AoA vs Port Orleans French Quarter

[DisneyFan143]

Hi all!

We are going on a Disney trip soon and I wanted to get opinions on Art of Animation vs Port Orleans French Quarter. I will be traveling with an infant, 6 year old and my husband. I’ve researched both resorts and am stuck between these two! I have not stayed at either property before. I love the Disney themes at AoA however I’m weary about the value resorts. Coming back from the parks I like to go to sleep in a nice clean feeling room with a comfy bed! I’m not sure if AoA has more of a motel feeling as I have read. I love the grounds of POFQ and the plus of having the boat to Disney Sorings. Please let me know your recommendations about both !

 

[DarthVader]

I think for a little one the AoA theming will be better. The boat to Disney springs is a nice feature of POFQ, but how often do you travel their? We stayed at the POR, and we only took the boat once, maybe twice. Most of our time was going to the parks.

 

[Andrew Appleby]

We're off to POFQ this August with my wife and our 5 and 6 year olds. We looked at the AoA but having stayed at FQ before we just love it. It's small, buses are better (only one stop), the boat to DS is nice, the pool is lovely, just having a refurb and most importantly we got free dining for staying at a moderate

AoA was our close second choice though.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

AoA wins on kid-friendly theming, and of course, the pool. The suites may suit your family size. It's closer to HS and AK.

POFQ is a definite step up overall, a bit more adult themed and more centrally located for Epcot and MK. The food and other amenities are nicer.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

We have stayed at AoA and POR, neither are a hop, skip, and jump away from the parks, but neither take an extremely long time to travel to either. Both are motel "style" where you have to enter the room from the outside. Neither feel like you are staying at a Motel 6 and are equally clean and POFQ is not 'that' much large than the Little Mermaid room. My daughter, who was 5 when we stayed at AoA loved the theming. The pool is really awesome, and its neat being able to see all the different character statues and figures. POFQ is not as in your face Disney. We also only used the boat to DS on a few occasions. The boat ride is nice, but the loa/unload and drops at the other Port Orleans resort take more time than we cared for.

 

[DisneyFan143]

AoA wins on kid-friendly theming, and of course, the pool. The suites may suit your family size. It's closer to HS and AK.

POFQ is a definite step up overall, a bit more adult themed and more centrally located for Epcot and MK. The food and other amenities are nicer.

Yes If we were to do the suites that would be my first pick! We would be staying in the LM rooms at AoA.

 

[LSLS]

For what it's worth, AoA was the worst stay I've ever had at Disney. We were in the Little Mermaid side. The paint was peeling off the doors in our room, and the housekeeping was just horrible (there was a used shampoo bottle still sitting in the tub). That said, our kid loved the theming outside the room, but I'm never planning on heading back there. Contrast that with the fact that POFQ is my favorite moderate, and there is no question I would take Port Orleans.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

housekeeping was just horrible (there was a used shampoo bottle still sitting in the tub).

In all fairness, mousekeeping is mousekeeping. All mousekeepers go through the same training, then training at their home resort. Im sure there have been people staying in $500+ rooms that have had a bad experience. If I had seen a used shampoo bottle, I would have called the front desk and requested they re-clean the room or place me in a different room. Usually front desk are very helpful with these things. When we stayed at POR last year, we arrived to our room which still had someones luggage in it. It was tagged, and I guess not picked up by DME to be transported to the airport. All it took was a call to the front desk and within 30 minutes someone was there to gather it. I wont stay in a dirty room, Disney expects that, so if you are the type to let old paint or something similar bother you, make a call, you will most likely be accommodated.

 

[LSLS]

In all fairness, mousekeeping is mousekeeping. All mousekeepers go through the same training, then training at their home resort. Im sure there have been people staying in $500+ rooms that have had a bad experience. If I had seen a used shampoo bottle, I would have called the front desk and requested they re-clean the room or place me in a different room. Usually front desk are very helpful with these things. When we stayed at POR last year, we arrived to our room which still had someones luggage in it. It was tagged, and I guess not picked up by DME to be transported to the airport. All it took was a call to the front desk and within 30 minutes someone was there to gather it. I wont stay in a dirty room, Disney expects that, so if you are the type to let old paint or something similar bother you, make a call, you will most likely be accommodated.

I honestly didn't notice til night (bathroom curtain was closed and I didn't take a shower til night), it was a sellout night due to the hurricane, and we were taking off at 4 AM to try and beat some evacuation traffic (meaning it wasn't much longer and I had no desire to stay up for them to come clean at some point), so I just dealt, but it really put me off to the place (along with the paint) They are the same training, but I took it as an indication of the number of housekeepers they have working, not that it was necessarily a bad single worker (could be a bad assumption, who knows). Sure, people have bad experiences everywhere, and I probably could have put in a bunch of complaints, but it's just not my style. I called them later (I figured they had enough chaos going on at that point), but with all the other options (like POFQ, which as I said, is my fav. moderate anyways), I really have no plans at going back.

 

[JIMINYCR]

POFQ is our favored resort. It is a quieter, more compact resort thats easier to traverse. You may have a more relaxing stay there. The boat access to DS is a plus. If you do stay there, you could still hop over to AoA one day to view their themed areas with the kids.

 

[Rlandrigan]

French Quarter over AoA, especially if you're doing the suites. There's a splash area next to the pool, along with a fun water slide, and the smaller size of the resort makes it easier when getting back 'home' for the day. It feels better - the lobby, the atmosphere - POFQ is one of our favorite places to stay. Transportation is better, and if you were driving, parking a bit easier.

 

[MomofPrincessGrace]

(I figured they had enough chaos going on at that point)

This may be the reason that there was a shampoo bottle still in your room. Not excusing the lack of cleanliness at at, but if they were at capacity, mousekeeping probably were having to clean as quick as possible.

I always try and give places a 2nd chance. If I have a bad experience again, then I definitely won't return.