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

[Venomhatch]

Good morning everyone! Hope your day goes or is already going as magical as possible!

 

[carmelhp]

I won't be booking until next week, for end of January ....anyone have any idea if I'm going to have a problem getting a royal room? Do these go fast?

They're higher priced, so they are the rooms usually left after the standard rooms have sold out on promotions. We booked a Royal Room for our stay but I noticed that the standards had sold out for the free dining promotion an only Royal Rooms were left after a few weeks. I was a little annoyed that I paid for a RR while a lot of people say they got upgraded at check-in. We got a first floor, but that was really the only request that was granted, at Parterre (9519), instead of Oak Manor as requested. It was close to the bridge to the main lobby though. After the first day we renewed the fridge request and it was delivered the next morning. Loved the RR, had a very good time at POR, loved the grounds, and everything.

 

[carmelhp]

Ha ha dont get me started on the transportation - no matter what park i chose the buses for the other parks came in pairs!

So while i saw it - wasnt impressed because really the test will be can they keep to that schedule.

It will be a great addition once they get the kinks out.

Sorry - ranting - for as long as they hv been doing resort to park transportation you would think it was better organized and timed - our mnsshp day i heard a women at south complain about waiting for an hour and half - i had never seen a line at any depot but this day was bad at all of them.

Getting better but still seems like they dont hv their act together- is por really that big with twice as many people as other resorts? We got two buses to others one at epcot and magic kingdom and there was still a line! The bus lune was linger than the ride lines - ha ha ha

We arrived on 9/24 at about 2:30 and had tickets to MNSSHP. We went to the South Depot at about 3:00 and it was 90 minutes or more before a MK bus stopped, 2 passed crammed to the doors. One of the guests at the stop went in and complained and two empty buses came in about 10 minutes. There we about 150 people waiting at the stop. For all other parks the South stop was the best, and on non-MK days we passed people at other stops, already fully loaded. On on next MK day we went to East (though West would be best for MK) and got a seat, but at South we fully loaded and left about 50 guests still waiting.

 

[BebopBaloo]

The bus situation is something that has made me leery of POR in the past. It is a gorgeous resort no doubt, but using Disney transportation is a big deal for us. We like to park the car and then not worry about driving for the rest of the stay. What is the overall consensus on POR buses? I know there are multiple stops, but about how long does it take to load up at each stop on average? I know there are variables that will determine exactly how long it takes and that it can vary from day to day...but in general what's the wait like?
End of August is the season that we're looking at.

 

[carmelhp]

The bus situation is something that has made me leery of POR in the past. It is a gorgeous resort no doubt, but using Disney transportation is a big deal for us. We like to park the car and then not worry about driving for the rest of the stay. What is the overall consensus on POR buses? I know there are multiple stops, but about how long does it take to load up at each stop on average? I know there are variables that will determine exactly how long it takes and that it can vary from day to day...but in general what's the wait like?
End of August is the season that we're looking at.

You really need something to compare it to, I found the wait and time to load most times to be less than at Pop or AKL. We just happened to be on the most popular bus routes for our park days because it was always either MNSSHP or an EMH day at the park.

 

[TX Momof2]

I just booked my family's second DW trip at POR for Feb. 1-8 with the S/P/D promo! We've never stayed here before, so any words of wisdom are greatly appreciated! It's a birthday trip for the DD and DS who turn 10 and 5 in January. It's also my son's first trip!!! I requested AB, but we didn't book preferred. Should I change the reservation?

 

[DWillowBay]

Just booked POR Garden View for a solo trip January 26 -30th. SO excited!! I requested a Manor building, but can anyone give advice as to if one Manor is better located than others. Since I'll be on my own, I don't want to be TOO far from essentials (main bldg, bus stops) Thanks!

 

[emilyhuff]

Sorry Im a little BUT doesnt anyone think that photopass is a little over priced? I was just looking into it, how much does it cost for a CD at the end of your trip?

 

[laurensmommy]

Can anyone tell me about the horse drawn carriage rides. Has anyone done this. Do you need reservations or can you just show up. Also how much does it cost. We will be there in 16 days and was thinking of surprising my wife and daughter

It's $45 for a 25 min ride. Check the site
portorleans.org under the recreation tab.

Sorry I don't have enough postings to make the link active.

 

[dansdad]

It's $45 for a 25 min ride. Check the site
portorleans.org under the recreation tab.

Sorry I don't have enough postings to make the link active.

I can help with that.

http://portorleans.org/recreation.php

 

[andrewilley]

They're higher priced, so they are the rooms usually left after the standard rooms have sold out on promotions.

Also, sometimes the lower priced rooms aren't included in these sorts of promotions at all, or only in very limited quantities. Disney doesn't do these offers to just help struggling guests, they do them to sell room inventory which might otherwise be left unoccupied.

On on next MK day we went to East (though West would be best for MK) and got a seat, but at South we fully loaded and left about 50 guests still waiting.

