Riverside or the French Quarter

[NJGIRL]

Thinking about staying at one of the Port Orleans resorts. For those who have stayed recently, which do you prefer. The bus system is a very important factor for this trip. Which one has a smoother system.

I have never stayed at either resort so please give me good and bad points for each one.

[manutd1]

Alligator Bayou is hands down one of the best resort areas on property. I highly recommend staying at riverside and the alligator bayou section.:thumbsup:

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

We've stayed at both, and really love both. There are good things about both, and some frustrating things.

For the busses, I prefer FQ. There is only one stop, and you are picked up and dropped off first (except for DTD), if the bus is heading over to Riverside, so you're more likely to get a seat/have a shorter trip home. DTD is the reverse though. There are multiple stops at POR, so although a stop isn't far, the bus has to go around to them all.

Riverside is big. This is a plus and a minus. I love the quiet pools that are around the resort. They are less busy than the main pools (and without the games, music, etc). You are never too far from one. The winding paths are great, and you really feel like you're on vacation, getting away from it all.

FQ is small. Nothing is too far away, and the theming is awesome. This also means that it has a smaller food court, and no TS restaurant. The food court at POR is one of the very best on property.

Since FQ is small, you're fairly close to the main building, so if you're looking to use it (i.e. refillable mug) that is a help.

DD says that the main pools are the same, the slides are the same, but I think the POR main pool is a bit more fun.

You really can't go wrong with either ... we've loved our stays at both. We've really decided on FQ due to the small size, we love having everything so close.

[tadshome]

Our family love POFQ.

The busses only stop once and although they go to POR they generally stop at FQ first.

The resort is small and nothing is more than a five minute or so walk. The pool is also great fun.

The food court serves Beignets, they are delicious!

[tinxmom]

We have stayed at both and are returning in June to FQ. Was a toss up which to choose this time, but FQ won out due to its size. So nice to have everything close by. We love the food court at Riverside, but figured we can always walk over if we really want to eat there instead. Riverside also has the quiet pools and a calmer feel (at least in the mansions part) than FQ, but they are both outstanding choices. In our experiences, FQ bus system was more efficient also.

[disney1026]

If buses are truly your main concern, I'd opt with FQ. But for everything else (atmosphere, food, activities) I go with Riverside.

[ginny57]

The feel may matter to you.

POFQ is quaint. Small and has a New Orleans feel

POR / Mansions has a Gone With The WInd / old south feel

POR / Alligator Bayou is rustic....green and woodsy

Having stayed in all 3, POFQ is my fav. POR is a short stroll away and you can use the facilities there easily if you want to..

[ffrda]

Literally JUST returned to MA from a 4 night stay at POFQ (2nd time staying there) and we stayed at Riverside a few years back as well.

We definitely prefer the smaller size of POFQ, as well as the decor'. The bus system works better for the reasons previous posters mentioned, only 1 bus stop (which is currently under construction BTW and relocated temporarily to the parking lot in front of building 3).

When we stayed at Riverside (Alligator Bayou) we found it took so long to walk to the main building we chose to hop into our car and drive there to get breakfast each morning.

You will NOT be disappointed with either choice, I promise. Enjoy!

[LoveofEVERYTHINGDisney]

FFRDA - We will be at POFQ in 2 weeks. Do you think the construction to the bus depot will still be under construction? Is it a "quick fix" or a total overhaul? I may change my bldg. preference in the online check-in. I have some walking issues and every little step is precious! lol! We always stay at POFQ due to it's size. But I also have this affinity towards New Orleans having been to Mardi Gras 4 times while a student at Bama. Thanks in advance!:thumbsup:

[ffrda]

Not 100% sure, sorry. There was a sign saying the construction would begin on 4/13, but I do not remember it having an end date.
The temporary stop out in the parking lot will certainly add a few more steps for you though, so I would choose accordingly (bldg 3 would be best).
It looked like they were digging up the actual road pavement in small sections and replacing it. As we were walking out to our car yesterday morning the section they had dug up was only about 2' X 15', more of a trench than anything.....not sure what they are actually doing it for though.
Enjoy your trip!
FFRDA

[buzznwoodysmom]

We have stayed at both and prefer French Quarter, hands down. Riverside has been our least favorite moderate.

