Port Orleans- does it feel like a motel?

[Shanti]

I think that problem exists in the deluxe resorts too, on the lower floors at least. If you have a room that is along a walk way you will have people looking in your room as they walk by too. And I've never had a balcony I could sit on and not stare straight at the rail, due to my height I guess...

I've stayed on the ground floor of multiple deluxe resorts and never had a walkway right outside the room. They give you a patio with your own space, and there is landscaping that reinforces that. Sidewalks are a fair ways off from that. It's nothing like having a walkway immediately outside your room as exists with exterior corridors.

Balconies aren't for everyone, but some of us love them. Different strokes. I don't think the moderates are bad, just not right for everyone.

 

[indoshakespeare]

If you're a hotel snob and wants to save money, perhaps the Swan/Dolphin or one of the Disney Springs hotels would be more satisfactory.

 

[AngiTN]

I've stayed on the ground floor of multiple deluxe resorts and never had a walkway right outside the room. They give you a patio with your own space, and there is landscaping that reinforces that. Sidewalks are a fair ways off from that. It's nothing like having a walkway immediately outside your room as exists with exterior corridors.

Balconies aren't for everyone, but some of us love them. Different strokes. I don't think the moderates are bad, just not right for everyone.

Never had a room along the path to the pool or the boats at Poly I guess. Those rooms are right on top of the walking path. Or WL. Or BWI (though only to the quiet pool there). GF may be the only one with separation. AKL probably wasn't too close either.

 

[Sue M]

@Sue M - I haven’t been to POR since it was Dixie Landings, so a long time ago. I’m going to request Magnolia Terrace. We are booked in a standard view. Would it be appropriate for me to request near foot bridge, too, or are there no standard rooms in that area of Magnolia Terrace? Thanks!

There are. Our first time we had a room in Magnolia Terrace along the side of the quiet pool. Room was just past the quiet pool, ground floor. It’s on the side closest to foot bridge.

 

[Shanti]

Never had a room along the path to the pool or the boats at Poly I guess. Those rooms are right on top of the walking path. Or WL. Or BWI (though only to the quiet pool there). GF may be the only one with separation. AKL probably wasn't too close either.

I stayed at a Poly villa on the ground floor. Those villas are just like regular resort rooms in terms of how they're situated. No path was directly outside our room.

I've also stayed on the ground floor at the Contemporary garden wing, and at the Yacht Club. In both of those cases, as with the Poly villa, we had a patio and plenty of space between us and any public path.

 

[vacationer1954]

I guess I'm not fancy enough to understand the issue.

I wouldn't think about it in such positive/negative terms. The ideal vacation for some of my friends is sleeping on the ground, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing offered for their comfort but what they were able to carry (10 miles) themselves. I could never understand preferring that kind of vacation, but my friends do (and think any Disney vacation is "crap"). But what's important to realize is that vacationing often costs them a fraction of what it costs us. So who's better off? We just have different tastes; some happen to be more expensive than others.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

I’m a hotel snob and have been considering poly or even swan for our Nov trip. But we can save so much money by switching to POR, or stay an extra night and still save $100. So I’m leaning toward switching our res to POR. What turned me off to the moderates initially is I don’t like that they are all motel style with the doors to the room going straight to outside. Does POR rooms feel motel-ish? If we stay an extra day, we’ll schedule a midweek resort day. Is POR a nice place to relax in Nov? Likelihood of being able to use the pools that time of year? We have a 6 yo dd. Do you think if I request a recently renovated room we’d get it? Is POFQ or POR nicer? POFQ is full our dates so it’s moot I guess but just curious. Thanks friends! Oh and we’re doing mostly MK with one day at Epcot.

If you’re a hotel snob then you’d be better off staying at the Four Seasons because there is nothing special or luxurious about the resorts at WDW except for their location and the price they charge.

 

[Karen46]

We just stayed in a Royal room pool view this past April and having stayed in deluxe the last few visits this does not feel like a motel at all. We didn’t face the parking lot so that is maybe why. I did a lot of research and I wanted to be near the bridge to the food and main area so pool view guaranteed that for us. It was a lovely resort with good food, nice pools and transportation was fine both bus and boat.

 

[tommygunn]

If you’re a hotel snob then you’d be better off staying at the Four Seasons because there is nothing special or luxurious about the resorts at WDW except for their location and the price they charge.

Completely disagree that the deluxes are not true deluxe. Are they at the ritz Carlton or four seasons level, no. But they’re pretty darn special. ESP if you go for concierge level. Was lucky enough to do that in March for my 50th bday for a short Trip. Stayed at the contemporary. Absolutely amazing service, monorail flies through the lobby, California grill is top notch, can walk to mk and fly around monorail to visit 2 other great resorts. Lobby smells like choc chip muffins in the morning and you can hear the “celebrate” song from chef Mickey. Sheesh to me it’s hard to get better. What’s not deluxe about that??

 

[buzznina]

Simply put, no it does not.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Hotel snobs should avoid POR. Nothing we say will shake that from you. My SIL stays Four Seasons because she refuses an outside door hotel. We love POR.

 

[Pmm_]

No! It's not a motel-feel at all. And the river right next to it is a major plus.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

I'm actually surprised someone who describes themselves as a hotel snob even finds a Disney Deluxe satisfactory. They are not Deluxe hotels by industry standards by any means.

