Your HONESTY and Expertise PLEASE... POR or CBR or something else?.

[motherandchild]

Hello All,
This website is just wonderful and I have learned so much...
The only thing I can think of.... is you all must get so annoyed with getting the same questions over and over again...
Take heart in knowing your helping all of us "new" to Disney get a fabulous experience.

I originally booked the POR because we are a family of five. My hubby and I are both 31.... and kiddies 13 (we started young), 7, and 4. We are travelling Nov.1-Nov.9th... taking the first night as a "room only" reservation and then starting the Fairytale package.

After bragging about the good deal to family (mistake?) We are now being accompanied by my in-laws (2) and my sister in law and family ( 2 kids ages 7,5). I booked them all with us at the POR.

But Now... I have figured my oldest (13) can be put in my in-laws room... and we don't necessarily need the trundle or a moderate resort for 5 in a room. I was all geared up for Alligator Bayou... and requested bldg. 14,15 to get close to transport and food.
But now I see I have some freedom to change or reservation for another moderate priced resort if we would like. If I do stay at POR would ALLIGATOR BAYOU or the Mansions be the best?????

From my research... It looks as tho... POR is still a great place... and CBR seems to have many loyal fans TOO! Since I am now responsible for a party of 11... I am freaking out


I am generally easy going... But I specifically want A CLEAN ROOM!
I read on a website that POR... had some problems with stains on carpet and mold in bathrooms... Not appealing to me at all.
I do love asthetics... I appreciate landscaping... and love a relaxed atmosphere.... I knew the AllStar wasn't for me after seeing the pictures (although I love the price).... But I really appreciate beautiful things.... and wanted to be somewhat relaxed on vacation... (well as much as possible with 5 screaming kids)....

CBR sounds nice ... but I heard it was HUGE... and I'm not looking for endless walks with young kids... I would love to be close to transport and food.

A Perfect vacation for my hubby and I... is to the Pacific Northwest or Seattle.... a honeymoon in Aruba didn't even occur to me when we got married. So... I thought maybe POR was more my style... Like I said... I"m just concerned about the cleanliness (after reading reviews from Mouse Planet).....

So any thoughts are greatly appreciated... I have to put my depost down on my package on Saturday... so ... I'm flexible and open.. and just want to do the right thing!

BTW, Can you swim in early NOVEMBER? I'm coming from Wash.DC... but orginally from UPSTATE NY... near VT. .... So a summer of 70's... used to be what I considered as HOT weather.

Thank you in advance for everyone's help..... It is our first time for all 11 of us... and I"m so excited I could pee.... but I'm just nervous as heck about making a wrong decision.

If anyone want's to suggest a great meal for our first night... please feel free to... (lots of big eaters... althought some small eaters too b/c of all the kiddies...)... Suggestions so far have been or Ohana, Chef Mickeys and Whispering Canyon.

BTW... if I could I would pay extra to stay at WL, I would... but they were sold out... That is my EXACT idea of a perfect resort (from what I"ve read)....

Love,
jennifer
Thanks.

 

[mrsmom]

I have stayed at both POR lst year in June and CBR just this past May. My opinion would be POR, CBR is just too big, i like the food court better then CBR and POR is more easier to get around. We stayed in the Mansion at parterra place (SP?)It was really nice..

Mrsmom

 

[AreWeThereYet]

Hi Jennifer - welcome to the Dis.

We (me, dw, 2dd's) have stayed at three of the moderate resorts in the past, and each was a fantastic experience. First we stayed at CBR - right across the lake from the Customs House and the food court. It was a great location because we weren't in the middle of all the activity, but it was still close enough to take the girls over to the food court in the morning for breakfast, or to the pool for swimming. I believe it's been at least seven years since that trip. It was our first on property and we swore never to stay off property again. Room was clean, had plenty of space for the four of us. Ordered pizza from room service one night - it was Mickey-shaped, which delighted us all.

Next trip down we stayed at Coronado Springs. (we've been there two more times since then). We really like CSR because the girls really like the pool complex and we all love the Pepper Market (their food court, which we feel is the best one at any of the moderates). Again, the rooms had plenty of space and we were far enough from the main building to not feel crowded, but close enough to walk over for a meal or snack or shopping. If we were going to stay in a moderate again we would do CSR for sure. Clean rooms - no mold noticed.

Last trip down we stayed at POR for a night before a cruise. Loved the architecture of the mansions where we stayed, and liked the layout of our room. Didn't really spend much time at the pool, but we did feel the food court was poorly laid out and extremely crowded. Could have been the time of year but we feld a little constricted in there. The resort grounds are definitely beautiful and would have been fun to explore had we not needed to drive to the port for the cruise so soon. Clean rooms again. As far as scenery, I would say this one wins.

OK, last trip was at BCV - since we own now we will probably always stay at one of the DVC resorts. No complaints here.

All pools are heated so swimming won't be a problem - water parks too!!



