Very excited

[sydzach]

I had been debating for months about staying on property or off, also having the MIL with us, whether to get two rooms etc. Well, my wife got a teaching job and because she had REALLY wanted to stay on property all along, I said let's splurge and stay on property to celebrate her great achievement-this day and age, getting a job is saying something-especially in education. So, contacted MJ and Denise put a hold on a the trundle bed room at POR, we are VERY excited. Excited she got the job, excited to be staying on property and excited to be using MJ as Denise has done an OUTSTANDING job communicating with me through the ups and downs of planning this trip in Nov.

Now I have questions for you all, what are your thoughts on POR? It looks nice, other than sharing a room with my MIL for 6 nights, having just one bathroom, I think I am going to love it. But, just curious what folks that have stayed there think of it. Please share the good and bad of it. Thanks! :mickey:

[Mickey'sGirl]

Congratulations to your wife, and on booking your holiday!

Since your wife is a teacher, have you considered the Swan or Dolphin for your stay? I believe there are teacher discounts there ... :thumbsup:

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

POR is lovely. We loved the winding paths, feeling like you were really in the bayou. The main pool is cool, and there are a number of smaller pools, so it is almost like you have a personal swimmin' hole. The resort is big, so I would request a room close to the Main Building, which also get you close to the Main Bus stop.

But, unless you and your MIL *really* get along, I would suggest looking at two rooms at a value resort. My DH and my Mom get along super-well, but I would never ask them to share a room for a week together.

[grumpyguy]

We're staying at the POR this sept for the first time.We're big CSR fans,after looking at the other mods we chose POR.
My dw is from the south and we're hoping to be
put on magnolia bend.We want to check out the boat ride to dtd and a few of the other amenities.:thumbsup:Have a great trip!!

[sydzach]

Well, I get along with my MIL just fine, if it were up to me, we WOULD get separate rooms for two bathrooms BUT, we have never stayed in anything but value, we have a pin code for our first two nights at 40% off, and my wife really wanted to upgrade but we also still are on a budget. So, with MIL chipping in to cover some of the cost, this is the most cost efficient way to go. I can tolerate her for 6 nights, she really is a nice person with good intentions-but really, we spend about 99% of our awake hours at the parks so really all we will do in the room is sleep and shower.

[forever a child]

Congrats on your wife getting a new job!:congrats: As you said, it this day and age that is like winning the lottery!

As one of the PP stated, Swan & Dolphin do offer educators discounts...so it is worth at least looking into as the rooms may be larger and that may be a benefit with the MIL sharing.

If you do remain at the POR then enjoy! I really love this Resort:thumbsup: It is beautiful and relaxing! The food court is great! You will love having the boats available to visit DTD and if you are up for it you can rent a Surrey Bike or watercraft or go fishing. So you will have a lot more activities to choose from than the Value resorts offer. There is a piano player that plays in the lounge in the evening and even if you spend more of your time in the parks, perhaps your MIL might like to relax at the resort in the lounge or by a hot tub or quiet pool.

Enjoy it!:mickey:

[sydzach]

It looks like there are a lot of pools at this resort-how does that work? From MJ, we will be staying in a room with the trundel bed, standard view? The place looks so huge, I have no idea where are room might be? We have a hold on a room so probably no way at this point to really know what room location we have.

How is the bus service to this resort and what about the boat trip, is that free and does that only take you to Downtown Disney? Also, which park is this resort closest to? We have never used the bus service, preferring to drive but that is an attractive perk to think about as I commute to work every day, taking a week off driving would be nice.

As for the Swan/Dolphin discount, I might suggest that to Denise at MJ to see what the price difference might be, not sure if that would impact the price-we are still looking for the cheapest alternative we can afterall.

[forever a child]

Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are sister resorts, so unlike other resorts..you can pool hope from one resort to the other :thumbsup: We really loved the Serpant pool at POFQ. Of course you can visit any of the smaller pools too.

You can make a request for a room location but they are never guaranteed. I was told during our recent visit that Resorts don't even receive guest lists to assign room until about 1 week out...so no, they won't have your room assigned until closer to your stay.

Bus service varies in opinion. My feeling is that all of the resorts are about the same. I am sure you will get varied answers though- some having had great experiences and others unhappy with wait time.

[forever a child]

Oh, I forgot...boat service to DTD is free (just like bus services to parks). I believe the boat service ends earlier in the evening than the buses, so if you go and stay late at DTD you may have to plan on taking the bus back to your resort. But we really enjoyed the boat!:mickey:

[BluewaterBrad]

We have stayed there about 5 times. Always had good experiences.Cant say anything bad really.:mickey:

[5MemphisTiggers]

DW and I stayed in the Mansions at POR for our anniversary last year and LOVED it. The grounds are beautiful. A very pleasant place to stay. We skipped the main pool (although it looked like fun) and floated about in one of the pools at the mansions. Quite peaceful.

Bus service was OK -- not really any worse than at the AS resorts. You do make several stops going around the property, but it's not too bad. Pick up at the parks seemed to be a little quicker than for the value resorts, but that can be very hit/miss as well.

The boat to DTD is nice, too. It only goes to and from the PO resorts and DTD, but it is convenient and relaxing (and free).

Enjoy your trip!

