Wilderness Lodge or French Quarter?

firstwdw

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 4, 2012
end of May. Leaning towards WL but it is double the price of POFQ. Thinking WL interior hallways and central AC (as opposed to window units) might be better.
 
We've stayed at both, and this summer plan to return to WL. True, much more expensive. But we simply love the theming of the lodge and having boat access to MK. Please know there is little to no difference regarding A/C. In fact, the A/C units at PO will get your room downright fridge like if that's your thing.
 
We've stayed at both, and this summer plan to return to WL. True, much more expensive. But we simply love the theming of the lodge and having boat access to MK. Please know there is little to no difference regarding A/C. In fact, the A/C units at PO will get your room downright fridge like if that's your thing.
good to know! it's more the noise of the window units that annoys me...haha!!!
 
I'm in the "Value or Deluxe only" camp right now. The Moderates offer no park advantages over the Values whereas the Deluxes have Extra Evening Hours for MK and Epcot - so if I can't swing a Deluxe, I just go Value.
 
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If you plan to be at Disney Springs, then French Quarter is great. WL has daily visitors to restaurants etc. which can be frustrating with transportation and noise whereas FQ is much much quieter with mostly just resort guests.
 
We've stayed at both and POFQ is a great moderate, but we enjoy the theming at WL, also the interior corridors, location, and spending time in some of the quiet spots enjoying a cup of coffee in the mornings that are not park days.
 
We love WL and recommend it highly. POFQ is very nice too and it’s our favorite moderate.

I will add that the watercraft were not currently running between our resort (OKW) and DS last week due to low water levels in the canal. I would guess that is also the case with the other resorts (Port Orléans and SSR) using that transportation, which is a nice perk. Hopefully that changes soon.
 
Stayed at both also. Loved how quiet POFQ is and the boat to Disney Springs but found the food court a little too loud, especially at breakfast. WL was amazing, especially the theming and boat to MK. If budget wasn't a factor, WL for DH and I.
 
good to know! it's more the noise of the window units that annoys me...haha!!!
I despised my ac at POFQ. It cooled the room but the absolute racket it made every time it came on was ridiculous. Only thing that drowned it out was crazy thunder. I ended up using a white noise app to try to drown it out and it helped but they can only do so much. I was so very happy I split that stay with BWI.

That stay taught me if I want to save money I go Value, the POFQ middle ground just didn’t work for me. For putting up with window units and hearing the neighbors toilets flush, I want the savings of a value.

CSR Tower can be an option if you want to save money but have a deluxe feeling room with a normal AC.
 
You can't go wrong with either. POFQ is one of our favorite mods and is a go-to if budget is a factor. If you can afford to splurge a little, I would pick WL. It's such an immersive, peaceful resort. I could spend a day just hanging out in the lobby. I also love having a balcony. If you are planning any resort time, I would also lean toward WL.
 
We have stayed at both and I do prefer WL. I liked the late night hours at MK. The boat to MK is really nice
 
We stayed at WL when it first opened and loved it. However, a couple years later we decided to try POFQ, and after that we never had a desire to go back to WL. Loved POFQ.
 
We were at both resorts last week! I can report that the two have completely different vibes and that yes, the river is too low right now for watercraft (POFQ) which leaves you only buses or your car. The pool was drained of water and its major maintenance issue was being addressed. Both resorts are compact and easy to walk if that’s a factor. FQ ac unit was loud, but since we got in at nighttime we found it helped us sleep! Room size was larger than expected, we loved Scat Cats, the beignets were great, and the walkways and grounds were charming! WL has a nice location and interesting grounds to explore, lots of water features. Lobby is magnificent and has artifacts, artwork, fireplace and bridge over “stream”. Boats ran well without long waits. Guess in the end it depends on what you can afford and what you require to be happy on vacation.
 
I would opt for WL but some may depend on what you are looking to do. Its a great location for going to MK because of the boat. We also really like the food options- Roaring fork and Geyser point in particular. In our experience the lobby crowds during the week are not bad but it does get much more crowded on the weekends when you get more people both staying at the resort and coming to eat at one of the two sitdowns. Staying at WL could also get you two extended hour nights depending on when you are there which are great for lower crowd levels for rides.

If you dont plan on going to MK much and/or enjoy going to Disney Springs a lot I could see saving the money to stay at Port Orleans which also has great theming.
 
I've stayed at both. I wouldn't base the decision on air conditioning. It will be plenty cool in both rooms.

Wilderness Lodge may be worth the additional cost if you want better proximity to MK and more dining options onsite (including character dining).

Whether or not it's worth double the price of POFQ is subjective. Our family does think deluxe resorts are worth the upcharge. The boat ride to MK from WL is really convenient and doesn't feel as crowded as a bus.
 
Just went thru a test reservation starting June 29 for 7 nites, room only.

Port Orleans Standard View - $2,422

Wilderness Lodge - Copper Creek DVC- Confirmed Reservation - $2,541

No contest. WL.
The problem with this is you are assuming POFQ is rack rate with no discounts. Usually Disney offers some sort of discount. The summer promo has 25% off at FQ if between the offer dates, but there are other times where discount may be less too. So really depends what offers are out there at the time to fully compare the price.
 

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