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

[Sydnerella]

A TA booked a MYW package for my family of 4 at POR and also a room only for my inlaws who are AP holders at POR. I have done online check in, FIL has not yet (of course). It seems the only options are the floor you are on and the corner room...

For the room request fax a few days prior to arrival I have a couple questions:

1. Should both my inlaws and I send in a faxed request?
   
2. If so, do we note the others name or confirmation number?

We will request connecting rooms, mansion buildings and 2nd floor as my Disney Prince and Princess have been in love with the Mansion building's central staircases since we stayed at POFQ last time and want to "walk elegantly up and down them to our room everyday"

Would it also be ok to request a single fridge between our two rooms within the fax? Or is that best done at check in?

Thanks,
Sydnerella's Mama

 

[LisaTC]

Friends of our stayed at POR a few Octobers ago and their DDs got their hair done with extensions/feathers/beads at POR according to their mom. Is this still happening and if so, when/where can we do this at the resort? Thanks,
Sydnerella's Mama

Yes, they are located at/near the boat launch or just outside of Boatwrights/food court. They do beading/wraps. It's very pretty, but a little pricey. I think it is charged by the inch.

As far as a fax, I would read the first page of this thread about faxing, but I would combine your request with both conf numbers onto one fax, so they understand your desire for connecting rooms.

 

[andrewilley]

Should both my inlaws and I send in a faxed request?
If so, do we note the others name or confirmation number?

Yes, and yes. Mention all of the main booked names and all the reservation numbers in one fax. You can request a fridge, but at present there are still no guarantees of course.

I would definitely also mention your kids' plans for the elegant stairways as that's the sort of thing that the CMs love to read and I'm sure they'll try to help.

Andre

 

[CDolacki2003]

We have 30 days until we arrive at POR. Cannot wait, I am patiently awaiting Magicbands and Mickey Mail. Our DME luggage tags arrived about 3 months ago. Hope I go home today and have a nice little package from the Mouse waiting for me

 

[Yellowstonetim]

If we decide to come a day early we would do a room only reservation for that night -- no dining plan, no park ticket. We will only be staying 3 nights total, so do you think they would move us after the first night? Or would we be able to stay in the same room for the duration?

If they move us to a new room will we have to check out and check back in?

I really want to make the most of the 2 full days we're there by adding the travel day in. We probably won't get to POR until after dinner the day we check in. But, this will give us more time at the resort on our second day.

However, if we have to go through checking out & in, it might not be worth it... suggestions? Experiences?

Thanks.

There is no guarantee you will get the same room but they will try and I think the shorter your stay the easier it would be for them to arrange. If not, you do not need to do the full checkout checkin. Just tell them at original checkin. I think, if I remember correctly, you can even have them move your packed luggage from one room to the next. Anyone care to confirm I got this right?

 

[Lurch]

From 10 days at Disney World. This was my first trip at 43 years old and I had an absolute blast! I was just my wife and I on this trip and we originally booked it renting DVC points at BWV for 9 days. Then I found out about the magic bands and decided to add on one day at the front of our trip at POR to be eligible for the bands. That was a HUGE mistake!

After a day at BWV, we wanted to be back at POR! While it was VERY nice to be able to easily walk from BWV to EPCOT and HS, we enjoyed our day at POR much more. Our room was in the Aligator section and we loved the woodsy feel. The pool and recreation area was also much nicer. BWV had no quick service but the QS at POR was not only reasonably priced, but the quality was outstanding!

We enjoyed this resort so much that we spent our last day (Sunday) there. Since we added a day to our trip we were one day short on park passes and thought Disney had enough of our money this trip so we didn't add on. We took the bus to DTD and had a pleasant boat ride up the river. Lunch at POR followed by a stroll down the river to POFQ for dessert.

If anyone is thinking of POR or POFQ but on the edge, I can't recommend it enough. This place was fantastic. Only complaint was that the bed felt like a thin pad on a sheet of plywood.

We are most likely going back next year.

 

[MickeyFan19]

So I'm trying to finish up an order (diapers, wipes, water, cliff bars etc) to be delivered to POR. It's been a little tricky to include all the info needed. Do you think this will be OK as a shipping address?

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside
1251 RIVERSIDE DR
co Guest Name 09/29/13
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL 32830-8514

TIA!

 

[Sydnerella]

Yes, and yes. Mention all of the main booked names and all the reservation numbers in one fax. You can request a fridge, but at present there are still no guarantees of course.

I would definitely also mention your kids' plans for the elegant stairways as that's the sort of thing that the CMs love to read and I'm sure they'll try to help.

Andre

Thank you! They have asked twice in the past week if I have booked an upstairs room... We booked a garden view so it seems possible the CMs will have plenty to choose from such that the kids can use the central stair and wind along the balconies over to the non-riverview sides of the Mansions.

