Port orleans - riverside or french quarter

[ashestrips]

Hi all! I have never before been to Disney and I am taking my two sweet kiddies with my husband this Spring..We are going to stay in the Port Orleans - but noticed the price difference of a few hundred dollars with French Quarter being more expensive than Riverside. I am a "germaphobe" (or so others tell me) I just like things to be clean and no signs of anyone else using them..yuck (who does?) I also like convenience! We are driving down and probably will not be using the buses around (maybe give it one try) Since we know that we will have free parking at all Disney parks since we are staying on site..Any input/photos/experiences would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I plan on booking within the next few weeks and need to get this one last detail in order.

 

[alex9179]

I just had this same conflict myself. My mom and I are going to celebrate her birthday and retirement, so I thought a nice compact resort would work well for us after a long day of running around.

I believe FQ is the first stop for the boat, so you don't have to worry about not having seats available after it reaches Riverside. They also share buses (not that you're locked in) and there are several POR stops after FQ is picked up. FQ does not have a TS restaurant, but it's a short ride/walk to get to one.
The comment I remember, from a guest we were talking to during our last visit, was that there was so much walking to get anywhere from their room. After a while, it became something that they did not like at all.

Pros for POR more and larger pools, the CS is very well liked, and a TS restaurant. I would probably spring for a preferred location to reduce the wear on the kids.

 

[minnie mum]

First of all, the resorts are generally the same price, if all the variables are the same. When you are price comparing, especially on a vacation package, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Especially that the room categories are the same. On a one week stay there is quite a difference in price between a standard room and a preferred room or a water view room. If you are getting tickets, make sure that the tickets and options are identical. Occasionally these will revert to the default setting, not necessarily what you want.

I'm not sure that any germaphobe is ever happy with any hotel room. But if it helps, both rooms have been refurbed within the last couple of years. PORs is more recent than POFQs.

There are excellent resort specific threads for each of these resorts. Read through them for descriptions of the resort and room amenities. They also have an excellent gallery of photos.

I always think that POR has more to offer for families with younger children. Mostly because of their main pool and playground areas. They also have a TS restaurant in addition to the CS. If you want to be close to the main buildings for convenience, then pay the upcharge for a preferred room.

I always like POFQ because it is the smallest resort, is very easy to walk around and seems so quiet. The downside is that it has only a CS restaurant and has no quiet pools.

 

[sambisc]

We're at FQ now but stayed at RS last year. Pros of RS-food court much better with more options, has more pools, and is probably more kid friendly. Cons-there acould be a lot of walking depending on where your room is. Pros of FQ-much less walking, beautiful theming, buses first stop before picking up guests at RS. If I had a choice between the two, I would choose FQ, but then again, I don't have small children. As a guest of FQ, though, you can use all the amenities at RS. Also, in my opinion, you should take advantage of Disney transportation between parks and the resorts..it's just so easy and convenient.

 

[OThopeful35]

You can find out tons of info on the FAQ page.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2924189

Also lots of info on the unofficial guide site as well.

http://www.portorleans.org/

We have stayed at both and we enjoyed our stay at both resorts!

 

[Brownsfan317]

We stayed at the POFQ in July 2009 and POR earlier this month.

1. Both resorts were quiet. We really appreciated that.
2. Both resorts had great scenery. Really enjoyed walked along the river. Also liked having the boat to DTD. Boats were coming frequently enough that we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a boat.
3. I found both locations pretty clean. I may not be an extreme germaphobe, but I check things out when we arrive, bring Lysol disinfectant and check for bed bugs.
4. Although OP mentioned not using the busing, I found that overall the busing was the same at either location. Sometimes the two resorts shared a bus, and when they did, POFQ was first. Many times we actually got off at POFQ and walked to POR because it was so beautiful out!

If money was not an issue, I would prefer POFQ. I like the smaller resort. We were in a Royal Room at POR so our location was pretty decent. I think with POR being a bigger resort, I would want at least some type of preferred location. I think if the price is significant, POFQ is not worth the price difference.

