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

[Mufasa&Simba]

My dad and I will be coming back "Home" to POR in November. We officially booked a garden view room a few days ago. Can't wait!!

 

[andrewilley]

We did online check-in a few days ago but then called and spoke to a CM for our actual room request. But that request is not showing up online with our reservation. Just shows we need a pack-n-play as our only request. Do we need to call someone else?

Special Requests are added to your booking details within the Disney central computer system, but you can't view/update them during online checkin. If you want to add anything beyond any basic requests that you placed with your booking, it's usually best to fax the resort about 3-5 days before you arrive - see http://www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php for full details of how to do this.

We are staying AB in 2 weeks. Do they have the corner rooms with double windows?

Yes, plenty of them. You can request one, but of course there's no guarantee you'll be successful. Oh, and make sure you request an external view corner room, as a few of the corner rooms have their second window facing inward towards a stairway for example.

We booked POR for Aug 2013, my friend says she won't stay there again because it's to big we have stayed at CSR and CBR how does it compare to those resorts in size?

POR is probably a similar size, or slightly smaller, than either CSR or CBR, but it has the advantage of the island located in the middle, with three bridges crossing to it, which makes getting from one side to the other a lot easier than it is at CSR (where you have to walk all the way round the lake). Also, POR has all of its facilities buildings in one place (unlike CBR) which also helps.

The downside is that the Alligator Bayou section is a bit sprawling, with 16 smaller buildings which are somewhat spread out. If you happen to get one of the furthest-away rooms, it could be as much as a maximum 500 yard walk back to the food court. Most rooms are much closer though, and you can always book a Preferred Location to avoid the problem completely.

Andre

 

[Bingham2]

Thank you Andre!!!

 

[Missytara]

We booked POR for Aug 2013, my friend says she won't stay there again because it's to big we have stayed at CSR and CBR how does it compare to those resorts in size? Thanks, Linda

I have stayed at both POR and CBR and I can say the layout is better at POR, for several reasons. I am an architect, so a lot of things make more sense to me when I look at the overall layout, but also walking through the spaces.

The most significant thing to me is the walk back from the bus stops. At POR, once you get to the building, you are under covering (or in shade) along the corridor of the building. At CBR, you seem to have more exposure walking directly from the parking lot to the individual buildings.

In addition, CBR is very elongated in its layout, which POR is shaped much more in a circle. They also more levels of "views" than CBR; with garden, water, river, and preferred.

With the different layouts, I believe it is much easier at POR to "visualize" the main building from most of the complex, while CBR has some places where it is hard to pin point the main building until you have walked a certain distance to get it into view. However, they do both have very good and convenient bus loops.

One thing they both did was make a long walk more desirable by making them a desirable upgraded category. At POR, it is Parterre Place with the Royal Rooms and with CBR, it is the pirate rooms (at Trinidad, I believe).

 

[KonaKaiTom]

I don't view POR as being too big either -- I was just there in January and have stayed at all the other mods as well. I found CSR the hardest to get around because as PP stated, you have to walk around the lake. CBR is HUGE - I think it was the first mod and is the biggest of the mods. CBR is 2,112 rooms, CSR is 1,967 rooms and POR is 2,048 rooms. POFQ is only 1,008 rooms -- I think people get confused and combine POR and POFQ to make the biggest resort. Layout wise, I find it the easiest to get around.

Tom

 

[wendow]

Thank you, Andre, for answering my question!

 

[ksromack]

We booked POR for Aug 2013, my friend says she won't stay there again because it's to big we have stayed at CSR and CBR how does it compare to those resorts in size? Thanks, Linda

I've stayed at CSR too and it is very spread out. Our rooms were in a fantastic location for the bus stop (we were in 8A of the Cabanas), decent location for the Pepper Market, but a bit far from the big pool. It's a sprawled out resort so unless you had a good room location, I think most things are pretty far away.

 

[pooh2001]

Next time we go to WDW, to save some $$'s - we think we will stay at POR.

The food court sounds nicer than POFQ.
It has a Bakery, Grill shop, Pizza & Pasta shop, Caving Station, Salads and Soups. POR food court has more items on their menu than POFQ.

