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

[andrewilley]

Hey fellow Canuck! You aren't the only ones worrying....we arrive on the 3rd for a return trip to POR and hopefully we will be in that pool too!

I've not heard anything specific either, but I do agree with the other posters who've said that early February would be an ideal time for any routine annual maintenance work to be done.

However if so, they only ever close one pool at a time so the other five Riverside pools and the POFQ main pool will be still be available to you.

Andre

 

[BigKid45]

WDW Customer Service responded No worries, the pool is open!!

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort!

I did contact Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside directly, and they currently don't have any record of the Ol' Man Island Pool going down for rehabilitation. If any sort of closure is scheduled during your visit, you will receive a letter advising you of the closure.

It seems that the pool closure comment was selected by mistake while entering the request for connecting rooms.

I certainly apologize for the confusion, but please rest assured that your children will be able to enjoy the water slide and play areas at Ol' Man Island Pool.

I hope this information has been helpful; we look forward to seeing you and your family in February!

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
Camille Jenks
WDW Online Communications

 

[Sherrkel]

WDW Customer Service responded No worries, the pool is open!!

Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World® Resort!

I did contact Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside directly, and they currently don't have any record of the Ol' Man Island Pool going down for rehabilitation. If any sort of closure is scheduled during your visit, you will receive a letter advising you of the closure.

It seems that the pool closure comment was selected by mistake while entering the request for connecting rooms.

I certainly apologize for the confusion, but please rest assured that your children will be able to enjoy the water slide and play areas at Ol' Man Island Pool.

I hope this information has been helpful; we look forward to seeing you and your family in February!

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Sincerely,
Camille Jenks
WDW Online Communications

YAAAAY!! Thanks so much for checking in to this further. Now we'll be able to enjoy some relaxation and refreshments from the poolside bar (responsibly, of course) while the kids enjoy the pool and slide. Thanks!!

 

[SeniorPrincess]

I was surprised to see a note on my package res that says we can check in a full 10 days prior to arrival. I thought early check in meant on your way from the airport or something! Anyway, could you experienced POR guests give me your feedback on this system. What are the pros and cons? I assume if we do it online we are stuck with whatever room we are assigned as opposed to being able to ask for a change in person if we wait in regular registration line? Or should I fax my room preferences PRIOR to the 10-day early check in period? Thanks from a POR newbie!

 

[Missytara]

I was surprised to see a note on my package res that says we can check in a full 10 days prior to arrival. I thought early check in meant on your way from the airport or something! Anyway, could you experienced POR guests give me your feedback on this system. What are the pros and cons? I assume if we do it online we are stuck with whatever room we are assigned as opposed to being able to ask for a change in person if we wait in regular registration line? Or should I fax my room preferences PRIOR to the 10-day early check in period? Thanks from a POR newbie!

Requests should be on your reservation. You can place them anytime you place your reservation.

You check in 10 days prior to actual check-in date. You indicate a time of arrival and a credit card for your account. You will be in a separate check-in line and your package will be ready; most likely your room will be ready also.

If you are not happy with your location, you can reiterate the requests and they can try to accommodate your requests, but they will have to redo your KTTW cards. IMHO, it sort-of defeats the purpose of doing online check-in if you have specific requests you want them to try to meet.

My suggestion is that if you do have specific things that you require, wait until you check-in at the resort. Take the time to reiterate your requests and allow the CM to locate a room. Tell them you do not mind waiting in order to fulfill your request. Most times they can do so, if the resort is not too, too busy.

However, as stated before, requests are just that - requests.

 

[andrewilley]

I assume if we do it online we are stuck with whatever room we are assigned as opposed to being able to ask for a change in person if we wait in regular registration line? Or should I fax my room preferences PRIOR to the 10-day early check in period? Thanks from a POR newbie!

You can always request a change when you get there, but that might mean lining up again rather than just picking up your package and going to your room.

To give you an idea of how it works, this is what I've been told (and watched happening in fact):

• You can do advanced checkin online up to 10 days out, which simply flags your booking with your expected arrival time, credit card details, etc. At this point nothing else is assigned room-wise.
  
