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

[GigiDisneyfreak]

From what I've heard though they run about every 30 minutes until about an hour before park opening, then about every 20 minutes.

There is a bus at 6:30 that is for breakfast adr's our at least there was. I haven't heard off a change. I can't multi - quote right now but the person who originally asked the question could check the transportation threads too.

 

[andrewilley]

I am looking for a little help. If I am looking to be as close to the pool/food court, is a garden view better to book than a standard view?

There are some pretty remote rooms in both categories to be honest, but there are probably more close rooms in Garden View than there are in Standard. But your best option would be to book Preferred, then you'll be in buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 which are the closest to the main building. See the floorplan maps from the link in post #4 for a better idea of the possible spread of each category.

Can anyone confirm for me what time the buses start. I read they start at 6:30am in 20 min intervals which seemed the same as BC last year.

Services start at 6:30am, becoming more regular with max 20 mins gaps about an hour before each park opens. See my recently updated buses page for more information. (Comments from seasoned pros to the system would be appreciated too, did I miss anything out?)

I can't seem to find the link now, but search through this thread and there was a link for a view from every room at POR. That was enough to make me upgrade from standard to garden view. I will.

They are at the very excellent touringplans.com, their Riverside map is at: http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-port-orleans-resort-riverside.

Andre

 

[castoral]

There are some pretty remote rooms in both categories to be honest, but there are probably more close rooms in Garden View than there are in Standard. But your best option would be to book Preferred, then you'll be in buildings 14, 15, 18 or 27 which are the closest to the main building. See the floorplan maps from the link in post #4 for a better idea of the possible spread of each category.




Services start at 6:30am, becoming more regular with max 20 mins gaps about an hour before each park opens. See my recently updated buses page for more information. (Comments from seasoned pros to the system would be appreciated too, did I miss anything out?)




They are at the very excellent touringplans.com, their Riverside map is at: http://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-port-orleans-resort-riverside.

Andre

Thank you! Yes, the bus schedule page was the one I saw 6:30 on so glad to confirm that! Now to figure out if we'll be okay catching the 7am bus for 8am ADRs at MK and Epcot or if we could possibly wait till the 7:30 one.

Thank you as well for the touring plans link. I thought it was that site but couldn't find it on my phone. That link sold me on upgrading to a garden view room!

 

[dansdad]

Thank you! Yes, the bus schedule page was the one I saw 6:30 on so glad to confirm that! Now to figure out if we'll be okay catching the 7am bus for 8am ADRs at MK and Epcot or if we could possibly wait till the 7:30 one.

I would be out at the bus stop around 6:45-7 for an 8am ADR at MK.

 

[GigiDisneyfreak]

Thank you! Yes, the bus schedule page was the one I saw 6:30 on so glad to confirm that! Now to figure out if we'll be okay catching the 7am bus for 8am ADRs at MK and Epcot or if we could possibly wait till the 7:30 one.

Thank you as well for the touring plans link. I thought it was that site but couldn't find it on my phone. That link sold me on upgrading to a garden view room!

You should always give yourself at least an hour. The buses aren't on a set time schedule. You could get to the bus stop and just have missed a bus and then you might have to wait 20 minutes for another one. IMO 7:30 would be cutting it way to close. I agree with pp 6:45-7

 

[junebug]

When returning from the parks to POR, where in the bus line up is the area for POR? Trying to decide between CBR and POR and I am aware that CBR bus areas at the parks is almost the furthest. Thanks!

 

[T4K]

First post...hi!

Thanks so much for this thread.

I am about to book two rooms at POR under the military salute discount for our very first Disney vacation. One for my immediate family (husband and 3 girls) and one for my parents and adult brother and sister.

Are all buildings convenient to parking areas (there will be one vehicle per room)? I looked on the provided map and some areas are labeled parking and then some look as if they are parking but aren't labeled as such. I suspect we will use our car for most parks except MK and DTD.

All my choices are about the same price...garden, pool, and river view. If you wanted access to close parking, which would you choose?

 

[hunmcbunny]

When returning from the parks to POR, where in the bus line up is the area for POR? Trying to decide between CBR and POR and I am aware that CBR bus areas at the parks is almost the furthest. Thanks!

They are usually about the same as CBR

 

[evcollins]

Please tell me how to use the Dining Plan for breakfast at the Mill. I was hoping to use Quick Service credits to get something decent besides bakery items. Is this possible to get a hearty breakfast without having to use Table Service credits? Thanks in advance!!

 

[kkayluvsdis]

First of all...I want to say THANK YOU to all those involved in making this thread such a great, positive, informative place! I have received so much great knowledge over the years.

