Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT Information & Questions

[Jadyreen1282]

Just booked out bounce back with free dining for POR for next June. Far enough out to grab a standard room before the discounts were all gone. I know I could always upgrade to a garden or better. My question - I really want to stay in AB, not the mansions. The walks aren't the issue, nor is the view so much, just want to be in that area. Think my odds are good we will end up in AB? or should I upgrade?

Just fax a request a few days before the trip.

 

[bigmac5]

I had a "hardly could sleep" sad weekend. My best friend and I are going in January and she informed me Friday she wanted to relook at resorts. Thought she would like to stay at CBR to save some money. We would meet on Monday (today). I had my heart set on POR so I bombarded her with info. so when we met today -after reading my info and her hubby said not to worry about the money...we are going to POR. I could not be more happy and we will be booking a garden view. I don't have to leave this group. Woohoo!!

 

[3monkeymomma]

This has probably been mentioned somewhere, but I couldn't find it. If I am going to have something shipped to the resort, what is the correct address to use? I saw portorleans.org has a street address and a Postal delivery address.

 

[summerlady]

This has probably been mentioned somewhere, but I couldn't find it. If I am going to have something shipped to the resort, what is the correct address to use? I saw portorleans.org has a street address and a Postal delivery address.

It's all listed on page 1 of this thread.

 

[andrewilley]

I saw portorleans.org has a street address and a Postal delivery address.

As it says on that info page, it depends on how you are sending your package. Items sent via the US postal system are best sent to the PO Box address as they need to be processed centrally by WDW, while courier deliveries should use the actual street address as they will go directly to the resort. If in doubt, use the full street address as the post office know to deliver to the central location by now anyway.

Andre

 

[matt1979]

Just booked a 4-night stay at POR (preferred room) for early February. We've only been to WDW once with the kids about 3 years ago, when we stayed AS Music. Kids are now 5, 8, & 11...and this will be our first time at POR. We got the regular dining plan...we'll probably just do breakfast in our room...but I suspect we'll have a couple QS meals in the evenings as well as a TS meal or two. We'll obviously plan to hit up the pools and maybe do a bike/surrey rental. We'll have a rental car, so plan on driving to the parks with the exception of MK which we'll take the bus. For those who frequent POR...feel free to share any helpful tips/hints you've learned along the way about the resort!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Just booked a 4-night stay at POR (preferred room) for early February. We've only been to WDW once with the kids about 3 years ago, when we stayed AS Music. Kids are now 5, 8, & 11...and this will be our first time at POR. We got the regular dining plan...we'll probably just do breakfast in our room...but I suspect we'll have a couple QS meals in the evenings as well as a TS meal or two. We'll obviously plan to hit up the pools and maybe do a bike/surrey rental. We'll have a rental car, so plan on driving to the parks with the exception of MK which we'll take the bus. For those who frequent POR...feel free to share any helpful tips/hints you've learned along the way about the resort!

We are at PORS right now. We're in preferred section (we requested and received building 18, to be close to the pool). We are a 30 second walk to a quiet pool and a 3 minute walk to the food court. This is great because we use our mugs from the dining plan. We are doing breakfasts in our room - OJ boxes in fridge and bagels (we packed these in our suitcases and brought them here). We take our bagels into the food court and toast them. We bring a jar of peanut butter too (they have jam / honey packs in the food court). Also, with the dining plan we've been able to swap out our drinks here (because we have mugs already). For example, I got the build your own pasta- entree, ice cream sundae-dessert, and fruit cup - swapped out drink for the fruit cup (and then put fruit cup in fridge for breakfast next day). DD17 got build your own salad- entree, cookie - dessert, and chicken noodle soup - swapped out drink for the soup. We also like to boat to Disney Springs - Wolfgang Puck Express is great use of quick service credit in Marketplace, Disney Springs and the boat ride is lovely. Have a great trip!

