Jen D
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2001
- Messages
- 1,789
We just had four fabulous nights at the Port Orleans French Quarter. Our family doesn't get the chance to travel very often, so I always have had the attitude that I'd rather save for a deluxe than a value or a moderate; but my daughter and I had the opportunity to take a quick, last-minute budget trip-- tried to book All Stars but got this resort on upsell. It is beautiful! Never for once did I feel as if I was settling or getting a less than special resort experience. I was completely charmed by the theming and landscaping of the resort.
We arrived and a bellman immediately sprang up to lay some Mardi Gras beads on my daughter and take our bags. We went to the lobby, and I waited in a rather long check-in line while my daughter watched cartoons. The line was about 15 minutes, but the good news is I was able to get my room right away at 12:30pm. I had made no room requests, and the desk clerk gave me the choice of several buildings. I said "close to the action" and I got Building Two, which is a nice building to be in as no part overlooks a parking lot. Close to pool and main building. We overlooked a courtyard with a fountain (room 2213.) I would request building 2 again. The room was clean and well-appointed. I wasn't crazy about the lack of a closet, but c'est la vie.
Quick notes:
Pros: Housekeeping very good. We left mousekeeping tips everyday ($2-3.) The first day we got a towel monkey and a towel duck and a towel seashell (to hold toothbrushes.)
Pool was great, and not too crowded, surprisingly.
Theming, landscaping truly beautiful.
Buses-- it was nice being the first stop of the day (always get a seat) and the first stop at the end of the day.
Downtown Disney boat-- we used this the first day. Pleasant, pretty, a nice perk for this resort.
Cons: (and these are petty-- didn't bother me much)
Food court: we only ate there once-- pretty gross, imo. Should have stuck with burgers but we got jambalya and mac n' cheese. Lame and cold. Other than that, we didn't use it, except to get milk in the morning for cereal.
Toilet: Flushing loud and dramatic, but never could quite get the paper down on the first try (got everything else down, at least.) No enough of an annoyance to me to complain.
Shower: not as strong as I like, but generally okay-- except hot water seemed in short supply when I took my showers (about 7am in the morning, probably a heavy shower time.) It was never COLD, mind you, it was bearable-- but not quite hot either.
Also, I wish the resort shop opened a little earlier so I could get newspaper, bottled milk, etc. It opens at 8am, and by then we're on our way to the bus stop.
As a postscript:
The last thing we did before we took our towncar to the airport hotel was eat at Boma at AKL. POFQ was nice about this, by the way-- they had bell services transfer my luggage so I could be picked up at AKL. Anyway, AKL is beautiful! My daughter fell in love and insists we stay there next time. I was totally knocked out by the theming and ambience of this resort. And the cast members fell over themselves to be gracious! Since visiting this resort was the last thing we did, I felt like it was a sneak preview for our next trip! What a beautiful place!
We arrived and a bellman immediately sprang up to lay some Mardi Gras beads on my daughter and take our bags. We went to the lobby, and I waited in a rather long check-in line while my daughter watched cartoons. The line was about 15 minutes, but the good news is I was able to get my room right away at 12:30pm. I had made no room requests, and the desk clerk gave me the choice of several buildings. I said "close to the action" and I got Building Two, which is a nice building to be in as no part overlooks a parking lot. Close to pool and main building. We overlooked a courtyard with a fountain (room 2213.) I would request building 2 again. The room was clean and well-appointed. I wasn't crazy about the lack of a closet, but c'est la vie.
Quick notes:
Pros: Housekeeping very good. We left mousekeeping tips everyday ($2-3.) The first day we got a towel monkey and a towel duck and a towel seashell (to hold toothbrushes.)
Pool was great, and not too crowded, surprisingly.
Theming, landscaping truly beautiful.
Buses-- it was nice being the first stop of the day (always get a seat) and the first stop at the end of the day.
Downtown Disney boat-- we used this the first day. Pleasant, pretty, a nice perk for this resort.
Cons: (and these are petty-- didn't bother me much)
Food court: we only ate there once-- pretty gross, imo. Should have stuck with burgers but we got jambalya and mac n' cheese. Lame and cold. Other than that, we didn't use it, except to get milk in the morning for cereal.
Toilet: Flushing loud and dramatic, but never could quite get the paper down on the first try (got everything else down, at least.) No enough of an annoyance to me to complain.
Shower: not as strong as I like, but generally okay-- except hot water seemed in short supply when I took my showers (about 7am in the morning, probably a heavy shower time.) It was never COLD, mind you, it was bearable-- but not quite hot either.
Also, I wish the resort shop opened a little earlier so I could get newspaper, bottled milk, etc. It opens at 8am, and by then we're on our way to the bus stop.
As a postscript:
The last thing we did before we took our towncar to the airport hotel was eat at Boma at AKL. POFQ was nice about this, by the way-- they had bell services transfer my luggage so I could be picked up at AKL. Anyway, AKL is beautiful! My daughter fell in love and insists we stay there next time. I was totally knocked out by the theming and ambience of this resort. And the cast members fell over themselves to be gracious! Since visiting this resort was the last thing we did, I felt like it was a sneak preview for our next trip! What a beautiful place!
