Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread --- 2012, Part Three --- NOW FULL / CLOSED

[tink68]

Does anyone know if there are any bounce back offers in the rooms right now? Really thinking of doing this for Dec of this year. We have never been at Christmas time.

 

[samgminov]

Sorry, you'll have to blame samgminov

Still can't get that flippin' song out of my head.

Andre

I certainly meant it in the nicest way. I guess I got caught up in all of the talk of voodoo and black magic. How would you feel about Facsimile Fairy? Or, Location Lothario? On second thought, Magic Mouse is far nicer. In all seriousness, thank you both for your help!

 

[Venomhatch]

Ooo eee, ooo ah ah ting tang
Walla walla, bing bang

Great now I have this song in my head, thank you very much!

I certainly meant it in the nicest way. I guess I got caught up in all of the talk of voodoo and black magic. How would you feel about Facsimile Fairy? Or, Location Lothario? On second thought, Magic Mouse is far nicer. In all seriousness, thank you both for your help!

No problem and no worries!!!

 

[POROct2013]

Greetings from Canada! This is my first visit to your forums but I have heard great things about it. I have been reading for about an hour and there is just so much to learn. This thread in particular is 165 pages long and I have managed to read maybe 1/10th of it! I will have to grab a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) to get through the remaining.

We have booked our first ever trip to WDW. We will be staying at the POR for this October (as you can probably tell from my username). We have booked a Royal Guest Room - River View and we know our girls will love it.

I look forward to reading your suggestions and tips for this resort. I will more than likely come back with some questions as well.

 

[lucifie]

I was just looking at portorleans.org at the recreation activities for January (it still seems surreal that we're 10 days away) and I think the campfire might be fun for the kids and a nice way to relax in the evening. I see it starts at 5:30, but how long does it last? The movies under the stars sound fun, too, especially the night we arrive. Might be a good way to get excited kids to chill out before bed.

On a related, but off-topic note, Andre, I've been trying to figure out this whole thread how you are connected to POR. I know you do portorleans.org, but I also see that you're in Birmingham, UK. Are you a super fan or is there some other connection? It seems like a long commute to be a CM.

And on an even less-related note, we'll be arriving in 10 days!!! All 4 of my kids have been sick, so keep your fingers crossed for all the germs to go away and for us to not pick up any more.

 

[FigmentChick]

I need to pull the trigger soon with booking our resort. I've been set on POR for quite some time now, but still haven't been able to decide on a "view".

As I stated in an earlier post, a co-worker of mine told me I was silly to pay for a river view, if I was looking to save some cash wherever possible (which I am looking to do). He explained that a standard view is just fine. Having never been to POR I, obviously, can't picture what a standard view is. It sounds like we will likely be looking at a parking lot if we went with the standard. Is this the case? Is it unattractive? Would it be worth it to upgrade to a garden view? I know we are not going to be sitting in our room all day looking out the window at the view, but we will have an 18-month-old with us, which means we'll be back for naps daily. I just don't want to feel like we are in any old motel/hotel, watching cars in a parking lot.

Garden View - $13.50 more a night + 8 nights + 2 rooms = $216.00
River View - $36.00 more a night + 8 nights + 2 rooms = $576.00

That's the first time I wrote it out like that. After seeing this, river view is out. I know it depends on the individual/the family, but do you personally think the extra $216.00 is worth it to have a garden view, as opposed to a standard view???

My family actually prefer the standard view. It's not necessarily always a parking lot view and even those aren't that bad. As I say to people when they ask me "how many times and how long are you really going to be staring out your window during you vacation?" LOL Personally, I'd rather save some money on the room type and spend it on say.....a Dooney & Bourke bag.

Greetings from Canada! This is my first visit to your forums but I have heard great things about it. I have been reading for about an hour and there is just so much to learn. This thread in particular is 165 pages long and I have managed to read maybe 1/10th of it! I will have to grab a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) to get through the remaining.

We have booked our first ever trip to WDW. We will be staying at the POR for this October (as you can probably tell from my username). We have booked a Royal Guest Room - River View and we know our girls will love it.

I look forward to reading your suggestions and tips for this resort. I will more than likely come back with some questions as well.

When in October are you going? We leave for our trip on the 30th, but do not check in until the 31st.

 

[FancyNancy]

another Mainer arriving on April 28th - May 4th to POR!!!!

Watch out POR the Mainers are invading! LOL

 

[POROct2013]

When in October are you going? We leave for our trip on the 30th, but do not check in until the 31st.[/COLOR]

We arrive on the 23rd and leave on the 29th.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

LOL Personally, I'd rather save some money on the room type and spend it on say.....a Dooney & Bourke bag.

