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

[Luv2Run]

This upcoming trip in February '15 will be our first at POR, so forgive me if I'm naive in asking this: is there anywhere we can get a Monte Cristo sandwich? I had heard you can get one at Boatwright's, but that could just be hearsay. Growing up in Southern California, I got pretty spoiled with easy access to the Monte Cristo sandwiches at Blue Bayou at DLR, but I haven't had one in years and they are sooooooo good!

 

[ElsaColon]

This upcoming trip in February '15 will be our first at POR, so forgive me if I'm naive in asking this: is there anywhere we can get a Monte Cristo sandwich? I had heard you can get one at Boatwright's, but that could just be hearsay. Growing up in Southern California, I got pretty spoiled with easy access to the Monte Cristo sandwiches at Blue Bayou at DLR, but I haven't had one in years and they are sooooooo good!

Sounds delish but I don't remember seeing them on the menu last time I was there. The Croque Monsieur at BOG lunch might be your best bet. It is delicious!

 

[keahgirl8]

This upcoming trip in February '15 will be our first at POR, so forgive me if I'm naive in asking this: is there anywhere we can get a Monte Cristo sandwich? I had heard you can get one at Boatwright's, but that could just be hearsay. Growing up in Southern California, I got pretty spoiled with easy access to the Monte Cristo sandwiches at Blue Bayou at DLR, but I haven't had one in years and they are sooooooo good!

Should I assume because of your username and the timing of your trip that you are going for the PHM weekend?

Sounds delish but I don't remember seeing them on the menu last time I was there. The Croque Monsieur at BOG lunch might be your best bet. It is delicious!

That one isn't deep fried though is it?

 

[ElsaColon]

That one isn't deep fried though is it?

It isn't but it was the closest thing I could think of and it is so yummy! It's pan pressed like a grilled cheese.

 

[kiramay]

I can't decide if I should call again or not...

We like the preferred rooms, and that's what I originally booked. When I called yesterday they only had garden and pool views available for the fall discount. So I changed to garden (assuming it would be quieter than a pool). I was going to try to get a room in building 16 or 17.

Today I see that river views are now available. I know they're only in buildings 14, 27, and 38. 14 and 27 are also preferred buildings.

Should I call and switch since I have a 66% chance of a preferred building, or just keep waiting and watching to see if a preferred room opens up?

 

[Luv2Run]

Should I assume because of your username and the timing of your trip that you are going for the PHM weekend?

Yup!

 

[keahgirl8]

Yup!

I had a feeling!

It would be torturous to be a runner, going in February and not get to race!

 

[Yonich2501]

Hi! I know I also posted in the art of animation thread, but yesterday, I just booked a 2 night stay at port orleans in a princess room! I'm so excited! Haha
We added 2 days to the beginning of our trip. The deal they had yesterday was awesome!

Anyways...

What are y'alls thoughts on the princess rooms? Love them? Hate them?

Are the close to the good court and such, or are they on the outskirts?

Thanks!! Never been there before (only Swan and dolphin)

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

I can't decide if I should call again or not... We like the preferred rooms, and that's what I originally booked. When I called yesterday they only had garden and pool views available for the fall discount. So I changed to garden (assuming it would be quieter than a pool). I was going to try to get a room in building 16 or 17. Today I see that river views are now available. I know they're only in buildings 14, 27, and 38. 14 and 27 are also preferred buildings. Should I call and switch since I have a 66% chance of a preferred building, or just keep waiting and watching to see if a preferred room opens up?

I gave up on the discount yesterday. It took me forever to get a preferred room for our November trip. I'm going to hope for an AP or Florida resident rate discount.

 

[Venomhatch]

Hi! I know I also posted in the art of animation thread, but yesterday, I just booked a 2 night stay at port orleans in a princess room! I'm so excited! Haha
We added 2 days to the beginning of our trip. The deal they had yesterday was awesome!

Anyways...

What are y'alls thoughts on the princess rooms? Love them? Hate them?

Are the close to the good court and such, or are they on the outskirts?

Thanks!! Never been there before (only Swan and dolphin)

They are definitely a do at least one time room. I thought they were neat. But I wont see the reason for splurging on them anymore. Our little girl isn't so little anymore sadly our attempt to keep her below 10 failed 3 years ago.

 

[mommy2mrb]

just submitted my ressie to my TA today for our April 3 - 10, 2015 trip! staying at POR for first time and requesting Alligator Bayou, garden view, bldg. 16, 17, 25 or 34.

we stayed at POFQ back in 2011 and loved it, we walked over to POR and really liked the look so decided to try it for this trip!

can't wait to get back to WDW and will be celebrating my DD's 15th birthday and meeting up with dear friends (third trip with them) also taking a day to go to the "dark side" to universal DD wants to do all the HP stuff.

 

[EpcotBill]

I am sorry no offense to the good TAs out there, but I am jumping on the ANTI TA band wagon. I used to use an AAA TA for our vacation planning, but now we don't unless we want her to just give us the booklet of vouchers. But honestly I am with you DJFan88, I don't need a middle person going back and forth for us. It especially got frustrating back in 2012 POR refurb falling behind. It took forever to get everything strait. I had to go over her head and deal directly with everyone actually at the resorts and that was when I was still a regular guest there, before becoming a CM. Only with me doing so I got everyone info that was booked around that time relocated to Deluxes of their choice with the right people to talk to. It was probably a very bad time for TAs during that who had booked POR Royal Rooms. I love TAs for everything else. But the ones I have encountered do not stay up on their Disney Info.

Again I am not hating on TAs, just people who don't want to take the time and do research!

