Port Orleans Riverside FAQ thread - Royally Refurbished for 2011

[Venomhatch]

MONDAY! We will be there on Monday! WOOT! This weekend will be spent doing laundry and packing for our early morning departure. SO EXCITED!

Congrats to you, we are so envious. Hope you have a safe trip and plenty of fun!

 

[hotblooded]

Hi there, I have a few pool questions.

Does the main pool ever close? How about the water slide?
Also, is there a height or age limit to me able to use the water slide (for either young children or adults)?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Venomhatch]

Hi there, I have a few pool questions.

Does the main pool ever close? How about the water slide?
Also, is there a height or age limit to me able to use the water slide (for either young children or adults)?

Thanks a lot!

I know the pool doesnt but the slide closes early i think 6 or 9pm. About the age limit not to sure.

 

[andrewilley]

Hi there, I have a few pool questions.

Does the main pool ever close? How about the water slide?
Also, is there a height or age limit to me able to use the water slide (for either young children or adults)?

Thanks a lot!

The main pool opens around 7am I think, or as soon as the daily cleaning is done anyway. The slide is only open while the lifeguards are on duty, which is 10am-8pm (or 10pm peak season). I've seen very young kids go down the slide, so I guess as long as you are old enough to slide on your own (which is a rule, one person at a time) you can do it. The main pool officially closes around midnight - but I've never seen that enforced, and people are often still in it even after 1am. The quiet pools are 24 hours.

Andre

 

[Venomhatch]

The main pool opens around 7am I think, or as soon as the daily cleaning is done anyway. The slide is only open while the lifeguards are on duty, which is 10am-8pm (or 10pm peak season). I've seen very young kids go down the slide, so I guess as long as you are old enough to slide on your own (which is a rule, one person at a time) you can do it. The main pool officially closes around midnight - but I've never seen that enforced, and people are often still in it even after 1am. The quiet pools are 24 hours.

Andre

Thanks Andre,

Yeah hotblooded, Andre is our resident expert so trust what he says.

Thanks again Andre!

 

[disneymom1229]

MONDAY! We will be there on Monday! WOOT! This weekend will be spent doing laundry and packing for our early morning departure. SO EXCITED!

Oooo!! Looks like you and I will be doing the same thing this weekend...we arrive on Tuesday morning. Football and packing for WDW, it doesn't get any better than that!!!

See ya there!

 

[Leajess99]

Is there a machine to get quarters in the laundry room? If not, where can I get quarters at the resort? I really don't want to have to bring a bag of change with me to do laundry if I don't have to.
Thanks!

There is BUT when we were there in 2009 the change machine was not working and you had to walk all the way to the front desk for change.

 

[Sue M]

I love this walk over to the food court from the mansions!

 

[Sue M]

One more thing I remember from the trip.
On Tuesday, Sept 6th, they closed the pool between Magnolia Terrace and Acadian House for refurb. Apparently they are looking at making all the quiet pools at least, a maximum 4 ft depth.

Yuck. Why would they do that? 4 ft is way too shallow. They have a shallow end for those who want it. Why take away the choice of a deeper end (that's not so deep anyway) ?

 

[alwayspooh]

Oh I'm so jealous that you were just there and have another trip to look forward to so soon. Me....I have to wait 360+ days til my first trip in 3 years...How in the world am I ever going to make it???? I've been stalking these boards, esp this thread because it's our first stay at POR and I'm so excited! I'm keeping it a secret from the kids til we get to the airport and it's going to be the hardest secret to keep EVER!

I am doing the same next Aug with a little over 330 days left. I am surprising my girls and will tell them when we get to the airport also. I hope it will work for me because I am having such a hard time keeping it a sercret!! Hope you have as much fun planning as I will in the upcoming months.

 

[Jupiter&Wolfe]

Hey everybody! We're looking to book at POR for January. We're really excited about this!

We're interested in doing the FD deal. The only room type available under that deal as of now is Garden View. I understand this is new and will only be available in 2012, so no one has any personal experience to provide, but here's my question...

We don't really want to be too far away from all the action(food court, lobby, etc.). But Preferred is not available for our deal. Is Garden view pretty much anywhere on property, including the middle of nowhere, but just guarantees you won't get a bad view? And if this is the case, is it going to be difficult to request being somewhat closer to the main building? I understand Garden View won't let me request a "preferred" room, so If i CAN request something closer, what should I request? The map and locations are confusing me a bit. Am I wanting to request the mansions? Just a bit confused, any help would be appreciated!

 

[andrewilley]

Buildings 16 and 17 are the closest to being preferred but without paying the extra. They are both nicely located and you'll be fine with the distances from the main building. You could also look at rooms on the riverward side (but not actual river iews) in Magnolia Terrace or Acadian House. From 2012, Oak Manor (which is also a nice location) will have Royal Rooms only.

Andre

 

[c3363]

Pictures of the new rooms in the Magnolia Terrace Building. This was a corner room on the ground floor.

 

[mikem57]

Thanks for posting pictures of refurbished rooms. It looks like new dressers are small with only 3 drawers. Is there room for 4 people to store clothes without using a suitcase. We have a garden view room booked at POR for late February 2012 with 4 people and hope to get a refurbished room.

 

[fitislandgirl]

I know the feeling! My husband and I just booked Port Orleans for next August and I'm doing my best to keep it a surprise to the kids. They know we are trying to save to go back but they don't know we've paid on it and that we have a date booked! Like you, we want to surprise them the day of the trip and just take them to the airport. lol. My kids will be 10 and 7.

We just got back from our first trip last week having stayed at the CSR. Can't wait to go back! It's so hard getting back to real life and work after being to such an amazing place. Gotta pay for it somehow though I guess!

I am doing the same next Aug with a little over 330 days left. I am surprising my girls and will tell them when we get to the airport also. I hope it will work for me because I am having such a hard time keeping it a sercret!! Hope you have as much fun planning as I will in the upcoming months.

 

[Sue M]

Thanks for posting pictures of refurbished rooms. It looks like new dressers are small with only 3 drawers. Is there room for 4 people to store clothes without using a suitcase. We have a garden view room booked at POR for late February 2012 with 4 people and hope to get a refurbished room.

I found the drawers were pretty roomy. You can also request additional hangers and use the shelf over the clothes rack.

 

[Venomhatch]

I found the drawers were pretty roomy. You can also request additional hangers and use the shelf over the clothes rack.

Yeah I had the same complaint about the lack of storage also, but glad to know we can get more hangars...

 

[DisneyGuess]

Quick question that popped into my head.

I am debating the whole to rent a minivan or just use Disney transport for our trip in December. The early morning ADRs are making me second guess but that's beside the point, lol.
I requested a ground floor room in building 38 of the AB section. I know this is just a request. But I am wondering, which bus stop would be best to use? I looked at the map & saw North Depot is closest but West Depot isn't that far either. Which is busier or better to use?
Also, did I make a mistake requesting that building? I was trying to up our chaces of getting a refurbed room in AB, lol. 35, 36, 37 & 38 all look pretty much together so this would be my question regardless, I think.

 

[laura_<3]

Love the refurbished room photos Thank you for sharing.

 

[andrewilley]

Building 38 is a good choice, it's as well-located for access to the main pool and facilities as any of those northern block of lodges are. The North bus stop will most likely be your best - you can walk to it via the parking lot, you don't need to go back down to the riverside pathway.

Andre