rate code and I figured we should take advantage of the price in case we never see that price for a moderate again.

In fact, while our vacation was great....we will either stay off property or stay at Pop for our next visit.

I am now beginning to see why alot of people like to drive on property. The tram picks you up and drops you off closer to the front entrance of all the parks than the buses do....and, you are always guaranteed a seat in your car on your trip home versus standing on a bus while trying to hold a sleeping 5 year old child, stroller, and backpack.

Our next trip will probably be off-site becuase I don't want to pay $85 for a room at Pop. If we receive another pin code or a cheaper rate at Pop, then we will stay there.

Just wanted to offer my opinion on our recent stays and why I like Pop better than Port Orleans Riverside.

Speed

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

Thanks for sharing. That is really great to hear as we have always stayed in moderates and this year will be our first stay at POP. I've been worried about it as of late due to the bad light the values have been put in here lately. Your post offers much hope and I think we will be very happy at POP.

 

[OhioTony]

We are staying at POP in Sept after only having stayed at mod and were concerned.Not any longer. THANKS.
We have stayed at CBR and loved it. I'm sorry your stat at POR wasn't as magical as it could have been.

 

[corinascot]

Just another example of personal preference being a large part of the resort selection decision! While we've never stayed at POP, we did stay at Magnolia Terrace at POR and loved it. I thought it was very close to the food court area. I know some folks find it far, though.

We like the pools better at the moderates. POR has the main pool area plus the quiet pools.

We always walked to the main bldg for the bus, so we never had a problem with seating. We also drove to some of the parks. I 2nd your opinion that driving can often be easier and quicker.

We enjoyed the boat to DTD, but the buses are faster. We just enjoyed the relaxing pace of the boat.

I think our favorite thing about POR is the beautiful, natural setting. It never seems crowded. This means things are more spread apart, but we like that. Personal preference, I think!

 

[speedyf]

I really think we would have enjoyed POFQ more just because it is a smaller resort and it's set up more like a value resort (1 bus stop....more rooms closer to the main building).

It does come down to personal preference. I live in the swamps in southeast Louisiana, so the setting of Port Orleans Riverside was just "ok" to me...no biggie. To others, it may be a nice change. To me, $18 for Jambalaya is too much....so, we never ate at the sit down restauarant at the hotel.

I guess I am a value guy. We don't each a bunch of sit down meals at Disney....our meals are mostly counter service, on-the-go, meals. I don't stay at a hotel to walk around and admire the surroundings....I stay there for a shower and a bed.

I just found Pop to be a more convenient resort for my needs.

As for the pools....the main pool at POR is very nice...but, was very crowded when we went (10 minute wait for the waterslide) on Wednesday late afternoon. One of my reasons for wanting to try a moderate was that we were not visiting any water parks on this trip. I figured the bigger pool with the slide would help to make up for this. I didn't know that the theme pool's waterslide shuts down at 8pm when the lifeguards go off duty. We mostly swim when we return from the parks at around 9pm or 10pm....so, the water falls and slide were always shut down....making the theme pool no better than one of the quiet pools.

At Pop, we always swam in the 50's "bowling pin" pool. I found that the main 60's "flower" pool was always more crowded than the other 2 pools. We never had more than about 8 people in the bowling pin pool and we swam just about every night at around 9 or 10pm. It was virtually a quiet pool in my opinion.

I guess the benefits of upgrading from value to moderate are not worth the cost in my opinion. We basically agreed that we would either stay at a monorail resort (if we could ever afford it....I doubt it) or stay value or off-site from now on.

Speed

 

[tinkamom]

I've been struggeling with making a decision between POP and POR and I need to make up my mind by Wednesday! Can you tell me more reasons to choose POP rather than POR? I really like POR and POFQ but want to save money since this will be our 2nd trip in one year! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed POP!

 

[milmore104]

Thank You so much I really needed this post. I have been going over this in my head for about 2 weeks now. I couldn't decide where to stay. I am booked at POP but have been thinking maybe I should go for a mod. But we don't spend all that much time in the room. Reading your post helped a lot I'll stick w/ the POP and splurge on a nice souvie or dinner thanks again!

