Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT Information & Questions

[Wood Nymph]

We took a bus after to DS for dinner. After that we wanted to get to Epcot for EMH and my husband didn’t want to pay for Uber again. It took over 40 minutes for a bus to arrive to bring us to POR or POFQ. It took us over 2 hours to get to get to Epcot!

You could have taken the bus to either the Boardwalk or Beach Club from Disney Springs and walked into Epcot via the International Gateway. It would have saved a lot of time.

 

[jbharr1]

How long is the walk from POR furthest building ( have no idea where we will be yet) to the Bus stop at POFQ.

unsure of accuracy but you can use google maps to estimate travel time via walking. i plugged in a spot near building 34 and it said about 18 minutes

 

[iwasdaisy]

Anyone know the hours of the main pool in August? I've read that you can swim in the quiet pools whenever as long as you are quiet, but wondering about the main pool.

 

[4-everDisneyFan]

I've got a question regarding the new room categories. I see that a new 5th sleeper room is now an option. We are looking to book late October of this year. We have 5 people in our party, and when I go to book I am allowed to book one of the standard rooms. It shows the 5th sleeper rooms as unavailable, but will give me the other options. (It's weird because the regular rooms say occupancy is 5, but the 5th sleeper room says 4.) Is this because the 5th sleeper option doesn't start until 2019 (even though the category shows up when booking)? I hope my dilemma makes sense. Thanks for your help!

 

[dansdad]

I've got a question regarding the new room categories. I see that a new 5th sleeper room is now an option. We are looking to book late October of this year. We have 5 people in our party, and when I go to book I am allowed to book one of the standard rooms. It shows the 5th sleeper rooms as unavailable, but will give me the other options. (It's weird because the regular rooms say occupancy is 5, but the 5th sleeper room says 4.) Is this because the 5th sleeper option doesn't start until 2019 (even though the category shows up when booking)? I hope my dilemma makes sense. Thanks for your help!

I am not 100% certain, but I believe the 5th sleeper option is for those parties of 4 that want the Murphy bed. Families that have 2 kids of opposite sex sometimes want 2 different sleeping surfaces so the kids don't have to share a bed. Now with this new category, the can actually book a standard room with a Murphy bed instead of it just being a request.

So if you're a party of 5, and book standard, you will get a room in Alligator Bayou section that has the Murphy bed without paying for the upcharge of the new category.

 

[andrewilley]

We have 5 people in our party, and when I go to book I am allowed to book one of the standard rooms. It shows the 5th sleeper rooms as unavailable

Personally, I think the system still needs tweaking. Certainly the occupancy descriptions don't make sense. When I first heard about these new options a couple of months ago (sorry, I was asked not to discuss them until the categories were officially announced) I was assuming that parties of five would be forced - and thus have to pay extra - to choose the 5th Sleeper rooms, but currently you are correct that the system doesn't seem to be enforcing that and it is a purely optional feature aimed at smaller parties.

If you do book five people - and everyone is aged 3 or over - into ANY Riverside room category (apart from King Bed obviously) then you will definitely get an Alligator Bayou room anyway though as they can't put you in a room without the murphy bed, so I'd just go ahead and book now before someone spots what might be an error and adjusts the system for future bookings. You'e got nothing to lose, you can cancel at any time if you change your mind.

Andre

 

[ToyStory3]

Here's my mini review for last week!

We stayed at POR last week for the very first time. I've always wanted to try it out so when we decided to do a pre-night before our cruise at WDW we were very excited that there was availability. I started out booking a standard view room. Then changed to a river view room. Then ultimately decided on a River View Royal room. It was fantastic! We only had one day at the resort but we loved it. We thought the rooms and resort in general was so relaxing and done so nicely. Our room was located in Oak Manor. We walked the whole resort, explored the pool areas and gift shop. We ate dinner in the quick service and walked over to French Quarter for beignets which were fabulous! We weren't overly impressed with the quick service meal but it was fine overall and we liked the atmosphere. We didn't swim since we just didn't feel like we could do everything we wanted. But, the pools looked very nice. The river is what really draws me into the resort. I could sit and stare at it for hours. And, I expecially love the paths along the river!

Here's our only negative of our stay....and it was a big one for us. Our whole 1-night trip was revolving around us spending a day at the magic kingdom the following morning. We were going to wake up early, go to morning EMH, and spend one day there. We only go to WDW every couple of years so this was it for us. We woke up at 6 am and we were at the bus stop before 7 am for 8 am EMH. However.....the bus didn't come for us until after 8 am. Everyone at the bus stop waited an entire hour. We missed all of the morning EMH just waiting for a bus. If we had any idea that would have happened we would have made other arrangements. But, the monitor constantly showed us that a bus was almost there....but every single bus was full and just rode right past us for over an hour. It would show that the bus was coming at 7:14...then at 7:14 it would ride by and the monitor would change to 7:20....then that bus would ride by and the monitor would change to 7:28, etc. There were some very angry families at the bus stop! Three moms were on their phones making calls to the resort and transportation, and kids were melting down. But, you were afraid to leave and go somewhere else because you didn't know what the situation may be there and you may miss a bus since it always showed that one was on it's way. We watched about 7-10 AK buses come and go, about 7 Epcot buses come and go, and about 5 HS buses come and go. So we, along with everyone else, missed our EMH entirely. It was beyond disappointing that WDW would allow that. It was completely unacceptable. One family said that their entire stay at POR had been like that and that they wouldn't be staying there again because of it.

