Resort Advice- CBR vs French Quarter vs Off Site

TLM2015

Mouseketeer
Joined
Oct 3, 2016
I'm going back to WDW in late July and was weighing the different resorts or whether I should stay off site. It will be me, DH, DD, 8 and DS, 2 we have always stayed onsite since I started going to Disney as an adult (went a few times as a kid and stayed off site). I have never done a moderate but have done the values (AoA and AS-Movies), Ft Wilderness Cabins, and BC (had a good deal from a TA). I'm interested in doing a moderate out of curiosity, and wanting more space than the values but will admit that I can often be a bit cheap.

CBR vs French Quarter- CBR is currently under construction and while I don't think it will bother us too much, DH is not a Disney fan like me so will probably be at the resort more than in the parks so I do want to have some place that's not going to be annoying or boring or noisy during the day if he's at the resort especially on the days that he'll have DS while I and DD explore the parks. The pool at CBR also seems more interesting that French Quarter. French Quarter seems like it will be more entertaining and pleasant to walk around but I know it has not been included in some of the deals, such as free dining, and while I'm not concerned with free dining (I probably wont purchase tickets from Disney) does anyone have experience with the room only discounts and if it is included?

Pop Century would be my choice if I go with a value but mostly because I am kind of cheap and I haven't been there yet.

Last considering off site. We always rent a car anyway but I did love the convenience of Magic Express, which we used for the first time last time and got a rental on property for a few days. We used the buses and other transportation last time which I will not do again. It just wasn't convenient enough even though we were staying at BC. Walking to the parks was nice though but that's not an option with any of these resorts. I'm wondering if I'm missing something regarding saving money by staying off site. Even though the nightly fees are cheaper with some of the condos I have looked at, once I factor in the cleaning fee and then parking fees at the parks, I'm almost paying the same as onsite. I realize that there's more space and some of the other resorts are great but wondering if that outweighs being closer to the parks and a 60 day FP+ window. Additionally when I've looked at the Disney Springs hotels, even with the Mousesavers newsletter deals waving resort fees or some waiving parking fees, I didn't feel like I was saving that much either. I will admit that I am biased regarding staying on site but I do want to consider all options if someone has had a really great experience and there really are more savings, I'd like to know.

Sorry this is so long.
 
We loved FQ much more than CBR, mainly because it is smaller with great ambience and decent food court.
The rooms are not real Disney like so not sure if this is important. We don’t swim much so the pool was not a factor. FQ also has the boats to DS which is always nice.

CBR has many bus stops, I did t care for that, buses much more busy, we were not there during the construction but I have heard the food situation is not great during the construction.

I am not sure what type of TA deal you got but You could check on their rates. If it is the one I am thinking about they often have a good price for FQ.
 
Just my two cents, but I would go with POFQ if it fits in your budget. We have stayed at all the mods, but POFQ is the best one availabe right now (in my family's opinion.) We also considered the same options that you mentioned for our stay this March/April and decided to stay at FQ. The resort is pretty, relaxing and quaint. We prefer it to POR and CSR. POFQ is nice and compact for walking with a toddler, too. And the pool area will be great for kids your children's ages. The boat ride to Dsiney Springs is also a fun perk. POFQ is slated to be renovated starting any time now, and I would request a renovated room for sure. Mybe request a room away from the renovation work? It's a soft renovation, so it should be quiet, and only occurring in small sections at a time. There have been discounts lately at POFQ because of the renovation. We somehow landed a nice discount, even though we will be there during Easter, by calling Disney directly.

CBR is our favorite moderate resort--hands down, but we won't stay there for any long stays until the construction is finished. Drove by it a few weeks ago and it looks like a war zone! Not sure how much will be completed by July, but I can't see how it would be relaxing for your husband while not at the parks. My husband teaches middle school, and he wanted no part of the chaos while on his treasured break! He is looking forward to spending a good chunk of time relaxing at the resort.

