Port Orleans Riverside Q&A Thread 2013, Part Two [Thread now FULL and closed]

[CareHeartsDisney]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

My kids loved POR. We had previously stayed at the Poly, CSR, and AoA (Car's Suite). They liked the Poly the best but they said that POR was their next favorite. They loved the water slide.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

Yes!! Pop was always our go to resort for a quick or budget trip, but after our recent stay at POR we may never go back to Pop. It's well worth the price difference for queen beds, prettier landscape and the fabulous boat transport to DTD. Don't even get me started on how much better the feature pool at POR is than even the Hippy Dippy pool...

 

[lazer]

Yes!! Pop was always our go to resort for a quick or budget trip, but after our recent stay at POR we may never go back to Pop. It's well worth the price difference for queen beds, prettier landscape and the fabulous boat transport to DTD. Don't even get me started on how much better the feature pool at POR is than even the Hippy Dippy pool...

Yes! This is making me even more excited for our Sept trip. We have always stayed at Pop and my 4 year old is slowly getting excited about switching it up this trip. Glad to hear your experience...totally looking forward to the pool!

 

[ohnowewontgo]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

My 11 year old daughter loves POR. She loves the awesome pool and slide and the beautiful mansions. I personally like the larger beds, larger rooms, and less strollers/bratty kids! It's quieter.....just better all the way around. Pop was great when we were doing our first trip, and I may want to go back one day just to relive the magic of our first trip....but a moderate resort is much more pleasant for us. Plus we also like that the bus stops at the parks are closer than POP and the All Stars.

 

[ALD85]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

As a kid POR (Dixie Landings back then) was the only resort we ever stayed at. I loved it!!! i haven't been there as an adult yet, but it's where I'm booked, won't stay anywhere else!!!

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

I think you asked this on the other thread, too. Me again. Yes you will love it! Look at the info on both Riverside and French Quarter and decide which is right for you. Both are beautiful but different. French Quarter compact with half the rooms, Riverside spread out with beautiful landscaping. Once you pick which resort, you can use both pools so your 11 year old can try two different pools with two different waterslides!

Have fun!

 

[Yellowstonetim]

Been staying at pop for the last few years...planning a trip for February and my 11 year old wants to stay somewhere new and with a waterslide...I know it's a big change from the pop ...will my 11 year old and myself like this resort????

Your 11 year old might love the pirate adventure boat ride they do at French Quarter, check it out.

 

[babygirlamg]

How long is the walk between riverside and french quarter??

 

[Cinderumbrella]

How long is the walk between riverside and french quarter??

Depends on where in POR you are coming from. DS10 and I hightailed it from POFQ food court to our Paterre Place room in about 6 minutes to beat out an approaching thunderstorm. I think it took us about 10 minutes going in reverse at a more normal pace.

 

[Miss C]

Countdown: 38 Days! Paid off our trip and did Online Check-In a few weeks ago. And all ADR's are set!
We are already experiencing a dusting of pixie-dust! My daughter and I were in Florida last week (I had some meetings for work and she was going to camp). We needed a place to stay in Orlando for a night. Since I had a free night's credit through hotels.com, I decided to surprise her and do a room-only night at Pop. While at Pop (which we really enjoyed, by the way), I noticed a special offer (I'm assuming it was a bounce-back offer) in my room's paperwork so I called and was able to get the offer applied to our already existing reservations under the summer discount at POR (8/5-8/16). The only rooms available with this offer were the Royal Rooms, which is what we originally wanted but couldn't afford for the whole stay. (If you remember, I posted about a month ago asking about the possibility of getting a RR for the whole stay instead of just a night with a continuing reservation.) So, I am now UPGRADED to the Royal Rooms for our entire stay FOR LESS!!!! We are getting so excited!

Also, I received a Magical Express email confirmation a couple days ago. I called to request a couple more luggage tags and the CM said that Disney already requested extras for us, and that our Mickey Mail is being processed. According to him, I should be receiving my Mail by the end of next week.

Of course, one of the days in Florida, when I didn't have any meetings scheduled or any other plans, and was in the WDW area, curiosity got the best of me and I ventured to POR. I'm so glad I did. The grounds are beautiful! It wasn't nearly as big as I was expecting from what I've been reading here. So with our upgraded RR, my only fax request will be to mention our celebrations and to request a top floor room near the bridge (any help in wording this would be appreciated). But if we don't receive our requests, we will be happy with whatever we get.

Anyway, since I've been reading this forum (almost daily) for several months now, I really don't have any major questions. Thanks to Andre, Venomhatch and everybody else for doing such a great job here!

I just know we will love our stay at POR! Now the hardest part: waiting!!!

 

[nuetzels312]

So if we need to get to Magic Kingdom before ripe drop magic hours are at 8 am, what time should we get the transportation? Or is driving our car a better option?

 

[pawahl]

So if we need to get to Magic Kingdom before ripe drop magic hours are at 8 am, what time should we get the transportation? Or is driving our car a better option?[/

I would take the bus. I would be at the south depot ( one closest to the General Store) by 7:00 am.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[EpcotBill]

Standard Royal Rooms are the same price as River View rooms in the regular sections of the resort, so there wouldn't be any cost change to ask for a 'sidewards' move, if they have capacity available of course.

