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

[brinafair]

Question about the Alligator Bayou rooms versus the Magnolia Bend rooms - the rooms look totally different, right? The pictures of the preferred rooms on the Disney website are exactly the same as the other rooms, but the Preferred rooms are all in Alligator Bayou, and the rooms in the two areas look different on this website:

http://www.portorleans.org/gallery.php

The rooms pictured on My Disney Experience are not going to be the same as the rooms in Alligator Bayou. Totally different look and theme.

(Groups of 5 will be assigned to Alligator Bayou because they have a murphy bed. The other rooms only accommodate 4 people.)

I was a little thrown by this after learning we wouldn't be staying in the type of room I thought I had reserved. The rustic decor in Alligator Bayou is not my cup of tea but I've been assured by the kind people on this board that the rooms are quite nice and we should not be disappointed.

Do a quick search on Youtube for 'Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou' for a room tour for an updated look.

Hope this helps.

 

[loftonflyz]

A little anxiety. I am traveling alone with my 2 young daughters. The other times we came without my husband we met another group. This time it's just us so my sense of security is an issue. I know we are at disney but still.....
I have royal guest room, garden view. I guess I would like either close to bus stop or close to main building. Is such a request possible with the type of room I describe?
Also I am considering taxi to ohana breakfast. I will again feel insecurity. Are the taxis wdw taxi or outside service...how do I know it's legit?

Hi Chris....since you have a royal guest room, you already will be close to the main building and bus stop, so no worries there. As far as the taxi's, Disney is their bread and butter, so all of them are very reputable so as not to lose it. We took a few taxies last time we were there and they were great! Just ask for a taxi at the stand outside the main building....there will probably already be a couple taxis waiting outside
Have fun!

 

[andrewilley]

Question about the Alligator Bayou rooms versus the Magnolia Bend rooms - the rooms look totally different, right? The pictures of the preferred rooms on the Disney website are exactly the same as the other rooms, but the Preferred rooms are all in Alligator Bayou, and the rooms in the two areas look different on this website:

http://www.portorleans.org/gallery.php

The Alligator Bayou rooms (which is what you will get if you booked Preferred Location) are completely different interior styles to the mansion buildings, which is what's shown on the Disney website. The AB rooms are as per the views in http://www.portorleans.org/gallery-POR-AB-Rooms.php (the bedspreads are now white with coloured runners at the bottom, but I've still got to update my photos for that change).

Hi Chris....since you have a royal guest room, you already will be close to the main building and bus stop

Unfortunately that's not guaranteed at all, as the two Royal buildings are the most remote of the four mansion buildings. While some of the rooms are located very close to the footbridge which leads straight to the main building, others (especially some in Parterre Place) are quite a distance away. Definitely worth requesting a room with close to the main buildings (and main bus stop) if that is a concern.

Andre

 

[lele0803]

Hi everyone! I am enjoying reading through this thread! Our trip is just around the corner and we are very excited.

Our TA changed our reservation to a garden view room when the room only promotion came out. We will be in AB since we are a family of five. Is there a way to see which buildings/room are garden view?

I am going to start online check in. I am thinking of trying to ask for building 16 or 17. Is this a good idea?

 

[Jessupnorth]

We are a family of five, but one will be an infant who will (hopefully) sleep in a Pack-n-Play. We won't need the Murphy bed, so I'd prefer not to be in AB. Any other family of five been in this situation? I guess I can call to request not to be in AB, but not sure if we will automatically be slotted for there, even if our fifth is a baby.

 

[AmyKat]

We were a family of 5, one of which was 10 months old, on our last trip. We requested Magnolia Bend and got a free upgrade to the Royal Rooms. It was fabulous!

 

[andrewilley]

Our TA changed our reservation to a garden view room when the room only promotion came out. We will be in AB since we are a family of five. Is there a way to see which buildings/room are garden view?

I am going to start online check in. I am thinking of trying to ask for building 16 or 17. Is this a good idea?

Here you go, 16 and 17 (which are generally pretty good choices if you don't have Preferred location bookings). More at http://www.portorleans.org/floorplans.php:

Andre

 

[elcasar]

The Alligator Bayou rooms (which is what you will get if you booked Preferred Location) are completely different interior styles to the mansion buildings, which is what's shown on the Disney website. The AB rooms are as per the views in http://www.portorleans.org/gallery-POR-AB-Rooms.php (the bedspreads are now white with coloured runners at the bottom, but I've still got to update my photos for that change).

Andre

That's your website? It is excellent! Really, really fantastic. I have actually booked a room with a pool view, but as we are 5 I'm sure we'll be in Alligator Bayou. If I hadn't come to this website and been directed to the Unofficial Resort Guide I would have been surprised on seeing the room decor and I might have been a little put off, but now I know what to expect so I really appreciate it. Cheers.

