Port Orleans Riverside

[TANYABETH]

My husband and I are scheduled to stay at PO Riverside Nov 1 to Nov 8. Does anyone have any info on whether or not this is a good place to stay. I am a little nervous because in 2004 we stayed at the French Quarter and all I can remember is the poor people at Riverside always getting stuck standing on the bus (if they even made it on) after it picked everyone at FQ up. The size also makes me nervous. Any reviews of your stay there would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[BamaFan121s]

I've stayed at Riverside twice and don't have any major complaints. I didn't like the fact that there was only one bus stop for all of POR, but that was the only downside I can really think of.

 

[Mickiethepooh]

It is a fantastic place to stay if you don't use the bus. I use a rental car so don't care what the busses do.

 

[binky]

I've stayed at Riverside twice and don't have any major complaints. I didn't like the fact that there was only one bus stop for all of POR, but that was the only downside I can really think of.

POR has 4 bus stops circling the property, so you're never very far from one of them. We had no problems whatsoever with the busses; NEVER stood on the way to the parks. We usually stood on the way back, if we stayed until closing. If we left earlier, we had a seat then, too. Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[Jrabbit910]

Hi Tanyabeth....
My DH & I stayed at POR in November 2005 and I can not praise this resort enough.... WE LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVED IT!
We stayed on the mansion style side and may I suggest if its just you and your hubby, I think the mansion style rooms are more romanitc. The grounds are beautiful, the CM are wonderful & helpful, the food court was great, the restaurant had wonderful breakfast (didnt have lunch or dinner there) and the bar was FANTASTIC... they have a piano man that is out of this world... besides that everything is really easy to get to... there was more then one bus stop... there was only one bus stop for POFQ... so everything is very close... If you and your husband get a chance book a horse and carriage ride at night, its so romantic. Also another great feature that we used alot was the ferry to DTD... in case you want to book reservations for dinner at another resort, I felt using the boat to get to DTD then jumping on the buses was the way to go. We plan on going back over and over to this resort... Its one of our favorites & I hope its one of yours too!

 

[BamaFan121s]

POR has 4 bus stops circling the property, so you're never very far from one of them.

Ooops..you are right. I stand corrected.

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I have stayed at the POR a couple of times are really enjoyed. We were in one of the "plantation" rooms each time and I had no complaints at all. The scenery was beautiful!

 

[binky]

Ooops..you are right. I stand corrected.

I started to make a joke about you being a BamaFan, but I resisted. Just kidding! (I'm a Tiger Fan, by the way). Good luck with Saint Nick, or Nick Satan as he is known around here now.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I don't take the bus, so don't know about that.

The place is pretty - very well landscaped. Lots of dark green stuff everywhere - very pretty, calm and relaxing.

I had a water view and I will say that it was very pretty when we left the room...but other than that wasn't much to look at. It is more a canal and you can barely see it from the rooms at night. I'm usually very big on views and pay for them, too. But I wouldn't bother with a water view at POR again, that's for sure.

If you happen to go walking at night and feel a slimy sucky thing suddenly on your leg, then somewhere else on your leg...do not start screaming and thinking it will suck your blood. This could make you very embarrassed if you notice, after you're done screaming and flailing about, that a security guy in his golf cart has stopped and watched you. Especially when he says, very calmly, "Frog?" and you realize that you just totally lost control of yourself over a stupid frog. (They can stick to you!) If you tell this story to a friend and she laughs so hard she pees her pants, it just makes it worse.

The food court is one of the most relaxing in all of WDW, in my opinion. They have a guy who plays piano and sings in the bar, which is nice...if you happen to be staying there. Wouldn't make a special trip for that or anything. I didn't eat in the restaurant.

The rooms are nice, I guess they are well-themed. I thought they were boring. I thought the whole mansion section was more like buildings in Washington, D.C. than antebellum mansions...but that's me. I liked the Alligator section better.

There are lots of quiet pools, which I adored, as I like to relax with the quiet people and not the kids.

The gift shop, while a decent size, pretty much sucks. The stuff there just isn't all that good. (Sometimes I think Disney should hire me to buy and place stuff in the hotel gift shops - I'd do much bettter than a lot of them have done. ) It isn't ugly, it is just blah.

The Orleans resorts aren't really my thing. If you LIKE the themes there, you'll probably enjoy it a whole lot.

 

[BamaFan121s]

I started to make a joke about you being a BamaFan, but I resisted. Just kidding! (I'm a Tiger Fan, by the way). Good luck with Saint Nick, or Nick Satan as he is known around here now.

<gasp> Blasphemy! Hopefully, he will be a good match...he's proven he knows how to turn a team around and take them to the top--you know how that is. Oh wait...no you don't. Ah...all in good fun. Best part about spending T'giving in Disney the last few years is not being in these parts for the Iron Bowl.

