Port Orleans Riverside

[atm55]

Anyone stay here? Does it take long to get to the magic kingdom from here? How about some reviews of the resort?

 

[sejeta]

can be long. We were fairly lucky but we did hear people complain one time that they were waiting over 20 minutes for a bus and then it took another 5-10 mins to load and was really full. Standing up with a very figity 5 year old boy is not fun even for only 10 mins.

We also got on the south depot which for the most part was first to pick up but if the bus is not really full they make the rounds to the other 3 stops before heading out to the park so this can make the trip take even longer especially if one of the stops has a scooter. So a 10 minute trip could take 20 or more.

HTH

I loved this resort but I think next time I would stay at french quarter and go to riverside for the fishing and maybe the counter service.
I wasn't too keen on the bus but it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be either. The resort is very big but I stayed in builing 90 which wasn't too far for the main buliding. It has a quiet pool and laundry really close which was great. We didn't go the main pool since it wasn't that warm and not very close. I had requested builing 18 but was really happy with the room I did get. This was my first time.

I love to boat ride to DTD. The fishing was fun and the counter service really had a great selection.

 

[Sorsha]

We stayed at POR in September of 2007 and absolutely LOVED it. I think its a gorgeous resort, and the theming is wonderful. Here's a quote from my trip report:

Since our breakfast ADRs weren't till 9:10, no one else really needed to be up yet, so I decided to let them sleep. Quietly I showered and got dressed (love that privacy curtain at POR, its really quite convenient), grabbed my refillable mug, and slipped out the door. It was about 6:30 in the morning as I began my stroll over to Riverside Mill. I followed the path from building 37 past building 38 to the Sassagoula river, where I took a right and followed the river all the way around, past buildings 27, 18, and 14, and the path eventually led me right to the back door of the food court building. This was such a beautiful, peaceful way to begin the day, still dark with the sun just beginning to rise, warm and sweet-smelling. On the way down I took time to reflect and marvel on Disney's commitment to "atmosphere". Here I was, in the middle of central Florida, and everything about my walk suggested that I was meandering through the Delta Region of Louisiana. The lush landscaping, the bunnies frolicking by the water's edge, and the ducks swimming peacefully. The chirping of the frogs, the low, lazy lighting, the jazz music that is the background soundtrack to everywhere you go at Port Orleans, and most of all the delicious cinnamon-y smells of beignets cooking somewhere off in the distance... what a fantastic job they do creating and maintaining their atmosphere.

The rooms are very nice, but small. The beds were OK, and the trundle bed was very helpful for smallest DD. Everything worked, and was clean enough.

The food court had a very nice variety of food, but was almost impossible to negotiate when there were a lot of people there.

We had no breakfast plans this morning, so we decided to grab a quick CS breakfast before heading out to the parks. Uh-huh, right! Us and everyone else staying at POR! Holy crowded, batman! I know it has been said over and over again, but WDW CS places that have separate "pods" for different kinds of food are a pain in the rear! No family ever all wants the same things, so you have to split up and then meet back up to pay and when it is as crowded as it was in the food court in the mornings... WOW! Anyhow, we procured food, and found a table, then had to fight our way back across the food court to the beverage station and to find silverware and napkins, and syrup... we were exhausted by the end of breakfast!

We found the buses to work very well... it didn't take too long to get to anywhere except Animal Kingdom, and it takes a while to get to AK from alomst anywhere on property because it is so far away. We did find that buses were rather slow in coming though, if we arrived at the bus stop just missing a bus to somewhere, it wasn't unheard of to wait 20 minutes for the next bus to that place. Buses were very crowded at closing time at the parks, but we always had lots of room any other time.

We made our way to the South Depot bus stop cause it was the closest one to the food court. Now, a word on bus stops at POR, for those who haven't stayed there. There are basically 4 bus stops. The first one, closest to the food court, registration, check-in, etc, is South Depot. It is divided into two parts "Blue Bayou Platform" and "River Delta Platform", but you never hear anyone use those names, it is always collectively referred to as "South Depot". This is always the most used, and most crowded depot, and also where the buses stop first in the evenings. In the mornings, its seems to usually have its own bus. Clockwise then, in a circle around the outside of the property, there are 3 more bus stops; West, North, and East depots. The North Depot was right outside our building, so we used it almost exclusively. We did use South a couple of times after eating at the food court, and couldn't believe how much more crowded it was compared to the others.

