Which moderate resort?

[Jaxbelle]

The Bayou rooms are great. We loved the feel of Riverside overall, the Bayou and Mansion sections along the peaceful river. The bridges and the boat rides. Just amazing. We now prefer French Quarter because of its smaller size, but Riverside is just breathtaking. Great first Disney stay. Just remember the size, but if you learn all the walkways and bridges you will find shortcuts for getting around. Plus, when we stayed at Building 38, our closest bus stop was just behind our building. Any easy walk. Made it really nice when we came back to our room after being in the parks all day. The Murphy bed came in handy as well for the littlest in our party. Essentially a third bed. Good luck with your decision making...I know it's hard to settle on where to stay. Everything looks so appealing. But you can't go wrong at Disney. Just stick to what matters the most to you when planning, but also be open to trying new things.

 

[illinidp]

POR/POFQ is by far our favorite mod. Great location, theming, pools, and food.

 

[WhispyPixie]

If your 9 year old likes the "adventure" theme I would choose POR! We have done all you listed. POR has the scenery and relaxed feeling the adults I'll like, the pool, arcade and theming is awesome for a kid. The food is good. Yeehaw Bob is hilarious and the buses ran well!

Ps..Bayou rooms are awesome!

 

[Disneylover99]

I was originally dead set on POFQ, mainly because of it's walkable size

Now, that is something you don't hear very often.

 

[DizDaD7]

I'm planning my first trip to Disney world and I can't decide where we should stay! It's between POFQ, POR, and CBR. They all look great in different ways. Which is your favorite and why?

Didn't read through all the other posts, but was curious to why you left off what I consider the BEST moderate, in CSR?

I won't go into a big schpeel about that resort unless you need info or such, so I'll just stick with the 3 you've narrowed it down to.

Out of these it's a clear cut winner here by far IMHO. POR hands down gets the nod....And It's just a mere fraction lesser than CSR we think.

Besides the grounds, decor, & overall quaintness of the resort, It has a very good Food court, & a nice TS. too. YeeHaw Bob's (Lounge) is something that no other
resort has...It also has a great feature pool too, with a nice slide, & overall relaxing feel to it. The quiet pools are nice as well, but the feature IMHO is way better than POFQ, & a tad better than CBR.
The only drawback we had here was the bus system. No horrible in terms of the whole week, but definitely returning from Epcot, & really bad after returning from HS. (F!) to be exact... Other than that, we wouldn't hesitate to stay here gain, if we weren't DVC members now....

Good luck w/ your choice.

 

[Babsy]

We stayed at all four. POFQ is our least favourite by far - it is OK for very small children but anything older than 6 year olds, I would recommend CBR or POR. For older kids that like a good slide and large pool I would recommend CSR.
If you want a convenient resort to DS then POR is a great choice.

Royal rooms and/or preferred rooms are a good idea at any of the mods, IMO, especially if you want to avoid a 5 - 10 minute walk to the main building. I agree that you should avoid pirate rooms at CBR. If you book standard rooms, we like Jamaica 45 and 44 for convenience.

Great food court at POR, good at CSR and CBR. Great TS at CBR and CSR, good TS at POR. Atmosphere at CBR is awesome and the pool area is great for most children.

Bus service is hit or miss at any WDW resort. We have never had any trouble with bus service at any of the mods, but the best has been CSR.

I would look online at the pictures of the resorts and rooms. Many people enjoy the theming at their resort and that can have a huge impact upon how you feel about your stay. Let your child look ta the pools and pics as well and judge what will work for her.

If the third bed will make a big difference, then book POR alligator Bayou, but be aware that the close rooms in AB are preferred, so you may have a longer walk.

Good luck choosing! The good news is that they are all great places to stay so I am relatively certain that you will enjoy your choice!

 

[Aletha]

Now, that is something you don't hear very often.

Why?
We are used to Disneyland where we stay in a small hotel across the street. I have heard so much about how huge Disney world Resorts are and parks for that matter. I've had foot problems in the past so whatever I can do to cut out some of the walking I figure would be a good thing. We're used to going downstairs to get a cup of coffee in the morning but the thought of walking across the resort isn't very appealing. We could pay $50 extra a night for the preferred room, but that seems like a lot....

 

[Aletha]

Didn't read through all the other posts, but was curious to why you left off what I consider the BEST moderate, in CSR?

