Port Orleans Riverside Q&A Thread 2013, Part One [Thread now FULL and closed]

[SkywayGuy]

Has anyone on here booked a room online instead of calling? How did it go?

I booked on-line. It was fine. You have to poke around a bit to find the discounts. The only thing that was confusing was when it came time to pay the balance due, there was no easy or obvious way to do that. You can "check in" online and leave a credit card number but that doesn't pay the balance due. They did not send me follow-up email either. So I called, talked to a real person, gave them my CC number and Bobs-Your-Uncle we're all set! I was able to add a few preferences by calling that weren't available through their on-line system as well.

 

[Buddy18]

Disney worker watched child porn at work while writing sermon, deputies say

http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-75926201/

 

[ferret42]

We were in connecting royal rooms, river view in oak last month. Had four rooms across the front first floor. Three two on the left connected and the two on the right connected.

 

[natter]

Sorry to hear about your bad first day. Hope the rest goes smoothly.

I do have a few questions. You say you have royal rooms that are connecting and garden view. Can you tell me a little more about the rooms. Is it queen size beds? How far to the bus stops? Also what bldg number and what room numbers they are. We are going in Oct and have royal rooms with garden view but were told that they do not have "connecting royal rooms". We really want connecting rooms so this info would be very helpful when I send in my fax request. Thanks in advance.

If you go to this link http://www.portorleans.org/maps-and-directions.php and click on the REDbuildings on the map (Mansion/Royal Rooms) it will give you a layout of the buildings, room #s, and their views. There are also pictures of the royal rooms on that site.

 

[Missytara]

I booked on-line. It was fine. You have to poke around a bit to find the discounts. The only thing that was confusing was when it came time to pay the balance due, there was no easy or obvious way to do that. You can "check in" online and leave a credit card number but that doesn't pay the balance due. They did not send me follow-up email either. So I called, talked to a real person, gave them my CC number and Bobs-Your-Uncle we're all set! I was able to add a few preferences by calling that weren't available through their on-line system as well.

You cannot pay online with room only, just packages. It sounds like you had a room only, since you tried to pay at online check-in. Payments for packages are due at 45 days before check-in and you can pay anytime you want online.

You leave a credit card at online check-in in order to charge at the resort, not pay off a balance. Online check-in should really be called pre-registration.

Lastly, your requests are supposed to be on your reservation. Online check-in is not meant for making requests.

Hope that helps clear up the confusion.

 

[MISSYLEXI]

If you go to this link http://www.portorleans.org/maps-and-directions.php and click on the REDbuildings on the map (Mansion/Royal Rooms) it will give you a layout of the buildings, room #s, and their views. There are also pictures of the royal rooms on that site.

Thank you. I have looked at those. But they do not show connecting rooms and I was told by a CM they do not have them for the royal rooms. But if people are getting them I would like to know the room numbers so I can possibly request them.

 

[MISSYLEXI]

We were in connecting royal rooms, river view in oak last month. Had four rooms across the front first floor. Three two on the left connected and the two on the right connected.

Thank you. I will mark that on my copy of the room layout maps.

But we have garden view rooms so any help will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Missytara]

Thank you. I have looked at those. But they do not show connecting rooms and I was told by a CM they do not have them for the royal rooms. But if people are getting them I would like to know the room numbers so I can possibly request them.

You do not want to request specific room numbers because the room assigner will not know why you want it or the room will not available that you are looking for. You will end up in some other part of the resort.

Make your only request connecting and they will try to honor your request, but it is not guaranteed.

While threads like this can be good, it can also set. People up for unrealistic expectations. In the end, if you read the fine print, all Disney owes you is a room on property.

 

[bumbershoot]

Lastly, your requests are supposed to be on your reservation. Online check-in is not meant for making requests.

Hope that helps clear up the confusion.

You can quite easily make request choices while doing online checkin. We checked the box for corner room when doing it and got just that. Didn't make any other sort of request in our booked category. When we were doing our online checkins, each resort had different categories based on the resort and, I assume, what category was booked. Quite lovely, actually.

 

[Missytara]

You can quite easily make request choices while doing online checkin. We checked the box for corner room when doing it and got just that. Didn't make any other sort of request in our booked category. When we were doing our online checkins, each resort had different categories based on the resort and, I assume, what category was booked. Quite lovely, actually.

The latest info from CM's is that if you have requests on your ressies, do not do online check-in, and pick the categories that come up, because it will trump your original requests.

