Staying at POR - Please make me feel confident!!

[adamandkate]

Ok guys, I visited disney last year for my honeymoon (first time at disney since i was 6... 20 years ago!!)

I stayed at buena vista palace hotel and spa, just opposite downtown disney. We had an AMAZING honeymoon

So we decided to go back again, this time we decided to try a disney hotel, port orleans riverside.

Now, at first this looked like a good option, but the more and more i read about dirty and horrible rooms and poor service the worse i feel this decission might have been

Please post ANYTHING that will make me happier about staying here, im so excited about going back, i dont want the hotel to put a downer on it all


thankyou!

 

[hammie59]

I researched this property A LOT and had finally decided to stay here for next trip until dh told me if we went value we could stay longer .
So at one point I had already made up my mind that this was the place. Rewind a few months and I had been a bit skeptical after reading some bad reviews, but then I found the good truly outweighed the bad. Well now that we're not staying here, I'm a bit sad, but happy to be extending our trip. (Plus I think the kids will really like POP). So maybe next time.

Anyhow, you'll find good and bad reviews on every hotel at Disney, including the most expensive, so try to take it with a grain of salt. POR/POFQ looks absolutely wonderful and the boats to DTD are just the icing on the cake for me.

Try looking at this: http://www.portorleans.org/

 

[calngavinsmom]

Hi there. We have stayed at POP, ASMu, POFQ and POR. Guess which one is our favourite?

My husband said he wanted to "take a break" from Disney before our stay at POR last September. He then booked a (surprise) return trip for our 15th wedding anniversary this coming October

POR is breathtaking. The grounds are beautiful and peaceful, our room was nice and clean(comfy beds too)the main pool and slide are fun, the quiet pools peaceful, the boat to DTD is convenient and a pretty ride, the foodcourt is delicious(try the design your own pasta!) and the other amenities from the entertainment in the lounge, to the watercraft rentals, the arcade and horse and carriage rides can't be beat!

We had a blast and I truly cannot wait to go back!

I hope you have fun too

 

[fairymommy]

I HATED port orleans riverside. We tried to stay there in '08 and the room was in bad condition. The bed post was leaning against the wall, it was broken. The room wasn't clean and there were blood spots on the shower curtain. It's also inconvenient to get to the parks. You have to take a bus. I hate riding the disney buses. I much prefer the monorail resorts, which are deluxe resorts, but if you have the money to spend they are well worth it for the convenience of getting everywhere. We didn't even stay 10 min. in the room at POR. We complained and they wanted to give us another room, but I didn't like my first impression with this resort so we switched to the Contemporary and after that we had a wonderful experience at Disney.

 

[fairymommy]

I do have to state that the table service restaurant at POR was very good. Hope you have a better experience than we did. I know it can just be one bad experience that we had, but first impressions are everything with me.

 

[Magic3forme]

We have stayed there twice. No problems at all.

the food court there is awesome!! and my kids love the pool.

the walking paths are beautiful, and to hear my daughter scream over all the lizards is priceless!!

We had no issues with the condition of our room or the mousekeeping!

(we were there over Christmas.. super busy time and Mothers Day).

you will be fine!!

~have fun

 

[Ninnygunk]

We stayed there for the first time last year & absolutely loved it! It's lush, shaded, comfortable & peaceful. We also really enjoyed the food court - especially the make your own omlette & pasta stations. Kids loved the pool & it was shaded for those of us who burn easily. The only thing I would complain about was the buses. POR shares the buses with French Quarter & the rides were longer & very crammed. We also had 2 strollers which made it worse. We've stayed at Contemporary (loved monorail convenience), POP (very fun & groovy) and the CBR but POR is by far our favorite. Hope this helps!

 

[bbass1]

Ok guys, I visited disney last year for my honeymoon (first time at disney since i was 6... 20 years ago!!)

I stayed at buena vista palace hotel and spa, just opposite downtown disney. We had an AMAZING honeymoon

So we decided to go back again, this time we decided to try a disney hotel, port orleans riverside.

