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

[jkl2000]

You can stay in AB with just one person if you want, as long as there's availability there. Of course it's only guaranteed with a party of five (or if you have booked a Preferred Location).

That's good to know - didn't realize that might not be guaranteed.

What if I was booking it just for myself and planned to sleep on the Murphy Bed?

 

[jkl2000]

I've stayed at POR twice (once way back when it was Dixie Landings) and both times I've been in AB as a solo.

Did you ever sleep on the Murphy Bed? Come on, you must have just tried it. I would have.

 

[jkl2000]

Upon check-in we were upgraded to a Royal Room!!!! DD was totally thrilled.

That's funny, for me I'm not sure I'd consider the switch to a Royal Room as an upgrade, only because I think from all the photos I prefer the regular Magnolia Bend rooms decor.

Glad that you got the upgrade though, since your daughter was happy with it! Glad you enjoyed POR - everything sounds great!

 

[germ539]

We got back Saturday, so here's an overview.

Magical Express - no complaints, got us to and from POR without any hitches.

Took a taxi to the nearest Winn Dixies to get essentials on Saturday after we arrived, taxi cost was approx $14 each way, but worth it. Didn't really want to pay the high resort cost for the essentials.

Got Pixie Dusted , Booked a standard room, got a garden view corner room with a Mickey towel head to greet us (room 8778), my parents had an adjoining room (8779). We had our privacy please sign out the whole time so they just left a bag hanging on the door with the necessities for the next day (unless I happened to catch the mousekeeper, Marie was ours during the week, to get what we needed)

Main pool - visited it once, DS liked the quiet pool better, said the main pool was too busy and noisy. I kinda agree on that. The slide is okay, OKW's slide seems faster.

Food Court - we utilized this quite a few times. The chocolate cake at the bakery is WONDERFULL. Very moist and tasty. Got a cinnamon roll for breakfast, it looks good but is very hard on the outside and dry on the inside. DS and grandparents got the whole pepperoni pizza twice and it was very tasty and the best price we found for a whole pizza throughout Disney. I had the create your own pasta on our last day, it was okay, I think less noodles would taste better and it would seem like there would be enough sauce for all the noodles. DH got the Turkey dinner one night and I got the ham dinner one night, DH said his had good flavor, mine was okay. DH also had the mufalatta twice and said it was good. Wasn't too crowded the times we ate but I went there a couple of times to refill the mugs and it was packed.

Entertainment - caught Yee Haw Bob's show two different nights, he's a hoot, I can see why he is so popular. Arcade is okay, DS won me a Donald from the claw game.

Took the boat to DD one evening, had a little wait, but otherwise a nice ride on the river.

Room - Very comfortable, the only problem is that if you want the fridge to stay cold, you need to leave the door to the cabinet it is in open part way. I know that they put it in there for looks, but it doesn't make sense to have the keep the door open. My parents had to have theirs replaced, it was not keeping anything cold even with the door open. They said that it was working but when you shut the fridge door, you could tell that it wasn't running. Once they got a new one, everything was fine.

Bus service wasn't too bad, sometimes hit and miss on catching them, we were near the east depot, so we utilized that alot. Never could tell when coming back from the parks though, whether they were going to go around all the stops then last south or start at south.

Parks were busy, had some spotty rain showers a couple of days. DS said that the most favorite for him was the Dinosaur ride at AK. I could do with out

This is our 2nd time at POR (1st time was in 1995 when it was Dixie Landings) and I would stay again. We "visited" other resorts, just to see what they look like and like this one the best (out of the moderates), the only ones we didn't see are CBR, CSR, ASMu, ASSports & SSR.

Just a side note, if you would like a good down home cooking buffet, you need to visit the Fort Wilderness buffet for dinner. We ate there twice and for the money (I think it's the cheapest buffet on Disney) it is worth it and filling.

Thanks to Andre and Venom for all their advice. Anybody that wants anymore info on what it was like there, don't hesitate to ask or PM me.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

That's funny, for me I'm not sure I'd consider the switch to a Royal Room as an upgrade, only because I think from all the photos I prefer the regular Magnolia Bend rooms decor.

