Mouse Extra

Let’s take a minute and talk about the moderate resort widely regarded as the best at Walt Disney World; Port Orleans French Quarter.  Within this tear of resorts on property, nothing beats it.

Set in old New Orleans, the resort is perfectly laid out.  Unlike some of the gigantic, sprawling properties that have been built at Disney World, this one is intimate and small, yet very fun.  You are never too far from the pool, buses, food court, or lobby.  There is even a wonderful boat launch that takes you to Downtown Disney that’s never too far from your room.

The theme is done to perfection at Port Orleans French Quarter.  The wonderful Mardi Gras inspired decorations, buildings, street signs and horticulture all blend perfectly into each other for a very immersive experience.  The paths and trim are delivered with a look that makes you think they’ve been there since Napoleonic years, but without the rust.  As a tribute to the real thing, this resort does an authentic job.

The rooms are similar to other moderate resorts, but these are just a touch more inviting.  The dual sinks and wonderfully dark furniture add an element of class to this resort.  There are Standard View rooms, code for “asphalt view”, along with garden views and water views.  Some of the water view rooms are situated along the Sassagoula River.  You pay more for views of the river, but it is a very nice touch and delivers probably the most romantic room in all the moderate resorts.

As far as amenities go, the French Quarter is adequate.  There is a food court called the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, but no sit down restaurant anymore, as it closed a few years back.  There is, however a nice little bar called Scat Cat’s that can be lots of fun.  There is only one bus stop, which is never far away, but you do share it with the Port Orleans Riverside so it can get crowded.  As I mentioned before, however, there is a great little boat launch that takes you to Downtown Disney.  The ride is a nice one, taking you by the old Treehouse Villas.  There’s also a nice pool, with a fun slide for the little ones, and an accompanying pool bar.

Of all the moderate resorts, I find Port Orleans French Quarter to be my first choice.  What sets Disney resorts apart from the rest, to me at least, is the immersive themes.  This resort accomplishes that better than any other moderate and even gets close to the level of some deluxe resorts.

Old Key West is a pioneer in Disney vacationing. It was the first resort dedicated solely to that growing community of Disney Vacation clubbers. Since then, Disney has constructed the sprawl of Saratoga Springs and added vacation club areas to the Beach Club, the Wilderness Lodge, and coming soon, the Animal Kingdom Lodge. But before you non-DVCers move on to a different article, be advised that even nonmembers can book a room at Old Key West especially during the off-season.

photo courtesy of Mouse Planet.  Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy

The resort is supposed to elicit the feeling that you are in the Keys. The place is surrounded by vegetation. The buildings are relatively low and of the clapboard style. Everything is laid back. A waterway snakes through the complex ending at the main public area with waterside restaurants and the gift shop. The shop itself is typical of DVC resorts in that kitchen fillers are alongside the typical t-shirts. The food choices, however, are not typical. One big problem for the resort is that there is no food court. Many of the larger resorts have them, but here, you only have a small dockside counter service with a limited selection. There is also Olivia’s Cafe, a sit down place with a Southern and Caribbean cuisine with items like crab cakes, jerk chicken, and conch chowder. As you can guess, there are key lime dessert items available.

As with any resort, there are good things and bad. On the plus side, the rooms are spacious allowing for large families to stay together. We comfortably fit 7 adults and a toddler. The kitchen allows you to eat home to save a few extra bucks for souvenirs. At the dock, a water taxi provides transportation to Downtown Disney. Its a peaceful, pleasant trip. The bus service to the parks is fair and you don’t share with any other resort (a big plus to me).

photo courtesy of Mouse Planet.  Click on the photo for Mouse Planet’s photo tour of Old Key Wesy

Besides the aforementioned food court problem, there are a few other drawbacks. Some people would enjoy the quieter aspect of the resort, but others will be looking for something to do. There isn’t much. Like I said, there is a pleasant boat trip to the Downtown area, but it takes some time including a stop at Saratoga Springs. The place is huge so try to stay near the Hospitality House so you can walk over to the shop, the boat rentals, and the food.

All in all, Old Key West is a nice play to stay especially if you’re the kind of person who wants peace and quiet after a long day at the theme parks. If you want to continue the action or plan to eat a lot at the resort, I would suggest you go elsewhere

today’s resort review is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

The Pop Century Resort is the latest in the collection of “value” resorts offered at Walt Disney World.  It is an enormous and sprawling collection of buildings themed in much the same over-the-top gaudy manner as the All-Star resorts, with huge lettering on the buildings and oversized statues spread throughout the grounds.   The point to the “value” level is to allow guest who could normally not afford to stay on property to be “in the bubble”.  I only wish that this resort would deliver a bit more quality.

I understand one should not expect the Grand Floridian here, but one should expect quality and service at a high standard.   At the Pop Century the standard is certainly not terrible, but it can also not be confused with the type of standard other Disney accommodations have been known for.

The rooms are clean and large enough to be comfortable.  This means less to some and more to others.   Many Disney World guests spend a very small amount of time in their room, instead using every hour possible in the parks.  If you are one of these folks, and the room is nothing more than a bed and a shower, the Pop Century is adequate. 

