ok so I finally got dh to think about going again in October but to save money we will do a moderate or Wilderness which is a bit cheaper than the other deluxes.It takes me sooo long to get the BC discounts each year and now I have a 20 percent off personal pin and am looking into a moderatefor Oct..Please tell me your favorites.....ps-any have larger rooms than others or queen beds?

I am going to venture a guess and say that in this thread you are going to see POFQ and POR come up quite often. I have only stayed at POR and find it to be a very nice resort with a decent-sized room, good bus service, and a cool pool. You will not find any queen beds but 2 full's or 1 king. (King rooms are limited.) Some rooms also have a trundle bed if you have 5 people in your group and one of them is a small child.

At the same time, if WL is still in your price range, I would choose that over a moderate. (But then again, it is my favorite resort, so I am biased. :) ) There is a lot more to do at the resort, the rooms are nicer, and you are closer to the MK via boat.

You may want to do a search on each moderate resort as this type of question comes up often. You can then see some past comments and feedback on each.

Nope, no queen beds at moderates. CBR room size is a bit bigger than the other moderates-340 sq ft vs 314. Believe that CSR has some junior suites-not sure if they'd be available for a code rate though. CSR has some "upgraded" amenities like real coffee cups, a gym and more as it's a convention resort.

How many people in the room? Ages? Some Alligator Bayou(POR) rooms can sleep 5 with 2 doubles and a trundle. Believe that some rooms can do a roll away-but you might want to check that. Rollaway is an extra charge.

The no queen beds is a deal breaker for dh and I if we take our sons' with us; I however enjoyed stretching out in my own double-while the boys(teens) fought over space in their own last May.

Pools? All but FQ have the main pool and quiet pools-but the CBR main pool is closed for quite awhile.

You may want to do a search on each moderate resort as this type of question comes up often. You can then see some past comments and feedback on each.Yes. Also, try searching on thread tags (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/search.php).

We've stayed at POFQ and CBR once each, and greatly preferred the former. We'll be staying at POFQ again for our pre-cruise nights coming up in May.

POFQ is compact, attractive and comfortable. We found CBR to be none of those.

I've stayed at Caribbean Beach (2x, before and after food court makeover), POR (2 or 3 times), POFQ (2 tmes) and not yet at Coronado Springs. My favorite, POFQ gets the nod in May before my cruise.

Ditto to what Andrew said. I haven't stayed at POR or Coronado Springs but I know that POFQ is my favorite of the other two. At POFQ you are the first on and off the shared bus with POR which is important at the end of the day with tired feet. The boat service to Downtown Disney is also a big plus over CSR & CBR. Whatever you decide I know you will have a blast.

Which seem to have the most entertainment for after parks at night? Arcades,Bikes atmosphere in general great store etc...When I take ds to room dd and dh like to "spend time" doing snacks n games etc...

Kathy, I merged your two threads together since they are topics that go hand in hand.

One thing that I love about POR and POFQ is the easy access to DTD. While not specifically at the resort, it is such a nice ride with easy access that it makes DTD feel like an extension of the resort itself. We love to go down and see the sights, do a little shopping, and get a snack or two.

I have seen many families go to the River Roost Lounge at POR and enjoy the live piano music, which can be somewhat funny at times. Not sure if your family would enjoy it but it may be worth a stop for a snack at the very least. Maybe others can chime in as to their experiences.

Kathy, I merged your two threads together since they are topics that go hand in hand.

One thing that I love about POR and POFQ is the easy access to DTD. While not specifically at the resort, it is such a nice ride with easy access that it makes DTD feel like an extension of the resort itself. We love to go down and see the sights, do a little shopping, and get a snack or two.

I have seen many families go to the River Roost Lounge at POR and enjoy the live piano music, which can be somewhat funny at times. Not sure if your family would enjoy it but it may be worth a stop for a snack at the very least. Maybe others can chime in as to their experiences.

DTD stays open pretty late? the boat runs late as well?:)

The boat runs until 11. And I think the DTD Marketplace is open to at least 11. (May be later - I dont specifically recall off the top of my head.)
I know that the buses run later from the PI side of DTD for sure.

Carriage rides can be booked in advance for both PO resorts. Scat Cat's lounge at FQ. We found the store at CBR to be small but adequate. Didn't check out the games/arcade though-but they do have one there. Swimming at all moderates-the "main" pools may have a "closing hour" but we found the quiet pools to be open whenever-just as long as no one is making noise, I wouldn't think it would be a problem. You can see some of the Epcot higher fireworks from some of the beaches and I believe the main pool-at CBR.

The "extension" of the resort by having the added appeal the boat to DTD is one of the main reasons, I'm leaning towards one of the PO resorts for next time.