 

[disneymania0711]

I'm still having trouble with online check in. Keep on getting error message!! I finally went to mydisneyreservation.com and was able to do it there but it gave me no option for a special request of any kind. When I log back into MDE it now says change check in. I tried clicking on that all morning and still getting the same error message. Ugh. I just want to be able to make a request.

 

[andrewilley]

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside
1251 RIVERSIDE DR
co Guest Name 09/29/13
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL 32830-8514

I would put guest name & checkin date at the top. Zip code is wrong too, should be 82830-1000.

Also, is this going by post (ideally need to use the PO Box adddress) or courier (in which case street address is fine)?

Andre

 

[MickeyFan19]

I would put guest name & checkin date at the top. Zip code is wrong too, should be 82830-1000.

Also, is this going by post (ideally need to use the PO Box adddress) or courier (in which case street address is fine)?

Andre

Ok I will put name and checkin date at top and change the zip.
They use UPS and FedEx and do not deliver to PO Box....will this be an issue? Does the resort prefer deliveries to their PO Box better?

 

[andrewilley]

Thank you! They have asked twice in the past week if I have booked an upstairs room... We booked a garden view so it seems possible the CMs will have plenty to choose from such that the kids can use the central stair and wind along the balconies over to the non-riverview sides of the Mansions.

There are also some nice 'sweeping' staircases on the sides of the mansion buildings too:

And even on the ends of some of the wing sections too:

Ugh. I just want to be able to make a request.

There's really very little you can request via Online Checkin anyway (just a few tickboxes) so ideally your requests should already have been added to your original booking via phone call, or send a fax a few days before you arrive.

Andre

 

[disneymania0711]

There's really very little you can request via Online Checkin anyway (just a few tickboxes) so ideally your requests should already have been added to your original booking via phone call, or send a fax a few days before you arrive.

Andre[/QUOTE]

I was able to enter my estimated time of arrival. Which I was glad to do. Other than that I just was going to request bottom floor. I guess I'm just more confused by the constant error. Makes me nervous if we can do magic bands and fp+. That ill get some error than too.

 

[DonaldDuck77]

For those of you who don't venture outside of this thread, you need to see the Now I have seen everything at POR thread

 

[aprincesswannabe]

...on being named a top ten thread on DISBoards!

We are very excited about our upcoming (and first time) stay at POR. Thanks for all the great information on this thread.

 

[Sydnerella]

There are also some nice 'sweeping' staircases on the sides of the mansion buildings too:

And even on the ends of some of the wing sections too:

There's really very little you can request via Online Checkin anyway (just a few tickboxes) so ideally your requests should already have been added to your original booking via phone call, or send a fax a few days before you arrive.

Andre

Thanks so much Andre - pretty! That is helpful to know as we only saw those facing the river and pathway from POFQ on our walk which made them very interested - "why didnt we stay THERE?!?!?!"

So to be clear, FIL and I should BOTH send faxes with identical requests?

 

[OneBadApple]

For those of you who don't venture outside of this thread, you need to see the Now I have seen everything at POR thread

I just did and all I can say is

 

[texnmickey]

We are headed to WDW in 2 weeks and got the letter Saturday about the frig situation. My MIL called and spoke to someone and explained that we are a large group and that there are 18 of us ranging in age from 6 mos.-59 years old. None of us our medically needy but we were planning on eating bfast in our rooms before headed to the park. We also have little ones who will need milk at night and in the morning. The person she spoke with said that we would be compensated, and to call when we got there and gave her his direct number. My ? is does anyone know what they have been doing to compensate folks in this situation? Should we even bother ordering from Garden Grocer now?

 

[Ashlander]

For those of you who don't venture outside of this thread, you need to see the Now I have seen everything at POR thread

Too Funny!

 

[CareHeartsDisney]

We are headed to WDW in 2 weeks and got the letter Saturday about the frig situation. My MIL called and spoke to someone and explained that we are a large group and that there are 18 of us ranging in age from 6 mos.-59 years old. None of us our medically needy but we were planning on eating bfast in our rooms before headed to the park. We also have little ones who will need milk at night and in the morning. The person she spoke with said that we would be compensated, and to call when we got there and gave her his direct number. My ? is does anyone know what they have been doing to compensate folks in this situation? Should we even bother ordering from Garden Grocer now?

People are being compensated $15/night per room, but only when they request a fridge and don't get it. You have to ask for it at the front desk.

You might want to hold off on the Garden Grocer order now but I would hope that you would at minimum get one fridge between all your rooms. Otherwise, you could order a disposable styrofoam cooler as a back up from Garden Grocer or bring some insulated bags and get ice at the resort.