I like this logic!!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Does anyone know if there are any bounce back offers in the rooms right now? Really thinking of doing this for Dec of this year. We have never been at Christmas time.

It is my understanding that the bounceback info is now being given to you in your welcome package at checkin, rather than a flyer in the rooms.

These are the dates for the current offer:

1/2-1/10/13
1/14-1/15/13
1/21-2/12/13
2/24-3/9/13
4/14-5/21/13
5/28-6/8/13
8/4-10/5/13
10/20-11/2/13
11/17-11/23/13
11/30-12/4/13
12/15-12/19/13

 

[Kevin1281]

The vast majority, yes. A few others are categorised as Standard because their view cannot really be classed as Garden - e.g. they mostly look out onto a stairway or wall.

An example of Standard View - still quite nice though, hardly a city-scape expanse of concrete.

Garden View in Alligator Bayou (the mansions tend to be more of courtyards/fountains/etc, plus some woodsy areas)

Water View (again, Alligator Bayou).

A Direct River View from a Royal Room.

A 'set back' River View from Acadian House (gardeners optional! )



Quite. Personally I feel the same. But then we do tend to leave our blinds open a lot of the time during the day (as there are so many routes to get to rooms, the foot traffic on walkways outside any given block of rooms tends to be very low).

Also, if we're in a River View room we never walk to the elevators anyway, unless we're pulling cases, we just use the nearby stairs for quicker access (it's only one flight). That would be different for people with multiple strollers or mobility issues of course. And the AB buildings have no elevators to worry about anyway.

But each to their own, if you don't mind keeping your blinds shut, or seeing a few cars from your window (or you just don't spend much time in your room) then you can save a whole heap of money!

Andre

Wow. Thank you Andre. Those are some awesome photos. And you are right. That parking lot view is an even nice. That makes me feel a heck of a lot better if I decide to go with standard view. While that garden view and "set back" river view are incredible, I think I might be able to live with a few cars and asphalt if need be. I'm thinking that extra money might be better spent elsewhere.

 

[Kevin1281]

When booking a standard view room, what is the best thing to request to have a shot at getting a non-parking lot view? We have no requests as far as building #, floor, proximity to pools or main buildings, etc...

Sorry to keep harping on this standard room topic, but I am a rookie and doing as much research as possible.

 

[Venomhatch]

To those guests that were referring to the new layout not being able to add your hotels reservations to the new layout itinerary. It works now.

 

[Mom2six]

As soon as I read blueberries I thought of the CS restaurant in the Land pavilion at Epcot. They have some kind of blueberry thing I ate for breakfast there that was beyond good! Sorry I do not have names but if you like blueberries you will love this. Seems like it was some kind of blueberry compote on bread pudding

That does sound good. I haven't eatten there before, but we will definitely check it out next trip. I've heard good things about that CS restaurant.

 

[Mom2six]

Wait for it....... Her name is Lilo! Yes a Disney name!

Cute name for a dog.

 

[MIGrandma]

Just booked a week in September with our adult DD after getting a Pin Code in the mail. Really excited as she's never, ever been to Disney before. We're staying at Port Orleans Riverside, as I've stayed there twice (in March 2009, and January 2011) and just really love that resort so much that I didn't even want to try a different one.

I didn't go for a Royal Guestroom, but we will have a "garden view." Hoping for Magnolia in the Mansions, and I see the rooms have all been refurbished so that's nice (although the last time we were there I thought the rooms were fine).

Counting down the days!!

 

[cerberus]

For those that have stayed in a Gardenview and Royal Room...can you tell me the pros or cons to both; what you liked or didn't like Thanks!

 

[Venomhatch]

Cute name for a dog.

Thank you very much!

Well there is two stories about how she got that name. One is Disney name. The other is way off topic here.

 

[Disneylvr]

What are our chances of getting a bayou room for a family of 2 adults and 1 child? We have a garden view room booked with a request for alligator bayou, which we have done a few times before and have never received. We are fine with the mansions but new scenery would be great. We do realize the bayou rooms tend to be reserved for larger families but still hoping....

 

[firstwdw]

What are our chances of getting a bayou room for a family of 2 adults and 1 child? We have a garden view room booked with a request for alligator bayou which we have done a few times before and have never received. We are fine with the mansions but new scenery would be great. We do realize the bayou rooms tend to be reserved for larger families but still hoping....

you would be guaranteed for the most part if you booked preferred since all the preferred buildings are in the bayou. We are also 2 adults and 1 child but we wanted the bayou rooms so that's what we did. Plus it means you will be close to the main building, main pool and main bus stop.