One issue is that the walls are very thin to be sure.  The best example comes from my most recent trip to the Pop Century earlier this year.   On our first morning, we were awoken by the most enthusiastic version of “Yo-Ho, Yo-Ho a Pirate’s Life for Me” that one can possibly sing.  It was so loud that my wife thought it was me singing in the shower.   It was not.  It was the gentleman next store, or maybe somewhere down the hall, and he wasn’t singing all that loud, but it seemed as though he were lying next to me.

The food court is also not bad at all.  In fact, it is better than some offered at the higher priced “moderate” resorts.   It’s loud, crowded and the waits can be long, but that’s true of food courts in general.  The variety here is decent and the food quality is up to Disney’s standards for such things.   The problem is what is coming in the future.  The Pop Century is slated to expand, and you can see the new buildings going up.  When this expansion is opened, how crowded will the food court get?  In fact, how crowded will the entire hotel get?   It already seems to be getting overwhelmed all too quickly. 

For example, on the same trip as the infamous singing walls, our check-in was a complete nightmare.   It was a Friday in November, not an overly busy season, and we waited on line to check in for almost 45 minutes!  Just about every desk was used, so it was not a staffing issue.   There were just too many people checking-in for the front desk to physically handle it.  To make matters worse, when we had to check-out because of an accounting error the line was just as long.   Can you imagine waiting this long to check into any hotel, no less a Disney hotel?

Having said all that, one can not deny the benefits of staying on property.  There are many hotels off-site that offer similar rates, but if the priority is to be in the Mouse 24-7, then the Pop Century is at least a clean and decent option.   But that is all it really is.

Today’s Mouse Hospitality is written by Mike, a contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

I like the Caribbean Beach Resort (”CBR”), I really do. I think its the best of the moderate resorts, although I maybe in the minority on that one. Port Orleans has many fans. Maybe it has something to do with me going there for my honeymoon, but I liked the place before that. Oh, I know its getting old. And I know the sit down restaurant stinks on ice. But still it’s a great place to stay.

photo provided by mouseplanet.com

For starters, the theming is top notch. The music, the colors, the cabana bar are all fun. I watched the Yanks beat the Padres in Game 2 in 1998 at that bar. The food court is average, but so are most. As I said, the sit down is bad, but so are all the moderates.

If you do stay there, I would stay at Aruba. Its perfectly situated in my eyes. For starters, it’s a short walk to the Custom House where check-in is, as well as the food court, restaurant, cabana bar and shop. The walk is across a small lake over a little island populated by tropical bird exhibits. Very charming. However, you are far enough away from the noise to be peaceful. The resort is huge and some “islands” can be quite a trek to the main house.

photo provided by mouseplanet.com

Transportation is an issue for many I know. I like the bus system from CBR. For one thing, it’s so big that it stops at no other resort. Here’s where Aruba comes in handy again. You are the middle stop which, to me, is the best. You never stuck on the bus too long, but there’s usually a seat except on the busiest of days at opening/closing.

Listen, The CBR can’t compare in quality to the Grand Floridian or the Animal Kingdom Lodge, but it sure beats them in price. For the money, it’s a nice play to stay. What else do you want?

Today we have the first installment of Mouse Hospitality, our collection of resort reviews.  Over the coming weeks and month’s we will try to post reviews for every resort in Disney World.   Hopefully this will be a useful reference for those of you planning a trip to the Mouse. 

Let’s begin on a positive note and talk about my favorite of all of Disney World’s Resorts; the Boardwalk.

I have never been so content at a Disney Resort like I was at the Boardwalk.  We spent a week here recently, and stayed in the Vacation Club’s Villas portion of the property, but there is little to differentiate the villas from the inn as they both share the same amenities.  The room was spotless and well themed, but that is to be expected from a deluxe resort.

There are few surprises here, except how much we enjoyed it.  I had been to the Boardwalk before, though this was the first time staying there.  I knew about all the bars, restaurants, and shops that lined the authentic feeling boardwalk.  I had been to the delicious bakery, pizza stand, and candy shop.  I knew the location was terrific, with easy walking access to the World Showcase in Epcot and the Disney MGM Studios.  I knew the pool looked like a blast, and that the building was beautiful inside and out.   None of these things were discovered during our stay there.

What I did discover was the first Disney resort that I actually made a point to spend time at.  Whether it was to have a cup of coffee on a bench overlooking Crescent Lake, sip a pint at the Big River Grille and Brew Works, or take a slide down the Keister Coaster at the Luna Park pool, the Boardwalk made me want to be there.  Often a resort is a place to sleep, get breakfast before your day at the parks, or maybe rest a bit during the hot mid-afternoons, but not this place.  For those who stay there, the Boardwalk becomes part of the vacation experience, and part of the fun.

This is the one place that I can truly say has something for everyone.  If you like some nightlife, they have the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls or dancing at the Atlantic Dance.  If you’re a sports fan, what more can you ask for then the ESPN Club?  If you are a tavern lover like me, the aforementioned Big River brewpub is a good spot to try some fresh and unique beers. Spoodles and the Flying Fish offer terrific menus for folks looking for a top-notch restaurant.   Also, the boardwalk area has funnel cakes, pizza, hotdogs, ice cream, and so much more.  You’ll never go hungry, and you’ll find yourself wanting to make time during your trip to experience all the resort has to offer.