Disney's PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT Information & Questions

The only way to absolutely guarantee an Alligator Bayou room is to book Preferred (which would not give you a river view) but there are also lots of nice River View rooms in those same bayou buildings (14 and 27) plus more in building 38 which you could request. Ask the Reservation Center folks to add your request to the booking, but then send a fax 3-5 days before you arrive re-confirming what you'd like.

Andre
Thanks for the help
 
When making a room request, I understand that one should have requests on the reservation AND fax in the requests, correct? To get them on the reservation itself, I assume I have to call bc I booked online....If so, do I call the resort directly or the WDW reservation line? Thanks!
 
When making a room request, I understand that one should have requests on the reservation AND fax in the requests, correct? To get them on the reservation itself, I assume I have to call bc I booked online....If so, do I call the resort directly or the WDW reservation line? Thanks!
You call the Disney Reservation Center (not the hotel)
 
When making a room request, I understand that one should have requests on the reservation AND fax in the requests, correct? To get them on the reservation itself, I assume I have to call bc I booked online....If so, do I call the resort directly or the WDW reservation line? Thanks!

You call the Disney Reservation Center (not the hotel)

Piggybacking on this question - I called 407-939-1936, the number MDE gave to call if I had questions, (which I think is Disney Reservation Center?) to make a request. The CM said because I booked through Orbitz Disney can only see my reservations, they can't make any notes. She advised me to call the resort (407-934-6000) 5 days prior to my arrival with my requests.

I read the 1st page of this thread and I'm thinking, I should actually fax the request versus calling, right?
 


Piggybacking on this question - I called 407-939-1936, the number MDE gave to call if I had questions, (which I think is Disney Reservation Center?) to make a request. The CM said because I booked through Orbitz Disney can only see my reservations, they can't make any notes. She advised me to call the resort (407-934-6000) 5 days prior to my arrival with my requests.

I read the 1st page of this thread and I'm thinking, I should actually fax the request versus calling, right?
Ok - Sending a fax to the resort will be helpful for you (3-5 days prior to check in)
I would definitely do online check-in which can be done 60-0 days prior to your stay. (It is debatable if you should fill in requests during the online check-in process AND send the fax. I've been hearing to not do request during online check-in if you send a fax.)
Thirdly, you can call Orbitz and ask them to call "Disney Wholesale Department" to advise Disney of your requests.

Side Note: when booking thru Orbitz you should only book for the number or adults and then call to add children (17 or younger) afterwards to avoid erroneous charges that Orbitz charges that Disney doesn't.
 
Ok - Sending a fax to the resort will be helpful for you (3-5 days prior to check in)
I would definitely do online check-in which can be done 60-0 days prior to your stay. (It is debatable if you should fill in requests during the online check-in process AND send the fax. I've been hearing to not do request during online check-in if you send a fax.)
Thirdly, you can call Orbitz and ask them to call "Disney Wholesale Department" to advise Disney of your requests.

Side Note: when booking thru Orbitz you should only book for the number or adults and then call to add children (17 or younger) afterwards to avoid erroneous charges that Orbitz charges that Disney doesn't.

Thank-you for your help. :thumbsup2

I did the online check-in and made my requests then. I was going to be happy with that and not send a fax but then shortly after that I saw my doctor for some pain in my knee - stairs are going to be an issue for me. I couldn't modify my request online so I called and now here I am. :crutches:

It will all work out and I'll be at a gorgeous resort! I've stayed at POFQ before but not POR, I'm really looking forward to seeing it in person. :cool1:
 
Best to just ask for a room close to the foot bridge, as there are close rooms in both buildings, but also some that are further away. The VERY best rooms are in the northern wing of Parterre Place, but on average there are more good locations in Oak Manor. ("more good" sounds like awful grammar, but it's actually correct in this context. :) )

We just booked our Royal Room for May 22-28 - I'll keep this in mind when we have to make requests next year.

THANK YOU! :D
 


Anybody ever been upgraded at the front desk upon arrival? (ie: from a standard to a garden view, garden view to a river view, garden view to preferred, etc.) I've heard that if you mention that you have a special occasion (1st time, birthday, anniversary) and they have the availability, the cast members might help you out.
 
Anybody ever been upgraded at the front desk upon arrival? (ie: from a standard to a garden view, garden view to a river view, garden view to preferred, etc.) I've heard that if you mention that you have a special occasion (1st time, birthday, anniversary) and they have the availability, the cast members might help you out.

Yes people do get upgrades from time to time. However, just about all of them happen because the resort needed to do it. Like if they were at 100% capacity in the standard rooms and they had to take a couple out of inventory due to mechanical issues. Then the guests who were supposed to be in those rooms will get upgraded. Also these upgrades are done well before the guests arrived. There are thousands of people at WDW at any given time celebrating something special. It's best to go in expecting to get the room type you booked and then if you get a pixie dust upgrade whoohoo!
 
Yes people do get upgrades from time to time. However, just about all of them happen because the resort needed to do it.

I think category-change upgrades are not normally done directly by front-desk checkin CMs (unless, as you say, a lower category has been oversold). They normally have to be authorised by the backstage Room Inventory team first. Probably the best way to do this is by fax a few days before arrival (but NOT more than five days out, as they don't bump categories any earlier than that) asking nicely what the cost would be to upgrade, and explaining how a different category would make your kids' stay more magical, etc.

