Port Orleans Riverside Q&A Thread 2014 (Please read first post for FAQs!)

[AmyKat]

If you have 5 people over 3 years old, you will be in AB. AB rooms do not touch the mansion rooms at all.

 

[andrewilley]

If you have 5 booked for a room will they automatically give you AB? My mom has decided to go with us which is awesome however our son has autism and insists on being on top floor and riding elevator to get to room. If we are in the AB there are no elevators and we will have a stroller with us so we would have to request ground floor mom also had knee surgery. DD4 has a portable bed she likes to sleep in so I thought if they would give us mansion if I requested it. Please do not think I am being silly but something like this can seem like the end of the world to my son and we are just trying to avoid it if possible. Also are there any AB sections that have a walkway attached to a mansion so maybe even if a little walk we could ride the elevator to the 2nd floor then make the walk over to our 2nd floor room at AB?

If you are a party of 5 (all aged 3 or over, yes?) then you will have to be allocated a room in AB, as those are the only rooms which can sleep 5. The resort no longer has any of the old roll-away beds which used to be available as a backup option.

As you say, there are no elevators in AB and you would need a ground floor for the stroller. There is also no upper floor walkway linking the mansions and the AB buildings, they are all completely self-contained.

Your best bet would be to contact the Room Assignment Manager at the resort directly (perhaps best done by fax, as that goes directly to the offices at the resort rather than via a call-center, listing your email address for return communication). Let him know your situation and say that you can cope OK with only having two queen beds, and see if they might be able to help you out as a special one-off situation?

Andre

 

[tinkb]

I'm wondering if reservations are necessary for dinner at Boatwrights? We're traveling soon and have a reservation for dinner one evening but I hate being tied down like that. Will we be able to get a table (for 4) if we just wing it at dinner time?

 

[andrewilley]

We're traveling soon and have a reservation for dinner one evening but I hate being tied down like that. Will we be able to get a table (for 4) if we just wing it at dinner time?

Probably, as long as it's not a busy time and/or you don't mind waiting a while. It's not a Le Cellier sort of place, but it can sometimes get busy.

Andre

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

If you have 5 booked for a room will they automatically give you AB? My mom has decided to go with us which is awesome however our son has autism and insists on being on top floor and riding elevator to get to room. If we are in the AB there are no elevators and we will have a stroller with us so we would have to request ground floor mom also had knee surgery. DD4 has a portable bed she likes to sleep in so I thought if they would give us mansion if I requested it. Please do not think I am being silly but something like this can seem like the end of the world to my son and we are just trying to avoid it if possible. Also are there any AB sections that have a walkway attached to a mansion so maybe even if a little walk we could ride the elevator to the 2nd floor then make the walk over to our 2nd floor room at AB?

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall a discussion thread once about why only POR-AB (at the time) could accommodate 5 people but none of the other moderates could. What I seem to recall is that its all about the fire code regulations. So while the Mansions might accommodate that same # of people just as comfortably, fire codes prevent them legally placing 5 guests in the room.

Unfortunately I think the AB section will be your only choice at POR.

It's a beautiful resort, I hope it works out for you and your family.

 

[soniam]

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall a discussion thread once about why only POR-AB (at the time) could accommodate 5 people but none of the other moderates could. What I seem to recall is that its all about the fire code regulations. So while the Mansions might accommodate that same # of people just as comfortably, fire codes prevent them legally placing 5 guests in the room. Unfortunately I think the AB section will be your only choice at POR. It's a beautiful resort, I hope it works out for you and your family.

It's because AB has the pull down "bed" under the TV; whereas, none of the others do. They may have quit doing a cot or trundle bed option due to fire code. I think CSR is getting a 3rd bed in some rooms, but I don't think it's done yet.

 

[Kaimo]

Loooong time lurker, first time POR poster!

Planning our next WDW trip for Nov 29 - Dec 4 2015 and decided to give POR a try. To me, every resort is magical in its own way and have been wanting to feel the POR magic. But my question doesn't have to do with POR rather what to do with the days leading up to your resort stay? We want to fly down a few days early and take the girls outside of the Orlando area. Beaches may be cold then (lived in Tampa for 6 years and never understood how people could lay out then....) and did HP at Universal already.... Any other ideas?

 

[soniam]

Loooong time lurker, first time POR poster! Planning our next WDW trip for Nov 29 - Dec 4 2015 and decided to give POR a try. To me, every resort is magical in its own way and have been wanting to feel the POR magic. But my question doesn't have to do with POR rather what to do with the days leading up to your resort stay? We want to fly down a few days early and take the girls outside of the Orlando area. Beaches may be cold then (lived in Tampa for 6 years and never understood how people could lay out then....) and did HP at Universal already.... Any other ideas?

Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral

 

[tinkb]

Sorry for more questions but . . .