 

[lele0803]

Here you go, 16 and 17 (which are generally pretty good choices if you don't have Preferred location bookings).

Thank you!

 

[PixiePoppins]

Woohoo!! Heading back to the Port for Spring Break 2015 from March 22-31! Just booked it yesterday and can't wait to tell the kids once a few details are taken care of first. There are 5 in our family, and we have invited DDs BF. I have reserved 2 rooms for the 6 of us. Requested connecting rooms in AB, our favorite section! Now I just need a room discount which I hope is released like last year in early October.

We were thinking of doing POP to save $, but wonderful DH said let's splurge and go back to our favorite place! DD graduates HS in 2015, so this trip will celebrate that. I think vacations may get more complicated from here with different break times and kids getting older, so this is an extra special one in my mind...I expect lots of pixie dust in my eyes on this trip!

Here we come Yehaa Bob, no one has more fun than us!!

Looking forward to hanging out here with all the POR lovers!

 

[eastcoastmom]

We are first timers for POR family of five booked feb 25- March 5. We stayed with family at POP dec 2011, we had free dining and got spoiled going alone this time around we had to do moderate but were excited for a different resort, paying for the dining plan (which we feel is worth every cent) traveling from canada we don't go to wdw often our kids are 7, 10 &12 this time around. Any discount will be great, what are buses like at this resort? And if we don't want to walk miles should we try to get AB 16&17?

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

We were a family of 5, one of which was 10 months old, on our last trip. We requested Magnolia Bend and got a free upgrade to the Royal Rooms. It was fabulous!

what an awesome surprise!!! We switched too late from CSR to PORR and were able to get the room discount but only for Garden view. Hopefully we can get accommodated in one of the Magnolia rooms!

 

[siskaren]

We are a family of five, but one will be an infant who will (hopefully) sleep in a Pack-n-Play. We won't need the Murphy bed, so I'd prefer not to be in AB. Any other family of five been in this situation? I guess I can call to request not to be in AB, but not sure if we will automatically be slotted for there, even if our fifth is a baby.

When people say that families of five automatically get put in AB, they're talking about families where everyone is age 3 and older. With a child under the age of 3, you're actually considered to be a family of 4, so you could definitely be put in Magnolia Bend. The first post in this thread tells you how to fax in a room request.

 

[elcasar]

I've seen several posters mention an entertainer called Yee-Ha Bob. Can someone give me some information on this? Where and when does he perform? Is it every night?

 

[soniam]

I've seen several posters mention an entertainer called Yee-Ha Bob. Can someone give me some information on this? Where and when does he perform? Is it every night?

http://www.yehaabob.com/

 

[wdwguy50]

I was so looking forward to seeing YeHaa Bob during my upcoming stay at POR in November. When I checked his calendar I saw that his vacation coincides perfectly with my stay. Bummer!!

 

[AmyKat]

When people say that families of five automatically get put in AB, they're talking about families where everyone is age 3 and older. With a child under the age of 3, you're actually considered to be a family of 4, so you could definitely be put in Magnolia Bend. The first post in this thread tells you how to fax in a room request.

I did do a fax request based on Venom's template. I pointed out in the request that we would eventually be a "Disney family of 5" and spend the rest of our years in AB and would like the opportunity to experience MB while we were still considered a family of 4.

 

[mom2jacob]

So we have a river room booked with the FD promotion. Usually we stay in preferred rooms but didn't have that choice. I thought river rooms were buildings 14 and 27 but just realized there is a building 38 too. How far is the walk from 38 to the main building? I have't put in a request only for first floor but that was when I thought it was just building 14 or 27. I will call and put in a request but just in case since there is only like 8 rooms in each building for river view want to be prepared. Thanks

 

[cornichon]

We have two rooms at POR... one under my name and one under my brother's.. we are all linked under my MDE but the online check in link only shows up for my room.. does my brother need to set up a MDE account for online checking? Or is there a way to have it show up in my MDE? Also, I really am hoping that we can have connecting rooms.. I know that our travel agent made a note of it but I am still planning on sending a fax in as well.. should I do online check in or wait until we are on site?

Thanks for all your help!

 

[andrewilley]

So we have a river room booked with the FD promotion. Usually we stay in preferred rooms but didn't have that choice. I thought river rooms were buildings 14 and 27 but just realized there is a building 38 too. How far is the walk from 38 to the main building?

Not too bad at all from the river facing rooms, it's not a long route along the riverbank path. Of course you might be in the Acadian House or Magnolia Terrace buildings too (unless you have five people in the room, excluding under-3s) but even those aren't too bad via the nearby footbridge across Ol Man Island.

We have two rooms at POR... one under my name and one under my brother's.. we are all linked under my MDE but the online check in link only shows up for my room.. does my brother need to set up a MDE account for online checking?

Yes I think so, if the room is in his name then to manage it he will need to log in and do the checkin.

Andre