Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread --- 2012, Part Three --- NOW FULL / CLOSED

[debelfish]

I have never stayed here before so I am looking forward to learning all about Riverside.
I reserved a preferred room, so I should get the bayou section. My twins don't want to share a bed and since we are a family of four this is the only way to ensure the pull down bed, right?
Any ideas or advice would be great. I read that some people bring closet organizers for extra storage, is that helpful?
TIA
Elizabeth

 

[Venomhatch]

I have never stayed here before so I am looking forward to learning all about Riverside.
I reserved a preferred room, so I should get the bayou section. My twins don't want to share a bed and since we are a family of four this is the only way to ensure the pull down bed, right?
Any ideas or advice would be great. I read that some people bring closet organizers for extra storage, is that helpful?
TIA
Elizabeth

Welcome to the POR thread and welcome to the resort as well!

I bring the closet hanging organizer and it helps a lot. Second yes being in a preferred room in the Alligator Bayou area does assure you a murphy bed that folds out also.

 

[shpdem]

i'm sure this has been answered but i can't find it, and i know venom or andre will have the answer. Are the pools heated during the winter, we are going in Feb and the cold doesn't bother me but curious if i will be able to get the wife and daughter in the pool with me. So I'm hoping its heated and will feel good.

 

[Venomhatch]

i'm sure this has been answered but i can't find it, and i know venom or andre will have the answer. Are the pools heated during the winter, we are going in Feb and the cold doesn't bother me but curious if i will be able to get the wife and daughter in the pool with me. So I'm hoping its heated and will feel good.

The pools are heated, but the air isn't, lol. It is nice as long as you keep your neck down under the water line.

 

[Mom2six]

We have booked 2 rooms at POR using a bounce back offer from our recent trip to POFQ. It was our first time at POFQ and we liked it. It was cute. It wasn't our favorite so far, but the trip was enjoyable. We want to try different resorts each trip. Our plans for next September were originally AKL or BLT, but at the last minute we decided to go on a trip to WDW to see the Christmas decorations. So, we cut back from a deluxe for September to a moderate.

My concern is storage! There will be nine of us again in September so we have 2 alligator bayou rooms (hopefully connecting). I don't know where we are going to put everything! I don't mind keeping stuff in suitcases, but I wish there was a place to keep the suitcase out - like a luggage stand. At POFQ, we had one that we kept on the bench. But there is no bench in the Alligator Bayou room, and I hung my purse on the pegs, but I see those are above the refrigerator!

I love that POR has the boat to DTD, and I think the resort looks lovely. I like the food court better than POFQ, also. I hope the walk to the food court isn't too long though! We wanted preferred rooms but there were none available with the bounce back.

Someone on another thread said they brought hangers to hang clothes. So what does everyone else do? It seems weird that they would leave the rooms with nowhere to put clothes/suitcases. We will be there for 12 nights, so will have a lot of stuff. Does this seem workable or do we need to try for 3 rooms in the mansions? (I kind of like the smaller buildings that are in the Bayou better.) I really don't want to go to three rooms though because it will bring up the cost of the trip. I guess I just want to know how it has worked for others. We don't mind being a little squished in the room people wise - the four teenagers stay pretty busy around the resort when we are there, at the pool, going for drinks, trading pins, etc.

 

[cjsm&d]

OMGosh I hate being home. Just got back late Sunday and want to go back already. Room was great in Bldg 14.

Glad to hear you had a great time!

We booked preferred for April. Right now our requests are for buildings 14, 18, and 27, in that order. We'll be happy with any of them, but I curious if you'd have preferred one of the buildings closer to the quiet pool or main pool?

We were at Oak Manor our last visit and loved it. We would have done the mansions again except we are going as a 9 person group and my DSIL's family has 5, so we needed to do AB.

Any other folks with an opinion is appreciated!

 

[Caseystigger]

The pools are heated, but the air isn't, lol. It is nice as long as you keep your neck down under the water line.

In Oct when we were there the one quiet pool we went in was freezing! We're going back in Jan but probably leaving the swin suits at home. Not a deal breaker for us the atmosphere at the resort well makes up for it.

 

[Venomhatch]

In Oct when we were there the one quiet pool we went in was freezing! We're going back in Jan but probably leaving the swin suits at home. Not a deal breaker for us the atmosphere at the resort well makes up for it.

I don't know why or what the reasons the heaters were not on. Maybe a malfunction, but the pools are usually heated. I promise you, every time I go swimming in Feb or March they were on.

 

[Peter Fan]

We have booked 2 rooms at POR using a bounce back offer from our recent trip to POFQ. It was our first time at POFQ and we liked it. It was cute. It wasn't our favorite so far, but the trip was enjoyable. We want to try different resorts each trip. Our plans for next September were originally AKL or BLT, but at the last minute we decided to go on a trip to WDW to see the Christmas decorations. So, we cut back from a deluxe for September to a moderate.

