WL vs. POFQ

[ChristianR]

I will be going to WDW on Feb 26th for 7 nights and can't decide which resort to pick. I have reservations for the WL ($156 a night) but also consider staying at POFQ ($109). I know that the WL is a beautiful resort but is it worth spending the extra $50 a night for the lodge. Any suggestions that may help me decide?
Greetings from Germany...

 

[BeamsofLight]

Both resorts are very nice so I think you would have a good time either way.

If your primary interest is the Magic Kingdom, WL is much closer so you'd have a shorter transportation time. It's a bit of a long bus ride from POFQ (but not terribly long - it wouldn't dissuade me from staying at FQ again). You can take a boat launch from WL to MK, which makes for a nice ride. You are also within easy transportation distance from the monorail resorts, which have some great restaurants. WL shares a DTD bus with the Grand Floridian, which can make that trip a bit on the long side.

From POFQ, you can take a boat launch to Downtown Disney, which is (in my opinion) a beautiful, relaxing ride. DTD has some great restaurants too. It is a very small, intimate resort. It does share bus transportation with POR, so the buses can be a bit crowded sometimes.

Both resorts are fairly compact, easy to get around, have great pools and are very pretty. Travel times from both are roughly the same to all other theme parks. I probably haven't helped you decide here, but I as I said I think you'll enjoy either resort, so maybe pick the one who's theme you like best. If you'd rather save the $50/night, I don't think you'd be disappointed at all with POFQ. Have a great trip.

 

[justhat]

Welcome to the DIS Christian!

I just asked almost the same question regarding our April trip. The problem I'm having is that I really like both resorts and have always wanted to try both of them. I probably won't be much help since I'm still undecided too, but here's the list we've got going.
POFQ: cheaper (for us $129 vs. $170)
- in a fairly centralized location=decent transportation times to all parks
- good food court (much better than the All Stars) so we don't have to do a sit down meal all the time if we don't want to
- boat to DTD (very convienient for the shopping trips and Ghirardelli ice cream!)

WL: larger rooms and beds
- 2 sitdown restuarants
- boat to MK (great for us since we'll have a 1yo)
- close to the monorail resorts=more sitdown restaurants available+character meals
- close to the Fort Wilderness petting farm (a definite stop for our family)
- all indoor resort (very nice when it's raining or cold)

Also a factor for us is that the rate at WL is $145 less than the rack rate, while the POFQ rate is only $65 less than rack rate. Since the WL is more discounted it seems like we should take advantage of the rate and stay there. But if we switch to POFQ we'd be saving over $40/night, which is also appealing. Let us know how your decision goes, I'd be especially interested in hearing what helped you make your choice.

 

[WisconsinDisneyGirl]

Okay if you put it into money terms you would be saving $350 if you stayed at POFQ. You can put that money toward alot of extras. That is how I would think of it. You could bring back some great stuff back to Germany. Then you could go to a nice dinner. You could do alot with that money. I have stayed at both and love them. How much are you really in your room anyhow???

 

[zipDdoodah]

We've stayed at both. From my personal experience, I loved staying at WL, and to me it's worth the extra money. It's not just about the room itself and how often you're in it but the whole feel you get from the resort. For me that tends to set the mood for the whole vacation. POFQ is also a very nice resort, but to me WL captures the "magic of Disney" a little more.