• If you've got any special or complicated requests (including if you decide to send a faxed request in the meantime) then 3-5 days out the room assignment team may be able to pre-block you a room or rooms. However do remember that if they do assign you a specific room number in advance, that room will need to be vacated and ready before you can get in, which (especially if it was occupied the night before) might not be done by the time you arrive. This process is not affected in the slightest by your having done online checkin, although I would assume that having your expected arrival time on file might help them.
  
• Just a few hours before you are due to arrive at the resort, a cast member who is dealing with that day's online bookings will start processing your reservation and will put together your welcome pack. At this point they will try to assign you a room number which is already showing on their systems as cleaned and 'Ready'. They will see any requests that are attached to the booking and will try to match them if possible, but their priority will be to ensure that you get a clean Ready room when you arrive if at all possible, even if that is not a perfect match with all of your requests.
  
• When you arrive, you'll collect your welcome pack and your room should be waiting for you. Of course, if you want to ask them whether anything closer to your requests has become available in the meantime, you can always do so, but that might hold you up a bit.

Andre

 

[ItsNotMuchofaTail]

You can always request a change when you get there, but that might mean lining up again rather than just picking up your package and going to your room.

To give you an idea of how it works, this is what I've been told (and watched happening in fact):

• You can do advanced checkin online up to 10 days out, which simply flags your booking with your expected arrival time, credit card details, etc. At this point nothing else is assigned room-wise.
  
• If you've got any special or complicated requests (including if you decide to send a faxed request in the meantime) then 3-5 days out the room assignment team may be able to pre-block you a room or rooms. However do remember that if they do assign you a specific room number in advance, that room will need to be vacated and ready before you can get in, which (especially if it was occupied the night before) might not be done by the time you arrive. This process is not affected in the slightest by your having done online checkin, although I would assume that having your expected arrival time on file might help them.
  
• Just a few hours before you are due to arrive at the resort, a cast member who is dealing with that day's online bookings will start processing your reservation and will put together your welcome pack. At this point they will try to assign you a room number which is already showing on their systems as cleaned and 'Ready'. They will see any requests that are attached to the booking and will try to match them if possible, but their priority will be to ensure that you get a clean Ready room when you arrive if at all possible, even if that is not a perfect match with all of your requests.
  
• When you arrive, you'll collect your welcome pack and your room should be waiting for you. Of course, if you want to ask them whether anything closer to your requests has become available in the meantime, you can always do so, but that might hold you up a bit.

Andre

I do have a request noted on my reservation (Oak Manor near bridge - I reserved a royal room). If the thing I would be happiest to find upon check in is that my room is ready (flight scheduled to land at MCO 10:45 am, using ME), would you suggest online check in? I would like a room near the bridge, but having the room ready when I get there would make me a VERY happy mama, perhaps even happier than the "perfect" room location. Because ALL the rooms are at WDW, right?

 

[Newbie123]

Up until now, I've been primarily considering AoA for our (first!) trip in fall 2013; however, we would stay in a standard room there, and I keep reading about the distance between that section and the bus stops, food, etc...I wouldn't be too concerned about myself, but my mom has some issues that concern me with walking more than she will need to in the parks. (And the fact that it seems as though that section will not be included in any future discounts is disappointing!)

We will have both sets of grandparents, along with my husband and 2 children (5/2). Do you think POR would be a good choice for us? The map looks like the resort is fairly spread out, but at least there are multiple bus stops (unlike AoA, which as the one central stop). Are the non-preferred rooms a decent hike away from the stops? Any advice you can give about whether this would be a good fit for our family would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

 

[maxiesmom]

I did contact Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside directly, and they currently don't have any record of the Ol' Man Island Pool going down for rehabilitation. If any sort of closure is scheduled during your visit, you will receive a letter advising you of the closure.

