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

[zabache]

Our reservation dates are from 8/1 to 8/8. On 8/1 MK is having EMH which I want to attend. How early can I check in to get my park tix and dining credits? I was told by a CM over the chat just now that after 7 am on the day I check in I can pre-register, get my kttw card and head over to the park until my room is ready after 3 pm. Someone else had told me I could get my park tix a few days before I was actually checking in.
So who is right?

 

[zabache]

Hello. Just in case inquiring minds would like to know... Checked in yesterday evening and our room has a working fridge.

Also I had booked a standard room. My only requests were for the mansions. We got a surprise upgrade to a garden view royal room. I don't think it's technically a river view but we can easily see the river just past the gardens.

Traveling with my DB (14) and to my shock he's really enjoying the royal room. It's not too princess-y and he likes all of the detailing.

I would so love an upgrade to a RR when I go. We were originally going to stay in one but then our nieces were added to our trip. tTe only way they could come was going to a room with a murphy bed to accommodate all of us. I know it's a long shot but you never know. I was typing up my fax the other day debating what I should say in regards to that to see if it might happen. I so love that room. That was my main reason for picking POR and then I found out about all of the other neat stuff.

I'm worried too about not having a fridge in the room. We're traveling with a toddler and he needs his milk and juice. It would not be nice to have a cooler there taking up space.

 

[Missytara]

I would so love an upgrade to a RR when I go. We were originally going to stay in one but then our nieces were added to our trip. tTe only way they could come was going to a room with a murphy bed to accommodate all of us. I know it's a long shot but you never know. I was typing up my fax the other day debating what I should say in regards to that to see if it might happen. I so love that room. That was my main reason for picking POR and then I found out about all of the other neat stuff.

I'm worried too about not having a fridge in the room. We're traveling with a toddler and he needs his milk and juice. It would not be nice to have a cooler there taking up space.

If you are a party of 5 for AB, there will be no upgrade. RR's are an occupancy of 4.

 

[siskaren]

Our reservation dates are from 8/1 to 8/8. On 8/1 MK is having EMH which I want to attend. How early can I check in to get my park tix and dining credits? I was told by a CM over the chat just now that after 7 am on the day I check in I can pre-register, get my kttw card and head over to the park until my room is ready after 3 pm. Someone else had told me I could get my park tix a few days before I was actually checking in.
So who is right?

Other than the fact that you can check-in as early as 6:00 am, they're both right. (Although I've never heard it called pre-registering.) You can check in as early as 6:00 because that's when the hotels' computers switch over to the current day, and if your room isn't ready (and as long as the hotel isn't completely full, it could be, even that early), you'll get your KTTW cards with your tickets and dining credits loaded on them and they'll text you with the room number when it's ready.

You can get your park tickets up to three days before your reservation starts (check the ticket sticky in the Theme Park Attractions and Strategies board for details), even though the telephone CMs will tell you that you can't. (You wouldn't be able to access your dining credits, though.) But you wouldn't be able to take advantage of EMH without your KTTW cards, so there wouldn't be any advantage to getting your tickets early.

 

[Venomhatch]

Oh thank you. Thought the thread was dead after no replies since 7pm EST.

 

[zabache]

Other than the fact that you can check-in as early as 6:00 am, they're both right. (Although I've never heard it called pre-registering.) You can check in as early as 6:00 because that's when the hotels' computers switch over to the current day, and if your room isn't ready (and as long as the hotel isn't completely full, it could be, even that early), you'll get your KTTW cards with your tickets and dining credits loaded on them and they'll text you with the room number when it's ready.

You can get your park tickets up to three days before your reservation starts (check the ticket sticky in the Theme Park Attractions and Strategies board for details), even though the telephone CMs will tell you that you can't. (You wouldn't be able to access your dining credits, though.) But you wouldn't be able to take advantage of EMH without your KTTW cards, so there wouldn't be any advantage to getting your tickets early.

Thanks for the info.

Venomhatch: this thread will never die.

 

[EeyoreJMH]

I was looking at several people on the schedule thread and noticed that many are starting their trip in the middle of one week and ending the middle of the next. Is there a particular benefit to this? Like is staying the entire weekend particularly awesome?

My normal time-off would be a Mon-Fri (easier for several reasons) but I might try to swing it differently if it's important enough to do so.

Thanks for any info,

Hi there! We're staying this Wednesday to next Wednesday because the airfare was much less expensive that way, which allows for more Mickey bars

 

[mouserrificmom]

I was looking at several people on the schedule thread and noticed that many are starting their trip in the middle of one week and ending the middle of the next. Is there a particular benefit to this? Like is staying the entire weekend particularly awesome?