I am sorry, I cannot find any of my pics of POFQ, but here are a couple of pics of POR.

View outside our room:

View of one of the Royal Rooms buildings from the bridge to the main building:

Quick Service at POR:

Boatwrights (table service) before opening:

 

[shenaniganzz]

I think it depends on how you define convenience.

Do you spend time at the quiet pools? Do you want a TS restaurant and does the menu even appeal to you? Do you enjoy long leisurely walks or prefer something more compact with easier access to the amenities?

 

[wiigirl]

You can find out tons of info on the FAQ page.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2924189

Also lots of info on the unofficial guide site as well.

http://www.portorleans.org/

We have stayed at both and we enjoyed our stay at both resorts!

Awesome links!

 

[dminnie]

If your kids like pool slides, I'd go with POR. The slide at FQ isn't much. My kids thought it was geared towards really young kids. They do allow you to use the pools at either of the sister resorts though.

It's been 2 or 3 years since FQ was renovated. POR was just finished last year.

FQ seems to be very popular and not always included in discounts that they offer. Maybe that's why it's more expensive (assuming you're trying to book the same category of room).

 

[jemmouse]

Having stayed at FQ several visits, I prefer it. After walking all day at parks, I like having everything within 5 minutes to me.

Also I have to disagree with an AP, in most of my searches Riverside has come up cheaper than FQ...Maybe my days, which are usually peak but still higher...

Like another poster said you can utilize both resorts when staying at either.

And about the germs, as far a s I am concerned no one will ever clean the way you yourself does. So my advice if that is a concern, bring some Lysol, some bleach wipes, and clean before you go to a park, so that the fumes are cleared out when you return....There are no windows to open, only the door, and you can't keep that open for hours...

 

[alex9179]

I was set on FQ until I priced it out for my dates, just now. There is a $217 difference between standard rooms for my dates. Since I'm supposed to be fairly frugal for this trip, I feel like that money is better used for dining and my mom and I can stretch it pretty far!

 

[Emily Jane]

Me and my family stayed at French Quarter in 2011 when i was 16. It was soo nice and i would recomend it to anyone. The room and the lobby were nice. The pool was great. I only remember one hot tub that was a kid of small, but a little secluded. Everything was very clean and all the staff was kind. We didnt have any problems. Also the food in restaurant was good! They had a pretty good variety of things for everyone. The theme of the whole place goes throughout and was carried out wonderfully.

 

[ashestrips]

Thanks everyone for the input! I think I will go with Riverside because my awesome TA just got me one of the Royal Rooms for a few hundred less since it is so close to us leaving! We are PUMPED!! Destinations in Florida Travel got a great deal for us! After reading all of your posts, I will give the boats and buses a try! We are so excited! Making a countdown calendar with my four year old daughter today! Happy Travels!

 

[racefans44]

I was set on FQ until I priced it out for my dates, just now. There is a $217 difference between standard rooms for my dates. Since I'm supposed to be fairly frugal for this trip, I feel like that money is better used for dining and my mom and I can stretch it pretty far!

I believe that the difference in price is the discount. There is a bigger discount for POR. When the latest offers came out I switched from POFQ to POR because POFQ only had a 5% discounty, while POR was 20% or 25%, I forget which one.

 

[leitadisneyfan]

My family enjoys both resorts. FQ there is less walking then at Riverside. We never had to stand on the bus going to the parks from either resort.I did like the food court at riverside better. However the food at FQ was fine my son is very picky and he always found something to eat. We enjoyed the pool at both resorts. We are going again next year with other families and two families are staying at FQ and the other two families are staying at Riverside. You'll have a Magical time at either resort

 

[cheer25mom]

We have stayed at POFQ and really enjoyed it. We liked the small size and the fact that we were the first and often only bus pickup. We are staying at POR on June due to the difference in discount. We spent some time there on our last trip and I think we will be happy there. Some of the rooms seem to be a hike from the main building, but that would be my only real reservation with the resort.