Pop is a another option worth exploring if you want so spend less. We spent a night in a renovated room less than two weeks ago. It was really great! The queen beds were as comfortable as any beds we have slept in at any mod and some DVC units! The storage, huge tv, smart elctronic elements, and incredible new shower setup rival the mods at a much lower pricepoint. The new rooms at the Pop seem much larger than the other values now, perhaps because they are now bright? The only drawbacks with the Pop now (to us) are the thin walls, less comfortable outdoor amenities, lack of table service dining, and long waits for busses. The difference in cost between us staying at the Pop and POFQ was around the same as it would be to add the dining plan to the Pop. We looked into it, but our dates were booked by then. The word about the Pop upgrades is out! We stay at the All Stars when just visiting our DD at her school, and there really is no comparison now between the All Stars and the Pop.
 
I’m like you: stayed off site as a kid and started staying on site when I started paying for my trips. I’ve stayed at POFQ, POR, and AKL and we like POFQ the best out of those three. It usually isn’t included in deals but it is so small and quiet. We used the pool some but not much. We liked having 1 bus stop and the boat to ds.
 


Looks like everyone is leaning towards POFQ and I'm kinda leaning there too. I didn't think to check with the TA we used last time since there weren't any deals specifically advertised but they might have a lower rate. I'll check.

The boat ride to Disney Springs would be a nice plus. DS loves boats!
 
We did FQ/Offsite this past November/December. While we liked FQ, nothing compares to staying offsite and I am now a convert. I thought I was going to hate leaving FQ and the bubble but it really was nice to have our own space and place. So nice in fact that my upcoming 40th birthday trip will be offsite instead of at Beach Club.

Edit to add: I don't know where you were staying but we were right outside AK in our home. 4 beds, 3 baths, etc. Very nice home. And we paid about $130 a night so way cheaper than most onsite.....
 
We much prefer POFQ over CBR. We had terrible bus service when we stayed at CBR, and overall, we just didn't love the resort. POFQ is small, quaint and we liked that you could use the pool there and at POR. I also liked the food court better at POFQ, and we thought the bus service was great.
 


Looks like everyone is leaning towards POFQ and I'm kinda leaning there too. I didn't think to check with the TA we used last time since there weren't any deals specifically advertised but they might have a lower rate. I'll check.

The boat ride to Disney Springs would be a nice plus. DS loves boats!
I would pick POFQ too. Its a nice resort. Plus with your husband possibly staying behind to chill out, he could easily take the boat over to Disney Springs to look around. Something for him to do anyway. And yes, due to construction i would probably stay away from CBR.
 
We did FQ/Offsite this past November/December. While we liked FQ, nothing compares to staying offsite and I am now a convert. I thought I was going to hate leaving FQ and the bubble but it really was nice to have our own space and place. So nice in fact that my upcoming 40th birthday trip will be offsite instead of at Beach Club.

Edit to add: I don't know where you were staying but we were right outside AK in our home. 4 beds, 3 baths, etc. Very nice home. And we paid about $130 a night so way cheaper than most onsite.....

@jaceraden was that home in a specific community? I had looked at a few homes inside Windsor Hills community, which seemed great but after fees I was wondering if the hassle of being off site paired with the smaller FP window would be worth the savings, especially with a new land opening this summer. With the kids we like to take a mid day break especially with the summer heat and humidity in Florida and the parks tend to get really crowded mid day anyway. Were you still able to come back mid day and then go back? That was my biggest concern especially since some days I'll have the toddler and other days he'll hang back at least part of the day. With MK specifically getting to your car takes longer than the other parks. I've been looking on the other threads in the Orlando Hotel area and I'll probably pose that question over there as well.

Thanks for the suggestions so far!
 
French Quarter its my families favorite resort, small compact and at the end of a day with little one a 5 minute walk to your room is a blessing. The girls have always loved the pool there and they do a lot of activities there for kids at the pool. FQ almost never gets discounts because they have no problem filling their rooms without using a discount.
 
Between POFQ and CBR, I will always pick FQ. I love it there! It is so cute and small and peaceful, it's just lovely. I did not like CBR. It is HUGE! And with the construction, I would definitely avoid it. If you're worried there won't be much for your kids to do, you can also head over to POR. It's a lovely walk, or bus or boat ride away. Plus at FQ, you can take the boat to DS.