[/I]

Ok, I have to be Debbie Downer here. The one bad experience I have had at POR was showing up for our stay and having the feature pool slide down. Maybe they don't send out notes if the just have the slide closed, but they certainly didn't tell us about it ahead of time. And according to the manager on duty at the time, they don't have to let the guests know ahead of time about any type of closure. And no one at the pool area knew, it was quite the discussion.

Hopefully the whole pool area will be up and running for you all. I'll keep my fingers crossed, I know how upsetting it is to you and any children along with you when some parts are shut down. I'm just not sure I would put 100% of my faith behind the e-mail from WDW.

 

[andrewilley]

If the thing I would be happiest to find upon check in is that my room is ready (flight scheduled to land at MCO 10:45 am, using ME), would you suggest online check in?

To be honest, probably yes - online checkin will most likely get you a room that you can occupy as soon as you arrive. Hopefully they will have been able to accommodate your requests too, but if not you can always ask when you arrive in case there's anything else closer by then.

Andre

 

[andrewilley]

Ok, I have to be Debbie Downer here. The one bad experience I have had at POR was showing up for our stay and having the feature pool slide down.

While I know this might be a bit annoying, sometimes things happen beyond the resort's control (e.g. a pump or piping failure). And just a slide being out of action (even if it was pre-planned) might not trigger a mass email event to everyone who happens to be staying at the resort during that period.

First World problems, I guess. And I can think of a few New Yorker's I know who would very gladly swap for being at POR right now, even without a working pool slide...

Andre

 

[Missytara]

Up until now, I've been primarily considering AoA for our (first!) trip in fall 2013; however, we would stay in a standard room there, and I keep reading about the distance between that section and the bus stops, food, etc...I wouldn't be too concerned about myself, but my mom has some issues that concern me with walking more than she will need to in the parks. (And the fact that it seems as though that section will not be included in any future discounts is disappointing!)

We will have both sets of grandparents, along with my husband and 2 children (5/2). Do you think POR would be a good choice for us? The map looks like the resort is fairly spread out, but at least there are multiple bus stops (unlike AoA, which as the one central stop). Are the non-preferred rooms a decent hike away from the stops? Any advice you can give about whether this would be a good fit for our family would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!

From an architect's perspective, I can tell you the things I like over the other moderates - CBR and CSR:

1. While the others are a more elongated overall layout, POR is somewhat more round and therefore fairly accessible to any bus stop, pool, walkway, etc. There are very few rooms, with the exception of the farthest out Parterre Place rooms, that are far from anything.

2. I like the fact that once you depart the bus and get to the walkways around the buildings, you are in the shade.

3. I like the fact that there is a lot of landscaping, which also means a great deal of shade as you walk.

4. I like the overall layout of the main building. Some resort buildings are closest to the food court side and some are closest to the entrance/marina/bus stop. You have the best of both worlds; it is not that bad of a walk from the food court to the main bus stop.

I cannot think of one room that is going to be any more than a 10 minute walk unless you want it to be longer and leisurely.

You will love it!

 

[maxiesmom]

While I know this might be a bit annoying, sometimes things happen beyond the resort's control (e.g. a pump or piping failure). And just a slide being out of action (even if it was pre-planned) might not trigger a mass email event to everyone who happens to be staying at the resort during that period.

First World problems, I guess. And I can think of a few New Yorker's I know who would very gladly swap for being at POR right now, even without a working pool slide...

Andre

I know it is not a first world problem. However, most things we discuss here are not. We could always say someone has it worse off, couldn't we? So I don't think it very nice to make it seem as if it is out of line for being bothered by a closed pool slide. The ONLY reason I had booked a moderate resort was for the pool slide. My 9 yr old niece was promised we would get a resort with a pool slide, and then we showed up and yeah no slide.

First world problem? No? Majorly disappointing? Yes.

 

[bluejasmine]

Someone else has an issue on another thread about Disney not notifying them and honestly there are alot of times the resorts don't know when it's going to happen.

Then as far as Disney notifying anyone of a rehab would take a ridiculous amount of time.

I agree I get frustrated sometimes myself BUT think about it no matter when Disney does rehabs some guest will be mad, there is never a good time BUT most of the time the rehabs are for OUR safety.

