Port Orleans Riverside Q&A Thread 2013, Part Three (NOW CLOSED, see 2014 thread)

[snorkelyn]

Hi, Just wondering if anyone children have done the Pirate Adventure, how was it? Also how far ahead did you book? Thanks!

My kids have done the one at Grand Floridian twice.
First time, they were 4 and 6. This past trip they were 5,7 and 9.
My 9 year old might have been a bit too old this time. He didn't get into it. But for kids 7-8 and younger- it's perfect.

I assume the adventure and experience is similar between the 2 resorts. We picked Grand Floridian because we wanted to eat breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. Alone

They deck out a pontoon boat like a pirate ship, throw a pirate bandana on the kids and a pirate life vest. Practice their "ARHHH". They sail the seas and stop at various beaches to dig for buried treasure (this may be different at POR). Then they eat a snacky lunch (think lunchable or PB&J pocket) and depart the boat with a goodie bag.

 

[snorkelyn]

We will be making our first trip to Disney in Nov and staying at POR. My DS6 is still a bedwetter. He wears pullups at night, but sometimes still gets the bed wet. How do we handle wet sheets at the resort?

One of ours wets the bed too. We just got back from CSR, and they had waterproof mattress pad covers on the beds (the softer, padded type with waterproof material on the underside of it). I saw another post on this, and many people who stayed at various other Disney resorts said their rooms had them too. Maybe it's fairly new?

I would think you could request one if your room doesn't have one. Disney's got them!

 

[sunset7132]

any recent news on POFQ refrigerators .. testing my ticker if it doesnt show up im done trying lol

 

[sunset7132]

any recent news on POFQ refrigerators .. testing my ticker if it doesnt show up im done trying lol

oy thats 25 days not 1 year lol

 

[sunset7132]

 

[eaf2063]

When and how are you going to tell them?

I know how you feel. We still have 66 days to go. I've been keeping this secret since Marcy 2012. I've almost slipped a few times.

Well we havent fully decided yet on how were gonna let them know.... I know that we will be checking them out of school around lunch time on Friday. We will stop for lunch and let them know during lunch.... I thought of a few ideas:

1- Have my husband say that he forgot something in the van and go out there and hang signs up saying were going to Disneyworld...
2- Give them each an envelope with words in it and let them put the words together... Were Going To See The Mouse...
3- Give my older 2 a hint envelope and my 4 yr old an envelope that contains a picture of Mickey.... Let them figure it out....
4- My husband wants me to wrap the magic bands up and let them open the "gift".

Dont think I have thought of the perfect way to tell them yet...... We will probably be brainstorming this all the way til we pick them up on Friday...

 

[momof3littles]

We are taking our first trip as a family to Disney in February. I was there when I was 4, but my other family members have never been, including DH. We booked a preferred at POR. What additional room request(s) would you make? I don't know if we should just hope for pixiedust and a decent view, or if we should make a specific request My kids will be almost 10, 7, and almost 4 when we travel. I know everyone wants things to be magical, and I feel a bit of that since I'm not sure when we'll be back. However, I feel like I'm being annoying by making a request even though I know that's pretty standard.

Would you request anything specific in one of the preferred AB buildings? I guess if I don't, I might end up staring at a parking lot for a week.

 

[andrewilley]

Well we havent fully decided yet on how were gonna let them know.... I know that we will be checking them out of school around lunch time on Friday. We will stop for lunch and let them know during lunch....

If you're stopping for burgers (or any round food!) get three of them laid out in a 'Mickey-head' shape and have a laugh about it being like Mickey Mouse, mentioning that reminds you of Walt Disney World and the Hidden Mickeys that they have there... wouldn't it be great to go there sometime, kids? And when the kids say yes (I do hope they say yes!) tell them "OK, how about right now?".

We booked a preferred at POR. What additional room request(s) would you make? I don't know if we should just hope for pixiedust and a decent view, or if we should make a specific request

Don't overthink things; if you don't have any other particular criteria, just request "a nice view rather than the parking lot please".

Andre

 

[mdlove2cruise]

Can anyone confirm the shipping address for Riverside for having cases of water shipped directly to the room? Thank you.

 

[TinkerBelleGirl]

If you're stopping for burgers (or any round food!) get three of them laid out in a 'Mickey-head' shape and have a laugh about it being like Mickey Mouse, mentioning that reminds you of Walt Disney World and the Hidden Mickeys that they have there... wouldn't it be great to go there sometime, kids? And when the kids say yes (I do hope they say yes!) tell them "OK, how about right now?".

I love this idea! It makes me wish our kids didn't already know we are going!

 

[peainapod]

Actually I made it and its in my signature.

Thank you

 

[katielafave]

We are taking our first trip as a family to Disney in February. I was there when I was 4, but my other family members have never been, including DH. We booked a preferred at POR. What additional room request(s) would you make? I don't know if we should just hope for pixiedust and a decent view, or if we should make a specific request My kids will be almost 10, 7, and almost 4 when we travel. I know everyone wants things to be magical, and I feel a bit of that since I'm not sure when we'll be back. However, I feel like I'm being annoying by making a request even though I know that's pretty standard. Would you request anything specific in one of the preferred AB buildings? I guess if I don't, I might end up staring at a parking lot for a week.