Are floats, swimmies, baby rafts, etc permitted in the pool at POR? I know many public pools these items are not but I'm not sure what the case is here. Thanks!

 

[andrewilley]

Are floats, swimmies, baby rafts, etc permitted in the pool at POR? I know many public pools these items are not but I'm not sure what the case is here. Thanks!

Yes, floatation aids are allowed, but not full inflatable boats/etc.

As per http://www.portorleans.org/ol-man-island.php:

Safety devices permitted at Walt Disney World resort pools:
◦Walt Disney World approved flotation devices, which must be securely attached and supervising adults must remain within arms reach of the person using the device. Free life jackets for children are available poolside
◦Any US Coast Guard Type II or Type III personal flotation device
◦Arm Bands
◦Swim Rings (split rings and full rings)
◦Beach Balls

•Not permitted at Walt Disney World resort pools:
◦Hard Frisbees
◦Hard balls
◦Plastic Boats
◦Rafts


Andre

 

[cindym]

Somewhere I saw a thread or link that showed the pictures of the actual views from the rooms. You could click on a specific room and see the view. Was that here? I can't find it now. I really don't want to reread 166 pages!

 

[donnawine]

Somewhere I saw a thread or link that showed the pictures of the actual views from the rooms. You could click on a specific room and see the view. Was that here? I can't find it now. I really don't want to reread 166 pages!

Touring Plans website has the room finder which does what you're looking for.

 

[cindym]

Touring Plans website has the room finder which does what you're looking for.

Thank you! I knew I used it somewhere!

 

[4under4]

Well I'm up to page 85 of this thread and so far I haven't seen the answer to my question, so I thought I should post. How far would it be to walk from the main building at POR to the bus stop at POFQ? My mom has medical issues (balance related) that would make standing on the bus very difficult so I thought perhaps if the south stop was crazy packed we could walk over to FQ and catch the bus there. My mom may have a wheelchair by the time of our trip, which makes it even harder to get on an already packed bus. We're booked in preferred rooms, so we'll be close to the main building anyway. We don't mind the walk, just want my mom to have a safe ride on the bus.

 

[chiisai]

Am I doing something wrong at touring plans room views? I picked river view / queen beds (not royal) and it only came up with one room in magnolia bend.

Is that right? I booked a river view and was hoping for two queens for my family of four.

I was hoping to stay in one of the non-royal magnolia bend buildings with a river view, but if there is only one room that doesn't seem likely.

 

[siskaren]

Am I doing something wrong at touring plans room views? I picked river view / queen beds (not royal) and it only came up with one room in magnolia bend.

Is that right? I booked a river view and was hoping for two queens for my family of four.

I was hoping to stay in one of the non-royal magnolia bend buildings with a river view, but if there is only one room that doesn't seem likely.

Have you checked the maps at http://portorleans.org/room-requests.php? If you click on a building, it will show you the booking categories for every room in the building. However, there's only one building in the Alligator Bayou section that has a river view that isn't preferred (building 38). Also, all the room except for king rooms have 2 queen beds.

 

[chiisai]

Have you checked the maps at http://portorleans.org/room-requests.php? If you click on a building, it will show you the booking categories for every room in the building. However, there's only one building in the Alligator Bayou section that has a river view that isn't preferred (building 38). Also, all the room except for king rooms have 2 queen beds.

Thanks so much! This was very helpful. : )

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Checked in for my "Moms mental health trip"

I'm only at POR for a couple of days but I'm so looking forward to staying at my favorite moderate again.

 

[soniam]

Checked in for my "Moms mental health trip" I'm only at POR for a couple of days but I'm so looking forward to staying at my favorite moderate again.

That's a brilliant idea. I should do that sometime.

 

[andrewilley]

How far would it be to walk from the main building at POR to the bus stop at POFQ? My mom has medical issues (balance related) that would make standing on the bus very difficult so I thought perhaps if the south stop was crazy packed we could walk over to FQ and catch the bus there. My mom may have a wheelchair by the time of our trip, which makes it even harder to get on an already packed bus. We're booked in preferred rooms, so we'll be close to the main building anyway. We don't mind the walk, just want my mom to have a safe ride on the bus.

It would be too much of a walk to make it practical for someone with even relatively minor mobility issues to walk between Alligator Bayou and the French Quarter bus stop - at least a 1,000 yard walk.

Guests are usually pretty good at helping people with mobility issues find seating, and if a guest in a wheelchair needs to be loaded then the driver will move people away from the special reserved area for you. I really wouldn't worry to much about it.

Am I doing something wrong at touring plans room views? I picked river view / queen beds (not royal) and it only came up with one room in magnolia bend.

There are 27 River View rooms with two queen beds in the Magnolia Bend (non-Royal) mansion buildings. I'm not sure their category listings are 100% correct (they even had some Royal Rooms listed in Alligator Bayou #14 when I last looked).

Andre