Port Orleans French Quarter Q&A Thread, New for 2012 (thread now FULL and CLOSED)

[CJK]

Is there such a thing as a standard view room that doesn't look directly onto a parking lot? We've only booked a standard room and really can't justify upgrading for this trip. We stayed at CSR last time and it was a true parking lot, ugly view. Dh didn't mind, but I didn't like it. Just wondering if there's a semi-garden view possible or should I just prepare myself for another parking lot view? Thanks!

 

[farah]

Is there such a thing as a standard view room that doesn't look directly onto a parking lot? We've only booked a standard room and really can't justify upgrading for this trip. We stayed at CSR last time and it was a true parking lot, ugly view. Dh didn't mind, but I didn't like it. Just wondering if there's a semi-garden view possible or should I just prepare myself for another parking lot view? Thanks!

We just switched to POFQ and I had the same question. Online it says Standard rooms could have garden, landscaping or courtyard views but would love to hear from those who have stayed.

 

[andrewilley]

Is there such a thing as a standard view room that doesn't look directly onto a parking lot?

Pretty much all of the standard view rooms face the parking lot direction, but quite a few have trees or other landscaping in between so the view is not a direct mass of concrete. For example, all of the rooms in this photo are Standard View (in building 1) and the parking lot is just the other side of the line of trees:

Online it says Standard rooms could have garden, landscaping or courtyard views but would love to hear from those who have stayed.

Not sure why it would say that, the description you quote is really more correct for Garden View. Check out www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php for my list of how the categories break down. If you put in a request to avoid a direct parking lot view that might help of course, but there are bound to be some rooms that face the parking lots, and that's why they charge a surcharge for Garden View for people who really want to avoid that.

Andre

 

[austraveler]

Am I crazy? We booked at POFQ for our April trip, and moved to POR to get the 30% discount. I just moved back to POFQ as I really wanted to be there. All my logical arguments about "just next door" , saving $450 etc didn't convince me..... We have only been to WDW twice - once at POFQ and once at Beach Club. The whole time we were at the Beach Club we were wishing we were at POFQ. I didn't want this holiday to have the same vague dissatisfaction with the resort. It is such an investment in time and $$ to get to WDW from Australia that I decided just to lash out and stay where we wanted to.

 

[andrewilley]

Am I crazy? .... It is such an investment in time and $$ to get to WDW from Australia that I decided just to lash out and stay where we wanted to.

Not crazy at all. I've done a couple of split-stays between the Beach Club and POR, and I know exactly what you mean about the feeling of not quite being "home". Don't get me wrong, the BC was lovely, the room spacious, the pool was great, and the proximity to Epcot was wonderful (that's what could sway me in fact) ... but at the end of the day, it still wasn't Port Orleans. If you know what you like, why risk it?

Andre

 

[farah]

Then Garden View it is. In Building 5, would Garden View be on both sides of the building? And would building 4 also have garden view? Now trying to decide if we should request ground floor or 2nd for the views? So excited!!!

 

[andrewilley]

Then Garden View it is. In Building 5, would Garden View be on both sides of the building? And would building 4 also have garden view? Now trying to decide if we should request ground floor or 2nd for the views? So excited!!!

Please see the first post in the thread for links to floorplans with details of every room category. All of the buildings have some Garden View rooms. Buildings 2 and 5 have Garden View rooms on both sides of the building, but more on the non-pool sides.

Andre

 

[middlesista]

Then Garden View it is. In Building 5, would Garden View be on both sides of the building? And would building 4 also have garden view? Now trying to decide if we should request ground floor or 2nd for the views? So excited!!!

We stayed in Building 4 - second floor. Had not requested upgraded view but found ourselves facing towards the river w/a garden view. We had paid for standard. Our son came a few days later - paid for the same standard view and his room was facing the parking lot. For the amount of time we spent in the rooms it really did not matter but we LOVED facing that courtyard - they had the movie screen in the area.

 

[pwdebbie]

Am I crazy? We booked at POFQ for our April trip, and moved to POR to get the 30% discount. I just moved back to POFQ as I really wanted to be there. All my logical arguments about "just next door" , saving $450 etc didn't convince me..... We have only been to WDW twice - once at POFQ and once at Beach Club. The whole time we were at the Beach Club we were wishing we were at POFQ. I didn't want this holiday to have the same vague dissatisfaction with the resort. It is such an investment in time and $$ to get to WDW from Australia that I decided just to lash out and stay where we wanted to.

No, you are not crazy. Or else my dh is crazy along with you. He would rather stay at POFQ than save money elsewhere. I am adventurous and love to try new things but he likes routine and POFQ is "home" to him.

 

[pwdebbie]

Four weeks from now we'll be there.

I have to ask -- How is the new coffee in the rooms? Does it taste like fresh-brewed or do we want to bring our own coffee and/or brewer?

Also, does the food court have half and half? I can't recall from previous trips. (Not milk, not creamer, but actual half and half is what dh likes. If they don't have it, I'll try to bring some with us since we are driving.)

Thanks!