Glad that you got the upgrade though, since your daughter was happy with it! Glad you enjoyed POR - everything sounds great!

Funny you should say that since DH thinks from the pics that the royal rooms look "garish." I told him its a good thing that he isn't coming with us then He isn't showing up until the YC portion of the trip.

(Shameless post to say 2 more days!!!! )

 

[Missytara]

That's good to know - didn't realize that might not be guaranteed.

What if I was booking it just for myself and planned to sleep on the Murphy Bed?

You would have to book preferred, which are all AB buildings.

 

[Missytara]

Here's a POR booking question for anyone - booked a stay at POR for october, and it was my first time using the Disney booking site. It didn't let me request Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend by name, but since it did let you select two Queen Size beds vs. two Queen Size Beds and a Murphy bed I'm guessing it knows we want Magnolia Bend, but was wondering if I'm correct.

I'm planning to call anyway and make sure they know, and also request a corner room.

It's sort of a strange booking system because it doesn't give you a very good idea of what it's going to allow you to do or request of you. I guess the days of e-commerce websites that tell you how to use them are sort of over, but I find the Disney site to be rather opaque, and I've used a LOT of e-commerce sites.

Disney's site only allows you to select booking categories, not make requests. The site will pick the appropriate area, based on the number of occupants and their ages on the reservation.

You can call or send them via the e-mail address on the site and they send you a confirmation when you receive it.

 

[andrewilley]

When I first booked POR the phone cm said 5 heartbeats regardless of age get them ESP since my almost 3 year is unsafe being in a pack and play.

Sadly, that CM was wrong. Only persons aged 3+ count towards that total room occupancy level (and of those, over 17 years count as adults). An infant under three is separate from the total. So in your case, you have four occupants plus one infant, not five occupants. However I wouldn't worry too much, requests for AB mostly seem to get met anyway - after all, there are twice as many rooms in the AB section as there are in the regular mansions.

Here's a POR booking question for anyone - booked a stay at POR for october, and it was my first time using the Disney booking site. It didn't let me request Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend by name, but since it did let you select two Queen Size beds vs. two Queen Size Beds and a Murphy bed I'm guessing it knows we want Magnolia Bend, but was wondering if I'm correct.

That's odd, I've never seen that happen. Specific room types (Preferred) will guarantee you AB and hence the extra bed, while others (Royal Rooms) will guarantee a mansion building room with no extra bed. But other than those, amenities should be the same - it should quote a generic wording such as "two queen beds, or two queen beds and a fold-down bunk size bed".

For a laugh you could try using the UK website which is (being generous) somewhat muddled... For example, for a random day in November:

Disneyworld.com site, which seems pretty-much correct apart from the total room occupancy figures and slightly misleading wording on the Standard vs. Garden views:

Disneyworld.co.uk site; if you can figure out how the UK descriptions and price structure work, well done:

Andre

 

[Wendy31]

DH's work schedule changed, & we're not going to be able to go to the beach in June, like we normally do.

So, we've decided to combine a beach trip w/ our Disney trip in September, &, since the Disney portion is now going to be shorter, we've decided to change our resort.

We're considering Port Orleans Riverside, & I have the following questions:

1. We're a family of 5, so we'll be in the Alligator Bayou section, right?

2. I'd like a preferred location, so we'll be closer to the quick-service & to the pool. So, if we pay for a "preferred" room, are the preferred buildings 14, 15, 18, or 27?

3. From looking at the map, I think I'd like to be in Building 14. Is that a good location? Can I request it, if we're paying for a preferred room?

4. I don't think we can reserve both pool view & preferred location. Preferred location is more important to me than pool view. However, can I request a pool view if I book preferred location?

5. So, w/ the above questions, can I book preferred & request Building 14 w/ a pool view? Or, is it better to book pool view & request building 14?

Thanks so much!!

 

[andrewilley]

We're considering Port Orleans Riverside, & I have the following questions:

Your questions are mostly answered in the FAQ in the first post, but briefly:

Yes, for any booking of five people (all aged 3+) you will be in the Alligator Bayou section.

