Some POFQ questions!

[Princess Dot]

Having never stayed at a moderate, I have been thinking of a stay here in July. We have stayed at the Swan, Dolphin, and BC on previous trips for pretty good rates ($119 at the Swan, $149 Dolphin, $169 BC with an AP rate back in 1999!) but this year it seems that the prices have gone through the roof! Now with the S/D supposedly charging for parking on top of the resort fee, even with the govt discount if they have any, they are getting a little pricey for me as well.

With the AAA rate around $135 for FQ with no resort fee and parking charge tacked on, I'm thinking that might be the way to go. Soo, here are some of my concerns/questions:

Rain: Last time we were at WDW in July it rained like crazy every evening. We were at the BC and it was nice to be able to walk around the inside and go the shops without getting wet. Also, one night when we were at the Dolphin we planned to go out for dinner, but it was raining/thundering with giant lightning too hard for any of us to want to walk to the car! So it was great to just walk under the covered walkway to the Swan and eat at the Garden Grove buffet dinner there. I'm worried that at FQ, we'll feel trapped in our room when it rains! What has been your experiences?

Rollaways: Has anyone one ever gotten one at FQ? I realize there is a charge(but they were supposed to charge me at the Dolphin too but didn't since it was for a child). We usually try to get one because my girls always seem to fight when they sleep together, but it is by no means a neccesity. I just wondered what they were like, as I have seen some rollaways that were worse than sleeping on the floor! The ones we've had at the BC(no charge there) and the Dolphin were great, just as comfy as a regular bed according to my daughter.

I am also concerned that it will feel somewhat like a "cheap" place to stay after the places we have stayed at WDW. I really don't like double beds, but that is what we had at the Dolphin(although they were the"heavenly" ones). Funny, my DH felt they were too soft and he said he slept better at the very gross Ramada Inn that we stayed at on our drive home! Its not that I am looking for a fancy, snooty place to stay but after reading the other post about that person's bad stay at POR after the AKL I am worried. Since I do all the planning, everyone depends on me to make the best choices. I can still remember the first time we stayed at the Swan and how impressed my family was that we were at this beautiful hotel for only $119 a night! I really don't want everyone to be dissappointed.

For the most part, we usually stay at Hampton Inns, Comfort Inns, etc when we travel, sometimes a Marriot if we get the govt rate, so its not like we are used to the Ritz! Although the outside corridors I'm not crazy about. That seems to lend the feeling of "motel" to a place.

Back to the rain, I was just thinking that for all the $$$ it costs, at the GF you would have to leave your building and go out in the rain too if you wanted to shop and eat(unless you were in concierge)!

Whew! This was a long rambling post! But I appreciate your input!

 

[Disney Spaz]

We stayed at the POR several times and loved it. We are staying at the POFQ in March. We also have 2 children who refuse to sleep together. Once we tried the trundle beds at POR but we found them to be uncomfortable and difficult to pull out and put away. So this time we bought an air matteress and electric pump from WalMart for about $40 and we will see how that works. It is a little more difficult when you have to go outside to get to the main area but POFQ is very small and you cloud probable make it without getting too wet by manuvering through the buildings corridors. I don't see that being as easy at POR. Either way for my family a little rain is worth it if it menas being in WDW.

 

[BevS97]

we stayed at POFQ last October/November - I am a HUGE fan of the place, so I can't claim to be unbiased.

As you have said yourself, many of the Deluxe hotels have seperate buildings, Contempory, Poly and GF would all require you to go outside to get to the main building - the FQ is no different - you could walk under cover all the way to the edge of your building and would then need to scoot across the road to another building and walk under cover over there.

I don't have a problem with the doors opening to the outside, because it is no way like a motel, it is like a door opening onto a park area - the courtyard areas are beautiful, and so I would rather open my door and see a beautiful park than a corridor.

I don't think you can get a roll-away at FQ, I believe they are only at AB, and when we were at AB we had one, which we didn't use, but it was very low to the ground, like sleeping on a mattress on the floor. I wouldn't have liked it, to be honest.

Personally, I preferred it to AKL (only deluxe we have stayed in), it was much more convenient for the food court, and especially the bus or car - parking at AKL was miles away from the hotel, and it was a long walk from our room just to the entrance of the hotel.

 

[dcgrumpy]

They don't have rollawya beds. POR has trundel beds in the AB section, DS4 slept on it without a problem.

 

[Princess Dot]

Thanks! Bev, I just wanted to thank you for your great pictures on your web site! That really helped me to get a feeling for what FQ really looked like!

You have a good point about the outside doors opening up to the gardens. I probably am just thinking about motels that you see where the doors bascially open up to the parking lot.

Are the buildings close enough that you can scoot from one to the other without being in the rain for long? Although, in some of those storms it seems the rain is going sideways so it doesn't matter if you are under a roof!

I agree that the trundles do not look like anything I would want to use. I have thought about the air mattress idea as well. But I would probably prefer the rollaway (I like that they are off the floor). Disney Spaz, good luck with the air mattress! Let us know how it worked out!

Anyone else?

 

[tink2]

We've stayed at POFQ and it is our favorite resort! I'm not sure about the roll away beds- seems like when we were there in Dec. the person checking in next to me got one but I could be wrong- might want to call and ask. My kids don't sleep well together anywhere but WDW-they are too tired to care are WDW ! I, too, have stayed savannah view at AKL and prefer POFQ. THe resort is so small nothing is a long walk away. I think you will like the resort fine- very nice and has a 'deluxe' feel to it without the price!