Now, at first this looked like a good option, but the more and more i read about dirty and horrible rooms and poor service the worse i feel this decission might have been

Please post ANYTHING that will make me happier about staying here, im so excited about going back, i dont want the hotel to put a downer on it all


thankyou!

I have a family of 5 and we have stayed there 5times. Everyone loves it. From the beautiful grounds to the awsome pool. There is something for everyone. It's a peaceful place. That's what a vacation is for. RELAXATION

 

[goofyintoronto]

Dont forget the Surrey Bikes at POR! They have those! And theyre sooooo much fun!!!!! My son and I loved riding the surrey bikes at boardwalk. Im sure POR will be even better cause of the beautiful lush grounds/flowers!

POR looks like a gorgeous resort. Plus there's so much to do. Everyone has different opinions....I wouldnt change your ressie based on the negative reviews you've been hearing. Wouldnt it be a boring world if we all agreed on the same thing? For example: I didnt like Le Cellier at all, but most people RAVE about it like their meals were made by Jesus himself!! I love All Star Sports....but most people wouldnt name this as one of their faves. (Actually my fave resort is Pop, but i do love sports too, Lol). So go with what your gut tells you. POR is a very popular resort. Im sure you'll have a great time!
I know most ppl prefer POFQ, but i went with POR because my son likes their food court & pool better than the one at POFQ.

When are you going? Theyre going to start refurbing the rooms right after easter, starting with mansions, Panterre place building first (cant remember the name, sorry). So you might be there in time to get the 2 queen beds and flat screen TV!

 

[let'sgo]

I loved POR. That's my favorite moderate. It is just so nice and peaceful. If you get a room that is not what it should be, let the front desk know and they will give you another. I had no problems with my room when I was there. I stayed in the mansion section, and it was wonderful. Forget the reviews that say anything else.

 

[LuvLDM]

I love POR, my family & I have stayed there many times and have always been happy!
The grounds are just breathtaking, very lush & inviting. I prefer the rooms in alligator bayou, the rustic decor appeals to me. The boat to DTD is very nice, we try to do that on every trip. Great food court, w/ lots of variety.
We haven't eaten at the full service restaurant (Boatwrights) since they stopped serving breakfast, so I can't really comment on that.

We always rent a car so we don't utilize the bus system......

I think you will love POR, have a wonderful trip!

Oh be sure and check out the link that hammie59 provided, great website w/ info & pictures!

 

[LyndenP]

Hello
I got married at Disney last November. Aside from 3 nights club level at Grand Floridian we stayed a whopping 12 nights at POR for our wedding/honeymoon trip. In my opinion it is a great resort. Many will tell you the quick service restaurant is one of the best at WDW. There is a lively Piano bar, and also a decent table service place if you like southern cooking. One of my favorite things is taking the boat ride to Downtown Disney. Sure the bus is probably faster but its a nice feature of the resort. The grounds of POR are amazing and have been well kept the 5 times i have stayed here. The main pool is nice, like all mod hotels it has a slide. And if you like to have an adult beverage the Muddy Rivers Pool Bar has (imho) the best bartender in all of WDW (and also my favorite Disney employee)Lee. Anyways I got going and started to ramble.... Its a great resort but that is my opinion. I just booked for another stay Oct.20-27, and the wife and I cant wait.

 

[2010_Bride]

Hello
I got married at Disney last November. Aside from 3 nights club level at Grand Floridian we stayed a whopping 12 nights at POR for our wedding/honeymoon trip. In my opinion it is a great resort. Many will tell you the quick service restaurant is one of the best at WDW. There is a lively Piano bar, and also a decent table service place if you like southern cooking. One of my favorite things is taking the boat ride to Downtown Disney. Sure the bus is probably faster but its a nice feature of the resort. The grounds of POR are amazing and have been well kept the 5 times i have stayed here. The main pool is nice, like all mod hotels it has a slide. And if you like to have an adult beverage the Muddy Rivers Pool Bar has (imho) the best bartender in all of WDW (and also my favorite Disney employee)Lee. Anyways I got going and started to ramble.... Its a great resort but that is my opinion. I just booked for another stay Oct.20-27, and the wife and I cant wait.

