Resort Thread Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE Resort

[Wood Nymph]

What is everyone's experience with online check in? Has it worked out that you could just go straight to your room?

We received a text to our room when we were there at the end of August. It was our first time at the resort so I asked a CM to show us on a map where our room was and how to get there.

 

[ColonelHathi]

What is everyone's experience with online check in? Has it worked out that you could just go straight to your room?

We used it last August/September and it was great. We got a text when we landed that our room wasn't ready (about noon so we weren't expecting it to be ready). When we were on the magical express right before reaching WDW we got another text saying it was ready with our room number. We got to the resort and went straight to our room to drop off our carry-on luggage. We then did swing back to get our mugs and Garden Grocer order extras at the main building, unpacked a bit, then hit the parks. We booked preferred so that took out some of the location worry, but we did request building 18 upper floor, which we got.

 

[andrewilley]

We received a text to our room when we were there at the end of August. It was our first time at the resort so I asked a CM to show us on a map where our room was and how to get there.

That is one of several reasons that I tend to suggest that first-time guests at Riverside visit the front desk first, rather than trying to go straight to their room. Yes you can download a map in advance, but the interaction with a cast member who can talk you through getting to your room is definitely an advantage.

Andre

 

[Disneyfanatic108]

Anyone there now to confirm if the new mug has made it to the food court?? Thanks

 

[tinkerbella16]

Anyone there now to confirm if the new mug has made it to the food court?? Thanks

Great question! I arrive Thursday and would love to have the new mug design! Hoping!!!

 

[SingingMom]

Used online check in last week at POFQ but received no text or email. I just went to the front desk.

 

[crazy4wdw]

What is everyone's experience with online check in? Has it worked out that you could just go straight to your room?

I stayed at Riverside about one week ago. I received a text while I was on Magical Express (around 11:00 am) that the room was not yet ready. I had a few beverage seminars scheduled for the afternoon so I dropped off my carry on luggage at bell services and headed to Epcot. I received a text around 2:00 PM that the room was ready and the text included the room number, floor, AB lodge #, and a link to a POR map.

I didn't make back to the resort until around 8:00 PM. My magic bands did not work so I headed back to the front desk to have them reset.

Can't believe that I've been back from POR for a week!

 

[Southernswthrt]

I'm curious to know from the POR experts about how noisy the rooms are (outside noise, plumbing sounds, neighboring rooms, etc.).

 

[Wood Nymph]

I'm curious to know from the POR experts about how noisy the rooms are (outside noise, plumbing sounds, neighboring rooms, etc.).

We were in a corner room, king bed, in building 25, the room closest to the quiet pool, and thought that the room was very quiet. The room next door had kids in it and we didn't hear them through the walls or through the connecting door, either. We only heard them when they played on the porch outside our room on a very rainy night. But they didn't stay out there very long.

We've been in deluxe resorts that were much noisier than this one. I was impressed with how quiet it was.

 

[crazy4wdw]

I'm curious to know from the POR experts about how noisy the rooms are (outside noise, plumbing sounds, neighboring rooms, etc.).

I was POR last week and my room was in Alligator Bayou lodge 14 on the 1st floor. I had a great location, room #1409, which was maybe a 30 second walk to the Riverside Mill. The only issue I had with noise were the "turbo" toilets which I could hear numerous times of the day and night. I never could figure out if the noise was from the room next door, the room behind me, or the room above me.

 

[courtneybeth]

Do all reservations made get the reservation packets in the mail? I know that my 180+10 happens near Thanksgiving but it's bothersome that we don't have anything in the mail about our "Incredible Vacation" yet. Our packet arrived already for our September 2016 reservation - and we made that about a week after our May trip. Weird.

 

[keahgirl8]

Do all reservations made get the reservation packets in the mail? I know that my 180+10 happens near Thanksgiving but it's bothersome that we don't have anything in the mail about our "Incredible Vacation" yet. Our packet arrived already for our September 2016 reservation - and we made that about a week after our May trip. Weird.

That is weird. I've always gotten one!

 

[Sue M]

I'm curious to know from the POR experts about how noisy the rooms are (outside noise, plumbing sounds, neighboring rooms, etc.).

Out if all the times we've stayed at POR, we only had neighbours from hell once. Luckily for us, they moved in our last day, was checking out the next morning. The kids were running outside yelling & screaming back & forth in front of our room, repeatedly slamming door to their room. Ignorant families can be at any resort. The majority are courteous.

 

[mac3mpc]

Online check in isn't always so great. We used it last year and it worked exactly as expected. This year we used it and received a text around 2:00 pm that our room was ready and what the number was. Terrific! We got back to the room at 10:00 after a long hot day at the park, finally found our room (after taking a wrong turn in the dark) to discover our magic bands didn't work on the room. DH had to find his way back to check in while I stayed with our bags to verify that we were at the right room and get the bands taken care of. We didn't let it get to us. Enjoyed the next 5 days and for our last night, had to switch rooms. Not a big deal. We've done it other trips. I had already done online check in for this one as well. We received a text just before going into a demo at the food and wine festival that there was a problem and we had to check back in at guest services. Our TA called for us while we went into the demo and they refused to tell her anything. Having a panic attack, we ended up leaving Epcot early missing another demo to do so, to go find out what was going on. On the bus ride back to the resort, I received texts 4 minutes apart. One assigning us a room in the French Quarter and another assigning us a room at Riverside (which is where we were supposed to be). After standing at the front desk with a less than helpful CM for about 15 minutes, it was determined that the second text was right and they don't know why we got the first one. They apologized for us missing time in the park and the missed demo which were things we could never get back. No one could tell us what the original problem was. Not a terrific way to end our stay. To be very honest, the way it was handled left a very bad taste in my mouth and I don't think I would ever stay at POR again.