This is something I try to explain when people ask which bus stop to wait at - the buses don't all use the same route, and the MK ones do the outer circuit first and then go to the South Depot. So if there has been a problem, and there are a lot of people waiting, they can fill up with guests from West/North/East before even getting to the South Depot. The theory is that some people coming back from the parks will then get off at the South Depot making more space, but personally I normally only get off a South if I'm in staying the region of the preferred AB buildings, so I think the numbers are pretty small compared to the likely queues. The bus drivers are meant to radio in for extra buses if they are full and have to leave a lot of guests behind.

I requested AB, but we didn't book preferred. Should I change the reservation?

If you want to guarantee an AB room, then yes. It will also assure you of a room fairly close to the main facilities area. But otherwise, or if the extra expense is an issue, just put in a request and keep your fingers crossed.

Just booked POR Garden View for a solo trip January 26 -30th. SO excited!! I requested a Manor building, but can anyone give advice as to if one Manor is better located than others. Since I'll be on my own, I don't want to be TOO far from essentials (main bldg, bus stops) Thanks!

Magnolia Terrace is marginally better located than Acadian House, but there are some quite remote rooms in both buildings so requesting something near to the bridge over to Ol' Man Island might be a better idea than asking for one building over the other.

Sorry Im a little BUT doesnt anyone think that photopass is a little over priced? I was just looking into it, how much does it cost for a CD at the end of your trip?

Depends on what you do with it I guess. The old pre-order price of $99 was expensive if you only got a few photos, but if you take 100 photos then that's just a dollar each. Remember that you can always ask the photopass photographers to take pictures of your whole family together with your own camera. The new PhotoPass+ system, which will be adding more in-ride photos to the mix, changes the equation a bit and will push more people towards buying in (quelle surprise! ).

Andre

 

[emilyhuff]

Thank you Andre! you truly do have an answer for everything!

 

[MsHershey]

We check in on Nov 8!

So do we. Can't wait!

 

[Ashlander]

Good morning everyone! Hope your day goes or is already going as magical as possible!

 

[1GR8DISNEYFAN]

We have a 9:45 p.m. reservation at Narcoossee's on an evening when MK closes at 9. If we finish with dinner around 11:00, will the buses still be running from MK to POR at that time?

 

[dansdad]

We have a 9:45 p.m. reservation at Narcoossee's on an evening when MK closes at 9. If we finish with dinner around 11:00, will the buses still be running from MK to POR at that time?

I think you'll be cutting it very close. You might want to think about a cab from GF back to POR. Or bus from GF to DTD then boat to back to POR.

 

[carmelhp]

We have a 9:45 p.m. reservation at Narcoossee's on an evening when MK closes at 9. If we finish with dinner around 11:00, will the buses still be running from MK to POR at that time?

We were told 2 hours after park close. Last week when AK closed at 6:00, we had a 5:40 at Tusker House, arrived a bit late (a rhino was blocking the safari road) and finished around 7:30. When we got to the buses, we were put on one of the couple of unassigned buses waiting and they told the driver to take us to POR. No dedicated resort buses were still running from the park, just several unassigned buses for the stragglers like us. I already felt we were cutting it too close.

 

[andrewilley]

Thank you Andre! you truly do have an answer for everything!

So my wife often tells me... oddly though, she doesn't seem to think that it's a compliment.

We have a 9:45 p.m. reservation at Narcoossee's on an evening when MK closes at 9. If we finish with dinner around 11:00, will the buses still be running from MK to POR at that time?

I think the regular busses (and the monorail, come to that) will be finished by then. I'd get a taxi, it'll only be about $15 or so - and what's that compared to a meal at the GF without being rushed?

Andre

 

[Srbright]

We arrived on 9/24 at about 2:30 and had tickets to MNSSHP. We went to the South Depot at about 3:00 and it was 90 minutes or more before a MK bus stopped, 2 passed crammed to the doors. One of the guests at the stop went in and complained and two empty buses came in about 10 minutes. There we about 150 people waiting at the stop. For all other parks the South stop was the best, and on non-MK days we passed people at other stops, already fully loaded. On on next MK day we went to East (though West would be best for MK) and got a seat, but at South we fully loaded and left about 50 guests still waiting.

We went to MNSSHP on the same day and did not have this issue. Granted hindsight is 20/20 but why would you have waited for 90 minutes without saying anything? The drivers and staff do not know who is waiting for what bus at each stop.

Stacy

 

[Srbright]

The bus situation is something that has made me leery of POR in the past. It is a gorgeous resort no doubt, but using Disney transportation is a big deal for us. We like to park the car and then not worry about driving for the rest of the stay. What is the overall consensus on POR buses? I know there are multiple stops, but about how long does it take to load up at each stop on average? I know there are variables that will determine exactly how long it takes and that it can vary from day to day...but in general what's the wait like?
End of August is the season that we're looking at.

We went in Sept and had no issues with the busses. Even staying for illuminations and hallowishes we never waited more than 15 mins and most times all 4 of us got seats. Although if we did it again in the preferred rooms we would walk to the west depot to get on the bus.

Stacy