Resort Thread Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE Resort

[java]

Where and when is Yee haw bob?

 

[yaya74]

Question re: walking. We have booked POR for a trip in September. When we last came to WDW, we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. We really enjoyed it, but the only complaint from my wife was about walking distances. I was wondering if anyone had any firsthand knowledge of walking distances in POR in direct comparison to CBR. Looking at the map, it looks like it could be similar or likely a bit less walking to get out to the island than with CBR and getting to the main pool. But it looks like we might be looking at close to the same distance from a guest room to the main dining area. Any information would be helpful for this general lurker.

Thanks!

Andre, the creator of Portorleans.org, said the worst scenario is 600 yard, from the farthest building to the food court.

 

[Prossome Sauce]

Andre, the creator of Portorleans.org, said the worst scenario is 600 yard, from the farthest building to the food court.

Cool, thanks! Hadn't even gotten a chance to look at the site yet.

 

[keahgirl8]

Andre, the creator of Portorleans.org, said the worst scenario is 600 yard, from the farthest building to the food court.

It doesn't sound that far, but it sure seems like it if you're tired!

 

[siskaren]

Where and when is Yee haw bob?

http://www.portorleans.org/riverroost.php

 

[yaya74]

Question re: walking. When we last came to WDW, we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. We really enjoyed it, but the only complaint from my wife was about walking distances. I was wondering if anyone had any firsthand knowledge of walking distances in POR in direct comparison to CBR.
Thanks!

I was playing on Google Map, trying to figure out the size of POR. The furthest building to the food court would be about 0.3-0.4 miles. The starting point on this map would be building 24.






Then I googled Caribbean Beach Resort. Surprisingly, unless you stay at the Pirate Room, the distance between the furthest building from the food court at CBR is about the same distance as that at POR
This map used Building 56 in Aruba...

 

[java]

http://www.portorleans.org/riverroost.php

Thank you! That will work great for arrival night!

 

[andrewilley]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but a search of the thread for "roof color" says no Looking on Google Maps, I see that Alligator Bayou has 2 different roof color sections. We've stayed in Buildings 25 and 26-- both are white/silver roofed. This time we booked Preferred, and I notice that 14, 15 and 18 have the brown roofs. 27 is white/silver. Is there any difference in the rooms as well?

There is no difference at all inside the rooms, it's purely a decorative theming difference on the outside of the buildings. From www.portorleans.org/alligator-bayou.php:

Backstory

If you look closely, there are three styles of architecture in the Alligator Bayou Lodges. Apparently, as legend has it, when the settlers first moved out from the town of Port Orleans, their earliest constructions were the four comfortable and opulent mansion buildings. However, the further upstream along the Sassagoula River they got, the harder it became to transport the necessary building supplies and so the constructions became smaller and more rudimentary. That’s why the closest group of buildings to the mansions (Lodges 34-39) have brick-built columns and neatly tiled roofs, while another group (Lodges 14-18) have much plainer wooden columns, and the final section (Lodges 24-28) features plain wood columns and simple sheet-metal roofing.

Oh, and that ’gator infested swampland along the Bayou was so prone to flooding during heavy rains that the ingenious settlers built their lodgings upraised about a foot-and-a-half above ground level, which is why the Alligator Bayou Lodges we see today are still upraised — even though the ’gators have (mostly) gone...​

Question re: walking. We have booked POR for a trip in September. When we last came to WDW, we stayed at Caribbean Beach Resort. We really enjoyed it, but the only complaint from my wife was about walking distances. I was wondering if anyone had any firsthand knowledge of walking distances in POR in direct comparison to CBR.

Some rooms are a bit remote, but having Ol' Man Island in the middle of the resort helps a lot in cutting down walking distances. The maximum (worst case) is about 600 yards from the furthest room to the food court, but most rooms are much closer.

Andre

 

[keahgirl8]

I was playing on Google Map, trying to figure out the size of POR. The furthest building to the food court would be about 0.3-0.4 miles. The starting point on this map would be building 24.



