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Re-opening Dates for POR and POFQ Announced!
Posted Wednesday 7th July 2021, 6:47pm (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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Disney today informed travel agents of the planned re-opening dates of the remaining Walt Disney World resort hotels, including our very own Port Orleans Resorts! Guests will be able to make bookings starting tomorrow (8 July) for the following dates: |
One year today since the Port Orleans resorts closed due to COVID
Posted Saturday 20th March 2021, 8:21am (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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One year ago today, Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside and Port Orleans Resort French Quarter were shut down due to the spread of COVID-19. All of the Walt Disney World theme parks closed on Monday 16th March 2020, and the Resort hotels followed a few days later at 5pm on Friday 20th March to allow guests enough time to make arrangements to return home. At the time, Disney indicated that these closures would last "at least" a month - although I thought the reality would be considerably longer than that (News Item). However not even at my most pessimistic did I think that a year later we'd still be in the same situation. |
Merry Christmas 2020
Posted Friday 25th December 2020, 8:47am (EST) by Admin
 Well it's that time of year again, but what a different year it has been! From March, everyone's carefully laid plans were in tatters, theme parks and resorts had been shuttered, and tens of thousands of dedicated cast members were to lose their jobs before the end of the year. My heart goes out to everyone affected by this horrible year, and especially to all my friends at Port Orleans. Let's hope that 2021 will offer us a glimmer of hope for a return to something at least close to normality. My own plans for visiting from the UK in 2020 were completely cancelled, but maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to return to strolling along the banks of the Sassagoula River again before 2021 is out. I wish everyone as Merry a Christmas as is possible under the current circumstances, and let's hope and pray for a better New Year. --- Andre |
Massive Layoffs announced at Disney, including "Ye Haa" Bob Jackson
Posted Tuesday 29th September 2020, 8:17pm (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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Disney have just announced that they are laying off a massive 28,000 cast members across their Florida and California sites, most of whom had previously been furloughed. Presumably with the end of their financial year tomorrow, Disney had to make some tough decisions based on predicted forthcoming attendance and revenue, neither of which would appear to be picking up any time soon.
Bob is still planning on continuing a virtual show at 6pm on Sunday via his Facebook page (www.facebook.com/yehaabob) but whether that will be as his Disney "Ye Haa" Bob persona or as Bob Jackson, pianist and signer, I don't know. See you there on Sunday anyway. Since COVID hit, like many other entertainers, Bob has had no regular work beyond his weekly online shows to help keep everyone entertained and a few local church gigs. I'd like to suggest that if you ever saw one of Bob's shows and it made a difference to your vacation - which must be almost all of us here - now would be a good time to send him your thanks and support by popping a few dollars into his 'virtual tip-jar' at www.paypal.com/paypalme/BobJackson512. I know I'm going to anyway. Such a terribly sad day. I wish Bob all the best for the future; he has been the heart and soul of Riverside for 23 years and whenever it eventually re-opens the place just won't be the same without his infectious, tirelessly energetic performances. Good luck Bob, you will be sorely missed at Port Orleans - and your hair still looks great. 
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Walt Disney World releases 2021 resort hotel availability and prices - but not Port Orleans
Posted Wednesday 24th June 2020, 1:00pm (EDT) by The Sassagoula Sentinel
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Every day seems to bring new announcements from Walt Disney World about their post COVID-19 reopening plans. Today however we saw a somewhat more normal annual event: the release of the Resort hotel rack rates and booking availability for the forthcoming calendar year. Sadly, today's release has come as yet another blow to Port Orleans fans as neither Port Orleans Riverside nor Port Orleans French Quarter show any availability at all for 2021. The same goes for the All Star resorts, Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge. |
