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

[Mousedreaming]

Hi all!

We are staying at POR booked in a RR SV for this September. Last time we stayed there we were in AB and loved it. Unfortunately, all rooms other than RR were available for our stay this time. The RR don't excite me much, but I love POR. We have a SV room booked. Can anyone make suggestions based on location? I really don't want to face a parking lot ...unless it's really all there is. Do most SV room face parking lots? Are any locations better than others? I'm still slightly torn about this situations haha.

Any advice would be great!

On our last trip we had booked a RR SV, and I was worried about it. We hate the noise of parking lots on vacation and I have 2 light sleepers in my family. After calling everyday to see if a GV had opened up (and it didn't), I decided the next thing to try was a fax request. Of course, I was then reminded that at the time there was roof construction going on as well. I faxed in that we didn't want to be near the construction, and also didn't want to be right next to the parking lot. All wishes were granted, and I needn't have worried. We were in room 9810. Very quiet. There is a third floor there, so I kind of shot myself in the foot when I requested a second floor room. But, everyone agreed, for SV, not bad!

 

[Storeyann]

Hey all, 33 days until our stay at POR ( July 19-25) and we're super excited. So grateful for all the helpful posts on this site, planning has gotten so much easier!

 

[uccats97]

it was available via pin. they just sent a new wave of pins out last week so keep checking. i also booked christmas on FD with pin

I knew pins were going out. I doubt they would send me one though considering I'm already booked. Oh well. I couldn't wait! Tower of Terror 10 miler is already paid for!

 

[DisneyFreak06]

Hey all, 33 days until our stay at POR ( July 19-25) and we're super excited. So grateful for all the helpful posts on this site, planning has gotten so much easier!

I have 35 days to go! But we're doing All Star Sports first and then head to POR on July 29. This is a great thread and has helped me more than once. Andre's sight is great too!

 

[alyssa18o6]

We've been between two resorts for over 2 weeks now. I really like POR but really want one of the mansion rooms, and that is the deciding factor for me (weird, I know!). I read that there is no "preferred" mansion rooms. I could careless about the view, because I keep my curtains closed 99% of the time. So we'd prefer to go with Standard if we could still have a high possibility of a mansion room. I considered Garden view as well as it isn't too much more. Do you think the chances are high we could get a mansion room with standard?? There is only 2 of us, and I refuse to pay that much more for a King bed!

 

[disdream]

it was available via pin. they just sent a new wave of pins out last week so keep checking. i also booked christmas on FD with pin

I have a Disney Visa card and use it frequently. I have never received a PIN for anything. I have a "room only" reservation for January. Maybe I will get a PIN when packages come out for 2015. However, I would think that I would have received one over the years since I have made 3 trips in the last 5 years. I'm feeling a little left out.

 

[shaneray]

We've been between two resorts for over 2 weeks now. I really like POR but really want one of the mansion rooms, and that is the deciding factor for me (weird, I know!). I read that there is no "preferred" mansion rooms. I could careless about the view, because I keep my curtains closed 99% of the time. So we'd prefer to go with Standard if we could still have a high possibility of a mansion room. I considered Garden view as well as it isn't too much more. Do you think the chances are high we could get a mansion room with standard?? There is only 2 of us, and I refuse to pay that much more for a King bed!

when we stayed, we booked RR mainly just to guarantee that we would have a mansion room and we booked the river view RR to guarantee that we would be nearer the river thus nearer the facilities. It really had nothing to do with the view and the room and location were PERFECT.

 

[goofy4tink]

I was just there for 3 nights...love POR. I booked a SV room, figuring I could live with a parking lot view for just the three nights. But, I didn't get that view. I was about 6 doors down from the end that looked out on the parking lot....looked over towards another part of our building, and a lot of greenery. I was in Acadia House. The good thing about parking lot views is that those rooms are closer to the outer bus stops....trying to find the silver lining here!!!!

 

[disdream]

when we stayed, we booked RR mainly just to guarantee that we would have a mansion room and we booked the river view RR to guarantee that we would be nearer the river thus nearer the facilities. It really had nothing to do with the view and the room and location were PERFECT.

