Port Orleans French Quarters at Disney World or Cheaper Downtown Disney Hotel

I've stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown Disney, and the price was right. The service was very good, pool was OK, and we liked the free shuttle to the parks so we had no car rental, BUT there is nothing better, imo, than staying at a Disney resort. I've heard FQPO is very nice, we've only stayed at Animal Kingdom (with my own kids) and Polynesian (when I was kid). I am interested in also trying the mid priced Disney resort hotels. I think most of the downtown Disney hotels lack a little something. They all look kind of beige and older from the street.

I have and loved it! It was recently remodeled and it is so nice. While the restaurant does not have as big of a selection as most, it's because the resort is the smallest. Which means shorter lines for food and the shuttle. Shorter walking distance when you get back to the resort. Again the pool is not the biggest, but you can go and use anything at port Orleans riverside that you want...and it's not a far walk over there. I love it being the smallest and least crowded resort....something that feels great after a busy and big Disney world.

I stayed there three times and really like it! The best part is that you can take a riverboat over to Downtown Disney. We always go during the slow weeks so the size of the pool has never been an issue. Never any lines. We only really ever had breakfast and snacks there, not dinner, so not really sure about the lunch/dinner menus.

I stayed there, YEARS ago. I still remember that awesome alligator slide. So, a good memory! I also remember when I was there a boy turned blue in the pool and almost died, so just a reminder (as in any pool) to watch your kids.

It's very nice b/c you get Disney transportation. We stayed (last year) off-site and I found the highways dangerous.

WE stayed at the PO FQ in May. It was a pretty nice hotel, large, lots of people. Kids loved the pool. You couldn't hear the people next door. Food was terrible, don't eat at the hotel. Some rooms at the Riverside French Quarter had been redone/new in May. More might be done when you go. All of Port Orleans room were redone about a year. So we choose it-not gambling on getting a old room. The disney theme rooms at Riverside looked neat. Port Orleans didn't seem overly Disney-just another hotel.

The buses were often enough, we never waited long. Disney World is so large we felt we were on a bus the entire vacation. Park hoping was not a good option, we should of planned it better. You are so tired after a day at the parks, any where to lay your head down would work.

When u say after Christmas I hope you mean after the new year. Christmas week is the absolute worst ever! Coronado springs was nice but way too big. The hotelmitselfmhas 3 bus stops within the property. Pop Century is nice vaaluempricedmhotel , but my favorite is Fort Wilderness Lodge. If you go Christmas week you will pay top dollar. After New Years you get the best deals. Now we have a time share so we stay off property, but we are retired now and no need to rush around like years ago.

Port Orleans is a lovely hotel, we've stayed there once and really enjoyed it. One nice thing about the hotels that are a little more pricey is that you have a little less of a hassle (I'm not saying no hassle!) with things like the bussing, etc. The bargain price hotels, even the Disney property ones, can be a little crowded and that's not usually what you want when you are headed home for the evening!!

Enjoy!!

M

We never stayed anywhere but the Polynesian which is on the monorail line.... VERY nice and VERY pricey.

My suggestion would be to stay on Disney property if at all possible.

I really liked PO French Quarter but I prefer Coronado Springs which is also a moderately priced hotel. (I have never stayed outside the park when going to Disney and I never plan on doing either. It is worth it to me to stay in a Disney Hotel).

We went in Dec 2010 and stayed at Coronado Springs and it was very nice. I think one step above the all-stars is the way to go. Less crowded.

My daughter's dance troupe is staying there in January (if they go) and I'm curious to see what kind of responses you will get. I've heard the rooms are small and not condusve to making your own meals. But then again, most of the people I know use time shares or camp.

We always stay outside of the park, because it's nice to escape the craziness of Disney for a bit...but if they made the rooms bigger and prices more attractive, we'd probably do it!