Torn over decision RAD again!

[DisneyMomx7]

Background for the last few years DH, I and three of the kids (8, 6 and 5) have always stayed at the GF. We were there July 1-16, lagoon view room, paid a fortune and had really bad issues with mousekeeping. DH does not want to go back.

Inlaws are coming with us this July for one week. We will also be (alone) at HRH for 4/5 nights. We decided to try CBR the week in laws are with us. At HRH we will be doing the deluxe room. Now between CBR and HRH we will have 4 or 5 days which I originally booked at the Poly. Now I'm having second thoughts and was thinking of trying POR for those 4 or 5 days. It would save us $600-$750 (which would come in handy since our CA needs replacing - setting us back $4500!).

I think it might be fun to try POR and have read really good things about it. Will I be really disappointed? Has anybody who usually stayed deluxe tried moderate and wasn't disappointed. Now I know it is going to be a different experience than GF but tell me all the good points so I can make up my mind. THanks!

 

[pennst8r]

ok...take a deep breath

I'll go with your last question--no, you won't be disappointed with POR, we loved it and we have 3DSs 5, 8, 10. We stayed 2 yrs in a row, and had a great time. Everything worked the way it should--no problems with buses, etc. A quiet pool will be close to your room, and the boys loved swimming in at night after the parks...I think just because they could. (Nov/Dec!) This year, I wanted the youngest to have a bed off the floor, tho, so we're at YC.

 

[Sammie]

POR is a great resort and you will not be disappointed unless you expect it to have the amenties of a deluxe resort.

You will not have a patio or balcony,
You will have an outside door, not an interior hallway.
You will not have valet service.
You will have a very nice food court and one full service restaurant.
You will have bus service to all locations instead of boats, monorail, and bus.
You will have more pools and acess to the pool at POFQ.
Instead of 2 queen beds and a daybed, you will have 2 full size beds.

My point is POR is a great "moderate" but it is not a deluxe resort. As long as everyone is your group is happy with a moderate and what it offers, you have made a great choice.

I am sorry to hear your last visit to the Grand Fl. was not what you expected. Usually after you let them know you have a problem they are good to correct it. I am suprised that the Housekeeping Super was not able to resolve the issue, especially since you were there for so long.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Yes, we were so disappointed because all our other visits to GF had been wonderful. The thing is we would complain and then for two days we had great mousekeeping, unfortunately, then we would go back to "regular" mousekeeping and it would be really bad until we complained again. You get tired of spending your vacation complaining.

We always raved about the GF and never minded spending the extra money, both for the convenience and just the overall "feel" of the resort. I still will miss the GF but I think this year we need to just do something different. Hopefully by July 2007 DH will have calmed down and we can return again to GF. If not, by that time the kids will be older so we could always switch over to the YC. ALthough AKL looks great I don't think I want to pay deluxe prices for a resort with only bus transportation.

I know we're going to go with CBR since its reallyour only chance to try it since one of the kids can go with in-laws. If I'm going to pay for two moderate rooms I definitely would just go with the deluxe. Also HRH deluxe is a great room and I love being able to walk to Universal and use FOTL. It's just those few days between CBR and HRH that keep nagging me. I keep thinking the kids might like to try POR and if DH doesn't want to go back to GF after that we'd probably end up at the POly then anyway.

I'm still so undecided.

 

[disnan52]

I have stayed at Poly, GF, and POR. POR was not a disappointment. It was a beautiful resort. You can go to Downtown Disney by boat. We are going to stay at POFQ in March, hope it is as nice as POR. For all the time we stay at the resort in a day, we are very comfortable at the moderates.

 

[Julia M]

Well, I loved PO, but I stayed there with three kids, for 2 nights, and I couldn't wait to get out of there!! It's pretty small.

I would seriously consider how much you will be in the room, and how much space you'll want to have

julia

 

[DisneyMomx7]

Our kids will be 8 1/2, 7 and just turning 6 next trip. We are not in the rooms an inordinate amount of time (much less than we used to be) but we are also not "commando" types. We go to the parks very early, stay till around lunchtime, and then come back to resort for swim/nap break and then go out to dinner and usually see a fireworks show/parade.

Would it be too much with all of us in one room at POR. SHould we do moderate or even (gasp) think of two value rooms. ANyone have experience with three kids at POR (we'll only be there four or five nights) and make out okay? Need all the advice I can get.

 

[littlestar]

Have you thought about renting DVC points for a two bedroom? I always enjoyed CBR because of the beach feel, and Old Key West has that same feeling except there is a lot more flowers and tropical landscaping (even the walkways have crushed seashells). Your family would love all the room and the pool has a neat new slide (it's a sand castle). The 2 bedrooms will sleep 8.

Another option would be renting DVC points for a BWV studio plus. This is the studio that can sleep five (but the bench bed would only work for a small child). We had a five year old sleep on it last year and he did fine. The only catch is when you book it, they can't guarantee you'll get it at check in, so you would have to bring bedding for the 5th person just in case (sleeping bag or a blow-up mattress). But it is legal to book it through DVC Member Services because we have done it many times and we have friends that have a family of five that bought DVC at Boardwalk because of the studio plus option. Most of the year a BWV standard view studio ranges from 9 to 11 points a night Sunday through Thursday. If you times that times $10.00 a point (the going rental rate) it comes out to $90 to $110 a night (or $450 for 5 nights Sunday through Thursday). The weekend points during low season are 20 points for Friday and Saturday. In low season 85 points for a whole week in a standard view studio at $10 a point would be $850. But the standard view studios book fast, so you would want to rent as far out as possible.

POR Riverside has the rooms that sleep five with the trundle bed (Alligator Bayou). The beds look like rough tree bark (very rustic). The rooms are only about 314 square feet so you wouldn't have much room. But this would be a good option for a family of five that only wants to rent one room and stay on Disney property.

Good Luck!