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

[pxedst21]

Ok, been trying to read back through all these posts and bands/FP+ threads to try to figure this out but no luck so far...so thought I would just ask and see if anyone has any help/opinions/thoughts on this

We have a package at POR for 5 of us. I checked on the website and we can do the bands for us 5. Here's the issue...our older son will be staying with some friends offsite at night because the room only sleeps 5 and they had extra space, so we'll just meet them in the mornings and get him. I bought his ticket to the parks and linked it to our reservation. Question comes in with the admission lines and FP+. Can we trade his ticket for a band so we all enter the RFID readers (not thinking so since it is still test phase); do we get KTTW too so that we could all enter the regular turnstiles/do regular FP together; should we not even fool with the magicbands since we can't all do them?

We'd love to try the bands but concerned with entering the parks (he's only 11 so don't want to split up in all that crowd to go through the turnstiles). And we are fine with not scheduling FP+ since he can't do it but want to be sure we can still do regular FP even though we'd have the bands.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[soma27]

I am concerned about my split stay in POR coming up. Due to our arrival dates, we needed a 1 night room only reservation prior to free dining:
Sept 28 - Room only POR
Sept 29- Oct 4 - Room, Dining and 7 day parkhopper POR

I had planned early ticket pick-up (read the ticket sticky by Chesire), but now I am nervous. It gives me the option to customize my bands. Ideally if they were sent early, they could just be "activated" one day early in the park. However, I am concerned that they will not allow entry - and we need to go to MK Saturday night for Cinderella dinner (13 person reservation).

Anybody able to calm me down or suggest the right course of action?

 

[jennyjinx3]

Does anyone know if all guests of POR will get to try out the FP+?

We have family there in about 1 month and they haven't been able to do this, and it is not showing as available. Is it only select guest that are trying it out?

Thanks for any info! They keep asking me questions!

 

[maggiemayhem]

Does anyone know if all guests of POR will get to try out the FP+?

We have family there in about 1 month and they haven't been able to do this, and it is not showing as available. Is it only select guest that are trying it out?

Thanks for any info! They keep asking me questions!

I have been wondering this myself, as well as just how many of the resort-wide September guests are testers. I have no idea if Disney would never announce that information, but I'm so curious.

 

[DonaldDuck77]

With some of the complicated issues some seem to be having, one solution could be to not participate in the magic band testing and do FP the old way while you still can.

 

[stickeymouse]

With some of the complicated issues some seem to be having, one solution could be to not participate in the magic band testing and do FP the old way while you still can.

This is true.. all that glitters is not gold. Perhaps time will tell us that the old way was better.

 

[stef12280]

I fgot on the make fast pass + reservations for spt 29th. After looking at the system you pick one ride then a random 2 rides show up. I dont like this I want to opt out of the Fast Pass. I think I just want to do regular fast pass. this is aweful!!!! No my liking at all takes the fun out of rides..

 

[Fyrecat]

Hi,
Question here-we'll be there for the first time in 2 weeks-

What if you have purchased your tickets through Undercover Tourist? Then I'm guessing you can't do this?

And the benefit from doing this is?

I ask because we've been invited, but my tickets are from Undercover Tourist?

Thank you,
Deb

 

[Dsnyless in Seattle]

I fgot on the make fast pass + reservations for spt 29th. After looking at the system you pick one ride then a random 2 rides show up. I dont like this I want to opt out of the Fast Pass. I think I just want to do regular fast pass. this is aweful!!!! No my liking at all takes the fun out of rides..

That does sound very unappetizing... Ugh! I believe, though, what people are saying is that since it's still only in testing phase and regular FP is still fully functioning, the FP+'s you have are more like icing on the cake and that you can still do regular FP as well. You may want to check the FP+ threads to be certain, but I feel like that's the consensus I've been reading.

 

[lmhall2000]

I fgot on the make fast pass + reservations for spt 29th. After looking at the system you pick one ride then a random 2 rides show up. I dont like this I want to opt out of the Fast Pass. I think I just want to do regular fast pass. this is aweful!!!! No my liking at all takes the fun out of rides..