The pool area was beautiful. We only used it twice, but the kids enjoyed it very much. It was very clean and well-maintained.

We loved the option of taking the boat down the Sassagoula river to Downtown Disney, and did this several times. It was very convenient and relaxing.

I will try to root out some of my old pictures and post them for you in a seperate post.

 

[Sorsha]

Looking at the waterwheel from inside the food court

DD6 (then 4) sleeping in the trundle bed

Outside, at night

up-close detail of the bedding

Kids in front of our building

DH in front of building

View of the bridge, from the boat

Sailing past French Quarter, on the boat

The boat!

Bathroom area in the room

Bed

Armoire/TV cabinet

 

[atm55]

Thanks for the pics. It looks wonderful - can't wait!

 

[aceys_h0ney]

I hope you don't mind if I piggyback your thread and ask some questions.
We are a family of 6
2 adults 4 kids (13, 10, 8 and 2)
This is the only moderate resort we can stay in due to our group size. My hubby really wants to stay here, I was looking at renting a house. Anyway my son would have to sleep by himself all the other kids are girls. Would a 13 year old fit on that trundle bed? I suppose we could mix it up and the men sleep together and me sleep with the girls but that does not sound like fun to me. I don't mind us being cramped for space because realistically we will only be in the room at night to sleep. We are still weighing options between staying offsite and on. This is our only possibility onsite though.

 

[MHTeacher]

I hope you don't mind if I piggyback your thread and ask some questions.
We are a family of 6
2 adults 4 kids (13, 10, 8 and 2)
This is the only moderate resort we can stay in due to our group size. My hubby really wants to stay here, I was looking at renting a house. Anyway my son would have to sleep by himself all the other kids are girls. Would a 13 year old fit on that trundle bed? I suppose we could mix it up and the men sleep together and me sleep with the girls but that does not sound like fun to me. I don't mind us being cramped for space because realistically we will only be in the room at night to sleep. We are still weighing options between staying offsite and on. This is our only possibility onsite though.

I think it would depend on how big your 13 year old boy is whether he will be comfortable on the trundle. My 7 year old slept on it, and two daughters slept in one bed, DH and I in the other bed.

Have you considered getting two rooms at a value resort, like Pop. You could get two connecting rooms for probably not much more than POR. Plus, you'd have two bathrooms. You could also price out the family suites at All Star Music.

 

[Sorsha]

I hope you don't mind if I piggyback your thread and ask some questions.
We are a family of 6
2 adults 4 kids (13, 10, 8 and 2)
This is the only moderate resort we can stay in due to our group size. My hubby really wants to stay here, I was looking at renting a house. Anyway my son would have to sleep by himself all the other kids are girls. Would a 13 year old fit on that trundle bed? I suppose we could mix it up and the men sleep together and me sleep with the girls but that does not sound like fun to me. I don't mind us being cramped for space because realistically we will only be in the room at night to sleep. We are still weighing options between staying offsite and on. This is our only possibility onsite though.

Really depends on the size of your 13 year old. You can see my DD sleeping in the trundle in the pics I posted above, and she is tiny. At that time she was 4, and wearing size 4T clothes. My DD9 also slept on it a few of the nights, she was 7 at the time, wearing size 7/8 clothes. She fit on it just fine, and anyone bigger than that would have had troubles, I think. It really is just a slightly longer, slightly oversized crib mattress.

 

[aceys_h0ney]

Thanks for the answers. I found a picture of just the trundle and you are right it looks barely bigger then a toddler/crib mattress. We will just look at other options, the thought of all being cramped up at night does not sound like a fun vacation to me. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a pin code because I think I just about have hubby convinced to let us stay at the Poly.

