Need help with Port Orleans resorts

[mickeystoontown]

We have stayed at the CBR the last two years and love it. Never did we think we would consider staying anywhere else but we are. We still love the CBR but are considering other options. Budget wise, it would more than likely need to be a moderate resort.

The only real reason we are hesitant about a stay at the Port Orleans resort is the fact that we are in Louisiana. We live in a log home on several acres of land, surrounded by lots of pretty azaleas and other foliage, fishing spots, beignets, jambalaya, etc. So I'm kind of afraid we would be let down 'cause that theming is too much like home.

I have some specific questions but would love for others to add to them.

1) Buses: I understand that the Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter share a bus system. How crowded are the buses? How long does it typically take to get to the theme parks?

2) Food court: At the CBR, you go to the various stations, order your food and go to one cashier. It was super simple. Is this the case at Port Orleans? What kind of variety of foods are there to choose from?

3) Noise and crowds: The rooms at the CBR were super quiet. We never heard our next door neighbors. And, because the CBR is large, we never felt crowded. What about at Port Orleans?

4) Pools: Are there quiet pools at Port Orleans or is there just one main pool? How crowded do they get?

5) Location: Which section (Riverside or French Quarter) do you recommend?

We dont' mind walking a bit from our room to the food court/main pool. Which building in each section is best?

I think I have all my questions listed. If you have more information pass it along please!

Thanks in advance, Lisa

 

[goofy4tink]

I personally love Riverside. If you're used to the buses at CBR, you should be fine with the buses at POR-FQ. If you really want to try something different, why not try CSR? That's way different from what you're used to.
I never had an issue with the buses...I always got a seat in the morning. Sometimes had to stand at park closing.
The rooms I've had (bldg 35 in AB, bldg 14 in AB, and bldg 82, Magnolia Terrace) were all very quiet, never had an issue with noise.
The food court was one pay area...several different food areas. But, that may have changed. I haven't been back since they redid the food court.

 

[Mr. Pig]

It's fun to try other resorts and as Port Orleans and CBR are both moderates I think you will you'll enjoy Port Orleans. If you like the size and spread of CBR then POR might be better. But POFQ is smaller and more city like so it would be different from home. As for the other questions.

1. Agree with the previous post. You will find buses at PO much like CBR - at least I have found the service (wait times and such) similar.

2. Food Court purchasing is the same. You can check menus at allearsnet.com. I remember staying at CBR before they changed the food court and each station had their own checkout.

3. I have found the rooms to be quiet - again similar to CBR - never had neighbor noise problems. POR seems even less crowded than CBR the way it is spread out and landscaped in my opinion.

4. POR has a main pool with a slide and four quiet pools spread out among the buildings, also similar to CBR. POFQ is a smaller resort and has only one pool. This is one time when you can pool-hop to the other PO resort if you are staying at either PO resort.

5. I guess I answered that at the beginning. I have been at both and if I say I like Riverside better it is not by much. Also a fan of CBR.

 

[Candice30]

i stayed at POR-FQ recently. i liked the hotel. it was quiet in my opinion. sorry i can't remember which building i was in but i was far from the food court. this turned out not to be a problem as i liked that i was next to the boat dock to downtown disney. loved the boat idea. it was a quick and relaxing way to get to downtown disney for shopping. as for the food court, nothing special in my opinion but that's not saying much as i do not like most of the food courts on property. it is very small and has the usual hamburger fare type stuff. for lack of other choices i did eat up eating there most days though and there is one check-out area which i did like. the best thing at the food court, the beignets (?spelling). they were so good!

the pool in my opinion was always too crowded as it was the only one but i liked the ambiance and mainly stayed on my lounge chair reading and napping. as another poster said you could pool hop but i never did. the bus stops at POR-FQ first on the way to the parks which i liked alot and got a chance to see some of riverside on the ride. i was actually supposed to transfer later in my trip but decided to cancel as i like the french quarter's smaller atmosphere better. i didn't like that riverside had more than one bus stop but i guess they must for the size of the resort.

 

[kjbrown]

1) Buses: I understand that the Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter share a bus system. How crowded are the buses? How long does it typically take to get to the theme parks?

2) Food court: At the CBR, you go to the various stations, order your food and go to one cashier. It was super simple. Is this the case at Port Orleans? What kind of variety of foods are there to choose from?

3) Noise and crowds: The rooms at the CBR were super quiet. We never heard our next door neighbors. And, because the CBR is large, we never felt crowded. What about at Port Orleans?

4) Pools: Are there quiet pools at Port Orleans or is there just one main pool? How crowded do they get?

5) Location: Which section (Riverside or French Quarter) do you recommend?

We dont' mind walking a bit from our room to the food court/main pool. Which building in each section is best?

I think I have all my questions listed. If you have more information pass it along please!

Thanks in advance, Lisa

1) As PP said, it isn't that long. The buses pick up first at POFQ, which is great to ensure you get a seat. They are supposed to drop off first at POFQ, but we had one trip back when they didn't. The only pain is when you are soooo excited to get to the parks and you get picked up first and have to wait through all the stops at POR!