I'm sorry your Niece was dissapointed but I bet she still had a magical time.

Btw.. Did you try going over to POFQ slide? They would have let you

ASMU/POR Dec 16-22, 2012 & POFQ Sept 8-15, 2013

 

[lucifie]

I know it is not a first world problem. However, most things we discuss here are not. We could always say someone has it worse off, couldn't we? So I don't think it very nice to make it seem as if it is out of line for being bothered by a closed pool slide. The ONLY reason I had booked a moderate resort was for the pool slide. My 9 yr old niece was promised we would get a resort with a pool slide, and then we showed up and yeah no slide.

First world problem? No? Majorly disappointing? Yes.

It does take away some of the anticipation, but I try not to promise my kids anything because stuff happens and then they get disappointed, when they wouldn't be disappointed if they didn't know it was happening in the first place. It's a bummer when your kid is excite about something and it doesn't happen for whatever reason.

 

[andrewilley]

First world problem? No? Majorly disappointing? Yes.

Sorry, wasn't having a go at you specifically, it's just that I'd read a couple of posts recently worrying about the possible closure of one swimming pool out of six for a few days... at about the same time as I was seeing what is happening to my friends in and around New York right now (some of whom do not expect to have electricity back in their homes until after 11 November). It just seemed to put it all into perspective a bit, that's all.

But you're right, most of what we discuss here is pretty trivial when you look at the bigger picture.

Andre

 

[Venomhatch]

Sorry, wasn't having a go at you specifically, it's just that I'd read a couple of posts recently worrying about the possible closure of one swimming pool out of six for a few days... at about the same time as I was seeing what is happening to my friends in and around New York right now (some of whom do not expect to have electricity back in their homes until after 11 November). It just seemed to put it all into perspective a bit, that's all.

But you're right, most of what we discuss here is pretty trivial when you look at the bigger picture.

Andre

Wow lurking here I thought they had ruled this out now. Or is this a separate deal?

 

[SeniorPrincess]

You can always request a change when you get there, but that might mean lining up again rather than just picking up your package and going to your room.

To give you an idea of how it works, this is what I've been told (and watched happening in fact):

• You can do advanced checkin online up to 10 days out, which simply flags your booking with your expected arrival time, credit card details, etc. At this point nothing else is assigned room-wise.
  
• If you've got any special or complicated requests (including if you decide to send a faxed request in the meantime) then 3-5 days out the room assignment team may be able to pre-block you a room or rooms. However do remember that if they do assign you a specific room number in advance, that room will need to be vacated and ready before you can get in, which (especially if it was occupied the night before) might not be done by the time you arrive. This process is not affected in the slightest by your having done online checkin, although I would assume that having your expected arrival time on file might help them.
  
• Just a few hours before you are due to arrive at the resort, a cast member who is dealing with that day's online bookings will start processing your reservation and will put together your welcome pack. At this point they will try to assign you a room number which is already showing on their systems as cleaned and 'Ready'. They will see any requests that are attached to the booking and will try to match them if possible, but their priority will be to ensure that you get a clean Ready room when you arrive if at all possible, even if that is not a perfect match with all of your requests.
  
• When you arrive, you'll collect your welcome pack and your room should be waiting for you. Of course, if you want to ask them whether anything closer to your requests has become available in the meantime, you can always do so, but that might hold you up a bit.

Andre

Thanks, Andre & MissyTara, I think I understand the system better now. Sounds as if the pre check-in will be a wise idea for us since we are arriving at 8 a.m. after a red-eye flight from CA. I am imagining any room in our category will look pretty darn good to us then, if we can get in earlier than 3 or 4 p.m.!
Do you have any further advice on bus system, south depot vs. east? Is it true that some buses start at one terminal and some at another. Thanks!

 

[mommyof3princess27]

Yay 3 weeks from Sunday!!!!

Sent from Erin's iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Venomhatch]

Yay 3 weeks from Sunday!!!!

Sent from Erin's iPhone using DISBoards

Excited for you, Have a magical time!