Resort Thread Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE Resort

[GlowingEye]

We booked our trip through AAA a number of months ago with the idea of keeping an eye out for any new discounts. I saw one that may apply to our trip, but would have no idea of how to reference it to the AAA agent ( I know they aren't as aware of Disney stuff as a dedicated Disney agent). What would the best way to ask? Could/should I just try calling Disney myself?

 

[Sue M]

We booked our trip through AAA a number of months ago with the idea of keeping an eye out for any new discounts. I saw one that may apply to our trip, but would have no idea of how to reference it to the AAA agent ( I know they aren't as aware of Disney stuff as a dedicated Disney agent). What would the best way to ask? Could/should I just try calling Disney myself?

Unfortunately you have to go to the AAA agent. Disney will not deal with you, as you booked thru a TA. It not a problem if you've used an agency who specializes with Disney Travel. They already know what discounts are out and will automatically apply it to your res when applicable. Then email you and say, Hey, I saved you some money.

Not so with regular agents who aren't aware of Disney discounts. YOU will have to do all the watching for discounts, then try to get in touch with your agent. There is IMO no benefit to using those agencies, AAA, etc. as you are the one doing all the work. Then hope you can get in touch with your TA before availability is gone. You may as well book your self.

 

[GlowingEye]

Unfortunately you have to go to the AAA agent. Disney will not deal with you, as you booked thru a TA. It not a problem if you've used an agency who specializes with Disney Travel. They already know what discounts are out and will automatically apply it to your res when applicable. Then email you and say, Hey, I saved you some money.

Not so with regular agents who aren't aware of Disney discounts. YOU will have to do all the watching for discounts, then try to get in touch with your agent. There is IMO no benefit to using those agencies, AAA, etc. as you are the one doing all the work. Then hope you can get in touch with your TA before availability is gone. You may as well book your self.

Yeah, I'm aware that AAA isn't the best way to go; unfortunately, the person paying for the trip isn't so I have to make do. Thanks for the info.

 

[Sue M]

Yeah, I'm aware that AAA isn't the best way to go; unfortunately, the person paying for the trip isn't so I have to make do. Thanks for the info.

I hope it works out for you. Keep monitoring the Disney web site for discounts and let TA know about them the moment they are released.

 

[Recca135]

Correct, there are King Bed rooms scattered all around the resort, including within the 'preferred location' buildings, and also some few facing towards the river. River View rooms are all located overlooking the river (kinda obviously) so are in buildings 14, 27, 38, Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace. The best located ones that are next to King Bed rooms are in Magnolia Terrace.

If you want nearby rooms, make sure you get both reservations linked together on the system in advance, and perhaps send a fax 3-5 days out requesting two of 'wing end' rooms in Magnolia Terrace:

View attachment 199476
(this is the upper floor, dark blue rooms are River View, purple are King Bed)

Andre

Thank you very much! I know that it says on our reservation that we would like to be as close together as possible.

 

[1sttimedisneymama]

We are excited to go back in March! We were there last month and upgrades to a Rpyal Room. We loved the area but aren't on the RR budget range for March so booked a standard room and requested the Magnolia Bend area. I'm hoping since there is only 3 of us, they may need the alligator bayou section for families of 5. Anyway, has anyone done the build your own pasta? We didn't get to do that in Sept but thought it looked good.

 

[kristie73]

I feel a little funny trying to send a faxed room request today for my room check in next week. I'm still planning to arrive next Wed unless something occurs with my flight or the 2nd hurricane loop tries to come and affect Orlando.

I tried to call that POR fax number (407-934-5777) anyway and it just rings and rings, not fax answering? So I guess they turned it off or aren't accepting any fax calls right now? I will try again Monday. I hope everything gets back to some normal Disney business and people there and on their way there can make the best of things.

I faxed our room request this morning. All was working with the fax number.

 

[chasingthtdream08]

I just did my online check-in a few days ago. I thought I had read a while back that "Mansions" was one of the requests for online check-in, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. All they have now is Highest Floor, Lowest Floor and Corner Room. Bummer. I plan on sending a fax as well, should I also call and have someone manually put in my requests? (Mansions, Highest Floor, Close to Food Court)

 

[jpotter1]

We have a trip planned for February 6-12 at POR. We are so excited! we have never stayed here before. In the past we have stayed at GF, Yacht club, and one of the all star resorts. Although all resorts were beautiful, it's hard to beat the convenience of transportation at the GF. Even at the yacht club, if we were not going to Epcot or HS, we waited what seemed like forever for busses. Some groups got so impatient they were taking cabs! As far as the all star resorts, there were many busses, but you made multiple stops to and from the parks. How does the transportation to parks compare to these resorts?