That is not how it worked for me. We travel 9/10-9/17....once you select the day, park, then there is a list of fast pass options, it allowed me to click on 3 of them...my choice...then it gave me a page where there were 3-4 options of times for all of them. I could not individually select time/ride but I could find a combination that worked best for us.

Maybe the system is not fully loaded for those traveling outside the next 30 days and once you get to the 30 day mark it may be like the system I am seeing?

My speculation is that it IS open to all guests at POR that have packages and are signed in to MDE, the tricky part is when people have these one day hotel only or exceptions to just a straight package? I did have to go in several times and edit my online check in..it would not show the Magic Bands until I had gone in and edited my check in...although I had completed the oce about 2 months prior.

Another problem for people is when they have both the spouses signed in to MDE...the reservation may be on one's page and not the others, that is an IT issue, that needs to be addressed directly with IT..a friend of mine had a set of her children on her MDE and her husband had a separate set on his, so when it came to making Dining, she could only make ressies for just her and her husband, the kids were not showing up. IT had to merge them, now they can make reservations but they're not showing up on her Fast Pass option, only HE can make FP+ options...lots of little bugs like this in the system.

But, do not fret, as has been said many times before, YOU WILL BE ON VACATION!!! Exciting times and much fun to be had, magic bands/fast passes or not

 

[andrewilley]

We have a package at POR for 5 of us. I checked on the website and we can do the bands for us 5. Here's the issue...our older son will be staying with some friends offsite at night because the room only sleeps 5 and they had extra space, so we'll just meet them in the mornings and get him. I bought his ticket to the parks and linked it to our reservation. Question comes in with the admission lines and FP+. Can we trade his ticket for a band so we all enter the RFID readers (not thinking so since it is still test phase);

Staying offsite, he won't get a Magic Band - but all regular park tickets are being issued with RFID chips embedded in them now anyway, so he'll be able to use his ticket at the new entrance plazas. As you say, he won't be eligible for FP+, but if five of you have FP+ reservations and one person doesn't, the CM will most likely take pity on you. Probably...

I had planned early ticket pick-up (read the ticket sticky by Chesire), but now I am nervous. It gives me the option to customize my bands. Ideally if they were sent early, they could just be "activated" one day early in the park. However, I am concerned that they will not allow entry - and we need to go to MK Saturday night for Cinderella dinner (13 person reservation).

We know it has been possible to collect physical tickets up to three days in advance of a resort package stay, but no one is quite sure when this happens with Magic Bands. Might be best not to link your tickets for now, then you know it will work.

I have been wondering this myself, as well as just how many of the resort-wide September guests are testers. I have no idea if Disney would never announce that information, but I'm so curious.

At the moment, it looks like POR expect to be continuing with Magic Bands for all guests from 3rd Sept onwards. Certainly until at least the end of October, but they don't expect to be going back after that date and it will simply roll over into being a live (non-test) system at some point. Whether FP+ testing will continue then I don't know, but I would suspect that it will.

Andre

 

[andrewilley]

I fgot on the make fast pass + reservations for spt 29th. After looking at the system you pick one ride then a random 2 rides show up.

Have you tried editing those back to your choices rather than accepting the system suggestions?

Andre

 

[Clochette nordique]

We are moving in from POFQ. (Free Dining cannot be beat up.) I've just started reading the threads from day one. Wow, lots of stuff. And André seems to have a friend here he didn't have on the POFQ thread. Guess it's gonna be double the info for double the pleasure.......

Well, anyway, we are booked from Nov. 1st to 9, when we will board the Fantasy for a Western Carribean cruise for a week.

We have tickets for MNSSHP on Nov. 1st and MVMCP on Nov. 8 - the reason for visiting at that time. We have secured all the ADRs my DD13 will be delighted with.

Now, DD13's coach is a wheelchair. She can walk for about 20 minutes but there is no way she can visit the parks for 8 long days walking all of it... and coming back! So, I'm reading everything I can (and André posted.....) to know where to go. I'd like AB, but with her Autism, (she is "blessed" with 7 diagnosis), first floor is difficult just in case there is a party upstair and thumping on her head. So we need top floor. And AB doesn't have elevators. I, personnally would prefer Oak or Magnolia but it's far from the bus and we still get people upset when we have to board a full bus at the last station and they have to move for the wheelchair. (I know and have asked few commenting people to exchange their waiting time for the wheelchair, but we still get those comments from time to time.) So, I will keep reading in case all those questions and concerns are answered, but if you have suggestions, they will be more than appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your community,

And please realise that English is my second language, so please forgive the spelling mistakes,

Poussière de fée!

