Port Orleans News

We posted back in February about the forthcoming maintenance work due to take place in the Port Orleans Riverside lobby during April and May. Resident entertainer Bob Jackson has just updated his website with the following additional information:

They are going to be remodeling the lobby of Port Orleans Riverside, and they will be using part of the lounge for lobby functions. So starting April 11, my show will end at 11 PM. As of now, I'll still be starting at 8:30 PM. That might change. The rehab work will continue through May 23. We'll get through it!

Deb Wills from AllEars.net got to stay in one of the new Royal Guest Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside on Saturday night and seems to have really enjoyed it from her tweets (follow @AllEarsDeb).

AllEars has now posted a lot of detailed photos (including some great Hidden Mickey shots) plus their own in-room video at http://allears.net/acc/g_PortOrleans-RoyalRooms.htm.

Here is the very first batch of photos from the brand new 'Royal Guest Rooms' which opened at Port Orleans Riverside's Oak Manor yesterday, including a couple of Accessible bathroom photos. More picture to come soon, watch this space.

Disability Accessible Room bathroom details (there are also rooms which feature roll-in showers):

The in-room cable television channel line-up is being expanded across all of the World Disney World resort hotels, and Port Orleans is scheduled to be the first to get the new services on Tuesday 13 March 2012. The other hotels will follow over the next two months.

Some of the new channels include Fox News, Bravo, AMC, National Geographic, TBS, TNT, Travel Channel, WE TV, Syfy, Discovery, Bio, HGTV, TLC, History, Food Network and TV Land. Local affiliate channels (ABC, NBC, etc.) and Disney resort hotel-specific channels will still be available. Channel 17 will contain a full list of the new services.

For more details after the new channels go live, see the TV Channels page.

Opening Day for the new Royal Guest Rooms was apparently very hectic, but the cast had a lovely ceremony in the afternoon and Val Bunting (General Manager) and her leadership team dressed as Royalty for the occasion. The Exec Housekeeper read a proclamation officially handing the rooms over from the rehab crew to the Housekeepers, and got them to promise to keep these lovely new rooms looking immaculate and smelling great.

There was celebratory cake and chocolate-covered strawberries and pretzels, plus sparkling cider (in champagne glasses of course!) for a toast.




Besides the rooms, they've also done some enhancements to the courtyard area. The fountain is painted royal blue inside, and the water lighting is coloured at night. There are also spiral topiaries and royal banners featuring the crowns and swords of various princesses and princes. There are also new topiaries with twinkling lights.




(Many thanks to the cast member who kindly sent the photos for us)