Visit report Feb -15, 2009

How was your stay at Riverside? Leave your comments or full trip reports here. Photos welcome.
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csnkrushin
Posts: 14
Joined: January 2nd, 2009, 6:03 pm

Visit report Feb -15, 2009

Unread post by csnkrushin »

This was our first visit to Disney World and our first time at Port Orleans Riverside. We loved it there...we were in the AB section - building 34. We arrived on Sunday afternoon about 4:30 pm. I stood in line waiting to check in, while my husband explored the main building and the outside area with our two children, our son age 10 and daughter age 5. It was about a 20 minute wait...but I enjoyed talking with the gentlemen behind me. They have been coming to WDW for a number of years, so had a few tips to share. The cast member who checked us in was very pleasant...we got our "First Visit" buttons, and she gave our daughter a birthday button - she was turning 6 on our Florida vacation. When she gave us our building assignment, I was a little dissapointed when I heard that we were in building 34 (so far away) but decided we would see how far it was first...and if we didn't like it would ask to be changed.
We drove to the parking lot closest to the building and decided that we would stay put. We were on the first floor and thought the location was fine. We had a nice (non parking lot) view. The weather while we were there was perfect - so it was a very nice walk to the main building. We did not think it was very far, it took us about 5 minutes to get the to main building...we really enjoyed the walk...and would go a varitey of ways. We saw a few bunnies, egrets, blue herring while walking the resort.
The room was very cozy, comfortable and clean. Having the trundle bed was great, the kids took turns sleeping on it. My husband and I thought the beds were very comfortable and we are not always happy with beds in hotels. We also thought it was very quiet. We know we had neighbors on either side of us, but could never hear them when we were in our room. Once in awhile you could hear the plumbing from another room...but it wasn't a big deal. Mousekeeping was great, on other sites I had read stories of rooms never being vaccuumed...but that was not the case for us. Each day we would arrive back at our room and it was spotless. The first half of the week the mousekeepers would arrange my childrens stuffed animals and towels in cute positions. We must have had a change in mousekeeping halfway through our visit...no more cute arrangements - but still a perfectly clean room. The room safe was big enough to hold our car/house keys, money, credit cards and my husbands asus laptop (very small @ 5"x7").
Althought the main pool was closed we did take the short boat ride to POFQ a few times and used there main pool. The kids loved it, especially the serpent water slide. The kids did use the quiet pool closest to us, however they did say it was freezing cold. It must be nice in the hot weather, because it does have a lot of shade from the palm trees. A couple of times we used the quiet pool in the mansion area. That pool was much warmer - since it has sun most of the day. We went there early one morning ..7:15am (we are early risers) and the water was much warmer than the air. The kids and my husband swam, and I did laundry. Great laundry rooms - very clean. $2 to wash a load (30 min) $2 to dry...the sign said 30 min, but I took my clothes out after 45 min and the time still wasnt up.
The food court was great, we never ate at boatwrights - so I can not comment on that. However the choices were great - a lot of food, often too much to finish. Create your own salad, create your own pasta, soup, sandwiches, roasted turkey or beef with veggies and potatoes, pizza, baked ziti, burgers, chicken nuggets. The bakery was great, loved the muffins and the magic bars! We also loved the atmosphere in there, very homey and comfortable. There was a big table with legos, coloring pages and crayons out for the kids. It was very nice...one evening we ate there, the kids finished before us, and they watched tv and played and my husband and I were able to leisurly finish our meal. One night we walked to POFQ (0nly about a 20 min walk from bldg 34) to have dinner. Although the food was good, we felt like we were eating in a college cafeteria. I know that people love FQ, but for my husband and I, we just did not care for the more formal layout..the look of the buildings...just not our style.
As I said we are early risers, so almost everyday we were up at 6am, and heading to the bus at 8 to be at the parks when they opened. We were just a minute or two walk from the West Depot. The busses were great, we never used our car when we were there. We took the boat to DTD the first night we were there, it was a nice boat ride... we did not get a chance to go fishing, or rent bikes, however we did take a horse and carriage ride and loved that.
Although when we first got there our son was dissapointed....he was hoping we were staying at a "regular" hotel...one with an elevator and long hallways and regular beds - like a Hampton Inn :lol: (At least he wont be expecting Disney like accomidations everytime we go on vacation!) But today he asked me if we go to WDW again, can we please stay at POR - so I guess it grew on him! We absolutely loved it and will definately recommend it to anyone!
zeusywoo
Posts: 1
Joined: March 4th, 2009, 8:37 pm

Re: Visit report Feb -15, 2009

Unread post by zeusywoo »

I'm so glad to read this report. We are going in June & this was very nice report. Thanks you for sharing. We've been to WDW in the past but never this resort. I plan to really get alot of information from it.
klmorg
Posts: 9
Joined: February 7th, 2009, 8:23 am

Re: Visit report Feb -15, 2009

Unread post by klmorg »

Thank you for the great report! We will be staying in POR for the first time at the end of the month and are very excited!! We visit WDW every other year and have stayed at all of the 'Bay Lake' resorts except for GF. This is definetly going to be a new experience for us! We love everything we have seen and heard about POR so far! The only negative remarks seem to be mostly about the buses, and we are a patient and early rising family so I don't see the buses putting much of a crimp in our plans...if we miss one or it is too full we will just wait for the next!! When we stayed at Ft Wilderness in the cabins, one of the things we,(mostly my 4 year old!), loved the most was the chance to see bunnies and ducks so often and from seeing everyones pictures it looks like POR has a bunch of that too!

The only concern I have is the trundle. I am worried my 4 year old will feel excluded with everyone else being up high in a bed and her left so low to the floor. I am well prepared to make sure that if the issue arises to remind her that she has a bed that is even more special than ours and generally coax her into feeling it is a priviledge to have the trundle and I am bringing her pillow and some bedding so she will be familiar with what she is laying on...but I am wondering if I should pack an air mattress just in case?

Any comments or suggestions there would be welcomed!!

The only other thing I was wondering about was the distance of walking to and from the main building. I have requested building 18, but now that I see it is only a 5 or 10 minute walk all the way from building 34 to the main building I am wondering if we should be farther out. My family enjoys a quiet walk, especially in the mornings as that is the best time to see animals out and about too! Maybe we will just let fate take the reins and get what we get and go with it!

Thanks again for a great trip report!!
csnkrushin
Posts: 14
Joined: January 2nd, 2009, 6:03 pm

Re: Visit report Feb -15, 2009

Unread post by csnkrushin »

klmog...

We were up and at the bus stop usually by 8am or so each morning...and the busses were never a problem. I think the longest we waited was our last morning there...Sunday the 15th, we just missed the bus to Epcot so we had to wait about 10 minutes for the next one. That also was our longest wait for a bus back to the resort. We left Epcot around 12:30/1 pm and again, just missed the bus back to POR - it had pulled away from the curb just as we were walking up. We waited about 20 minutes for the next bus...by far our longest wait of the whole trip.


As far as the trundle bed...my two kids took turns, they both wanted to sleep on it! We had packed an air mattress just incase we ended up in the Mansions section (no trundles there I am told), but the air mattress would have been the same height as the trundle (our air mattress at least). I think it is all in how you present it to the kids....

Have a great trip
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