I won't go into a big schpeel about that resort unless you need info or such, so I'll just stick with the 3 you've narrowed it down to.

Out of these it's a clear cut winner here by far IMHO. POR hands down gets the nod....And It's just a mere fraction lesser than CSR we think.

Besides the grounds, decor, & overall quaintness of the resort, It has a very good Food court, & a nice TS. too. YeeHaw Bob's (Lounge) is something that no other
resort has...It also has a great feature pool too, with a nice slide, & overall relaxing feel to it. The quiet pools are nice as well, but the feature IMHO is way better than POFQ, & a tad better than CBR.
The only drawback we had here was the bus system. No horrible in terms of the whole week, but definitely returning from Epcot, & really bad after returning from HS. (F!) to be exact... Other than that, we wouldn't hesitate to stay here gain, if we weren't DVC members now....

Good luck w/ your choice.

Thanks!
I eliminated CSR because we are from Oregon and have made many trips to the SW so I just wanted something with a different theme. (Not a very important qualifier, but with four good choices it was an easy eliminater.)
We are down to POR or POFQ. I'm just nervous about POR because I've heard the size of Disney World resorts are huge! I don't want to pay for a standard room and get stuck way out in the fringes of the resort. You can pay for a standard room at POFQ and still not have far to walk to the bus stop or food court.

 

[Disneylover99]

Why?
We are used to Disneyland where we stay in a small hotel across the street. I have heard so much about how huge Disney world Resorts are and parks for that matter. I've had foot problems in the past so whatever I can do to cut out some of the walking I figure would be a good thing. We're used to going downstairs to get a cup of coffee in the morning but the thought of walking across the resort isn't very appealing. We could pay $50 extra a night for the preferred room, but that seems like a lot....

So Sorry! I had to reread your post several times. I thought you were dead set against POFQ because of the small size. My mistake!

 

[Aletha]

So Sorry! I had to reread your post several times. I thought you were dead set against POFQ because of the small size. My mistake!

Ha! Ha! Maybe I should have worded that differently! Okay, good I'm glad that makes sense!

 

[Disneylover99]

Ha! Ha! Maybe I should have worded that differently! Okay, good I'm glad that makes sense!

It makes perfect sense and my vote goes to POFQ. Discount or no discount.
We were in a standard room last week, just steps away from the food court, buses and hot tub. Perfect!

 

[DizDaD7]

Thanks!
I eliminated CSR because we are from Oregon and have made many trips to the SW so I just wanted something with a different theme. (Not a very important qualifier, but with four good choices it was an easy eliminater.)
We are down to POR or POFQ. I'm just nervous about POR because I've heard the size of Disney World resorts are huge! I don't want to pay for a standard room and get stuck way out in the fringes of the resort. You can pay for a standard room at POFQ and still not have far to walk to the bus stop or food court.

Agh... gotcha with the elim. of CSR.

Like I stated b4, I really don't think any of the others stand up to POR.
If you're worried about the size of the resort..Don't be! The furthest room is waay back in one of the Alligator bayous, but honestly that's not very far.( True not as Close as POFQ ) We were able to get into Magnolia Bend when we stayed here...They originally had us in one of the middle or so AB rooms & we politely asked for something more centrally located, so they gave us MB....Talk about close to everything.

POFQ to me ( & I'm only speaking of us, ) seems very claustraphobic...Almost like everything is on top of you...I do like the theming , so that's not the issue, just closed in....And also the pool situation...There is no quiet pool, just the one main pool.. And it's sort of on the Kiddie SIDE, IMHO.
Food court is very good at POFQ though.

 

[Aletha]

It makes perfect sense and my vote goes to POFQ. Discount or no discount.
We were in a standard room last week, just steps away from the food court, buses and hot tub. Perfect!

Yep, those are my reasons for POFQ exactly! That and the benigets! We are big fans of the benigets in Disneyland so when I mentioned a resort with benigets at WDW to my 9 year old the competition was over. LOL!

 

[Aletha]

Agh... gotcha with the elim. of CSR.

Like I stated b4, I really don't think any of the others stand up to POR.
If you're worried about the size of the resort..Don't be! The furthest room is waay back in one of the Alligator bayous, but honestly that's not very far.( True not as Close as POFQ ) We were able to get into Magnolia Bend when we stayed here...They originally had us in one of the middle or so AB rooms & we politely asked for something more centrally located, so they gave us MB....Talk about close to everything.