 

[pxedst21]

Staying offsite, he won't get a Magic Band - but all regular park tickets are being issued with RFID chips embedded in them now anyway, so he'll be able to use his ticket at the new entrance plazas. As you say, he won't be eligible for FP+, but if five of you have FP+ reservations and one person doesn't, the CM will most likely take pity on you. Probably...


Thank you!! I didn't know his ticket would have the chip in it so he could enter where we do That was our biggest concern! FP I figure it won't be too busy the time of year we are going so I'm not real concerned with that part of it. Plus if we do reserve any it will most likely be for rides my youngest can't go on anyway so maybe they'll let us swap out 2 FP to let 1 ride without

 

[Dsnyless in Seattle]

Any thoughts on if Disney might release a new round of AB rooms for free dining? I noticed again today that there are AB rooms available w/o FD but not with. We had to switch to Pop to get it, and I'm hoping to get back in to POR with our family of five. So frustrating because our littlest is only 3 (still small enough for a pak'n'play even), and it would be so easy to squeeze into one room at Pop, but we're supposed to do 2 over there...

 

[lmhall2000]

Now, DD13's coach is a wheelchair. She can walk for about 20 minutes but there is no way she can visit the parks for 8 long days walking all of it... and coming back! So, I'm reading everything I can (and André posted.....) to know where to go. I'd like AB, but with her Autism, (she is "blessed" with 7 diagnosis), first floor is difficult just in case there is a party upstair and thumping on her head. So we need top floor. And AB doesn't have elevators. I, personnally would prefer Oak or Magnolia but it's far from the bus and we still get people upset when we have to board a full bus at the last station and they have to move for the wheelchair. (I know and have asked few commenting people to exchange their waiting time for the wheelchair, but we still get those comments from time to time.) So, I will keep reading in case all those questions and concerns are answered, but if you have suggestions, they will be more than appreciated.

Thanks a lot for your community,

And please realise that English is my second language, so please forgive the spelling mistakes,

Poussière de fée!

Bless your family! I am pretty sure the two you named have elevators, Disney is usually very accomodating for special needs and if you fax them your situation, even call in to the reservation line saying just what you said here, it would help...then back it up with a fax.

It is hard, really horrifying, to imagine your family receiving any negative fallout on a bus or other instance...Believe me, there are people like me that if we see that happening we defend and inform!

Hope you all have a joyous time, you will love the cruise!

 

[aroundtheriverbend]

All rooms are adjoining, do you mean connecting (i.e. with an internal doorway)? If so, then about 50% of rooms have connecting doors, and yes you still get the pull-down bed (the door is on the opposite wall, beside the queen beds).




I've heard the same, FP+ are now available beyond that original 28th Sept cut-off date and can be booked into mid-October now. I heard that Magic Kingdom on 30th Sept was a problem, but the tech teams are aware of that and are working to fix it.

Andre

HMM, is that just for checkins in Sept? We check in October 8, but can't see anything.

 

[HiMagicFan]

I have linked my e tickets of MNSSHP to MDE. I did it with linking tickets and the long number under the barcode. We now have both a ticket on our MDE. I think it will be also on our magic bands. I bring my e-ticket with me for reserve.

Thank u - will do that today or try to

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

Do we have any idea if the fridge situation will be fully resolved by October 27th? It's when we arrive and I'd really prefer to have one (like many others). But, we usually buy things to snack on that need to be refrigerated...like cupcakes

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

One more...or two things...

Our group will be at two different resorts (both slated for FP+) POR & POP...can we link our res and choose the same FP+ even though it's separate resorts? And if the others don't show up for the time...because they like to take their time getting up and around etc...can my 5 use at least ours still? In other words, am I better off not including them?

And, if the dates come available to book before we are PIF (not really sure when it happens), can we book or do we need to be PIF? Will they even offer before we are PIF?

Thanks for any and all help!!