Anyhow....sorry for straying in conversation...

 

[TANYABETH]

Thanks to everyone for your help. I feel a little better about staying there now.

 

[savannahjean85]

I just switched from CBR to POR, I was so wanting POR because I though it would be more romantic. I am going down around the same time Nov4 - Nov9. Hope you have a great trip.

 

[Kira G.]

We just got back from 9 nights at POR. Overall, the resort was fantastic!

We asked for Alligator Bayou rooms, but ended up in the Mansion side, which we liked just fine (except for listening to our girls whine about sharing a bed - we had really hoped for a trundle to avoid that little problem!). We were on the back side of Magnolia Terrace which was a pretty short walk to the pool, near a quiet pool, and very close to the East bus stop, which we used almost all the time.

The buses to the parks were great - we never waited more than 10 minutes, and only once did we need to stand on the way to the parks. I know some people have had bad experiences, but honestly I can say that in 8 days we did not have one problem heading to the parks. In fact, I think I would be more frustrated getting on at POFQ and having to sit thru all those bus stops before we got going to the park, than do the same thing coming home!

The DTD bus was another matter - they seemed to come much less frequently, and took FOREVER! The day we went to Typhoon Lagoon (a 4 minute car ride) it took an hour to get there - 20 minutes of waiting, and 40 minutes of driving! However, I have had the same problem with DTD buses at other resorts (the Contemporary in particular), so this problem is not just an issue with POR.

We did take the boat to DTD one day, and that was very enjoyable.

The grounds are beautiful and relaxing. We saw a lot of wildlife, including rabbits, lizards, birds and gorgeous butterflies. We used both the quiet pool and the main pool, and they were great. Housekeeping was fine, the rooms were quiet (except for those amazing turbo toilets!), and the CMs were great.

I wish I was back there now! Have a great trip.

 

[SalandJeff]

Before we purchased at BWV, we stayed at POR many times. It was our favorite resort. We never had a problem with the buses. Things like that can stress you out while you are at Disney if you let them. Go, relax, enjoy! It's vacation!!!!

 

[scottny]

Hi,
I stayed there in July and loved it. Never had a problem with the bus. Only stood once. I thought everything was close together and not far of a walk. I just cannot give enough praise. You will love it.

 

[yecats]

As your going in November for the first week I don't think you'll have too much of a crowd until the weekend comes in. As for the buses walk to the first bus stop in front of PORS and you should get a seat. Last time I was at PORS was Nov. week before Thanksgiving (quiet week as well) and I only had the occasional problem with the bus and that was generally heading to MK first am on a Sat. or Monday. You'll have a wonderful time.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

POR is quickly becoming my resort of choice for all things considered. It is one of the most relaxing places on property. I was just there in August, and the buses weren't terribly crowded (usually stood, but never waited for more than one bus from a park). It should be much better in November. I've stayed in both Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. I can't say that I like one over the other. They are different but very nice in their own way. I would say the waterview isn't necessarily worth the price, but if it is just you and your husband, the King room might be so you have a bit more space and one bed. I think you will have a wonderful time. Definitely take the boat to DTD one evening. It;'s a really nice ride, and take some good time to walk around the resort. It's quite tranquil and romantic in the evening.

 

[DAniece]

If you can manage to get to the first POR bus stop for departing POR (the one near the main building, I can't remember the name of that stop) -- more likely to be space on the bus if you're there at a busy time.

Frankly, it hasn't been a problem for us. We tend to get up early for breakfast, then take our mugs back to the room & brush our teeth, next walk back to main area to catch bus (and we have only stayed in the mansions section).

EG

 

[DisneyHolidayFan]

As you can see below, we are POR fans. The scenery, the Food Court, the general store, the lounge, the activities, etc. have always made our trips there so enjoyable and memorable. We always walked to the main bus stop each morning no matter which building we were in as we loved the beautiful walk. I am sure you will enjoy your time there. We have recently tried other resorts but will always have a special place in our hearts for POR and will be planning to stay there soon. Have a great trip!

 

[kimis]

My husband and I are scheduled to stay at PO Riverside Nov 1 to Nov 8. Does anyone have any info on whether or not this is a good place to stay. I am a little nervous because in 2004 we stayed at the French Quarter and all I can remember is the poor people at Riverside always getting stuck standing on the bus (if they even made it on) after it picked everyone at FQ up. The size also makes me nervous. Any reviews of your stay there would be helpful. Thanks.

We stay at POR every year in Jan/Feb and we love it. There are actually 4 bus stops and the buses run very quickly.
We always stay in the mansions since it is just dh and myself. It is so beautiful and romantic. The resort is clean and the cast members are friendly and very willing to help. Go you will be glad you did.