POR..did I make the right decision?

[DMRick]

I'm booked in May at POR at a good price. I looked at the pictures of POR, and I have to say I'm having second thoughts. I am disappoitned that the "trundel" bed is just a mattress with a handle, pretty much, and the child sleeping there is right in front of the door, and on the floor...it doesnt' look like it "pop's" up like trundle beds usually do.

Although two sinks in the bathroom are nice, because they are pedestal, you lose all the room the vanity in AllSports gives you (I see the timy shelve above it). The TV/dresser, is tall, so you lose the space on top of that to put stuff, and most of the room the tv/dresser takes up is dead air space around the TV..it looks like you actually have less drawers..and it looks like the cabinet you open for the tv, doens't slide back in, so you have to have the cabinet doors open and wide to watch tv. Although the room is 55 square feet bigger than Allstars, most of that seems to be in the sink area, and since there is no door there, it's not like you could use it to get dressed. The "main" part of the room, looks pretty much the size of Allstars..even the table size...except the chairs are bigger and have arms.

 

[ToTLaugher]

We've stayed at POR twice, and enjoyed it both times. The sinks are pedestals, but there is a counter/shelf between the sink and the mirror that will hold stuff. I don't know about the trundles since we stayed in the Mansions both times. But its a great resort, beatiful, the food court is great, and our kids loved the pool!

 

[Disneydenise]

Why not try the CBR. They have newly refurbished the room and they seem to have gotten a better situation for storing things in the sink/dressing area. Seaspray has a sight with pictures of the rooms. They also have a fold up bed at this resort that can be left open durnign the dayand you can still open the door and move easily around the room. The sink area also has a curtain that can be pulled around it or privacy during changing. they have a small bench and a hanging rack too. I think the room is the largest you can get for a moderate price.

 

[jaret]

First off the armour (where the Tv is) has doors that do not have to stay open and block the way.They pull out and fold to the side of the unit.There is a small but long drawer under the TV .then 2 small drawers and under them 2 large drawers.The suitcases can fit under the bed.There is a large shelf above the" close hanger"and there is a large shelf above above the sinks.I unpacked two kids into the drawers.My husbands suitcase was on top of the bench beside the TV and mine was on the floor by the sinks(there was enough room for 2 suitcases)and it was tucked out of the way.Above the bench was a peg hanger that held my childrens hats and fanny packs,plus the shelf above held laundry supplies and 3 beanie babies.I did use cosmetic and ziploc bags to organize things,but I was able to keep the room fairly organized

 

[DeeP]

Let me preface this with saying I like all WDW resorts from the value to the deluxe resorts, but since you have asked some questions I will try to answer some that have not been addressed yet.
The trundle bed does not pop up it lies flat on the floor. It does pull out right in front of the door and the mattress is a thin piece of foam rubber covered with a fitted sheet. The trundles are on the small side but are fine for a child. The trundle beds are not much but they do provide an additional sleeping space without any additional cost. The moderate resort rooms are very similiar to the value resort rooms, the space size difference is hardly noticeable. The main difference between value and moderate resorts are the grounds and the landscaping are more lush at the moderate resorts and the moderate resorts have a pool slide and a sit down restaurant. If you are looking for a big difference in the room size, furnishings or room amenitities you will be very disappointed.
Since you got POR for a good rate maybe you could transfer your deposit over to a room at CBR for the same rate. The CBR rooms are the same size as WL & AKL rooms and are noticeably larger than a value resort room. As a previous poster stated the CBR rooms are large enough that you could have a roll away bed in the room (but there is a charge for the rollaway) and you have the curtain in the sink area so that this area could be used as a changing/dressing room if you so desired. The roll away beds are much larger and more comfortable than the trundle bed is at POR. Good Luck!!

 

[DMRick]

Thanks for all your help. The grands have seen the pics and really want to stay someplace new..and there might be five of us, so I guess POR it is. CBR won't let you have 5..and although some have mentioned their rooms are bigger..the site I looked at, has them the same size as POR..but I like the full vanity and curtain. However I did walk both the POR and the Carribean, and I thought the Carribeab was very spread out..even more than POR...lots of walking there to do! At the very least, I wish we could get a trundle at the mansions, since I don't care for the rustic furniture and darkness in the AB section. I'm close enough to the Adirondack Mtns, that I get to see all the rustic I care to see LOL.
Truthfully, if it wouldn't cost so much more, I would move to two rooms at the Allstars..I love the bright rooms, the theming and the food court.

