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

[jenniferma]

In your collective experiences, do you all believe it's worth the $25 a night to get a preferred room? There are five of us-- we need a bayou room with trundle (our girls are 11/9/5) and we will have a car at WDW. We do like to be fairly close to the food court.. what do you think? Are there other buildings you would recommend?

We are trying to decide between Poly and POR.. depending on whether we can get a code/discount. I am afraid Poly is going to be over our budget, but we figure with girls, this could be the last time we get away with one bathroom/fitting in one room We stayed at POR years back and I really loved it.

thanks for your help!
jen

 

[hunmcbunny]

In your collective experiences, do you all believe it's worth the $25 a night to get a preferred room? There are five of us-- we need a bayou room with trundle (our girls are 11/9/5) and we will have a car at WDW. We do like to be fairly close to the food court.. what do you think? Are there other buildings you would recommend?

We are trying to decide between Poly and POR.. depending on whether we can get a code/discount. I am afraid Poly is going to be over our budget, but we figure with girls, this could be the last time we get away with one bathroom/fitting in one room We stayed at POR years back and I really loved it.

thanks for your help!
jen

if you dont want to pay extra then request either 16 or 17. If you look on the map you can see those 2 are just behind the preferred buildings which would bring you as close to the main buildings plus you will be close to a quiet pool.

 

[Disney before Sally]

Is there really a Butterfly Garden behind the Acadia House, no charge?

 

[Princess Dolly]

This is such a great picture!

Sorry I missed that.... I am such a dork!!! Thanks for reposting!!

I was distracted by Princess Dolly's beautiful photos.....

Thank you!

 

[lisam427]

We will be arriving later this afternoon. I am sitting in a hotel about 2 1/2 hours away waiting for by DH to get out of his meetings so we can leave. I have most of the van packed, just a few more items I am using to keep the kiddos entertained until we leave to pick up dad. Disney channel on tv and video games in hand. These next few hours won't pass fast enough.

Hoping to arrive and have time for the kiddo's to swim and then have dinner. A good nights sleep and up early for breakfast at ohana.

have a wonderful trip!! please let us know how everything went when you get back!!!

 

[mouselovenfamily]

We will be arriving later this afternoon. I am sitting in a hotel about 2 1/2 hours away waiting for by DH to get out of his meetings so we can leave. I have most of the van packed, just a few more items I am using to keep the kiddos entertained until we leave to pick up dad. Disney channel on tv and video games in hand. These next few hours won't pass fast enough.

Hoping to arrive and have time for the kiddo's to swim and then have dinner. A good nights sleep and up early for breakfast at ohana.

Just before you arrive is so great!!!! Love that feeling!! Have a wonderful time!

 

[Hockeyman]

Here are a few pictures that I took on a trip in early March of this year. It was our first time staying at Riverside and loved it so much. Headed back in Mid July and cant wait


Port Orleans Riverside by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

I requested a room in the Magnolia section and was able to get that request. We really enjoyed the mansion area of the resort
Port Orleans Riverside by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

Our room was on the second floor here in this picture.
Magnolia Terrace at Riverside by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr


Riverside Magnolia Terrace by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr


Riverside Head Board by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

Pool Area
Riverside Pool by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr


Riverside by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

French Quarter on the boat ride heading over to Downtown Disney
Port Orleans French Quarter by Mike Sperduto, on Flickr

 

[Rosanne]

So... I have a question about occupancy. I understand that there are five people allowed in certain rooms at POR. What I'm wondering is... do three of the five have to be under 18 or can three of the five be over 18 and you pay an extra per night fee?

For instance, if two adults take their kids who are 19, 12, and 8 can they still book this room if you pay an extra adult nightly fee or is it only occupancy of five if your three kids are all under 18?

I tried to search for the answer but didn't find it.

Thanks!!!

 

[mouselovenfamily]

So... I have a question about occupancy. I understand that there are five people allowed in certain rooms at POR. What I'm wondering is... do three of the five have to be under 18 or can three of the five be over 18 and you pay an extra per night fee?

For instance, if two adults take their kids who are 19, 12, and 8 can they still book this room if you pay an extra adult nightly fee or is it only occupancy of five if your three kids are all under 18?

I tried to search for the answer but didn't find it.

Thanks!!!

We stayed in March with myself, DH, DD18, DS15 and Sons friend 15

 

[andrewilley]

Is there really a Butterfly Garden behind the Acadia House, no charge?

There was, 20 years ago, but it's long gone now I'm afraid. Where did you read about it being current?

I understand that there are five people allowed in certain rooms at POR. What I'm wondering is... do three of the five have to be under 18 or can three of the five be over 18 and you pay an extra per night fee?

