PORQ or Grand Destino

[woody5]

With the new discount these two would be the same price. Stand room for both. The discount isn’t available on the standard room at POFQ. Which would be best when taking a 73 year old for the 1st time. I am most concerned about walking and bus availability. Thanks!

 

[butterscotchcollins]

GDT, no question. First of all it’s like a Deluxe hotel at a moderate price. Secondly the Tower does have its own bus stop which is a short walk from the lobby. Lastly the food options are WAY better in the Tower alone, but you also have easy access to the food court, Rix’s, etc.

 

[Miffy]

I pick POFQ, and I'll bet you're going to get advice about why GDT is better and why FQ is better!

But I will tell you one thing, it's a heckuva long walk from the elevators to the QS in GDT and nothing at FQ is a long walk.

GDT has its own bus stop, but it doesn't have its own bus and I've seen other posters saying that by the time the bus got to GDT, it was full and they were walking back to the previous bus stop in order to guarantee themselves a ride.

FQ does not share buses most of the time, Every once in a while it will stop at POR after picking up at FQ, but only in non-peak times. And FQ is always the first stop, in both directions.

And FQ has the boat to DS, which is great.

GDT is a deluxe-ish place, but, unlike the deluxes, the rooms don't have a balcony. Just so you'll know.

 

[woody5]

Thanks for the advice. I know my 73 year old friend will not want to do much walking at the resort. Leaning towards keeping POFQ. I can upgrade to a garden view room and save $40. Guess that is something!

 

[Mle8308]

I pick POFQ, and I'll bet you're going to get advice about why GDT is better and why FQ is better!

But I will tell you one thing, it's a heckuva long walk from the elevators to the QS in GDT and nothing at FQ is a long walk.

GDT has its own bus stop, but it doesn't have its own bus and I've seen other posters saying that by the time the bus got to GDT, it was full and they were walking back to the previous bus stop in order to guarantee themselves a ride.

FQ does not share buses most of the time, Every once in a while it will stop at POR after picking up at FQ, but only in non-peak times. And FQ is always the first stop, in both directions.

And FQ has the boat to DS, which is great.

GDT is a deluxe-ish place, but, unlike the deluxes, the rooms don't have a balcony. Just so you'll know.

I agree! POFQ for the reasons above. GDT is more of a convention hotel, I compare it to a hotel I could book in any city. It is nice, I won't argue that, but if you want a real Disney feel, FQ has way more of that vibe. It's not a spread out resort and you can use the pools at both POFQ and POR if you want. There is also live entertainment on some nights at Scat Cat's Club, which is great. And I think, overall, the food options are better. Three Bridges at CSR is very good, but it's a walk from the Tower. I say POFQ.

 

[Olaf63]

GDT for sure!

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

With the new discount these two would be the same price. Stand room for both. The discount isn’t available on the standard room at POFQ. Which would be best when taking a 73 year old for the 1st time. I am most concerned about walking and bus availability. Thanks!

If walking and getting around is important do FQ, it's such a small resort and easy to get around with a much smaller footprint than CSR. FQ is so small, it doesn't even have preferred room locations. Getting to the pool, dining in the lobby, the boat to DS and the bus depot is much easier at FQ. CSR is definitely more spread out but depending on what you all do, you may only remain in the tower and walk to the bus depot. However, walking to pool from the tower at CSR is longer and overall the property is larger. Unless you really want to have a room with an interior hallway/traditional hotel feel and have a few more dining options/lounges available, I'd choose FQ for ease of getting around.

 

[butterscotchcollins]

You do you but you can pry my breakfast burritos and spiked cortados from the Barcelona Lounge out of my cold dead hands.

 

[disneydreamer781]

A no-brainer for me...GDT! As much as I enjoyed POFQ, GDT is just in another league. The restaurants and lounges are just reason enough. Been there 3 times and the only time there was an issue was during the Cheer/Dance. I would avoid that like the plague. Other people there for the conventions were not an issue at all. Besides this resort is gorgeous and even more so in the evening. BTW, getting to Three Bridges is not that far. It's a lovely walk over the bridge.

 

[disneydreamer781]

You do you but you can pry my breakfast burritos and spiked cortados from the Barcelona Lounge out of my cold dead hands.

That lounge is one of my favorite places in all of WDW. Three Bridges is another.

 

[gottalovepluto]

GDT. To me GDT feels like a hotel, POFQ feels like a motel.

The GDT rooms are nicer, more soundproof, walk-in showers, interior hallways, floor to ceiling windows. I found it to be less walking than POFQ and being able to walk out of the weather in the AC to the QS/Rix was great. I’m not convinced the walk from the furthest building at POFQ (where I got placed) to their QS is any shorter than the walk from the tower to QS. And in the morning at GDT you can get espressos, coffee, pastries and premade breakfast sandwiches right on the bottom floor of the lobby.

 

[Ronaldo17]

POFQ, compact resort, one bus stop, boats to DS, short walk to Riverside.
Beignets

 

[Sunshine11]

FQ is a small compact resort with great theming. Request to be close to main hub. The boat to Disney Springs is great too. GDT is a nicer newer room but if you walk the grounds it's a large property. I don't think you could go wrong with either. THey are my top two pics for moderate resorts. Enjoy.

 

[loves to dive]

I'm going to throw a wrench in the situation. Why not a preferred room at CSR. Hear me out.

I was just booking for me for the holidays and at first I hit the button for the tower since I've stayed at CSR often but not the tower and the price was good. Then I thought about it being the last bus stop and I really didn't want to walk over to Casitas to get the first bus stop. So, I booked a preferred room instead. Either Casitas or Cabanas doesn't matter there will be a bus stop close, the walk to the tower and 3 bridges isn't far, although the walk to the main pool will be further. I actually usually just get a standard room because I'm too cheap to pay for a preferred room and all three standard sections have bus stops close. I was just treating myself and decided to get preferred so I would know I wouldn't get Ranchos, which I actually usually like but wasn't in the mood. POFQ is actually the only moderate I haven't stayed at. I just don't like the motel look of the buildings and that big ole mask going toward the pool freaks me out. I'm going to assume since you are looking for something with not a lot of walking, you probably aren't going to be taking the boat to DS anyway, cause talk about walking.

 

[stinkpickle]

If "I am most concerned about walking and bus availability" is the biggest reason, I'd definitely do POFQ.

 

[woody5]

Thanks for the recommendations. We have decided to stay at POFQ!