staying at por riverside

[nikky luvs mickey]

Was wondering should we take the boat to downtown disney or drive the rental car there which would be faster?

 

[brentalex]

Driving would be faster. The boat would be more fun, it is a nice ride and you should do it at least once.

 

[hansel1]

Take the boat if you want to relax and let someone else do the driving. The boat ride is a very pleasant experience....and you get to see the tree houses.

 

[bookgirl2632]

Take the boat! It's a beautiful ride and so peaceful. Besides, if you drive, you have to worry about parking. Who wants to do that?

 

[nbodyhome]

The car is faster - but why bother when it is such a nice ride? You don't have to then deal with parking either.

 

[KMLOVESWDW]

We took the boat twice-once just to relax-we just got off & got right back on. If you're pressed for time, then drive. I find parking down there to be a pain. The ride is peaceful & you get to see the treehouses & other resorts too.

 

[Amy&Dan]

I agree with others, you might get to DTD faster via a car, however the parking there is never fun and while you are technically "there" driving around looking for a spot to park doens't really ring my bell! And the ride past the old Treehouse Villas is interesting. And then of course if you dine at one of the spots at DTD and have a few adult beverages, you have a designated driver/captain no problem!

 

[Indianadisneyfan]

I say take the boat. We did last Oct. and it was great, I wouldn't drive if they gave me a front row parking spot. It's a nice ride and you can set back and relax. I think it runs till about midnight or so.

 

[wdwpixie]

My hubby takes the boats whenever he can....when he "grows up" and gets to retire, he wants to be a WDW boat captain!! It's a great way to get around and if some of your party wants to return sooner than others, it's a great option to have!!

 

[magicmouse2]

Take the Boat. Its wonderful! plus then you can have

 

[tink2007]

We are staying at POR next week. How long does the boat ride take?

 

[Hizzo]

When we stayed last I have to say one of the best times we had were taking the boat from back and forth from POR to DTD. I think it took us about 15 min, but it was a great 15 min. Just sit back, and let them do the driving.

 

[LoveDopey]

Take the boat -- it's a great ride for all ages. It doesn't take long, maybe 15 minutes each way.

 

[mousiemom]

Take the boat!! The treehouses were a little weird to me especially when you can see all thru them. I can't believe disney will allow the exchange students to leave their blinds open when it is so messy. You just don't see anything in disney messy!!
Mousiemom

 

[disneyred]

Have any of you ever had to wait in long lineups for the boat to/from DTD ??

Are there any peak hours or off hours to take this boat ??

ps.. my kids are not good at waiting in long lineups !!

thanks !

 

[Indianadisneyfan]

We never did. We had to wait a couple of times for the boat to come back from DTD to get on. Of course most of the times we went was around 7-8 o'clock at night.

 

[wen8jr]

Hey Indianadisneyfan,

We're going to WDW this mid-October and staying at POR. We are so excited!!! You seem like the best person to give the low down on how it was!

How was the weather & crowds at the parks when you were there?? Was POR pretty full?

Did you do MNSSHP? We are trying to decide if we should do that on a Sun or a Tues. (which may be more crowded).

Any pointers you may have would be great!!!!

Wendy

 

[Indianadisneyfan]

We didn't do MNSSHP. As far as the resort I believe it was full because I tried to get a room with a king bed and they were all taken. When we left in the morning we didn't hardly see anybody except maybe 5-10 at the bus stop. The weather was great, it rained for 15-20 min one day and then the sun came back out. We just went to Flame Tree Barbeque and ate under the umbrellas and watched the ducks swim around. The crowds was very tolerable ( of course I only have June to compare it to). I think the longest we waited without F.P. was around 30-40 min or so. I have pics from inside of our room and a few around the outside if you want me to email you a link where you can look at them. I have them posted on snapfish.

 

[wen8jr]

We didn't do MNSSHP. As far as the resort I believe it was full because I tried to get a room with a king bed and they were all taken. When we left in the morning we didn't hardly see anybody except maybe 5-10 at the bus stop. The weather was great, it rained for 15-20 min one day and then the sun came back out. We just went to Flame Tree Barbeque and ate under the umbrellas and watched the ducks swim around. The crowds was very tolerable ( of course I only have June to compare it to). I think the longest we waited without F.P. was around 30-40 min or so. I have pics from inside of our room and a few around the outside if you want me to email you a link where you can look at them. I have them posted on snapfish.

That sounds great - and thanks!!! We changed our ressie from June to Oct., we thought that the heat and crowds may be a little lighter.

We love fall, so we figure a big part of the drive the trees should be showing their colors.

Just hoping the weather holds out, but that is anytime you go.

 

[IowaDiva]

We're going for our first trip in 9 days! Whoo HOO....I've heard nothing but good things about POR. Should be a blast.

Does anyone know: is it worth it to try to request a specific room? I don't have special needs, so it almost seems presumptious to do so when I'm sure that everyone and their mothers do the same thing. We'll be in Alligator Bayou, since we have three kids -- two teenaged girls and a 5-in-WDW boy, who is quite happy to get the trundle bed. Not really planning to eat the resort. We're renting a car, but will probably use the bus occasionally.

Any advice? Or should I just leave it to the luck of the draw?

Thanks!

Carol in Iowa