When we finally got on a bus we told the bus driver that we had been waiting for over an hour and what had happened. He was very apologetic and said he would let the right people know. But, it didn't matter at that point since it was already done. And, if it had been happening all week it doesn't seem that they are trying to do anything about it. The bottom line is that you shouldn't have to know which bus stop to go to to make sure you get picked up. If they offer it as a service they should make sure people get picked up from all of their bus stops. It definitely put a damper on our day but we shook it off and had a great time. I used to hear people talk about waiting hours on a bus to a resort or park and to be honest...I thought it was a huge exaggeration. I just didn't think that it really happened since I've never experienced something like that. Sadly, I stand corrected.

With that being said - it's still a beautiful resort and we loved the royal rooms. But, it's disappointing that I would have to have alternative plans for transportation if we ever stayed there again.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

I’m so sorry about the bus situation
I assume this was not the main depot?

 

[ToyStory3]

It was near the mansions. Once we were at the depot, someone said it was because we were the last stop. We thought about walking to a different depot but we weren't sure what the situation was there...so you were afraid to move. The bus depots are really spread out so it would take us a while to get to a different one. And we just couldn't believe that they wouldn't pick us up for over an hour. There was no way they would do that. I was wrong!

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Honestly, the multiple stops is the worst part of POR for me. I realize it’s way too late to help you, but I always walk to the main depot in the AM for this very reason. We only used the one nearest our room during afternoon or late night drop offs. It’s definitely an imperfect system. I feel the drivers need to report that they left due to a full bus and missed some stops just to ensure the next bus in hits those stops instead?

 

[LynnMc2015]

We are booked in a Royal Room in August. Given what ToyStory3 has described above, what bus stop should we use to try and avoid this happening to us? We have a few early mornings planned at MK, two of which are for breakfast reservations, so we need to ensure we are there on time.

 

[ToyStory3]

We are booked in a Royal Room in August. Given what ToyStory3 has described above, what bus stop should we use to try and avoid this happening to us? We have a few early mornings planned at MK, two of which are for breakfast reservations, so we need to ensure we are there on time.

Knowing what I know now - we would have gone to the main bus stop by the lobby. I believe it's the first stop. You shouldn't have to do that....but the reality is that you do.

 

[disny_luvr]

Knowing what I know now - we would have gone to the main bus stop by the lobby. I believe it's the first stop. You shouldn't have to do that....but the reality is that you do.

The main bus stop by the food court is the last bus stop. I’d actually avoid that one. That bus stop was always packed. We were also there last week and stayed in the mansions. We had zero issues with the busses and kept on commenting how great the bus service was. That said, one morning we were waiting at the bus stop and many families were upset that several MK busses drove by full without stopping. I do believe it was an EMH morning for MK so we might have been at the same bus stop at the same time. That is definitely a shame and something I’d be annoyed about, too.

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

I used to hear people talk about waiting hours on a bus to a resort or park and to be honest...I thought it was a huge exaggeration. I just didn't think that it really happened since I've never experienced something like that. Sadly, I stand corrected.

I've ready such conflicting info on those buses. So many people swear they are always on time, so fast, never full. Then there are others who've had to deal with this exact situation so many times. We're driving down and plan to drive each day to the parks. Waiting for buses, possibly having to stand on the way to the parks, fighting for a spot....no thank you! Really sorry that happened to you! (I got hopeful reading about your upgrade to a River View Royal Room....really hoping for that same kind of pixie dust!)

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Here's my mini review for last week!

We stayed at POR last week for the very first time. I've always wanted to try it out so when we decided to do a pre-night before our cruise at WDW we were very excited that there was availability. I started out booking a standard view room. Then changed to a river view room. Then ultimately decided on a River View Royal room. It was fantastic! We only had one day at the resort but we loved it. We thought the rooms and resort in general was so relaxing and done so nicely. Our room was located in Oak Manor. We walked the whole resort, explored the pool areas and gift shop. We ate dinner in the quick service and walked over to French Quarter for beignets which were fabulous! We weren't overly impressed with the quick service meal but it was fine overall and we liked the atmosphere. We didn't swim since we just didn't feel like we could do everything we wanted. But, the pools looked very nice. The river is what really draws me into the resort. I could sit and stare at it for hours. And, I expecially love the paths along the river!

