Can anyone recommend a good moderate priced Disney Resort to stay in?

[Charmed-One]

Hello Everyone,
I am a new member from england and this is my first post on here.
I am going to Disney World for 2 weeks in december, the last time we went was 8 years ago and this time we wanted to stay in a Disney Resort. We can't quite stretch to the deluxe resorts even though the Wilderness Lodge looks great and i would love to stay there. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good moderate resort to stay at?, one of the resorts we were considering was the Port Orleans resort and i read that there are two parts to it, French Quarters and Riverside, have any of you stayed here and if so is it any good and which section is better?
I would really appreciate anyone's advice on this as we have been saving for this holiday for a long time and we want to make sure we will be happy with our hotel, especially as we were disapointed with the last one we stayed at.
Thank you in advance

[Philharmagic fan]

Hi Charmed-One & Welcome! I've never stayed at a Deluxe either - just can't justify that kind of expenditure (not that I have the money). We love POFQ (French Quarter). Our 3rd visit there was a couple of weeks ago. POFQ is smaller in size, quieter & beautiful. Check out pictures online & you'll see how attractive it is there. POFQ & Riverside share buses (except when it's really busy) but we've never had a problem. POFQ is the first one the bus stops at going to & from the parks. There's also a great little boat ride from the resort to Downtown Disney. The pool is also nice there. I love to walk by the river early in the morning, it's really beautiful.
One of the best things about it is the convenience. You never have a very long walk to the food court because of the smaller size of the resort.
It's also great when you return at the end of a long day & only have a short walk from the bus stop to your room. Have fun planning & make sure you post more questions. People here have great info.

[Nancywitt]

Welcome to Mice Chat.

My favorite moderate at WDW is Port Orleans French Quarter. There are a bunch of us on this site who love it as well. The resort is small and has a lot of character, not to mention fabulous beignets. The Riverside is nice too, just a short walk down the river. You can use both pools while staying at either resort. The rooms in the bayou have a pull-out bed under one of the beds and that is convenient if you have more than two kids, or two kids who do not like to sleep with each other, like my two boys. Both resorts are great, but to tell you the truth, all the moderates are great.

Enjoy.

[Charmed-One]

Thank you for your reply's, the information you gave has been a great help. One thing i forgot to ask was about the food, is there a good selection of food available at Port Orleans French Quarter?. This is important as my mom is not allowed to eat to much fast food for health reasons, especially fries.

[Maverick]

The best has got to be Coronado Springs. Great food(real restaurants), great overall feel, good general location, and a huge pool!!!!

[yoyoflamingo]

Thank you for your reply's, the information you gave has been a great help. One thing i forgot to ask was about the food, is there a good selection of food available at Port Orleans French Quarter?. This is important as my mom is not allowed to eat to much fast food for health reasons, especially fries.

The French Quarter has a general food court, such as most of the moderate resorts, which each have different stalls for different types of food. Burgers, Pasta and Pizza, a bakery, a sandwich and salad shop, etc are all offered. While the focus is on Fast food, you may certainly find items, such as sandwiches, salads, etc taht are not. Every night there is also a stall that serves a dinner entree with 2 sides that is very tasty. If my memory is correct, the different nights could be items like pot roast, half a chicken (not fried), etc. Definitely options outside of the norm.

And, if you would like, you can walk to Riverside and eat at their full service restaurant, Boatwright's Dining Hall. However, for overall distance to amenities, atmosphere, and just being a gorgeous hotel, French Quarter hands down is my pick as the best moderate on Disney property.

For a selection of the menus (though not everything is listed on this.) Try here:

http://www.allears.net/menu/menus.htm#res

[Micoofy Duck]

I would assume that the French Quarter is the better half meaning Walt Disney World tries to get you there first through a virtual tour and basically it looks as if Disney is saying without actually saying "stay at FQ".

From what I've seen in pictures I'd want to stay at FQ resort on my next trip that will include a moderate resort

I've also stayed at the Carribbean resort and had a blast. The access to the bus was just a few steps away from my room and the rooms were nice. I had no issues or problems with the Carribbean resort. I would return with someone if they wanted to stay there.

I have a trip coming up with a stay at the Coronado Springs resort and this one doesn't look visually appealling to me. Hopefully that'll change when I get there. I would rather be staying at the FQ resort but my other party members out voted me and chose the Coronado Springs resort.