I guess my question would be do you find the Disney Deluxe resorts meet your standards completely? or barely? If completely then I'd say POR would barely meet them and if Deluxe barely meet them then no way would POR come close.

Though I guess on the other hand I can't wrap my brain around poo-pooing a resort based on it's doors opening to the outside. What's so wrong with that? I guess I'm not fancy enough to understand the issue.

ITA with this. I stayed at a Hilton in Chicago last summer for baseball tournaments for my son. I got a great deal ($95 a night) from Priceline. Everything was gold and shiny and beautiful. Swanky restaurant and bar...fireplaces & Chandeliers everywhere. The inside pool on the top floor of hotel had all windows to see planes taking off at Chicago Ohare. Inside hotel had floor to ceiling windows. (yes I realize WDW parks were not there to enjoy...but great shopping and beaches and Chicago nightlife!)

I admit though I have become a Deluxe Snob at WDW only because I have found the transportation better and less crowded. Personally I have found it to be less walking to where I want to go also.
So even though I am also calling myself a Deluxe snob I have totally different reasons than the OP for being one.

My daughter stayed at POR last year and I found her room to be beautiful. Yes you do enter from the outside...but once inside it was clean & quiet.
I also found the dining there very nice and very large.

I was happy to go back to my favorite WL lodge every night .....but I thought POR was nice.
But probably not for a self proclaimed snob & the reasons as the OP states.

 

[sbd78]

Balconies aren't for everyone, but some of us love them. Different strokes. I don't think the moderates are bad, just not right for everyone.

I was surprised when I learned on these boards that not all deluxe rooms have a balcony? (Or patio on the first floor?) I always thought they all had a balcony/patio. I would be upset if I made the upgrade and substantial price jump to a deluxe and then still didn't have a balcony, that is one of the major benefits the deluxes have over mods IMO.

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

If you're a self admitted hotel snob that doesn't like the idea of the motel style set up of most of the resorts then I bet you'll find flaws with anything that is not what you're used to so you may want to just stay where you're comfortable.

Personally I like the motel style because it feels less formal and I don't feel the need to be silent in the hallway.
I stayed in a RR at POR and loved it.
And sound proofing is much better than in the values.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

I was surprised when I learned on these boards that not all deluxe rooms have a balcony? (Or patio on the first floor?) I always thought they all had a balcony/patio. I would be upset if I made the upgrade and substantial price jump to a deluxe and then still didn't have a balcony, that is one of the major benefits the deluxes have over mods IMO.

I personally have stayed numerous times deluxe & have ALWAYS found a balcony when I stay.. Now I admit when your on a corner or the end sometimes......... it is a balcony for like 1 person(ha) but it's there.

 

[sbd78]

I personally have stayed numerous times deluxe & have ALWAYS found a balcony when I stay.. Now I admit when your on a corner or the end sometimes......... it is a balcony for like 1 person(ha) but it's there.

Just from reading these boards, the main resorts I've heard mentioned that don't have a balcony are Beach Club (many of the rooms have a Juliette balcony, not enough room for chairs to sit on) and certain floors of the Poly. There may be others, not sure? If I'm going to have a balcony, I want to be able to sit out there and enjoy a glass of wine away from the kids, otherwise it defeats the purpose of having a balcony, LOL!

 

[AngiTN]

I stayed at a Poly villa on the ground floor. Those villas are just like regular resort rooms in terms of how they're situated. No path was directly outside our room.

I've also stayed on the ground floor at the Contemporary garden wing, and at the Yacht Club. In both of those cases, as with the Poly villa, we had a patio and plenty of space between us and any public path.

True. Neither of those are near the path to the pool. And CR is one that does not have folks walking past your room. But check photos outside Fiji or Samoa at Poly

I wouldn't think about it in such positive/negative terms. The ideal vacation for some of my friends is sleeping on the ground, in the middle of nowhere, with nothing offered for their comfort but what they were able to carry (10 miles) themselves. I could never understand preferring that kind of vacation, but my friends do (and think any Disney vacation is "crap"). But what's important to realize is that vacationing often costs them a fraction of what it costs us. So who's better off? We just have different tastes; some happen to be more expensive than others.

I wasn't thinking cost at all when I used the term fancy enough. I guess the better term is formal. I'm not formal enough to get the reason why an outside entrance is looked down upon by a self proclaimed hotel snob

 

[AngiTN]

I personally have stayed numerous times deluxe & have ALWAYS found a balcony when I stay.. Now I admit when your on a corner or the end sometimes......... it is a balcony for like 1 person(ha) but it's there.

Oh they exist

Just from reading these boards, the main resorts I've heard mentioned that don't have a balcony are Beach Club (many of the rooms have a Juliette balcony, not enough room for chairs to sit on) and certain floors of the Poly. There may be others, not sure? If I'm going to have a balcony, I want to be able to sit out there and enjoy a glass of wine away from the kids, otherwise it defeats the purpose of having a balcony, LOL!

Correct. There are deluxe resorts without balconies.

 

[Bostonbeans99]

Slightly ........but a poster above stated noise level is quieter than in a value.Thats why I bring a sound (noise canceling) machine on my WDW trip because it makes it so much nicer. We also stay at an offsite hotel before we arrive at Disney (because we drive)...and some hotels doors slam loudly and some have crying kids or loud TV's. It's great to drown it all out. Some people also just use an app on their phone, I use this one.