Yes, a Preferred Location booking will get you a room in buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 only - but with standard or garden views, NOT Pool or River Views (although in many of the rooms you are fairly close to the quiet pool and can see it). Specifically booking Pool View only gives six possible rooms in building 18, all of the other AB pool views are much further away facing the more remote pools.

However if you book River View for a party of five, you will get a room in buildings 14, 27 or 38 only - and although 38 is not sold as a preferred location, the River View rooms in 38 are probably closer to the main building than even some of the other preferred rooms. This could be a great option for you (none are too far from either the main pool or a quiet pool).

If you want building 14 specifically, even though it has no pool views, you can request it with Preferred Location or River View bookings (but it's not guaranteed of course).

I would suggest you book either River View and request building 14, or book Preferred Location and request a room near the quiet pool.

Andre

 

[Wendy31]

Your questions are mostly answered in the FAQ in the first post, but briefly:

Yes, for any booking of five people (all aged 3+) you will be in the Alligator Bayou section.

Yes, a Preferred Location booking will get you a room in buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 only - but with standard or garden views, NOT a River View.

However if you book River View for a party of five, you will get a room in buildings 14, 27 or 38 only - and although 38 is not sold as a preferred location, the River View rooms in 38 are probably closer to the main building than even some of the other preferred rooms. This would be a great option for you.

If you want building 14 specifically, you can request it (not guaranteed of course) but I wouldn't be terribly worried about getting buildings 27 or 38 anyway as their river view rooms are all great.

Andre

Thanks so much for the quick reply!

So, in your opinion, instead of preferred, I should book river view? I'd be in 14, 27, or 38?

My reason for wanting to be in a preferred location is because our 2 older kids are old enough to go to the quick-service (to refill their mugs, etc) &/or to go ahead of us to the pool by themselves.

However, I didn't want them to be "too far away," if that makes sense. I wanted them to pretty much have a straight walk to both locations.

Would the river view rooms in 14, 27, or 38 be more of a "it's straight ahead" kinda walk than the possibility of a room further back in one of the preferred buildings? (The walk from building 38 looks pretty far away from the quick-service.)

So maybe I should book river view & request buildings 14 or 27?

 

[Missytara]

Thanks so much for the quick reply!

So, in your opinion, instead of preferred, I should book river view? I'd be in 14, 27, or 38?

My reason for wanting to be in a preferred location is because our 2 older kids are old enough to go to the quick-service (to refill their mugs, etc) &/or to go ahead of us to the pool by themselves.

However, I didn't want them to be "too far away," if that makes sense. I wanted them to pretty much have a straight walk to both locations.

Would the river view rooms in 14, 27, or 38 be more of a "it's straight ahead" kinda walk than the possibility of a room further back in one of the preferred buildings? (The walk from building 38 looks pretty far away from the quick-service.)

So maybe I should book river view & request buildings 14 or 27?

Riverview rooms are all over POR, so you aren't guaranteed to get in those buildings; you can only request them. And since 14 is preferred, you won't get it unless you book preferred and ask for riverview.

You need to decide which is more important, being in preferred and as close as possible to the food court, or go with a view and try to get the buildings just behind preferred, which are almost as close as a request.

 

[andrewilley]

My reason for wanting to be in a preferred location is because our 2 older kids are old enough to go to the quick-service (to refill their mugs, etc) &/or to go ahead of us to the pool by themselves.

However, I didn't want them to be "too far away," if that makes sense. I wanted them to pretty much have a straight walk to both locations.

Would the river view rooms in 14, 27, or 38 be more of a "it's straight ahead" kinda walk than the possibility of a room further back in one of the preferred buildings? (The walk from building 38 looks pretty far away from the quick-service.)

The walks to the food court from the River View rooms in 14, 27 and 38 are all just a short stroll along the river bank pathway, you can watch the kids pretty-much all the way there. Much simpler than some of the walks from the Preferred Locations, and even the very furthest River View room in 38 is still no more than a 4 minute walk from the food court (300 yards tops). Buildings 27 and 38 are also really handy for a quiet pool very near to you, and the main feature pool just across a bridge.

So honestly, whether you are in 14, 27 or 38, you'll be fine.