POFQ to me ( & I'm only speaking of us, ) seems very claustraphobic...Almost like everything is on top of you...I do like the theming , so that's not the issue, just closed in....And also the pool situation...There is no quiet pool, just the one main pool.. And it's sort of on the Kiddie SIDE, IMHO.
Food court is very good at POFQ though.

Those are all great reasons for POR too! I looked at the layout of the resort and the Magnolia building would be ideal! That's good to know that even the farthest building isn't too far. It's hard to tell on the map. ☺ Yes, the pool area for POR is also pretty neat! Hmmmm... tough decision!

 

[DizDaD7]

Those are all great reasons for POR too! I looked at the layout of the resort and the Magnolia building would be ideal! That's good to know that even the farthest building isn't too far. It's hard to tell on the map. ☺ Yes, the pool area for POR is also pretty neat! Hmmmm... tough decision!

Bottom line is this..You'll be in WDW, Is bad really that Bad.....-----> I say................No
Enjoy picking & have a great trip...

 

[Babsy]

If you are deciding between POR and POFQ, then be aware that it is only a 10 minute walk between the two and you are able to use the amenities of either one regardless of where you are staying (even the pools). Personally, I would stay in POR and walk to POFQ for the beignets. Everything else is at POR, horse and buggy ride, Yee Haa Bob, TS dining, better food court, rooms with a third bed, much better pool and nicer atmosphere/theme.

The ONLY thing that is an advantage to POFQ is the one bus stop and small size. Often, you pay more for a standard room at POFQ. I would go for a discount on a preferred or Royal Room at POR. Small size convenience plus big resort amenities.

All that said: most people LOVE POFQ. And it is right next door to POR.

Have you looked at the pics online? Do you like the theme of either one over the other?

 

[Kindermouse]

Why?
We are used to Disneyland where we stay in a small hotel across the street. I have heard so much about how huge Disney world Resorts are and parks for that matter. I've had foot problems in the past so whatever I can do to cut out some of the walking I figure would be a good thing. We're used to going downstairs to get a cup of coffee in the morning but the thought of walking across the resort isn't very appealing. We could pay $50 extra a night for the preferred room, but that seems like a lot....

Walking distance and convenience is a big factor for us too. We are also DisneyLAND people (we're shoot for 3 visits a year since we live only about a 5 hour drive away) who stay across the street -park vue, desert inn or carousel being are favorite choices because you can be at bag check in just few minutes walk and you can be at a resturant or the pool in a handful of steps. All of those have small pools so are used to that.

This was my thinking:
CSR: Theming is not unique for us. We are Californians so Aztec/ hacienda theming is pretty meh. Also I was put off by it being a convention hotel and how that might take me out of the Disney bubble feeling. Also not much greenery or shade and it might be hot when we are going.

CBR: Fun theming, very fun looking pools, but huge. It will be far from something I want to use regularly (food, mug refills, or pool, or bus stop). How cranky am I gonna get if my feet hurt coming back from the parks and I get off the bus and still have long walk to get to my room only to realize I want a drink and now have another long walk. Nope.

POR: Fun theming and very unique. Food court options and make your own pasta station are right up my ally. Still a large resort though and when they share busses with FQ (during slow times) it is the second pick up meaning that I could get stuck wait for more than one bus or not getting to sit.

POFQ: fun theming-I always want to go to New Orleans. Small quiet resort that would allow me to do a standard room and still be conveniently located. Small pool -though if it really mattered we could walk over to the POR pool (but then we we lose the convenience factor). New renovated food court has the very best food options for our tastes and also has the make your own pasta station. If shared bussing it would be the first I up but that would mean I would be on the bus a bit longer. Not looking forward to long bus rides.

I have also always been intimidated by the size and increased difficulty maneuvering Disney World compared to what we are used to which is why our first trip will be in October. We decided to go with POFQ for that reason. We are less likely to get a deal or free dining, and the pool is smaller, but since I like to stay no more than 5 minutes walk to the parks I can't imagine staying that far or farther to get to the amenities (food and drinks, pool, and bus stop-I want to be fairly close to all of it) let alone the distance to the parks. I also don't want to have to get a preffered room. Standard rooms at POFQ are pretty close to the main building from what I can tell from maps and feedback from people who have stayed there. Riverview rooms are the farthest from most amenities (but also the closest to the boat to DS). That means that POFQ standard rooms fit the bill for us.

