POR or WL?!

[constantstar]

Early December - 3 & 5 year old - 3 MK, 2 EP, & 1 HS day.

Should we stay POR or splurge on WL?

I've considered a split stay but worry about the possible headache. My husband already doesn't understand all the hype with Disney and I'm trying to get a bounce back booked during this trip

I know there's construction at WL but I'm not sure it bothers me. My son loves construction vehicles so he'd probably be thrilled. Which has better/more convenient transportation? At the end of last trip (Coronado last month) I said that was all that matters.

 

[Wood Nymph]

Early December - 3 & 5 year old - 3 MK, 2 EP, & 1 HS day.

Should we stay POR or splurge on WL?

I've considered a split stay but worry about the possible headache. My husband already doesn't understand all the hype with Disney and I'm trying to get a bounce back booked during this trip

I know there's construction at WL but I'm not sure it bothers me. My son loves construction vehicles so he'd probably be thrilled. Which has better/more convenient transportation? At the end of last trip (Coronado last month) I said that was all that matters.

The WL has the boat to Mk and a direct bus to MK. The other buses share with either the Contemporary or Fort Wilderness. Everything is under one roof and there is only one bus stop.

POR has multiple bus stops, multiple buildings it would require a lot more walking than WL. But it is not under construction and if you request Alligator Bayou then you could get a room with a drop down bed for one of your children.

Both resorts are very nice and we like both of them but the WL is much more convenient for going back and forth to MK than POR as long as you don't mind the construction.

 

[richmo]

Tough choice: you picked my favorite two resorts.

From a transportation point of view, WL would be better. You've got the boat to MK (and Epcot via monorail rides), so the only time you'd have to deal with the bus is to HS. At POR, its all buses all the time.

On the POR side, keep in mind what the PP mentioned: those rooms with the Murphy bed at Alligator Bayou is a plus.

What would be the deciding factor for me is the cost. Depending on what rooms you've picked out, is the difference between WL and POR worth it and does it fit your budget? If the budget is a factor, I wouldn't worry too much about the transportation issue...in the end, its a small portion of the day.

 

[constantstar]

Tough choice: you picked my favorite two resorts.

From a transportation point of view, WL would be better. You've got the boat to MK (and Epcot via monorail rides), so the only time you'd have to deal with the bus is to HS. At POR, its all buses all the time.

On the POR side, keep in mind what the PP mentioned: those rooms with the Murphy bed at Alligator Bayou is a plus.

What would be the deciding factor for me is the cost. Depending on what rooms you've picked out, is the difference between WL and POR worth it and does it fit your budget? If the budget is a factor, I wouldn't worry too much about the transportation issue...in the end, its a small portion of the day.

The difference between the royal room at POR and a courtyard room at WL is $900 right now for the week ($1200 if we go standard at POR). But, the gap may close a little when discounts are released for my dates since deluxes are normally discounted a little more. I can swing it budget wise, and don't mind, if the worth is there. Worth is so subjective and having never stayed at WL and never at POR with kids, I'm not sure what to expect. I know that while CSR was very pretty and the buses were fine, we didn't enjoy it with the kids. It could have been any hotel in the world - we missed the "Disney" element that some of the resorts have.

 

[constantstar]

What about a split stay with ASMovies & Poly?! At first glance, it looks like that would be $400 more than a full POR royal room stay. I swear, I'm all over the place.

 

[Texas Mickey]

We love both resorts. We did a heavy magic kingdom trip last October and the boat back to WL was great. You'll really enjoy the convenience of the boat if your doing late nights at MK. You cant go wrong with either resort, like i said we enjoy them both, budget is usually the deciding factor for us each trip.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We too have stayed at both WL and POR and loved them both. They both have a quiet rural feel that some other resorts don't have, and we particularly enjoy. At POR we did a preferred room, which guarantees that you will be in the Alligator Bayou section and fairly close to the lobby and food court. These rooms cost more than the standard rooms, but are less than the Royal rooms and we thought it worked out very well for us. Things we preferred about POR were the food court and having boat transportation to Disney Springs. At WL, we love the proximity to MK, which allows for quick easy access via boat or bus. We also really appreciate that the whole resort is under one roof, which is something many other resorts do not have, and is really nice in rainy or cold weather.
For our upcoming trip in September we chose to go with WL. The construction would tip the balance towards POR for some people, but we won't really miss the amenities that will be unavailable and we are looking forward to seeing WL at lower crowd levels since half of the main building is closed for construction. Either way is great though, they are both nice resorts.
As far as splitting the stay with a value, the big issue we have is the Full beds instead of Queens. For this reason we go Moderate or Deluxe. We also tend to prefer staying in one resort, so we can settle in and not have to move.

