POR vs. WL

[LadyAurora]

I know that it is hard to be disappointed with a Disney resort, but in the past we have stayed at WL. Next trip we will be at POR. Has anyone stayed at both? Will we really notice the difference between deluxe and moderate? Thanks for any opinions!

 

[daannzzz]

I have stayed at both and on the same trip too. Twice even!
Yes you will notice a difference because the WL is all one building and POR is many, many buildings. I love having a balcony but I prefer exterior corridors for quiet. POR has a very layed back and beautiful theme wheher you are in the alligator bayou or the mansion homes. Dependiong on where you are located you may not have much more walking than at WL. The food court is better than Roaring Forks. The room is only slightly smaller. You will probably miss having the boat to the MK but you will have the boat to downtown Disney that everyone loves so much ( I was not quite as impressed but it was okay). Set your mind in a space where you don't expect quite as much and you may be surprised at how nice it is.

 

[joats]

I have stayed at both WL and POR and unfortunately there is nothing better than a WL vacation!
Due to finances we are staying at CSR this fall and I fear I will be disappointed not being at the WL. However we will be back to WL next year.

I stayed at POR when it was called Dixie Landings so I am not sure if there are major changes or not. I just remember the POR being a very far walk from the main area where everything at WL is right there for your convenience.

Regardless, it's WDW and you'll have a blast!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

We have stayed at both and enjoyed them both! We have yet to stay at a WDW resort and not love it!
Pros and cons to each. The food court does win at POR ! Balconies are the plus at WL. Both have excellent theming and beautiful grounds to explore. We like Magnolia Terrace, courtside view, top floor and center- for convenience and peace and quiet! Acadian was nice also. Enjoy exploring a new resort!!

 

[LadyAurora]

everybody! I know we'll have a good time!

 

[mbaker1277]

We split our last stay between POR and WL due to financial reasons. We were very disappointed with POR. We LOVE the WL, and it will always be our first choice. The problems we had with POR were due to the cleanliness of the rooms. When we checked in, 4 of the 6 lights in our room were out. When they were replaced, the was enough light in the room to see that it was filthy. the carpets were stained and left our feet dirty, a dresser drawer knob was missing and was left with a screw hanging out, and there were cobwebs all over the room. When we pulled back the covers, there were brown and yellow stains all on the sheets and blankets. The worst part had to be the bathroom. The wallpaper was peeling and there was mildew all over it and the bathroom tiles, but when we pulled back the shower curtain we discovered that the tub was filthy! It was covered in dirt and mildew, and when I ran my finger over it , it became black. We called and asked to be moved to another room, and they replied that they couldn't move us, but would do a deep cleaning of the room. It didn't help much.
We have never had any problems at any other of the WDW resorts in over 40 visits. We were just glad we only had 3 nights there. We did think the grounds were beautiful and enjoyed the food court and boat to DTD. Just be sure to ask for a remodeled room!

 

[girlsx2]

I too am having this same delima. We are currently booked at POR for February. Our last trip (Feb 03) we stayed at the WL. The codes were great. I really thought I'd save a little money this trip and stay at a moderate. I really feel like I will be disappointed in anything moderate after being at the WL. DH told me to changes our ressies to WL but I really want to try something new. I am leaning towards the AKL now. I also was not crazy about Roaring Forks. Not much choices for our picky children.

Sherri

 

[jwfla422]

This opinion is coming from a "spoiled" deluxer. We stayed at POR when it was still DL and this was the first and only time we stayed at a moderate.

Although the grounds are beautiful and the rooms are comfortable I must admit I was a little disappointed. We were lucky to have a corner room in the Bayou section close to the main area but I still prefer and during that stay "missed" the amenities at the deluxes including WL.

I missed having the simple deluxe things like the inside closet, the large bathroom area and the inside corridors. I missed the atmosphere of the deluxe resort.

I know some of these things sound little but I guess when you get used to something you miss it when you don't have it. Most of all I didn't like having to take a bus everywhere. The boat to DD was a 1/2 hr wait or more everytime we tried to use it so we never got a chance to use it.

WL's buses aren't the best but you do have the option to take a boat to MK which is a big plus. I also like convenience of being able to take a boat to the CR to pick up the monorail or to FW to do a variety of activities there.

If I had a choice it would be WL hands down. But then WL is our favorite MK resort.

 

[KJMAX1]

IMHO I would go to POR. We stayed at WL and we were not impressed. The food was SOOO expensive. We would actually get on the boat, take the monorail, and then go to the Poly just to get inexpensive food. A childs bowl of MacNCheese at WL was like 4.00! While a pizza and drink at Poly was 3.75!