Just back from POR. Any ?s

[maxiesmom]

Hi everyone! I got in at 1am this morning from a 6 night stay at POR with my mom and dad. I'm hoping to do a trip report once I have had some sleep, and have more of a chance of making sense. But I thought I would post a few quick comments and see if anyone had any questions.

First, October ain't what it used to be. At check in we were told that POR was at 100% capacity. And the nice man who came to help us with our luggage at check out said the resort was still at 95% capacity. What happened to October being slow?

Second, where were the heelies? After reading some other posts I expected to see kids zooming all over tarnation on the blasted things. Instead I only saw 2 kids on them the whole trip! Maybe Disney really is starting to crack down on people who think it is ok to zip around a packed theme park on wheels, and not try to knock anyone over. If so, hurray for Disney!!

That's all I can muster for now. I will try to post more when I can get my thoughts together. Any questions?

 

[kidsgobears]

Did you have fun?

 

[disneymd33]

Don't spoil it for us by telling us what was changed, but was the recently updated Haunted Mansion good???

 

[maxiesmom]

The changes to the Haunted Mansion are great! If you know the ride well, it is obvious what is different, and the new stuff is wonderful! My only complaint was the first time on our audio did not work properly. Disappointing, because I thought that making the audio better was part of the refurb, but it kept missing parts. But the second time we went on, it was fine.

We had a good time, and the one tip I can give you is the one said over and over, but is soooo true. Get thyself to the park at opening! We showed up right in time for the Magic Kingdom's opening ceremony. After that, they let you walk in to the little sections all around the castle. At 9:00 we went on the Haunted Mansion. Then walked on Peter Pan, Small World, Tea Cups, Pooh, Snow White, and then back over to Splash Mountain. We walked on that at 10:30. Things really picked up fast after 11:00. Plus by then it was very hot! It is definately worth getting out of bed early in order to do all of that in an hour and a half.

 

[BarleyJack]

We will be staying at POR for the 1st time in january, 2 adults who don't mind walking a lil bit. I've heard the resort is HUGE. Will it really be a big deal to walk to the food court for coffee/etc? I guess I'm asking just how large the resort is to determine if we should make a building request. Thanks for any info!

 

[Poohtigeey]

We will be staying at POR for the 1st time in january, 2 adults who don't mind walking a lil bit. I've heard the resort is HUGE. Will it really be a big deal to walk to the food court for coffee/etc? I guess I'm asking just how large the resort is to determine if we should make a building request. Thanks for any info!

I need to know this too! Is there more than 1 bus stop? Does each section have a parking lot? We'll have our car. Is it easy to get lost?

 

[ronandannette]

I'd also be interested in hearing about the size of POR. How does the span of it compare to AKL? We were in a Savannah room behind the lobby (opposite side from the food court and pool access). How does the walk for morning coffee at POR compare to that?

Annette

 

[pkondz]

We will be staying at POR for the 1st time in january, 2 adults who don't mind walking a lil bit. I've heard the resort is HUGE. Will it really be a big deal to walk to the food court for coffee/etc? I guess I'm asking just how large the resort is to determine if we should make a building request. Thanks for any info!

I need to know this too! Is there more than 1 bus stop? Does each section have a parking lot? We'll have our car. Is it easy to get lost?

The resort is big but I wouldn't consider it huge. Walking to the food court depends on your location. Some buildings are closer than others. Here's a map:http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/port-riverside.htm which should answer your questions about parking lots, etc... Those white areas on the map adjacent to the buildings connected to Sassagoula Circle are the parking lots. There are two bus stops (Blue Bayou & River Delta Platforms) near the main building plus three others labeled west, north and east depots. Let me know if you need more building info.

 

[maxiesmom]

POR has 4 bus stops--North, South, East, and West. South being the stop by the main building. But I would recommend not using that one. It is normally the last stop on the way to the parks, and has tons of people at it. South depot is the first stop at POR on the way back from the parks, which is nice if you want to grab a snack or do some shopping in the gift shop.

POR is quite big, but after you learn your short-cuts it is not too bad to get around. It took us a few days to learn the shortest routes to the bus depot and to the main buildings. We were in the Mansion section and in order to get to the food court we had to take the elevator down (we were on the third floor), walk by one building, cross a bridge, walk by the pool, and cross another bridge. It was a little ways, but not so far that I wouldn't grab my refillable mug and hike up there. And it is such a pretty resort, that I actually enjoy walking around it, even after a long day in the parks.

I want to add that POFQ has its own stop, but POR has 4, not 5. I think that is what Pkondz is trying to say.

 

[pkondz]

I want to add that POFQ has its own stop, but POR has 4, not 5. I think that is what Pkondz is trying to say.

I meant that the South or Main stop has two platforms, but it's really just one area. So yup, there's 4 bus stops at POR. Sorry maxiesmom, didn't mean to steal your thunder by jumping on your thread. I'll just lurk for a while until you answer the questions then throw in my two cents worth if needed.

 

[Sophie_2003]

Hello,

not meaning to hijack the thread, but a building request is free. If you like mansions, 85 is closest to food court, main pool, and steps to the east depot. I think on the AB side it is 14. We asked for either and got mansions 85, and I never even figured out how big the place was because a 5-min walk is the longest we took!

I also hink they do their best to honor the request, so better be on the safe side!

 

[maxiesmom]

I meant that the South or Main stop has two platforms, but it's really just one area. So yup, there's 4 bus stops at POR. Sorry maxiesmom, didn't mean to steal your thunder by jumping on your thread. I'll just lurk for a while until you answer the questions then throw in my two cents worth if needed.

No, I wasn't taking any offense! I thought you post made it sound like there were 5 stops, not 4. But it could just be the way I was reading it, I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep. Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you from posting!

 

[Jack&Ryan'smom]

We stayed at POR for the 1st time last month. My DS laughed at me all week because I always got lost!! I could never figure out which way to go to get to the parking lot! We stayed in AB so maybe it's different over on the mansion side. It can be a long walk over to the foodcourt in the morning depending on your location!
We liked it alot but I don't know if POR will be my 1st choice next time...I always like to try new resorts!