 

[MHTeacher]

Thanks for the answers. I found a picture of just the trundle and you are right it looks barely bigger then a toddler/crib mattress. We will just look at other options, the thought of all being cramped up at night does not sound like a fun vacation to me. I am keeping my fingers crossed for a pin code because I think I just about have hubby convinced to let us stay at the Poly.

When are you visiting Disney? There's a room only public code out right now, good through June. I think its 35-40% off deluxe depending on length of stay.

 

[atm55]

When are you visiting Disney? There's a room only public code out right now, good through June. I think its 35-40% off deluxe depending on length of stay. [/QUOTE

The special is 25% off value, 30% off moderate and 35% deluxe. I got Riverside for 30% off.

 

[MHTeacher]

When are you visiting Disney? There's a room only public code out right now, good through June. I think its 35-40% off deluxe depending on length of stay.

The special is 25% off value, 30% off moderate and 35% deluxe. I got Riverside for 30% off.

From Mousesavers website:


January-June Savings of up to 45% Off

Stay dates: 1/1/10 to 6/3/10. Get a 25%-45% discount off regular "Rack" rates. Percent off varies by length of stay. Use code QNY. Some dates will be blocked out. Rates not available for all dates and resorts.

Save 25% at Disney Value Resorts when you stay 1-4 nights; save 30% when you stay 5 nights or longer
Save 30% at Disney Moderate Resorts when you stay 1-4 nights; save 35% when you stay 5 nights or longer
Save 35% at Disney Deluxe Resorts when you stay 1-4 nights; save 40% when you stay 5 nights or longer
Save 40% at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts when you stay 1-4 nights; save 45% when you stay 5 nights or longer

==========================================================

As I stated earlier, the discount is 35%-40% depending on your length of stay.

 

[PinkRhombus]

has anyone already figured out if it's better to do the percentage off instead of doing the gift card promotion?

we're doing 7 nights at a moderate (POR)

ETA: Figured it out for me at least. Our dates start before but run after June 3rd. If they were all within that time frame, that total amount for the room, add on the tickets purchased separately...then add in the $500 gift card we would lose...it would be about $180 cheaper.

 

[Grendalynn]

We are thinkinga bout booking a 5 nigiht with the gift card promo at POFQ since we are a family of 5. I would love love love to see some more pictures, hera the pros and cons and all the nitty gritty details! The good, the bad and the ugly is was I am all about! Thanks abunch!!

 

[jasonpicken]

Port Orleans Riverside is our favourite moderate resort. it has what we feel to be the best food court on disney property, the pasta is what makes it for me. in fact we eat here almost every trip even though we aren't staying here. that's partially due to the fact that we absolutely love the boat ride from downtown disney and back, especially peaceful after dark. the pool is not as themed as some resorts but it has an understated beauty to it. the grounds are gorgeous and well taken care of. we prefer the Magnolia Bend area because we love the fountains and lawns and in general the stately look of the buildings. our favourite of that area is Oak Manor and Paterre Place a close second. the only knock for this area is the 10 min. walk to Boatwright's and the pool. but the charm of the pedestrian bridge over the river makes it worthwhile. overall, i can't say enough good things about this resort. i do still wish it was called Dixie Landings and i wish they had more merchandise with the resort logo on it, but that's a pretty minor complaint. enjoy!

 

[MHTeacher]

We are thinkinga bout booking a 5 nigiht with the gift card promo at POFQ since we are a family of 5. I would love love love to see some more pictures, hera the pros and cons and all the nitty gritty details! The good, the bad and the ugly is was I am all about! Thanks abunch!!

POFQ is a resort for 4, (+ 1 under the age of 2). You may be thinking about POR, POFQ's sister resort. Its room occupancy is 5, (not including a baby under the age of 2.)

 

[Grendalynn]

POFQ is a resort for 4, (+ 1 under the age of 2). You may be thinking about POR, POFQ's sister resort. Its room occupancy is 5, (not including a baby under the age of 2.)

