Paddle faster, I hear banjo music – Disney Port Orleans Riverside
Written: Jul 02 '09 (Updated Aug 14 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Perks for staying on site.
Cons: Lack of magic. Too much time on the bus getting to the parks.
The Bottom Line: The grass isn't always greener on Disney property.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: Disneys Port Orleans-French Quarter |
What a long process of planning, scheduling, and waiting for our summer vacation. Thanks to a Disney promotion and $1000 in Disney reward points from our Chase Disney credit card we were able to get a really nice 8 night package at Port Orleans Riverside with all of the ticket add ons.
Reservations
Port Orleans is a southern themed hotel. We stayed in the Alligator Bayou which was a 2-story rustic building with lush swampy landscaping.
Port Orleans ended up being the only option for us at the time of booking because many of the locations do not accommodate a large family. There were only a few resorts that were included in the summer discount, and that selection was limited with the dates we selected. Booking on Disney's website is a hassle. I had to put lots of proposed dates in the search box to find reservations that would accept the amount of days we wanted to stay. A travel agent had the information back to us in 2 minutes, but the price was better on Disney's site. A deposit was required to hold the reservation, then the package had to be paid in full six weeks prior to arriving.
The Arrival
Disney categorized the Port Orleans as a moderate resort with a nightly fee of around $150-$225 a night, depending on the season and room choice. We chose this location because so many people had told us that it was so nice. I suppose it is compared to what you are use to. We weren't as impressed.
We did not have a favorable first impression when we arrived. Let's just say you don't go to stay, you stay to go to the parks. Disney encourages online check in which means you don't have to wait in line at the front desk but you still have to go there for your keys. We did not get any attention or smiling faces when we arrived which did not make me feel welcomed. The front desk is not attached to any rooms so you don't pull up to the front and drop off your bags like you normally would. We carried all of our junk ourselves down the sidewalk and up the flight of stairs in the hot sun, both ways. It was at least a 5 minute walk to the parking lot. The rooms are all outdoor access like a motel. The grounds are beautiful but they feel comfortable rather than exotic. I didn't feel like I was getting away from it all.
One notable drawback is that this is a huge resort with two hotels connected together. There is a lot of walking involved. It took us about 10-15 minutes to get to places like the the lobby or bus stops. It is also a 10 minute wait time for the bus, and a 15-20 minute ride each way to the parks. It is exhausting and takes up more of your day than if you were staying in a closer resort. We watched many mothers try to carry their exhausted kids (all more than able to walk on their own) from the bus all the way to their room but just couldn't do it. I could barely drag myself some nights. My point is, there's trade offs for staying a less expensive resort.
The Room
Disney categorized the Port Orleans as a moderate resort. What you get is a motel room with perks.
We have three kids so we requested a trundle bed which is a tiny mattress on wheels that pulls out from under the bed. My son would have rather slept on the sofa but the room wasn't large enough to even have a sofa.
The room was very small with no wow factor. We were happy about the complementary fridge to put our water bottles in. The bed was small, but comfortable. The bathroom was small but clean. There were 2 sinks outside of the shower area which was handy. There were 5 people in the room though, so we were doing a lot of arm bumping and slow to go. Another grumble is that we were too far away to run to the lobby bathroom in the morning if someone is in the shower.
Room Service
The lady that cleaned our room most of the week was wonderful. She came at the same time each day which was helpful to know when to expect her. We always had enough towels and bath supplies.
This is a tiny room so it's not a cool place to hang out. We sure wouldn't want to order room service and hang out here.
There is a concierge in the lobby that can answer questions or assist with planning. We called from the phone in the room a couple of times and they were also friendly and helpful.
All of the the employees we passed always greeted us. They were very cheerful and looked happy.
The Benefits of Staying on Property
The fact is, we could have stayed at a 4 diamond hotel in Orlando for the same price as this 3 diamond hotel. If you're gong based on price, you can get a nicer or less expensive room elsewhere. We were after the Disney package but in the end we were not moved by the magic of it.
I'm going to go through all of the perks of staying on site because this is what staying on property is all about and I think the price should be considered as a total package.
Theme Park Tickets
The basic theme one park per day ticket to Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Studios is deeply discounted (hopper upgrade is available) if you buy the room and tickets together. It would have cost us $1000 more to buy the exact same park tickets if we were not staying at a Disney property. Plus, the more days you go to the park, the cheaper the tickets become. Let me just throw out there the more days you go, the less fun it becomes.
Theme Park Extended Hours
This is a remarkable thing that we loved. Each day one park opens earlier or later for hotel guests. Your hotel key for each member of the group is required to get in line. We did the evening hours when the temperature was cooler and the crowds were gone. We were able to do a whole park in one evening which left more pool time for the day!
