Port Orleans News

One of the two Magnolia Bend quiet swimming pools at Port Orleans Riverside will be closed for scheduled maintenance from 8th February 2011 until 1st April 2011. All of the other pools at the resort will remain open.

Tragic news as a Massachusetts man dies after walking in front of a Disney bus at Disney’s Port Orleans resort. The following information is from the Orlando Sentinel:

A Massachusetts tourist was killed Sunday when he walked in front of a bus at Walt Disney World’s Port Orleans resort, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

According to witnesses, Robert Krueger, 69, of Yarmouth Port, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, was walking alone when he stepped into the path of a Disney bus traveling through the parking lot of the resort about 5:50 pm, said Sgt. Kim Montes, a Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

The front of the bus struck Krueger and knocked him to the ground, a report says. He died at Orlando Regional Medical Center, Montes said.

The driver, Rosemary Kincaid, 57, of Lake Alfred, had passengers at the time of the accident. No injures were reported. Montes said she didn’t know how many people were onboard.

The crash is under investigation, but Montes said charges were unlikely. Krueger was not on a crosswalk, and the bus had the right-of-way, the highway patrol said.

Walt Disney Resort President Meg Crofton issued a brief statement on the accident: “We offer our deepest condolences to the guest’s family and loved ones. We are doing all we can for them during this difficult time.”

French Quarter building 6 renovation work is now completed, with the top floor having been open to guests for a few days now. The building was officially re-opened with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony on 17 December.

The resorts are in full Christmas swing now, with several guests reporting Christmas Carolers singing in the Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory at breakfast time on Thursday morning. Sounds lovely.

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas. Season's Greetings!

Now that refurbishment work on French Quarter building 7 has been completed and rooms have been reopened for guest use, new construction signs went up today saying please pardon the work around building 6. Sections of the parking lot serving buildings 5 and 6 were roped off and guests were asked to ensure that all vehicles had been removed from that area by the end of Sunday evening as construction equipment would be moved in to start work on Monday morning (29 November).

It seems that they are working to a four-week schedule for each building, although it might also make sense for them to take a week’s break over Christmas when the resort would presumably expect to be fully booked.

[UPDATE 6 December] “The workers are very busy on building 6, arriving at 7am and leaving as late as 10pm.” No wonder progress is so quick!

More photos added on 26 November

First reports have arrived of guests being allocated newly refurbished rooms in building 7 at Port Orleans French Quarter, check out the DISboards thread for discussions. The first rooms were allocated for guests sometime during the afternoon of 19th November.

We’ve been sent some great new first snaps, they’re taken with a camera phone but still give a great taster of the new decor — loving the regal purple and gold bedspreads now we can see the detail!