POR Riverside let down?

[tmaxwell]

We booked our bounce back for next summer and we couldn't get back into Wilderness Lodge and I'm pretty bummed. We loved the Wilderness Lodge and how close it was to everything. Am I going to fall in love with Port Orleans the same way I fell in love with Wilderness Lodge? Should I keep trying to get into Wilderness Lodge??

 

[stinkpickle]

Sure, you'll fall in love with it...

 

[melissapealo]

Maybe try looking at pictures and watching videos of POR. It is a beautiful resort but no one knows if you'll love it the way you do WL. Only you can decide if you think you'll be happy there or not. If you don't think you will then try for WL or even another resort.

 

[DisneyFansInNYC]

I was not happy with the quick service food at the POR. We love the WL and wouldn't put the POR in the same category. You could like the POR but I personally would try for the WL.

 

[loves to dive]

Have you ever stayed in a moderate before or is WL the only resort you've stayed at on site? There is a leap between moderate and deluxe. Moderates have no inside hallways so they are more motel like, they have food courts which most deluxe resorts don't and those can be crowded and a little noisy. POR is a beautiful resort, two very distinct sides, lots of beautiful grounds. If you don't have a car you are going to bus everywhere, while at WL you can at least boat to MK. I think it's a great resort and probably my favorite of the moderates. Will you be disappointed, it's really what you make of it. I'm a deluxe gal, but since I go often I tend to do split stays with a day or two at a moderate then move over to one of the Epcot resorts. Could I stay the entire trip at a moderate and be happy? You bet you if it was the only way I could go.

 

[ls1222]

That's the opposite of us, we couldn't get POR (besides riverview) for next summer BB but they offered us Wilderness Lodge (I'm not a fan)! I booked CSR and will keep trying for POR.

 

[WishICouldSpeakWhale]

I loved POR, including the quick service. We have stayed in deluxe resorts more often, but I miss the quick service at POR when we do. We were in there for at least one meal per day on our last stay there and it was good every time. The resort is lovely, and transportation was good.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I love walking around POR and looking at all the plants. We used to live in Louisiana and would look for familiar plants to what we had in our yard. Lots of azaleas blooming in the spring.

 

[Tonyz]

POR is gorgeous. You'll absolutely fall in love with it.

 

[patrokls]

You can also take a boat to Disney Springs from POR if you're planning to go there. I love that boat ride.

 

[SL6827]

POR is beyond amazing in regards to the landscaping. And you have the boat to Disney Springs. The only problem I have with POR is it is pretty much how I live in Georgia, as far as my home and land. With CSR and CBR, it was like I was in a Mexican or Caribbean village.

 

[DizDaD7]

We booked our bounce back for next summer and we couldn't get back into Wilderness Lodge and I'm pretty bummed. We loved the Wilderness Lodge and how close it was to everything. Am I going to fall in love with Port Orleans the same way I fell in love with Wilderness Lodge? Should I keep trying to get into Wilderness Lodge??

Uhm... it's hard to say, because you are comparing apples to oranges....Deluxes & mods have plenty of differences, but that's not to say that by far WL is better.
POR is a great resort, and you definitely get that Disney fell here for sure...It has a great atmosphere, very nice rooms. Some awesome pools Main ones & quiet as well. Lots of spots to grab food. The buses were generally ok , but was very bad the night we came back from F! Other than that its a great resort...Oh yea the boat to DS, and don't forget about YeeHaw Bob, in the lounge...

 

[McKelly]

POR is one of our favorite resorts! Keep an open mind and it's always nice to try a new resort.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We booked our bounce back for next summer and we couldn't get back into Wilderness Lodge and I'm pretty bummed. We loved the Wilderness Lodge and how close it was to everything. Am I going to fall in love with Port Orleans the same way I fell in love with Wilderness Lodge? Should I keep trying to get into Wilderness Lodge??

We love the Wilderness Lodge. It is one of our favorite resorts. We have stayed at POR twice now and we like it, but we don't love it the way we love WL. The rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of POR remind us of the WL. They have that same rustic flavor. And we like how much vegetation they have in that section of the resort. The mansion section is very different, so I suggest that all WL lovers stay in Alligator Bayou.

The nice thing about POR is the boat to Disney Springs and more food choices at the food court that at Roaring Forks. The disadvantage would be the buses. The buses at POR make four stops within the resort before heading off to their destination. The buses back from the parks at park close can have huge lines. We had to wait for the fourth bus before we could get back to the resort after the Star Wars fireworks in June of 2016. We totally missed the WL bus on that trip.

We are going to stay at POR in October because we couldn't get a room at WL. It was all booked up. But we aren't planning to stay late at the parks, so it will be alright. The nice thing about POR is that we are saving a lot of money by staying there.

Bottom line is that we liked POR a whole lot more than we thought we would. And it was great for the multi-family trip we had in June of 2016. But most likely you won't love it as much as WL, especially now that they build Geyser Point and the new villas pool. They made the WL even better.

 

[DebbieB]

Did you book the free dining bounce back? POR will only be the quick service plan.

 

[raddisneyfan]

Love WL--been to visit many times for dinner and just hang out, but never stayed--will be there in less than 3 weeks and can't wait to actually stay. I stayed at POR in Alligator Bayou this past May and loved it--surrounded by vegetation and really quiet. I don't mind walking, but if you do, you may want to request a preferred location or check resort map and requests specific buildings accordingly.

 

[southjerseymom]

We love POR. Always did Alligator Bayou but in the Mansions this trip. Awesome food court. Great bar with entertainment. Never had trouble with the busses and this trip will probably Uber. Disney Springs boat trip is the best! My guys have grown up in the deluxes but this is rhe resort they request as teens.

 

[bryanb]

POR has a beautiful theme with a tranquil southern setting. I also loved the boat ride to Disney Springs. The food court was very nice and has more options than I recall at WL. The rooms are definitely not as nice as Wilderness Lodge, as others have mentioned, as they are motel-style layouts with windows that face out to the exterior corridors.

That said, I would not hesitate to recommend POR. I have my favorite Disney resorts, but it's fun to try new ones given the vast variety of options at WDW. Even if you don't fall in love with POR the same way, most people have a great time there and you'll add some variety to your vacations. If nothing else, the savings alone will buy you some nice alternate experiences at WDW.

 

[FelisLachesis]

POR is very quiet, and very serene. It's almost a polar opposite to the parks. Riverside has a great Southern charm about it that isn't replicated anywhere else on property. Take a slow walk around, and maybe walk along the river down to FQ to see how they do things.

Yeeha Bob plays in the lounge, and he's a hoot! If you have time one night, definitely go see him. There's also the boat to DS, so that's really easy to get to.

Riverside has a great food court, FQ has some really good beignets. Walk back from FQ to Riverside with a box of 6, and take it all in. Just don't get powdered sugar all over yourself.

The doors are all on the outside, like a motel, but it's not a detraction. All the moderates work like that.

Flipside, Boatwrights, the Riverside TS restaurant is very hit or miss. Some people love it, some people hate it. But if you don't want to gamble with that, as said before, take the boat to DS. The buses are also hit or miss. Some people get lucky and get on their bus in 5 minutes, other people talk about seeing 3 buses to AK, 2 to Epcot and 2 to HS before that bus to MK ever shows up.

Regardless, I love it, there, and if it weren't for fighting traffic at 4 am to make some races, that would've been our hotel our upcoming trip.

 

[tmaxwell]

Did you book the free dining bounce back? POR will only be the quick service plan.

What?! We are having issues with our bounce back offer right now (says my daughter made the reservation and there's no dining linked to it).

I really hope that's not the case.