Port Orleans French Quarter FAQ thread - Refurbished for 2011 - Now CLOSED

[glk2009]

We've never stayed at POFQ and have read so many good things about it! This thread has been a great resource!

This is a weird question, but here it goes...

We will be there in May (so excited!!!) with our DD3. My question is, can you move the beds?

I'd like to move one of them up against the wall so that DD3 has less chance of rolling off. I'd rather not use bed rails since I find them to be intrusive and I'm pretty sure DD wouldn't like them (we do not use them at home, but she is in a toddler bed at home). I just wanted to make sure they aren't attached to the floor or something strange like that.

Thanks!!!!

 

[dawgfan]

I think the head boards are attached to the wall. Also the size of the room would make it difficult to move the bed in the way that you wish. I think the answer would be no.

 

[shoes99]

Just got back from 4 nights, 5 days at POFQ to celebrate DH's birthday and to attend ESPN the WEEKEND. We had fun, and the King Room in Bldg 4, 4101ground floor was lovely. The mattress was brand new in this recently renovated room, DH had to ask for a few mattress pads, but I slept fine.
The King Room was a corner room real close to parking. It quiet between bldg 4 & 5 and a very short walk to the main bldg. They were still selling the old mugs in the food court, but I saw families with the new mugs, the old mugs and even the blue mugs.

 

[pooh2001]

GLK2009 "I'd like to move one of them up against the wall so that DD3 has less chance of rolling off. I'd rather not use bed rails since I find them to be intrusive and I'm pretty sure DD wouldn't like them (we do not use them at home, but she is in a toddler bed at home). I just wanted to make sure they aren't attached to the floor or something strange like that."



Ask for bed rails for the bed. I think they are free.
You can pre-request them before you go - just call the resort or add it to your reservations.

 

[mom2taylorandemily]

We've never stayed at POFQ and have read so many good things about it! This thread has been a great resource!

This is a weird question, but here it goes...

We will be there in May (so excited!!!) with our DD3. My question is, can you move the beds?

I'd like to move one of them up against the wall so that DD3 has less chance of rolling off. I'd rather not use bed rails since I find them to be intrusive and I'm pretty sure DD wouldn't like them (we do not use them at home, but she is in a toddler bed at home). I just wanted to make sure they aren't attached to the floor or something strange like that.

Thanks!!!!

Get the rails. They really aren't intrusive, and quite frankly they may keep your daughter from getting hurt. The beds aren't going to move, they are on a platform and attached to the headboards on the wall. But they are a bit high off the floor, at least 2 feet and I wouldn't have wanted my toddler falling that far to the floor in the middle of the night. But if you are dead set against the rails, you could always pile pillows up on the bed to set up a barrier, but if she should roll over that, it is still a long way to the floor.

 

[Revbat]

So I just finished reading all of the last thread this thread. I think I started back in January. Probably a little overkill, but lots of good info in here!

My gf and I going for 10 nights in May. We made our first trip to the World last May and stayed at Pop, but weren't thrilled with our room. After reading so many positive things about POFQ we decided to book there.

Thanks to everyone for the great posts here!

 

[pwdebbie]

I just read this in the AllEars newsletter:

Opening of Disney's Port Orleans Resort:
May 1991

This massive resort opened in May 1991 as a moderate-level offering that combined two distinct options, one with an Old South theme and one with a French Quarter theme. Originally configured as two separate resorts, the two venues merged in 2001 into a single resort.

Isn't this backwards? I thought it opened as one big resort, Dixie Landings, and then became two separate resorts.

 

[jen42002]

I just read this in the AllEars newsletter:

Opening of Disney's Port Orleans Resort:
May 1991

This massive resort opened in May 1991 as a moderate-level offering that combined two distinct options, one with an Old South theme and one with a French Quarter theme. Originally configured as two separate resorts, the two venues merged in 2001 into a single resort.

Isn't this backwards? I thought it opened as one big resort, Dixie Landings, and then became two separate resorts.

Port Orleans French Quarter originally opened in 1991 as Port Orleans Resort.
Port Orleans Riverside originally opened in 1992 as Dixie Landings.
In 2001 they were merged into one resort but with each section having the names we know now.

 

[glk2009]

Get the rails. They really aren't intrusive, and quite frankly they may keep your daughter from getting hurt. The beds aren't going to move, they are on a platform and attached to the headboards on the wall. But they are a bit high off the floor, at least 2 feet and I wouldn't have wanted my toddler falling that far to the floor in the middle of the night. But if you are dead set against the rails, you could always pile pillows up on the bed to set up a barrier, but if she should roll over that, it is still a long way to the floor.