My normal time-off would be a Mon-Fri (easier for several reasons) but I might try to swing it differently if it's important enough to do so.

Thanks for any info,

We have been doing this regularly, our next trip being a Tuesday - Tuesday. It is true that the airfares are better, but the dealbreaker for us is the entire travel experience. MUCH less traffic in the airports, and far less waiting at the DME and resort check-in our first trip to the World was a Saturday-Saturday, and my husband and i joke that the worst line of that trip was the check-in at the resort after a long day of travel with 2 small children and a toddler!

 

[andrewilley]

Hi there! We're staying this Wednesday to next Wednesday because the airfare was much less expensive that way, which allows for more Mickey bars

I'm doing the same, we arrive next Wednesday and will be staying for two weeks until Weds 14 Aug. That was due to available time off from work though. I do tend to avoid travelling over the weekend though, I like having the full Saturday/Sunday there.

Andre

 

[4myboyz]

We drive from NY and have always done Sat-Sat leaving from home on Fri. With our free dining bounce back, Sunday 8/18 was the first available date and we didn't want to start our drive on a Saturday, so we booked Tues-Tues.

 

[firstwdw]

I'm doing the same, we arrive next Wednesday and will be staying for two weeks until Weds 14 Aug. That was due to available time off from work though. I do tend to avoid travelling over the weekend though, I like having the full Saturday/Sunday there.

Andre

Are you going to stream a live webcam this trip?!?!?!? That was so fun for all of us stuck at home last time you were there!

 

[Patience]

We found the cheapest airfare arriving on a Saturday. We decided to fly instead of drive because I found non-stop airfare for $129 each on Southwest. I had to move our arrival date to Saturday to get that price. I don't think I will ever understand airline pricing.

 

[ohnowewontgo]

For whoever asked about the mattresses....they are hard. I'm used to a pillow top and this is not it. They seem harder than they were last September, but I wasn't pregnant last year trying to sleep in them either. And there's no working fridge. It's still there, with a big letter on it. Everything else is great though!

 

[andrewilley]

Are you going to stream a live webcam this trip?!?!?!? That was so fun for all of us stuck at home last time you were there!

I'm hoping to, yes. Not sure what exact view I'll have as yet, but hopefully something fun.

Andre

 

[fadingjamie]

At the north bus stop right now. We've seen 5 Hollywood Studios buses, 5 Animal Kingdom, 3 Downtown Disney, 2 Magic Kingdom. Still nothing for Epcot!!

The buses and service overall are absolutely atrocious. We're regretting switching here...

 

[ProudMomTo3Boys]

I'm doing the same, we arrive next Wednesday and will be staying for two weeks until Weds 14 Aug. That was due to available time off from work though. I do tend to avoid travelling over the weekend though, I like having the full Saturday/Sunday there.

Andre

We'll be there from Aug. 5-14, we may just run into you.

 

[jcemom]

At the north bus stop right now. We've seen 5 Hollywood Studios buses, 5 Animal Kingdom, 3 Downtown Disney, 2 Magic Kingdom. Still nothing for Epcot!!

The buses and service overall are absolutely atrocious. We're regretting switching here...

That stinks! Of course, we've had random bus issues at other resorts too. When we stayed at POR and POFQ I don't recall any major bus problems. The same thing has happened to us more than once at BW and BC though.

 

[Venomhatch]

At the north bus stop right now. We've seen 5 Hollywood Studios buses, 5 Animal Kingdom, 3 Downtown Disney, 2 Magic Kingdom. Still nothing for Epcot!!

The buses and service overall are absolutely atrocious. We're regretting switching here...

This is why I tell guests to go to the South Depot for a sure fire chance of getting where you need to go.

 

[jcemom]

This is why I tell guests to go to the South Depot for a sure fire chance of getting where you need to go.

Is that the one in front of the lobby/main building? That's the one we used most when we stayed there, so maybe that's why we had no problem.

 

[andrewilley]

At the north bus stop right now. We've seen 5 Hollywood Studios buses, 5 Animal Kingdom, 3 Downtown Disney, 2 Magic Kingdom. Still nothing for Epcot!!

The buses and service overall are absolutely atrocious.

Unless of course you were going to Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Downtown Disney or Magic Kingdom, in which case you'd be telling us how good the bus service is. I wonder what the issue is with the Epcot route? I'd suggest asking the next bus driver to radio in the problem, so they can get you sorted, and ask what the problem is.

I believe that the buses are 'hub based', meaning that they travel to and from their base hub (mostly that's the parks) to a resort, and then back to base again. So a DHS or MK bus can't normally just switch routes and become an Epcot bus, they need to get one sent out from Epcot. You do need to make them aware of the problem though.

Hope you've made it to Epcot by now though, how long did you have to wait?

Andre