Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread --- 2012, Part Three --- NOW FULL / CLOSED

[Prose]

We are just back from POR. Overall, it was a fantastic stay. We loved our Royal room, the location in Oak Manor was really convenient and quiet. We never had any bus issues at either the South or East Depots – one bus to MK was packed one day, but there was an empty one coming up right behind it. The ladies and gentlemen at the Concierge desk were outstanding, and we loved the food court. One issue we did have, however, was with housekeeping. Our first day we called for extra towels – DD loved spending a couple of hours a day at the quiet pool, so we ran out of towels quickly. After making the call for towels, we left for dinner. When we came back about 4 hours later, still no towels. We called again and they were delivered about 10 minutes later. The largest problem came one day when we came back to our room for a break in the afternoon around 1:30. The room had not yet been cleaned, but the housekeeper was just a couple of doors away. We asked if she could come back a little later so we could take naps. About an hour later, she knocked on the door (yeah, we should have put out the Do Not Disturb sign, but I was still awake at that point while DH was out cold). I spoke with her and she suggested that she come back at 5:00. That was perfect. We slept for a bit, then were out the door headed to an ADR by 4:30. When we returned around 9:30 our room had not yet been cleaned. DH called (I told him it was going to a call center), and eventually was transferred to the Housekeeping office. The person there said that yes, we were listed for a “late cleaning” and that they probably had just not gotten around to us yet. At 9:30pm? DH demanded that they send someone ASAP, which they did, although she was obviously not happy to be there and was not pleasant – whether she was annoyed at us or at her co-worker for forgetting us I couldn’t tell. We did our best to stay out of her way and be ultra-nice to her – it wasn’t her fault that the room was forgotten. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned POR staff being rude. Overall, the resort staff was terrific, but we did notice that the housekeeping staff rarely smiled or said hello. While she was cleaning, DH went down to the front desk and spoke to Concierge and then to the Duty Manager. They both agreed that an uncleaned room was not acceptable. The manager comped us 50% off the room for that night, which we appreciated. We certainly didn’t expect any more than that. He said that they would be addressing our situation in the next morning’s meeting, and he would get back to us the next day. That never happened. So I learned that if you ask for something like a late cleaning, you should follow up personally with housekeeping to make sure it will happen. I will add that we had tipped $5 housekeeping a day for 3 people up to that point, so that was not an issue here. It didn’t spoil our stay by any means, but it was not the outstanding level of service we had experienced the last time we stayed at POR. It just appears that perhaps there are some management/training issues in the housekeeping area that need addressed.

 

[Prose]

OK, I apologize for the lack of paragraphs above..I have tried 3 times to edit to put them in, but can't get it to save my edits. I really do know how to use paragraphs, I swear.

 

[Missytara]

I would say most likely there was a shift change around the 5:00 pm time period. Either the actual mousekeeper overlooked telling the next one to come on-shift or forgot to inform the supervisor.

 

[Prose]

I would say most likely there was a shift change around the 5:00 pm time period. Either the actual mousekeeper overlooked telling the next one to come on-shift or forgot to inform the supervisor.

Yup, that is probably what happened. However, it should not have happened. The 5:00 time was the housekeeper's suggestion - we would have worked with whatever later time was most convenient for them. Coming back to an uncleaned room bone-tired at 9:30 is not a fun experience. I think the response from the Housekeeping manager on the phone that they "just hadn't gotten to us yet" kind of set us off a bit, too... there were no housekeepers out anywhere at that hour, so it just seemed like an off-the-cuff CYA answer. The folks in Concierge and the manager on duty at the front desk could not have been nicer, though.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Driving a rental car from Ft. Lauderdale to POR for a 4 night stay but will use Disney's magical express service to get us (and our luggage) on our last day to Orlando MCO airport to take us home. Planned to return the rental car right away but should we keep it during our stay at POR? We always used Disney buses, boats, monorail before. Taking the boat to Downtown Disney will be enjoyable... that's the only place where I think having a car would help us get to/from there faster, or maybe Typhoon Lagoon (if we go there). Any thoughts?

 

[danetter]

Is POR really big enough to accommodate 5 people? I know someone wanting to go with a family of 5. 3 are kids, ages 16,14,12. Will this resort be big enough for them?

 

[Missytara]

Is POR really big enough to accommodate 5 people? I know someone wanting to go with a family of 5. 3 are kids, ages 16,14,12. Will this resort be big enough for them?

We have done 4 adults in a mansion room with the more storage space and had no issues.

With those ages, in AB, they would need packing cubes for storage. Have them check out the thread and Andre's website and let them make the decision themselves.

