Reviews of Port Orleans Riverside Resort (Moderate Resort)
Reviewed by caleal Review Date: 03/26/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
I loved staying at Port Orleans Riverside! I was here in December for a weekend with my husband. We loved the themeing of the whole resort. The attention to detail is really amazing. We were in one of the rooms in Alligator Bayou- everything about it was adorable, including the "wood" floor. With the recent refurbishment, everything still feels very new and clean.
The bus system is great, I know there are a lot of people talking about the sheer size of the resort being a downfall, but I disagree. I never had to wait too long for a bus, and didn't mind driving around the resort to pick up the other guests - it just meant I got to see more of it! It's important to keep in mind that this isn't a traditional hotel, and was never meant to be - it's a large resort with many things to explore and do. The landscaping is wonderful and it's nice just to walk around the winding trails.
It was also fun to be able to take the boat to downtown Disney. We actually saw otters at one point!
Mousekeeping was very considerate, we had left a DND on the door when we left but they still left a bag chock full of towels on the door handle, since the smaller pools don't have towels at them.
One of the best parts was Ye-Haw Bob in the River Roost Lounge - If you get a chance to go to his show, do! He's super funny and talented. However be sure to be early - the space is small and filled up fast. I ended up standing in the hallway just outside of the lounge to catch the show.
One downside was during a stay a lot of the games in the arcade section were not working correctly. I didn't go to Disney for the arcade, so it wasn't a huge deal, but if you plan on spending some time there, it's pretty worn out - maybe hit up Disney Quest instead.
I would stay at Port Orleans Riverside again in a heartbeat!
Pros:
new-feeling, mousekeeping, transportationCons:
worn-out arcadeReviewed by the7dwarfsandme Review Date: 03/21/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Port Orleans Riverside has been our home away from home for quite some time now, but the rooms had been looking a little rundown from the countless guests that have been through them. However, on our most recent trip, we got to see the redone rooms. First, we had no idea how to enter the room...luckily there was a maid cleaning a room two doors down, who showed us that we had to hold our room key against the lock to open it. (I really love this new technology. We found you didn't even need to remove the card from your wallet. The door could read the card through the leather. So cool!) We always stay in the mansions, and I love the new decor there. It feels very classic with hidden Mickeys sprinkled in. My favorite new feature is the thermostat. In past trips, we either froze or had heatstroke in our room. With this new thermostat, it is easy to program the room to your perfect temperature! Strolling aaround this resort and taking in its beauty never gets old. I can't wait to go back next year!
Pros:
Tranquility, theme, amenities, staffCons:
—Reviewed by lukasiewicz35 Review Date: 03/13/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We were in room 9729 which was a corner room so we had a view of the river through one window and the quiet pool through the other window. It was the perfect location for it was directly across from the bridge that leads to the buses and a short distance from the food court. We were in a Royal room which was Beautiful. It was hard to believe that we were not in a Deluxe resort because there was such great detail throughout the room. The bus service was great and We never waited more than 7 minutes for a bus. We were celebrating my friend 40th Birthday and they left a Birthday card for her on her Birthday which was a nice touch. I loved this resort and I will definitely be back to visit soon.
Pros:
Beautiful grounds and Loved the Royal RoomCons:
NoneReviewed by sandc Review Date: 03/09/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Let me start by saying that POR is gorgeous. It is such a quiet and peaceful resort. We were in bldg 18 which was close to main pool, food court, bus stop and private pool/laundry. Unfortunately, out of our party of 15, 10 people were sick while we were there. We are pretty sure it was the norovirus. We called housekeeping and asked for more trash bags and never received them. We actually had to ask our neighbors for bags. We had 3 rooms and all 3 rooms had this nasty stomach bug. They never offered to sanitize/clean our rooms at all. We had to have sheets and comforters cleaned and they just gave us new ones in a huge bag for us to make ourselves. We talked to several other guest and were told that so many people were sick at that hotel. That was really our only issue. We tried to clean the room because we were worried about the guest who were checking in after us. We were still sick the day we checked out.
The bus service was great. We never waited more than 10 minutes and almost everytime, we got seats or at least the little ones did. My 5 year old got sick on the bus and the bus driver was great.
The rooms are very nice. We were in Alligator Bayou section. My only complaint was the drawer space. They have the pull down bed which was a nice size, but becuase of that, the drawers were tiny. We like to unpack and put the suitcases away, but we had to keep our clothes in the suitcases.
The food at the food court was good. They could change it up a little. Maybe like every few days, add something different to the menu. The pasta station and create your salad were a hit with our group.
I would stay here again. I still prefer POFQ because of the smaller size, but we would not hesitate to stay at POR.