I didn't read that they would be switching to Riverview, just switching to AB.

 

[andrewilley]

I didn't read that they would be switching to Riverview, just switching to AB.

I don't know what switch they'll try for, all I'm saying is that River View rooms are the same price that they've already paid, so might be an idea to try for that as a switch.

Andre

 

[Mama Moose]

Are there bike racks at POR and POFQ? We're thinking of bringing our bikes, but need a place to lock them up.

Thanks!!

 

[andrewilley]

Are there bike racks at POR and POFQ? We're thinking of bringing our bikes, but need a place to lock them up.

Only for the rental bikes, by the marina. There are some legacy ones over at POFQ by the waterside too (from when they did rentals there too).

Andre

 

[Disneyfreak095]

46 days until we're here at POR!!! I can not wait to see our Royal Room! What time do you suggest getting on a bus to arrive for rope drop at a park?? Would one hour before open be enough time to travel? Thanks!

 

[LisaTC]

46 days until we're here at POR!!! I can not wait to see our Royal Room! What time do you suggest getting on a bus to arrive for rope drop at a park?? Would one hour before open be enough time to travel? Thanks!

Yes. If you are staying at POR and you get on the bus at 7 for early park opening at 8 for MK, you'll be there in about 10-15 minutes, unless the bus is completely jammed and you have to wait for another. Nonetheless, you are almost assuredly going to make rope drop being at the bus stop an hour before park opening. Unlike others, we've always made it to MK in 10-15 minutes, maybe we are lucky, who knows? Now we always drive to the other parks. However, I still think leaving an hour is sufficient.

 

[jesusluvsu2005]

Here now! Just got to our room. Had sent in a fax earlier this week and had requested ground floor, close to main pool and close to main building. Got pixie dust and were upgraded to preferred! In building 27. It's quite a walk from the parking but we're very close to one of the quiet pools so that's very nice. However, something must have either bit me several times while walking to the room or I've had a reaction to something. I have these bumps/bites all on my forearms. Maybe even heat rash?

 

[SRUAlmn]

46 days until we're here at POR!!! I can not wait to see our Royal Room! What time do you suggest getting on a bus to arrive for rope drop at a park?? Would one hour before open be enough time to travel? Thanks!

We stayed in a Royal Room a few weeks ago! You are going to LOVE it! They are so lush and beautiful! It's just my husband and I (no kids) and we adored it. The view from our room (and when we walked out our door) was also incredible and we really felt like we were staying in a Moderate+. Not a moderate, but not quite a deluxe

As for the buses.....others have said you should be fine getting there an hour early, but what we experienced during our trip was nothing short of mayhem. I have given my feedback in the survey they sent me with some suggestions. Here's what we experienced on our days trying to go to Magic Kingdom in the morning. It's sort of hard to explain if you haven't been there and don't understand the way the South Depot is laid out, but I'll try my best.

The park opened at 9, so we arrived at the bus stop at 8 (South Depot.) Upon arriving, there were already huge mobs of people. And I am using the term mob literally. The two depots are so close together. One is for 2 parks and the other is for the other 2 (just detailing the 4 major parks.) The two depots were so crowded that you couldn't tell which people were waiting for which park, and you couldn't even get through the crowd at the first depot to get to the second one. We walked up to a line that went all the way through both depots and people told us they were in line for the Magic Kingdom, so we waited...further than two depots back from where the bus actually comes. A MK bus pulled up to the MK depot and loaded a full load and left (it was already at least half full with people from POFQ and the other POR stops so they didn't take many more.) The rest of us moved up and were now in a line that went to a spot one and a half depots back. On top of all this, people were coming up the path from the Alligator Bayou rooms which brings you between the two depots and they were just standing and waiting there in the middle, when there was a LONG line behind us in line for that bus. We then waited 30 minutes for another bus (so now it's about 8:35.) A bus for DHS pulled up (it shares a depot with MK,) so people were going through our line and trying to weave around to get on that bus (imagine, strollers, toddlers walking, wheelchairs, ECVs, the works.) Meanwhile, a MK bus pulls up behind the DHS bus, and now all of us at the end of the MK line (between the depots) are now first, and the people who were first are now last. It was mayhem, people were really angry. We tried to be polite and let the people who were first go first, but the driver was telling people to get on and they were. After having waited through a couple full buses, and seeing that this one was pretty full too, people were annoyed. Especially because they were all trying to make Rope Drop. By the time we finally got to MK it was 9:10. By the time we got off the bus and into the park is was about 9:20. Missed RD, still a decent/early time frame and we still got to do everything we wanted, but it was NO fun to have that bus situation.

They really need to have people there in the mornings directing and making sure there are defined lines so people know where to stand. It seemed like MK was the only park in which the South Depot was the last stop, so if you're going to MK for RD, avoid getting on at the South Depot.

Disclaimer: This is just my opinion after one stay. I'm not sure if this is the norm, but it was our experience on two occasions during our stay.