Moderate Resorts?

[Doctor Facilier]

I can't decide between Port Orleans Riverside, French Quarter, or Caribbean Beach. Any suggestions? I think French Quarter doesn't have dates the days we want to go, but if it is worth it we could change our days. Which resort is best?

 

[bethymouse]

IMHO you can't go wrong w/ either. The grounds are beautiful, and the pools are nice. It just depends on which "themed" experience you'd prefer!

 

[Doctor Facilier]

I really liked the Polynesian thats why I think that Caribbean Beach could be either great, or a let down, just because the high expectations from the Polynesian.

 

[bubbles1812]

Port Orleans Riverside. I've stayed there when it was still called Dixie Landings and also twice since. My family has never had a bad experience there. For a fairly decent size resort, we never felt like it was overcrowded (that goes for things like the pool or food court or even busing) and I think it's just a really relaxing atmosphere. The river is so nice. Sometimes we'd just go sit in the chairs they have around there or by the pool and watch some of the ducks. It would be my pick of the three. With that being said, I'd probably say French Quarter's food court may be slightly better if that is something important to you (they sell the benets everyone loves) but if that is something you are dying to have, it's not that hard to get over there from Riverside. They have a fun atmosphere but I like it less than Riverside. Just my personal preference.

 

[minnielaw]

I second the vote for PORS. We have stayed there twice (2007 and 2010) and enjoyed both stays immensely. The resort theming is gorgeous and the rooms are spacious. Another bonus...if you drive, the buildings are generally close to the parking lot.

We are trying POFQ this fall and I have heard good things about it as well. The food court at PORS is actually larger than the POFQ and has more offerings. Both resorts also have boat service to DTD and it makes for a very relaxing ride down the river.

I would suggest you check out some video tours of the resorts on youtube or allears.net. They will give you a tour of the resort grounds and an in-depth look at a room.

 

[maryszhi]

port orleans riverside its amazing

 

[Doctor Facilier]

I think we may be leaning towards Caribbean, but now I'm starting to think Riverside. Anyone stay at Caribbean? Thank you very much for your suggestions.

 

[KristenLovesMickey]

I have stayed at CB twice. It is an exceptionally large resort, but it is beautiful. Request to stay near the food court and bus stop otherwise you will be walking a lot. PORS has a boat that you can take to Downtown Disney. It is a nice change from riding the buses all the time. POFQ does NOT have a sit down restaurant unlike their sister resort PORS.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

we've stayed at all of the resorts you've mentioned more than once, including the poly. i have different reasons for really liking each resort. i always 1st start with which parks we may be visiting the most so when it's epcot and dhs we like cbr because it's practically across the street. pofq/por is a fairly equal distance from all the parks imo. we also had fun staying in a pirate room at cbron our 2nd/last stay but it's not near the main building so not easy to say just fill us a resort mug. por is basically the same size as cbr. it's a beautiful resort. we've stayed in the mansion section once and a royal guest room once, our next trip in a week is in a preferred room so it will be in the ab section. my granddaughter picked the royal room for my birthday trip earlier this year and it was super fun. both of these resorts are pretty much the same size with the overall same setup just different themes. both bus loops are pretty much the same as well. occasionally por shares a bus with pofq and when i've stayed pofq is always picked up and dropped off first. for most of my visits, which are usually in the fall after thanksgiving but before christmas, pofq had a separate bus from por. i love pofq for it's size and romanticized feel of the french quarter in new orleans. one bus stop and any room is really just a short walk to any of the amenities so i never feel the need to get a preferred room. the only amenity that's missing from pofq is a sit down dining venue but we've never missed it and have stayed there about 5 times. overall, i'd say look at pics or youtube video and pick whichever resort theme strikes you the most. i've even let my kids when they were young and now my granddaughter pick when i just can't choose...i give them which they get to choose from of course or they could cost me a fortune lol.

 

[Pooh'sBuddy]

Think about what you want to do while you are at your resort. Do you want to spend much time at the food court and main pool? Will you use the Disney transportation? We stayed at CBR in the Jamaica section. If you pick CBR, ask for Jamaica or Aruba. The way the buses ran while we were there were great most of the time and it was a fairly nice walk over the lake to the food court.

 

[littleroo]

I am POFQ biggest fan!! Great pool especially if you have children. The staff is awesome! It is the first bus pickup and the first bus dropoff!! It is smaller than most moderates so you feel like you are away from the masses. There is a great boatride to downtown Disney which is great bonus!! Truely have stayed all over and would never stay anywhere else!!