 

[alliecat523]

We just stayed at WL last week with full construction going on. We had a standard view room and never heard a thing. We loved that the resort was less crowded. The main pool had activity but there was tons of space and not a lot of people. The proximity to MK is key for us as we do spend most of our time there. The boat ride is awesome and it's great to travel to and from the resort so quickly.

 

[richmo]

What about a split stay with ASMovies & Poly?! At first glance, it looks like that would be $400 more than a full POR royal room stay. I swear, I'm all over the place.

That would be fine too. Personally, I'd rather just stick to one place and not have to deal with moving. I know they'll move your stuff for you, but you have to pack and unpack again. I'd vote for POR, make sure you get a room with a Murphy bed. I see you've already been there before...I think there's more Disney theming than at CSR

 

[constantstar]

Okay new choice to the mix! For $200 more than our POR (royal) week, I can rent DVC points for Poly (standard). Thoughts?

 

[richmo]

Okay new choice to the mix! For $200 more than our POR (royal) week, I can rent DVC points for Poly (standard). Thoughts?

That sounds a lot more reasonable! As long as the room works for you, I'd go for it.

 

[Ohana2011]

We did a split POR and WL in January. Luck be on our side, we were snowed in back home in Jersey and had to stay a few days longer (what a shame - haha). POR Alligator Bayou: stayed in bldg 26. A bit of a walk to the large food court. Beautiful grounds, MURPHY bed (room sleeps 5), Yeeha Bob Wed through Sat nights (not to be missed), ferry to Disney Springs. Room decor just edged out WL according to my 11 y/o. The main pool was closed at the time. We had a car & it was easy to drive to any park. WL bunk bed room (sleeps 4): daughter loved the bunks, lodge is gorgeous and no long walks for food or pool. Construction was relatively quiet & we received special pins for the inconvenience. Pool is beautiful, the geyser was fun & ferry to MK & monorail a bonus! Roaring Forks small in comparison to POR's food court - not too packed w/half of the resort closed for construction. We like the smaller, quieter dining spot. Territory longe very nice - great little spot for hubby and cousins to catch their favorite sports team over a drink or two. Whispering Canyon was a fun experience (can I get a "KETCHUP!!"?), arcade for inclement weather, drive short to Poly/Ohana/DOLE WHIP! We were so impressed w/WL we just put in a contract for VWL. It depends on what you like & what appeals to your family. Can't go wrong with either, but between the two, we lean a little more towards WL.

 

[Ohana2011]

Okay new choice to the mix! For $200 more than our POR (royal) week, I can rent DVC points for Poly (standard). Thoughts?

Stayed at Poly in Aug 2015. The new DVC pool area was still under construction when we visited in Jan 2016. The Poly is my personal favorite, hands down - but not much on resale for Poly just yet. Monorail, walking distance to transit hub, 'Ohana, Pineapple Lenai & Volcano pool is - for me - the best of the pools on Disney properties (sorry storm along bay fans - SAB our second fav)... Ferry to MK - Polynesian feel & the scent that they pipe through at the ceremonial house... My mind is back there now. The MURPHY beds have LILO & Stitch on the wall and two bathrooms a plus!! If you could wing it, go for it.

 

[PlainJane]

Okay new choice to the mix! For $200 more than our POR (royal) week, I can rent DVC points for Poly (standard). Thoughts?

While a stay at the Poly would be my first choice, there are other costs to consider with the renting. I would want trip insurance. It's just not as easy as going through Disney directly, and there is more uncertainty. Also, with the state of Poly sales at the moment, you can probably get a standard room, but are you willing to pay the difference for lagoon if standard isn't available?

 

[SwanVT2]

How about renting DVC at somewhere like BCV where you can walk to two parks and have solid bus service and an amazing pool? It'll probably be less expensive than Poly.

 

[Piglet_Mom]

We are just now starting to think about a trip for March 2017, and POR vs WL is something I am also wondering about. Does anyone know if the construction at WL will be done by then? Also, how much walking would we have to do to get to the main building if we ended up in one of the furthest away buildings?

 

[DJFan88]

6 days is a little short for a split stay, IMO. I know OP didn't say a murphy bed or AB was needed, but just in case, a couple points is as a family of four the only guarantee for AB is preferred., not to say you couldn't get it on a request. Also, we are a family of 4 who booked preferred and they gave us a handicapped room which is in AB, but does not have a murphy bed, takes 4 people.