2) The food court at POFQ is smaller than the one at POR. I thought both weren't so great, but that's me.

3) The whole place POFQ was pretty quiet when we were there (February). We didn't hear anyone in the rooms next to us, and surprisingly didn't hear people on the walkways either.

4) The pool at POFQ is pretty cool, even if there is only one.

5) We really liked POFQ, although I've never stayed at POR. We were in building #5, I think. It was on the pool on one side, and a pretty courtyard on the other. One building away from the food court/buses and one building away in the other direction from the river.

I highly recommend the POFQ!

 

[SeaSpray]

I just stayed at POR last month for the first time. Before that, the only other moderate I'd ever stayed at was CBR, which I loved. I ended up REALLY liking POR. It's a beautiful resort and it reminds me of my favorite parts of the Magic Kingdom.

Here's a link to my web page with pictures and comments, a lot of pictures of the food menus at the POR food court: http://www.brownfamilyvacations.com/html/POR2007.htm

 

[mickeystoontown]

Thanks for the responses so far. Anybody else from the Deep South that has stayed here?

 

[Ms Marigny]

I've stayed at all three, and while I like CBR the best (love that tropical theming!), POR comes in at a close second. The resort felt very relaxing and the landscaping was very nice, very lush and green. I also really liked their food court- the food was delicious! I liked the Mansion section the best.

POFQ was very nice, but being from the city of New Orleans, I was a little freaked out, in a funny way, of the "French Quarter" Disney-style- it was too clean and perfect! My friends and I joked "where is the trash, the drunks, the broken-up sidewalks?". The beignets at the food court were pretty good though, and the pool was very cool with the neat slide. It was also very quiet there.

So, if I had to choose over CBR, I would go with POR. But, if you are from bayou country, you may like the French Quarter section a bit more since it may be a little more different than what you are used to.

 

[CleveRocks]

My own little pet peeve ...

I'm a big fan of NOT vacationing somewhere trying to masquerade as a someplace else that I know very very well. I get too distracted by involuntarily making negative comparisons and I'm not able to lose myself in the fantasy and just plain enjoy.

I spent the first 28 years of my life in the city of Philadelphia. I can't tell you how many "authentic" Philly cheesesteak joints I've been to all over the country, and I hated every single one. I'm sure they're just fine, but I just couldn't get past comparing them to the real thing ... I couldn't get to the point of even attempting to enjoy any of the places on their own merits.

And don't get me started on Colonial Williamsburg. Except for staying at my in-laws' place, I've never in my life spent 4 days feeling so annoyed and uncomfortable. Everything there was a re-creation of colonial times, with buildings built from Colonial-era bricks, but not representing actual individual buildings that once stood there. In Philadelphia I was surrounded by actual buildings from our nation's colonial past, the actual Independence Hall, the actual Betsy Ross House .... I'm sure Williamsburg is just great, but as a native Philly boy everything there looked more cracked to me than the actual Liberty Bell.

So to someone from rustic Louisiana, I'd gently advise you to look away from POR. POFQ is probably great for you (I love it there as much as I love CBR, by the way!), unless you went to college in NOLA or something like that.

I've never been to CSR, but I agree with goofy4tink's recommendation to give CSR a try, if you are anything like me and will spend more time critiquing the jambalaya than you will enjoying a nice lunch.

 

[mickeystoontown]

bump

 

[casaazul]

One of the reasons I picked POR was the southern theme. I live in the desert SW and did not want to stay at CS no matter how much you paid me, lol! I would stay somewhere different themed, it is Disney after all and fantasy is part of it!

We enjoyed POR, the buses were good. Most of the time we did not go to POFQ. We got on at the 2nd stop, so we always got a seat, but in the mornings and night it was standing room. Took 10-20 minutes to get to parks depending on which one.

The food court at POR is great, same kind of deal, pick food and pay at cashier. We had great pasta, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream etc.

We never heard a thing from neighbors, but we were hardly ever there. Our room was in a Acadian House far from the main areas and we never saw more than 3 or 4 people near our building, and this was during Spring Break

The main pool at POR is wonderful. We even were there late at night!! There are many quiet pools around the area and you can go use the pool at POFQ if you want to. During the afternoon the pool was busy, but we still could get a seat.

I liked the POR Mansions section the best of all. I thought the POFQ looked not as nice.

Here's some photos:

 

[newcomer52]

You may want to stay on the mansion side and avoid AB to make it less similar to home. Or opt for POFQ.

js

 

[bibbity bobbity boo]

One of the reasons I picked POR was the southern theme. I live in the desert SW and did not want to stay at CS no matter how much you paid me, lol! I would stay somewhere different themed, it is Disney after all and fantasy is part of it!

We enjoyed POR, the buses were good. Most of the time we did not go to POFQ. We got on at the 2nd stop, so we always got a seat, but in the mornings and night it was standing room. Took 10-20 minutes to get to parks depending on which one.