 

[FigmentChick]

We are just back from POR. Overall, it was a fantastic stay. We loved our Royal room, the location in Oak Manor was really convenient and quiet. We never had any bus issues at either the South or East Depots  one bus to MK was packed one day, but there was an empty one coming up right behind it. The ladies and gentlemen at the Concierge desk were outstanding, and we loved the food court. One issue we did have, however, was with housekeeping. Our first day we called for extra towels  DD loved spending a couple of hours a day at the quiet pool, so we ran out of towels quickly. After making the call for towels, we left for dinner. When we came back about 4 hours later, still no towels. We called again and they were delivered about 10 minutes later. The largest problem came one day when we came back to our room for a break in the afternoon around 1:30. The room had not yet been cleaned, but the housekeeper was just a couple of doors away. We asked if she could come back a little later so we could take naps. About an hour later, she knocked on the door (yeah, we should have put out the Do Not Disturb sign, but I was still awake at that point while DH was out cold). I spoke with her and she suggested that she come back at 5:00. That was perfect. We slept for a bit, then were out the door headed to an ADR by 4:30. When we returned around 9:30 our room had not yet been cleaned. DH called (I told him it was going to a call center), and eventually was transferred to the Housekeeping office. The person there said that yes, we were listed for a late cleaning and that they probably had just not gotten around to us yet. At 9:30pm? DH demanded that they send someone ASAP, which they did, although she was obviously not happy to be there and was not pleasant  whether she was annoyed at us or at her co-worker for forgetting us I couldnt tell. We did our best to stay out of her way and be ultra-nice to her  it wasnt her fault that the room was forgotten. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned POR staff being rude. Overall, the resort staff was terrific, but we did notice that the housekeeping staff rarely smiled or said hello. While she was cleaning, DH went down to the front desk and spoke to Concierge and then to the Duty Manager. They both agreed that an uncleaned room was not acceptable. The manager comped us 50% off the room for that night, which we appreciated. We certainly didnt expect any more than that. He said that they would be addressing our situation in the next mornings meeting, and he would get back to us the next day. That never happened. So I learned that if you ask for something like a late cleaning, you should follow up personally with housekeeping to make sure it will happen. I will add that we had tipped $5 housekeeping a day for 3 people up to that point, so that was not an issue here. It didnt spoil our stay by any means, but it was not the outstanding level of service we had experienced the last time we stayed at POR. It just appears that perhaps there are some management/training issues in the housekeeping area that need addressed.

I am glad to hear I'm not the only one!!!!

We had some issues with housekeeping on our trip last year to POR. To the point, that I spoke to the manager on duty three times during my stay. That should never happen! (I should know, I used to be a front desk manager)

I should explain that we travel with a fair amount of electronics; first and foremost is my laptop which I use to work while on vacation (yes, I'm one of *those* people. lol), then we have the portable DVD player, the many iPods and their chargers, Nintendo DS, etc. You name it, we travel with it.

Anyway.....I always make sure to close the curtains in the room nice and snug before we leave (I even clothespin them together) and the blinds are closed as well. One, this ensures no one can see all our "stuff" and two, it keeps the room dark and cooler than if the window were open to the sun all day.

We came back from the park on our first full day (the day after check-in) and the blinds & curtains were wide open so anyone could see all we had. I was so upset I was shaking (if my work laptop goes missing, I'm in BIG trouble). So, I called the front desk and spoke with the manager on duty. I explained about keeping the windows shut, yadda yadda yadda. She agreed that I had a right to my privacy and would tell the staff to leave the window alone when they entered our room. Next day - window wide open again. I called again. Again I expressed how unhappy I was that my wishes were not heeded. She told me she would make good on her promise to ensure the curtain stays closed (or at least the blinds!). I explained that yes, we are in Disney, but that doesn't mean bad things don't happen. By her silence, I think she agreed with me.

Third day - not only were the curtain & blinds open, we had a used blue latex glove (you know, the ones they wear while cleaning?) and a ratty, nasty toothbrush (NOT ours) sitting on our table. I hit the roof by that point. At least I had been smart enough to start stashing our electronics. All I ever got were apologies, but it's not like they even came from housekeeping. The poor front desk manager had to deal with me all upset. After the third day, we just said "forget it" and didn't even bother. What was the point?

Sorry for the rant.....just wanted to say "I understand". Did you have a great trip otherwise?

 

[poohmickey]

Is POR really big enough to accommodate 5 people? I know someone wanting to go with a family of 5. 3 are kids, ages 16,14,12. Will this resort be big enough for them?

We did POR AB room with 2 adults, 2 16 yr olds and a 14yr old, 5 total, before the remodel. One of the 16 yr olds was our exchange student that we had only had for 2 weeks before the vacation. It was cozy, but since we all knew what to expect and made the most of it, we had an awesome trip!!! We even came back most days for a break in the afternoon.

One thing that really helped was that our room in bldg 18 was really close to the quiet pool with bathrooms. It was just a quick walk down the stairs to the other bathroom when needed.

 

[maxiesmom]

People please please please if you have problems during your trip, do not call down! Walk to the front desk and talk to someone face to face! If you call, you are not talking to anyone at the resort, but someone at a call center!

You complaints should be handled either way, but if you talk to someone face to face you will get a name, and someone to track down, should you not be satisfied. And they in turn can talk to whoever they need to face to face and impress on them the importance of taking care of you!