Gotta admit swaying in a hammock on the beach at Trinidad North(with adult beverage in hand) sounds REALLY appealing right now-as I stare at the feet upon feet of snow out my window....:(

Scat Cat's is a blast. (POFQ) We ended up seeing Elliot Dyson (the performer there) 3 times in 10 days. He was awesome.

I'm not much of a drinker, but I did have a coke (whoo-hoo) at the pool bar and watched the Red Sox slam the Yankees in the playoffs. Sweet! I was the only girl (lady) there, but I didn't feel out of place. Just a bunch of people enjoying the weather, the game, and a drink. My son was old enough to be in the pool by himself (12), so he knew where I was.

It might be nice just to take the boat to and from DTD, even if you don't get off (well, you have to get off, but then you can get right back on).

POR seems to be growing on me more and more...will visit in April:fez:

I am sorry to sound clueless but what do the abbreviations stand for? POFQ and POR and CBR.
My guess is Carribean Beach, Port Orleans Riverside but I can't figure out the POFQ

We visit Disneyland yearly but are not very familiar with Disney World terms and properties!
Thanks!

POFQ = Port Orleans French Quarter

Don't feel bad about not knowing all of the abbreviations. It just astounds me when a newbie will post that it's their first time ever at WDW, and they need help in selecting a hotel, and they get pounded by a barrage of POFQ and POR and AKL and WL & CSR. I know we all get lazy in our typing, but we need to try and remember who we're talking to, and adjust.

Thanks :) I think I will look into POFQ :)

How long does it take on the bus to the parks- approximately?

Thanks :) I think I will look into POFQ :)

How long does it take on the bus to the parks- approximately?

Lesson learned here on MP when I was planning my first trip-allow an hour to get anywhere on property via bus. Longer, if there's transfers involved-like from resort to resort or to miniature golf, etc. Now, that's not saying that it takes an hour, just to allow enough time. I ignored this advice on my first day thinking that it wasn't THAT big a deal. Opps!

It depends on alot of variables-how many buses are running; did you just miss the bus for that park; is the bus full? what time of year; time of day; what resort are you staying at-how many times will the bus stop before it even heads to the parks; There's a transportation wizard somewhere-hopefully someone will post it; The Unofficial Guide also has transportation times listed. In my experience, 10-20 minutes usually.

Good to know! Has anyone stayed at the Coronado Springs? I have not heard too much about this one! Still trying to decide :)

Good to know! Has anyone stayed at the Coronado Springs? I have not heard too much about this one! Still trying to decide :)

We stayed there once, when we decided on an "extra" trip, to celebrate my husband's birthday, and a Deluxe just was not in the budget. I got an AP rate, and, because it is such a large resort, rooms were available, even during a holiday period. It was just fine, and I would stay there again. Because it is a convention hotel, the amenities are pretty good. There is an interesting food court, which has different stations, and you could get some things, like steaks, made to order. We ate there a few times, and liked it. It was too cold for swimming, during our stay, but the pool was nicely themed and looked like a lot of fun. There is a really neat playground area, my kids enjoyed. A difference between the deluxes and moderates, is that the deluxes are more compact, in that your room and the central amenities, such as restaurants and gift shops, will probably be in the same building, but the moderates may be more spread out, requiring a walk to get to the main building. We are DVC owners, which is much the same situation, at some of the properties, so you just get used to walking or taking a bus to get around a large property. We really love the Wilderness Lodge, and enjoyed it more than we did the Contemporary, which was a lot more expensive. The lower-priced deluxes (Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge) would actually be my first choice.

The Coronado Springs is by far my favorite of the moderates. The southwestern setting is gorgeous, with the room buildings surrounding the 15-acre Lago Dorado Lagoon. As mom said the food court is excellent (breakfast especially!). The conventioneers have their own facilities on the far side of the central building, and don't really impact the regular guests too much. The CSR has the most "deluxe" feel of the moderates in my opinion. I'll stay there just about every other time, and have never been disappointed.

How long does it take on the bus to the parks- approximately?
While there are the obvious variables, you can use this wizard (http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/twiz.aspx) to get an idea of how long it will take to get from place to place as well as the best method/route.

As for the acronyms, here is a good FAQ article (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=8117) that can help.

You are all so helpful...Thanks!
I am down to Coronado or Wilderness :)

While there are the obvious variables, you can use this wizard (http://www.ourlaughingplace.com/asp/twiz.aspx) to get an idea of how long it will take to get from place to place as well as the best method/route.

As for the acronyms, here is a good FAQ article (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?t=8117) that can help.

That is great- Thanks!