update on Port Orleans Resort- Riverside Have any of you stayed here,at Disney?

[434Teresa]

Port Orleans Resort- Riverside

We are looking into a 5 night 6 day stay, with park hopper,plus water parks and more then also the quick service dinning package.

The resort says it has 6 heated pools,fishing, playground and if I am reading right a beach?

We want to stay at a Disney resort because we get the extra hours at the park,free parking at the parks if we drive, free bus pass to the parks(every 15 minutes) and just because we want to stay at a nice place.

Is this a nice resort hotel? is the pools nice and can 4 year olds use the silde at the pool?

Is the quik service food package worth the money? meaning is it useable on things like bugers and ff and can we pick anything the certin places has to eat or is it certin things that we can chose from?

I have been 4 times but the last time was 7years ago! I have never added the extra's or stayed at one of the nicer places so this time we are, or I hope its turns out to be a nicer place anyway.

[heartse]

I haven't personally stayed there, but when we were trying to figure out where to stay for our upcoming trip a friend of mine told me that that's her FAVORITE resprt to stay at. It looks like a nice one. We ended up selecting POFQ instead though, because we are going the Pop Warner week and POR has a tendency to be their overflow resort.

POFQ does have all newly remodelled rooms with Queen beds in them, if that changes your decision at all.

There are reviews of all the resorts on www.allears.net or www.disboards.com.

I love Disney, and can't WAIT to go. This will be my first time staying on property... we have been staying at the Double Tree in downtown Disney the last few times, but wanted to take advantage of the extra deals staying on property.

[Macaela25]

I've stayed there, and it's quite nice. They have life jackets at the pools and my son has been using the slides since he was probably 3 1/2. I don't remember there being a beach.

Yes, the meal plans are a great deal. Quick service limits you to the type of restaurant, not the type of food. It's easily $10+ for an adult quick service meal with drink...many people don't realize how expensive Disney food is.

[4my4kids]

We stayed there last time and it is a nice resort. It is a huge resort so definetly worth spending the extra money for a preferred room closer to the lobby. After an xhausting day at the park the last thing I wanted to do was walk another 15 min to my room. Another thing is there are no elevators to get to top floors so if you are bringing a stroller you may want to request 1st floor. I actually preferred to stay at the All Star resort. It had much more of a Disney feel and we literally only slept in it.
As far as the dining plan we have only used the one with a sit down meal and found it very helpful and saved some money. we did a character meal just about everyday and those are included. Food there is crazy expensive. we love Disney and can't wait to go back but know were a family of six so its very expensive.

[KmmCo]

We stayed at Port Orleans quite a few years back - not long after 9/11 if I recall - so it must have been early 2002. We were in the Colonial style 3 story building and it was nice. We got some kind of a free upgrade and had a nice garden view instead of the parking lot view that we paid for. The rooms are just your basic hotel rooms - not kitchenettes or anything like that. The main pool and playground were nice and, if I remember right, there was a nice riverwalk and a dock where you could rent boats. We didn't use any of the restaraunt facilities on site.

The bus service at Disney is okay - but we always rent a car anyway - and find that is sometimes quicker to get where you are going.

Yep - food and everything else is expensive at disney - take lots of money!!!

I would definitely chose one of the moderate resorts over the value ones if I had a choice - the rooms are bigger and the atmosphere is nicer. We stayed at the Caribbean resort before too and liked it. My preference though is for a condo or a vacation home because of the kitchen - you can find zillions of them around the Orlando area for some pretty good prices. Lake Buena Vista is super close in to Downtown Disney or if you don't mind a 30 minute drive then there is great stuff around Kissimmee. I have seen 3 bedroom homes renting for as low as $95 depending on the season.

[434Teresa]

Thanks this is very helpful..I think my kids would love the pool better than than the All star resort one from the way they act to the pictures we have fond of the two places.

Yes food is very expensive thats why I want to besure to get that package added. We plain to take cereal/milk and some other morning type foods so we dont have to eat out everyday for that meal..My kids always love to eat at the parks so thats why I want the quick service one over the dinning in one..

There is 5 of us going maybe 6 for my oldest had plains to go some where else with friends but I think he is going to change his mind before its over.

[atcwag]

Just my 2 cents....I'm planning a honeymoon to Disney next winter and I have a resident expert who is a co-worker. She and her family go to Disney every year. She has stayed at the value, moderate, and luxury resort and says that they always stay @ the value resorts. She has a 6 y/o and a 2 y/o and says the only difference between value and moderates are that the moderates have hot tubs and the rooms are slightly upgraded. She says that for the amount of time you actually spend in the room (sleeping), paying extra really isn't worth it to go with a moderate. She has also had experience with both the quick service and sit down meal plans. She and her family HATED the quick service. She felt like they were eating burgers, fries, and/or chicken nuggets for EVERY meal.....

