PORiverside-Tell me everything--HELP!!!!

[*NikkiJ*]

Okay, as everyone can probably tell I am planning my first trip (as I have posted lots of random questions & keep changing plans)...But the DH, DS, and I have decided to switch over to the POR from CBR if free dining is offered...The DH, DS want to go in a pool with slides, etc. etc. So that is why we are making the change

However what is the transportation like???? It seems far away from many of the parks and is bus ride long??? Or would you take a pool

And what room locations are the best?? We would prefer to be closer to transportation/pool...From the map I am looking at it looks like buildings 14 & 15 (in the Alligator Bayou) would be best for this...Any opinions????

Hopefully I get some good feedback, so I don't have to change everything again

[senderella]

I have been to POR several times. I think you will be very pleased.
As far as the transportation, POR actually has 3 bus stops. We usually stay in Alligator Bayou 13-17, it is an easy walk to the second stop. It is also pretty easy to walk to the main stop at the front of the resort. We have found that it is less crowded catching the bus by Alligator Bayou. The longest ride is to MK and it is probably 15 min max. I never measure anything by the bus ride....it is exciting just to be on the bus, listening to the music, watching all the kids with excitement, etc.

By the way, Downtown Disney is a short 5 minute drive. We usually do this instead of catching a bus. The bus does not seem to run as frequently here as it does to the parks.

Hope you have a great trip!

By the way....the pool at Old Man River has a slide. The smaller pool in Alligator Bayou does not.

[onjbj]

IMHO, Port Orleans Riverside is a much nicer resort than CBR. I thought that the theming was nicer, the pool was nicer (although CBR's pool has been refurbished since we were there in '06) and the overall feel of the resort was very pleasant. We stayed in Bldg 80, which seems far on the map, but we never had any trouble getting around- and we traveled with 2 yr old twins. We either used the Main Depot or the North Depot for buses. We also liked taking the boat to DTD for a change of pace. I can't wait to go back in August!!!

[MMouse6937]

We stayed at POR last year and enjoyed it quite a bit. We are more of the CBR type but we brought my parents with us and they enjoyed the New Orleans feel. Now we always rent a car so don't have transportation problems, but I have heard that the bus system at POR is somewhat of a hassle. Not that it isn't fine but somewhat time consuming.

Cons:
-Somewhat confusing layout. You have a cross a bridge to get to the food court/shops, somewhat difficult to get there without going around and around.
-All the buildings in the mansion section look the same to me so I really had to watch the signs on the path to make sure I was in the right place, going the right way.
-Food court is insanely busy and laid out a little weird, sometimes the people waiting in line for food were getting confused with the people waiting in line to pay.

Pros:
-Beautiful, lush grounds, the river running through the middle was beautiful.
-Bob Jackson who is the entertainment in the lounge. He was wonderful and even though we aren't staying there this year, DH and I have vowed to go back and see him.
-Boat to DTD. Now I almost put this in the con section too, only because the trip there was wonderful but you have to watch when you go. The line to get back on the boat to go back to POR was HUGE and DH and I just ended up walking over and taking the bus back.

The rooms are the same as at the CBR just different theme. We only used the quiet pool while we were there but found it refreshing, clean, quiet (hence the name) etc.

We really enjoyed our stay there. Not sure we would go back ourselves but we enjoyed the experience.

Ask anymore questions if you'd like, I'd be happy to answer them the best I can. Happy planning!

[ellematt]

Hi there! Great choice on a resort! POR is where we stayed w/our 2 boys a couple years ago (then they were 8 & 11). We stayed in Magnolia Bend room # 8546 which was WONDERFUL! We were close to the main pool (the kids loved it!), a great location for getting over to the bus stops. It was a ground floor room in a quiet corner w/lovely flower gardens right out the window and door. Nothing like stepping out the door in the early morning and having beautiful gardens to greet you!
Go to the "piano bar" some night (kids are allowed, but ours hung out in the arcade), the piano guy was great and very entertaining, had the whole room singing along! We were very happy w/the bus transportation and only had to wait for a while in the evenings at the parks to get back to resort, (but so does everyone else!).
The "Food Mill" (I think its called) (counter service) had good food as did Boatwrights (the sitdown service). Boat ride to downtown was great, not fast, but very peaceful and relaxing.
We had a great time there and would really recommend it.

[maryt01]

building 90 in magnolia. good luck. we did not get the requested building.

[DestinationWDW]

Welcome! We have stayed at CBR once and at POR on several occasions - family outgrew 4 person room! We have stayed in mansions and in alligator bayou and loved both! Setting is serene and quiet. Food court recently remodeled as have all the rooms within the past few years. Bus service never a problem to the parks, but you may find long lines to board busses at night (as you will for the other hotels as well!). We have always enjoyed this resort and have never encountered any problems! My family loved CBR too, but I personally prefer POR....Have a magical trip!

[#1donaldfan]

As you can tell by my signature we sorta LOVE POR....

Bldg. 18 / 27 and 14 are the best IMHO.....
they are the closest to the food and busses.
18 / 27 are right beside a quiet pool and within a 30 second walk to the main pool.

From any of these you can be at the bus depots in about 2 /3 minutes and at the food court in about 1 minute.

POR's very own Boatwrights has the best breakfast of any Disney eatery !!! The food court has very good food and a large variety.

You can rent personal water craft, bikes, take a carraige ride....grab a boat to DtD for dinner or shopping....

