Disney's PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER RESORT Information & Questions

[jennyq87]

If anyone finds out if the boats are running again, please post. We are going to be there on November 6th for a week. The boats to Disney Springs would be awesome again.

This! I am so ready for the boats to start running again! Our first day tradition, no matter where we're actually staying on property, is to Uber to POR.. walk our favorite path down to POFQ.. grab a beignet.. grab a drink at Mardi Grogs.. and hop on the boat to Disney Springs! It's our "Welcome to Disney" moment and we haven't been able to do it our last 2 trips -- so hoping we can for our December trip!

 

[Mome Rath]

Ok, Disney just called and they did confirm they were moving us to Grand Floridian at the same price as we had for FQ. Our reservation was for the end of September/beginning of October. So, if anyone else had a reservation for that time period, perhaps a call is coming your way.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Anyone know if the opening date of POFQ has been moved up? I was just checking availability for resorts for October 4 - October 7 and both POFQ and POR can be booked for those dates.

 

[Lsdolphin]

Anyone know if the opening date of POFQ has been moved up? I was just checking availability for resorts for October 4 - October 7 and both POFQ and POR can be booked for those dates.

Are you looking at 2021 dates? I just tried that week at POFQ and it’s unavailable

 

[StageTek]

Anyone know if the opening date of POFQ has been moved up? I was just checking availability for resorts for October 4 - October 7 and both POFQ and POR can be booked for those dates.

Nothing available on those dates for me...

 

[crazy4wdw]

Are you looking at 2021 dates? I just tried that week at POFQ and it’s unavailable

Nothing available on those dates for me...

Sorry, must have been looking at dates for 2022!

 

[vcb]

I am so excited this resort has opened up!! We've never stayed and I'm trying to talk my husband into a Jan stay before it all books up! It might have seeing as I haven't checked in a few days! We just came home 2 wks ago!

 

[fabfemmeboy]

This! I am so ready for the boats to start running again! Our first day tradition, no matter where we're actually staying on property, is to Uber to POR.. walk our favorite path down to POFQ.. grab a beignet.. grab a drink at Mardi Grogs.. and hop on the boat to Disney Springs! It's our "Welcome to Disney" moment and we haven't been able to do it our last 2 trips -- so hoping we can for our December trip!

The rumour people have been hearing from CMs is that they can't have the boats running because there's no security check at the docks for people coming into DS.

 

[mamabunny]

The rumour people have been hearing from CMs is that they can't have the boats running because there's no security check at the docks for people coming into DS.

Dang... that makes sense, but we never had security checks pre-COVID, so not sure what the difference is now? (Not trying to be a stinker - genuinely curious if anyone has any insights, given that masks are currently not required at DS, so no need for "enforcement" on that issue, correct?)

 

[fabfemmeboy]

Dang... that makes sense, but we never had security checks pre-COVID, so not sure what the difference is now? (Not trying to be a stinker - genuinely curious if anyone has any insights, given that masks are currently not required at DS, so no need for "enforcement" on that issue, correct?)

I was surprised to learn that the security checks hadn't started after Pulse (because the shooter had gone to DS the day before he went to the nightclub and it was unclear if he'd been armed at the time), especially given that they started the hotel room checks after Vegas. But honestly, it's security theater so I'm not sure what its point is meant to be or why they chose post-Covid to introduce it and keep it. I hope they rethink it to allow the boats to run, given that it's a huge plus to people staying at those resorts. On the other hand, I'm sure it's cheaper NOT to run the boats, and that seems to be a major decision-making factor these days; security checkpoints may only be a small portion of the reason.

 

[mamabunny]

I was surprised to learn that the security checks hadn't started after Pulse (because the shooter had gone to DS the day before he went to the nightclub and it was unclear if he'd been armed at the time), especially given that they started the hotel room checks after Vegas. But honestly, it's security theater so I'm not sure what its point is meant to be or why they chose post-Covid to introduce it and keep it. I hope they rethink it to allow the boats to run, given that it's a huge plus to people staying at those resorts. On the other hand, I'm sure it's cheaper NOT to run the boats, and that seems to be a major decision-making factor these days; security checkpoints may only be a small portion of the reason.

