Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread --- 2012, Part One --- NOW CLOSED

[Gorechick]

Do you think this is doable?- Check out of DTD resort early morning, head to POR and store luggage (around 7 am) and hit rope drop at HS? Also, IIRC POR is really close to DTD, right?

 

[beachgirl2000]

We just booked POR for 3 nights in October – we paid extra for the River View room – I have a few questions I thought you all may be able to help me with:

(1) Should I make any particular requests (ground floor, Mansion or Alligator Bayou)
(2) Also, which is the best to be closest to the pool?
(3) Is there outside seating (i.e., are there chairs outside your door)

Thanks!!!!!!!! So excited – I have never been here before!

 

[Fire14]

We just booked POR for 3 nights in October – we paid extra for the River View room – I have a few questions I thought you all may be able to help me with:

(1) Should I make any particular requests (ground floor, Mansion or Alligator Bayou)
(2) Also, which is the best to be closest to the pool?
(3) Is there outside seating (i.e., are there chairs outside your door)

Thanks!!!!!!!! So excited – I have never been here before!

I've only stayed here once ( soon to be twice).
1. It's all matter of perference in decor etc, I personally wanted masion on last trip and got it.
2. I honestly have no idea as I never saw pool!! I really don't think any pool is very far and rv puts you close to walkway looking at river.
3. No outside seating unless u drag a chair out or "borrow" one from pool area.
WE had rm in Patrtrie place which is now royal rooms, but I never felt far from anything and we had a standard room with short walk to river, I probably coulda seen river from our doorway if I tried.

 

[hunmcbunny]

We just booked POR for 3 nights in October – we paid extra for the River View room – I have a few questions I thought you all may be able to help me with:

(1) Should I make any particular requests (ground floor, Mansion or Alligator Bayou)
(2) Also, which is the best to be closest to the pool?
(3) Is there outside seating (i.e., are there chairs outside your door)

Thanks!!!!!!!! So excited – I have never been here before!

1. If you want a view of the river request 2 or 3 rd floor....you cant go wrong with either the mansions or the alligator bayou.
2. Oak & Magnolia Terrace in the Magnolia Bend are close to the pool ...not sure which ones in AB are closer to the pool but I would think any of the riverview AB are pretty close to the pool.
3. There are no outside chairs

You are gonna love POR!

 

[HiHoOffWeGo]

If you want RV in AB then you need to book preferred. Then you will also get close to food and pool. There is a total different feel Mansions to AB. In my opinion the AB feels like a resort and Mansions like a fancy motel. Just my opinion. I like AB16 and it is our favorite. You don't pay for preferred and we request GV which is next to the quiet pool.

 

[Daphne W]

kristie73...dont do the deluxe dining plan. We actually had meals left over. The Basic dining plan....1 QS and 1 TS is plenty at least it was for us. Oh and princess rode the tower of terror and LOVED it lol

I don't totally agree with the statement about not doing deluxe dining. We did deluxe this trip and absolutely loved it! We were able to do signature meals that we would never do if we were on the basic dining plan. I understand that it is a lot of food, but if you do signature meals you don't have meals left over when you trip ends. We did have 18 snacks left, but we stocked up for home! We loved the deluxe dining, but I know everyone has their own opinions!

 

[Daphne W]

We checked out yesterday and we miss it already, but wow so glad we are not in Disney this week! It was a mad house yesterday with all the people flooding in! It was crazy enough last week. We did decide we would never go during Spring Break again. This was our first trip that was not during an off season and we missed the small number of people in lines for rides. Even with the lines and the crowds we had a fabulous trip.

We did online check in and got every request for our room that we requested!!! We were in building 37 in Alligator Bayou on the bottom floor. The new rooms are wonderful! The murphy bed is so much better than the old trundle! I had read on here about the lack of drawer space so I packed our suitcases with our clothes on hangers. We then were able to put undies and pajamas in the drawers. We had plenty of room for our clothes using this method.

We were not impressed with the bus service on this trip. We shared buses with French Quarter even made stops to pick people up when the bus was filled to compacity leaving Riverside. I was so over the rude people (grown men) on the bus that would not offer their seat to me at midnight or later when I was holding a sound asleep 6 year old. They would just sit and enjoy their conversations with whom ever as I struggled to stand holding her! To give transportation a plus, there were plenty of buses running in the morning. We did not miss a single reservation or were late for reservation at other resorts!

Bell service and Magical Express is wonderful at Riverside. OUr bags were delivered after our flight in a very timely manner. Yesterday when we were ready to leave, bell service cam to pick up our bags within 5 minutes of a call and also gave us a ride to the front!

We also did deluxe dining and loved, loved, loved it! We did leave 2 meals to Disney when we left, but we so enjoyed eating the Signtature meals.