As far as the bus situation goes, we had far better bus service at French Quarter. Thanksgiving week of 2013, staying at Riverside, is where we had the worst week of bus service in all our trips. I lost count of how many times a full bus just passed us by and we had to wait for another one. I know this can happen at any of the resorts, and it has happened to us from time to time at other resorts. It's just that it seemed to be an almost everyday occurrence at Riverside. The only place I can remember having to wait longer on buses was at ALK.

[Gator]

I stayed at POR-AB on my first trip and POFQ on my last trip. The first response you got said stay at the Alligator Bayou. I couldn't disagree more. Granted, it was our honeymoon and we wanted something more elegant. But to walk through POR past mansions and end up in a building that looked like an apartment complex in south Birmingham (I always like that comparison), we were not happy at all at AB. Had we known better, we would've immediately asked for a mansion room, but we didn't. We also had a really tough time with bus service there. While many people are attached to their first resort from a WDW trip, we've never been back. The only reason we would return is because we have a family of 5 now, so it may be the only place we can get a discount and stay in budget.

FQ has that New Orleans feel, plus they have a great CS restaurant with legit Cajun food and beignets. The rooms are far more elegant, and the bus service is a better than at POR. The waterslide is definitely not as good at FQ as it is at Riverside. If I had a choice, there would be no choice. It would be FQ. But that won't happen until they add a 5th bed in the rooms there.

[Gator]

As far as the bus situation goes, we had far better bus service at French Quarter. Thanksgiving week of 2013, staying at Riverside, is where we had the worst week of bus service in all our trips. I lost count of how many times a full bus just passed us by and we had to wait for another one.

I agree with this as well. It's the only place where full buses would zip past us. I remember waiting 45 minutes to head to the Studios, watching 2 full buses go right past us.

[taleasoldastime]

I am definitely a french quarter fan! I just love how easy it is to get around it and I have always experienced great bus service there. It is also pretty quiet which i like a lot.
FRENCH QUARTER FOR THE WIN!

[buzznwoodysmom]

Gator,

Your family of 5 can now stay at Caribbean Beach! Definitely give it a try. My feelings about Riverside Alligator Bayou are the same as your own. We love CBR. It is our favorite moderate and we would pick it over Riverside every time!

[#1donaldfan]

We have stayed at both many times and we like the FQ much more for the only reason of size. The busses are much the same, with Riverside having 4 bus depots. They (Riverside and FQ) do share on bus route, I think on the MK run, but not sure on that count. :mickey:

[joonyer]

We loved the decor, design and compact layout of POFQ. Not to mention the single bus stop. We thought the food court was good too. Beignets!

[buzznwoodysmom]

The two resorts don't always share buses.

Our one stay at FQ was Halloween week and we never picked up or dropped off at Riverside, not even once while we were there.

We stayed at Riverside Thanksgiving week and we only dropped off at FQ once the whole week, and we used the bus system every day.

Since FQ only has one stop it's super quick getting in and out when not sharing with Riverside.

[NJGIRL]

Thanks Everyone! :thumbsup:

[LoveofEVERYTHINGDisney]

ffrda- Thanks for the update! Going into MDE to change our preferences to bldg. 3.
As an aside - we have stayed at the All Stars and Caribbean Beach but just keep coming back to POFQ. The small size and the buses are the number one reason. My only dislike is the fact there are no "quiet" pools. But you can't have everything.:blush:

[Gator]

Gator,

Your family of 5 can now stay at Caribbean Beach! Definitely give it a try. My feelings about Riverside Alligator Bayou are the same as your own. We love CBR. It is our favorite moderate and we would pick it over Riverside every time!

