Riverside or the French Quarter

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:

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.

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!

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.

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

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..

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!

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:

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

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.

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.

buzznwoodysmom;2454457 wrote:
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.

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!

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!