We did that too. I read on this thread somewhere that if you request a river view room, you would be near the main walkway to get to the main building. So, we requested a RR with the river view. I am hoping it will be perfect. I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel better.

 

[wdwguy50]

I have a Disney Visa card and use it frequently. I have never received a PIN for anything. I have a "room only" reservation for January. Maybe I will get a PIN when packages come out for 2015. However, I would think that I would have received one over the years since I have made 3 trips in the last 5 years. I'm feeling a little left out.

It's purely random. I've only received one pin in 20 years.

 

[PrncessA]

We did that too. I read on this thread somewhere that if you request a river view room, you would be near the main walkway to get to the main building. So, we requested a RR with the river view. I am hoping it will be perfect. I'm glad you liked it. Makes me feel better.

We didn't want to pay for preferred or a royal room. We booked a garden view room, in the Magnolia Bend section, on the ground floor. We were as close as we could be to the main walkway and a hop, skip and a jump away from the main buildings and the pool.

 

[andrewilley]

It's purely random. I've only received one pin in 20 years.

I rather suspect that the sort of people who are already happily booking to visit each year anyway (at full price) are the last ones that Disney would want to be offering extra incentive discounts to...

Andre

 

[disdream]

Well bummer. I should have waited to book our room. Hopefully some sort of discount will happen. I haven't given up hope yet.

 

[wdwguy50]

I rather suspect that the sort of people who are already happily booking to visit each year anyway (at full price) are the last ones that Disney would want to be offering extra incentive discounts to... Andre

I've suspected the same Andre

 

[KELLY]

If we have a party of 5 and one is under 2. Will we get a AB room? My grandson may be joining us and we are at pop. But there is no way 5 of us can stay there will full size beds. My grandson won't sleep in a pack play. So at least queen beds are a must. I would rather get a room with the Murphy bed and one of my girls can sleep on it.

 

[ALD85]

If we have a party of 5 and one is under 2. Will we get a AB room? My grandson may be joining us and we are at pop. But there is no way 5 of us can stay there will full size beds. My grandson won't sleep in a pack play. So at least queen beds are a must. I would rather get a room with the Murphy bed and one of my girls can sleep on it.

If he is over a year old then yes.

 

[siskaren]

If we have a party of 5 and one is under 2. Will we get a AB room? My grandson may be joining us and we are at pop. But there is no way 5 of us can stay there will full size beds. My grandson won't sleep in a pack play. So at least queen beds are a must. I would rather get a room with the Murphy bed and one of my girls can sleep on it.

If he is over a year old then yes.

Actually, no. A party of 5 where one is under the age of 3 can be placed in a mansion room (which has just the 2 queen beds) because a child under the age of 3 doesn't count towards the room occupancy. You can request a room in AB, but the only way to guarantee it with the fifth person being under the age of 3 is to book preferred because all preferred rooms are in AB.

 

[Bicfam]

Did something change to include POR in the free dining promo? It was excluded for the 2014 season. Did you get a pin code? Just wondering because I'm staying at POR during free dining in October but it is excluded then.

We were going to be "stuck" in CS for the free dining and then they mailed a pin code for free dining at POR a week after we booked. So thankful for that!!
Dec 15 POR here we come. ADR's made this morning.

 

[uccats97]

We were going to be "stuck" in CS for the free dining and then they mailed a pin code for free dining at POR a week after we booked. So thankful for that!! Dec 15 POR here we come. ADR's made this morning.

That's awesome! They probably had preselected you for a pin prior to you booking CS though. I never get pins because they know I'm coming, discount or not. Too bad they don't give a "frequent flyer" type discount for all of us who they can bank on spending our vacation dollars at Disney!

 

[hallie]

We just gave up "free" dining at AKL and went with the POR instead. All those reservations, it was just way too structured for us. We're not huge planners and I felt like every moment of our trip was being planned and it was way too much food too! So much more excited now, I feel like a vacation weight is off my shoulders!