In fact, the booking system is designed to allow overbooking of some categories as long as there is space in the next category up - Standard to Garden View being the main example. Some of the recent category pricing anomalies have been causing a few headaches though. For example, if the system allows Pool View to be overbooked on the basis that they can provide free upgrades for a few people to River View... but what happens if the Pool View rooms turn out to be more expensive than River View? They then need to offer rebates, as the 'free upgrade' turns out to be a pricing downgrade. This can also be an issue with POFQ Pool View and POR Royal Pool View, where people might not actually want River View rooms as they could have booked Pool View for the convenience of location rather than the actual view.

Andre
 
Looks like I am coming back to me new "home" next year. We fell in love with Riverside when we went a year ago for our daughters 5th birthday. I am currently planning a surprise trip where I am only taking my son (hopefully to Star Wars weekends) next year and we are booked into Riverside again. This time we hope to stay in the bayou as we had a Royal room last year. My mom is coming with us and this is going to be the first time my son will be on an airplane.

Since we won't have a vehicle this time, what would be in your opinion the best location in the bayou to be? We currently have a garden view room. Not sure which bus depot would be better to be by. Also for early morning out to the parks is it better to have food in our room for breakfast, or still run to get something there and take the south depot?

Can't wait to go home..
 
We recently returned from an 11 night stay at POR. We were in a Royal Room in Oak Manor. Great location, not too far a walk from the East Depot or to the lobby. Resort itself was beautiful, HUGE, but lovely. Very serene and never seemed busy although I'm sure it was full. Took a walk around the resort one morning to get a look at everything. Enjoyed the pool, staff was friendly and helpful, food court was great although we did only eat there really for breakfast but lots of choices.
Only negative was buses, often waited 30+ minutes for a bus (during peak times too), and often while 4-6 of another park buses all empty drove by. Buses seemed poor all around though...
Definitely would stay here again, but would rent a car!
 
I still can't confirm or deny that any maintenance work will be occurring on the Ol' Man Island feature pool during January/February 2016, but I have recently been informed that Walt Disney World's official policy is now to hold back on any official announcements for this sort of work until no earlier than three months in advance.

And now that we are three months out, I can confirm that the main feature pool on Ol' Man Island (including the children's pool and hot tub) will be closed for maintenance from 8 January for a couple of months (probably until around the end of February, but I'll update you when I know for sure).

All of the five quiet pools at Riverside will remain open, as will the French Quarter "Doubloon Lagoon" pool which may be used by Riverside guests, so it shouldn't be a major impact on anyone's plans.

Sorry for the wait in confirming this info.

Andre
 
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And now that we are three months out, I can confirm that the main feature pool on Ol' Man Island (including the children's pool and hot tub) will be closed for maintenance from 8 January for a couple of months (probably until around the end of February, but I'll update you when I know for sure).

All of the five quiet pools at Riverside will remain open, as will the French Quarter "Doubloon Lagoon" pool which may be used by Riverside guests, so it shouldn't be a major impact on anyone's plans.

Sorry for the wait in confirming this info.

Andre


I'm going to cross my fingers that it will be open for our trip Feb 29th - March 5th. Not worth it to switch resorts but we'd obviously still love to enjoy it.
 
I don't know why we have such bad luck but for the last 3 years we've stayed at a Disney resort and at all three there was construction or pool closure. I know, I know it's winter and that they have to do maintenance. However I'm kind of tired of always getting the short end of the stick. While there are the other pools, are there any other hot tubs?
 
I don't know why we have such bad luck but for the last 3 years we've stayed at a Disney resort and at all three there was construction or pool closure. I know, I know it's winter and that they have to do maintenance. However I'm kind of tired of always getting the short end of the stick. While there are the other pools, are there any other hot tubs?

We're going during the pool closure also. There's the hot tub at French Qtr that will be available to us.
 
I think category-change upgrades are not normally done directly by front-desk checkin CMs (unless, as you say, a lower category has been oversold). They normally have to be authorised by the backstage Room Inventory team first. Probably the best way to do this is by fax a few days before arrival (but NOT more than five days out, as they don't bump categories any earlier than that) asking nicely what the cost would be to upgrade, and explaining how a different category would make your kids' stay more magical, etc.

In fact, the booking system is designed to allow overbooking of some categories as long as there is space in the next category up - Standard to Garden View being the main example. Some of the recent category pricing anomalies have been causing a few headaches though. For example, if the system allows Pool View to be overbooked on the basis that they can provide free upgrades for a few people to River View... but what happens if the Pool View rooms turn out to be more expensive than River View? They then need to offer rebates, as the 'free upgrade' turns out to be a pricing downgrade. This can also be an issue with POFQ Pool View and POR Royal Pool View, where people might not actually want River View rooms as they could have booked Pool View for the convenience of location rather than the actual view.

Andre

We were allocated a Bayou area room and we asked if we could have a Mansion room. The checkin person called up the allocation team to see what they had, and they gave us a Royal Room with River View.
 
So happy to be heading back to POR this January! Too bad the main pool will be closed, but we usually use the quiet pools anyway. Those pool parties they do at the main pool in the afternoons drive us crazy! Not very relaxing!!! Thanks to Andre for keeping us all in the know about POR news - here and at the .org site too! Love it!
 

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