Celebrating at POFQ/AKL in September 2015! COMPLETE

[Dentam]

Oh that's true about the beds! Sign up with David's specials email list as every so often he send out great last minute deals.

We had our luggage moved our last trip from BC to AKL with no problems, it was super easy! I think it will arrive by at least sometime in late afternoon. So keep out anything you may need sooner.

Good tips - thanks!!

 

[disney-inspired]

Hi! Just found your PTR and I'm also going to POR in September. Woo!

 

[disney-inspired]

So, as I mentioned in my first post, we have decided to stay at Port Orleans Riverside! I know there are both Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend buildings at the resort and I think we'd prefer the atmosphere and room decor of the Alligator Bayou rooms. I love the more rustic appearance of these rooms and the "wild" landscaping and streams that it looks like surround these areas of the resort!

I know we won't be guaranteed to get our room request but it's worth a shot! Have any of you stayed in the Alligator Bayou section before and if so what did you think of it?

On our first trip to WDW we stay at POR in the AB room. We loved it! We were in a building that has since become preferred but we loved that we were so close to the food court, bus stop and pool.

We are going in September this year as well and hope to stay in AB again. We booked under the military discount and sadly there are no more preferred rooms under that discount so I'm totally kicking myself for not getting it when I booked last summer!

From what I understand, the closest you can get to ensuring an AB room is to book a "preferred location." They are closes to the main building, and ALL AB.

Yup I believe they are buildings 14, 15, 16.

Just called my parents and they are on board with switching to AKL for the last 3 nights of our trip. My mom brought up a good point about the dvc villas - the price range we would want would be a studio which would only have one bed. I'd be on the pull out couch. Since the chances are also slim that there would be a studio available and I probably wouldn't be too comfy on the couch anyway - we decided to just go with the standard room with the room only discount. The only thing I have to do now is make sure POR can move our bags to AKL that day so we don't have to lug them around. Will call them in the morning to make sure but I imagine they would do this...

Ooo a split stay, fun!

Also I can totally relate to going with a red eye flight. I hate wasting my vacation with travel time.

 

[Dentam]

Hi! Just found your PTR and I'm also going to POR in September. Woo!

Glad to have you along and hooray to both of us for going to WDW in September this year!!

 

[Dentam]

Oh boy... more changes here!

So, I called POR this morning and they confirmed that we'll just need to drop our bags off with bell services on Wednesday morning and they will get them to the AKL for us that day. We can check in there anytime after 3pm.

Went online to change our resort reservations... and encountered another glitch! POR won't offer the late summer room only discount for the first three nights of our trip. We'd have to stay another night for the offer to show up as available and that would defeat the purpose of the split stay.

However, POFQ does offer the discount for those dates and they have a standard room available at a cheaper price! So now we've come full circle and will be staying at POFQ the first three nights of our trip before switching to the AKL. I figure this will actually be better in many ways including having only one bus stop to deal with, a smaller resort that will be easier for my mom to walk around, and of course we can still go over and explore the POR area and eat there as well if we'd like. Plus saving money on our first three nights will help even out the extra cost of the AKL nights.

Guess I need to change the title of this report!

 

[Angeejoe]

Oh boy... more changes here!

So, I called POR this morning and they confirmed that we'll just need to drop our bags off with bell services on Wednesday morning and they will get them to the AKL for us that day. We can check in there anytime after 3pm.

Went online to change our resort reservations... and encountered another glitch! POR won't offer the late summer room only discount for the first three nights of our trip. We'd have to stay another night for the offer to show up as available and that would defeat the purpose of the split stay.

However, POFQ does offer the discount for those dates and they have a standard room available at a cheaper price! So now we've come full circle and will be staying at POFQ the first three nights of our trip before switching to the AKL. I figure this will actually be better in many ways including having only one bus stop to deal with, a smaller resort that will be easier for my mom to walk around, and of course we can still go over and explore the POR area and eat there as well if we'd like. Plus saving money on our first three nights will help even out the extra cost of the AKL nights.

Guess I need to change the title of this report!

The "circle of life" song is ringing in my ears!

I think if I were to do a moderate, I'd want POFQ just because of its size. My aunt & I walked thru it after a park day, took the bus after the park & then the boat to DTD for dinner. I really liked the look of it.

You need to join that thread titled "resort changers" or something along that line. Lol.

 

[disney-inspired]

Oh boy... more changes here!

So, I called POR this morning and they confirmed that we'll just need to drop our bags off with bell services on Wednesday morning and they will get them to the AKL for us that day. We can check in there anytime after 3pm.