We just came back and had same thing - preferred. We requested first floor and corner room. Wound up in 27, corner room, garden view. It was perfect, but in all honesty, we didn't even have our blinds open that much.

 

[TDDisney]

any recent news on POFQ refrigerators .. testing my ticker if it doesnt show up im done trying lol

We just returned home from POR on Sunday early am. We requested a fridge for diabetic DH, but had to call for it when we arrived....had fridge with "don't use" letter attached. They did get us one. So.....not all rooms have working fridges, yet.

 

[TDDisney]

Well we havent fully decided yet on how were gonna let them know.... I know that we will be checking them out of school around lunch time on Friday. We will stop for lunch and let them know during lunch.... I thought of a few ideas:

1- Have my husband say that he forgot something in the van and go out there and hang signs up saying were going to Disneyworld...
2- Give them each an envelope with words in it and let them put the words together... Were Going To See The Mouse...
3- Give my older 2 a hint envelope and my 4 yr old an envelope that contains a picture of Mickey.... Let them figure it out....
4- My husband wants me to wrap the magic bands up and let them open the "gift".

Dont think I have thought of the perfect way to tell them yet...... We will probably be brainstorming this all the way til we pick them up on Friday...

If you're stopping for pizza, call ahead and ask them to make a Mickey head shaped pizza. We did that before, and I know lots of others have, too.

 

[TooBoyz4us]

Well we havent fully decided yet on how were gonna let them know.... I know that we will be checking them out of school around lunch time on Friday. We will stop for lunch and let them know during lunch.... I thought of a few ideas:

1- Have my husband say that he forgot something in the van and go out there and hang signs up saying were going to Disneyworld...
2- Give them each an envelope with words in it and let them put the words together... Were Going To See The Mouse...
3- Give my older 2 a hint envelope and my 4 yr old an envelope that contains a picture of Mickey.... Let them figure it out....
4- My husband wants me to wrap the magic bands up and let them open the "gift".

Dont think I have thought of the perfect way to tell them yet...... We will probably be brainstorming this all the way til we pick them up on Friday...

I like idea #1.

If they opened the magic bands as a gift, do you think they would connect them to Disney World right away?

I also love the idea that someone mentioned about ordering a Mickey shaped pizza!
Hey, what if you plan this ahead of time with the restaurant?
Maybe drop in a day or two ahead and ask the manager what they could do to help you. Then drop by before you go pick up the kids from school , and decorate a table with balloons and assorted Disney themed stuff, maybe a bit of confetti, Mickey plates and cups etc?
It will be a Going-to-Disney party!!! Then, when they ask when you are leaving, you can say RIGHT NOW !!

Oh how fun!

 

[mickey1968]

For those of you who have gone to the MNSSHP on the sold out nights, how where the buses to get home at night after Midnight? What about earlier after the 2nd parade or after Wishes?

Thanks

 

[freckles04]

Just got back from 8 nights at POR. We booked preferred and my only room request was ground floor, and it was a good thing since DS injured his foot the evening before we left! However, when we arrived, we were on the second floor... go figure? That room was in bldg 15, but the only ground floor available for preferred was in 27, so we moved there. It was a pretty decent location. Kind of in the middle between the food court and Ol' Man Island, but far from parking, which was a bummer for us (see next paragraph). The room was nicely decorated and clean, and we all thought the beds were comfortable. DS enjoyed the pool and I LOVED the hot tub, but they really need to restrict children from getting into it. Small kids would run and jump in and splash while their parents looked on.

My only real complaint was the bus service. I can only compare it to my one stay at Pop, and maybe we just had good luck then, but I missed the roped-off queue at the bus stop as well as only having the one bus stop. The bus service was just better overall at Pop. The longest we waited for a bus last year was 20 minutes and that was only once. We waited 20 minutes every time this trip and once 40 minutes for a bus to MK. Goes without saying that it could have just been bad luck/timing on our part (except that 40 minute wait). We ended up just driving our vehicle a lot. We liked the close proximity to Downtown Disney and drove to DisneyQuest many times!

 

[emilyhuff]

Hey Everyone!!! I cant wait to be down at POR next week!!! i have been searching and searching but i cant seem to find where the information was on how to "bypass" the AC unit so that it runs continuously.... Does anyone know??? My boyfriend is a human heater, so this would be greatly appreciated!!! Thank you!

 

[Venomhatch]

Good Morning Everyone! I hope you all have a very Magical Day and or Visit!

 

[andrewilley]

Hey Everyone!!! I cant wait to be down at POR next week!!! i have been searching and searching but i cant seem to find where the information was on how to "bypass" the AC unit so that it runs continuously.... Does anyone know???

No need as far as I know - I think it's thermostat based, not motion based.

Andre