Those choices do not always come up on online check-in based on each resort.

However, they will try very hard to get you into your booking category; however that is still not guaranteed.

 

[lmhall2000]

The latest info from CM's is that if you have requests on your ressies, do not do online check-in, and pick the categories that come up, because it will trump your original requests.

Those choices do not always come up on online check-in based on each resort.

However, they will try very hard to get you into your booking category; however that is still not guaranteed.

This will be our first stay at POR, and to be honest we really do not care 'where' our room is, but I kind of think I'd like a room with 2 windows and wondering if their layout is any different than a room with one window? We have five going. But, if I check in online are you saying do not send in a faxed request? Also are there any advantages of being 2nd v. 1st floor? I wonder about noise from above, we need all the exercise we can get because we plan on eating horribly while there!

Thanks!

 

[lillykat]

The Disney website had major outage as well, and was down for most of the day last weekend. They must've been having system-wide IT problems. I feel sorry for the CM. Maybe she was frazzled but it would have been considerate if she would have just admitted to all the computer problems!

Hope your week is going well!

No, unfortunately she was extremely unfriendly, I always chat to the CMs at check in and they have always been friendly. This was just had attitude. She was like well you do have connecting rooms and the ones you have are really nice but they aren't cleared as ready yet....okay no problem we understand it is only 11. Can you tell us either the room number or the building we will be in so when they text us we know on the map how to get there. Nope you are in magnolia bend you need no more info than that. We never give building or room numbers out. At AKL and the poly we were either told you will be in x room but will be texted when ready or you will be in building y but they will text you room number. But we got nope can't give you anything but it is a nice location. In fact when you get your text you better both be there bc you won't know whose room is ready until you both test your keys. I said we were excited to be there the hotel looks very relaxing....just got a ...well some people like we it. Very odd. Shame bc everyone else is so over the top helpful. Maybe hit her on a bad day?

But that and one housekeeper who was annoyed we needed to change from the pool for dinner with the princesses at 3pm who told us we had to get out... but then left and camr back. Everyone was exceptionally nice and bent over backwards to help us (huge key fiasco will elabrorate at home not now...but you know it is a mess when several cms at guest relations and concierge services and managers said they had never seen that problem...ended with an amazing manager at POR fixing it...but saying she only saw it once before.)

LOVE the hotel very relaxing. My older DD never wants to leave the pool and both love the slide. Will 100% come back and will definitely recommend. My older DD has food allergies and they made her the best cheeseless pepperoni pizza 2 times. We had trouble getting them to leave the pool to go to Akershus.

 

[lillykat]

They don't have one in the room but there are some you can use through out the resort according to what a cm told me. I asked this question in case I needed to heat up something for my toddler while we are there. I hope I'm correct.

There is a microwave in the food court right ouside the registers if you need to use it.

 

[MISSYLEXI]

While threads like this can be good, it can also set. People up for unrealistic expectations. In the end, if you read the fine print, all Disney owes you is a room on property.

I understand that Disney only owes me a room. I understand nothing is guaranteed. But being told by the CM that they don't offer Royal connecting rooms and people are getting them is nice for people to know. I know people can request the bldg they would like and knowing the room numbers will help me in determining if one bldg has them and one does not.

 

[firstwdw]

No, unfortunately she was extremely unfriendly, I always chat to the CMs at check in and they have always been friendly. This was just had attitude. She was like well you do have connecting rooms and the ones you have are really nice but they aren't cleared as ready yet....okay no problem we understand it is only 11. Can you tell us either the room number or the building we will be in so when they text us we know on the map how to get there. Nope you are in magnolia bend you need no more info than that. We never give building or room numbers out. At AKL and the poly we were either told you will be in x room but will be texted when ready or you will be in building y but they will text you room number. But we got nope can't give you anything but it is a nice location. In fact when you get your text you better both be there bc you won't know whose room is ready until you both test your keys. I said we were excited to be there the hotel looks very relaxing....just got a ...well some people like we it. Very odd. Shame bc everyone else is so over the top helpful. Maybe hit her on a bad day?

But that and one housekeeper who was annoyed we needed to change from the pool for dinner with the princesses at 3pm who told us we had to get out... but then left and camr back. Everyone was exceptionally nice and bent over backwards to help us (huge key fiasco will elabrorate at home not now...but you know it is a mess when several cms at guest relations and concierge services and managers said they had never seen that problem...ended with an amazing manager at POR fixing it...but saying she only saw it once before.)