 

[speedyf]

I have to admit...that I was really looking forward to staying at a moderate hotel over a value before our recent trip. Since I had the pin code of $59 at a value or $79 at a moderate, I figured this would be my best chance to try a moderate.

Here are the reasons why I thought a moderate would be better. Don't forget, these are only my opinion. Others have different opinions and everyone has different tastes.

#1 - Fridge in room - It was nice to have a fridge in the room this year at POR...but, I had no problem purchasing a styrofoam cooler last year and refilling the ice each day at Pop Century either. In fact...this year, we brought a small soft-sided cooler to bring into the parks (6 pack type cooler)....so, I was at the ice machine every day any way.

#2 - Boat to Downtown Disney - It was a nice, relaxing boat ride....but, a bus can do the job faster. After getting settled at POR, we decided to go get a bite to eat at Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney. It started raining and because of the lightening & thunder in the area, the boat service was halted. Again...a nice service....but, the bus was quicker from Pop Century to DD than the boat from POR to POFQ then on to DD. I'm all about speed & convenience....others may be more about relaxing and taking in the sights.

#3 - Waterslide at the Main Pool - As I said earlier, we did not go to a waterpark during our 8 day stay...so, I figured the waterslide would help to make up for this. I was disappointed that the slide and waterfalls in the main pool would close at 8pm. We were only able to take advantage of slide on 1 day out of our 8 days. The whirlpool was also supposed to be a plus...but, it was always packed (often with children). It (the whirlpool) may be better during the off-season....we attended from June 3rd to June 11th. Anyway....again, something I thought would be a big benefit for us ended up being an afterthought. We were there for the parks...not for a waterslide in the pool. My 5 year old would have been just as happy with a regular pool at a value resort.

#4 - Proximity to Parks - Of course, this is different with each resort...but, I figured that our bus time would decrease since we were a little closer to MK and EPCOT at POR. Like I said before, because of multiple stops at the moderates, the "bus time" seems to be about the same. If you get on a bus at Pop Century's main stop...it leaves and goes directly to the park. If you get on a bus at POR's main stop. It makes the round of the resort and drops off and picks up guests at 3 other stops before heading out to the park...not to mention that the bus usually picks up passengers at POFQ before even arriving at POR. Anyway....I was not at all impressed with POR bus service and POP Century's service beat it by a mile.

#5 - Food - I now know that a food court is a food court. I found the food to be worse at POR than at Pop Century. Again...no frozen coke machines....also no Dr. Pepper (can't remember if Pop Century had Dr. P). The burgers were burnt and the pizza was cold....of course, that's just the luck of the draw on who is actually doing the cooking. I also found the prices to be a little high at the Boatwright's restaurant....so, we chose to eat at Whispering Canyon for lunch at Wilderness Lodge and had a great meal. Did I mention that we took a relaxing boat ride from MK to Wilderness Lodge?

#6 - Size of Room - I did notice the size difference from the Pop Century room to the POR room. It was nice to have 2 sinks and a divider curtain at POR compared to the 1 sink and no divider curtain at Pop....but, I don't think it was that big of a deal. We basically....woke up and were out of the room by 8:15am....returned around 2 or 3pm for a nap.....left again around 5 or 6pm and returned again between 10pm & 11pm....took showers...and went to bed.

Again...this is a preference thing....if you are going to see the parks and just need a bed and a shower (like me), then Pop will suit you just fine. If you are going to relax...spend time in the room alot....enjoy the resort grounds...etc....then a moderate may be for you.

Let me mention also that the moderate does have a marina with water craft to rent....but, again....we were there for the parks.

We spent every day in the parks from Friday, June 3rd to Tuesday, June 7th. On June 8th, my DS5 had a Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian from 9am to 11am. After that, we went eat at Whispering Canyon and returned to the room. We went swimming and stayed in that night. On June 9th thru June 11th we hit the parks again everyday until flying out at 10:20pm on the 11th.

Special thanks to Tour Guide Mike's website....we visited the parks on the days he recommended and accomplished much more on our trip this year than last year.