Well you could technically have five adults in one room in Alligator Bayou, but they'd be reluctant to let you book it because of the size of the Murphy bed. They might want to limit the fifth person to under 18 (the accommodation rules class children as being 17 and under). And as you say, for the third/fourth/fifth adult (i.e. 18+) in the room you'd have to pay $15/night extra.

Andre

 

[Rychelle924]

We are booked here for end of August. Does anyone know if they are on schedule with room refurbs? And if we are "water view" could that mean anywhere or is that only a certain section like mansion or bayou. Thanks

 

[Hockeyman]

We are booked here for end of August. Does anyone know if they are on schedule with room refurbs? And if we are "water view" could that mean anywhere or is that only a certain section like mansion or bayou. Thanks

Water view can mean anything from the pool to one of the fountains and I believe anywhere either in Mansion or Bayou . It is not a river view however.

 

[Rychelle924]

Water view can mean anything from the pool to one of the fountains. It is not a river view however.

Ohhhhhhh Hahahahahaha "the rain puddles up on this part of the sidewalk you have a water view" lol

 

[Hockeyman]

Ohhhhhhh Hahahahahaha "the rain puddles up on this part of the sidewalk you have a water view" lol

Even the lady who checked me joked that the room could catch just the tiny corner of a fountain and they would consider that a water view lol.

 

[bill2012]

Hockeyman: Great photos, especially the Steamboat Co. evening shot! I think that's the nicest photo of POR I've seen anywhere!

 

[andrewilley]

We are booked here for end of August. Does anyone know if they are on schedule with room refurbs?

Yes, the refurbs are bang on schedule at the moment (in fact they've brought the final building forward a week - see www.portorleans.org/rehab.php). The only uncertain element at the moment is the extra roofing work being done on the twenties buildings, which are each taking just under four weeks from start to finish. It should all be fully completed by around the third week of July.

Even the lady who checked me joked that the room could catch just the tiny corner of a fountain and they would consider that a water view lol.

That was the case up to the start of this year, but after the recent re-categorisation (when they added the Garden View option) if you now book a Water View room you should get a swimming pool view, no longer facing a fountain or the odd puddle. Water View rooms can be located anywhere in Alligator Bayou (including in building 18) or in the Acadian House/Magnolia Terrace mansion buildings. See www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php for more details.

Andre

 

[Rychelle924]

Yes, the refurbs are bang on schedule at the moment (in fact they've brought the final building forward a week - see www.portorleans.org/rehab.php). The only uncertain element at the moment is the extra roofing work being done on the twenties buildings, which are each taking just under four weeks from start to finish. It should all be fully completed by around the third week of July.



That was the case up to the start of this year, but after the recent re-categorisation (when they added the Garden View option) if you now book a Water View room you should get a swimming pool view, no longer facing a fountain or the odd puddle. Water View rooms can be located anywhere in Alligator Bayou (including in building 18) or in the Acadian House/Magnolia Terrace mansion buildings. See www.portorleans.org/room-requests.php for more details.

Andre

Thank you so much For the wonderful information!' is there a section you would suggest requesting??

 

[ValinWV]

We arrived at 2:50pm. Check in went smoothly. I requested building 16, however they were not able to grant the request because they are at capacity. I also asked about paying extra to a preferred room, but I couldn't do that either because of how full the resort is at this time. I did however get an upgrade. I booked a standard room originally and was upgraded to a garden view. We are in building 38. Very close to the bus stop and only 5 min walk to the main pool. The kids got to swim for about an hour and then the thunder storms started. No big deal. We are chilling in the room for about another hour and then walking over for dinner. The room is very nice.

 

[KidsInDisney]

We are staying at Riverside in September for the first time and we are interested in taking a carriage ride. I am wondering if it is possible that there will be same day availability. Do we really need reservations? We have two little ones and prefer to keep our schedule flexible as it is difficult to know in June what the moods of our kids will be at a specific time and day in September. (I was already unhappy to have to make ADR's so far ahead of time as we don't always eat at the same time.)

Also, at the risk of sounding silly and sentimental, does anyone know about the care and treatment of the horses there? I have always refused to take carriage rides in NYC because the sight of those horses weaving in and out of traffic makes me really depressed.

Thanks.

 

[sharon_wv]

We got here on Saturday. We drove overnight from WV and arrived at about 7 am. We ate breakfast at a Perkins and then attempted to check-in just after 8 AM into a Royal Room. Guess what? They had a room available!!! It's beautiful here. I am watching the movie "Up" with my little one right now as I type. They have a projector in a courtyard in oak manor. It's lovely. The pool is nice, even though the kids only got to swim for about 15 minutes before a thunderstorm.

Andre, all the info you've shared has been so helpful in us figuring out what we are doing. Thank you!!!