Port Orleans - Good Choice in May??

[amyinindy]

I am planning our second trip as a family of 3 to Disney and am looking at staying at Port Orleans Riverside, and would love to hear opinions, good or bad.

Our first trip was last March and we stayed at Beach Club for 2 nights and honestly, it was so busy both at the parks and the hotel, it made us miserable. I have no idea how we didn't expect that to be the case.

This time we are planning to go for 3 nights in May. Is the Port Orleans Riverside a good choice for a family with a 4-year-old? Any tips on the type of room to request? My 4yo is a boy and I don't think he'd be interested in the Royal Rooms. Is it true that a River View room will keep us close to the main pool and main building? What about bus depots?

Also, if I could please ask one more question. I don't see an appropriate board for this, so please redirect me if there is. I've seen a few calendars online that look like Sunday - Wednesday is better for crowds than Wednesday - Sunday. True or False? Earlier in May better than later in May?

Thank you for helping this mama out! I just want Trip #2 to be better than the first!

 

[DSLRuser]

Do not pay extra for a room type here.

all the views are very similar and not worth an upgrade fee.

POFQ can be a little slower less crowded than beach club.

 

[MindyMouse76]

Have you looked into French Quarter? We stayed there last time (2009) when my daughter was 4. It was a VERY small resort with everything super close to the bus stop. We also loved the food court for breakfast.

We are also going in May 2013 and this time staying at Riverside. However, we are doing a Royal Room this time. The only two types of rooms I would consider at Riverside are the Royal Rooms or Preferred location rooms. I feel the rest is to far away.

Hope this helps!

 

[jmcghee2024]

FQ is a great resort IF you aren't looking for any room discounts. We are also going in May and have a 5 year old. We were booked POFQ but moved once the new promotion came out and POFQ wasn't included and POR was. That being said, if you aren't going for a discount POFQ is the way to go if you are concerned about being close to everything. It is much smaller and you will be much closer to pools, bus, and dining.

 

[malacajo]

FQ is a great resort IF you aren't looking for any room discounts. We are also going in May and have a 5 year old. We were booked POFQ but moved once the new promotion came out and POFQ wasn't included and POR was. That being said, if you aren't going for a discount POFQ is the way to go if you are concerned about being close to everything. It is much smaller and you will be much closer to pools, bus, and dining.

Funny, the pin code that I have for this Sept gives a bigger discount to Riverside than to FQ.....It was about a $150 difference for same room essentially....

 

[Missytara]

I am planning our second trip as a family of 3 to Disney and am looking at staying at Port Orleans Riverside, and would love to hear opinions, good or bad.

Our first trip was last March and we stayed at Beach Club for 2 nights and honestly, it was so busy both at the parks and the hotel, it made us miserable. I have no idea how we didn't expect that to be the case.

This time we are planning to go for 3 nights in May. Is the Port Orleans Riverside a good choice for a family with a 4-year-old? Any tips on the type of room to request? My 4yo is a boy and I don't think he'd be interested in the Royal Rooms. Is it true that a River View room will keep us close to the main pool and main building? What about bus depots?

Also, if I could please ask one more question. I don't see an appropriate board for this, so please redirect me if there is. I've seen a few calendars online that look like Sunday - Wednesday is better for crowds than Wednesday - Sunday. True or False? Earlier in May better than later in May?

Thank you for helping this mama out! I just want Trip #2 to be better than the first!

There is a great thread for both POR and POFQ; with one small child, I would definitely go with FQ for this trip.

Also at FQ, it is very compact, so essentially everything is well within reach, so feel free to book any type of category you wish. I love riverview, but have been happy with just about any view at POR.

You will want to hop over to the Theme Parks and Strategies Board for information about parks.

 

[Missytara]

Do not pay extra for a room type here.

all the views are very similar and not worth an upgrade fee.

POFQ can be a little slower less crowded than beach club.

Actually, I have to disagree. With POR, the view can be important for a few reasons, mostly close proximity to the main building and amentities if they cannot secure a preferred building.

Some views are farther away than others; so it may be important to some to obtain a view that gets them closer and it is worth the extra money.

I wouldn't necessarily give a blanket statement that it is not worth it to upgrade room categories; you have to look at the overall resort and think outside of the box a bit.

 

[Shaden]

I haven't been to POR yet, we are headed there in May, but have done a LOT of research. Portorleans.org should be your friend, great site with all the info you need.

the only thing I will say, is that in may, the discount being offered has a major impact on your POR booking, and almost no impact on POFQ ... this is generally the truth as well.

 

[Greasy126]

Grounds are very nice. We enjoyed our stay and really enjoyed the pool!

 

[clapton]

Have stayed at POR many times. Love the food court, pool and atmosphere! Enjoy!

 

[AtlantaSue]

the only thing I will say, is that in may, the discount being offered has a major impact on your POR booking, and almost no impact on POFQ ... this is generally the truth as well.[/QUOTE]

what is the major impact? do you mean in terms of general availability?

 

[Missytara]

the only thing I will say, is that in may, the discount being offered has a major impact on your POR booking, and almost no impact on POFQ ... this is generally the truth as well.

what is the major impact? do you mean in terms of general availability?[/QUOTE]

The difference in cost; if you look at the discount offer, the percentage is higher at POR than POFQ.

 

[momto3gr8boys]

I personally like POFQ better for the size. However, I'm curious as to why you went for two nights on your first trip and only three this time. Staying at a value could give you extra time if its financial. It's just that WDW is so overwhelming that I could see how your first trip was not as great as you had hoped. By day 3 of a first trip most people are just getting their bearings straight, and you need to rush to do everything.

 

[amyinindy]

Thanks, everyone! I think we are probably going POR this time since we're planning on having some time at the pool. I appreciate the advice and opinions very much!

 

[Disneylvr]

Love them both but chose POR this time because in May it is cheaper than FQ. Also during the warmer months it is nice to have the quiet pools near your room.