Resort Thread Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE Resort

[mocame]

Need Advise
we are going to POR in oct 29- nov 5 I was looking at the rooms (again) we have a pool view but I wanted to request it in the Mansions (Oak or Paiterre) because it is closer to food court and pool and looks bigger than the rooms in AB, but reading the posts about the buses and how they are pick up (west north east south) I don't know now ? We our traveling with our granddaughter who is 4 and if we go with the mansion I think we will be also most the last stop and it maybe full Should I reuest a AB room closer to the bus area

Ok HELP !!

We stayed in Oak Manor and went to the East Depot. The buses were never completely full by the time they got to our depot. Most of the time we could get a seat. Once-in-a-while we would have to stand right away, but they were never completely full. If you go to the South depot, then you have more of a problem with full buses.

 

[andrewilley]

I wouldn't plan my vacation around buses - you wait, buses come and you get on one. Most people find this works fine, although occasionally people seem to have problems (most often when a long wait can cause the bus to be very crowded when it finally does come). But in all honestly, choosing one location over another is unlikely to make a major difference. Buses really are a very small part of your vacation!

Your idea of asking for a mansion building room (as you have got Pool View booked) seems ideal to me, those rooms are not far from the footbridge across Ol' Man Island to the main buildings and South Depot bus stop, and also you can get the buses from the East Depot or North Depot if you prefer those over the main stop. Give them all a try, and see which works best for you (although IMHO it will vary more from bus to bus than it does from stop to stop). But don't let it take over your plans and turn into some nightmare pre-planning scenario!

Andre

 

[Elsafever]

What is the main pool like at POR? Is there a zero depth area? How deep is the water at the end of the water slide? Thanks in advance!

 

[siskaren]

What is the main pool like at POR? Is there a zero depth area? How deep is the water at the end of the water slide? Thanks in advance!

http://www.portorleans.org/ol-man-island.php

 

[K Gragg]

What is the main pool like at POR? Is there a zero depth area? How deep is the water at the end of the water slide? Thanks in advance!

There is not a zero entry. I am not sure of the depth at the water slide.

 

[siskaren]

There is not a zero entry. I am not sure of the depth at the water slide.

It's listed in the link I posted.

 

[Elsafever]

Thanks! How far is the walk to the POFQ splash pad from Oak Manor and Parterre Place? It looks like kind of a hike on the map.

 

[Delirium]

We just returned from our stay 5/20 thru 5/28. Resort is still all around great with no major complaints. CM's were all really good, mouse keeping was good, weather was perfect. We even saw and got to take pics with Snow White and Ferdinand in the lobby on our arrival day!
I always wondered if you could hear the movies if your room bordered that courtyard, yes you can. But we never went to bed before the movie went off so it was no big deal.
We used the east depot exclusively this time and over all it was ok not fighting the south depot crowds but one morning we arrived to the depot at 9:15 to go to AK and the bus finally arrived at 10:01. The bus monitors overall were rubbish. No rhyme or reason. Oh and not Disney's fault but we got a cab to go to Wilderness lodge for breakfast and the cab driver either was genuinely ignorant or was playing a game for a big fare when he said "where is that"? He sat looking at his phone for directions and finally said it would be 25 min. Good thing I've been by it enough times to know better and had to show him where to go. So FYI, if you get in a cab and they act stupid, just get out and try again if you can't find it yourself.

Other than transportation hiccups it was a perfect stay.

We were there the 29th-2nd. Bus wait times were a big problem for MK. They simply did not have enough running for Riverside. We waited once about 40 minutes at the East Depot. They finally brought 2 buses by at the same time, but they were already mostly full by the time they got to the East Depot. Not everyone could get on. Saw multiple, almost empty, buses for the other parks and Disney Springs while waiting for those elusive MK rides.

 

[Elsafever]

We were there the 29th-2nd. Bus wait times were a big problem for MK. They simply did not have enough running for Riverside. We waited once about 40 minutes at the East Depot. They finally brought 2 buses by at the same time, but they were already mostly full by the time they got to the East Depot. Not everyone could get on. Saw multiple, almost empty, buses for the other parks and Disney Springs while waiting for those elusive MK rides.