My concern is storage! There will be nine of us again in September so we have 2 alligator bayou rooms (hopefully connecting). I don't know where we are going to put everything! I don't mind keeping stuff in suitcases, but I wish there was a place to keep the suitcase out - like a luggage stand. At POFQ, we had one that we kept on the bench. But there is no bench in the Alligator Bayou room, and I hung my purse on the pegs, but I see those are above the refrigerator!

I love that POR has the boat to DTD, and I think the resort looks lovely. I like the food court better than POFQ, also. I hope the walk to the food court isn't too long though! We wanted preferred rooms but there were none available with the bounce back.

Someone on another thread said they brought hangers to hang clothes. So what does everyone else do? It seems weird that they would leave the rooms with nowhere to put clothes/suitcases. We will be there for 12 nights, so will have a lot of stuff. Does this seem workable or do we need to try for 3 rooms in the mansions? (I kind of like the smaller buildings that are in the Bayou better.) I really don't want to go to three rooms though because it will bring up the cost of the trip. I guess I just want to know how it has worked for others. We don't mind being a little squished in the room people wise - the four teenagers stay pretty busy around the resort when we are there, at the pool, going for drinks, trading pins, etc.

We kept our clothes in the suitcase and there is a spot for the suitcase on top of the air conditioner. And we kept the other suitcase on a chair. There are still pegs above the refrigrator.

 

[lovingeire]

We kept our clothes in the suitcase and there is a spot for the suitcase on top of the air conditioner. And we kept the other suitcase on a chair. There are still pegs above the refrigrator.

There was a rail in the bathroom to the left of the sink near the ironing board. The pegs above the fridge were pretty useless unless you hung a hat because with the coffee pot and all that below them there really wasn't room for anything. I actually wondered why they were there since you couldn't use them. We were in alligator Bayou and didn't need the Murphy bed so we put our suitcases on that.

 

[lovingeire]

I don't know why or what the reasons the heaters were not on. Maybe a malfunction, but the pools are usually heated. I promise you, every time I go swimming in Feb or March they were on.

I was actually surprised to see steam coming from the pools at POR as we stayed at AoA earlier int he week and only the Big Blue Pool was heated. (My husband took our two year old in the Cozy Cone outside our room and he froze! Same with the CBR in the past.

 

[Venomhatch]

I was actually surprised to see steam coming from the pools at POR as we stayed at AoA earlier int he week and only the Big Blue Pool was heated. (My husband took our two year old in the Cozy Cone outside our room and he froze! Same with the CBR in the past.

Wow it might have been acting up. I am so sorry about that, but i went in the one between the oak and parterre also in the one between building 17 and 18 and both of those were heated. They aren't like 85-90 degrees or anything but it is heated.

 

[Mom2six]

We kept our clothes in the suitcase and there is a spot for the suitcase on top of the air conditioner. And we kept the other suitcase on a chair. There are still pegs above the refrigrator.

Perfect! Thanks a lot! I didn't even think about on top of the air conditioner. I actually feel a lot better now. That's great.

 

[Mom2six]

There was a rail in the bathroom to the left of the sink near the ironing board. The pegs above the fridge were pretty useless unless you hung a hat because with the coffee pot and all that below them there really wasn't room for anything. I actually wondered why they were there since you couldn't use them. We were in alligator Bayou and didn't need the Murphy bed so we put our suitcases on that.

The pegs must be left over from before they refurbished the rooms. We will only need one Murphy bed, so that's a great idea. I am beginning to see places that we will be able to keep the suitcases and clothes for 9 people. That is a relief. I am really looking forward to the trip and wish it was sooner!

 

[Caseystigger]

Wow it might have been acting up. I am so sorry about that, but i went in the one between the oak and parterre also in the one between building 17 and 18 and both of those were heated. They aren't like 85-90 degrees or anything but it is heated.

That's the pool we used. Mght just have to give it another try. Want to try the 'Ol Man pool too.

 

[HLAuburn]

We are taking a quick trip in January and I'm thinking about booking a Royal Guest Room at POR. I read through the FAQ and looked at the pictures, and the rooms sound pretty cool, especially for our "all-girls" trip.

So is it right that the RGR are only located in 2 of the Magnolia Bend buidlings? None in AB? I read a few places that Oak Manor might be the better of the two - how would I go about requesting that building? Just call and have it added to the reservation?

Thanks!

 

[andrewilley]

The pegs must be left over from before they refurbished the rooms.

I can't figure out why they didn't put the pegs on the wall next to the front door in the AB rooms, like they did with the Royal Rooms. That would have made a whole lot more sense.

Andre

 

[wdwmaw]

This time tomorrow we should be checking into POR, can't wait!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[andrewilley]

So is it right that the RGR are only located in 2 of the Magnolia Bend buidlings? None in AB? I read a few places that Oak Manor might be the better of the two - how would I go about requesting that building? Just call and have it added to the reservation?

Yes, RGRs are only located in two of the mansion buildings - and of the two, Oak seems to be most people's preference due to its slightly more central location. For more info on locations and making requests, see the FAQ in the first post or www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php.

Andre

 

[ScoMar]

Only FIVE more days until we check in at POR!

Any suggestions what to do on a rainy day at POR? It appears that one day we are there it might storm.