Dining plan option
The only way that you can get the 30% discounted Disney dining plan is to stay on Disney property. The details of the Disney dining plan can be found on Disney's website. If it's worth the price or not can be debated, but no one can dispute that you get more food than you can eat with the meal plan. We were always eating! Remember though, the more you eat, the more your tip will be and is expected at the buffets too. Tipping is awkward with the dining plan because your meals are deducted as dining credits off of your room key. You have to verbally tell the waitress how much you want to tip her so she can charge it to your room key as long as you have previously authorized that at the hotel, or provide her with your credit card. Otherwise you can leave cash.
There's also a trade off for having the dining plan. Reservations must be made for dining so we had to commit months in advance to where and what time we wanted to eat. It didn't seem like a big deal until we were rushing to leave parks to get to our reservation. You have to arrive 15-30 minutes early to your reservation and most likely an hour to get to the destination because the buses and monorail sometimes take a long time especially at dinner time because that's when everyone else is going to eat. Another hour is spent getting back to the park or room. It took us no less than three hours on a daily basis just to have dinner. Sometimes even longer if we wanted to go back to the room to clean up before dinner. It's a trade off, and well worth the trade off to dine in some of these luxurious hotel restaurants as long as you're aware of the effort.
Another thing to consider about the dining plan is that you have to pay in advance for every day that you stay in the hotel. So, if you want to go somewhere off of Disney's property, or don't plan on going to park one day you'll still have to pay for the unused dinners out of pocket, or make your way to a Disney restaurant. Boatwright's is the only dining room for this resort. Reservations are recommended and it was always packed when we walked by. The dining plan can be used at Boatwright's as well as the Riverside food court, and the French Quarter food court.
Things to do at resort when parks closed
There are lots of things to do around the hotel when it rains or the park is closed. Some things are free like the 30 minute boat ride to Downtown Disney or swimming at the pools (I think they have 7 pools). There are things that require money like bicycle rental, boat rental, hair braiding, game room, bar with a piano man, and dining. I enjoyed hanging around the common areas. It was fun to watch everyone doing different things.
Dining
The Riverside Mill is near the lobby and is a food court. They offer breakfast in the morning but it's absolutely packed. We ate lunch there several times and liked it. I think it was better than fast food at the theme parks because there was a better selection and the environment wasn't so rushed. A lot of people were also doing take out. The menu can be found online, but they basically have a bakery, burger station, pizza and pasta, sandwiches, and salad station. They are on the pricey side as everything at Disney is, but we were always full when we left.
A lot of people were doing the mug deal which we didn't realize existed until just before we left. The coffee travel mug can be purchased in the food court and then refilled at the beverage station for free at any participating Disney hotel for the length of your stay.
Game Room
Our package included a complementary card for 30 minutes in the game room so we went to check it out. We also went to Quest Disney and found this game room to be more entertaining.
Pool
There are lots of different pools to choose from and they're open until midnight. It's a great way to lounge or spend time when the parks are closed. It was fun having different pools to go to. They were just pools, nothing breathtaking.
Playground
There is a park for kids but we didn't visit it.
Jogging / Walking Trail
There is a one mile sidewalk that people were enjoying their morning run on or evening stroll. Not me, we walked enough in the theme parks!
The sidewalks are very dark at night. I almost stepped on a snake for real. The sidewalks also flood when it rains so makes for very wet shoes. It's a swampy atmosphere so there's lots of unidentifiable noises coming from the landscaping. The landscaping is the best part of the resort.
Photo
Our package included a complementary photo print out of a picture taken by one of the photographers at the park. This is an excellent way to get a complete family picture. We were able to add the free border around it that says Disney and the year so it makes a nice keepsake.
Parking / Shuttle
There is no extra charge for parking your vehicle at the resort. If you stayed at an off site hotel you'd be paying $12 or more a day for theme park parking.
Bus is the primary transportation from this location, but there's a boat in back that goes to Downtown Disney. Any Disney location can be reached by going from the bus to one of the theme parks then to the destination. We wasted hours of our day being transported around on the bus. The bus becomes as stressful as driving. We were either standing like sardines, or sitting wishing the person standing right in front of me would have used deodorant that day. If you're dealing with crowds I think it's worth the time to walk to the lobby bus stop in the morning because it's the first stop on the route.
The same banjo music played nonstop over the intercom driving me insane. We spent HOURS riding on buses to and from our resort. We will be staying at a closer resort if there is ever a next time.
Overall
The kids complained a lot about the room while we were there. We proceeded to a beach resort after Disney and the kids stressed how much better it was. Makes me think we should have skipped the Disney experience.
I have mixed feelings about our experience and at this point we don't plan on going back to a moderate Disney resort because it just doesn't match our expectations of "vacation". There's a big hype for staying on Disney's property and this is an affordable way of doing it. I can't say that I hated the Port Orleans Riverside, but perhaps we stayed too long. We started missing the luxuries of our home and became increasingly impatient with the crowded long bus rides. I suppose I expected more than I should have.
I don't want to discourage anyone from going because it is nice enough and significantly less expensive than other Disney options. This could be a nice experience as long as your willing to give up the conveniences.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
Reviews written: 542
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