POFQ food court only has Soup, Sandwiches, Chicken, Burgers, Pizza and Salad.

The AB section new rooms appeal to us - even if we are in our 50's and our DS & DD are young adults.
We will pay for the preferred rooms in the AB section, for less walking to the main building.
I think we will ask our DS & DD each to pay their own $15 extra a night.
Time for them to start to pay for some of their vacations

From the maps - POR does not seem that bad to walk around - unless it is rainy season.

We are planning a trip back to WDW in mid-May, which seems to have nice weather. Hoping for no rain !

 

[macdeb]

Just booked our December trip! Dec. 16 - 21 at POR with FD. I am taking my fiance, and my two adults kis ages 20 and 22. A couple questions:

1. the CM who took my ressie over the phone asked if we were celebrating anything special on this trip and I said that we are recently engaged. Does anyone know what sort of surprise they do for folks who are engaged? Or do they do anything?

2. how are the crowds during this period?

3. I requested Magnolia Terrace so we can make use of the nearby bus stop. will we have a hard time finding seats on the bus due to crowd levels?

thanks!

-MacDeb

 

[Zombierella]

I was at POR from 8/26-8/31 and had a preferred room for the 6 of us building 18. The room was nice and not cramped at all. We used the Murphy bed and had twin size inflatable bed. Storage was not a huge problem either. I used the two shelves next to the fridge for clothes, 2 drawers under the Murphy bed, shelf under the nightstand and brought a hanging 5 shelf thing to hang. We put food and souvenirs on the shelf above the hanging area and on the shelf above the fridge. We had a stand up hamper in the "closet" and a regular laundrey basket by the table and window.

We drove but kept our empty suitcases in the room because we were to tired to walk to the parking lot. We kept those on the floor under the closet. Also kept some bags under the table. The kids little bags we put on the large shelf by the window.

Room was great. I however don't think the "preferred" cost was worth it for this building. We were really close to laundrey and a quiet pool(1822).

 

[Gorechick]

1. the CM who took my ressie over the phone asked if we were celebrating anything special on this trip and I said that we are recently engaged. Does anyone know what sort of surprise they do for folks who are engaged? Or do they do anything?

thanks!

-MacDeb

Upon check-in they will give you Celebration pins that you can wear throughout your stay. You will get many well-wishes from CM's throughout the resort and parks. You might also receive a card with a picture of Mickey and Minnie and a regular Photopass card inside. The Photopass card is not tied to any pre-order or Photopass Plus, however you can use it to add photos if you have an existing account.

 

[njgrl622]

Maybe I'm a jerk but if the only thing holding a pool chair is a resort towel, I will move the towel. If they have personal belongings, I won't touch them. But how can you claim a chair with a towel that isn't yours?if you are willing to risk your personal property to save a spot, well, clearly it matters more to you than it does to me! But using something that isn't yours to reserve a spot that can't really be reserved? Yeah... I have no problem moving resort towels!

Guess I'm a jerk too - I'd move the towel....!!!!

 

[kendo43]

Our trip to POR is now only 92 days away, hopefully it wont drag by to slow!

 

[PrincessAlways]

I'll be in a Royal Room 10/16-21 can't wait to see it!!

 

[Bingham2]

Can't thank veterans enough for their service so nice the CM did the same!

Tom

Ditto!

 

[Missytara]

Our trip to POR is now only 92 days away, hopefully it wont drag by to slow!

The first 82 days fly by, the last 10 days just drag.....

 

[HeatherLassell]

The first 82 days fly by, the last 10 days just drag.....

lol These last 22 are going pretty fast!

 

[Beamer97]

Is a water view the same thing as
Preferred?

 

[Venomhatch]

Is a water view the same thing as
Preferred?

No... Preferred just puts you in the closest buildings in the Alligator Bayou area to the main building.

Water View - may have some views of pools. (Thanks Andre)
River View - actually has views (some slightly obstructed by trees) of the river running through the middle of the resort.

 

[wendow]

If you do not pay for a "preferred" room, will you ever be just upgraded to one by a nice CM? Not expecting this but just wondering if that ever happens.