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

[andrewilley]

I have a river view room booked for one night June 14th. Since I don't want to be in the Mansion Bldg's, should I change to preferred location and give up the river view to guarantee Alligator Bayou.

There are plenty of River View rooms in the AB section, and the locations are generally really nice, so personally I think I'd leave it as it is and put in a suitably heartfelt plea for AB.

I am surprised, but it appears that is the case. I found a Disney UK website which indicates the terms and conditions, and mentions loss of deposit if you change and specifically does not allow changes from a standard package to a discount package if one becomes available

This does not surprise me at all, as booking "with Disney in the UK" is not the same thing at all as booking a room with WDW directly via the US website. The UK's "Walt Disney Travel Company" might be run by Disney, but in all practical terms it is more of a commercial travel agent which sells Disney holidays. You generally book 'packages' with them (flight, rooms, tickets, etc), and with the same type of cancellation or modification conditions that you get with the likes of Virgin Holidays, Thomas Cook, etc.

Also, they are allocated certain numbers of rooms for each resort in advance, in the same way as the other major operators, and you don't get to see the full current availability that really exists (e.g. for a long time they didn't let parties of 5 book for Riverside as their system was set to limit all rooms to four people).

There are pluses to booking with the UK (some different discounts, dollar spending money cashback offers, free dining almost all year round) but if you just want a flexible room-only booking, definitely look into the options of making a direct US booking which you can modify or even cancel with a full refund right up to 6 days before you arrive.

Andre

 

[mum22]

Sooo excited, we fly out in 24 hrs and the forecast here is for 10-15 cm of SNOW!!! Cant wait for our first onsite stay at POR! Don't care about any sprinkling of pixie dust just glad to get away from snow sprinkles lol

 

[VegasVic14]

Sent in my fax this morning.

Any pixie dust that can be sprinkled is much, much better than all this snow we've been getting this year in Michigan.

 

[zabache]

Just saw this review of Boatwright's

https://www.facebook.com/dvcRentals/posts/10151951039092061

 

[TeachTink]

I have 2 day hopper tickets that I'd like to upgrade to 3 day hopper tickets. I've called Disney but they said I need to do it in person. Is this something I can do in the lobby at POR or do I have to do it at a park? This will be my first trip to POR (first time staying on-site actually), so I'm not familiar with what you can do at the resort itself.

 

[Venomhatch]

I have 2 day hopper tickets that I'd like to upgrade to 3 day hopper tickets. I've called Disney but they said I need to do it in person. Is this something I can do in the lobby at POR or do I have to do it at a park? This will be my first trip to POR (first time staying on-site actually), so I'm not familiar with what you can do at the resort itself.

Yes you can add days there at the concierge desk. It is right there in the same area as check in desks.

 

[kristen1587]

Hi all!

17 days away from our first trip to Port Orleans! I have a question about the jogging trail on the map - Is this the same sidewalk that regular pedestrian traffic uses through the resort or a separate trail altogether? And I saw where the distance was marked on the map but is there any sort of marked out distance on the trail itself?

I won't have a lot of time to use the trail but I'm preparing for a 10k and want to have the opportunity to get out there and see the resort

Thanks!!!

 

[andrewilley]

I have a question about the jogging trail on the map - Is this the same sidewalk that regular pedestrian traffic uses through the resort or a separate trail altogether?

It's the regular pathway that other guests use, but it's pretty wide (they also use it for horse & carriage rides in the evening). There are no distance markers on it.

Andre

 

[JamieLM]

Did I read that you can watch a movie under the stars? Does anyone have info, or is it sent closer to time of visit? Are the movies Disney? Thank you.

 

[dansdad]

Did I read that you can watch a movie under the stars?

Yep, every resort has this.

Does anyone have info, or is it sent closer to time of visit?

Here's the current info for March.

http://www.portorleans.org/images/recreation/POR-Rec-2014-03.pdf

It changes every month, so I would check here right before your trip.

http://www.portorleans.org/recreation-activites-schedule.php

Are the movies Disney? Thank you.

Of course!

 

[alopez1180]

We will be there June 15th for 10 days celebrating our honeymoon! Can't wait! I proposed there, only seems right to celebrate our wedding there.

 

[LeahA]

First trip to POR in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!!!
:banana

 

[totebagg]

We will be there June 15th for 10 days celebrating our honeymoon! Can't wait! I proposed there, only seems right to celebrate our wedding there.

How exciting! Congratulations and have a magical time.