 

[KCKAS]

HI. I HAVE STAYED AT POR IN 2010. AFTER ONLY STAYING AT DELUXE RESORTS, I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. I WOULD DEFINITELY STAY HERE AGAIN. THERE FOOD COURT WAS THE BEST I HAVE EVER EATEN AT AT WDW. THE MAKE YOUR OWN PASTA BAR!!! I COULD HAVE EATEN THAT EVERYDAY. YOU CAN SWIM AT THE POOL AT POFQ, TAKE A BOAT TO DOWNTOWN DISNEY. WE ENCOUNTERED A LOT OF WILDLIFE THERE AS WELL: FROGS, LIZARDS, BUNNIES, A FAMILY OF OTTERS, WATER BIRDS. MY FAMILY REALLY ENJOYED THAT. THE ROOMS WERE RECENTLY RE-DONE THERE AS WELL. I HAVE NOT STAYED AT ANY OTHER MODERATE.

 

[MissingDisney]

We love CBR and we've never found it too big. The food court and pool are awesome. We like the bright theming and music. Its just very relaxing yet cheerful and that's what we look for. POFQ did not appeal to us at all and POR just seemed very dark due to trees. Pretty, just not our style. Whatever you decide, have a gre trip.

 

[ratherbeinwdw]

I can't decide between Port Orleans Riverside, French Quarter, or Caribbean Beach. Any suggestions? I think French Quarter doesn't have dates the days we want to go, but if it is worth it we could change our days. Which resort is best?

If you want to be close to everything, with shorter bus rides, pick CB. It takes forever to go almost anywhere but Epcot if you stay at POR. However, if room cleanliness and newness matter the most, then most definitely pick POR. We stayed there a few weeks ago in a Royal Room, and it was nice and clean. Our last few stays at CB were in pirate rooms that were nasty. Food was all around the bed mattress with thick greasy dust and nasty carpet. We asked others and theirs was the same, so it wasn't my need for clean that was the issue.
When those rooms were first redone, they were great!. Time and wear and tear are the problems with them.
But if you have small children, they will love the pool there, and you will enjoy the short trip to HS and Epcot and the shorter distance to MK and AK. HS is right around the corner.
A trick to the buses at POR, a bus driver trainer was working on a couple of the buses while we were there. We had had to stand on every single bus for three days no matter if we boarded at South or East depot. So, I asked her how to avoid that. She said that Animal Kingdom picks up at South first and East last, but that all other parks pick up at North first. We had been told to walk to South and get picked up first. After that, except when we went closer to lunch time, we got a seat. Also, go early and you'll get a seat.
A seat isn't important to young healthy people, but to those with back problems the jerking is a nightmare. So if that's not an issue, then you will love POR. Even though my daughter is 16 and her friend is 18, they loved the little slide at the main pool. And, when is says heated, that pool really is heated. The boat ride to DD is also very nice. Much better than the bus. If you ride the bus back to the resort, you have to stop at one of the water parks first, which wastes a lot of time. I recommend the boat.
Another tip, you do not have to buy a whole platter, like the Bountiful Platter, you can buy anything they have ala carte. I only eat the egg and a biscuit. I didn't want to pay that huge price for a platter, so I did as someone told me and asked, and yes, everything can be bought ala carte. It saved me a bundle.
You can even buy ala carte in the parks. All these years we've been paying for unnecessary items and feeling bad about wasting the food. Now, we don't pay more or waste.

 

[Princess7]

Another vote for POR.

 

[DisneyWall-E]

You cant go wrong with any of them. But, if you want my opinion I would go with POFQ. It is my all time favorite Moderate resort. I love the size of it. You will never be far form any of its amenities. The food court has beignets.

 

[Minthorne]

Have you considered the Dolphin? The price is about the same per night and the location is much more convenient travel wise. You can't do the dining plan or DME but you still get extra magic hours. I find the rooms as nice as the deluxe resort but of so much more economical!

 

[Pooh Lover]

We used to stay at CB over 20 years ago and enjoyed our time but, depending on where your room would be, it could really be a pretty long trek to the main building and pool. We would always request a room closer to the main building but they can't always accomodate that and, for us, had us looking at other Moderate resorts. PORS became a fast favorite for the grounds, the mansions, food court, and the pools. Its a beautiful resort that is quiet, laid back and a nice break from the parks. Normally a trip to DTD can be a long and daunting experience but PORS (and POFQ) have a boat that makes going to DTD a pleasure. My vote is for PORS but it is a large resort with some bus issues. POFQ is a much smaller resort and, although it shares buses with PORS, the busses travel first to POFQ both picking up and dropping off. Have a great vacation what ever your choice!

 

[draybook]

Have you considered the Dolphin? The price is about the same per night and the location is much more convenient travel wise. You can't do the dining plan or DME but you still get extra magic hours. I find the rooms as nice as the deluxe resort but of so much more economical!

Not to be rude, but why stay there if you actually lose the Free Dining perk? I could see if it was cheaper or something, but losing a perk and not gaining it in another form seems weird.

 

[bubbles1812]

Not to be rude, but why stay there if you actually lose the EMH perk? I could see if it was cheaper or something, but losing a perk and not gaining it in another form seems weird.

I think the Dolphin and Swan do get EMH don't they? I could be wrong about that though but I'm about 95% positive they do. Though my vote would still be for POR.