 

[Prose]

Yes, we did have a great trip otherwise! Crowds were low, MNSSHP was so fun, and weather was perfect.

We actually did both - called and spoke to someone in person. The person on the phone was dismissive, the people at the desk were very nice. They just never followed up as promised.

 

[melissarose]

i just read a post that said the pool would be closed in february sometime for refurb. does anyone know if this is true and the dates?! ahhhh i will be so sad.

 

[Missytara]

i just read a post that said the pool would be closed in february sometime for refurb. does anyone know if this is true and the dates?! ahhhh i will be so sad.

Which pool; there is a main pool and five quiet pools for a total of six. Helps to answer your question if we know which one, as well as your source, which can also be very wrong.

 

[DBLGRR]

That's what we did last week and ended up with a great room. Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[savannie]

DH and I have been at POR since Saturday. The resort is lovely and we love most everything about it. Bus service has been hit and miss, but nothing terrible by any means. The only thing we've had a problem with is how much noise we can hear through the walls. We noticed immediately that we can hear most everything in the bathroom from the room next door. Toilets flushing woke us up at night, so we started closing the bathroom door. Second night I was woken by the people next door coming home. They weren't overly loud. It just seems like you can hear everything through the walls. This morning I had hoped to sleep in because we were up til 2 due to EMH at MK. I was woken up around 8 by housekeeping. She was next door and was using the lock on the door as a kind of door stop. She just let the door slam over and over on the lock and it was so loud. She cleaned that room for the next few hours. So, we were wondering if this is just characteristic of our room (we have a corner room, ground floor, Acadian house, and I think it's a handicap accessible one). Or is this a typical problem at POR? We have slept with the fan on all night, but I have yet to get a full night's uninterrupted sleep. I'm starting my days exhausted and I'm afraid we may have to scratch this resort off the list in the future, even though we love it.

 

[DanInMN]

DH and I have been at POR since Saturday. The resort is lovely and we love most everything about it. Bus service has been hit and miss, but nothing terrible by any means. The only thing we've had a problem with is how much noise we can hear through the walls. We noticed immediately that we can hear most everything in the bathroom from the room next door. Toilets flushing woke us up at night, so we started closing the bathroom door. ...

Sorry to hear this, as we have reservations at the end of January for POR! We have experienced paper-thin walls at the value resorts. I was hoping the moderates were better. Too bad Disney didn't invest a few hundred dollars to have insulation between the rooms.

 

[portocall]

DH and I have been at POR since Saturday. The resort is lovely and we love most everything about it. Bus service has been hit and miss, but nothing terrible by any means. The only thing we've had a problem with is how much noise we can hear through the walls. We noticed immediately that we can hear most everything in the bathroom from the room next door. Toilets flushing woke us up at night, so we started closing the bathroom door. Second night I was woken by the people next door coming home. They weren't overly loud. It just seems like you can hear everything through the walls. This morning I had hoped to sleep in because we were up til 2 due to EMH at MK. I was woken up around 8 by housekeeping. She was next door and was using the lock on the door as a kind of door stop. She just let the door slam over and over on the lock and it was so loud. She cleaned that room for the next few hours. So, we were wondering if this is just characteristic of our room (we have a corner room, ground floor, Acadian house, and I think it's a handicap accessible one). Or is this a typical problem at POR? We have slept with the fan on all night, but I have yet to get a full night's uninterrupted sleep. I'm starting my days exhausted and I'm afraid we may have to scratch this resort off the list in the future, even though we love it.

We stayed in ab building 27 and didn't have a problem with noise except the one morning when our friends and neighbors were leaving to go home a day earlier than us and their son who was three threw a fit. Granted our adjoining door was open and theirs was closed so I attributed to that. We were already awake though. We didn't hear toilets but always keep the bathroom door closed. While admittedly I am a deep sleeper, my dh wakes up to the slightest noise and he said he got the best sleep there. I'm sorry you had a noisy experience. We were a corner room also.

 

[melissarose]

Which pool; there is a main pool and five quiet pools for a total of six. Helps to answer your question if we know which one, as well as your source, which can also be very wrong.

BigKid45 posted a thread about it. And I'm assuming they mean the main pool. I wouldn't really care if it was a quiet pool.

 

[Missytara]

BigKid45 posted a thread about it. And I'm assuming they mean the main pool. I wouldn't really care if it was a quiet pool.

That would make sense, since most of the quiet pools have been refurbed within the last few years. Also, in the winter, it is best to do work on the main pool and keep the quiet pools open around the resort buildings.

The main pool is the farthest from most rooms and least likely to be used in the winter time; while the brave will tackle the quiet pools, since the walk back to the room is never that far.

Makes sense to take out the main pool for refurbishment in the dead of winter, when less people will be swimming anyway.

 

[BigKid45]

Just got confirmation on our 2/2013 POR trip and the request line reads:
SPECIAL REQUEST: POOL WILL BE CLOSED FOR REHAB
Anyone have details?

....a quiet pool doesn't seem worth mentioning so I'm assuming it's Ol Man River pool.