Port Orleans French Quarter:
POFQ is a very nice, moderate resort. The layout of the buildings is nice - it makes you feel as though you're in a city square as opposed to walking around the perimeter of a hotel. The streets, sidewalks, and street signs help add to this overall effect.
The accommodations are nicer than at the value level, including the bedding. I found the towels to be on the thin side, but nothing we couldn't live with for the week. Thank goodness there is a separate vanity here because the bathroom size itself is basically an afterthought. I don't think I've seen a smaller bathroom area anywhere we've ever stayed.
As for noise level, we found Building 1 to be very quiet. We never heard anyone else while we were there. Being on the top floor probably helped, but we never even saw anyone else coming out of or going into the elevators in our building, and I'm quite sure we weren't staying there all by ourselves.

The only thing that was annoying was the sound of the boat horns on the Sassagoula River allllll day and allllll evening long. It was quite loud, as were some of the boats themselves.
We found bus service to be more than adequate. We never waited more than 5 or so minutes for a bus, and there was always a CM at the bus stop checking to make sure another bus was called if there were people waiting. The bus drivers were friendly and helpful with parking the
ECV.
Boat service was another story. The boats were almost full by the time they arrived at FQ, and we had to wait quite a while for another boat. Navigating the ECV onto the boat was much, much more challenging than getting it on/off the bus and the "captains" weren't as helpful (or patient) as the bus drivers were with getting it situated.
As far as cleanliness goes, I'd say the entire resort overall was very clean. They were even power washing the sidewalks while we were there ... how much cleaner can you get? Our room was very clean - no dust, no mold, didn't look as though anyone else had ever stayed there.
The staff here, IMHO, needs work on their level of professionalism. Some of the staff was really great (Chef Rafael, some of the concierge ladies) - others, not so much.
The food court leaves a lot to be desired. There aren't many choices that sounded good to us here. While there are things other than the standard burger found in most food courts, the serving sizes were small and the food itself just wasn't tasty. Some of the food court employees have less than stellar attitudes - Chef Rafael, on the other hand, was super nice.
Overall Feel: A
Accommodations: B-
Noise Level: B
Bus Service: A+
Boat Service: D
Cleanliness: A
Professionalism of Staff: D
Food Court: D
Value for the Dollar: C+
Would I stay at this resort again? Probably not, solely because of the experiences I had with some members of the staff.
Would I recommend this resort to a friend or family member? Yes.
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Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa:
Saratoga Springs is a wonderful resort; however, if you're not in one of the close buildings, it can be quite a trek (or drive) to the main building for activities or eats. This resort is laid out on a large scale, with multiple accommodations buildings, bus stops, and pools.
The accommodations were way above average, including the linens, pillows, and towels. The only complaint I have is that the couch was rather hard and uncomfortable, but I find most fold-outs aren't that great as a whole. Having a full balcony was wonderful, though the view was mostly of a large tree.
We were located in the Springs area and heard no noise from other occupants. The only noise we heard was from the bus traffic on the street when we sat outside on our balcony. It was a very quiet place to stay.
Bus service here was average at best. While we were here there was some construction going on at the main entrance, and from what I gather that had some effect on the bus stop order and wait times. We waited longer here for a bus than we waited at POP last year, and that's saying something. There was no CM present to monitor number of persons waiting for buses, and there was quite a wait between MK buses while many buses for DTD and the other parks came and went. The buses weren't full, though, once we finally did get on, and the bus drivers more than helpful with helping to park the ECV.
Boat service was available, but we did not use it.
The cleanliness level here was very high. The kitchen counters were gleaming when we came in, the fridge was sparkling clean, as was the microwave. The rest of the villa was just as clean. I know others have had issues with DVC resorts occasionally not being cleaned well, but this was not the case in our unit.
The staff here is extremely professional, from the door greeter to the people who work in the eatery. Everyone was friendly and helpful, even the gate guard who gave us directions and said, "I'll be here to welcome you home later!"
The food court is a strange set-up being combined with the gift shop and mini-market. I do not like the layout of it, but I did enjoy the food. The food quality itself was above average, in taste and portion. The choices were varied and not your usual food court fare. It is confusing the first time you come in, but the kitchen staff is more than helpful, as is the chef if you have dietary concerns.
Accommodations: A+
Noise Level: A
Bus Service: C+
Boat Service: did not use
Cleanliness: A+
Professionalism of Staff: A+
Food Court: B
Value for the Dollar: A- (Hard to say as we didn't pay to stay here, so to speak ...
but considering the cost to stay here per night, I feel if we would have paid for this resort, we would have gotten what we paid for.)
Would I stay at this resort again? Yes.
Would I recommend this resort to a friend or family member? Yes.