http://www.portorleans.org RSS news feed from portorleans.org, the unofficial visitor's guide to the Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter Resorts at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. admin@portorleans.org (PortOrleans.org Admin) en http://www.portorleans.org/images/PortOrleans.org-Banner.jpg http://www.portorleans.org http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#210212 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#210212 This Wednesday night (22nd February 2012) the WDW Radio Show hosted by Lou Mongello will be broadcasting its live weekly video webcast directly from the River Roost Lounge at Port Orleans Riverside, with special guest "Ye Haa" Bob Jackson. For more details see the Show Announcement at http://www.wdwradio.com/2012/02/wdw-newscast-and-chat-with-yeeha-bob/, or tune in to watch the live show starting at 7:30pm (Eastern) on Wednesday at http://www.wdwradio.com/wdw-radio-live/. I won't be able to make it to the resort in person on Wednesday, but I'll definitely be in the show's online chatroom for the first part of the evening if any viewers want to log in and say hi. Wed, 22 Feb 2012 00:30:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#200212 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#200212 Every year, Port Orleans cast members get the opportunity to enter a competition to see which department (Front Desk, Housekeeping, Food/Beverage, etc) can dream up the most creative, best themed Mardi Gras floats based around the resort's "pargo" vehicles. This year's parade kicks off from Riverside's Acadian House at 1:30pm tomorrow (Tuesday 21 February) and will do a round trip through French Quarter and back to allow guests to join in the fun. Good luck to all the 2012 teams, and may the best department's float win!! See http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#200212 for details and route map. ~+~ On 2nd February 2012, Port Orleans Riverside celebrated its 20th Anniversary, see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#020212 for information and some photos from the day. ~+~ www.mousesteps.com, an excellent photo travelogue website, features two extensive photographic walks around Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside with around 300 new photos, see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#190212. ~+~ The main courtyard behind the lobby at Port Orleans French Quarter is closed and boarded off for refurbishment work from 9 Jan to 2 March, see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#280112 for details and photos. ~+~ Quiet Swimming Pool maintenance work at Port Orleans Riverside: The pool between Oak Manor and Parterre Place will be closed from 27 February to 1 March; the Alligator Bayou pool near to building 16 will be closed from 12 to 15 March; the Alligator Bayou pool near to building 35 will be closed from 19 to 22 March. ~+~ Overnight construction work to repave Bonnet Creek Parkway (the main road outside the Port Orleans resorts) is scheduled to continue until 23 March (weekdays only). See http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#140212 for closure/construction details. Mon, 20 Feb 2012 12:00:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#140112 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#140112 A new 'Garden View' room category came into effect on 1 January 2012 at Port Orleans, however unfortunately it seems that presale information provided by the Disney Reservations Center and Disney's online booking website was wrong - or at least premature - in claiming that all Garden View rooms at Port Orleans RIVERSIDE would have queen beds from the outset. This will be true once the refurbishment program is fully completed in August, but for now only about one-third of Riverside's guest rooms have been updated. The description error has now been corrected, but a significant number of Garden View bookings over the past six months have been made solely to assure queen beds. While resort staff will try their best to accommodate guest requests at check-in, with only a limited number of queen beds available there are obviously no guarantees in the short term. ~+~ Virtually all guests have now been contacted regarding the Royal Room opening delay. If you believe you have an affected booking (with an arrival date prior to 9 March) and you have not yet been contacted, please call 1-407-248-1727 and leave a voicemail with your name, reservation number and check-in date, and someone will call you back. See http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#040112 for more details. ~+~ In other news, the three Alligator Bayou quiet pools are due to be closed for short routine maintenance periods: pool #2 is due to be closed 23-27 January, pool #3 from 30 January to 3 February, and pool #1 from 27 February to 1 March. All of the other pools will remain open during these dates, and the main feature pool on Ol' Man Island will still be closed 6-8 February. Sun, 15 Jan 2012 11:00:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#040112 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#040112 The scheduled opening date for the first new Royal Guest Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside has been delayed from 17 February until 9 March. The resort is currently in the process of contacting all guests who were booked into these new rooms during the intervening three week period to discuss what options are available in order to reduce the disappointment to visitors, especially children. Several guests who have already been contacted have reported that they have been offered very generous complimentary resort upgrades. Prior to the Christmas break, the latest buildings to have been re-opened with (non-Royal) refurbished rooms were Alligator Bayou lodges 14, 36, 37 and 38. In other news, the Doubloon Lagoon feature swimming pool at Port Orleans French Quarter will be closed for maintenance on Tuesday 17 January and Wednesday 18 January, and the Ol' Man Island feature swimming pool at Port Orleans Riverside will be closed for maintenance from Monday 6 February until Wednesday 8 February. See http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#281211. Wed, 04 Jan 2012 22:00:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#031211 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#031211 The December Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available (downloadable at www.portorleans.org/images/recreation/POR-Rec-2011-12.pdf and www.portorleans.org/images/recreation/POFQ-Rec-2011-12.pdf). The