POFQ or Carribean Beach? I have a few questions.... About This Page:

[longislandmomof4]

We're thinking of planning a May 2009 trip to POFQ with the buy 4 get 3 special going on. From what I've read in the past POFQ seems to be a "moderate" favorite. Then I heard they re-did the rooms at the Carribean Beach Resort with pirate beds.... which is better? I have a few questions for those who've stayed at either:

1. Is the only transportation to the parks from there the Disney buses? Are there boats?

2. What park is it closest to?

Thx for your help & advice!
Now the question is if we book are there going to be dining reservation spots available so late in the game!?!?

[CRCrazy]

We really enjoyed our POFQ stay this year. We haven't tried CBR yet. POFQ has only bus transportation to the parks, but it does have boat transportation to Downtown Disney and POR. I believe that CBR only has bus transportation, no boats.

POFQ was pretty centrally located, it really didn't take too long to any park, although we used our rental car - I didn't use the bus at all, although my daughter and husband did with no troubles.

[Sue M.]

No, only transport is by bus to the parks at both resorts. POFQ has boats to DTD. I've stayed at CBR & loved it. The landscapping is beautiful. Hammocks on beaches swaying under palms. Every Island has a quiet pool in addition to the Main pool which has just been re-done. We stayed before the renos and loved it. We stayed in Jamaica #42 close to bus stop & quiet pool. Also a enjoyable stroll across the bridge to food court, shops & main pool.
POFQ has a big following here on the boards. It's smaller, all bldgs are close to food court, pool & bus stop. It has 1 pool, & no quiet pools because of it's small size. And there is the boat to DTD. I haven't stayed here, but lots like it. In Aug we are staying at POR-Riverside. I hope to get the Mansion side.
So there is no "better" both are great resorts, just depends on what you like.
For sure you'll be able to get ADR's for May, I just changed some ADR's for Jan trip & was able to book places.
Have a look at the resort pics on this site, & allears.net has more pics. Look at them & see what theme appeals to you. You can't go wrong, they are both great resorts.
Oh yes, CBR is closest to Epcot, & you can see some of the higher fireworks from Illuminations in Epcot from CBR.

[Belle*]

The pirate rooms at CBR are an additional charge each night - not all rooms are Pirate themed!

Personally I prefer PO-FQ as the resort feels more intimate but I've stayed at both and enjoyed them both.

[jimmymac]

Buses for booth resorts; POFQ has a boat ride to DTD (very cool) POFQ is closest to DTD, CBR is closest to Epcot

[hockeyguysmom]

We haven't stayed at POFQ but my kids think the pool looks really neat! We stayed at CBR & really liked the food court area there, it has alot of choices & is very kid friendly. It is very pretty to walk around the resort with the beaches & hammocks. I believe there are finding nemo rooms & pirate rooms. Both are in preferred areas & cost extra. (Allears has pictures of the nemo rooms but I'm not sure if they have any of the pirate rooms yet)

Good luck making your decision!

[Gin7274]

We always stay at POFQ.

[Fortissimo]

I have stayed at both POFQ and CBR. It is no secret here that CBR is my favorite Moderate Resort; however, POFQ is a close second!

I prefer CBR because of the island feel, the larger rooms, and the food court seemed to have more choices and better food. I loved the rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.

POFQ is much smaller and does feel more intimate. The food court has awesome beignets, however, at lunch and dinner the lines were quite long. The best part about POFQ is the boat to Downtown Disney. It is a direct line to the best chocolate shakes in the world at Ghiradelli. Yes, I love these more than I love Mickey Bars.

Both resorts are great, and best of all, both resorts are at WDW!

[tio marco]

we've had great stays at both, but if i had to pick between the two i would pick POFQ.

[spiceypj]

closer - CbR is closer to Epcot - but it is closer to the entrance of Studio. You can see the fireworks from Epcot at night

POFQ is closer to the entrance of Epcot.

POFQ is definitely close to the MK - but it is still a good distance. if you are in the right place you can see the higher fireworks from MK - but they are definitely far off.

neither are closer to AKL - that would be CSR.

[tkd lisa]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned. POFQ does share buses with POR. While FQ is a small resort, Riverside is a big one. You shouldn't have trouble with buses getting to the parks, because FQ is the first stop, but coming home the buses will likely be very full. Depending on when you go, it may not be an issue. May tends to be a slower time of year because most people don't take their kids out of school so close to the end of the year.

We stayed at CBR over Labor Day this weekend, and it was a nice resort. We had a few problems, but it was mostly due to the renovation they were doing. Now that's it's done, I'd say it's an excellent choice. They do also have a marina there where you can rent the water mice (although if that's something you want to do, I'd go to the MK area because there's lots more to see in Bay Lake). POFQ has a more intimate feeling. Everything is centrally located, and you may be on the "canal" that leads to DTD.

Either way, you'll probably be happy. Enjoy your trip!

[TheMadonna3]

Both resorts are fantastic!

If you are dependent on the bus service I would tend to sway you toward CBR. As it has been mentioned, not all rooms are pirate themed and the ones that are pack an additional charge. However, most of the resort has been remodeled to a nemo theme.

If bus service is not that important to you (such as you can use a car or take a taxi) then I would say go for POFQ. I find the bus service at POR irritating because it takes so long to go around to all the stops and then the crowd trying to get back to the resort. It's my only complaint with POR resorts.

[bradk]

i've done both (among many others), POFQ is my resort of choice.

it doesn't always share buses with POR incidentally. very often at the parks, you'll see separate stops for them depending on time of day/year.

[minushka72]

We will be trying POFQ this coming May. I chose it for the smaller size. In addition to the boat to DTD, there is also a shuttle boat between FQ and POR. You can use the pools at POR also since the are sister resorts so even though there are no "quiet" pools at FQ, you could use the one at POR.

[longislandmomof4]

As you can see from my brand new ticker -- I booked POFQ.
Yipeee!!
I'm just so psyched that we're going.
I'm fairly easy to please, so I'm sure it will be wonderful.
Thanks for all the advice.

Basically. what swayed me was the smaller size. Last time at the BC (can't afford that this go around) after a long day walking the parks, it was rough on the little one's legs to walk so much to our room at a big resort. POFQ was a bit cheaper and they could guarantee me two adjoining rooms (It really stinks that when you have four kids that you have to get two rooms...but that's another topic for another time...)

Again, thanks to all! I knew I could count on you!
The countdown begins!!