 

[keahgirl8]

Just booked a 4-night stay at POR (preferred room) for early February. We've only been to WDW once with the kids about 3 years ago, when we stayed AS Music. Kids are now 5, 8, & 11...and this will be our first time at POR. We got the regular dining plan...we'll probably just do breakfast in our room...but I suspect we'll have a couple QS meals in the evenings as well as a TS meal or two. We'll obviously plan to hit up the pools and maybe do a bike/surrey rental. We'll have a rental car, so plan on driving to the parks with the exception of MK which we'll take the bus. For those who frequent POR...feel free to share any helpful tips/hints you've learned along the way about the resort!

Off the top of my head, I have a couple, but I'm sure I'll think of more! Don't miss Yeha Bob! His show is a blast! Also, the boats are awesome, but sometimes there's a bit of a wait. If you have an ADR in DS, make sure you allow plenty of time.

 

[Ndusmama]

Just booked a 4-night stay at POR (preferred room) for early February. We've only been to WDW once with the kids about 3 years ago, when we stayed AS Music. Kids are now 5, 8, & 11...and this will be our first time at POR. We got the regular dining plan...we'll probably just do breakfast in our room...but I suspect we'll have a couple QS meals in the evenings as well as a TS meal or two. We'll obviously plan to hit up the pools and maybe do a bike/surrey rental. We'll have a rental car, so plan on driving to the parks with the exception of MK which we'll take the bus. For those who frequent POR...feel free to share any helpful tips/hints you've learned along the way about the resort!

My first visit ever was last February. If you are close to main stop for the busses consider walking back from POFQ at night. It's a very quiet and peaceful walk (about a mile) Plus bell hop stop is last stop at night and first stop in morning. The food at POR and POFQ are different so definitely try both for QS. You can even take the pool golf cart back and forth if you don't want to walk.

 

[Ensusieasm]

My first visit ever was last February. If you are close to main stop for the busses consider walking back from POFQ at night. It's a very quiet and peaceful walk (about a mile) Plus bell hop stop is last stop at night and first stop in morning. The food at POR and POFQ are different so definitely try both for QS. You can even take the pool golf cart back and forth if you don't want to walk.

Pool golf cart?

 

[Ndusmama]

Pool golf cart?

Not sure what else to call it. It's a golf cart that they use as a shuttle back and forth between POR and POFQ for the pool. Cause it's one of the few resorts you can pool hop to if you are staying at one or the other.

 

[matt1979]

Off the top of my head, I have a couple, but I'm sure I'll think of more! Don't miss Yeha Bob! His show is a blast! Also, the boats are awesome, but sometimes there's a bit of a wait. If you have an ADR in DS, make sure you allow plenty of time.

I hadn't realized until just now that they changed the name of DD to DS...so I didn't realize it was relatively easy access to all the shops/restaurants over there...so thanks for pointing that out. Any idea what the average wait time might be for a ride over around 5pm?

 

[Ndusmama]

I hadn't realized until just now that they changed the name of DD to DS...so I didn't realize it was relatively easy access to all the shops/restaurants over there...so thanks for pointing that out. Any idea what the average wait time might be for a ride over around 5pm?

I only had to wait for boat to show up to go to DS. No more than 20 minutes. It was the return time that there was always a wait.

 

[Lisa OZ]

We are at PORS right now. We're in preferred section (we requested and received building 18, to be close to the pool). We are a 30 second walk to a quiet pool and a 3 minute walk to the food court. This is great because we use our mugs from the dining plan. We are doing breakfasts in our room - OJ boxes in fridge and bagels (we packed these in our suitcases and brought them here). We take our bagels into the food court and toast them. We bring a jar of peanut butter too (they have jam / honey packs in the food court). Also, with the dining plan we've been able to swap out our drinks here (because we have mugs already). For example, I got the build your own pasta- entree, ice cream sundae-dessert, and fruit cup - swapped out drink for the fruit cup (and then put fruit cup in fridge for breakfast next day). DD17 got build your own salad- entree, cookie - dessert, and chicken noodle soup - swapped out drink for the soup. We also like to boat to Disney Springs - Wolfgang Puck Express is great use of quick service credit in Marketplace, Disney Springs and the boat ride is lovely. Have a great trip!

