Where will we be happier !??!?

[*Experiment626*]

We recently stayed in a LM room at AoA. The theme of the resort was spectacular! The resort doesn't share buses with other resorts. The gift shop was also nice. That being said, these rooms are the farthest from the bus stop. You will walk at least 10-15 minutes back to your room after a long day in the park. The beds are doubles and not queens. The only meal option is a food court. I know a lot of folks probably love AoA, but we didn't love it enough to go back.

 

[danceintherain]

We stayed at POFQ during our last trip, and I actually hated how close together everything was. It felt like everyone was right on top of each other. I much preferred the spread out nature of CBR.
I'm actually concerned that we'll have the same problem at a Value without the luxury of a larger room and queen sized beds to make our sleeping arrangements more comfortable.
There's a fine line between being close enough to everything you need when you need it, and being close to everything all the time.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I've stayed at both value and moderate and both are great depending on what you are looking for.
FWIW - Your husband is absolutely right, the kids will love whatever resort you pick. There is no such thing as a resort at WDW that isn't kid friendly.

Values - the theming is obviously very 'in your face'/ 'larger then life'; if that is what you are after, then my kids loved both Pop and Movies when they were younger and as an adult I do like the theming of both; I would highly recommend against a pool view room at Pop and instead would request a lake view room for peace and quiet; at movies I would request by whatever theme appeals to you the most
Both resorts are small enough that getting around is very easy. Pop does not share buses and although Movies can on occasion with the other all-stars, it's pretty rare except in the middle of the day. So, no worries there.

Moderates - personally, I find the moderates to be the most relaxing of all the levels; they just seem so peaceful compared to the values and deluxes and I think it's because of how spread out they are (I have not stayed at POFQ); I like to stay at moderates if I am traveling at a busy time of year when I think I will have had enough of crowds in the parks;
I would honestly recommend any of the moderates. POR and CSR both have multiple bus stops, but I have found the transportation at both resorts to be great and the few extra stops adds only a few extra minutes to your park commute. Since both resorts are so centrally located, it really is minimal. I don't have experience with the transportation at CBR, but the pool is great and very kid friendly. All the moderate pools have pool slides if you think the 6 year old would enjoy that. CSR seemed like the longest/ zippiest while POFQ is extremely tame.

There really isn't a wrong choice. Each resort is great in it's own way. Just pick what feels right to you.
If that doesn't work, have you asked the other adults in your party what they think? I am terrible at making choices like this, so I usually let my family pick. I ALWAYS think they've picked the wrong resort and ask them about 1,000 times after booking if they are sure. But, as soon as we get to the resort of their choice, I love it!

 

[mom2cgj]

I'm going to be the opposing viewpoint here...I would say if you are really excited by AoA and can't seem to get yourself as excited for another resort, then keep AoA. We stayed there in 2013 and LOVED it. We did a family suite, so didn't have the walk to the LM section, but we did walk over there a few times just to check it out. I guess we didn't think it was as bad as a lot of people seem to. We had 3 smallish kids (4,5,and 8) at the time, and they thought it was terrific. We did swim in the Big Blue Pool (we stayed in the LK section), but they really liked the Cars pool the best. When we were looking at resorts for our next trip, I suggested trying CBR or POR for something new, and my DH and the kids all shot that idea down fast. It would have been less expensive, and moderate, but they really want the over-the-top theming of AoA...to them that is Disney. My opinion is that everyone wants something different in a resort, and only you will know which one feels right to you.

 

[carolk2016]

Thank you so much !!! I really appreciate everyone sharing their experience! I am going to keep an open mind and see what makes more sense when offers get released! I am happy to know that wherever we stay we will feel disney ! That is what I really want !