Here's our only negative of our stay....and it was a big one for us. Our whole 1-night trip was revolving around us spending a day at the magic kingdom the following morning. We were going to wake up early, go to morning EMH, and spend one day there. We only go to WDW every couple of years so this was it for us. We woke up at 6 am and we were at the bus stop before 7 am for 8 am EMH. However.....the bus didn't come for us until after 8 am. Everyone at the bus stop waited an entire hour. We missed all of the morning EMH just waiting for a bus. If we had any idea that would have happened we would have made other arrangements. But, the monitor constantly showed us that a bus was almost there....but every single bus was full and just rode right past us for over an hour. It would show that the bus was coming at 7:14...then at 7:14 it would ride by and the monitor would change to 7:20....then that bus would ride by and the monitor would change to 7:28, etc. There were some very angry families at the bus stop! Three moms were on their phones making calls to the resort and transportation, and kids were melting down. But, you were afraid to leave and go somewhere else because you didn't know what the situation may be there and you may miss a bus since it always showed that one was on it's way. We watched about 7-10 AK buses come and go, about 7 Epcot buses come and go, and about 5 HS buses come and go. So we, along with everyone else, missed our EMH entirely. It was beyond disappointing that WDW would allow that. It was completely unacceptable. One family said that their entire stay at POR had been like that and that they wouldn't be staying there again because of it.

When we finally got on a bus we told the bus driver that we had been waiting for over an hour and what had happened. He was very apologetic and said he would let the right people know. But, it didn't matter at that point since it was already done. And, if it had been happening all week it doesn't seem that they are trying to do anything about it. The bottom line is that you shouldn't have to know which bus stop to go to to make sure you get picked up. If they offer it as a service they should make sure people get picked up from all of their bus stops. It definitely put a damper on our day but we shook it off and had a great time. I used to hear people talk about waiting hours on a bus to a resort or park and to be honest...I thought it was a huge exaggeration. I just didn't think that it really happened since I've never experienced something like that. Sadly, I stand corrected.

With that being said - it's still a beautiful resort and we loved the royal rooms. But, it's disappointing that I would have to have alternative plans for transportation if we ever stayed there again.

This type of experience is one of a few reasons why I now rent a car for every trip. The last straw was one evening after MNSSHP when I was waiting for a bus back to POR. The first three or however many buses were full, and I ended up waiting over an hour, standing because there were no benches, exhausted after a long full day and evening. By the time the bus finally picked me up, I knew I'd be renting a car the next time.

 

[shbarrett]

Hi Riverside fans! My family went on our first WDW trip earlier this year. It was me, my DH and two DDs, ages 3 and 6. We are already thinking about our next trip. We stayed at the Poly from Sunday through Friday this last time. It was great, but we felt very rushed and would like to do a longer trip with a couple rest days incorporated. I'm thinking seriously about POR. I like the look of the resort and everything they have to offer including the horse drawn carriage rides, the playground and the fishing. We are thinking about a January trip this time and possibly coming in on Friday night, doing 2 park days and one rest day, another two parks days and one rest day, and lastly two park days then travelling home on the last day.The one thing I'm concerned about is travel times to the parks and back. Do the pros outweigh the cons? FYI...my husband wants to stay at the Contemporary.

 

[ToyStory3]

I've ready such conflicting info on those buses. So many people swear they are always on time, so fast, never full. Then there are others who've had to deal with this exact situation so many times. We're driving down and plan to drive each day to the parks. Waiting for buses, possibly having to stand on the way to the parks, fighting for a spot....no thank you! Really sorry that happened to you! (I got hopeful reading about your upgrade to a River View Royal Room....really hoping for that same kind of pixie dust!)

Hi - just to clarify we didn't receive an upgrade to a River View Royal Room....I changed our reservation to that. But, I hope you do receive lots of pixie dust! We still absolutely loved POR and would stay there again. I just know now that the buses can be a huge issue and will need to plan accordingly.

 

[ToyStory3]

This type of experience is one of a few reasons why I now rent a car for every trip. The last straw was one evening after MNSSHP when I was waiting for a bus back to POR. The first three or however many buses were full, and I ended up waiting over an hour, standing because there were no benches, exhausted after a long full day and evening. By the time the bus finally picked me up, I knew I'd be renting a car the next time.

Yes - one of the families that was waiting with us and fuming mentioned that they'd had a lot of issues with the POR returning back from the parks that week. They said they felt they always waited longer than the other resorts, and always had the longest lines coming back. I really wish they'd work out a better system if that's the case.

 

[lovelymarshmallow]

I will be staying at POR mid-August. I just received an email about renovations regarding some rooms and at least 1 of 5 pools. Before I call for more information, does anyone here have any detail? I looked back a few pages but didn't see anything. Thanks!!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

Regarding the comments about whether the bus stop near the lobby is the first stop or the last stop -- I once asked about this at POR, and was told it can be either way, sometimes it's the first stop, and sometimes it's the last stop. It's been a while since they said this, and I don't know if it's still that way.