Went online to change our resort reservations... and encountered another glitch! POR won't offer the late summer room only discount for the first three nights of our trip. We'd have to stay another night for the offer to show up as available and that would defeat the purpose of the split stay.

However, POFQ does offer the discount for those dates and they have a standard room available at a cheaper price! So now we've come full circle and will be staying at POFQ the first three nights of our trip before switching to the AKL. I figure this will actually be better in many ways including having only one bus stop to deal with, a smaller resort that will be easier for my mom to walk around, and of course we can still go over and explore the POR area and eat there as well if we'd like. Plus saving money on our first three nights will help even out the extra cost of the AKL nights.

Guess I need to change the title of this report!

Bummer! but POFQ is just a beautiful.

 

[Dentam]

The "circle of life" song is ringing in my ears!

It's the perfect song for the occasion!

I think if I were to do a moderate, I'd want POFQ just because of its size. My aunt & I walked thru it after a park day, took the bus after the park & then the boat to DTD for dinner. I really liked the look of it.

That's good to hear! I vaguely remember walking through it back in 2000 when I worked at EPCOT. My mom is happy about the smaller size of this resort and I'm happy that we'll still be able to explore POR if we want and also take the boat to DTD one evening.

You need to join that thread titled "resort changers" or something along that line. Lol.

Yes - if there is a support group or something on here I definitely need to join it!

 

[Dentam]

Bummer! but POFQ is just a beautiful.

Yeah, I was a bit bummed at first but now I think this is the best scenario for us!

 

[Elevationist]

However, POFQ does offer the discount for those dates and they have a standard room available at a cheaper price! So now we've come full circle and will be staying at POFQ the first three nights of our trip before switching to the AKL. I figure this will actually be better in many ways including having only one bus stop to deal with, a smaller resort that will be easier for my mom to walk around, and of course we can still go over and explore the POR area and eat there as well if we'd like. Plus saving money on our first three nights will help even out the extra cost of the AKL nights.

You'll LOVE it at POFQ! And saving money is always awesome! I hope you love it!

 

[Dentam]

You'll LOVE it at POFQ! And saving money is always awesome! I hope you love it!

I think we will too - everything has worked out for the best I think! I just saw on your pre-trip report that you booked a POR Royal room for your 2016 trip! Woohoo!!

 

[Angeejoe]

I found a good thread for you:

http://www.disboards.com/threads/the-ultimate-split-stay-thread.3322505/

 

[Dentam]

I found a good thread for you:

Thanks! I actually already had that one bookmarked since I was wanting more info on split stays for our 2017 trip!

 

[Angeejoe]

Thanks! I actually already had that one bookmarked since I was wanting more info on split stays for our 2017 trip!

Great minds...

 

[KathyM2]

Hey that's awesome!! We'll be at POFQ too! And staying at AKL...so nice...and convenient for that breakfast...I see no problem with that!!

 

[Dentam]

Hey that's awesome!! We'll be at POFQ too! And staying at AKL...so nice...and convenient for that breakfast...I see no problem with that!!

Woohoo!! I think we will like POFQ and my parents are very excited for the AKL and the trip in general.

 

[Dentam]

Great minds...

Precisely! Are we long lost twins maybe??

 

[Dentam]

I may need that resort changers support group! This isn't exactly a change, just an addition! I looked at airfare options today and it turns out I can get a cheaper flight leaving late Saturday morning and getting in around 6pm than if I did the red eye flight. Combined with the fact that this would mean I wouldn't have to sit rocking back and forth in misery as everyone sleeps around me - AND the fact that the MK is open until 2am on Saturday - I figured this is a no brainer! I will now be staying at Pop Century Saturday night!!

 

[Angeejoe]

Precisely! Are we long lost twins maybe??

I think we are!

 

[Angeejoe]

I may need that resort changers support group! This isn't exactly a change, just an addition! I looked at airfare options today and it turns out I can get a cheaper flight leaving late Saturday morning and getting in around 6pm than if I did the red eye flight. Combined with the fact that this would mean I wouldn't have to sit rocking back and forth in misery as everyone sleeps around me - AND the fact that the MK is open until 2am on Saturday - I figured this is a no brainer! I will now be staying at Pop Century Saturday night!!

Omg!!! You're going for it! We had 1 trip where we end up at 3 hotels. We drive so we never know when we will arrive, so I hate paying deluxe for a really late night arrival. So in October 2013 we arrived at like 8-9p & stayed at ASMu for 1 night, then transferred to BC, then our last full day at BC it poured almost all day so we decided to stay an extra night (the beauty of driving) & then transferred to AKL for our last night. It was a lot of moving but it was cool to try 2 new places.