 

[Aletha]

If you are deciding between POR and POFQ, then be aware that it is only a 10 minute walk between the two and you are able to use the amenities of either one regardless of where you are staying (even the pools). Personally, I would stay in POR and walk to POFQ for the beignets. Everything else is at POR, horse and buggy ride, Yee Haa Bob, TS dining, better food court, rooms with a third bed, much better pool and nicer atmosphere/theme.

The ONLY thing that is an advantage to POFQ is the one bus stop and small size. Often, you pay more for a standard room at POFQ. I would go for a discount on a preferred or Royal Room at POR. Small size convenience plus big resort amenities.

All that said: most people LOVE POFQ. And it is right next door to POR.

Have you looked at the pics online? Do you like the theme of either one over the other?

That is a good point, about possibly being able to get a discount and getting a preferred room with the big resort amenities...
Yes, I've poured over pictures on this website, portorleans.org, the disney.go.website and YouTube videos. My dad has also looked, although not as thoroughly, and likes both. My son says he doesn't care. Personally I like both themes equally. I've been to New Orleans once and loved it, so I like the quarter's wrought iron, fountains and gardens, but I also think the mansions and bayous are pretty too. I love the Princess and the Frog movie, so Riverside has an edge on that. I'll just have to keep thinking about it.

 

[Aletha]

Walking distance and convenience is a big factor for us too. We are also DisneyLAND people (we're shoot for 3 visits a year since we live only about a 5 hour drive away) who stay across the street -park vue, desert inn or carousel being are favorite choices because you can be at bag check in just few minutes walk and you can be at a resturant or the pool in a handful of steps. All of those have small pools so are used to that.

This was my thinking:
CSR: Theming is not unique for us. We are Californians so Aztec/ hacienda theming is pretty meh. Also I was put off by it being a convention hotel and how that might take me out of the Disney bubble feeling. Also not much greenery or shade and it might be hot when we are going.

CBR: Fun theming, very fun looking pools, but huge. It will be far from something I want to use regularly (food, mug refills, or pool, or bus stop). How cranky am I gonna get if my feet hurt coming back from the parks and I get off the bus and still have long walk to get to my room only to realize I want a drink and now have another long walk. Nope.

POR: Fun theming and very unique. Food court options and make your own pasta station are right up my ally. Still a large resort though and when they share busses with FQ (during slow times) it is the second pick up meaning that I could get stuck wait for more than one bus or not getting to sit.

POFQ: fun theming-I always want to go to New Orleans. Small quiet resort that would allow me to do a standard room and still be conveniently located. Small pool -though if it really mattered we could walk over to the POR pool (but then we we lose the convenience factor). New renovated food court has the very best food options for our tastes and also has the make your own pasta station. If shared bussing it would be the first I up but that would mean I would be on the bus a bit longer. Not looking forward to long bus rides.

I have also always been intimidated by the size and increased difficulty maneuvering Disney World compared to what we are used to which is why our first trip will be in October. We decided to go with POFQ for that reason. We are less likely to get a deal or free dining, and the pool is smaller, but since I like to stay no more than 5 minutes walk to the parks I can't imagine staying that far or farther to get to the amenities (food and drinks, pool, and bus stop-I want to be fairly close to all of it) let alone the distance to the parks. I also don't want to have to get a preffered room. Standard rooms at POFQ are pretty close to the main building from what I can tell from maps and feedback from people who have stayed there. Riverview rooms are the farthest from most amenities (but also the closest to the boat to DS). That means that POFQ standard rooms fit the bill for us.

Thank-you for taking so much time to write a response to my question!!! That is all great information and exactly my thoughts on choosing the resort. We're coming from the Portland area so while we haven't been able to go to Disneyland as often as you it is our frame of reference. We like to stay at The Tropicana, so we can walk across the street to the main entrance (although I heard recently that they are changing it ). We'll be going in November the week before Thanksgiving. I figure most sensible people don't take their children out of school the week before break! LOL! So hopefully it won't be too busy.
I guess, which ever I choose since they share amenities so we can always visit the other.

 

[BeautyBeastAndNemo]

Coronado is quiet!