Yeah, I just found that out here about a month ago. We won't be coming to WDW this year, but I'm wondering if one of these 5-to-a-room rooms will be available on the Free Dining Plan offers. That's really the big discount that gets us to show up. Thanks for the heads up. It's nice to know that should we return, it doesn't have to be to the place we liked the least....well, if you don't count the All Stars.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Yeah, I just found that out here about a month ago. We won't be coming to WDW this year, but I'm wondering if one of these 5-to-a-room rooms will be available on the Free Dining Plan offers. That's really the big discount that gets us to show up. Thanks for the heads up. It's nice to know that should we return, it doesn't have to be to the place we liked the least....well, if you don't count the All Stars.

It looks like CBR was included in the free dining discount that was released Monday. Not sure how availability has been with the discount, but it was not listed as an excluded resort.

[NJGIRL]

I ended up with a River View room at the POFQ. Can someone tell me about the river view rooms

[joonyer]

I ended up with a River View room at the POFQ. Can someone tell me about the river view rooms

They are the same on the inside as the other POFQ rooms, but if you look out the window, you can see the river.

Sorry, didn't mean that to sound so snappy. :shake: But it is accurate. The other side of the river is a thick forest, Florida jungle-like, with dense greenery. There is a nice walkway between the hotel buildings and the river. The river view rooms are also the furthest walk to the bus stop and food court. But not by much, everything is close at POFQ.

[NJGIRL]

The last thing I wanted to be in was a more expensive room furthest from the bus stop. :mad:

[buzznwoodysmom]

The last thing I wanted to be in was a more expensive room furthest from the bus stop. :mad:

The resort is so small that I can't imagine any room feeling far from the bus stop, or anything else at the resort.

[NJGIRL]

The resort is so small that I can't imagine any room feeling far from the bus stop, or anything else at the resort.

Then that is good news. I have never been there before so I'm not sure what to expect

[buzznwoodysmom]

Then that is good news. I have never been there before so I'm not sure what to expect

We switched rooms for our last night when we stayed at FQ. We started out in building 5, I believe, which was so close to everything. When we had to move rooms we ended up in building 1, right along the river and at first we thought it was going to be a hike anywhere. Even my mother, who has mobility issues, thought that even in our much farther out room the walk was nothing compared to most other resorts. I think you'll be fine.

[mandaep]

We haven't stayed at POR but I think POFQ might be our favorite. We have stayed at CBR, pop, AS sports, and POFQ. We were just talking about where we want to stay next time and we keep bringing it up. We loved the laid back nature of the resort and it doesn't feel like the poppy high energy resort that the values do, and CBR was a long walk from everywhere we felt. One thing I am curious about is the bus ride. We always woke up little late and never had a line but we made a million stops over in POR it felt like. I'm hoping if we start getting out earlier, we will fill up the busses and not go to POR so much. :mickey:

[Tinkerbella16]

Both are my favorite resorts to stay at. I won't stay anywhere else, since I stayed there in 2007. I switch it up each trip, last year we did POFQ so this year I am booked at Riverside. I would have to give the edge to Riverside. The grounds are just so beautiful and there is so much more to that resort than POFQ. I also like the food court at Riverside more and the main pool is more fun with a better slide. I stay in the Royal Rooms and just love them! Oak Manor is my favorite section at POR. The boats to DTD are also really nice. My sister loves Riverside more. When we stayed at POFQ last year, she said she just did not get that feeling that she got at POR and wouldn't stay there again. The small size is nice at FQ, but I like having a lot of grounds to explore. :mickey:

[IMADisneyFreak]

I have never considered POR or POFQ prior to reading this string, but now it is at the top of my list for our next trip to Disney! Thanks to all for the good information! :thumbsup:

[manutd1]

We have stayed at POR many times and I don't understand the bus stop issue. There is nowhere really at any of WDW properties where the bus stops are that far. Even little mermaid at AofA is only what 5 min walk or so. POR, No matter what building you decide is not that far from one of 3 bus stop depots i think. POFQ is so small that It doesn't matter where you stay..you could hold your breath long enough to walk to the stop. But, POR isn't that different. I walked that property many times late at night when the kids goto bed...It not really that big.