Moderate - which to choose?

[Dawneeeey]

Another vote for Port Orleans Riverside. Loved the landscaping, pools, boat to DTD, food court, and oh, Bob Jackson!!

[Cinderelley]

I LOVE Pop, but PoR is a very close second. The theming there reminds me of the bayou section of Disneyland's POTC. I loved wandering around the grounds, because they were so green and lush. I come from the desert though. Being from Canada, you may be sick of green.

Depending on how "Disney themed" you want it, you can get a Royal Room there or consider a Pirates room at CBR. CBR is my least favorite resort though .

You'll have fun no matter where you stay.

[Mousemates]

Our favorite mod is POR....mansions section, royal guest room. TO us the resort grounds are among the most scenic at all of WDW, the boat transport to DD is both romantic and relaxing, the pool is great, the room was very nice, and the service we have received there has been excellent.

[Auntie B]

Another vote for POR! Gorgeous landscaping, nice pools, good food court, the boat to DTD and Yee Haw Bob!

[azcavalier]

Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite. We think that it has the best food court in all of WDW, with the exception of Sunshine Seasons in The Land. But it is certainly the best food court in all of the resorts. The pool is a lot of fun, with the water slide, hot tub, and the water features that you can play around/under. It has a great main building, with a nice gift shop. And the River Roost Lounge with Bob Jackson is a great attraction. Of course, the boat to DTD is a plus. We have eaten at Boatwright's once, and liked it.

Coronado Springs, as the conference center hotel, is not quite as immersed in Disney theming as the other hotels. The pool is pretty neat, but not as many water features as the POR pool. The architecture is nice, and the Pepper Market is pretty good. We had reservations for the Maya Grill, and were looking forward to it, but as we went to eat, they told us it was closed for the evening, as they couldn't get the stoves to light. Not sure what was going on. So we have still never eaten there.

POFQ is the smallest of the mods, and the food court gets mixed reviews. They do have beignets, though. Some people swear by this resort, mainly for the size. You can walk between the two Port Orleans resorts, pool-hop, etc. They share the same boat to DTD.

I have never even set foot on Caribbean Beach, so I have nothing to add regarding that.

[tss22]

What I tell my clients when selecting a moderate is they are about the same in terms of overall experience and amenities. (The one exception is the Port Orleans Resorts offer a very pleasant boatride to downtown disney if you are going that way and have time for it.) There are two items that will overall impact which one you will like best:

1. Where do you intend to spend most of your time? Different resorts are closer to different attractions and a bit shorter wait and a bit shorter ride can be had by picking the right resort.

2. What type of environment and architecture do you want to be in? The four resorts evoke four very different feelings by the things they surround you with. More than anything else, choosing the correct surroundings for you will determine how much you like the particular resort. Asking someone else which resort you should stay at is like asking someone else which ice cream you should have. You'll get a bunch of different opinions based on their tastes, not yours.

[scooterca42]

...which is why I also asked for their reasons, tss22... I take your point, but the back-and-forth that's happened is actually what I was looking for, rather than a simple list of "it's here, it takes this long to get to MK, it serves this food, it looks like this..."

The discussion has been very enlightening. From it I have concluded that we'll probably be looking to stay at one of the Port Orleans resorts. The comments about the food courts, the ability to use the boat to DTD and having another choice of pool(s) are three of the reasons.

I'm glad this has been an interesting thread - it's certainly generated more responses than any other I've ever posted...

[tss22]

I didn't mean to sound as if I was criticizing the topic - just giving you an idea on how to choose. With the Port Orleans resorts, particularly Riverside, you will get the most "jungly / rainforesty" feel of any of the resorts, finding plenty of plant life surrounding you rather than sweeping views. For what it's worth, it's my favorite resort!

[azcavalier]

Just fyi, there is an unofficial web site dedicated to the Port Orleans resorts. [removed reference to outside site] So, you can see pictures and get a lot of in-depth information about both Port Orleans resorts there.

[Melanie]

From it I have concluded that we'll probably be looking to stay at one of the Port Orleans resorts. The comments about the food courts, the ability to use the boat to DTD and having another choice of pool(s) are three of the reasons.

Since you have stated you are now leaning towards one of the PO resorts, let me post pics of the respective food courts for your consideration.

Riverside Mill photo (top pic) courtesy of Magical Journeys website.

Sassagoula Floatworks (bottom pic) taken myself.

[AgentC]

Since you have stated you are now leaning towards one of the PO resorts, let me post pics of the respective food courts for your consideration.

Riverside Mill photo (top pic) courtesy of Magical Journeys website.

Sassagoula Floatworks (bottom pic) taken myself.

I think we all know how much Melanie loves those masks but I have to admit, other than the beignets, the food court at POR is superior to the food court at POFQ.

[Kaps]

Riverside has great grounds and good food