So, I have a question in regards to room requests. We will be traveling to the World in just 48 days (not that we're counting). Although we have been to Disney numerous times, our dear friends who we will be meeting there have never been. I really want things to be perfect for them. We are both families of 5 with kids similar ages (4 adults, two 7 year olds, two 4 year olds, one 2 year old and one 1 year old). We both have preferred rooms booked and have linked our reservations with WDW to show that we are traveling together. In your opinions how specific should we be or do we need to be with room requests? Last year we stayed in a preferred room in building 14 and loved it so I was thinking of requesting there. Also, do each of our families need to fax room requests or would it be okay for me to send one request on behalf of both families?

Thanks in advance for reading and any help you can give!!

-Kelly

 

[Venomhatch]

First of all...I want to say THANK YOU to all those involved in making this thread such a great, positive, informative place! I have received so much great knowledge over the years.

So, I have a question in regards to room requests. We will be traveling to the World in just 48 days (not that we're counting). Although we have been to Disney numerous times, our dear friends who we will be meeting there have never been. I really want things to be perfect for them. We are both families of 5 with kids similar ages (4 adults, two 7 year olds, two 4 year olds, one 2 year old and one 1 year old). We both have preferred rooms booked and have linked our reservations with WDW to show that we are traveling together. In your opinions how specific should we be or do we need to be with room requests? Last year we stayed in a preferred room in building 14 and loved it so I was thinking of requesting there. Also, do each of our families need to fax room requests or would it be okay for me to send one request on behalf of both families?

Thanks in advance for reading and any help you can give!!

-Kelly

Hello Kelly, Well if you have all of that and you already paid for preferred rooms I don't see a problem. But If you really liked the building 14 it couldn't hurt to send a request for that as well. I would send in the fax, but make sure to state in the fax already paid for this and that as well as state you would like connecting rooms again and you have stayed in building 14 before and would love to return to it again if possible. Also make sure to let them know if you have a floor preference.

About sending more than one fax, I don't believe you need to. Just state both the reservation numbers in the fax and tell them you already linked them in the system. So I don't believe after that you will need to send more than the one fax.

 

[siskaren]

There is a bus at 6:30 that is for breakfast adr's our at least there was. I haven't heard off a change. I can't multi - quote right now but the person who originally asked the question could check the transportation threads too.

That's actually where I got my information from.

When returning from the parks to POR, where in the bus line up is the area for POR? Trying to decide between CBR and POR and I am aware that CBR bus areas at the parks is almost the furthest. Thanks!

I wouldn't choose my resort based on where the bus stops at the parks are, especially since they can change.

Please tell me how to use the Dining Plan for breakfast at the Mill. I was hoping to use Quick Service credits to get something decent besides bakery items. Is this possible to get a hearty breakfast without having to use Table Service credits? Thanks in advance!!

A Quick Service credit will get you an actual meal for breakfast - snack credits would be what you would use for bakery items.

First post...hi!

Thanks so much for this thread.

I am about to book two rooms at POR under the military salute discount for our very first Disney vacation. One for my immediate family (husband and 3 girls) and one for my parents and adult brother and sister.

Are all buildings convenient to parking areas (there will be one vehicle per room)? I looked on the provided map and some areas are labeled parking and then some look as if they are parking but aren't labeled as such. I suspect we will use our car for most parks except MK and DTD.

All my choices are about the same price...garden, pool, and river view. If you wanted access to close parking, which would you choose?

All the light-colored areas are parking areas - for some reason the ones for Magnolia Terrace and Parterre Place aren't labeled. And actually, if you want to be close to the parking areas, you should book standard, since those usually have parking lot views. The river view rooms in particular are not close to the parking lots.

 

[T4K]

Great. Thanks for the help. It seems like nothing is *that* far from parking.

 

[PrncessA]

Hi! We are staying two nights at POR on May 30-June 1. We are not visiting any parks from POR, so being near the bus stops isn't that important. We are not interested in the Alligator Bayou, but we want to be close to the boat docks since we are visiting DTD and doing a Bayou Pirate Adventure. We booked a standard room. What would you suggest as a good room location. We would like to be near a pool if possible as well.

We are so looking forward to visiting this resort!

 

[andrewilley]

Are all buildings convenient to parking areas (there will be one vehicle per room)? I looked on the provided map and some areas are labeled parking and then some look as if they are parking but aren't labeled as such. I suspect we will use our car for most parks except MK and DTD.

Sorry, there didn't seem to be any point writing "Parking" all over the whole map so I just made a few representative notations - but yes the other parking lot areas are for parking too.

Parking is located all around the outside of the accommodation areas, so other than the River View rooms and a few of the more 'enclosed' AB buildings, most of the rooms are pretty close to the parking areas.