Thanks!!! I know that at some hotels you can move the beds, but since you can't at POFQ, I will definitely request the bed rails.

Thanks for all of the replies!!!

 

[andrewilley]

This massive resort opened in May 1991 as a moderate-level offering that combined two distinct options, one with an Old South theme and one with a French Quarter theme. Originally configured as two separate resorts, the two venues merged in 2001 into a single resort.

Here's the story in a little more detail, shamelessly stolen from the Resort History page of a website I know well... See the site for lots more backstory and trivia information.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort first opened to the public at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida on 17th May 1991, with the original ground-breaking during the fall of 1989. Originally featuring just 432 guest rooms in three buildings, the room count was soon increased to 1,008 as construction on the remaining four buildings was completed.

Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort first opened to the public on 2nd February 1992 featuring the rustic styled Alligator Bayou Lodge buildings. Shortly after that, phase two of the resort opened with the more elegant sophistication of the Magnolia Bend mansion buildings bringing the total number of guest rooms up to 2,048.

On 1st March 2001, the transformation of Dixie Landings and Port Orleans into one large resort began with changes to road signage around the two resorts.

On 1st April 2001, Port Orleans and Dixie Landings officially merged to form one large resort. In fact, the two sections had always shared the same management team but this process completely removed all vestiges of the old Dixie Landings terminology. The reason for the merger has never been made completely clear, but many think it was largely due to the inferred racial and slavery undertones of the Dixie Landings cotton plantation backstory.

The combined resort is now called Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, with the area formerly known just as Port Orleans changing its name to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter and the area formerly known as Dixie Landings changing its name to Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. The combined resort now spans some 325 acres and features a total of 3,056 guest rooms, making it the largest in Walt Disney World.

Andre

 

[tink2]

LOVE this thread! We are heading back to POFQ in Dec and I'm so glad to read about the rehabs!!!

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

As far as we know, yes. I can't see why they would miss a few rooms out. (Accessible rooms have King beds anyway, which would otherwise have been the only reason I could think of for which they'd still need to use the smaller beds)

Andre

While on the phone booking my trip I was told that with the rehab, many Accessible rooms will be 2 queens as in many more queens than accessible King rooms. Accessible King rooms will be harder to acquire. This was part of the re-hab reasons as will be with other resorts going through rehabs in the future. Not positive if it is true, but what I was told.

 

[Disney before Sally]

I think I have stayed at Dixie Landings back in the 90s. I remember it having many little hot tubs so that there was one close to any building. Toads would sing to me on the walk to one at night. The food was so far away from my room, that I never ventured over. A memory that has survived the decades is that I was envious of the French Quarters bus stop. I recall being able to see the French Quarter bus stop from my Dixie Landings bus stop location. I am so looking forward to our vacation trip in August to POFQ. Thank you for this lovely board.

I had reservations at Coronado Springs Resort. The day I heard that over 4000 conventioners swarmed the grounds of this resort that has only 1900 or so rooms, I had to switch. I could not risk having a cross country dream vacation ruined by the resort telling me that I was not allowed to use the parking lot or pool because I was not part of the convention.

I need queen beds, because the twin they call a double at Disney isn't long enough for both my head and feet to fit at the same time. I am looking forward to the ease of a small layout. I hope we find time to do one thing that this resort has to offer, besides transportation to a park and place to sleep. We might take a trip to DTD on the boat transportation - or just over to POR to get the pressed coins. We may even have a caricature drawn. I still have my caricature from an artist sitting in Epcot around 1988 - that was free!

 

[Punchy]

I just got back on Wednesday.

Building 1 is now completed, and they started on Building 2 on Monday. They move so quickly I bet it will be done before end of next week!

We stayed in a King Room in Building 3, which is not refurbished.

A couple pictures of Building 2:

 

[itsalebeau]

Punchy, I love your avatar.

 

[Punchy]

Here are a few photos of the Port Orleans Mardi Gras Parade.

They gave out beads, doubloons, masks and candy.

I thought it was cute!

 

[andrewilley]

Here are a few photos of the Port Orleans Mardi Gras Parade.

Thanks for the pictures and the info, would you mind if I used a few of your photos at portorleans.org?

Andre

 

[Pixiedust34]

The Marti Gras celebration looks like a lot of fun! Thanks for sharing the photos.

 

[Punchy]

Absolutely, Andre.

I wish they were better quality, but the competition for beads was fierce and I couldn't get to the front.

 

[Berta]

Wish I had been there for the Mardi Gras celebration! How fun!

Can anyone tell me if the refurbished rooms have Iphone/Ipod docking stations?

TIA

Berta