Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread --- 2012, Part One --- NOW CLOSED

[Venomhatch]

Who can say? The mansions vs. Alligator Bayou is still on a request basis rather than a booking category, so you could still get either section anyway.

Maybe next year they'll break down Alligator Bayou and the two remaining non-Royal mansion buildings into separate bookable areas too? A final total of 15 categories seems a nice semi-round number! (Only half joking actually. I think that would have made more sense than some of the other category options, as so many people seem to specifically want AB or mansion building rooms).

Andre

I personally like the AB section the best. But the mansions have the royal rooms, and if the little miss wants it then we get it lol.

*Hey I PMed you Andre.

 

[hunmcbunny]

We will probably go for the royal room next year....this will give us more time to save. This trip was kinda spur of the moment.

hey venomhatch...u got your suitcases out yet

 

[hunmcbunny]

I personally like the AB section the best. But the mansions have the royal rooms, and if the little miss wants it then we get it lol.

*Hey I PMed you Andre.

can you explain to me why you like AB better than MB?

 

[Missytara]

I recently booked using the AP rate and the best deal came up as a River View. I'd like to have a king bed as well. Is this something I can ask for by calling and attaching this as a preference?

I'd like the king but don't want to pay any more than I'm already being charged for the River View.

King bed, as well as Riverview are booking categories. So you do have to book one and request the other.

However, king beds are not as prevalent and several of them are also handicapped accessible rooms. So depending on how busy they are, you may/may not get one.

That being said, on just about every solo trip I have made to POR, I have booked the waterview/riverview category and have always gotten a king bed room without even requesting it.

 

[disneydreamin247]

I totally think I'm going to book a RR for my princess' 2nd birthday next year.

 

[Missytara]

I've been told that the King Bed rooms were regarded as likely choices for honeymooning couples so they are quite often located in the nicer sections of the resort (e.g. not so many parking lot views).

Andre

I have been lucky enough to secure a king bed room almost every time I go solo. I had an awesome corner one at Partarre Place in 2011 about 30 feet from the river.

I would say in my case, it was reserved for someone who is used to sharing a queen sized bed with three cats.....after the first night, I realized I had the entire bed to myself, not just the first eight inches.....

 

[hunmcbunny]

I would say in my case, it was reserved for someone who is used to sharing a queen sized bed with three cats.....after the first night, I realized I had the entire bed to myself, not just the first eight inches.....

This was me 10 yrs ago only it was 2 mastiffs and a rottie

 

[Missytara]

This was me 10 yrs ago only it was 2 mastiffs and a rottie

Oh heavens....... I don't envy you in the least. Cats are a bit easier, but you are talking slobberers.....

 

[hunmcbunny]

Oh heavens....... I don't envy you in the least. Cats are a bit easier, but you are talking slobberers.....

The last one past away 5 yrs ago. I do have a border collie mix and another mastiff but neither of them are allowed on the bed. The cat feels its beneath him to share a bed

 

[Missytara]

The last one past away 5 yrs ago. I do have a border collie mix and another mastiff but neither of them are allowed on the bed. The cat feels its beneath him to share a bed

That is too funny. I wish!

I have one, Jack, who is my biggest at 11 pounds. He is the neediest cat I have ever seen in my life. I call him my "spooner." He literally stretches out as long as he can, and lays right up against me; I lay on my side when I sleep with my arm out and he lays his head on my arm.

He also gets up on the sink in the morning when I go to brush my teeth; gets up in my face and strokes the side of my face with his nose.

Then I go downstairs and fill their water dishes and there he is again, rubbing up against my face.

And there he is again, while I am getting something off the dryer to wear to work. He puts his face up to mine and rubs up against it, just purring away.

 

[siwash23]

Ok so we called Disney about free dining. The CM tried to get us free dining with our RR but it was a no go...however the CM told us we could switch to a non RR room queen bed with free dining and then upgraded us to the deluxe plan. We ended up saving $500 by doing this. We asked that we get queen beds and close to main building. While the RRs are nice its much nicer saving $500.

There is a free dining deal for the U.S. now? . . . .or was this just a personal pin.

 

[Venomhatch]

We will probably go for the royal room next year....this will give us more time to save. This trip was kinda spur of the moment.

hey venomhatch...u got your suitcases out yet

Yeah they have been out since 50 days out and have had little things already packed. Now we have a lot more packed with space bags involved. LOL

can you explain to me why you like AB better than MB?

