Just Booked a CARRIAGE RIDE, oh my!!!! At the POR, baby!

[FirstTripEver]

First off, many thanks for helping me overcome my paralysis by analysis in deciding where to stay for a week in December! We are booked at the Port Orleans Riverside and we cannot wait!

I just called and booked a Carriage Ride for one evening but I have NO IDEA what to expect!

Has anyone else taken a carriage ride? Anyone else have any pictures from their experience? Can I/ should I tip the driver?!

 

[Dani Dani Dani]

Do you have to prepay for the carriage ride? How much do they cost?
Thanks for your help!

 

[FirstTripEver]

Here's what I know, since I just got off the phone with a castmember!

She told me it was a relaxing 30-minute carriage ride through Disney's Port Orleans Resort. The carriage holds up to 4 adults or 2 adults and three small children. You are allowed to take food and drinks on the carriage ride.

We booked our ride for 6pm, but I think they leave as early as 4 or 5PM and the last one leaves at 9:30pm. (She said the drivers and horses do not book at 7:30PM to give both of them a break!)

They took my credit card to hold the reservation, but you have to pay with cash OR charge it to your room on the day of your ride, since the carriage ride drivers do not accept credit cards.

The pick-up location is at Port Orleans Riverside in front of Boatwright's Dining Hall.

$45 total for all of us(tax included)

You can call 407-WDW-PLAY (407-939-7529) for all the details!!

 

[Missytara]

Do you have to prepay for the carriage ride? How much do they cost?
Thanks for your help!

They also have surrey bikes for rent as well; we try to do it at least once per year.

You can check out all the pricing on the POR thread or on portorleans.org.

 

[Dani Dani Dani]

Thanks so much for the info! I'm gonna book our carriage ride now too!

 

[Renysmom]

What a great idea.

DH and I try to something new outside the parks on each trip and this is a perfect idea as I had told him I wanted to take the time to really see this resort.

I just booked for our trip in 2 weeks. What fun!!

Thanks for sharing

 

[Goingon40]

I did this carriage ride last November at POFQ. It was at 6:00 pm. It was just myself. If I remember correctly the ride lasted about 40 minutes. The driver (a young lady) and myself just chatted along the way. There were two carriages too choose from. It was very relaxing - quite dark in places. I want to say the ride went between POFQ and POR, but not completely sure of that. I do remember the driver refusing the tip. It was charged to the room and it came up on the folio as Disney Conservation Fund. It was not charged as recreation or carriage ride. Part of the money for the ride goes to maintaining the animals. It was something different and did not think it was a waste of time or money. I did enjoy it - even by myself. This is one thing I like so much about WDW and keeps me coming back over and over, there is more to do than just theme parks.

 

[FirstTripEver]

I'll have to check out the surry bikes, too!

THANKS to those of you that posted your experience with the carriage rides! Glad some others of you could get your own carriage ride booked!

I'm still looking for pics of the POR carriage ride.....anyone?

 

[Paradise18]

We recently returned from a 2 week stay at POR but sadly didn't have the time for a carriage ride. Definitely something I want to go back and do. Please come back and let us know your thoughts after your trip. Have a great time.

 

[DisneysRedhead]

The carriage ride my DH and I did on our honeymoon two years ago was awesome. We rode through POR and then through POFQ. The driver didn't talk much and had music playing, which was just fine with us. We did a late night ride at like 8:30 or 9:00 (I can't remember) but we loved it because the resort was kind of quiet and the mood was very romantic. Just FYI, make sure you bring cash. I think you can charge it to your room, but you have to specifically request it before hand (like at the beginning of the day I think? I'm not sure) We just ended up paying cash but I had to run inside to the lobby ATM to get some extra.

You cannot take flash pictures, so if you go at night just be aware of that. It can spook the horse. The driver was nice enough at the end of our ride to take a photo of us in the carriage though.

 

[Renysmom]

I found some pictures.

Google POR Carriage Pictures

 

[FirstTripEver]

Ohhhh, I am really excited now! THANKS for posting the link to the carriage ride photos!

I promise I will take pics and post our experience after we take the carriage ride in Dec!

I can't wait!

 

[RollTyde]

So glad I stumbled into this thread. Just booked our CR for our 7th yr anniversary.

 

[FirstTripEver]

Ohhh, Happy Anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!

Will you please let us know all about your carriage ride when you get back?!

Have a MAGICAL time!