As a Cast Member is it really a good idea for you to be bashing Travel Agents? "but I am jumping on the ANTI TA band wagon" "I don't need a middle person going back and forth for us." You say you're, that's right you're not your, not hating on TAs but the two statements I quoted sure sound like it. You know, the company you work for actually likes people to use Travel Agents. They have a great relationship with the Travel Agent community and I don't think they would be too happy that one of their CM's is putting them down on a public forum.

 

[Venomhatch]

As a Cast Member is it really a good idea for you to be bashing Travel Agents? "but I am jumping on the ANTI TA band wagon" "I don't need a middle person going back and forth for us." You say you're, that's right you're not your, not hating on TAs but the two statements I quoted sure sound like it. You know, the company you work for actually likes people to use Travel Agents. They have a great relationship with the Travel Agent community and I don't think they would be too happy that one of their CM's is putting them down on a public forum.

I know Bill. But that is how I felt about the TAs I used as I said not keeping up on the research for there clients. I guess I could have worded that a bit better, I don't hate TAs really, because I know a few that are good at what they do. Thank you for suggesting the Edit, I am not worried about what they might read. If anything they should maybe consider more frequent seminars for helping agents either ones that may fill in for others or newer ones that just get hired to have a chance to be up to date on everything Disney!

 

[andrewilley]

They are definitely a do at least one time room. I thought they were neat. But I wont see the reason for splurging on them anymore.

Same here. We booked one the first year they opened, and it was great fun and everything... but there are only so many times you can press the fireworks buttons over the beds, and at the end of the day you are paying an awful lot for what is basically a change of décor.

So I'm in the "one and done" category.

Andre

 

[ElsaColon]

The Royal Rooms are definitely worth it in my opinion and they are in a great location. It's the only room my husband and stay in now while we are at POR.

The in room fireworks are my favorite!

 

[wulfgeat]

. but there are only so many times you can press the fireworks buttons over the beds

I wondered how the fireworks worked. I was getting ready to ask if they were on all the time or if you cut them on. Good to know. And I was asking because.....

Speaking of TAs, since we were not able to get the new discount on our standard room, our TA upgraded us to a Royal Room and we saved a few bucks off the full cost of the standard room. Good to save a little bit.

And I appreciated not having to do the hour hold people were talking about on another post.

Other than creating the reservation and updating the reservation for the discounts, that is all our TA has done. But I did check prices myself to verify. I liked doing my own ADRs because the spots were so limited at Cinderella's and Chef Mickey's that I wouldn't want any one else to make those decisions for me. The experience has been fine. I have been neither disappointed nor blown away.

 

[wulfgeat]

I don't think there was any bashing of the TAs. And if CMs, not CM's, are on this site on their own time educating Disney fans I figure Disney is pretty happy with that. I would go out on a limb and say what Disney likes more than TAs is people who spend hours and hours researching Disney and becoming experts. These people then spread the Disney virus like a two year old in daycare!

 

[bobtabin]

Thinking real hard about trying Raglan Road!! Glad to hear u enjoyed it . Are there seperate boats for PO and other resorts?

Yes, each boat has a colored flag when returning from DTD. POR had a yellow flag. Raglan was fun and had great food. We actually ate at the bar instead of waiting 45 mins.

 

[andrewilley]

And if CMs, not CM's, are on this site on their own time educating Disney fans I figure Disney is pretty happy with that. I would go out on a limb and say what Disney likes more than TAs is people who spend hours and hours researching Disney and becoming experts. These people then spread the Disney virus like a two year old in daycare!

I'm not quite sure that corporate culture works quite like that. There are some very strongly worded clauses in Disney contracts about CMs not passing themselves off as making any kind of official or sanctioned statement seemingly on behalf of the company on the internet (and especially on social media/forums) nor using internal company supplied resources or information in non-sanctioned ways. The advice is basically not to be blatant about the fact that you work for Disney when making any comments about any company operations, to avoid any possibility of inadvertently crossing a line.

I think the mood regarding acceptance of outside information about Disney swings both ways. The company would love to still be in control of information - case in point would be things like the Be Our Guest lunch fastpass trial; they would have loved to have been able to invite specific test groups only and not have the rest of the world know too soon, but in the internet age this sort of information travels like wildfire and cannot be contained ion the same way it could have been in the old days.

But they also realise that the internet, and places like the DIS and portorleans.org and all the rest of the Disney-related site are powerful publicity opportunities, with the potential to help them a lot, but at a corporate level they are still very concerned about misrepresentation and incorrect third-party information, and also the lack of control that they have.

The irony is, very often it's the highly specialist enthusiast-run sites that can provide better and more accurate information than their own (broader) information resources. I've lost count of the times that guests have mentioned the Disney Reservations Center giving out information which contradicts my site or something I've said here, and in the seven or so years that I've been running portorleans.org, I can only think of a couple of occasions where the DRC information was correct and mine was wrong.

Andre

 

[fadingjamie]

Anyway,why would I pay them and take all the fun away?

Yeesh, I hope you're not paying someone extra for being your TA...

I am in agreement with most of the people on here saying that you should not be more educated about Disney than your TA. However, I also agree with the PP that said I'd rather not be the one on hold for an hour to get a discount or to add a room request. Let someone else do that for me. I'll do my own dining reservations and such though, thank you very much.

Someone on the "disboards on Facebook" group said that the way a TA for Disney works is that the reason why you don't pay extra for one is because their fee is already built into the price whether you use one or not. Now I love Disney, but I'm not the type to give "free" money back to a business for a service I didn't take advantage of... I'd rather a working person get that money instead of it just get rolled back into the company. That's a reason to use a TA, even its smallest amount right there, IMO.