Well I love the atmosphere around the buildings. To me when I was in the mansions it just felt like I was in a regular hotel. But in the AB area it was like I was in the south, almost Baton Rouge, Louisiana feel to it. Plus I was in the building 14 right next to the food court and main building so that might have made a difference.

 

[hunmcbunny]

There is a free dining deal for the U.S. now? . . . .or was this just a personal pin.

never received a pin but alot people here were saying how they got free dining. So we called Disney to ask about it. She said we werent eligible for the free dining because we booked the RR. She did try to get us the free dining but it was a no go. However she was able to get us in a different room that had free dining and then upgraded us to the deluxe plan.

We honestly didnt care which room we got ... we just wanted to be in POR with free dining.

 

[hunmcbunny]

Yeah they have been out since 50 days out and have had little things already packed. Now we have a lot more packed with space bags involved. LOL




Well I love the atmosphere around the buildings. To me when I was in the mansions it just felt like I was in a regular hotel. But in the AB area it was like I was in the south, almost Baton Rouge, Louisiana feel to it. Plus I was in the building 14 right next to the food court and main building so that might have made a difference.

We are going out tonite to pick out small suitcase for our 5 yr old and hope to start packing some of her clothes next week...somehow I gotta do this without letting her know. That ought to be interesting lol

The hubster and I decided that we are gonna walk around AB to check it out to see if thats where we wanna stay next or do RR.

 

[Venomhatch]

We are going out tonite to pick out small suitcase for our 5 yr old and hope to start packing some of her clothes next week...somehow I gotta do this without letting her know. That ought to be interesting lol

The hubster and I decided that we are gonna walk around AB to check it out to see if thats where we wanna stay next or do RR.

Yeah it is tough to decide on RR but I know next year we will maybe do that.

 

[siwash23]

never received a pin but alot people here were saying how they got free dining. So we called Disney to ask about it. She said we werent eligible for the free dining because we booked the RR. She did try to get us the free dining but it was a no go. However she was able to get us in a different room that had free dining and then upgraded us to the deluxe plan.

We honestly didnt care which room we got ... we just wanted to be in POR with free dining.

Wow, I hadn't heard of that before. . .calling and getting free dining added when it was not a published special. Sounds like you got a good deal. Perhaps they offered it b/c you are going to be there on March 23rd, right around the time people earlier in this thread said that the Royal Rooms were overboooked and that they were called and offered upgrades to deluxes.

I am going on March 11th and have a Royal Room but had to pay for deluxe dining and only got the 15% off the room rate special. Given the WDW site still shows Royal Rooms availble during my booking days I doubt they would offer me anything.

 

[JoesLove]

never received a pin but alot people here were saying how they got free dining. So we called Disney to ask about it. She said we werent eligible for the free dining because we booked the RR. She did try to get us the free dining but it was a no go. However she was able to get us in a different room that had free dining and then upgraded us to the deluxe plan.

We honestly didnt care which room we got ... we just wanted to be in POR with free dining.

When did you make your reservations? I just booked about 2 weeks ago, wondering if that would make a difference for the free dining. I booked online. Guess it's worth a call?
or does it have to do with when your stay is? We're not going until April 23rd.

 

[lfeikert]

When did you make your reservations? I just booked about 2 weeks ago, wondering if that would make a difference for the free dining. I booked online. Guess it's worth a call?
or does it have to do with when your stay is? We're not going until April 23rd.

Free Dining was an offer through the end of March if you booked by the end of 2011 I believe. I forget the exact cut-off date to book but it was sometime in December. We booked right around Thanksgiving for March 26-31 and have a Royal Room with Free Dining.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

OMG you are sooo brave to drive. We are about an hour north of Albany, NY. We drive to Myrtle Beach alot and I HATE that drive with a passion...maybe its because of I-95 which has to be the worst interstate in the whole country.

and I have to start driving it in 14 days.

 

[bell.of.the.ball]

So as you know I have posted about the garden view queen bed being an issue when I arrived. Well I called today and asked for a supervisor and got some one in operations and told them my saga of booking garden view queen beds, calling the hotel and being promised they are ready, and then being told when I put it on my requests that it was only a request. and guess what..........I am going to the POLY!!!!! but I will back one day when they finish the refurb because I really want to stay at the POR.