Port Orleans French Quarter FAQ thread - Refurbished for 2011 - Now CLOSED

[Cinderella's slipper]

Hello guys

I am still unable to get my UK body clock correct. I'm up every morning before 6am! in fact, I have devised a couple of paths from POFQ to RIverside of 2.5 and 3 mile and walk these every morning, to at least TRY and shed some of those excess pounds the QSDP is hitting me with

Not to worry - sleep is something I can catch-up on later (preferably at work haha) hmmm better stop as this was only meant to be a quick rundown!

Steve

Any specifics, feel free to ask and I'll check back on these pages.

Steve, thanks for taking the time to send us your impressions of the resort and grounds. It really helps to keep me going for another 140+ days until I will be there. Have a great rest of your vacation!

 

[glk2009]

We just returned from a great stay at POFQ! We were there 4/30 - 5/7.

We were in Building 1, top floor with a riverview. The refurbed rooms are awesome. We had an accessible room and it took me a full day to figure that out. Our room was a little different from what was described here since it was an accessible room. Instead of a privacy curtain, we had a sliding pocket door that enclosed the entire bathroom area. And we had an armoire instead of the bench area.

For those with small children, we found out that you can move the beds (at least in our room). We moved our DD’s bed up against the wall, moved our bed against her bed and moved the nightstand to the other side. It was one giant bed, but no one was rolling off!

Sassagoula Food Court made a tasty breakfast. We loved the Mickey waffles and the French toast. We ate at Boatwright’s twice where they had the best cornbread.

DD3 loved the pool and the slide. Loved it! It was probably a good thing that we didn’t get to the pool until late in our trip or she would have wanted to spend every day there.

The bus transportation was pretty good. It wasn’t perfect, but nothing disastrous. It got us to where we needed to be in a mostly efficient manner. We had one Epcot bus that stopped at Riverside, but all of our other buses went straight to the parks.

We loved the walk between POFQ and POR. And the boat to/from DTD was a nice feature. My only complaint about the boat was the way the boarding line was managed. We were waiting in line at POFQ and two boats arrived… one for POR and the other for DTD. No matter where you were going, they only allowed 13 people (for example) in the boarding area if that was how many they could fit on the DTD boat. They did not ask which direction you were headed. So, if you were the next person in line and wanted to go to POR, you were left behind. But, if you spoke up, they would let you onto the POR boat. I just found it interesting that they didn’t ask which boat you wanted to board and try to maximize the capacity.

So, unless DH decides that we need to stay at a monorail resort for our next trip, we’ll be back at POFQ!

 

[shalecesjourney]

Only 22 hours until we check into POFQ!!! I am so excited!

 

[andrewilley]

We had an accessible room and it took me a full day to figure that out. Our room was a little different from what was described here since it was an accessible room. Instead of a privacy curtain, we had a sliding pocket door that enclosed the entire bathroom area. And we had an armoire instead of the bench area.

Interesting, did you happen to get any photos? And was there a standard bath/shower, or a walk-in shower only?

Andre

 

[aubriee]

We just got back late last night from POFQ (April 30th-May 8th). The resort was lovely. Bus transportation ranged from pretty good to excellent. Food court was OK. Loved the boat to DTD. I requested first floor room, courtyard view, building 4 or 5. We got first floor room, building 2, facing the fountain/courtyard. Even though we weren't in our preferred building 4, it round up being a perfect location. We were really close to everything (pool, boat dock, and main building). We caught Eliot Dyson's show two nights and he was great as usual. The rooms were lovely and housekeeping OK (got three cute towel animals), BUT and this a BIG deal breaking BUT, we absolutely hated the new beds and pillows. They were just soooo uncomfortable, I don't think I slept more than a few minutes at any time. My husband who can usually sleep soundly on a bed of nails was also miserable. We woke up every morning with a headache, neck pain, back pain, and hip pain. I go to WDW several times a year and have stayed at all levels of resorts and have never had a bed as uncomfortable as we had this past week. It was so bad that even though we loved the resort and especially loved the boat to DTD, I called from the room and canceled my Sept 24th-Oct 2nd POFQ reservation. There is just no way I could spend another week with those uncomfortable bed and pillows. I asked to move that Sept reservation to another moderate resort using either the same general public code I booked with last January or with the bounceback code that was left in our room this visit. I could not get a standard room for my Sept 24th-Oct 2nd dates or even the week before or after. I thought about it for a day, but then finally called back and said there was no way I could stay at POFQ with the current beds and asked her to find any Sept dates available at any other moderate using the current bounceback offer. She was able to move me to CSR for Sept 10th-17th, which means my next trip is two weeks sooner than I wanted--I'm going to have to change my vacation request at work and also rebook all my ADRs, but I feel like I didn't have a choice. We both really hated the new beds at POFQ that much. We loved the rest of the resort though. I've done several trips at CSR in the last year or so and expected the new POFQ beds to have the same pillow top mattresses as CSR, but they definitely did not. I really hated to change resorts for my Sept trip though. I loved everything about POFQ, except the uncomfortable beds and pillows.

