Staying at Riverside : Show me pics, get me excited!!

[SuzieN]

My daughter and I just got back from a wonderful stay at POR on March 4. Darn it!!! Anyhow, we only got breakfast at the resort twice as we preferred to just eat an early lunch. Both times I payed out of pocket rather than waste a CS credit because I figured that my credits went farther when used for meals in the parks. Breakfast usually only cost me about $15 so it was a much better deal to use those credits for meals that would cost around $40 for the 2 of us. Hope you have a fantastic trip!

 

[WildReekies]

The only thing holding me back from getting excited about our upcoming trip in OCT... Is this resort : ( the QS options look great, the rooms look adorable, the pool looks awesome! My kids are young and everyone keeps saying we will need a mid day break... I'm worried the busses will break my husbands spirit lol! Can anyone give some tips to make the bus system more tolerable? We will have 1 double stroller during the day and bring an extra single stroller along for the evening shows. Please help me get excited.

 

[JollyHoliday]

The only thing holding me back from getting excited about our upcoming trip in OCT... Is this resort : ( the QS options look great, the rooms look adorable, the pool looks awesome! My kids are young and everyone keeps saying we will need a mid day break... I'm worried the busses will break my husbands spirit lol! Can anyone give some tips to make the bus system more tolerable? We will have 1 double stroller during the day and bring an extra single stroller along for the evening shows. Please help me get excited.

We have found the busses to be crowded at other resorts also. We have had standing room only on busses during our stays at AKL, YC, Poly and Pop. Mid day breaks on any of the busses will be less crowded then the morning or night.

Keep in mind if you rent a car you still will have to park in the parking lot then take a tram and for MK tram then ferry.

 

[maxiesmom]

The only thing holding me back from getting excited about our upcoming trip in OCT... Is this resort : ( the QS options look great, the rooms look adorable, the pool looks awesome! My kids are young and everyone keeps saying we will need a mid day break... I'm worried the busses will break my husbands spirit lol! Can anyone give some tips to make the bus system more tolerable? We will have 1 double stroller during the day and bring an extra single stroller along for the evening shows. Please help me get excited.

The buses are the same as they are at every WDW resort. No better, no worse.

To try and make things a little easier, keep the strollers as empty as possible. Take along a small tote bag that will hold all of the stuff that accumulates in the bottom of your stroller. Empty the strollers before the bus shows up, don't wait for it and then be in a hurry trying to pull the kids out, empty the stroller of all of the stuff, and then folding them up.

Don't be surprised if your kids don't need a break at the resort. Not all do. Some are able to nap in their strollers, some just get enough rest to keep going and not be cranky. See how it goes, don't force a resort break if it isn't really needed. Maybe for your family going and getting an ice cream and watching the world go by for a while would be enough of a break.

If it is at all possible, rent a stroller in the parks. It is not cheap, but it does save the hassle of hauling them onto the bus. And maybe having to try and stand and hold the strollers and your kids.

 

[jenninaustin]

To find my pictures from our trip in 2009. We loved staying at POR - especially loved the boat to DTD. The horse drawn carriage ride was HEAVEN for all of us on our first night. The kids sipped on hot chocolate in their refillable mugs as we road in the carriage. Does it get any better than that? I think not.

 

[WildReekies]

The buses are the same as they are at every WDW resort. No better, no worse. To try and make things a little easier, keep the strollers as empty as possible. Take along a small tote bag that will hold all of the stuff that accumulates in the bottom of your stroller. Empty the strollers before the bus shows up, don't wait for it and then be in a hurry trying to pull the kids out, empty the stroller of all of the stuff, and then folding them up. Don't be surprised if your kids don't need a break at the resort. Not all do. Some are able to nap in their strollers, some just get enough rest to keep going and not be cranky. See how it goes, don't force a resort break if it isn't really needed. Maybe for your family going and getting an ice cream and watching the world go by for a while would be enough of a break. If it is at all possible, rent a stroller in the parks. It is not cheap, but it does save the hassle of hauling them onto the bus. And maybe having to try and stand and hold the strollers and your kids.

Thanks for the tips!! Knowing they are chaotic everywhere helps a ton.

 

[jenninaustin]

Thanks for the tips!! Knowing they are chaotic everywhere helps a ton.

Oh - and when we really needed to get back quickly or get to a park quickly, we grabbed a cab. It's often worth it to avoid the stress or if kids are really exhausted at the end of the night

 

[andrewilley]

Thanks for the tips!! Knowing they are chaotic everywhere helps a ton.

Also, for general tips about using the buses at Port Orleans, please see www.portorleans.org/faqs.php#Buses and www.portorleans.org/buses.php. The biggest tip is to avoid peak times if you can (especially the crush right after fireworks; either leave the park before the fireworks end, or wait in the park for a while after and let the crowds die down).

Andre

 

[byerspc]

We have stayed at PO FQ in 2011, 2012 and had 3 kids at the time with the afternoon breaks etc. We have gone in the Sept/Oct time frame. In general, we have found if you are on the buses early for park opening and then come back after lunch the buses have been fine. I have had to stand but my wife and kids have always had a seat. The evening trip out is usually not a problem either but the trip back can be busy depending on when you go. One of the nice things about the POR resorts is the number of stops and closeness to the parks. We have done CBR and CSR and prefer POR to those. We like PO FQ the best but because our family has grown we will be staying at Riverside this year.

Hope this helps.

 

[shystalips]

I'm starting to think about PO riverside also, but I am also worried about the buses and distance to the food court, south depot, etc. If I book river view magnolia terrace, how is the accessibility to the above. Last trip I absolutely fell in love w/ POFQ but that's probably not in the cards for FD. TIA everyone

 

[Shaden]

I'm starting to think about PO riverside also, but I am also worried about the buses and distance to the food court, south depot, etc. If I book river view magnolia terrace, how is the accessibility to the above. Last trip I absolutely fell in love w/ POFQ but that's probably not in the cards for FD. TIA everyone

about 100 - 150 yards to everything you want.

We had a River view Mag Terrace room last may, maybe a 2 -3 minute walk to the main building, depending how slowly we walked. Busses were great !

 

[maxiesmom]

I'm starting to think about PO riverside also, but I am also worried about the buses and distance to the food court, south depot, etc. If I book river view magnolia terrace, how is the accessibility to the above. Last trip I absolutely fell in love w/ POFQ but that's probably not in the cards for FD. TIA everyone

Are you sold on the mansion section? The West Depot is almost always the second stop on the way to the parks (when it isn't the first stop), and you wouldn't have to pay for the upgraded river view.

 

[shystalips]

Are you sold on the mansion section? The West Depot is almost always the second stop on the way to the parks (when it isn't the first stop), and you wouldn't have to pay for the upgraded river view.

Yes, I think my wife is sold on the mansion section. How's the walk to the food court, south depot, etc if I got a standard at magnolia?

 

[maxiesmom]

Yes, I think my wife is sold on the mansion section. How's the walk to the food court, south depot, etc if I got a standard at magnolia?

It is not bad. Request to be close to the bridge. You will have to cross the bridge and go around the pool. I think when were in that location it was a 5 minute walk.

 

[airhead991]

I too wanted pics of POR! Thank you! We are going 10/18-10/24/2014!

 

[Mousedreaming]

Still beautiful, but looks kind of empty without the boats.

 

[Mousedreaming]

 

[Mousedreaming]

Princess Portrait wall. Royal Room

 

[Mousedreaming]

Along the Sassagoula River

 

[Mousedreaming]

Fountain-Parterre Place