Hi Guys..looking for some honest opinions...I've always stayed at Deluxe Resorts, my favorite of which being Wilderness Lodge...but this year...I may consider going to Port Orleans-Riverside to save some $....good idea...bad...
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Wilderness Lodge vs POL-R
- Thread starter @DisneyBryan
- Start date
PUSH
Well-Known Member
I've never stayed at WL, but I've stayed at POR many times. POR has nice, recently refurbished rooms. They include queen beds, double sinks, mini-fridge, flat screen TV, free wi-fi (which isn't the greatest, just enough for checking Facebook, email, etc), etc.
The grounds are very well kept and very beautiful. The food court is the best on property if you ask me. Large gift shop, and nice lobby/pools/bar/arcade.
Overall it's a great resort, and you would not regret staying there if you have experiences like I have.
The grounds are very well kept and very beautiful. The food court is the best on property if you ask me. Large gift shop, and nice lobby/pools/bar/arcade.
Overall it's a great resort, and you would not regret staying there if you have experiences like I have.
ParentsOf4
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's a good idea and, yes, you will save money.
I like staying at pretty much all the WDW resorts (except for prices). I've stayed at nearly every WDW resort, including WL & POR. POR is my favorite Moderate Resort. Consider paying extra for a preferred room so you are near the main building.
I'm also a fan of staying at new resorts. Staying at a resort you've never stayed at before adds excitement to a WDW visit.
Consider looking at photos online and if the decor appeals to you, go for it!
I like staying at pretty much all the WDW resorts (except for prices). I've stayed at nearly every WDW resort, including WL & POR. POR is my favorite Moderate Resort. Consider paying extra for a preferred room so you are near the main building.
I'm also a fan of staying at new resorts. Staying at a resort you've never stayed at before adds excitement to a WDW visit.
Consider looking at photos online and if the decor appeals to you, go for it!
Pooh Lover
Well-Known Member
POR was our resort of choice before we "found" the WL. It is probably the most popular moderate resort with excellent theming, a great food court, large gift shop, several pools and close access to POFQ. I would also recommend paying extra for a preferred room to be closer to the food court/main building. Have a wonderful vacation!
PUSH
Well-Known Member
Just to give you another perspective to think about, we've never paid for a preferred room (I believe they are all Alligator Bayou rooms now, since the addition of the Royal rooms). We, well, except for one person, enjoy the walk from our room to the food court. It's beautiful, especially by the river. Just shows the excellent theming they have there.
reboonefamily
Member
I think it is a great idea. We do a lot of spending in the parks. We have three daughters that get what they want. The family doesn't want to stay any where but POR. They like the boat ride to Disney Spring/ Downtown Disney. The food and how quit it is at POR.
luv
Well-Known Member
Saving money - always a good idea!
Given the choice, I'd take WL over POR. And I'd take Alligator Bayou over Riverside...but that is just a personal preference based on decor and has nothing to do with quality.
POR is a nice place and has the best food court in all of WDW. Very green. Kind of peaceful. Not a bad place to be if you want to save a little bit of dough!!
It's not like you're slumming, lol.
Given the choice, I'd take WL over POR. And I'd take Alligator Bayou over Riverside...but that is just a personal preference based on decor and has nothing to do with quality.
POR is a nice place and has the best food court in all of WDW. Very green. Kind of peaceful. Not a bad place to be if you want to save a little bit of dough!!
It's not like you're slumming, lol.
polymissy
Active Member
If you are used to the accommodations at WL, there are a few things that would probably seem less convenient to you staying at POR. The biggest thing to me was the fact that POR is large and sprawling. Even if you have a preferred room, you will need to stop at the other 3 bus stops while coming/going to the parks. For our small children, this seemed like a lot of waiting as compared to our stay the year before at WL.
The newly refurbished rooms in all areas of POR are themed cleverly and were comfortable, but it is an entirely different experience than staying in the lodge with its interior corridors.
The Riverside Mill has a larger selection of food and seating than Roaring Fork, so that was definitely a plus for us!
We spend a lot of time in the pool, and enjoyed Ol' Man Island just as much as the pool at WL, plus we took an afternoon and walked to POFQ and took advantage of their pool and restaurant too for a change.
These were the biggest things we noticed. If you don't think the bus situation or exterior corridors will be an issue for you, POR can be a great way to save money. It's our favorite of the moderate resorts!!!
The newly refurbished rooms in all areas of POR are themed cleverly and were comfortable, but it is an entirely different experience than staying in the lodge with its interior corridors.
The Riverside Mill has a larger selection of food and seating than Roaring Fork, so that was definitely a plus for us!