Meals - we love Spoodles and Flying Fish at the Boardwalk. Rainforest Cafe, Portobello Yacht Club and Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney, Whispering Canyon at WL if you can get in.


Hope you have a great trip!!

 

[wendyq]

We've been to POR twice in the last 5 years and stayed in Alligator Bayou 14 (by request). Loved everything about it and I am a bit picky about cleanliness and location. Bus service was great and although the place is huge, you don't get the feeling that there are a lot of people there. The food court was only crowded early in the am when everyone was trying to get to the parks at the same time. I think you'll love it!

 

[tazz]

We stayed at POR (Dixie) in 2000 and loved it. Our daughters aged 11 & 12 loved the pool and the food court. We stayed in Aligator 14 and it was great. We enjoyed a couple of evenings in the lounge and lots of people had their kids and there was entertainment. The grounds and the room were immaculate, pool was wonderful and open late. We met interesting people from other countries and had a wonderful 10 days.

The girls got hair wraps down by the boat area and it was really nice to take the boat to downtown disney in the evenings. We had a rental car and used that during the daytime but mostly used disney transportation during the evenings.

 

[crs7568]

I have to agree that POR is a great place to stay. Aside from the fact that you have to take a bus to all of the parks, it is every bit as nice as staying at a deluxe. The grounds are beautiful,too.

As for first night meals, Chef Mickeys has become a tradition for us. The food is not bad and the kids absolutely love it there!

 

[safetymom]

Either resort is a great choice. The rooms and food court at CBR have been refurbished.

Yes CBR is large but if you don't want to walk you can request rooms closer to Old Port Royale, the food court and the main pool area.

CBR has lots of sandy beaches, volleyball, hammocks, great place to watch the Epcot fireworks.

POR is nice also. We have stayed there. It seems there is areas of the food court that aren't open.

You can't go wrong with either. I have pictures of CBR up on my web site. If you have any questions about CBR I suggest you go to the thread below for CBR FAQ's.

You will have a great vacation.

 

[faith]

Unless the renovations cause problems in November I think your family will love POR. The grandkids thought the surreybikes were so much fun a few years ago. For your first night take the boat(free) to downtown Disney. It's a fun and beautiful ride!Research the restaurants there, or even better how about you all eat at the McDonalds there? Great way to save some money to use for your park days.

 

[Spartan]

We've stayed at CBR twice, and POR about 4 or 5 times. We were planning on CBR this upcoming late nov/early dec trip, but now that some are saying POR might be fully operational until they finish POFQ, I'm thinking of switching back. I think room conditions might be a little better at CBR since they are more newly renovated, but we've never noticed any problems with any of the rooms at POR. We stayed in the mansions (Magnolia) the last two times, and even though you picture the AB area to be more secluded, I thought the mansions seemed to be less crowded - especially the quiet pools. Both resorts are huge, but could be harder to get around at CBR if you're on the opposite side of the lake and not near the bridge. (We made that mistake on our first trip) For me, it all comes down to the theming as the amenities at both are about the same. I didn't notice much difference in things such as food courts, pools, bus service, etc. For us, the themeing and landscaping (and banana-stuffed french toast) are the deciding factors. My wife and son quite often take naps in the afternoon, so I usually wander around for a while, and I enjoy the walks more at POR, although the hammocks at CBR are nice as well. Both are nice, but if forced to choose, I'd definately go with POR. We're also WL fans, and like to split-up our stay and end up a couple of nights there as well.

 

[woody5]

One other thought, since you specifically are a family of five this may be your only opportunity to stay at CBR or CS since they only allow 4 to a room. If you plan to visit WDW again in the future with just your family you will not have these choices. I know when we took my mother we took the opportunity stay at the WL since we needed two rooms anyway, we are a family of five as well. I think all the moderates are nice and they each have their own loyal followers. I firmly believe it is a matter of personal taste. CS is the newest, CBR was recently refurbished and POR is currently undergoing updates. I myself would not want to stay during the refurbishment just because of the possible inconveniences, noise ect. Good luck deciding.

 

[caitycaity]

we've stayed at por (both mansions and ab) several times. the rooms were always clean. that's actually where we booked friends and family for our disney wedding in 2001. they all loved it!

we haven't stayed at cbr yet (we will be there in august), but i'd stick with por. i'm sure you won't be disappointed.

 

[motherandchild]

Thank you everyone for the information and support!

I think I will keep reservations at POR.... I spent 1 1/2 hours on the phone with Disney yesterday just trying to get the date change... (from late Sept. to Early Nov.).... Since I'm responsible for for all the reservations... it took forever... Honestly suprised there is NO 1-800 number.... Felt quite irritated b/c I got hung up on 2 times after starting the date change. I thought maybe they would call back since they had my info... but nope!

Anyway... I think I'll stick with AB #14 (as a request).... and Hope for the best.