[434Teresa]

Just my 2 cents....I'm planning a honeymoon to Disney next winter and I have a resident expert who is a co-worker. She and her family go to Disney every year. She has stayed at the value, moderate, and luxury resort and says that they always stay @ the value resorts. She has a 6 y/o and a 2 y/o and says the only difference between value and moderates are that the moderates have hot tubs and the rooms are slightly upgraded. She says that for the amount of time you actually spend in the room (sleeping), paying extra really isn't worth it to go with a moderate. She has also had experience with both the quick service and sit down meal plans. She and her family HATED the quick service. She felt like they were eating burgers, fries, and/or chicken nuggets for EVERY meal.....

I know there is a place in the animal kingdom park that has bbq ribs and other stuff..plus you can use more of the quick service than two in one day so that means you could eat a nice set down supper on night(out og pocket) and then save that one for pizza at the hotel the next night for pizza counts as two of the qiuck meals. I have asked alot of qustions about this to the disney live chat person.

I am with you on the value resort hotel for we will only be in the room to sleep. Thats why I am asking about port orleans-riverside for some of the others dont dont take 5 guest in one room. Usually we dont stay in a disney resort hotel but this time I want to so we can get the extra stuff that comes with it.

I wantted to know if anyone stayed here so I know that the pictures I see online is what I will get onice we get there. The last time we went the NON resort hotel we got was not what it was online when we got there and it was hard to get to the parks form it.

[IntoTheMystic]

Hi Teresa, We went to Disney last year in August. There were 14 of ous (SIL, BIL, nieces, DS6, DS10, DH) (Yeh, I know...August is HOT! but that's the only time we could ALL go.) Anyway, I did a TON of research before we went. Check out mousesaversdotcom and read everything on there. We did not do the meal plan. It was free in August if you stayed at Disney, but b/c it was free most of the restaurants were booked. We decided to stay off property and were really glad we did. Everyone keeps saying that food is expensive at Disney but with a little planning, you can avoid that. We brought our own frozen water bottles, wraps, fruit, snacks, cereal bars, etc. That saved us an incredible amount of money, and honestly I don't want to wait in line in the heat, eat a lot of grease and overpay for it while I'm being herded around like a buffalo :) The kids liked it b/c they didn't have to wait for food and we avoided many meltdowns. Plus, it was so much healthier. Eventually even those in our large group who thought they didn't want to bother packing lunch and drinks decided to join in by the end of the trip. I don't want to make this too long, but check out that website. You can save quite a bit by reading their tips. I kept hearing how expensive the food was so I budgeted $200 per day for meals, and bringing lunch and drinks meant we could have a nice dinner off-property every night if we wanted to. We ended up spending far less. Good luck! No matter what you decide, I'm sure you'll have fun!

[434Teresa]

Hi Teresa, We went to Disney last year in August. There were 14 of ous (SIL, BIL, nieces, DS6, DS10, DH) (Yeh, I know...August is HOT! but that's the only time we could ALL go.) Anyway, I did a TON of research before we went. Check out mousesaversdotcom and read everything on there. We did not do the meal plan. It was free in August if you stayed at Disney, but b/c it was free most of the restaurants were booked. We decided to stay off property and were really glad we did. Everyone keeps saying that food is expensive at Disney but with a little planning, you can avoid that. We brought our own frozen water bottles, wraps, fruit, snacks, cereal bars, etc. That saved us an incredible amount of money, and honestly I don't want to wait in line in the heat, eat a lot of grease and overpay for it while I'm being herded around like a buffalo :) The kids liked it b/c they didn't have to wait for food and we avoided many meltdowns. Plus, it was so much healthier. Eventually even those in our large group who thought they didn't want to bother packing lunch and drinks decided to join in by the end of the trip. I don't want to make this too long, but check out that website. You can save quite a bit by reading their tips. I kept hearing how expensive the food was so I budgeted $200 per day for meals, and bringing lunch and drinks meant we could have a nice dinner off-property every night if we wanted to. We ended up spending far less. Good luck! No matter what you decide, I'm sure you'll have fun!

Yes aug is a hot month to go..thats when we usually go thats why we are going in june this time. We are taking some food items with us and getting the quick service meals for with two 4year olds we dont want to have to carry all that stuff around the parks each day with us(we will have enouh already in the backpack we will carry). we are going to eat in our room in the mornings before we leave, then we can eat lunch at the park and choose where to eat our supper meal at each day for we can use the meal tickets at the resort hotel also.

Being that I want my kids to have the best time and i dont want to fuss with them the whole time I to be able to eat at the parks some.