outdoor movies will start at 7pm this month, and there will again be a slightly reduced set of pool activites in the cooler weather. The daily campfires commence at 5:30pm. There will be a separate schedule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day which will be available via the resort's Holiday Activities Guide later in the month. On the refurbishment front, Riverside's Alligator Bayou building 37 reopened for guests on 19 November, and work is now well underway on building 38, due to be completed by 9 December, and building 39, due to open by 16 December. Sat, 03 Dec 2011 22:00:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#151111 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#151111 At Port Orleans Riverside, the first of the long-awaited Alligator Bayou refurbished rooms are now complete and Building 36 has reopened to the public, right on schedule. One guest has already posted a few iPhone photos to PhotoBucket, please see the full news posting to view them. The soft furnishings look great, and it appears that the elaborate, immersive theming has been carried through with every element - and I adore the Port Orleans details on the new bedspreads! Also note the Alligator motifs on the comforter pillows. Construction workers will now be moving on to buildings 37 and 38, and then 39, all of which should be completed by 15 December - just in time for the Christmas holidays, it's almost as if they planned it that way... :-) Tue, 15 Nov 2011 12:00:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#101111 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#101111 As with French Quarter last year, a visiting guest has been able to sneak a quick pre-opening look inside one of the newly refurbished rooms in Alligator Bayou building 36 for us, and they look amazing! The room seems very true to the original rustic concept, but perhaps going even a little further than before. As I said a while back, the flooring in the bathroom has been retained, plus those lovely wood-hewn bed heads. The rustic planking effect in the bathroom and for the carpet are also nice touches. The new pull-down murphy bed looks great too - complete with a picture of Louis from Princess and the Frog inside. Obviously there are still finishing touches to be done (such as the bedding and curtains) and you'll note that the cover isn't on the A/C unit yet, but so far it looks like they've done a fabulous job - although I do have some serious concerns about the amount of storage space provided for five people and all their luggage. The first rooms are due to open for guests in a few days time. (For full size photos, see the Guest Gallery Page at www.portorleans.org/gallery-guest-POR-AB-Jones.php) Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:55:00 -0000 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#011011 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#011011 The October 2011 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available, please see our Recreation page (www.portorleans.org/recreation.php) for full details and to download printable PDF copies. A separate Halloween Activities schedule will be posted closer to the date. Also, Happy Birthday to the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World! 40 amazing years to the day of making magic for millions and millions of happy guests, children and adults alike. Thank you to Walt for the imagination and inspiration, and to Roy for the drive and determination to bring his ideas to life. Sat, 01 Oct 2011 05:00:00 -0600 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#050811 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#050811 Sorry it's been a while since the last RSS update from www.portorleans.org, so there's lots of news to report! Refurbishment work at Acadian House at Port Orleans Riverside was completed last week and the building is now fully open with renovated rooms for guests (see http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#050811 for details). Work has now commenced on Magnolia Terrace, which will be followed by the first of the Alligator Bayou buildings (AB building 36 is due to be completed around 11 November). The "Movie Under the Stars" screenings have been extended and there are currently daily Disney film shows at 9pm at both of the Port Orleans resorts - French Quarter is in Beignet Square (between buildings 4, 5 and 6) while Riverside's takes place in the courtyard outside Oak Manor. Daytime poolside games and activities for the kids have also been announced, for full details and August schedules see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#060811. The quiet pool located between Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace at Port Orleans Riverside is scheduled to be closed for routine maintenance between 5 September and 7 October 2011. The main Ol' Man Island pool and the other quiet pools will remain open as usual (see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#010811). Sat, 13 Aug 2011 11:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#170611 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#170611 Lots of Port Orleans news updates on www.portorleans.org recently! The two biggies are the tentative refurbishment schedule for the whole of Port Orleans Riverside (which will commence on 26 June with Acadian House, see www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#110611 for the full construction schedule) and Disney's release of 2012 booking availability, including the rates for the new themed 'Royal Rooms' at Port Orleans Riverside which can now be booked for stays commencing Friday 17 February 2012 (see www.portorleans.org/news.php#130611 and www.portorleans.org/roomrates.php for prices). In other news, the first actual photos of a sample Royal Room have been posted on the DisneyParks Blog (see www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#170611) and Port Orleans French Quarter is now running open-air Disney Movie Nights three times a week (for the June schedule see www.portorleans.org/news.php#010611). Sun, 19 Jun 2011 09:40:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#170511 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#170511 The first three buildings of the original Port Orleans Resort - the section that is now known as French Quarter - originally opened their doors to the public on 17 May 1991, two decades ago. I'd like to pass on my own grateful thanks to the current resort manager, Valerie Bunting, and her whole team of around 1,200 cast members for the wonderful work they do in keeping this