Thank you all..
jennifer

 

[n2mm]

Hi, we're from the Wash. DC area too (I work there). I've stayed at both many times, but always choose POR (Dixie) over CBR. The themeing at CBR is bright and colorful, but still love POR. We love that it's so relaxing and the layout is easier to walk to the center regardless of where you are. If you don't need to stay at Alligator Bayou, then don't this time. Try the mansions. I love the clean and crispness of the mansions. I love the openness of the pools unlike the pools at AB which are surrounded by foilage. You can choose a section of the mansions that is directly across the bridge from the food court, cutting around the main pool. Though you have requested the best and closest section in AB to the food court, as always this is just a request and not guaranteed. We have stayed in AB when we have to have the extra room, but always choose the Mansions otherwise. We love boatwright's dining hall, they serve a great breakfast. Hopefully the food court will be completely reopenned as it was not last month. I hear things will change in terms of that. I know you will get lots of opinions esp. since so many folks have a favorite. I would also still continue to try to change to WL if you would like to stay there. Things open up all of the time. We'll be leaving on the day you arrive. We will be at POR from Oct. 23-Nov.1

 

[clutter]

I'm a skier, and the first time I went to the Rocky's I thought I'd come home. And I'm not fond of beaches.

However, I did not like WL that much. Beautiful resort that I love visiting, but it just didn't do much for me. CBR, however, is my new favorite. (of AStars, WL, AKL, CR) I don't know why, but I just really, really felt my vacation there. Haven't done POR or the other moderates, though.

Aruba and Jamaca are across the lake, but a delightful walk, to Old Port Royale. They both are the later bus stops, so you get on the bus and GO. You can get off at OPR at the end of the day to grab a snack and take that nice walk home. Yes, you can see the fireworks at Epcot. The playground was a big hit with my dd and a friend's son. At 9 oclock at night!

Bottom line, whatever you choose, you'll love it.

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

motherandchild said....

BTW... if I could I would pay extra to stay at WL, I would... but they were sold out... That is my EXACT idea of a perfect resort (from what I"ve read)....

If you like the Wilderness Lodge, maybe you would like the Animal Kingdom Lodge, too. The rates are similar!

I'm a southerner through and through, but like you, the Pacific Northwest called to me. When I was 22, I moved to Olympia, Washington for 10 years (just recently returned home to Richmond, VA). I opened a coffee house, visited Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls often...the whole nine yards!

Last August 2002, I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, because of the wonderful rates and LOVED IT!

We didn't have a Savannah View Room, but because they had run out of standard King Bed Rooms, they did upgrade us to a Pool View.

The pool is glorious. I could have stood on my balcony and stared at it for hours, but there were too many other fun things to do.

Every one of your five senses is peaked at AKL.

There were wonderful smells throughout the entire lodge. Part of that comes from the two restaurants (Boma and Jiko--both outstanding). But the other part of it just must be the newness of the resort. It smells so fresh.

The African music softly plays in the background throughout the lobby and even when you are on your way out to the parking lot.

The art in the lodge is museum quality and visually stunning. A tour is offered (free of charge) to anyone who visits.

If you take the tour (and make it all the way to the end...about a half hour), there are several plates of free appetizers to taste and a chat with one of the chefs. The chef told our group that Jiko has the largest selection of African wines in North America and that their one restaurant sells more than 1% of the world's consumption of African wine.

The wood in the lobby of the lodge is so solid and sturdy. I loved looking over the interior balcony as I left each morning. The lobby is six stories tall, and it's breathtaking.

If you visit, remember to touch the work of art by the front doors, as you leave the lobby each day. According to the sign, you will have good luck, if you rub it on your way out the door.

I didn't mind not having a Savannah View at all. Just a few steps from any room in the lodge are huge windows looking out over the Savannah, as well as, comfortable seating that envelopes you as you sit and take in the view. The areas are quiet, uncrowded and so pleasant. You could spend an hour or more there, just gazing at the animals.

Would it have been a treat to wake up in my room with giraffes just out of my reach? Of course, but this hotel is so amazing and caters to its guests so well, I didn't even have time to miss it.

The pool is amazing. It looks like a natural spring. There's two very romantic and secluded hot tubs outside, also. There is an entire outdoor viewing area (and walk) to see the animals just outside the lobby. And Disney has trained staff present and able to share information about the animals and their habits. Almost all of the employees at the lodge are from Africa. Talking to each of them was such a treat. They were a storehouse of information about the history of the artifacts and the lodge.

Each night, the lodge offered storytelling, complete with rocking chairs set up around a small fire, so that you could sit back and relax.

Also, the bus service at AKL is outstanding. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a direct bus to anywhere in the World.

I'm like you. The cleanliness of a resort makes all the difference, and where AKL was so new, I felt like I was the first person to stay in my room.

Overall, I loved it. What an amazing Disney experience!

This year, I am trying CBR for the first time. I like that the rooms were just renovated, and I love the tropics.

I really think any Disney resort will be a wonderful experience for you. Let us know how you like your stay! Maybe I'll try POR next time. Their rooms will be freshly renovated, so it might be the perfect place to stay.

Amy