Looking for tips for a long stay.....

[MagicKingdomDarling]

Hello everyone! First time posting, thought I'd dip my toes in the water with a topic I haven't seen discussed, at least not recently! My fiancé and I are currently planning our next trip to WDW, and it's a big one. We are staying for 17 nights, all at Port Orleans Riverside. We are leaving February 24th and coming home March 13th. We will be getting married 3 days into the trip, and will be spending every other day there on a spectacular extended honeymoon. We have the mid-tier Dining Plan (I know, I know, a lot of people don't like it, but we got it for our last stay and really enjoyed it, and ended up getting a pretty good value with it) and we have made table-service reservations for every day we are there. We are very excited, as we got engaged this past March at Epcot, so to come back to get married there is going to be such a dream.

Since we will basically be moving to Disney World for two and a half weeks, I was wondering if anyone had any tips or experiences to share for extended stays like this. Things to bring to help with a long trip, ways to make the resorts feel more homey, organizational tips for the massive amount of stuff we are bringing, anything at all! I'd love to hear about other people's experiences, as any information may help us make our stay even more special!

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

 

[tinka-belle]

Plan a few off days from the parks, there is so much more at WDW! Disney Springs (POR has boat service), mini golf, bowling, Disney movies at night shown at the resort are just some of the extras you can relax with. Lots of good resort restaurants too at the deluxe hotels so you don't need a park for dinner every night either. Resort hopping for a drink or a self guided tour can be fun, then enjoy dinner there.

Other than your wedding gear, don't need to bright massive amounts of stuff. We bring enough toiletries to last a few days beyond the trip in case of delays (thank you hurricane Irma), but we always do laundry at the resort once or twice during a longer stay. Keep the saved luggage room for extra Disney souvenirs!

 

[Lalabubbles]

We were there for 17 days in June. We used Safeway for grocery delivery so we had snacks, breakfast foods, and lots of water. I pack a collapsable hamper and boxes. I like to keep things neat in the bathroom and the room and the boxes help keep the clutter all on one place. I highly suggest packing cubes for your suitcases. We all have them and they help keep the suitcase so organized. I also pack supplies to do laundry so I'm not paying a lot for that. I try and take an empty suitcase so we have room for our souvenirs, I pack a little one and then place it in the bigger one when we fly.

 

[Sue M]

We typically go for 14 days. We’ve had a few stays at POR. I love the mansion section. I’d make reservation for a carriage ride. Catch Bob Jackson’s show at River Roost. Visit The Fishing Hole in the morning. Even if you don’t fish. It’s such a pretty, peaceful spot. Walk over to French Quarter for some beignets. The river walk is so nice. Take the boat to Disney Springs. Both at night and during the day.
Since we have long visits, we go to parks in morning, then spend afternoon back at the resort, returning to a park in the evening. Or not!!
Go tour other resorts.

I do laundry mid trip. Laundry rooms are by each quiet pool. So I just do laundry in the afternoon while relaxing by the pool. If it’s too chilly to swim mid day, I just curl up in a lounge by the pool with a book. So I don’t have to pack as much.

We like to have breakfast in our room, so I pack a couple bags of bagels, and instant oatmeal. You can use toaster in food court.

 

[LizGirl]

Congratulations! What a fun way to tie the knot.

I have been happy with my collapsible hamper and collapsible laundry basket/sorter for clean clothes. They make dealing with laundry clutter in the room and getting back and forth to the laundry room so much easier.
Packing cubes are helpful for staying organized and easy unpacking.
If you will have a car, we always enjoy running out to Publix to pick up bottled water and snacks.
Spare walking shoes in case of wet weather.
Maybe a flashlight for some of the walking paths at night!
Extension cord/power strip. There was only one workable outlet in our room two weeks ago.
Battery powered LED candles

 

[KenHutch]

You could spend a couple of days exploring the other resorts. I did this on our last trip and everyone was so friendly at AKL I took the plunge and upgraded this trip to deluxe from moderate. Also you can spend an entire day at AKL doing different things and of course you can easily spend an entire day at Downtown Disney.

 

[rwdavis2]

Take a trip to Kennedy Space Center.

 

[Shellyb84]

Our trips get longer and longer every year. This past June was 13 nights and we're planning on 13-14 next June. I'm not an organized person at all so I can't help there (maybe I'll follow some tips on here myself!). I do not do laundry on vacation, and we drive so we bring a massive amount of stuff. I always pack enough clothes to have 2 outfits a day, one for parks and a nicer one for dinner. Multiple pairs of comfortable shoes, I find my feet do best if I don't wear the same shoes every single day. We bring breakfast food for the room, and bring bottled water, wine and beer, along with some plastic wine glasses and corkscrew. We typically do 2 park days followed by 1 pool day. Our park days are usually only until 12-2 or so, sometimes returning for dinner or fireworks. Definitely take time to explore other resorts and visit DS.

 

[DaisyDuck001]

OP, are you comfortable with Port Orleans Riverside's new dog policy? Just want to be sure you aren't disappointed if you encounter dogs, waste, dander, etc. there.