 

[jaguar9748]

We started out staying at the All Stars and stayed there several times. We were so pleased with the All Stars - how could there be a better resort?! Then one day we drove through all the resorts and decided that maybe we were ready for a moderate. We wanted to stay at Caribbean Beach but the only moderate available for our stay was Dixie Landings (now Riverside). I was SO disappointed! After all, we live in the south so why did we want to stay at a southern themed resort?! Oh well, we decided to make the best of it, requested a mansion room and arrived at Disney on the appointed day. This was back in the days where the Disney resorts were packed all the time! Very few discounts were available. When we arrived at Dixie Landings we were SO upset to find out that there was no room in the mansion section and that we would be in the AB section. I sulked all the way to the room!! As soon as I walked into the room, I changed my stance - I fell in love! The beds are comfortable and not as rustic in person as they are in pictures. The trundle bed was wonderful - separated fussy teens at the end of the day! The drawer space is more than adequate - 4 drawers, storage space by the TV, hanging space, a big shelf for toiletries, hooks to hang things, a trunk to lay suitcases on, a nice size table. The room was quite a bit larger than the All Stars. Then we found out the other amenities of Dixie Landings - huge store, restaurant and food court, boat rentals, 6 pools, playground, fishing hole, 4 bus stops, boat to Downtown Disney. Well, Dixie Landings was NOW our favorite!! Since that time, we've moved on to experience other resorts and each one is special in its own way. Some we'll return to and some won't be as high on our list. Go experience POR - it is such a beautiful resort - and let us know what you think when you get back!

 

[DMRick]

Thank you Jag..I needed that lift! You touched on the concerns I had. We aren't going until May..but I'll be sure to report back!

 

[smythe]

We stayed at POR 5 years ago, and are returning over Easter. I too was disappointed that I HAD to choose this resort, as we are a family of 5. This was prior to our having internet service, and the information on the resort via books and such was very limited. Well, I am here to tell you we were so impress with the resort from the moment we drove into the parking lot. The trundle bad is adequate...keep in mind that you will spnd very little time in your room, and the kids wil be sooooo tired at the end of they day, they will sleep just about anywhere!!! We are not sure who will get the trundle this time around, as we now have 2 teenage boys and an 11 year old daughter. The boys would rather have needles in their eyes than sleep together...but neither wants to sleep with their sister, or their dad...perhaps the bath tub will become a viable option!!! LOL!!! Rest assured you will be very happy at POR. Enjoy!

 

[nalley clan]

In 1997, we stayed at the All Star the first night because PO was full that night. The remaining seven nights, we were at PO. No way would I ever stay at the All Star again, especially with the discounts currently available. For the quality of the room (small, uncomfortable beds, etc.) I would stay off site and get a nicer room for the money. If you are going to stay in the park, the moderate resorts are a minimum requirement IMHO.

 

[LBYC-19]

My sister and I are going to WDW April vacation, we are staying at the Dolphin and she is staying at PO-R for her fourth year in a row. I've been trying to talk her into staying at the Dolphin to no avail. She even has the nurse's discount and STILL won't budge from "Dixie Landings" they love it that much. We are paying less for our room than they are! She swears by this resort--the food courts, the boat to Downtown Disney, the bus transporation, the pools, and the list goes on and on. They have three boys ages l4, l0 and 9. They even named their new puppy "Dixie" if that gives you an indication of how much they love that resort.

I must say I don't think I've ever heard a bad word about PO-R!

 

[SuzyQue]

The boys would rather have needles in their eyes than sleep together...

LOL !! I see that was your first posting here on the Disboards, just wanted to say WELCOME and glad to hear from you! ~~

 

[chell]

I'm am also worried about staying at POR, but for a different reason. We will be staying there for 4 nights in May. We will be going back to WDW in September staying at ASMo - which is my current favorite - for 14 nights. Anyway, I am worried that I will fall in love with POR and that ASMo will not make me happy in September. I am worried that I will have to change that reservation to POR and save even more money. Anyone ever have the same probelm?