If you have any other specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them...
Speed

 

[soccerchick]

Thank you for taking time to post. I went back and forth and booked Pop today for the end of Sept. The transportation was probably my biggest factor with the newness right behind that.

Considered Caribbean Beach Club and POR and POFQ since we did CSR last trip. But, with small kids, I figured once at a value won't kill us

 

[InnerStrength]

Speed,

Thanks for the opinions on POP vs PO. I booked our first stay at POP for Dec. and I know our kids will love it. I agree with you - a room is a room...as long as it is clean, covered, and has the basic amenities (comfortable beds, toilet, running water, electricity, and of course a TV for the kids). We have stayed at CBR a few times, and after last year, say NEVER AGAIN. The one thing I will miss is the curtain that blocks the bathroon dressing area from the sleeping area as I always thought that was a nice perk. I don't know why that curtain isn't at POP - it can't be that expensive to hang a curtain. I will also miss having a little fridge in the room, but I think $10 a day is a waste of money to rent a fridge, IMO.

 

[nrsldy]

I booked POP today for the end of Sept. We have always stayed Mod or Deluxe. I too have been concerned with the bus service. I will be taking my 3 DGC with me. I do not want to worry about getting to and from the parks. I am not concerned with room size or location. We will not be in the room much. But because of the meal deal we have moved our trip up and have changed SOG to POP. I am looking forward to trying another hotel!

 

[speedyf]

Thanks for the responses....

I hope everyone enjoys POP as much as we did last year. We will definitely be returning to POP for our next stay.

Again...let me say that Port Orleans Riverside is not a bad resort....I just don't like to do a lot of extra walking. Maybe having a room at Alligator Bayou building 14 or 15 wouldn't be as bad as where we were in Magnolia Bend.

I just have to say that if anyone is on the fence between Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside and you depend on the buses to get you to the parks....I would choose French Quarter. POFQ is always the first stop and you are virtually guaranteed a seat and won't have to stand.

If you enjoy standing on a bus for 15 to 25 minutes at a time...I suggest staying as close as possible to the East Depot at POR. You are virtually guaranteed to have to stand everytime you get on a bus at the East Depot.

Speed

 

[sunni]

THANK YOU! Your review was wonderful, just the kind of info I look for. I'd like to go back to WDW in early '06 and POP is my first choice, AKL my second (big difference in price though!). I was worried that bus service from a value resort might not be so good or be crowded, but you've alleviated my fears.

 

[gottagodisney]

Glad to hear that bus service has improved over the last couple months at POP. I stayed there over spring break and it was horrendous leaving the MK at night! Although the bus was only delivering to one resort there seemed to be a lack of busses to support the number of people going to the resort. The pop line wound all around the turnstiles and back to the start of the all stars lines. While we stood for about 1 hour in line to get back to the resort all of the all stars bus came and went several times.

If the service has improved- great! I know there were a lot of unhappy guests in March that probably complained. Another option would be to drive.
Pop was a nice resort though.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I love to see other people's resort experiences. We had the exact opposite feeling. We much preferred POR to Pop. We were in far off buildings in both resorts and don't mind the walking. In fact at POR we were in AB, #36 which is about as far as you can be from the main buildings I think. The difference at POR was that we found the walk to be a beautiful, relaxing experience. The overall feeling was just more laid back and relaxed. It was so much quieter and we totally did not miss the sounds of flushing toilets and kids running full force in front of our room each day and night. When we stayed at Pop it was off season and the resort was no where near sold out but it was always a madhouse. Buses always packed and the parking on the weekends was a nightmare. We dreaded trying to find a space on Friday and Saturday nights but dreaded the crowded buses more. POR was 98% sold out and we wondered how that could be true when so often the place felt half empty. No problems sharing buses and we never shared except midday leaving the resort. Never shared returning at night. The quiet pools at POR are a perfect retreat when Ol Man Island is crowded, just like the bowling pin pool at Pop. I thought the food court at POR was much better. Like you, I don't hate my second choice, in this case Pop but I really loved POR. I also know that my opinions could change next time at either resort depending on the events of that stay! I just loved the beauty of POR and we actually ended up not commando touring for once because we loved returning to the resort. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice to those of you trying to decide!