I will also say, if I'm trying to save some money, I love staying at Pop. It is also very cute and fun, just not as peaceful. I love the big, in your face characters. I really like their renovated rooms. It does not feel like a value resort when you're in your room there.
 
I love the over the top theming of the value resorts, thought other than kids I was the only one. It is a bit tacky and over the top but when I kind of like it. I feel like I'm at Disney. The subtle theming and immersion is nice, like at BC I really did feel like I was in New England kind of but I just love the Art of Animation and the All Stars although the walls are thin. I am considering some off site places too, mostly narrowed down to Sheraton Vistana Resort Villas or some place like Windsor Hills with the townhomes or condos but I find myself wanting the theming.
 
I'm going back to WDW in late July and was weighing the different resorts or whether I should stay off site. It will be me, DH, DD, 8 and DS, 2 we have always stayed onsite since I started going to Disney as an adult (went a few times as a kid and stayed off site). I have never done a moderate but have done the values (AoA and AS-Movies), Ft Wilderness Cabins, and BC (had a good deal from a TA). I'm interested in doing a moderate out of curiosity, and wanting more space than the values but will admit that I can often be a bit cheap.

CBR vs French Quarter- CBR is currently under construction and while I don't think it will bother us too much, DH is not a Disney fan like me so will probably be at the resort more than in the parks so I do want to have some place that's not going to be annoying or boring or noisy during the day if he's at the resort especially on the days that he'll have DS while I and DD explore the parks. The pool at CBR also seems more interesting that French Quarter. French Quarter seems like it will be more entertaining and pleasant to walk around but I know it has not been included in some of the deals, such as free dining, and while I'm not concerned with free dining (I probably wont purchase tickets from Disney) does anyone have experience with the room only discounts and if it is included?

Pop Century would be my choice if I go with a value but mostly because I am kind of cheap and I haven't been there yet.

Last considering off site. We always rent a car anyway but I did love the convenience of Magic Express, which we used for the first time last time and got a rental on property for a few days. We used the buses and other transportation last time which I will not do again. It just wasn't convenient enough even though we were staying at BC. Walking to the parks was nice though but that's not an option with any of these resorts. I'm wondering if I'm missing something regarding saving money by staying off site. Even though the nightly fees are cheaper with some of the condos I have looked at, once I factor in the cleaning fee and then parking fees at the parks, I'm almost paying the same as onsite. I realize that there's more space and some of the other resorts are great but wondering if that outweighs being closer to the parks and a 60 day FP+ window. Additionally when I've looked at the Disney Springs hotels, even with the Mousesavers newsletter deals waving resort fees or some waiving parking fees, I didn't feel like I was saving that much either. I will admit that I am biased regarding staying on site but I do want to consider all options if someone has had a really great experience and there really are more savings, I'd like to know.

Sorry this is so long.
What about the Swan/Dolphin? They usually have good summer rates/deals. They offer AAA discount too. There is the boat to Boardwalk/Hollywood studios. My DH is not much of a park person either, and he loves hanging out at this resort. Multiple pools, nice kids' pool with shaded seating, fabulous Cabana bar (much more upscale than basic Disney resort ones), grotto pool, slide, and then all the dining options at the Swan/Dolphin and Boardwalk!
 
I hadn't looked at the Swan or Dolphin. Whenever I have checked prices in the past they were a bit pricey or more accurately more in line with moderate Disney hotels but without the theming so I've always leaned towards Disney properties. As of right now I'm booked at Pop for the whole time. My DH is still not doing the parks but we have agreed to do more activities in Orlando so about 3 days in the park and 2 days doing other things like the Kennedy Space Center. Since he wont be in the room as much as before I figured Pop would be fine instead of nicer resort. But I think we'll do a split stay with Pop and somewhere nicer like French Quarter. But I'll check out Swolphin too. Thanks!
 
I know the our TA has an exclusive deal for the following dates and has been including POFQ in the last couple of deals that we did.
June 8 - June 14, 2018 Code EJUNE18

June 19 - July 5, 2018 Code JUNE18
 

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