You are right - I mis-typed that.... PORS is what I am looking at as we will have 5 in a room. What is a good location of a room to request for the PORS buildings? A place that is centrally located to the big pool with water slide, a bus stop and or food court... It looks like a sprawling resort, so a point in the right direction/location would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

 

[jasonpicken]

You are right - I mis-typed that.... PORS is what I am looking at as we will have 5 in a room. What is a good location of a room to request for the PORS buildings? A place that is centrally located to the big pool with water slide, a bus stop and or food court... It looks like a sprawling resort, so a point in the right direction/location would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

i think Magnolia Terrace is the closest mansion to the main pool(called ol' man's island). it is also tied for being closest to the food court and as a bonus, the east depot bus stop is in that building's parking lot. if you prefer rustic, then buildings 14,15,16 and 18 of Alligator Bayou are closest buildings to the food court and probably closest to ol' man island as well, there is no bus stop right there, but there is one at the foodcourt main building, which they're closest to.

 

[MHTeacher]

You are right - I mis-typed that.... PORS is what I am looking at as we will have 5 in a room. What is a good location of a room to request for the PORS buildings? A place that is centrally located to the big pool with water slide, a bus stop and or food court... It looks like a sprawling resort, so a point in the right direction/location would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!!

i think Magnolia Terrace is the closest mansion to the main pool(called ol' man's island). it is also tied for being closest to the food court and as a bonus, the east depot bus stop is in that building's parking lot. if you prefer rustic, then buildings 14,15,16 and 18 of Alligator Bayou are closest buildings to the food court and probably closest to ol' man island as well, there is no bus stop right there, but there is one at the foodcourt main building, which they're closest to.

With five people in your party, you will be placed in Alligator Bayou (AB), because the rooms with trundle beds are located in that section. Buildings 14, 18, or 27 would be my picks in that order.

 

[WantToGoNow]

We (me, dh, dd25, ds8 and dd5) stayed at POR from 11/28-12/6. My cousin's family was in a connecting room with her, her dh, ds9, ds5, dd4 and dd2. Neither room was exceptionally crowded. We did not find the trundle to be comfortable - of course I was the one who was supposed to sleep on it. I couldn't - my hips started hurting minutes after laying down. So I climb in with dd25 and put ds8 on the trundle. My cousin's ds9 slept on their trundle and said it was comfortable. The next night we went to Target (we went for a camera because I blew ours up when I plugged the DVD charger into it) and got a twin sized airbed. Dd25 slept on it for the remaining 7 nights and said it was actually more comfortable than the beds. If you want to stay at POR and are worried about the sleeping arrangements, think about taking an air mattress for your ds13 - it fits nicely in the spot where the trundle pulls out and Mousekeeping brought us extra sheets, blankets and pillows for it.

I had wanted to stay here for years - had actually booked it twice before but ended up changing for one reason or another. This was the only moderately priced resort that would fit my cousin's family of 6 so I finally got to stay here. I loved the resort from the beginning. I was really excited when I got our room assignment - building 14, corner room, ground floor (cousin's dd2 wears braces on her legs and used a wheelchair). Also, we (me, dh and ds8) arrived at 9:00 am and our room was ready. The rest of the group arrived around noon - my cousin's room was not ready until 4:00 pm. We were very close to the main buildling and just a short walk to the main pool or quiet pool. We got the refillable mugs because we were so close, but honestly, the only one that got the $$ worth was mine. My dd25 and I took a stroll around the resort one day while dh was at the pool with the kids (we were gone when they got back and they didn't have a key - and it was like 60 degrees out).

The only downside I found at the resort was the bus service. There's just too many people for the number of busses they send. Of course, with having a large group with a wheelchair, we sometimes had to wait for the next bus - which took another 15-20 minutes to arrive. The night of Christmas party, dd25 and I waited 45 minutes for bus to the MK - busses for the other parks were consistently coming through and sometimes even leaving the South Depot practically empty.

Would I stay here again? Absolutely but I would like to have a car to transport us to the parks (we did have our car which seats 6 - but there were 11 of us including 6 children - 4 of them required car seats or boosters so we would have had to make several trips between the resort/parks).

Here's a few pictures:

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