This post sums it up nicely
DH and I stayed there in March, and after I had booked it, it seemed everyone was having negative things to say about it so I also got worried and I knew DH would freak out if many of these things were true. Here is exactly what we experienced on the condition of the room without any exaggeration:
-I agree that they are due for a refurb - are they dirty - no!
-The carpet where you walk in the room the pattern had worn off, but the rest of the room was fine.
- Inside the fridge the white walls had turned yellow - but was it clean -yes - did the fridge work -yes!
- Did the bathroom faucit drip - yes - when we mentioned it, it was fixed.
I would go there again in a heartbeat! I do believe that it is time for a makeover, but nothing was dirty, just worn looking. It didn't ruin anything for us, and hopefully we will get back there again soon

 

[a1tinkfans]

The grounds are lovely. One of the best food courts, also offering late nights and Pizza Pies!. Good game room. Great Store. Wonderful Bars (in and out by pool). Good FREE Piano Entertainment (bob). Boat to DTD is awesome. Gives you so many more options for dining and shopping and a beautiful ride. Easy boat ride to DQ or Movies too (in case it rains) ...Ability to have Quiet Pools or the main pool. Great walking trails. An outside bar, a sit down restaurant. Ol man fishing Island, throw in a line.....A playground for kids, a Jacuzzi, friendly service, on the bus loop with many stops to jump on, camp fires in the winter, walk the trail to POFQ (or boat it) and share their 2 bars, pool etc, ride the Surrey Bikes, get your hair braided, Rent a Boat, So Easy to get to DTD and then jump the next boat over to SPA.......the list really goes on and on....
As you can see, we happen to have made it our home away from home...I just love returning year after year
I really hope you have a MAGICAL Visit.....

 

[3pletprincesses]

We went last OCtober and are going back in less then 2 weeks. We had no issues suring our trip last fall and our room wasn't as bad as some of the posts I've seen here. Yes the rooms need refurb but they are not that bad at all. Our room was clean and no mold and I know about mold because one of my DD has ashma triggered easily by mold. No cracked tiles or torn carpet. I would stay there anytime!

 

[adamandkate]

Thankyou VERY MUCH for the comments guys. Made me feel a lot better about my booking. I spent a LOT of time on disboards, and you guys remind me why i love it here so much. I should post more often, i spend most of my time lurking and reading!

xx

 

[amber.miller]

We stayed at POR last May and absolutely loved it! Our room was clean, we had great Mousekeeping, and we never had a problem with any of the Cast Members or the bus system. I think the longest we waited was 10 minutes for a bus. We are going back there in a couple of weeks and we could have stayed at a different resort but DH requested another stay at POR and he is not easily impressed. Overall we most enjoyed the quiet, laid back feel of the restort (and we were there with our 2 yr old and 6 month old!) It was perfect

 

[Jedana]

If you are really concerned about the rooms, you can switch to POFQ. With the refurb, the rooms look spectaular.

 

[chasemac]

You can check out my recent review of POR, we just got back on Wednesday after a 6 night stay. I would definitely recommend POR. We had no issues with housekeeping, everything in our room worked and was clean. It was actually in better condition that I was expecting after reading some of the reviews. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, the food court was fine. Boatwright's was decent but definitely not my favorite restaurant at Disney.

The only issues we had was with transportation time from resort to parks(which is the same as any other resort except maybe the monorail resorts, and apparently the monorails have problems too). We took over 20 bus rides and all except one were there within minutes. All of the staff was very nice. We did get mis-information from one front desk person, but I blame myself partly for that. I should have have looked into how to get from POR to YC earlier instead of waiting until the last minute.

The resort IS spread out, but I think that adds to the charm; if walking is a problem, you can get a preferred room in a close building. We tried to make rope drop or had early ADR's every morning except one, so we were always out early - the grounds were so peaceful and calming. I think you will definitely enjoy POR.

 

[angelajo]