View attachment 159703


Then I googled Caribbean Beach Resort. Surprisingly, unless you stay at the Pirate Room, the distance between the furthest building from the food court at CBR is about the same distance as that at POR
This map used Building 56 in Aruba...

View attachment 159706

CBR sure seems more spread out! Although the lobby and food court are in two separate buildings.

 

[T_O]

Would it make any sense to travel from POR to MK using a personal vehicle instead of the buses? I have read some pretty bad things about the bus situation at POR (over-crowded and long travel times), and am thinking parking/TTC might be faster? TIA!

 

[andrewilley]

Would it make any sense to travel from POR to MK using a personal vehicle instead of the buses? I have read some pretty bad things about the bus situation at POR (over-crowded and long travel times), and am thinking parking/TTC might be faster? TIA!

Usually the suggestion is that buses are better for the MK as by car you've got to drive first, then get parked, take a parking lot tram to the TTC area, and then get on a boat or monorail to the MK. For buses, you just wait at the stop (should be a max of 20 mins wait, usually shorter) and then head straight to the bus station at the front of the park (which is about 12 mins or so from the South Depot at Riverside).

Of course if you've got first-timers with you (or you just want to do it in style) that first visit where you board the ferry boat across the lake is part of that first magical arrival.

Andre

 

[tstidm1]

Staying at Port Orleans French Quarter and want to do a Carriage Ride with mom when we're there. Do Carriage Rides fill up really quickly? I'm a month out and was wondering if I could get a reservation this close to the trip. Never been in a Carriage Ride and I think my mom would enjoy it on her first night of the trip.

 

[Luvamouse]

Usually the suggestion is that buses are better for the MK as by car you've got to drive first, then get parked, take a parking lot tram to the TTC area, and then get on a boat or monorail to the MK. For buses, you just wait at the stop (should be a max of 20 mins wait, usually shorter) and then head straight to the bus station at the front of the park (which is about 12 mins or so from the South Depot at Riverside).

Of course if you've got first-timers with you (or you just want to do it in style) that first visit where you board the ferry boat across the lake is part of that first magical arrival.

Andre

As usual, Andre has nailed it with this answer, accurate and correct. On the other hand, we have done both, and I far prefer driving for the simple reason that when the night was over, waiting for a bus can take a long time. I also like to know I am not standing on the bus in either direction. Our trip last June had us with only a short wait at POR South Station each day for any bus, no complaints there. The ride wasn't awful and when I think about it, getting dropped at the MK entrance is super convenient. But we waited almost an hour for busses, ANY POR busses upon return that night. Folks were calling on their phones, kids were crying, adults were ready to cry... Luckily we fit, like sardine, on the first bus, but I felt awful for those people who had to wait for yet another one. For the same reason I drive to Disney rather than fly, I will use our vehicle on site and just leave a bit earlier to get to the MK. But in reality, the bus system is really good. I also think the advice on taking the ferry is great too. After so many return trips, we just want to get there and be efficient so we aren't running around all day, so it is like slow torture. But as a visual for the first time? Perfect.

 

[yaya74]

As usual, Andre has nailed it with this answer, accurate and correct. On the other hand, we have done both, and I far prefer driving for the simple reason that when the night was over, waiting for a bus can take a long time. I also like to know I am not standing on the bus in either direction. Our trip last June had us with only a short wait at POR South Station each day for any bus, no complaints there. The ride wasn't awful and when I think about it, getting dropped at the MK entrance is super convenient. But we waited almost an hour for busses, ANY POR busses upon return that night. Folks were calling on their phones, kids were crying, adults were ready to cry... Luckily we fit, like sardine, on the first bus, but I felt awful for those people who had to wait for yet another one. For the same reason I drive to Disney rather than fly, I will use our vehicle on site and just leave a bit earlier to get to the MK. But in reality, the bus system is really good. I also think the advice on taking the ferry is great too. After so many return trips, we just want to get there and be efficient so we aren't running around all day, so it is like slow torture. But as a visual for the first time? Perfect.