 

[Hootch]

we were fortunate to get a pin in the Fall for our trip. Two trips ago not so fortunate. When the summer discounts came out there was nothing available at POFQ. We did not switch to another resort where discounted rooms were available.

We'll likely have that same discussion in a couple of weeks when the new summer discounts are offered. I suspect POFQ will not be included like the Spring offers. I doubt we will change resorts

 

[sunsetbeachgal]

we were fortunate to get a pin in the Fall for our trip. Two trips ago not so fortunate. When the summer discounts came out there was nothing available at POFQ. We did not switch to another resort where discounted rooms were available.

We'll likely have that same discussion in a couple of weeks when the new summer discounts are offered. I suspect POFQ will not be included like the Spring offers. I doubt we will change resorts

Us too...have read that POFQ will be included BUT that the rate is $30-40 per night higher than other mods. I booked our June POFQ stay with 20% off standard room with Orbitz so at least a slight discount. Think I will compare cost of POR with the new sale, but wont move unless a pretty good savings as we prefer POFQ!! Stayed as CSR last year and CBR sounds too big for us (our family group has three rooms) ..loved CSR but it is huge!!

Decisions..decisions...

 

[bookgirl]

Is there such a thing as a standard view room that doesn't look directly onto a parking lot? We've only booked a standard room and really can't justify upgrading for this trip. We stayed at CSR last time and it was a true parking lot, ugly view. Dh didn't mind, but I didn't like it. Just wondering if there's a semi-garden view possible or should I just prepare myself for another parking lot view? Thanks!

My standard view room in Building 4 second floor facing the parking next to the staircase, did technically look at a parking lot but in truth it overlooked a very landscapped court yard then if you looked through the trees you saw the parking and the back of the busstops (like less than a minute tops to being in line for the bus). This was a great location. And was very nice to look out on.

The only issue was that they had a street sweeper the first day at 6am. I kept thinking why is housekeeping vacuming this early.

I thought I'd hear the delivery trucks to the food court but that I never did hear.

 

[taylor3297]

Got back last night from a 4 night stay at POFQ. We had booked a standard view and received a garden view in building 2, room 2103.

Again our room was ready when we arrived, 9:45AM. Great service for our stay.

Bounceback offer was in the Be Our Guest booklet. I was able to apply the offer to our already booked October trip. So I saved a little over $200. We are just staying for a couple of nights after a cruise.

 

[TarzansKat]

Got back last night from a 4 night stay at POFQ. We had booked a standard view and received a garden view in building 2, room 2103.

Again our room was ready when we arrived, 9:45AM. Great service for our stay.

Bounceback offer was in the Be Our Guest booklet. I was able to apply the offer to our already booked October trip. So I saved a little over $200. We are just staying for a couple of nights after a cruise.

Just curious, was the bounceback a room only discount?

 

[taylor3297]

Just curious, was the bounceback a room only discount?

Yes, it was. 35% off villa and deluxe, and 30% off most moderates. We only received 20% off for POFQ for October.

The dates vary but go up to 12/19/13.

 

[summerlady]

Four weeks from now we'll be there.

I have to ask -- How is the new coffee in the rooms? Does it taste like fresh-brewed or do we want to bring our own coffee and/or brewer?

Also, does the food court have half and half? I can't recall from previous trips. (Not milk, not creamer, but actual half and half is what dh likes. If they don't have it, I'll try to bring some with us since we are driving.)

Thanks!

The coffee is a little bit better than it used to be, they have the single cup, which actually brews 2 cups at the same time, coffee makers in the rooms now. You still might want your own coffee. No half and half, now all they have in the foodcourt are those crummy little pre-packed fake creamer cups, Coffeemate, I think (at least as of last Oct.), not in the dispensers anymore.

 

[pwdebbie]

The coffee is a little bit better than it used to be, they have the single cup, which actually brews 2 cups at the same time, coffee makers in the rooms now. You still might want your own coffee. No half and half, now all they have in the foodcourt are those crummy little pre-packed fake creamer cups, Coffeemate, I think (at least as of last Oct.), not in the dispensers anymore.

Thanks. I guess I'll be hunting those pods I was told about. First I need to find what they are called again. I think they were available at Target. Dh loves his coffee and spent at least $15.00 a day on the last trip buying the real stuff whenever we found it.

 

[summerlady]

Thanks. I guess I'll be hunting those pods I was told about. First I need to find what they are called again. I think they were available at Target. Dh loves his coffee and spent at least $15.00 a day on the last trip buying the real stuff whenever we found it.

Joffrey's coffee is going to replace Nescafe in the parks and resorts in WDW, not sure of the dates though. I'm not familiar with the brand but it has to be an improvement over Nescafe.

By the way, DH and DGD and I are going to be visiting Gettysburg again the first week in April for a couple of days. Beautiful country around there! We're both Civil War nuts and it's our anniversary on the 4th of April, we've been married so long that bringing DGD with us will be fun.

 

[OThopeful35]

I just changed from AKL to POFQ for our August trip!! I cannot wait to be back at French Quarter!