LOVE the hotel very relaxing. My older DD never wants to leave the pool and both love the slide. Will 100% come back and will definitely recommend. My older DD has food allergies and they made her the best cheeseless pepperoni pizza 2 times. We had trouble getting them to leave the pool to go to Akershus.

You got a bad CM at check in. Ours was not overly friendly but she was not rude at all. However, our room was not ready and she did give us the building number and showed us on a map where the building was. Then texted the room number when the room was ready which was only about 40min later. Would have made more sense to just drag our carry on luggage to the food court than to wait in line to check it into the luggage hold room. ANyway, she did tell us the building number! So your situation is just plain odd-maybe yours was new on the job and clueless.

 

[lillykat]

Sorry to hear about your bad first day. Hope the rest goes smoothly.

I do have a few questions. You say you have royal rooms that are connecting and garden view. Can you tell me a little more about the rooms. Is it queen size beds? How far to the bus stops? Also what bldg number and what room numbers they are. We are going in Oct and have royal rooms with garden view but were told that they do not have "connecting royal rooms". We really want connecting rooms so this info would be very helpful when I send in my fax request. Thanks in advance.

They 100% have connecting rooms. Andre would know better than I would...but I think he said about 1/2 the resort has them. We have a garden view. We are in the courtyard that shows the movies. I will give my room # when we leave. I think anythong in this area is great. Very close to the foot bridge to the main building short walk to the pool bridge. There are closer rooms but wouldn't change where we are. It is perfect for us.

We are with family who rented a car. We too the bus to MK 2 times and drove to EPCOT and AKL. 1ST time to MK was at check in since our rooms weren't ready. Bus came 5 mins or less. Crowded but we got seats. That was the south stop. Bus pulled up as we got to the line to come back. Next morning we tried to stop by the mansions. Bus saw us walking and waited for us! Some seats were still open. Coming back the bus was waiting doing maintenance and let us on. We were off 5 mins later. I had been worried but our luck must be good.

Beds are queens.

 

[lillykat]

Thank you. I have looked at those. But they do not show connecting rooms and I was told by a CM they do not have them for the royal rooms. But if people are getting them I would like to know the room numbers so I can possibly request them.

Please do not go by the phone cms. They insisted over many calls that adjoining meant connecting (which helpful people here told me wasn't true). Just ask them to please put it in anyway...then fax a request.

 

[MISSYLEXI]

lillykat

It's nice to hear things are going better. Thank you for your response and I understand about giving me the room numbers after you leave. Have a great time.

 

[MISSYLEXI]

Please do not go by the phone cms. They insisted over many calls that adjoining meant connecting (which helpful people here told me wasn't true). Just ask them to please put it in anyway...then fax a request.

I have heard the same. These threads are very helpful to Disney planners. I have the fax number and a fax request form. Thanks for your help.

 

[SkywayGuy]

You cannot pay online with room only, just packages. It sounds like you had a room only, since you tried to pay at online check-in. Payments for packages are due at 45 days before check-in and you can pay anytime you want online.

You leave a credit card at online check-in in order to charge at the resort, not pay off a balance. Online check-in should really be called pre-registration.

Lastly, your requests are supposed to be on your reservation. Online check-in is not meant for making requests.

Hope that helps clear up the confusion.

Nope, booked a My Way package with tickets. On booking, it took a credit card for the deposit, and then they sent a receipt email saying when the remainder was do (45 days out). It accepted a couple of minor preferences on-line as well (corner room, top floor were my choices). As that deadline approached I expected another email reminder: nothing. As the date approached I went back on line to pay the remainder and while it showed the amount due and the initial confirmations said it could be paid on-line there was no link, button, or form to do so. I went through the on-line check in and it accepted a credit card there but as you said it was just for room charges. The on-line check in was accepted however, even though the package wasn't paid for. Still no confirmation of the bill being paid off, so I called them, and they took my CC over the phone. As I made the payment I put in an additional request for an AB room, which she entered, and she added our celebration note too (my daughter just graduated from Ball State Cum Laude!).

While the on-line reservation system worked, there are clearly some bugs to be worked out. Their whole system was down last Saturday all day for example. I've booked with TA's in the past and will probably do that again next time. But, I did get my Mickey Mail on time, and they sent a total of 3 planning DVD's (still don't know why).

As a side note, last weekend i called to see if we could add one more night (this coming Saturday) and the resort was full! Oh well.