 

[kristie73]

I just did my online check-in a few days ago. I thought I had read a while back that "Mansions" was one of the requests for online check-in, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. All they have now is Highest Floor, Lowest Floor and Corner Room. Bummer. I plan on sending a fax as well, should I also call and have someone manually put in my requests? (Mansions, Highest Floor, Close to Food Court)

I did call a few months ago and had the CM put in the basic room requests. Then I was a little more specific on my fax room request.

 

[WeRtrippin]

Just booked my POR trip for 1/3-7!! It is a little bit of a celebratory trip for us and we cannot wait!! It will be me, my mother, my 17 daughter and her friend. We were going to take more family but we have a soccer tournament planned for the weekend before and it would be a lot of missed work for the rest of the family right after the holidays. The way my work schedule falls, I took four days off and ended up having 19 days off in a row!! I'm STOKED!
We've never stayed here before but I'm really looking forward to it. We booked a preferred, river view room. I'm planning to add the dining plan later but this is a good start!

 

[prfctlyximprfct]

Staying here in November I am so excited! I requested a king bed on online check in! Hope it works!!

 

[andrewilley]

Just booked my POR trip for 1/3-7!! We booked a preferred, river view room.

Unfortunately, there's no such category. You either booked a Preferred Location room (meaning you would be in Alligator Bayou buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 - but not overlooking the river) or a River View room (meaning that your room could be anywhere along the river-facing areas, either in the mansion buildings or in Alligator Bayou 14, 27 or 38).

Staying here in November I am so excited! I requested a king bed on online check in! Hope it works!!

Technically, King Bed is not a request, it's a paid booking category. For a short time a month or two ago it did appear in the Online Checkin requests list, as did pool view and a few other options, but I believe those have been removed now. Yours might still show anyway, so maybe you'll get lucky and someone will upgrade you?

Andre

 

[prfctlyximprfct]

Unfortunately, there's no such category. You either booked a Preferred Location room (meaning you would be in Alligator Bayou buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 - but not overlooking the river) or a River View room (meaning that your room could be anywhere along the river-facing areas, either in the mansion buildings or in Alligator Bayou 14, 27 or 38).




Technically, King Bed is not a request, it's a paid booking category. For a short time a month or two ago it did appear in the Online Checkin requests list, as did pool view and a few other options, but I believe those have been removed now. Yours might still show anyway, so maybe you'll get lucky and someone will upgrade you?

Andre

Yep it's an option. And when I go to change it's still there.

 

[dansdad]

Yep it's an option. And when I go to change it's still there.

Yes it's an option during Online Check In, however it's not a valid request as a King Room is a bookable category only.

 

[andrewilley]

Yep it's an option. And when I go to change it's still there.

Don't edit that request then, as if you delete and start again you may find it is not longer selectable. I gather the system is not removing the note from previously-made checkins though. Currently, I believe there are only three request options in Online Checkin, less even than before the previous set of changes: highest floor, lowest floor, and corner room.

Andre

 

[lovingeire]

I just did my online check-in a few days ago. I thought I had read a while back that "Mansions" was one of the requests for online check-in, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. All they have now is Highest Floor, Lowest Floor and Corner Room. Bummer. I plan on sending a fax as well, should I also call and have someone manually put in my requests? (Mansions, Highest Floor, Close to Food Court)

Yes, I would call, or have your TA call if you booked through one, and add the requests to your reservation in addition to online check-in. You can add three requests to your reservation is what I've been told. I request to be close to the footbridge as we are staying in the Royal Rooms again. I also submitted a Touring Plans/fax request as I don't have access to a fax machine. So we'll see how it all plays out in a couple of weeks.

 

[Koz]

Andre
I've looked and looked but still can't find the previous exchange. We are going to be in a Preferred room with a family of 5. We'd like to be in one of the preferred rooms closest to the main building/food court, and have a couple of things in mind.

1) Upper floor.
2) River facing.
3) Corner, if available.

Can you please advise of specific room #'s we should be focusing upon? Thanks so much and I'm sorry to make more work for you.

Koz

 

[keahgirl8]

Andre
I've looked and looked but still can't find the previous exchange. We are going to be in a Preferred room with a family of 5. We'd like to be in one of the preferred rooms closest to the main building/food court, and have a couple of things in mind.

1) Upper floor.
2) River facing.
3) Corner, if available.

Can you please advise of specific room #'s we should be focusing upon? Thanks so much and I'm sorry to make more work for you.

Koz

You can look at maps on Andre's website or Touring Plans. It has always been recommended that you tell them what you want moreso than specific room or building numbers. That way, if those rooms aren't available, they know how to help you.

 

[andrewilley]

We are going to be in a Preferred room with a family of 5. We'd like to be in one of the preferred rooms closest to the main building/food court, and have a couple of things in mind.

1) Upper floor.
2) River facing.
3) Corner, if available.

First, as you have a Preferred Location booking you won't get a river facing room unless they upgrade you. Otherwise, just let them know that you'd like an upper floor room as close as possible to the main building, and add that if they can find you a corner or even better a river facing room that would be wonderful.

Andre