Riverview rooms are all over POR, so you aren't guaranteed to get in those buildings; you can only request them. And since 14 is preferred, you won't get it unless you book preferred and ask for riverview.

This is a party of five, so they will get AB. And all of the River View rooms (even in 14 and 27) need to be booked as River View category, not as Preferred Location. You can book River View and request buildings 14 or 27 and still stay within the River View category, but you can't book Preferred and ask for a river view without technically getting an upgrade.

Andre

 

[mamattorney]

Eight days to go! Faxed our requests this morning; I hope we get a little pixie dust with our location, but even if not, that's OK. We can't wait!

 

[Wendy31]

Riverview rooms are all over POR, so you aren't guaranteed to get in those buildings; you can only request them. And since 14 is preferred, you won't get it unless you book preferred and ask for riverview.

You need to decide which is more important, being in preferred and as close as possible to the food court, or go with a view and try to get the buildings just behind preferred, which are almost as close as a request.

The walks to the food court from the River View rooms in 14, 27 and 38 are all just a short stroll along the river bank pathway, you can watch the kids pretty-much all the way there. Much simpler than some of the walks from the Preferred Locations, and even the very furthest River View room in 38 is still no more than a 4 minute walk from the food court. Building 38 is also really handy for a quiet pool right behind you, and the main feature pool just across a bridge.

So honestly, whether you are in 14 or 38, you'll be fine.

Andre

Since we're a party of 5, if I book river view, we'll be in 14, 27, or 38 guaranteed?

 

[Missytara]

Since we're a party of 5, if I book river view, we'll be in 14, 27, or 38 guaranteed?

Then you will definitely be in AB.

 

[ChristineOH]

Since we're a party of 5, if I book river view, we'll be in 14, 27, or 38 guaranteed?

Yes. That's what we did. We got building 38 and we loved it.

 

[andrewilley]

Since we're a party of 5, if I book river view, we'll be in 14, 27, or 38 guaranteed?

As guaranteed as you ever can be, yes, that's where you should be.

I just remembered, I uploaded a test video to YouTube ages ago which includes a walk from the end of the path between buildings 14 and 18 over to the food court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lv1_F8Jzqw.

Andre

 

[jewelsb]

21 days to go and no Mickey Mail? Should I be worried yet?

 

[ChristineOH]

We were at POR from 5/25 to 6/1. We are a family of five who booked a river view room.
We did online check in. We checked in Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend. There was no line in regular check in. There was a short line for online check in, but within minutes, three CMs showed up to help all of us. When we left the following Saturday morning, the online check in line was non-existent, but the regular check in line was very long. We did not send in a fax request. We got building 38, and I think that is what I will request the next time we book. It was great! It was a short walk to either the main pool or a quiet pool, and not far from the main building.
We were close to the North Depot to catch the bus in the mornings. (We ate breakfast in our rooms.) We never caught the bus at South Depot, but we did get off there sometimes, and North Depot definitely seemed less hectic. We took the bus a total of 16 times. Once, we waited 20 minutes, once 10, and the rest of the time we either walked right on or waited less than five minutes. Once, we opted for the FQ bus after leaving MK after the parade. There was a long line for the POR bus and an empty FQ bus pulled up with only a few people in line. It's a beautiful ten minute walk back to POR.
The whole resort was lovely. The grounds of AB were lush and beautiful. It was so serene walking around, especially at night. We saw otters twice, once heading down the sidewalk! Our room was very clean, and mousekeeping was great. We enjoyed both pools, as we swam almost every day. My previous stay was at the Poly, and I was worried I would miss it, but I did not. I would certainly stay at either resort again.
The food court is insane after maybe 7:00. No lines to pay, plenty of tables, but LONG lines at the food stations. All of the food we had was very good. We had the make your own pasta and salad, pizza, mahi sandwich, beef and bleu sandwich, and more. We never made it back from the parks to eat earlier than 7:00, but I think if you went earlier, it would be better.
We took the ferry to FQ on our departure day to try the beignets. We never made it to Downtown Disney. My husband and daughter enjoyed one of Yee Ha Bob's shows, but I had to skip it as our boys were just too tired.
We never tried Boatwright's or took a carriage ride. We'll hopefully get to both of those next summer!