Pros:
beautiful, bus serviceCons:
some of the staffReviewed by calves Review Date: 02/27/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This is an absolutely gorgeous resort! The ground are beautiful and peaceful and the mansion side at night is so romantic! We stayed in the Princess room and my eleven year old daughter just fell in love with the room. She cried when we had to leave and we were transferring to the Beach Club! We watched YeeHaw Bob which was a treat and took the boat to Downtown Disney and swam in the pool and just really took the time to enjoy this resort...we usually stay Deluxe but will definitely be staying here again!!!!
Pros:
Beautiful resort with excellent ammenitiesCons:
NoneReviewed by Mrmouse4 Review Date: 02/22/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
After 10 plus visits to this resort, it never disappoints Our favorite of all the moderates. Beautiful and comfortable. Great quiet pools and places to take long walks.
Pros:
We stayed at POR in an Alligatorr Bayou room ( building 14 thank you very much) in early February. This was probably our 10th visit to this our favorite resort. We loved the fresh updates in the rooms .. we had a king We also were able to request anCons:
Although we loved the new room decor I was missing the hook on the back of the bathroom door that has been removed and the drawer space seems to be less than ususal which was ok for just the two of us but may be a problem for a family of four or fiveReviewed by alyssavm Review Date: 02/13/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Food Court: Nice selection, especially the grab & go section. If you're eating healthy there is milk (skim, 1%, whole), fruit (apples, bananas, clementines, grapes), yogurt, veggies & hummus, veggies and dip. Good waffles, potatoes, and bacon in the morning. The eggs were the only thing that weren't edible. We were there during a non-busy time, and the food courts were always packed for breakfast. It might be worthwhile to get cereal/fruit/etc. the night before and keep it in your fridge if it is busy. The food courts were fine during lunch.
Boatwrights: AWESOME. We ate there twice. Abita beer on tap, delicious crawfish bites, salad, mac & cheese, cornbread.
River Roost Lounge: Again, Abita on tap (get the flight of 3 beers). Awesome lounge snacks--try the sliders. YeeHaw Bob wasn't really for us (we're in our 30s) but lots of others seemed entertained. He starts at 8:30 Wed through Sat if you want to hear his show (or not).
Bus stops: We never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus at the resort or the parks. The South Depot has a TON of people, so we walked a little extra to the West depot.
Rooms: Awesome! We stayed in Alligator Bayou in a king room. We were put in a preferred building (#14) without paying the preferred price. 🙂 Loved the bed--very comfy.
Overall: This resort is gorgeous, and we liked it more than Animal Kingdom. Definitely recommended!
Pros:
Quiet, beautiful, nice rooms, Abita beer on tap!Cons:
Crowded food court at breakfast, potentially long walks depending on your buildingReviewed by mackfamily Review Date: 02/13/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
This resort is perfect for our family. We've stayed here 3 times and have no desire to stay elsewhere. The grounds are beautiful. Wonderfully themed. Yes, it's a large resort with a lot of walking, but we love the scenery. Beautiful river. Life seems slower here vs. the hustle and bustle of the parks. The food court is great. Like most resorts the bus service is fairly good. With it being such a large resort you usually aren't having to pick up other hotels on the way to parks. Several pools.
At Christmas the resort is beautiful. There was even caroling one morning in the food court with an elf handing out candy canes.
We've stayed at deluxe resorts and value resorts and find PORS to be perfect for our family of 5. The new murphy beds are much nicer and larger than the trundles. My 15 yr old daughter slept comfortably. We'll definitely be back...
Pros:
Beautiful & QuietCons:
NoneReviewed by doironi Review Date: 02/09/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Went from Dec 27 to Jan 4. We has two connecting rooms in the Acadian House in the Magnolia section. The rooms were super nice, all renovated. We were a long way to the food court but the plus side of this...it was very quiet and relaxing. It was our 3rd time at that resort and this time was the best. All decorated for Christmas, food was great, Mousekeeping was excellent and I must say the bus system was better than I expected for that time of the year. The last time we went, March 2011, we had told them that the seagull outside Sasagoula Restaurant were a real nuisance, well to my surprise, they took our the picnic tables outside, so no more seagull. I was very pleased with that. This resort is the best.
Pros:
Newly renovated roomCons:
NoneReviewed by aenjcn Review Date: 02/05/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Stayed here Jan 28-Feb 2. Had princess Tiana room in Parterre place. Beautifully decorated. We drove our own car to Florida and checked in 8am. We attempted to use early check in, I don't think it really helped. I think we had a newbie checking us in because she kept asking others for info. Unclear directions for negotiating the resort. Also thought bags would be taken to our room when our room was ready but they weren't. We put our luggage back in the van that afternoon and went to the room. Other than that the resort was beautiful and so was the room and we had an excellent housekeeper. Not too far from food court and bus depots(after we figured it out ourselves). Great experience from there on out.