Oh yeah, I also booked a second bounceback stay for Nov 27th-Dec 4th again at CSR. I wanted Nov 26th, but the bounceback offer didn't include it, so I'm hoping for an AP discount to cover just that one day. The CM did make a comment that the bounceback beat my old general public code I had. Even switching to CSR which is $10.00 more/day than the other moderates, I had a $125.65 credit leftover which she applied to my Nov stay. She also said that the AP discounts would not beat the bounceback offer. I think I got about 35% off, which is what the AP discount usually is for a moderate.

 

[SRUAlmn]

BUT and this a BIG deal breaking BUT, we absolutely hated the new beds and pillows. They were just soooo uncomfortable, I don't think I slept more than a few minutes at any time. My husband who can usually sleep soundly on a bed of nails was also miserable. We woke up every morning with a headache, neck pain, back pain, and hip pain. I go to WDW several times a year and have stayed at all levels of resorts and have never had a bed as uncomfortable as we had this past week. It was so bad that even though we loved the resort and especially loved the boat to DTD, I called a couple of days ago and canceled my Sept 24th-Oct 2nd POFQ reservation. There is just no way I could spend another week with those uncomfortable bed and pillows.

This has me worried. Especially because my husband is a bad sleeper to begin with. Anyone else who has returned recently have an opinion? Subjective things like comfort are so hard sometimes Thanks!!!

 

[andrewilley]

I thought about it for a day, but then finally called back and said there was no way I could stay at POFQ with the current beds.

What did the CM say when you told them this? Were the beds too firm, too soft? Wondering what they did that's different from (for example) the queen beds at CSR.

Andre

 

[spacemountainmom]

We stayed in a refurbed room last January. I found the beds to be ok. I like my bed to be very firm. The pillows did seem small to me. I still feel as though I slept better in the queen beds than I ever did in the doubles.

 

[KELLY]

Maybe beacuse the bed's aren't broke in. We had a new refurbed room at pop last year. You could still smell the paint new. The beds were so hard. I couldn't take it. They year before we stayed at pop on old beds and they were fine. When we stayed at POFQ in 09 they were broke in enough you sort of rolled to the middle. lol

 

[Haileylyn114]

So is anyone going to be there for Tuesday 17 May, which is Port Orleans French Quarter's 20th Anniversary?

Andre

Fun fact! We'll be there. Checking out that day but hanging around until evening flight. I wonder if they'll do anything to make it known.

 

[glk2009]

Interesting, did you happen to get any photos? And was there a standard bath/shower, or a walk-in shower only?

Andre

I have to sort through my pics to see if I have any good ones of the room, but I don't think so. Unless you count pics of my DD's stuffed animals sitting in the hammock.

In the bath, it was a standard bath/shower with the rain showerhead and a hand-held showerhead option as well. It was also only a single sink with a lot of counter space on either side. There was a nice storage option of three built-in stacked cubbies about a foot wide and a foot deep between the sink and the bath/shower.

 

[Pixiedust34]

I'm also wondering if the beds were too soft or too firm? I hope they are more firm than soft. I have yet to find a pillow I like at any resort.

FWIW, I found the beds at CSR to be quite comfortable. I wonder if those are the same queen mattresses they used at POFQ?

Thank you for the review! We are especially looking forward to Elliot Dyson's show and are glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Rekenna]

Rekenna, thanks for the pictures! What a gorgeous place. That path along the river looks so lovely.

Bummer about the rain.