Is it easy to drive around in WDW? Are the road signs easy to follow? Was it easy to find a parking close to you building upon return from the park at night?

 

[Prossome Sauce]

Is it easy to drive around in WDW? Are the road signs easy to follow? Was it easy to find a parking close to you building upon return from the park at night?

From what I understand, if you are not well versed in driving on and around property, the road signs can be a bit confusing. The one trip we took and drove, I don't recall having much of an issue... However, we had a cast member with us to direct us. On the other hand, on our last trip (2014), we drove a car down from Delaware and it literally sat outside our hotel (CBR) for the entirety of our trip. Occasionally, buses took a little longer than taking our car might have, but it was worth it to us to not have to drive (after a 15 hour drive just to get there). Additionally, in many cases, you may have to take some sort of transportation to get from your car to the front gate of a park or vice versa (unless you feel like additional walking). This trip, we are flying down and do not intend to rent a car and we feel very comfortable with it. I will say that this is all personal preference. You have to examine your own confidence level with driving in unfamiliar places. Also, look at crowd forecasts for when your going. If they aren't expecting a ton of people that decreases the likelihood of your wait times for buses being outlandish. Also, I will say on our last trip, I liked having our car readily available "just in case" even though we never used it. Hope this helps some!

 

[terri33inne]

No, Disney doesn't put a credit card hold on their resort rooms. They will charge it all at the end unless you exceed a pre-set limit. I am not sure what it is but it would be something like $1,000 or $1,500. Someone probably knows what it is. And if you hit that limit your credit card would be charged then. If you don't hit the limit then it won't be charged until your check out day, usually in the early morning hours.

If you have a room only reservation they will charge your card the cost of your room on the day of check-in. Anything else charged to your card will be charged on the day of check-out, and an itemized receipt will be e-mailed to you.

 

[terri33inne]

Just added 2 days to our trip coming up in 2 weeks!! I couldn't get the same booking category for those 2 days. When I did online check-in it didn't let me select a location... just floor or corner room.

 

[Prossome Sauce]

CBR sure seems more spread out! Although the lobby and food court are in two separate buildings.

Yeah, Caribbean felt very spread out, but as has been said, I think the pool being on the island at POR will reduce walks greatly, as this is generally what we do for midday break. Also, yes, the lobby at CBR is in a different building... I'm pretty sure it's on a different planet.

 

[keahgirl8]

Yeah, Caribbean felt very spread out, but as has been said, I think the pool being on the island at POR will reduce walks greatly, as this is generally what we do for midday break. Also, yes, the lobby at CBR is in a different building... I'm pretty sure it's on a different planet.

Exactly! I went over there just to visit and walk around. I asked the bus driver which stop it would be for the "main building," because I had no idea there were two different buildings. He told me where to get off and I did. First of all, I had to cross the street to get to it. Then, I got in there and it was just the lobby! I had to wait for another bus to get to the food court and shopping. Crazy. lol

 

[dansdad]

Yeah, Caribbean felt very spread out, but as has been said, I think the pool being on the island at POR will reduce walks greatly, as this is generally what we do for midday break. Also, yes, the lobby at CBR is in a different building... I'm pretty sure it's on a different planet.

Exactly! I went over there just to visit and walk around. I asked the bus driver which stop it would be for the "main building," because I had no idea there were two different buildings. He told me where to get off and I did. First of all, I had to cross the street to get to it. Then, I got in there and it was just the lobby! I had to wait for another bus to get to the food court and shopping. Crazy. lol

That is one of the things we really like about CBR, the fact that check-in/check-out are completely away from the food court, shops, arcade etc. Keeps the craziness down to a minimum. The only thing you need to do at the Custom House is check-in and check-out. Everything else can be done at the Concierge desk at Old Port Royale. I wish more of WDW resorts had this setup.