 

[Princess Dot]

Yes, I will call to check about the beds myself. Its not a big,big deal but I was just curious. I like to know they are available if it gets down to it. Of course they sleep together most of the time when we go away, but there is usually one night that they need to split up and we end up sleeping each with one kid each!

 

[BevS97]

This isn't a great photo to show you, but if you see where the fence ends (near my dd), that is the end of our building, and you can see the next building across the 'road' - it's would depend on how hard it was raining, I have been in some rain where 2 steps would get you soaked, but in a 'normal' rain shower you should be ok - pack an umbrella just to be on the safe side

 

[Princess Dot]

Thanks Bev! That does give me a better idea. Its just that summer rain in Florida is so common that I really am trying to plan as best I can!

BTW, your daughter is so cute!

What building would you suggest? My girls love to swim and we usually like to be close to the pool area but I also don't want to be too far from the bus stop as well ( also for the rain issue!). Thanks so much!

 

[tink2]

Here's a map for you:http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/port-french.htm
Looks like buildings 2 and 5 are beside the pool. We have stayed in building 3 both times and the walk to the bus stop is very short. I think the walk would be good from buildings 3, 5, 2, and 4. Again, this is a very compact resort and the walk to/from anything isn't that far. Buildings 1, 6, and 7 look like they have the furthest walks- but still shouldn't be that far. Just make a request to be near the pool and bus stop and you should be fine.

 

[BevS97]

i don;t think you can pick a specific building, there are better and worse ends of many buildings (not that a worse end is terrible, but if you look at the map you will see what I mean)
We were in building 2 at the end nearest the food court and that was a great location

 

[BevS97]

what a great map - we were on the corner of 'Rue De Baga' (makes me laugh) and Rue De Blues, and we walked to the bus stop via the main building (generally I walked through the shop cause I love to shop!)

our car was parked just near that turning circle you can see on the right of the map, and we could get to the pool through a walkway in the middle of the building more or less under the 2 on the map.
All in all, we were very happy with this spot.

 

[Skroops]

The POFQ is very nice, I think you will love it! The theme and atmophere can't compare to non-disney resorts, and I've stayed at a lot of hotels around the world. The space is quaint and cozy, and the gardens are gorgeous. It doesn't have the level of service of the deluxe resorts, but if you expect less you may be suprised! Many people can't afford the moderates, as the economy tightens and the prices rise. Relax, enjoy!

 

[Princess Dot]

Thanks for the map! I know you can't "pick" a building, but I have to say I've always had pretty good luck with my requests that I've made with my reservation.

Just call me a compulsive over-planner! I'm thinking that building 2 near the playground looks like a nice central location..close to pool, not too far from the parking and close to the main building and a short walk to the bus. What do you think?

I'm thinking that I am not really looking for any kind of special service or facility that your would get at a deluxe such as a spa or gym or sitdown restaurant, to me its more the feeling and the surroundings of the resort itself. Like I said, my kids think the Hampton Inn is just the best place to stay in the world! Now if only Disney offered a free breakfast like HI, then we would all be in heaven!

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

I am glad you posted Dot...I have learned a lot from this thread. I am trying to plan a romantic, two night getaway for just DH and I for our wedding anniversary. We plan to use to boat to get to downtown Disney so we can PAR-Tay! LOL

Just so I understand...when you request a view at either POR "OR" POFQ...the "view" is from the door that opens into the room, correct? Or are there balconies? we really like sitting on a balcony and looking at the view.

Are there balconies at POR/POFQ? thank you for your response!

 

[Princess Dot]

No there are no "balconies" per se at FQ (or any of the mods as far as I know) The view they are talking about is through the window next to the door of your room which leads out to a common balcony/walkway. So you do not have a private balcony in your room.

 

[wildernesslodgelover]

Bummer. Oh well, I still want to try that resort....thanks!

 

[Clare]

We stayed at POR last November (would have gone with FQ, but was under rehab). Prior to this trip, we had only stayed in Deluxes, so I was concerned. I shouldn't have worried.......we had a great trip. My main concern was the exterior corridors. Like others have said, I worried that it would feel like a Motel 8. It absolutely did not. The grounds are so beautiful that it was absolutely not an issue.

The only time this would have been a problem is if we loved to sit out on the patio a lot. We spend little time in the room......just sleeping & naps so this wasn't a big deal to us.

 

[mailman028]

This was the last moderate that we have not stayed at yet.Coronado was our favorite,not now.FQ is really nice.We stayed in 4133 bldg 4.Very small resort compared to all the others(values and moderates)we have stayed at.The boat to DTD is Kind of weird.When a boat comes from DTD and arrives at FQ you can't board,you have to wait till it comes back from riverside.Plus you can't just ride the boat.They make you get off at DTD,if you want to go right back to your resort you have to get back in line.I saw a grandma and grandpa with the grandkids not to happy about it.The best thing is the bus picks up at FQ first so you almost always get a seat,then drops off there first also.The pool is heated and has a slide,its not a very big slide tho.What we really like about it was after fighting the crowds all day at the parks there was no huge crowds at FQ.Mike