Things we learned on this trip:
1. book more signature meals
2. plan a day off from the parks in the middle of the trip

 

[nvsnot]

I just paid the deposit for a Royal Guest Room, River View for June 2-10, 2013 ! I'm so excited !! This will be my daughter and my second visit and my friend and her daughter's first!!!

 

[browneyedgrl4282]

I don't totally agree with the statement about not doing deluxe dining. We did deluxe this trip and absolutely loved it! We were able to do signature meals that we would never do if we were on the basic dining plan. I understand that it is a lot of food, but if you do signature meals you don't have meals left over when you trip ends. We did have 18 snacks left, but we stocked up for home! We loved the deluxe dining, but I know everyone has their own opinions!

I also disagree with the comment about not doing the deluxe dining. We tend to do more signature dining with it and if you have any left over towards the end you can swab them out for snacks. We never leave with any left over meals or snacks that were not used!

 

[hunmcbunny]

we did alot of character meals....I guess it depends on how hungry you are lol. We found that if we eat a "big" breakfast we arent hungry by lunch time. So we would skip the lunch and then eat dinner early which is why we had meals leftover at the end of the week.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We were not impressed with the bus service on this trip. We shared buses with French Quarter even made stops to pick people up when the bus was filled to compacity leaving Riverside. I was so over the rude people (grown men) on the bus that would not offer their seat to me at midnight or later when I was holding a sound asleep 6 year old. They would just sit and enjoy their conversations with whom ever as I struggled to stand holding her! To give transportation a plus, there were plenty of buses running in the morning. We did not miss a single reservation or were late for reservation at other resorts!

If I may ever so politely suggest... when using Disney transportation you are always free to wait until the next bus arrives so that you may have a seat, if you must sit instead of stand. Another option would be for you and your child to leave the park earlier so that it might be less rigorous for the 6yo. While it is always a nice gesture for someone to offer you their seat, it is unreasonable to expect other guests to offer you their seat.

 

[buzznina]

For our family, we are stuck in the middle of the dinning plans We do not like to do TS every day, but we do like 2-3 TS meals or character meals during a week stay. So no plans really work for us.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

For our family, we are stuck in the middle of the dinning plans We do not like to do TS every day, but we do like 2-3 TS meals or character meals during a week stay. So no plans really work for us.

That sounds like us. I have made 4 ADRs for our upcoming trip, which is a personal record for not being on the dining plan. I'm thinking I'll wind up cancelling one or two though.

 

[hunmcbunny]

If I may ever so politely suggest... when using Disney transportation you are always free to wait until the next bus arrives so that you may have a seat, if you must sit instead of stand. Another option would be for you and your child to leave the park earlier so that it might be less rigorous for the 6yo. While it is always a nice gesture for someone to offer you their seat, it is unreasonable to expect other guests to offer you their seat.

thats what we did....wait for the next bus so I could sit down with a sleeping 5 yr old.

 

[hunmcbunny]

For our family, we are stuck in the middle of the dinning plans We do not like to do TS every day, but we do like 2-3 TS meals or character meals during a week stay. So no plans really work for us.

That is us 100% lol We are gonnd do the 1QS & 1TS a day plan...its not perfect but I think it will work for us. Or even do the 2QS plan and just pay out of pocket for the 2-3 character meals for the week.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

thats what we did....wait for the next bus so I could sit down with a sleeping 5 yr old.

We have two hearty teenagers now, and they may one day have to carry me home from the parks, but I remember the days when they were young and it felt like may arms would fall off holding them on the way back to the resort -including POR. Seems like that was always my duty instead of DW's.

 

[hunmcbunny]

We rented a stroller which was the best thing we ever did but had to fold it up to get on the bus....holding a hot sweaty kid who was dead weight because she's asleep is no fun lol

 

[CamoMama]

I'm planning to do the deluxe dining plan when I take my youngest daughter for her 16th birthday next March. I would have upgraded for the last trip if I'd known better. I'd like to be able to do signature meals a couple of times and pay OOP for a CS lunch.

 

[Debrn]

Watched the video of all the rooms with kids and they decided on AB since there are only 3 of us Ibooked a perferred room . Ok now for the long countdown for feb 2013

 

[pachanga5]

I really need some advice, and I'm hoping that by asking here some of you who have stayed at the same resort can help me out.

This is our first trip to Disney as a family. (I was four years old the last time I was there).

I need some ideas on the convenienve of dining reservations with regard to location from POR. We are a family who likes to take things slow, so I imagine we will be the type of people who go the park early in the morning and head back to the resort by mid-afternoon for a break and then go back to the park after dinner.

Is it a big time waster to travel to other resorts for dinner reservations, then head back to the park? We really want to eat at Ohana and Whispering Canyon. Or should we try to eat at Downtown Disney or the resort every night? OR is it best to just head back to the park for a dinner there?

I would appreciate any advice. This is so new to us, and I'm supposed to make reservations next week.