Selecting a Disney Resort

For our upcoming summer trip, we have pretty much decided to stay in a Disney World Resort for the first time.  We have stayed on site in a Disney Springs Resort Area hotel (and considered it again) but want to make sure that we stay in a Disney Resort at least once as a family.  And the trip is partially to celebrate a special birthday,  so that factored in, too.  So now comes the hard part of choosing which resort to stay in.  Here is my process for coming to this important vacation decision.

For those readers that are unaware, there are three levels of Disney resorts: Value,  Moderate and Deluxe.   While I would love to stay in a Deluxe, and hope to when I retire, we realistically cannot afford it.  I don't really want to stay in the Values, due to the room and bed size, lack of anmenities, and usually shared bus transportation. I did consider Art of Animation,  but our family didn't want the room themes they had including Little Mermaid and Finding Nemo.  The other Value Resorts have very mixed reviews on Tripadvisor.com and in WDW related Facebook groups.  So I am focusing my decision on the Moderate resorts which include Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside,  Coronado Springs, the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and Caribbean Village.  Actually, to be honest,  we aren't considering Fort Wilderness,  as it just isn't the style that my family would likely enjoy.  It does get good reviews though.

Right now, I am leaning towards Port Orleans French Quarter based on three main things.   The good reviews on Tripadvisor,  the amazing looking pool area, and the room decor and amenities. I will be asking in a couple of Facebook groups,  which side of Port Orleans they that people prefer, and why.  I personally only know one family that has stayed ther, and they liked French Quarter because they said it was smaller and quieter.

Other factors that I will be considering is a resort's location to the parks, it's onsite dining options, and transportation links.  I am concerned about the rate for the time we are going,  but usually the rooms get discounted about 20 to 30% through promotions. Just as a back up,  we have a reservation at a Disney Springs Resort Area hotel just in case the Disney Resort option is too expensive.  One other thing that I plan to do is read the section on room selection in The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.   It has great information on where the largest and best rooms are located for each resort.

Update: In the end we settled on Port Orleans French Quarter, but when POR got discounted later on, and French Quarter didn't, we switched to it.

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