Review of Port Orleans - Riverside 9/26-9/28/08

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johndad
Posts: 1
Joined: October 3rd, 2008, 10:58 pm

Review of Port Orleans - Riverside 9/26-9/28/08

Unread post by johndad »

Our first visit to WDW was at POR Alligator Bayou from 9/26 – 9/28 in Bldg 17 and all I can say is, “Wow”! Our family thoroughly enjoyed POR. Check-in was good and the concierge was helpful in setting up an ADR for Liberty Tree Tavern for Saturday at lunch. Our room was in bldg 17 on the 2nd floor, which the Unofficial Guide says to avoid due to road noise – this was not a problem. In fact having the car nearby was a plus. The room was nice, we slept 2 Adults and 3 girls (ages 10,14,16). The 10 yr old, who is tall for her age, slept comfortably in the trundle bed. I thought the beds and bedding were very comfortable and we all got a couple nights of great sleep. With 3 girls and a wife, the dressing area and two sinks came in handy. Also having a mini fridge was a good.

We loved the landscaping, the theme and the pools. Walking the grounds at night to/from the pools or the food court area made us feel like we were in the La bayou! Maybe it’s the time of year, but I don’t think I’ve stayed at a quieter resort. We really enjoyed the smaller pool located near our building and appreciated the available pool towels. Kids also went to the Ol’ Man River pool area and enjoyed it as well. However, I can imagine in the summer, it could get very crowded.

I have read some negative reviews on resort food courts, but I really enjoyed this one. I like the layout – it’s big and spacious - and thought the selection and quality of food was very good. Usually I am of the opinion that WDW dining in the parks is fair to average at best, especially considering the prices, but I thought this was very decent food. We didn’t eat at Boatwrights, as we were not on a dining plan, but friends of ours that were staying at POFQ did eat there and were very complimentary of it. Meeting these friends at POFQ, we looked around at the food court area and we were not nearly as impressed. It was smaller and the food (Baked chicken, ribs, etc…) looked liked it may have been sitting out for a while and was probably dried out. POR definitely had the better food court in all aspects– at least in our family’s opinion. (Wish it had the beignets though).

Negatives for our stay were few and minor. The ice machine on our floor did not seem to work and Housekeeping was erratic for towels and washcloths. However, we really like the extra towels left for us on the 2nd night – nice touch.

BTW, bus transportation was fine - A little bit of a walk from our bldg, but not bad. Plus, walking through Alligator Bayou is a treat in itself.

All in all we will definitely go back to POR- AB and would recommend it to anyone else. We had a blast and I would be hard pressed to go back to Disney in the heat of summer and also not stay on site. Add us to the list of POR fans!
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