resort looking as picture-perfect as it did on opening day twenty years ago and ensuring that the visiting guests experience a fabulous and truly magical stay. Here's to the next twenty years!! If you're going to be at the resort today, don't miss out on the birthday cake being served in the lobby area of French Quarter and enjoy some great entertainment from the resort's talented resident jazz musician, Elliot Dyson, who will be performing all day today at the Scat Cats lounge right next to the lobby. Have a great day - I just wish I could be there to join in the fun! Tue, 17 May 2011 06:03:59 -0500 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#060511 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#060511 The latest information regarding the Port Orleans Riverside room refurbishment project indicates that work will commence on 26 June 2011, starting with the Acadian House mansion building (building 80). Also, the 512 rooms which will receive the new 'Royal' makeovers will definitely be located, as previously expected, in Oak Manor and Parterre Place (buildings 90 and 95) and work on those will commence in late January 2012. Nothing has yet been confirmed regarding any specific start dates for work on the Alligator Bayou lodges, but the estimated completion time for the whole resort is still being quoted as April/May 2012. Fri, 06 May 2011 10:50:38 -0500 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#260411 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#260411 The Disney Parks Blog has just confirmed that the much anticipated 'Royal' themed rooms will be coming to Port Orleans Riverside during the upcoming refurbishment. One-quarter of the resort's room capacity will be given over to these new themed rooms, see the www.portorleans.org/rehab.php Refurbishment Updates page for more details and concept art. Guests will be able to begin booking these new Specialty Rooms mid-summer 2011 for visits commencing March 2012. No indication has yet been given as to how much these rooms will cost compared to standard rooms, but this is Disney so you know there will be a premium! Tue, 26 Apr 2011 10:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#210411 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#210411 The following tentative refurbishment dates come from what should normally be a reliable source of information, but they seem very much at odds with the other details floating around from cast members at the moment. I guess these dates would only make sense if the Alligator Bayou buildings are going to be slotted in during the same time frame? Anyway, until work actually commences this is all merely speculation and should be treated as such. Acadian House: 19 June - 29 July, 2011. Magnolia Terrace: 24 July - 2 September, 2011. Parterre Place: 8 January 2012 - 17 February, 2012. Oak Manor: 12 February - 23 March, 2012. Thu, 21 Apr 2011 06:40:29 -0500 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#190411 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#190411 The second of the two Magnolia Bend quiet pools at Port Orleans Riverside is reported to be closing for maintenance work from 25 April until 27 May 2011 (the other Magnolia Bend pool was done last month). Also, the Kids' Playground at Port Orleans French Quarter will be closing for refurbishment from 2 May until 27 May 2011. Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:55:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#160411 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#160411 Refurbishment work on the final building at Port Orleans French Quarter was completed right on schedule, and building 3 was officially rededicated on Friday 15th April 2011. All rooms are now open to guests. Work on Port Orleans Riverside is due to commence within "about six weeks" according to an insider. In other news (see http://www.portorleans.org/news.php) Port Orleans will be celebrating Easter with their annual Easter Egg Scramble, and there will also be an Easter Egg hunt held in Boatwright's Dining Hall. Check with resort cast members for more details. And finally, a bit of website news: I've recently updated the site's news posting software to incorporate the forums, so you can now add comments and questions regarding any Port Orleans news and updates. Sun, 17 Apr 2011 07:50:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#120311 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#120311 The latest reports from Port Orleans French Quarter indicate that the three-week timeline for the refurbishment of each building is still right on schedule. Building 1 is now fully completed and occupied, and work commenced on building 2 on Monday 7th March. This should hopefully mean that the final building (number 3) will start work around Monday 28th March and the whole resort will be complete by the weekend before Easter, just in time for the very busy Easter break period. I'm guessing that work on Port Orleans Riverside's Parterre Place will not start until after Easter, so maybe we'll see work commence there around Monday 2nd May? Sat, 12 Mar 2011 11:10:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#220211 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#220211 Details are starting to emerge on the refurbishment plans for Port Orleans Riverside, which should commence in April/May 2011 starting with the Parterre Place mansion building. Disney has confirmed the approximate time scale in a response to a guest's enquiry. The last room refurbishments at Riverside took 12 months to complete, with Magnolia Bend taking from March 2004 to August 2004 and Alligator Bayou taking from August 2004 to February 2005. Thus we should probably expect the mansion buildings to be completed sometime before Thanksgiving 2011, and Alligator Bayou by April/May 2012. There is, incidentally, NO CONFIRMATION AT ALL as to whether the previously rumoured Royal/Princess themed rooms might be added to any of the Riverside mansion buildings during this refurbishment. Personally, I'm keeping a very open mind on this one at the moment. Tue, 22 Feb 2011 12:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#170211 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#170211 The latest reports from 'the Port' indicate that building 1 of Port Orleans French Quarter commenced its refurbishment work around Monday 17 February, and that building 5 is now either fully complete or almost there. It looks as though the schedule is calling for work to start on each new building at three-week intervals, but this is currently slightly overlapping with completion of the final touches on the previous one. At this rate though, the whole resort could possibly be done by around the end of March. You may also want to check out the www.portorleans.org Photo Gallery for lots of new photos from all around the resort. Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#240111 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#240111 Refurbishment work on building 4 at Port Orleans French Quarter is now just about complete, with some rooms already added back into the resort's inventory over the weekend, and the remainder due to be available by the middle of this week. Building 5 is the next on the construction schedule, and workers are already starting to transfer over to that location. Presumably the overall target is to complete the whole resort before the start of the busy Easter period. As always, stay tuned to www.portorleans.org for the latest news. Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:30:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#311210 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#311210 First, I'd like to wish a very Happy New Year to all of our Port Orleans readers, guests, and of course to the resort's wonderful Cast Members. On the news front, building 4 at French Quarter is due to commence its refurbishment work next week, and also on our news pages (http://www.portorleans.org/news.php) you'll find information on a Magnolia Bend (Port Orleans Riverside) swimming pool closure scheduled for 8 February until 1 April 2011 (all other pools will remain open). Finally, we're very sad to report that a Port Orleans guest tragically lost his life on 26 December by somehow stepping out in front of a moving Walt Disney World bus in the resort parking lot. Our sympathies and condolences go out to this gentleman's family and friends at this awful time, in what has turned out to be a very sad end to 2010. Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#181210 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#181210 As work completes on Building 6 at Port Orleans French Quarter, refurbished rooms are made available to guests, starting from the top floor. No news as yet as to which building will be renovated next, but presumably there will be a short pause during the holiday period. Meanwhile back on the website, over the last month or so I've completely updated all of the restaurant, food court and pool bar menus and price lists, the recreation prices, and listed all of the new room rates up to the end of 2011. Hope you find them useful. I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish all of our Port Orleans readers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Season's Greetings Everyone! Sat, 25 Dec 2010 20:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#281110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#281110 Now that refurbishment work on French Quarter building 7 has been completed and rooms have been reopened for guest use (see our latest in-room photos at http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#231110) new construction signs went up today indicating that work on building 6 has now commenced. It seems like they are working to a four-week schedule for each building, although it might also make sense to take a week's break over the Christmas period when the resort would presumably expect to be fully booked. Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:15:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#201110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#201110 A few more 'sneaky' photos were recently posted on the Port Orleans French Quarter FAQ Thread on the DISboards. These were taken through the window blinds of a couple of completed rooms in building 7, and they finally show the new bedspreads which were missing from previous pictures. Link is on the Refurbishment Page. Still no news of anyone staying at the resort who has actually been assigned one of the updated rooms yet, but it can't be long now. Mon, 22 Nov 2010 11:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#191110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#191110 I received an email from a guest who had just phoned the resort to ask about rooms for her forthcoming stay. The agent told her that building 7 is actually due to go back online today! While that does sound rather quick for the whole building, maybe at least some sections will be opened? I guess we'll find out soon enough... Fri, 19 Nov 2010 22:45:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#151110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#151110 These exclusive images just in from our brave "top secret agent", who noticed that someone had inadvertently left one of the doors open in a newly refurbished (but as yet unopened) section of Port Orleans French Quarter... Mon, 15 Nov 2010 07:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#121110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#121110 A guest who has just returned from Port Orleans French Quarter asked at the concierge desk about the refurbishment work and was invited backstage to see the display board. No photos were allowed, but she has supplied as much information from memory as possible. Fri, 12 Nov 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#011110 http://www.portorleans.org/rehab.php#011110 The guest-room refurbishment process at Port Orleans French Quarter has now commenced. Work started on building 7 on Monday 1 November 2010, initially with floors two and three of the building. The expectation is that each building will take approximately one month to update, with the whole resort being completed by April 2011. After that work will commence on the mansion buildings at Port Orleans Riverside and then finally the Riverside Alligator Bayou section. The whole process is expected to take between 12 and 18 months. Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:00:00 GMT http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#261010 http://www.portorleans.org/news.php#261010 This morning, a small group of Disney PhotoPass photographers was spotted taking posed sample shots around the grounds of Port Orleans Riverside. It seems that the portrait sessions currently available at several of the deluxe resorts, such as the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, are proving so popular that Disney is looking into the possibility of expanding their offerings into other locations, such as perhaps one of the moderate hotels. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:00:00 -0500