 

[fanoftigger]

We have ddecided to go back to Disney!! Not until March 2015, but have already decided on staying at POR - I am SO excited. Let the countdown begin.

Your countdown is shorter than mine, we aren't going until mid-Nov or early Dec 2015! Seeing WDW while it's decorated for Christmas is on my bucket list. My non-Disney hubby just rolls his eyes when I talk about it, ha ha. Our son, 2.5 years old now, tells him we need to go now. I took him with my mom, sis, niece and nephew last year and DS is now obsessed with riding a monorail.

I stayed at Dixie Landings back in 1994 with my family, we had a great time. When my dad found out he was terminally ill, he decided he wanted to go to WDW and took all of us (2008). He chose CB as our resort and we enjoyed it. I've been in 2009 and 2013, both times we stayed at ASMu to save $$. We are rarely in our rooms, so Value is really fine with us.

Right now I'm budgeting for POR for next year. I made it through the entire last thread just before it ended. I've learned so much from all the sharing. Thanks to everyone! It's so nice to have a nice, friendly thread to read.

 

[hunmcbunny]

Your countdown is shorter than mine, we aren't going until mid-Nov or early Dec 2015! Seeing WDW while it's decorated for Christmas is on my bucket list. My non-Disney hubby just rolls his eyes when I talk about it, ha ha. Our son, 2.5 years old now, tells him we need to go now. I took him with my mom, sis, niece and nephew last year and DS is now obsessed with riding a monorail.

I stayed at Dixie Landings back in 1994 with my family, we had a great time. When my dad found out he was terminally ill, he decided he wanted to go to WDW and took all of us (2008). He chose CB as our resort and we enjoyed it. I've been in 2009 and 2013, both times we stayed at ASMu to save $$. We are rarely in our rooms, so Value is really fine with us.

Right now I'm budgeting for POR for next year. I made it through the entire last thread just before it ended. I've learned so much from all the sharing. Thanks to everyone! It's so nice to have a nice, friendly thread to read.

I thought I had a long wait lol We are going Aug 2015. Christmas in Disney is on my bucket list too but not sure if it will ever happen. This board has such an awesome group of people...they totally helped me out with my first trip back in 2012.

 

[Ismo]

We will be there June 15th for 10 days celebrating our honeymoon! Can't wait! I proposed there, only seems right to celebrate our wedding there.

Congratulations!!!

 

[taraaplin]

We are into the single digit countdown! 9 days until this family of five is on our way! Sending our room request Monday!! I am so excited! Hence all the exclamations!

 

[paulsboy]

I have a question I'm hoping someone here can answer. We currently have a reservation at All-Star Sports for June 7-12. We booked under the spring discount promotion. My first choice was Port Orleans, but the website showed it wasn't available for those dates. I'm assuming that means the discounted rooms were all taken. My question is, does that mean the resort is fully booked during that time? Will there still be rooms available after the discount period ends at full rack rate? We stayed here on our last trip in 2011, and would love to stay here again this trip. I'm just wondering if there is still a chance to get these dates. Thanks for any help.

 

[hunmcbunny]

I have a question I'm hoping someone here can answer. We currently have a reservation at All-Star Sports for June 7-12. We booked under the spring discount promotion. My first choice was Port Orleans, but the website showed it wasn't available for those dates. I'm assuming that means the discounted rooms were all taken. My question is, does that mean the resort is fully booked during that time? Will there still be rooms available after the discount period ends at full rack rate? We stayed here on our last trip in 2011, and would love to stay here again this trip. I'm just wondering if there is still a chance to get these dates. Thanks for any help.

I just went on disney's website for your dates and they have rooms available ...just not for spring discount. Go to their website and you can check out prices and such.

 

[Venomhatch]

I have a question I'm hoping someone here can answer. We currently have a reservation at All-Star Sports for June 7-12. We booked under the spring discount promotion. My first choice was Port Orleans, but the website showed it wasn't available for those dates. I'm assuming that means the discounted rooms were all taken. My question is, does that mean the resort is fully booked during that time? Will there still be rooms available after the discount period ends at full rack rate? We stayed here on our last trip in 2011, and would love to stay here again this trip. I'm just wondering if there is still a chance to get these dates. Thanks for any help.

That is something only the resort may know or try another call center CM. It said it was booked up for my dates and I called the resort and found out otherwise. You may not get the discount, you may, I don't know if it would still be applicable. But your always welcome to try. If you call the call center and feel they are not helpful either let me know or ask for a supervisor there.