 

[andrewilley]

Enjoyed the next 5 days and for our last night, had to switch rooms. Not a big deal. We've done it other trips.

That's unusual, normally they try to catch ongoing reservations and keep people in the same rooms if possible - I assume you mentioned this to them during your stay, and made sure that the reservations were connected on the system? (Although I know the Room Inventory team run daily system searches which run to try to catch the same names with follow-on dates). I think with a run-on booking like that, I would definitely have visited the front desk rather than using purely online checkin.

Why did you leave Epcot before you had finished though? The front desk at the resort should have been able to sort this out at any time for you, or you could have called them from the park if they couldn't discuss it with a TA?

Andre

 

[mac3mpc]

We had checked in at the front desk that last morning before we left for Epcot just to verify that everything was set. (I'm a planner and double checker.) It was an added on room only night. We were told by both our TA and the CMs when we arrived that there were no rooms left in the royal river view category and we were being moved to a preferred room. That wasn't a problem. We didn't mind. It was just a room to stay in before we flew out early the next morning.

We left Epcot because we were worried that we would get back from the Ferrytale Dessert Party late at night and not have a room available. Not something I wanted to deal with that late. Had they said that we had a room but needed to match up our magic bands like the first night's issue (or whatever the issue was), I wouldn't have worried, stayed at the parks and stopped in when we got back. But it didn't say what the issue was at all. For all I knew we were being moved to another resort.

As it was we barely made the boat for the dessert party due to a CM insisting we were wrong and didn't need to go to the TTC to get the boat (which I knew we did). Not only did she not know what she was talking about, but she was terribly loud and rude about it. Even DH who has a much higher tolerance for rudeness and attitude was shocked by our treatment. I have very rarely run into a CM that was not helpful and friendly. They almost all go way out of their way to make everything magical. This one was the antithesis of that. Maybe she was having a bad day - we all do, but she nearly ruined ours. Luckily I was able to make good choices to correct the CMs bad decisions and got us to where we needed to be with about 5 minutes to spare.

 

[raddisneyfan]

Does anyone know what options you get when you do online check-in for Riverside? High floor, near pool, etc.? Do they ask you Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend?

 

[CyndiLouWho]

I had a travel agent book the room for me. She assured me that she had submitted my request. Oh well, I know now to just book everything myself.

My TA added request to last booking (Fort Wild) and it was fufilled. She added request again this time, but maybe I will fax just to make sure.

 

[Sue M]

We had checked in at the front desk that last morning before we left for Epcot just to verify that everything was set. (I'm a planner and double checker.) It was an added on room only night. We were told by both our TA and the CMs when we arrived that there were no rooms left in the royal river view category and we were being moved to a preferred room. That wasn't a problem. We didn't mind. It was just a room to stay in before we flew out early the next morning.

We left Epcot because we were worried that we would get back from the Ferrytale Dessert Party late at night and not have a room available. Not something I wanted to deal with that late. Had they said that we had a room but needed to match up our magic bands like the first night's issue (or whatever the issue was), I wouldn't have worried, stayed at the parks and stopped in when we got back. But it didn't say what the issue was at all. For all I knew we were being moved to another resort.

As it was we barely made the boat for the dessert party due to a CM insisting we were wrong and didn't need to go to the TTC to get the boat (which I knew we did). Not only did she not know what she was talking about, but she was terribly loud and rude about it. Even DH who has a much higher tolerance for rudeness and attitude was shocked by our treatment. I have very rarely run into a CM that was not helpful and friendly. They almost all go way out of their way to make everything magical. This one was the antithesis of that. Maybe she was having a bad day - we all do, but she nearly ruined ours. Luckily I was able to make good choices to correct the CMs bad decisions and got us to where we needed to be with about 5 minutes to spare.

Wow, what an awful experience. Most of the CMs at POR are wonderful. I did encounter a rather miserable CM once at check in. And it had to do with a continued stay also. Despite the fact that my res were linked, and again at check in I made sure they knew, and wanted to stay in the same room, and was assured I could. So on my check in/check out day I hadn't packed up and went to front desk to do the process when I encountered the CM. she tells me she would find me a room? I said I already was told I could stay in the same room. She says, well we'll see about that. What? In a very nasty way. I felt sick thinking I'd have to go back and pack, missing a morning at the park.
In the end we were able to stay in room, but it took her at least 25 min.

Just curious, were you driving to MK? I wonder how she thought you should get there, from TTC only option is boat or monorail.

 

[mac3mpc]

Our original plan was to take the bus to MK and monorail to TTC where the boat leaves from for the Ferrytale Wishes Dessert Party. We had worked plenty of time into our schedule. After the fiasco regarding the room, the manager offered to have us driven straight there to try to make up for the lost hours at Epcot. The CM driving us was 20 minutes late arriving and then insisted we did not go to the TTC. She was rude and yelled at us when we tried to explain what we were doing. She insisted we needed to go inside MK (which was the wrong dessert party). She seemed to be lost and driving aimlessly for quite a while before finally pulling over to ask directions. When we finally got her to let us out of the van, I made the right decision to turn to our left and grab the boat that was just leaving for TTC. Had we opted for the monorail or hesitated for a split second, we would have missed the whole thing.