Port Orleans Riverside Q&A Thread 2013, Part Three (NOW CLOSED, see 2014 thread)

[titansgal]

I was listening to a WDW Today podcast, comparing the different moderate resorts - I think they've pretty much swayed me to stay at POR over POFQ. I have a few questions. I really like the Magnolia rooms more than AB. I'll request those rooms, but what's the likelihood of getting that request? I'm going late September 2014, and it's also going to be my birthday. Also, I was wondering for the quiet pools, are they really that quiet? I'd think that most kids would go to the main pool and not use the quiet pools. Thanks for the help! I'm excited to try out POR and learn more about it here!

We used the quiet pool two nights because it was closer to our RGR. Since the slides and water features turn off at I think 8:00 each night, the quiet pool was no different than the main pool for swimming after a day in the parks. There were maybe 15 people there....both in and out of the pool.

 

[andrewilley]

There is a small hot tub. Kids are allowed to use it, which is somewhat bad for the adults.

The rules say no kids under 12 without adult supervision, but since when has that made a difference for some parents? To be honest it's rather irresponsible to let very young children sue hot tubs anyway as they can't temperature-regulate as well as adults.

Andre

 

[Venomhatch]

There is a small hot tub. Kids are allowed to use it, which is somewhat bad for the adults. When we were there a few weeks ago there were two different times my hubby went to get in, but couldn't because it was full of kids who were treating it more like a kiddie pool. There was a lot of splashing which took away from the relaxing aspect . However, the main pool and slide more than made up for it!

The rules say no kids under 12 without adult supervision, but since when has that made a difference for some parents?

Andre

Yeah that is the truth! We never get a chance to use it because of it always seeming to have kids in it even without supervision as stated below your comment in Andre's Post.

Less than 24 hours and I am officially on vacation and I'll be on my way to POR.

Yay!!!!

 

[1GR8DISNEYFAN]

We will be arriving in 3 weeks (Woo Hoo ). We are hoping to use the hot tub in the evening after returning from the parks. Does anyone know how late it stays open?

 

[Venomhatch]

We will be arriving in 3 weeks (Woo Hoo ). We are hoping to use the hot tub in the evening after returning from the parks. Does anyone know how late it stays open?

I believe it is 24hrs. But after the lifeguards go home its at your own risk.

 

[1GR8DISNEYFAN]

I believe it is 24hrs. But after the lifeguards go home its at your own risk.

Oh that would be wonderful! Thank you for the info!

 

[Sydnerella]

I was listening to a WDW Today podcast, comparing the different moderate resorts - I think they've pretty much swayed me to stay at POR over POFQ.

I have a few questions. I really like the Magnolia rooms more than AB. I'll request those rooms, but what's the likelihood of getting that request? I'm going late September 2014, and it's also going to be my birthday.

Also, I was wondering for the quiet pools, are they really that quiet? I'd think that most kids would go to the main pool and not use the quiet pools.

Thanks for the help! I'm excited to try out POR and learn more about it here!

I faxed an enthusiastic and Venomhatch approved request for:
1. Connecting rooms
2. Mansion
3. Second Floor

I thought it was a slam dunk... but we got no connecting rooms, Alligator Bayou 1st floor...

However, when my DFIL checked in before we arrived, he knew the requests I made and the check-in CM was able to get us rooms next door but not connecting in Magnolia Terrace on the 2nd floor. So we were very pleased. Now the buses are another thing...

But anyway - the moral of my experience is DO NOT GIVE UP or be afraid to ask again at check-in

Have Fun!

Sydnerella's Mama

 

[Tarheel Mom]

Oh that would be wonderful! Thank you for the info!

In the picture Andre posted it says "Spa Hours 7:00 am - Midnight". Hope you have a great trip ~ we'll be arriving right after you on the 20th

 

[Venomhatch]

I faxed an enthusiastic and Venomhatch approved request for:
1. Connecting rooms
2. Mansion
3. Second Floor

I thought it was a slam dunk... but we got no connecting rooms, Alligator Bayou 1st floor...