What time of day was this? We plan to go right away in the morning, but take a break and return in the afternoon. I don't know how my kids would handle a 40 minute wait just to get on a bus.

 

[andrewilley]

Thanks! How far is the walk to the POFQ splash pad from Oak Manor and Parterre Place? It looks like kind of a hike on the map.

Not too far, about 10 mins walk perhaps. You can use the bridge closest to FQ if you want, which can make it a very short walk from the far end of Parterre Place.

Andre

 

[Delirium]

What time of day was this? We plan to go right away in the morning, but take a break and return in the afternoon. I don't know how my kids would handle a 40 minute wait just to get on a bus.

The 40 minute wait was in the evening, trying to get back to the park for nighttime entertainment after taking an afternoon break.

In the morning we always caught the bus outside the main building (South Depot). Sometimes we had to wait for 2-3 buses because there were so many people getting on, but the total wait was no more than 15-20 minutes.

 

[andrewilley]

Saw multiple, almost empty, buses for the other parks and Disney Springs while waiting for those elusive MK rides.

This is a common comment, and apart from the subjective element (which does play a part) the problem is that the buses are routed from the PARK HUBS, not the resorts. So an Epcot bus comes and goes from Epcot out to resorts only, and it won't divert to become a Magic Kingdom bus if that's what is currently needed at a resort. The MK hub needs to react and arrange to send more buses out to busy resorts.

Andre

 

[dmdcash]

Question for the experts here....first time staying on Disney grounds, have a garden view room at POR in July for family of 4. Wife gets winded and can be unstable walking at times due to previous surgeries, so we are wondering what our best options are....I was going to fax a request for close proximity to either bus stops and/or pool/restaurant area. Is there an ideal place that I should try that would be the best option? (we are also looking into a wheelchair for the times she may need it)......

 

[Laura's Dad]

We are staying in a Royal Guest Room for our upcoming September trip. We have a early ADR for the Crystal Palace at 8:05 am and plan on taking the bus to the MK.

1. Will we need to go to the South Depot to catch an early bus or will it pick up at the East Depot?

2. What time do we need to be at a bus stop to make sure we are a little early for our ADR?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[andrewilley]

1. Will we need to go to the South Depot to catch an early bus or will it pick up at the East Depot?

2. What time do we need to be at a bus stop to make sure we are a little early for our ADR?

You can get a bus at any depot, but South makes the most sense in the morning as that is the last stop before the parks. I would suggest being at the bus stop about an hour before your ADR time, just to err on the side of caution.

Andre

 

[mfly]

We received our welcome reservation booklet in the mail today. In it, it states POR has "a marina with watercraft and bike rentals."

My understanding, based on this thread and Andre's website, was that boat rentals had been discontinued a few years ago. Is my recollection correct, and the information Disney sent me is out of date?

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

We received our welcome reservation booklet in the mail today. In it, it states POR has "a marina with watercraft and bike rentals."

My understanding, based on this thread and Andre's website, was that boat rentals had been discontinued a few years ago. Is my recollection correct, and the information Disney sent me is out of date?

Information is totally out of date..... But it does have bike rentals, just not boat rentals. Got one the last 3 trips to POR & just laughed when I read it.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Thanks Andre! I appreciate all that you do on this board and on your website. By the way, I have to completely agree with your saying about your second home. It is ours as well.

 

[andrewilley]

it states POR has "a marina with watercraft and bike rentals."

Sorry, there are no watercraft rentals any more.

I suppose if you tried really hard you could interpret that to mean there is a "marina with watercraft" (i.e. they have ferry boats going to Disney Springs) and that they also rent bikes there, but I think that's pushing it a bit!

Andre

 

[chasingthtdream08]

Can anyone elaborate more on the campfires that they have at POR? I just saw "Campfires" listed under Activities on the WDW site. Do they do marshmallows too?