[Fastpasssteve]

I find both PO resorts to be charming. These are great places to slow down and enjoy life...being with each other...simple pleasures. You have made a very good choice.

Some other time (when it's just you and your wife for a get-away), you should check out the Swan and Dolphin. They have special deals for Educators. It might be worth inquiring.

Have a lovely trip.

[cindyrellinut]

My DH goes on vacation with my mother (we also have 3 children of our own) and they get along great but sometimes he just needs his own space. We always book 2 rooms at a value. It is only a couple of hundred dollars more than one room at a moderate for our entire stay. There is very little room to move around in some of those rooms and having his own space and not having to share a bathroom with his MIL for 7 days means the world to him. Please take my experience into consideration. Call back and ask what the difference would be, you will be surprised it's not much. Well worth it for two bathrooms in my opinion.:thumbsup:

[sainter]

It looks like there are a lot of pools at this resort-how does that work? From MJ, we will be staying in a room with the trundel bed, standard view? The place looks so huge, I have no idea where are room might be? We have a hold on a room so probably no way at this point to really know what room location we have.

How is the bus service to this resort and what about the boat trip, is that free and does that only take you to Downtown Disney? Also, which park is this resort closest to? We have never used the bus service, preferring to drive but that is an attractive perk to think about as I commute to work every day, taking a week off driving would be nice.

As for the Swan/Dolphin discount, I might suggest that to Denise at MJ to see what the price difference might be, not sure if that would impact the price-we are still looking for the cheapest alternative we can afterall.

I don't think MJ books these hotels any more. You don't mention if you are flying or using ME this trip, but you cannot use ME at Swan or Dolphin either. Just things to consider.

[Mitzie]

:congrats:As a fellow teacher best wishes for your wife. If she is new to teaching tell her to hang in there, those first few years can be rough.
Now to the good stuff...POR is great. It was our very first Disney resort and is still one of our favorites. We have stayed at 3:4 moderates and it is still our favorite in that category. We were back in the AB section as we are a family of 5. We loved the style of the buildings and grounds. We found them very peaceful after a day at the parks. For that large of a resort, it was amazingly quiet. The paths can be very confusing so mark some spots in your head. Our kids loved the main pool and the quiet pools were never far from your building. We ate at both the food court and at Boatwrights, enjoyed both, no complaints. The boat to DTD was nice as well. Go, enjoy, it is an awesome resort.

[Fastpasssteve]

Just a side thought between guys...

It might be good to request a room in a building very close to one of the quiet pools that dot the property. Why? During their morning toilette, you may need to use the bathroom. There are bathrooms, male/female located at each quiet pool. In moments of desperation, you may find it a blessing.

[sydzach]

Thanks for all the insight! I especially like the tip about the extra restroom!! I think all will be fine for the most part as the kids can get showers/baths at night, I can get a quick shower in the morning and hopefully between my wife and her Mom, they can get up early and get themselves taken care of in a timely fashion-well, maybe...

MJ does book these rooms as I just booked last week and I am not interested in the Dolphin or Swan this trip, maybe in the future when it would be my wife and I only. We are thrilled to be staying in a moderate, we have stayed at a value before and it was ok but I think this will be a big upgrade.

My wife taught for 5 years, then stayed home for 10 with our kids, worked part time/job sharing last year as my youngest started K, and now this year back to full time. We are very excited to have two salaries again, it has been 11 years since we both worked full time. She is VERY blessed to have this opportunity as there are NO teaching jobs around, even with us living in the county in Ga with the biggest school system.

Thanks for all your posts, I love getting the personal feedback.

[nicjohn3]

As a teacher of 15 years --someone metioned before..it does take a few years to get "into" it --congratulations!!

POR is my favorite and not sure if I would stay anywhere else, except maybe...a Deluxe.

POR is very peaceful. Especially the boat ride. We usually stay in the mansions because there is only 4 of us but those rooms are not set up for 5 people. Hate leaving everytime to go home. Just something about the resort.

Yes, main pool is always very busy, but quiet pools are nice. Easy access to laundry ($2 each load) Very convenient so you can pack less and unpack less when you get home.

You are not in the room very often so sharing of the expenses is always nice.

You have to walk around the complex and down to the French Quarter to get the Begnets(sp ???).

Enjoy your trip--I'm jealous even though I just got back a few days ago :mickey:

[sainter]

I don't think MJ books these hotels any more. You don't mention if you are flying or using ME this trip, but you cannot use ME at Swan or Dolphin either. Just things to consider.

Sorry, I was not clear at all - I meant I don't think they book the Swan and Dophin that
Mickey'sGirl was suggesting.
Any way, we LOVE POR as evidenced by my signature... :)

[sydzach]

We are not flying, we live in Ga, and it is about a 7-8 hour drive, all interstate so not bad at all. We will arrive late Friday, probably more likely early Sat morning, just depends on if/when we can head out with school etc. I am hoping because we are checking in SOOO late, that process will go smoothly and we can get to the room quickly and hopefully get some sleep for our first day at the park.

We have mapped out or days and tried to hit parks with extra magic hours. Now that we are staying at POR, I think we might try to hit the parks early, then come back and relax for a few hours mid day, then head back in the early afternoon/evening and enjoy the extra magic hours. I have picked the extra hours at night, hoping we can maybe take a nap or just relax mid day. We have never experienced the extra hours before so very curious to see how that will work.