French Quarter or Riverside?

[me_stitch]

Need some suggestions. We are planning on staying at Port Orleans for our trip next year. We loved CBR last time we wen't but we want to try different resorts each trip. I was all set on Riverside but then some friends of ours just got back from DW and they stayed at French Quarter and said they like it better than Riverside. SO, after researching them both a little more I thought maybe we would just stay at Coronado, but then I noticed it was a couple thousand dollars more (anyone no why that is when they are all moderate resorts?), so I'm back to the French Quarter or Riverside decision. Help me out here.

 

[Jay & Sue]

Check out www.portorleans.org. Did not like the stacked appearance of the rooms at the FQ. Also didn't care for the multi-colors of the buildings. Loved the quiet setting of the Bayou units at Riverside. Ask for room 2648 in the Bayou - it was great. No matter where you are in Riverside, it takes only a few minutes to get to the main building. Had a nice dinner at Boatwrights. Can't do that at the FQ. The boat ride from either to DTD was great. Enjoy!!

 

[Birdflu]

my fiance and i start our honeymoon at Riverside one week from tonight! (we only stayed in all star movies before on the one other trip we took 2 years ago, so we're expecting quite a difference)

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

my fiance and i start our honeymoon at Riverside one week from tonight! (we only stayed in all star movies before on the one other trip we took 2 years ago, so we're expecting quite a difference)

Congratulations! I'm sure you will see a big difference. Have a great time.

 

[rob_and_kate]

Hope you have a great time which ever hotel you pick.

We have decided on FQ for our December trip, we have always stayed at Coronado Springs before however thought that we would have a change - I prefered the look of Riverside however I am finding it more difficult to walk too far so went for FQ as it is smaller - Hope we have done the right thing.

Hope you have a great holiday!

 

[lebeau]

We stayed at Riverside. But we quickly grew jealous of the folks at FQ - epsecially as relates to bus service. They got dropped off first and picked up last.

Everything is closer and smaller. And the color scheme seemed really nice. Sure, there are some ammenities you'd have to walk to Riverside to use, but we didn't use any of these ammenities (except the quiet pools) anyway.

 

[me_stitch]

thanks everyone, sounds to me like the only plus about FQ is the bus service and that it's a smaller resort. I think I'm leaning towards Riverside now but I'm not ruling out Coronado yet. Oh yeah, our group will include myself, my wife, our two girls (12 and 7) and my parents), if that changes anyone's feedback let me know. with only one bus stop at FQ does it take forever to catch a bus in the morning? CBR wasn't bad at all, our longest wait was about 15 minutes but most mornings it was like five.

 

[NadieMasK2]

Avoiding the bus problem at POR is easy - just walk to the lobby area and catch the bus up there, it's the first stop for pick-up at the resort. We usually stay in the Magnolia Terrace building, which is the 3rd stop, and sometimes the buses are full and don't even stop during busy season. This is very useful to know. The buses start at the lobby area depot, then go to Alligator bayou and around to the mansions.

 

[SuzieN]

Both of the Port Orleans resorts are fantastic but I give the edge to POR simply because it is sooooo beautiful!!! Walking along the river through the mansion section at night is simply breathtaking and very romantic!!!

 

[moonchild925]

Have stayed at both and neither is a bad choice. In my experience these resorts are as nice as the deluxes without the price tag. having lived in "nawlins" for a bit I would say that POFQ is an iota truer to the new orleans feel and look, but keep in mind that anything at disney is a sanitized and whimisical take on the original. If it's a romantic type getaway you're planning I think FQ lends the better atmosphere but for a family or simply to have more dining options Riverside is better. Either way I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed in either one and as an earlier poster suggested do make time to try the beignets at the FQ food court. So worth it! and fairly close to the real thing you'd enjoy at cafe du monde..... Have a great time!

 

[disneygirl1]

When are you planning on going??? Only reason I ask is b/c if it is the first week in December I say FQ all the way... Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading Championship is held at WDW that week and alot of teams stay at Riverside so I would avoid that resort.

 

[Yellow Shoes]

We stayed at Riverside in one of the "plantation" buildings. It was fine ....but

--when we booked, the only available was "water view," which in our case was a view of the swimming pool that was drained and undergoing maintenance.

(and, yes, I know the Disney Drill on water view. I know that you get what you get and this was unavoidable and not worth complaining about. And I know that technically it was "water view". I am one of those people who always goes standard, because nothing I can see out my window is worth paying for.)

--every bus we caught was standing room only because they were full of FQ guests.

Had I known the bus situation I would have booked FQ.

It won't matter to everyone, but it was one of those "rookie mistakes" I won't make again.

Standing on the bus gets old about the second day.