Port Orleans Riverside

[julielinville]

Leaving in two weeks!! We are traveling with two children and staying at PO-R. Any advice about the best stratigy for touring?

 

[JulieJo]

I don't have any advice for you, but I was amazed at our similar situations! We are leaving for POR in 3 weeks, my name is Julie and I am from Ohio too! (Akron) Maybe we will cross paths!

 

[dcedwards]

If you are talking about strategies for the theme parks you might want to post on the Theme parks board. Otherwise, I'm not sure what kind of info you are looking for .... we like PO Riverside. Be sure to take the boat to DTD...it is a nice ride and you get to see some thing you can't view from the road.

 

[julielinville]

I really just wanted to know a little bit about the resort and the transportation from the resort. We have stayed at Fort Wilderness Homes and the bus ride was rathar long. So I wondered if anyone could tell me a little about the resort ( what building to ask for or are the mansions nicer, food court, pools, transportation that sort of thing.)

 

[smjj]

Julie:
There is a very active post on POR on the resorts board now that has been a heavy hitter for the last few days. It has many replies and info on this resorts. I have been paying attention because my wife and I are staying there in Dec. Good luck and hope you have a great time..smjj

 

[julielinville]

Thanks ! I'll check it out Have a Great time in December!

 

[MICOL]

The resort is wonderful. We stayed in Magnolia sections which is very peaceful. You will do alot of walking. The main pool and food court is a pretty good walk. Bayou section is closer but we loved the Magnolia section. Bus service was great and little waiting. Quiet pools are nice as there are not crowded. Food court was nice. We bought the mugs and I really enjoyed the early morning coffee walk along the river and over the bridges. As you can tell we loved the place.

 

[Limmer]

We found the bus system to be wonderful when we were there in Oct. We never waited more than 5 mins for a bus and the bus trips themselves were never long. I think the longest was to MK at around 12-15 mins. Did not feel like long at all. WE stayed in the mansions and while I hear people saying that the Bayou is closer we never felt far from the main building. We would leisurely (sp?) stroll back to our room at night and it never took longer than 5 mins. We stayed in Acadian House. I don't know if you can tell from my post but we loved it! We will be staying there again in Sept and this time bringing my parents for their 1st trip to WDW.

 

[FrizDiz]

The longest bus ride was to the Magic Kingdom but that is never a problem since the kids are excited. Tell them at the resort that you have kids and you want to be closer to the pool. You can do some walking at this resort but it's very pretty and there is lots to look at. Mt girls always see a bunny or something when walking and that makes them happy. They loved the boat ride to Downtown Disney. You can rent a four seater bike to ride around the resort which my girls thought was cool. You can rent a cane pole to go fishing there also. You'll love it. Remember to that you can use the French Quarter pool to. If your kids are younger they will like that pool better.

 

[julielinville]

Thanks everyone! I will use the advice and am looking forward to more postings.

Have a great time whenever you go!

( 11 days for me)

 

[tampafan]

We love the resort. We were in the Mansions for 8 days last summer and then again at Labor Day. We spent a lot of time just at the resort. We ate at Boatrights 3x (twice for dinner and once for breakfast). It is a very good restaurant. There is a great piano player in the bar certain nights. He had stopped for a while this past fall, but posters here have said that he is back. He puts on a great show for adults and kids. The food court has a great variety. The main pool is fun and there are plenty of quiet pools. The transportation was ok. Just keep in mind it that all bus stops will be crowded at certain time, just like everywhere else. We enjoyed fishing, biking, and the boat trip to Downtown.

Great resort.

 

[josierac]

Originally posted by julielinville
I really just wanted to know a little bit about the resort and the transportation from the resort. We have stayed at Fort Wilderness Homes and the bus ride was rathar long. So I wondered if anyone could tell me a little about the resort ( what building to ask for or are the mansions nicer, food court, pools, transportation that sort of thing.)

Julie - check out some pictures to see which decor appeals to you more.
Port Orleans Riverside pictures

 

[dcedwards]

We stayed in AB 15 and it was a nice location. It was close to the food court and the bus stop. The pool was just a little ways away but the quiet pool was right there. Bldg. 18, especially if you have a river view is really nice. Right by the path. We have't stayed in the mansions yet but the size of the rooms are identical and they have about the same things in them.

As far as the bus goes, the nice thing about AB 15, 16 and 18 is that they are closest to the first bus stop. Now that POFQ is open this first stop at Riverside will actually be the 2nd stop for the bus. I have read from many that often the bus will go by them at the 3rd and 4th stop because it is full. This can be hard for younger kids anxious to get on the bus. So, that might be a consideration for you to think about.

The food court is great for kids. You can get all your food first and then pay as you go out. Atmosphere is very casual. They have a video playing Disney movies (of course) and a large lego table that the kids can play at if you are inclined to sit and visit at the tables. The refillable mugs for us were also great and well worth the price. The arcade is a reasonable size and not overwhelming and Boatwrights, for us, has typically been very good.