Please tell me how to use the Dining Plan for breakfast at the Mill. I was hoping to use Quick Service credits to get something decent besides bakery items. Is this possible to get a hearty breakfast without having to use Table Service credits? Thanks in advance!!

You can select any regular breakfast entrée plus a bottled drink and that counts as a Quick Service credit. If you add a bakery item, cereal, or fruit, then that would count as an extra snack credit (i.e. there is no dessert item included with QS breakfasts, only with lunch/dinner).

We both have preferred rooms booked and have linked our reservations with WDW to show that we are traveling together. In your opinions how specific should we be or do we need to be with room requests?

It's up to you really, I don't think there's too much need to make requests in the Preferred area, apart from asking for non parking-lot views. Building 14 is always a popular choice, but another idea might be to ask for rooms close to the quiet pool for the kids? (which would still be very close for walking to the main area and bus stop). Just send the one fax with both reservation numbers on, as they would need to be looked at together anyway.

We are not interested in the Alligator Bayou, but we want to be close to the boat docks since we are visiting DTD and doing a Bayou Pirate Adventure. We booked a standard room. What would you suggest as a good room location. We would like to be near a pool if possible as well.

At risk of sounding fatuous, why not just ask them for what you want rather than any particular building location, pretty much as you've just told us here. Let them know what you'd like (i.e. "mansion building, close to a pool and the ferry dock please") and let them try to sort out the best available fit for you.

Andre

 

[Ismo]

Great post! We are staying at POR for the second time this August. Last time we had a room in Magnolia Bend with a pool view and LOVED it.

My DH and I both agreed we much prefer the Magnolia Bend to the Alligator Bayou. Currently our booking is for a King Size room, but if it came down to it we would prefer to have 2-Queen room in Magnolia Bend than a King room at AB.

I know you can make requests, we did when we booked and we will again when we "check-in" 60 days out.

Does anyone have any opinions/suggestions on how to give us a better chance of getting a Magnolia Bend room? Should we change our booking to 2-Queen beds with a Garden view? Would POR "downgrade" us to a 2-Queen room in Magnolia Bend if there are no King Size rooms there and we wanted to switch?

Sorry if this sounds confusing! And thanks in advance for any help.

 

[PrncessA]

As risk of sounding fatuous, why not just ask them for what you want rather than any particular building location, pretty much as you've just told us here. Let them know what you'd like (i.e. "mansion building, close to a pool and the ferry dock please") and let them try to sort out the best available fit for you.

Because that would have been to simple to come up with on my own. Thanks!

 

[Hammabee]

Hey everyone! What an informative thread...thank you for all the great info. Quick question. Hubs and I are in Tampa for business and will be driving over and spending a few days at Riverside. The last morning of our stay (next Wed.), I made an ADR at the Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast (a tradition of ours). Now normally, we'd take the early bus over to MK and take the boat or monorail over to GF, but we'd actually like to hit the road straight from breakfast and head back to Tampa. My question is: are you allowed to park at GF if you have dining reservations? It would save us a ton of time if we didn't have to go back to Riverside to get the car. Would we have to show our printed out confirmation of our reservation, or is parking not allowed at all unless you are staying at GF (which is what I told hubs, but I figured I'd check)? Thanks all...can't wait for our mini-Disney break!

 

[CareHeartsDisney]

Hey everyone! What an informative thread...thank you for all the great info. Quick question. Hubs and I are in Tampa for business and will be driving over and spending a few days at Riverside. The last morning of our stay (next Wed.), I made an ADR at the Grand Floridian Cafe for breakfast (a tradition of ours). Now normally, we'd take the early bus over to MK and take the boat or monorail over to GF, but we'd actually like to hit the road straight from breakfast and head back to Tampa. My question is: are you allowed to park at GF if you have dining reservations? It would save us a ton of time if we didn't have to go back to Riverside to get the car. Would we have to show our printed out confirmation of our reservation, or is parking not allowed at all unless you are staying at GF (which is what I told hubs, but I figured I'd check)? Thanks all...can't wait for our mini-Disney break!

Yes, you could absolutely park at GF for an ADR. You just need to tell the parking lot attendant that you have an ADR.

 

[Ava]

Hi! We're booked for our first-ever stay at POR Sept 20-27. My question is about room categories.

We're booked in a King bed room for 3 people, so I know we'll be in the Alligator Bayou section. I see that there are King rooms in the Preferred buildings in this section - is it possible to just request one of these buildings, or would it be an additional charge for a King room in a Preferred building? I didn't see "Preferred King" as a category choice when booking but I wasn't really looking for that either.