Um, since you offered... someone posted that there are now pin starter sets for sale at WDW that are only $15 for like 8 pins. Seen anything to confirm that? And no worries if you haven't.

Hi! Sorry it took eons for me to get back to you, but you know how it is-once you return home, life takes back over.

When I was there this was the starter pin offer:

I got the blue and green bag and I really like it-it will be making future trips to WDW! Have fun!

 

[Rekenna]

Rekenna,
Can you check if the gift shop or food court onsite at POFQ sells large cartons of Orange juice?
I was thinking of Garden Grocer, but if they sell large size OJ (not individual ones) and milk onsite, then maybe we don't need a grocery delivery for quick breakfast in the room...
Thanks!
Jessica

Hi, I can't remember if I posted these pics or not. There was not large OJ but, there are the single servings (a decent sized bottle) in the food court. The milk in the gift shop is 32oz. These sizes also fit well in the small fridges in the room.

 

[pwdebbie]

Hi, I can't remember if I posted these pics or not. There was not large OJ but, there are the single servings (a decent sized bottle) in the food court. The milk in the gift shop is 32oz. These sizes also fit well in the small fridges in the room.

I just have to ask -- Did you feel sort of nutty taking those pics? We here understand why you took them, but can you imagine what other people might have been thinking? "Mommy, why is that lady taking a picture of the donuts? Don't they have donuts where she lives?"

 

[aubriee]

What did the CM say when you told them this? Were the beds too firm, too soft? Wondering what they did that's different from (for example) the queen beds at CSR.

Andre

I'm also wondering if the beds were too soft or too firm? I hope they are more firm than soft. I have yet to find a pillow I like at any resort.

FWIW, I found the beds at CSR to be quite comfortable. I wonder if those are the same queen mattresses they used at POFQ?

The phone CM was very nice, said she understood and tried to find us a different moderate resort for my Sept trip. The mattresses are definitely not the ones they used at CSR. They're not even close. I've stayed at CSR several times in the last 1 1/2 years and just love their nice pillow topped mattresses and queen size beds. We've always slept well there, with the last time being this past Dec. This past Oct we were at CBR and while not as comfortable as the CSR beds, they were alot more comfortable than the POFQ beds. The bed we had at POFQ this past week was hard as a rock. In fact, I think a rock may have been softer. The pillows were the same size as other resort pillows, just really, really fat causing your neck to be crinked.

Don't get me wrong, we absolutely loved the resort, just hated the bed and pillows.

 

[alayne]

We are only staying one night but I still wanted to read all about the rooms and location. We will be there November 22, 2011 for the night then boarding the Disney Dream. I look forward to the stay. It will be our first time at POFQ.

 

[Rekenna]

I just have to ask -- Did you feel sort of nutty taking those pics? We here understand why you took them, but can you imagine what other people might have been thinking? "Mommy, why is that lady taking a picture of the donuts? Don't they have donuts where she lives?"

I took the pics toward the end of the day, there were only CM's in the gift shop at the time. They are probably used to seeing things like this. I think I received the most strange looks when I was taking pics of menus and my food before I would eat it. Especially when you travel solo, as I did for most of this trip, you kind of stand out (b/c everyone is jealous b/c you are alone!) and then you are taking pics of food and juice-they probably feel sorry for me!

I can't wait for my next solo trip, don't know when or how, but I do know it will happen again-what a great feeling going to WDW solo!!! Crazy milk pics and all!!

 

[Rekenna]

Hello guys

The food is plentiful, though we hve the QSDP - I will probably not use this again - not that it isn't good value, it is! but I prefer to self-cater and enjoy the odd eal out. 14 days eatng out every meal is taking its toll! - You can have too much of a good thing lol,

Hi Steve! So jealous of your 14 day stay! I too LOVED POFQ and can't wait to go back. Just to pass along some new eating places I discovered on my last trip, in case you haven't already tried 'em-at DTD is Earl of Sandwich and Wolfgang Puck Express-both QS credits and both very unQS type meals-very good! Easy access to DTD on the boat from POFQ as well.

TTFN-I hope the rest of your trip is wonderful!!

 

[disneyworldmomma]

We'll be there Sept.18th-Sept.30th My kids think were staying at POP for a week this is a total surprise!!!!!!!

Can't wait for our stay at POFQ in September - not wishing my summer away, but can't wait to be there