However, when my DFIL checked in before we arrived, he knew the requests I made and the check-in CM was able to get us rooms next door but not connecting in Magnolia Terrace on the 2nd floor. So we were very pleased. Now the buses are another thing...

But anyway - the moral of my experience is DO NOT GIVE UP or be afraid to ask again at check-in

Have Fun!

Sydnerella's Mama

I told you to get in touch with me if they didn't help you out. You were one in 100 guests I have checked in that was like this. I tried to help. I have all the right means to double check on requests and faxes if guests need to. So by all means I welcome guests to contact me.

 

[ny3boys]

Thank you! I would never let them in unsupervised! My 9.5 year old is super skinny and gets cold fast, even in heated pools. But he LOVES hot tubs, so if he wasn't allowed in I wanted to prepare him ahead of time.

 

[Venomhatch]

Thank you! I would never let them in unsupervised! My 9.5 year old is super skinny and gets cold fast, even in heated pools. But he LOVES hot tubs, so if he wasn't allowed in I wanted to prepare him ahead of time.

I believe it is more of a suggestion then rule. But more or less to get Disney out of the loop if something happened. Probably be something like, "Well we had a sign up," or something like that. But I can imagine if you or someone in your family were around her would be fine.

 

[Sydnerella]

I told you to get in touch with me if they didn't help you out. You were one in 100 guests I have checked in that was like this. I tried to help. I have all the right means to double check on requests and faxes if guests need to. So by all means I welcome guests to contact me.

No worries, I was just letting the OP know that even if she gets put in AB after making a request for Mansions to keep trying at check-in as my FIL did. Don't give up! I appreciated you and Andre's help and will place a request again when we are lucky enough to go back

Now, can you do anything to improve the bus service or the freezing temps on the buses after 9pm? LOL!

 

[Venomhatch]

No worries, I was just letting the OP know that even if she gets put in AB after making a request for Mansions to keep trying at check-in as my FIL did. Don't give up! I appreciated you and Andre's help and will place a request again when we are lucky enough to go back

Now, can you do anything to improve the bus service or the freezing temps on the buses after 9pm? LOL!

Sure, let me head on over to the thermostat and turn it up a bit after 9pm for you. Lol. I am sure you have thought about this, but sometimes you can hop a bus to POFQ if it is a separate bus station at the park and use it to get that much closer a lil sooner. Then either hop the boat or walk over to POR. It isn't that far. Shoot you could always go to Bell services and tell them you thought you were going to POR on the bus and they might just borrow a Motor Pool car to take you over to POR. Wait I didn't say that. lol.

 

[OneBadApple]

But anyway - the moral of my experience is DO NOT GIVE UP or be afraid to ask again at check-in

Have Fun!

Sydnerella's Mama

I can vouch for that. Last year at CBR I didn't get my #1 request when we checked it. I asked the CM nicely if there was anything she could do and she made a phone call and we got moved to our perfect room location.

 

[reader562]

Finally doing the double-digit dance!! 99 days!! Checking in on 2/1!! I've been planning since March and it finally seems to be getting closer.
I don't post much here as I've been reading this thread and all my possible questions have been answered!
Thanks especially to Andre and Venom for your wonderful knowledge!

 

[emilyhuff]

Deducted from your rooms price for each day.

Right so do they put it back on your credit card? Our trip is already paid for

 

[dansdad]

Right so do they put it back on your credit card? Our trip is already paid for

They'll first put the credit onto your room so if you charge anything back to your room, the credit will be there to help offset any charges. If you don't charge anything to your room or if you didn't charge enough back to your room to use up the entire credit they will put what's left back onto your credit card when you check out.

 

[andrewilley]

I faxed an enthusiastic and Venomhatch approved request for:
1. Connecting rooms
2. Mansion
3. Second Floor

I thought it was a slam dunk... but we got no connecting rooms, Alligator Bayou 1st floor...