As for the Wilderness Lodge, I figured a few hundred more dollars put towards this resort from a Moderate resort is worth all the money in the world. My stay at the Wilderness Lodge was unbelievably magical. I flipped out on the room, the view, the hotel theming, the atmosphere, the option to take a boat to the Magic Kingdom, close access to the Grand Floridian Hotel [you must make time to explore this hotel!] and the staff was beyond helpful in anything I requested.

What I'm noticing is the Value resort employees don't care too much about you, the moderate resort employees will put up with you but the deluxe resort employees are more on a one on one personal level with you, showing full attention and giving you complete support in your problems/issues, if any should arise. Of course this is just based on my own experiences.

I'm telling you, if you can figure it out and the money is right, upgrade to the Wilderness Lodge!

[drimergirl]

Well I worked at Port Orleans: Riverside and before working there I stayed there (though it was Dixie Landings back then) and I love it. I love the lazzy, slow southern feeling about it. But I must admit that FQ is the most beautiful moderate resort I've seen. Both PO resorts have great food courts, and both have a salad/full dinner areas that would be good for people that can't have fast food. Coronado Springs is nice but nothing to write home about (for me personally). I really believe that your best bet in comfort/beauty and price would be FQ or Riverside.

[BigPigletFan]

I'd would share that I really like the French Quarter too.

[sir clinksalot]

We stayed at the Carribean last October, and while I liked it I can see why some people don't. It's a HUGE resort (the biggest on property I believe). I did however enjoy the walks to the food court every morning for coffee. Great way to start the morning.

When we go later this month we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside and we are staying at French Quarter in October. Looking forward to both.

From what I understand they are both pretty nice.

[VeganPrincess]

Really, when picking a moderate resort, it's mainly personal preference. They all are priced the same and have similar amenities. You are choosing the theme. Good luck! (I really liked Caribbean Beach.)

[JCSkipperT]

I like the Coronado Springs. This resort has convention facilities, so they have a few more dining options than the other moderates. I went to an event there one night and we got a chance to walk around the resort and it was beautiful.

It is also one of the newer moderates.

You may also want to check out Animal Kingdom Lodge. Even though it is a "deluxe" resort, it is (I believe) the most economical of all of the deluxes. Even f you get a standard view room, you have easy access to go see the animals (and all of the other deluxe luxuries).

[DisneyParkFan]

I would assume that the French Quarter is the better half meaning Walt Disney World tries to get you there first through a virtual tour and basically it looks as if Disney is saying without actually saying "stay at FQ".

From what I've seen in pictures I'd want to stay at FQ resort on my next trip that will include a moderate resort

I've also stayed at the Carribbean resort and had a blast. The access to the bus was just a few steps away from my room and the rooms were nice. I had no issues or problems with the Carribbean resort. I would return with someone if they wanted to stay there.

I have a trip coming up with a stay at the Coronado Springs resort and this one doesn't look visually appealling to me. Hopefully that'll change when I get there. I would rather be staying at the FQ resort but my other party members out voted me and chose the Coronado Springs resort.

As for the Wilderness Lodge, I figured a few hundred more dollars put towards this resort from a Moderate resort is worth all the money in the world. My stay at the Wilderness Lodge was unbelievably magical. I flipped out on the room, the view, the hotel theming, the atmosphere, the option to take a boat to the Magic Kingdom, close access to the Grand Floridian Hotel [you must make time to explore this hotel!] and the staff was beyond helpful in anything I requested.

What I'm noticing is the Value resort employees don't care too much about you, the moderate resort employees will put up with you but the deluxe resort employees are more on a one on one personal level with you, showing full attention and giving you complete support in your problems/issues, if any should arise. Of course this is just based on my own experiences.

I'm telling you, if you can figure it out and the money is right, upgrade to the Wilderness Lodge!

I'm going to have to agree with Micoofy. I have stayed at the All Star Music once, the Carribbean Beach twice, Coronado Springs once, and Wilderness Lodge once. Of these resorts, I loved WL in December! It is all warm and cozy and decorated for the holidays. And the rooms, staff, and atmosphere are out of this world. There is nothing like taking the boat over to the Magic Kingdom in the morning and coming back at night or sitting in front of a fire after a long day in the parks, or soaking in the hot tubs and watching the geyser go off or seeing the Electrical Water Pageant come by. It is so relaxing. I will be staying at the Port Orleans-French Quarter this summer, and I am looking forward to taking the boat to Downtown Disney.
Of the moderate resorts so far, I prefer the Carribbean Beach. Clean, close bus stops, centrally located to the parks (at least in my opinion), and I like the whole "Islands" feel to it.