We spend a lot of time in the pool, and enjoyed Ol' Man Island just as much as the pool at WL, plus we took an afternoon and walked to POFQ and took advantage of their pool and restaurant too for a change.
These were the biggest things we noticed. If you don't think the bus situation or exterior corridors will be an issue for you, POR can be a great way to save money. It's our favorite of the moderate resorts!!!
bamillerpa
Active Member
POR is a beautiful resort. I don't mind if the rooms are a little bit smaller and only have curtains to shield you from the sinks. I also love the food court and pool. My problem with the resort (and any mod/value) is that there are no interior corridors. I love the security (real or imagined) or walking indoors to my room and having the balcony available. It's like my own private little area where I can watch over the resort in relative privacy. We spend a lot of time on ours. It was also great when my kids were younger. We would put them to bed and then sit out on the balcony while they fell asleep. My other problem is the safe. The last time I stayed at POR the safe was in the wall and was tiny. When we stay at the Poly we have a nice big safe which is great with all the phones, tablets, ipods, laptops. Yes, we bring a lot of that stuff lol and even a small portion of that would not fit in the safe at POR. I admit to loving the monorail and boat access that the deluxe offers but since we drive we don't use the buses and wouldn't sway us away from the moderates for that reason anyway.
216bruce
Well-Known Member
Like a few of the previous comments have said- we stayed at POR (even when it used to be called Dixie Landings) and it was our favorite until WL. We still stay there on occasion because I just love the Bayou section and the theming of the "main buildings". If you want to save some cash and have a wonderfully themed hotel then stay at POR. If you want to be near MK and FW then go to WL. Otherwise, there's a lot that is similar and a case can be made for either as "best".
disneygirl76
Carey Poppins - Nanny and Disney Enthusiest
I was in the same place you were last September. My DH and I have always stayed at Deluxe resorts. And last year, we stayed at PORS. We did it so we could stay longer (a 10 day stay) and we decided that for as long as we are able, we will continue to stay at Deluxes even if that means shorter stays. The bus system was one of the biggest reasons. Although at WL you do get to the parks mostly by bus, there is at least a different method to get to MK. Which for us at PORS, was the biggest hurdle on the buses. The lines for MK, whether in the a.m. or in the evening, were beyond ridiculous. So my choice would be to stay at WL. I will say I liked seeing other resorts and we did like the Royal Room at PORS. But its hard to say I would stay there again due to the buses.
bethymouse
Well-Known Member
WL just had a much nicer feel to it with indoor corridors IMHO.
Plus, you can't beat Whispering Canyon Cafe! Boatwrights was just so-so in terms of restaurants IMHO.
Plus, you can't beat Whispering Canyon Cafe! Boatwrights was just so-so in terms of restaurants IMHO.
JTT
Well-Known Member
WL is a hotel, it has indoor halls and rooms have balconies. WL has a better pool, restaurants and boat access to Magic Kingdom & Contemporary (monorail).
PORS will save you $, it's a nice resort but spread out.
POFQ may also be one to consider. It's similar to PORS but not as big. I think the bus service is better at POFQ.
PORS will save you $, it's a nice resort but spread out.
POFQ may also be one to consider. It's similar to PORS but not as big. I think the bus service is better at POFQ.
WL just hada much nicer feel to it with indoor corridors IMHO.
Totally agree...
zurgandfriend
Well-Known Member
I haven't done a moderate resort in years last time was "Dixie Landing" so I'm dating myself. I just love the WL and would recommend it over a moderate as IMHO it has better restaurants, a nice pool and is closer to the Magic Kingdom and the TTC.
Skibum1970
Well-Known Member
Having stayed at both, I stay at PORS when I'm not staying at WL. My choice is always about the money but I honestly love PORS. It's a great resort with a nice walking path along the "river" and it has the boat to Downtown Disney. It is more spread out but that has its advantages as well. Two very different resorts but both are very nice.
Disneykidder
Well-Known Member
I stayed at POR back in the day when it was Dixie Landings. Not much has changed except for the inside rooms being updated. I loved it!! It was beautiful. The grounds were emaculate and the walks were very leisure. The pools were fun and we loved swimming at night in the quiet pools. It's a great choice!!
captainkidd
Well-Known Member
Wilderness Lodge is my favorite resort on property. However, there's nothing wrong with trying to save a few bucks. We stayed at Riverside a few years ago. I thought it was a beautiful resort. Excellent theme. Food court was better than any deluxe we've stayed at. Has a great vibe to it in the evening. Only reason we don't stay there is for 5 of us, the rooms would be kind of small, and the only room we could have is in Alligator Bayou, which would be our preference anyway, but at 314 sq ft, it's just too tight.