LOL see... *I* thought it was about the fact that they can't seem to get certain positions filled and trained fast enough - and I am willing to bet that a lot of those boat captains won't be coming back... some because sadly we may have lost them to COVID, others because they probably got tired of dealing with a lot of Guests, and very little Guest appreciation...

(edited to add...) And it occurs to me that many - OK, most of them - were retirees, and I am hearing from other retiree friends in that area that a lot of them are strongly considering not going back to work for Disney, for multiple reasons. Typically, it's not Disney per se - it's either dealing with Guests that wears them down, or it's scheduling issues.

 

[PrincessNelly]

The rumour people have been hearing from CMs is that they can't have the boats running because there's no security check at the docks for people coming into DS.

I'm confused... We just walked to Disney springs from the Uber drop off and didn't go through security?
We also never went through security coming off boats before. Is this something new they want to implement?

 

[fabfemmeboy]

I'm confused... We just walked to Disney springs from the Uber drop off and didn't go through security?
We also never went through security coming off boats before. Is this something new they want to implement?

Yeah, there are some holes in their system
They implemented the security after reopening, so there hasn't been a time when boats were running since then. So it's supposedly something new they think they have to implement.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

LOL see... *I* thought it was about the fact that they can't seem to get certain positions filled and trained fast enough - and I am willing to bet that a lot of those boat captains won't be coming back... some because sadly we may have lost them to COVID, others because they probably got tired of dealing with a lot of Guests, and very little Guest appreciation...

(edited to add...) And it occurs to me that many - OK, most of them - were retirees, and I am hearing from other retiree friends in that area that a lot of them are strongly considering not going back to work for Disney, for multiple reasons. Typically, it's not Disney per se - it's either dealing with Guests that wears them down, or it's scheduling issues.

Scheduling issues, dealing with Guests, and I imagine that many over 60s and/or people with preexisting health conditions might not be eager to jump back into work in a place with a low rate of vaccination and a lot of 'lovely' Guests who don't take precautions. I know my own boss retired early because of Covid, as she didn't want to risk her health to do the public-facing parts of her job, and that's in California where most of what she would have had to do is still online a year and change later.

And sadly, since boat-driving isn't something that can be done by the poorly-paid children DCP participants, it's an area that may continue to be short-staffed for awhile. Sigh. I am still holding out hope that they might have figured it out by the time the Port Orleanses reopen in 3-ish months...or at least by the time I get there a month later!

 

[andrewilley]

The rumour people have been hearing from CMs is that they can't have the boats running because there's no security check at the docks for people coming into DS.

I can't see that being the reason, you can already walk into Disney Springs from Saratoga Springs or Old Key West anyway - unless they have blocked those routes? I don't see why doing the same by boat (as the POR/POFQ dock is on the same bridge anyway) should be any greater a risk.

Andre

 

[mkb3]

The security thing for boats make zero sense to me. I can't think of a single time I had to go through security for Disney Springs including my trip last month.

 

[PrincessNelly]

The security thing for boats make zero sense to me. I can't think of a single time I had to go through security for Disney Springs including my trip last month.

I guess they are talking about when security stands by with the dogs as guest enter? Because otherwise, I can't think of any security screening either.

 

[Lsdolphin]

The security thing for boats make zero sense to me. I can't think of a single time I had to go through security for Disney Springs including my trip last month.

Well hopefully this isn’t about Disney saving money via taking away one of the very few perks left for staying at a Disney resort

 

[empedocles]

I read somewhere months ago that the DS boats are actually paid for by the DS Merchants' Association (or something to that effect), and that group wasn't willing to pay for them to return yet.

 

[fabfemmeboy]

I can't see that being the reason, you can already walk into Disney Springs from Saratoga Springs or Old Key West anyway - unless they have blocked those routes? I don't see why doing the same by boat (as the POR/POFQ dock is on the same bridge anyway) should be any greater a risk.

Andre

I agree, I'm just passing along what others have said the CMs told them. I realize that's triple hearsay, it's just the prevailing rumour at the moment.