Mousekeeping are top notch and have never let us down.....

POR is the complete package at a moderate price....it almost feels like a Deluxe.....

[wdwdreamer]

We have stayed in POR and CBR, we like both for different reasons. In POR we have also stayed in the Alligator Bayou and in the Mansions. The Mansions are more southern grandure with Cherry furniture and fountains and the look of like gone with the wind. The Bayou is more Rustic with Tree Branch like beds and more closed landscaping with tree coverage, ect. The Bayou is on the bus and food side the Mansions are opposite of the river and you must cross a bridge to get to the other side.

We love the boat ride to Downtown Disney. Very relaxing, cool at night with all the lights and a diffinate break from the buses. We also rented a boat one time on the day we were waiting for our Plane departure time. It was the best! We went crusing down to Old Key West and peeked around there. We have rented boats ever since during normal days.

We also went fishing in the fishing hole, my husband spent more time putting worms on hooks and the girls either had their worms stolen by fish or caught some.

All in all we really loved POR. We have stayed now at CBR, but we love a carribean theme too.

[AliceinDisney]

I think my mom and I were in either Acadian court or Magnolia Bend. It was a preferred room near the food court and river. The gardens were stunning. My mom thought our room was less than up to par, but then shes like super duper neat freak chick. lol She could notice a speck of dust from a 100 yards away. But this was before they underwent room renovations, I think Riverside did anyway, I know French Quarter has some of the newest rooms of any of the moderates.

I dug the breakfast at Boatwrights in the morning, I had this puffed cinnamon french toast that I'm telling you, I still talk about it five years later. lol They didnt have that at CBR which I stayed at last year, and to be perfectly honest if given the choice between CBR and and Riverside, I'd take Riverside in a heartbeat, its much nicer in the rooms. They're much prettier.

The horse drawn carriage adds to the romance, and there is nothing more spectacular, than the sassagoula river boat that takes you to downtown Disney, the driver I had gave us a detailed tour of all the golf course, and the down town Disney hotels, and what the names were, he was spectac!

I hope you go for this place its awesome!

[CaptSmee]

I think you've gotten some good feedback so far. I just want to add it's my least favorite resort. Huge, sprawling, lots of walking is not what I enjoy after having been on my feet for 15 hours a day already! It also shares buses w/French Quarters and seems to take a long time to get anywere on Disney property.

Other than that, the theming is lush and beautiful and the boat to DTD is time consuming but fun.

[katzctkpt]

There have been a lot of good reasons listed for this resort. We love this resort and probably when our kids are grown and away we will still pick this resort but, maybe try the mansion side for a nights stay. Bldg 14 is probably the closest to the food court with bldg 18 next. We've stayed at both and either bldg would be a good choice. There are carriage rides, bike & boat rentals, fishing, an arcade, laundry right outside of the quiet pool near bldg 18 (used plenty of times while swimming put a load in and relax just right outside at the pool) the buses first thing of morning and late night when parks close is usually the busiest. They do share with POFQ but, not all the time they do have separate buses. We rode one one night leaving the park because the line was much shorter than POR's then walked over to POR (maybe a 10 min walk) and was back in our room before our other party even got there. The breakfast is great. The sweet potato pancakes and stuffed french toast yum yum... As mentioned about the winding paths and being a little confusing. I haven't found that to be a problem. I enjoy the walk under the covered pathways especially when the sun is shining ever so brightly.

[LuckyMum22]

Our family of four has stayed at both resorts and prefer PORiverside over CBR. If I had to rank the three moderate resorts we've stayed at it would be:
#1 :POR AB section building #27 (close enough to main bldg. & 2 bus stops but quiet & clean)-great pool & water slide and fun for kids to climb out and go up to the little fort to go through to get to the top of the slide.
#2 : POR FQ bldg. 3 (easy parking, close to main bldg.& bus stop)-dragon slide for kids, neat pool theme.
#3 : CBR seemed old and run down to us and very dirty-old fruit loops on stairway to our room weren't picked up for the entire length of our stay. Every time we went to use the pool it was closed for "cleaning".
I think you've made the right choice!

[Kairi_7378]

DH and I like the PO resorts very much. They seem to be centrally located between all of the parks (a little further away from AK but that park is out on its own.) We have never had trouble with buses and we have been during spring break season. I have to admit that for my first adult trip I had my heart set on AKL and fought with my DH about the price of deluxe resorts and lost and we had to choose between POR and CBR. I was very pleasantly surprised by POR. DH loved the landscaping and the laid back feeling of the resort. We did get lost a few times on the trails but we had spent a long day at the parks and were very tired and probably weren't reading the signs well. The food court was renovated last year and I thought that they had some good selections. Breakfast seemed very serene to me. Never made it to Boatwrights but the food always smelled good there. We liked taking the boat from DTD at night. You can also partake in the amenities of POFQ while you are at RS so it is like getting two resorts for the price of one! I am not the expert like #1donaldfan on this resort but we did enjoy it and would recommend it to families and couples alike. Have a great time!

[mac badger]

i love POR. the boat to DTD is neat, i like walking the path along the river down to POFQ, food court is good, i really like the AB rooms. but my favorite thing is the pool at ol' man island. i'm not sure what it is, maybe it's the particular tint of blue the pool is, but it seems to be the most refreshing pool in all of WDW. i love standing underneath the water drops. the hot tub can get a little crowded, but the pool is first rate