The food court at POR is great, same kind of deal, pick food and pay at cashier. We had great pasta, pizza, sandwiches, ice cream etc.

We never heard a thing from neighbors, but we were hardly ever there. Our room was in a Acadian House far from the main areas and we never saw more than 3 or 4 people near our building, and this was during Spring Break

The main pool at POR is wonderful. We even were there late at night!! There are many quiet pools around the area and you can go use the pool at POFQ if you want to. During the afternoon the pool was busy, but we still could get a seat.

I liked the POR Mansions section the best of all. I thought the POFQ looked not as nice.

Here's some photos:

Ooooh thanks for those pics and info. We are considering staying in POR (I like the look of the mansions too!) when we go Fall 2008.

 

[CapeMayMommy]

I can kind of relate to some of your issues.

I have not been to Disney in over 10 years. when I called to reserve my trip, an enthusiastic reservations rep told me about the Cape May Cafe's seafood buffet.

I stopped him right there and said "I go on vacation to have something different than what I have at home, thank you." I have decided no Boardwalk Inn either--as I work in Atlantic City.

That is why I am going to stay at Port Orleans Riverside.

 

[Maggi May]

The only real reason we are hesitant about a stay at the Port Orleans resort is the fact that we are in Louisiana. We live in a log home on several acres of land, surrounded by lots of pretty azaleas and other foliage, fishing spots, beignets, jambalaya, etc. So I'm kind of afraid we would be let down 'cause that theming is too much like home.

I'm from central Florida and now live in north Florida and find POR to have foliage most representative of Florida in general, or at least my back yard -- oak trees, dogwoods, ferns . . . I can understand your concern about the theming being too much like home, but I think that of all of the value and moderate resorts POR is the most beautifully landscaped and most relaxing. I love the shaded walkway around the main pool and the riverfront area. Just absolutely peaceful.

 

[Hopefully]

I have to second Cleve Rocks sentiments. I would suggest you choose a resort with themeing different from home. To me, part of the Magic of a trip to WDW is in the immersion in the theme. If it was too much like home, I would loose something.
I would support the recommendation that you look at CSR.
Have a Great Trip.

 

[dis@dills]

I just stayed at POR last month for the first time. Before that, the only other moderate I'd ever stayed at was CBR, which I loved. I ended up REALLY liking POR. It's a beautiful resort and it reminds me of my favorite parts of the Magic Kingdom.

Here's a link to my web page with pictures and comments, a lot of pictures of the food menus at the POR food court: http://www.brownfamilyvacations.com/html/POR2007.htm

Glad to hear that you and your family had a great vacation. The pictures are fantastic and the info/title of each are very helpful as well. Thank You.

 

[dis@dills]

We have stayed at the CBR the last two years and love it. Never did we think we would consider staying anywhere else but we are. We still love the CBR but are considering other options. Budget wise, it would more than likely need to be a moderate resort.

The only real reason we are hesitant about a stay at the Port Orleans resort is the fact that we are in Louisiana. We live in a log home on several acres of land, surrounded by lots of pretty azaleas and other foliage, fishing spots, beignets, jambalaya, etc. So I'm kind of afraid we would be let down 'cause that theming is too much like home.

I have some specific questions but would love for others to add to them.

1) Buses: I understand that the Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter share a bus system. How crowded are the buses? How long does it typically take to get to the theme parks?

2) Food court: At the CBR, you go to the various stations, order your food and go to one cashier. It was super simple. Is this the case at Port Orleans? What kind of variety of foods are there to choose from?

3) Noise and crowds: The rooms at the CBR were super quiet. We never heard our next door neighbors. And, because the CBR is large, we never felt crowded. What about at Port Orleans?

4) Pools: Are there quiet pools at Port Orleans or is there just one main pool? How crowded do they get?

5) Location: Which section (Riverside or French Quarter) do you recommend?

We dont' mind walking a bit from our room to the food court/main pool. Which building in each section is best?

I think I have all my questions listed. If you have more information pass it along please!

Thanks in advance, Lisa

Lisa,

I am responding to your post in regards to theming. While I have not stayed at POR or POFQ, coincidently we will be staying at POR for a weekend in Aug because of the theming, I have stayed at CSR during Christmas 2006 and it was FANTASTIC!

I am not trying to persuade you by any means but take a look at this website
http://coronado_springs.tripod.com/ if you have any questions in regards to CSR.
I hope I helped. Good luck with your vacation planning.

Matt

 

[mickeystoontown]

Matt,

I've actually got a thread posted with questions on the Coronado Springs Resort. We're looking into that resort as well. One of my concerns with the CSR is the food court. Not too sure how we'd like it. We're definitely checking it out though!

 

[DAniece]

Well, it's not the deep south... Do Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina count?

We've stayed at Port Orleans (either POR or POFQ) nine times since Nov.2002 -- overall it's our favorite. We prefer the moderates over the deluxes we've stayed at. This fall, we're going to try Pop Century (the only other value we've stayed at was All Star Sports in 1995).

EG