So they don't mind if you take your own food to the food court to use their toasters?
We were thinking of buying a toaster through amazon to use at POR and then leave it behind as we are from Australia. Would be better to use the ones in the food court.

 

[andrewilley]

Not sure what else to call it. It's a golf cart that they use as a shuttle back and forth between POR and POFQ for the pool. Cause it's one of the few resorts you can pool hop to if you are staying at one or the other.

That's not an official service as far as I know (other than when maintenance is being done on one of the main pools) but if someone if going that way they may offer a lift. The cast member carts are referred to as pargos by the way (comes from "Park and Go").

t. Any idea what the average wait time might be for a ride over around 5pm?

After 5pm the service runs every 10 minutes or so, and it is a direct run from POR (or POFQ) to Disney Springs so you don't call at the other resort en route. If there are a lot of people waiting you might not get on the first boat, but even then it won't be long until another one comes along.

So they don't mind if you take your own food to the food court to use their toasters?

No, that's fine, no one will be at all concerned. Same goes for using the microwave.


Andre

 

[webstah]

Well we take of tomorrow for a 9am arrival at MCO. Of course, today there is an update for My Disney Experience. I let the update go through and now I can't see any of our reservations. They are linked to my Wife's account, but she has it set up for sharing so that I can see everything. Turns out, when they updated the accounts earlier this year, I lost my family and friends links. We get that all straightened out and see reservations for 2 adults, but the dining plan shows we have one set of table service for adults, and one set for a child. My wife is on the phone with them now getting that straightened out. Good thing we caught it before we went to dinner tomorrow night!

 

[Jadyreen1282]

Well we take of tomorrow for a 9am arrival at MCO. Of course, today there is an update for My Disney Experience. I let the update go through and now I can't see any of our reservations. They are linked to my Wife's account, but she has it set up for sharing so that I can see everything. Turns out, when they updated the accounts earlier this year, I lost my family and friends links. We get that all straightened out and see reservations for 2 adults, but the dining plan shows we have one set of table service for adults, and one set for a child. My wife is on the phone with them now getting that straightened out. Good thing we caught it before we went to dinner tomorrow night!

Us too and the Storm will be blocking our path to Florida from Milwaukee. It should be middle of Southern Georgia. Hope the plane flies around it.

 

[Cluelyss]

Us too and the Storm will be blocking our path to Florida from Milwaukee. It should be middle of Southern Georgia. Hope the plane flies around it.

Us too, coming from Ohio. Safe travels to you all!!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

So they don't mind if you take your own food to the food court to use their toasters?
We were thinking of buying a toaster through amazon to use at POR and then leave it behind as we are from Australia. Would be better to use the ones in the food court.

We asked the first time and were told that we were welcome to use the toasters no problem. We also have used the microwaves for oatmeal (we bring oatmeal cups from home and fill them with water and microwave them.

 

[keahgirl8]

I only had to wait for boat to show up to go to DS. No more than 20 minutes. It was the return time that there was always a wait.

I don't know what the holdup was, but there have been a handful of times in all of the years I've been staying there that I have had to wait quite a while. The boat seemed to take forever to get there, then I couldn't get on the first one. It seems to be rare, so maybe there was some kind of issue. I just know that the people in front of me last year cut it too close and missed their ADR. I think of them when people ask about the boats, so I always say there could be a wait.

We asked the first time and were told that we were welcome to use the toasters no problem. We also have used the microwaves for oatmeal (we bring oatmeal cups from home and fill them with water and microwave them.

They don't care at all. I go and heat up leftovers in there sometimes. I'll be kind of perturbed if they did care!