Perhaps now might be a good time to gently remind people that requests (other than for very specific, usually medical, reasons) are just that - requests - and not any sort of guarantee.

Port Orleans is one of the few Disney resorts which still accepts faxes at all, and I know that they do try their best to process such requests when they have time. But sometimes that is not possible for any number of reasons (they might just be short staffed that day, or too busy). They might even choose to leave a more straight-forward request (such as general location, or upper/lower floor) to be caught during the check-in process on the day, so that you are not pre-assigned to a room which then might not actually be ready when you get there.

It is also more likely that properly linked multiple-room bookings will get noted (these are also picked up by daily searches on the computers in fact) and allocated nearby rooms.

The next point that requests are checked (and this would be the requests that were included with your central booking, plus any online checking updates, but probably not faxes) is when the Online Checkin staff look at a booking a few hours before you are due to arrive, and they assign a room from the pool of ready rooms that they see on the system at that particular moment.

Finally, when you actually arrive, if you are not happy with what has been assigned for you, you can always ask them to look at the new pool of available rooms (which will be different from the ones they saw earlier) and see if anything better is available. In this way, Online Checkin gives you a "double dip" chance.

But you do need to bear in mind that it may not be possible to action any of these things (especially for late-in-the-day checkins) but that is quite unusual.

I'm not sure that "Venomhatch approved" assures automatic VIP treatment at Disney by the way.

Andre

 

[Katelly]

I can vouch for that. Last year at CBR I didn't get my #1 request when we checked it. I asked the CM nicely if there was anything she could do and she made a phone call and we got moved to our perfect room location.

Same for us at our last visit to CBR. The original room was soooo far from the main area. I asked if they had something closer and they moved us to an awesome room.

Never hurts to ask!

 

[Sydnerella]

I faxed an enthusiastic and Venomhatch approved request for:
1. Connecting rooms
2. Mansion
3. Second Floor

I thought it was a slam dunk... but we got no connecting rooms, Alligator Bayou 1st floor...

However, when my DFIL checked in before we arrived, he knew the requests I made and the check-in CM was able to get us rooms next door but not connecting in Magnolia Terrace on the 2nd floor. So we were very pleased. Now the buses are another thing...

But anyway - the moral of my experience is DO NOT GIVE UP or be afraid to ask again at check-in

Have Fun!

Sydnerella's Mama

Perhaps now might be a good time to gently remind people that requests (other than for very specific, usually medical, reasons) are just that - requests - and not any sort of guarantee.

Port Orleans is one of the few Disney resorts which still accepts faxes at all, and I know that they do try their best to process such requests when they have time. But sometimes that is not possible for any number of reasons (they might just be short staffed that day, or too busy). They might even choose to leave a more straight-forward request (such as general location, or upper/lower floor) to be caught during the check-in process on the day, so that you are not pre-assigned to a room which then might not actually be ready when you get there.

It is also more likely that properly linked multiple-room bookings will get noted (these are also picked up by daily searches on the computers in fact) and allocated nearby rooms.

The next point that requests are checked (and this would be the requests that were included with your central booking, plus any online checking updates, but probably not faxes) is when the Online Checkin staff look at a booking a few hours before you are due to arrive, and they assign a room from the pool of ready rooms that they see on the system at that particular moment.

Finally, when you actually arrive, if you are not happy with what has been assigned for you, you can always ask them to look at the new pool of available rooms (which will be different from the ones they saw earlier) and see if anything better is available. In this way, Online Checkin gives you a "double dip" chance.

But you do need to bear in mind that it may not be possible to action any of these things (especially for late-in-the-day checkins) but that is quite unusual.

I'm not sure that "Venomhatch approved" assures automatic VIP treatment at Disney by the way.

Andre

This is all I was trying to say Andre - that even though I thought I had a rockstar room request fax - the requests were not granted for whatever reason, BUT we did not give up and asked again during the check-in process and we were given most of what we wanted in the end. All was not lost!

Theme of the day - ask again and be polite and say thank you!

Sydnerella's Mama