What requests can and should I make for staying at the Walt Disney World resorts?
I will be staying at one of the All Stars ( I won't find out which one until later) I'm told probably the Music or Sports. Then I will be staying at the Port Orleans Riverside. I will be traveling with a very large group while staying at the All Stars including my husband and 3 and 5 year old. Then just my family at Port Orleans. Just wondering what requests I can make regarding my hotels. And what other suggestions you have for me regarding these specific hotels. Thanks! I have no choice about staying at the All Stars ( I will be with a group) I can not change categories for my stay at the Port Orleans. I have to stay within the moderate. (Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Caribbean Beach) Do only some of the rooms at Port Orleans Riverside have elevators?
Orlando - 11 Answers
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1 :
well i go to disney every year, and i have to say you did a lousy job picking the hotels you stayed at , if you did pick them. the all star does save you money but there are alot of downsides about it. if you are upset with anything--anything at all go and complain. so many people do this there that they move you to a way better moderate priced or deluxe resort for free. also, you should call disney and switch your reservation at the port orleans to the french quarter, not the riverside. the riverside is HUGE and very overscrowded.i have been there 7 times, and i usually stay at deluxe resorts. we starte staying at the port orleans (french quarter) though,to save money and it is my faveorite hotel now along with the contemporary. the main reason is the pool!! it is the best pool i have ever seen at disney. also it is much smaller as i was saying and there is only 1 bus stop. at the riverside there are 4. in the morning when you want to get to the parks, all the buses go to the french quarter, and then they go to the riverside with the same bus. the bus is filled after the 2nd stop at the riverside, and then it takes another 1/2 and hour to send another bus over to the other 2 stops. the pool is also always crowded here, and it was hard to swim when i went. the french quarters pool though is breaktaking..i swear!! they have a sea serpent that looks like it is swimming through the pool area, and it is really big. the pool is under it, and it is huge!! the waterslide is in the head...basically i really think you should stay here more, because you would enjoy it more. it is very easy to switch. just call disney, and in about 2 weeks they will send you a confirmation slip in the mail. check out http://www.disneyworld.com and click on resorts to view them better. have fun!!
2 :
Try to get a room close to the bus stop. The all stars are fine. Have fun.
3 :
I think you chose very wisely when picking your hotels. All of the All-Stars are good choices, especially for larger groups. Everyone will have their own room, although they will be smaller than the other hotels they are nice. The value resorts only real drawback is the fact that they do not offer a sit down restaurant, so it's the food court only. Other than that the value resorts are good choices for those on a less expensive budget. The P.O. Riverside is a very good moderate resort. Port Orleans is huge and split into two sections, Riverside and French Quarter (formerly Dixie Landings). I have stayed at the French Quarter and really enjoyed it. The rooms are a little bit larger, the pools are very nice, the decor is outstanding, and the food court and the sit down restaurant (Boatwright's dining) are also very good. You can't go wrong with any of the moderate resorts. There are a few more bus stops in Riverside, but don't let that fool you, there is usually not a huge problem with the bus service. As for requests, it depends on what you want. In the All-Stars I don't think there is anything special to ask for unless you want to be closer to the main building for some reason. Disney is usually pretty flexible in this regard, but you have to call them in advance, about a day or so. I have a father-in-law who is diabetic, so when we were at All-Star Movies we asked to be closer to the main building so we could be closer to the food court, because he has to be able to eat at specific times, and he has a hard time walking. This is the only request I would make for P.O. Riverside. The resort is large, so any extra time spent walking could be rough, especially with little ones. See how close you can get to the main building and pool area. Other than that, there really isn't a bad place to be in the resort. If you want some more info on these resorts or some other tips and suggestions I would recommend a couple of spots. First try the disboards. The disboards is a message board website where you can ask questions, get trip reports, dining reviews, resort reviews, tips, tricks and all kinds of info, including suggestions for the rest of Orlando, including Sea World and Universal. The people who are on the disboards are people who go often and love to go to Disney, and know what they are talking about. Also, there is the website allears.net. Tons of info there. Finally, go to the bookstore and pick up the Birnbaum's guide to WDW. There are a ton of guide books out there, but that is the one that has always worked best for us. Don't let anyone tell you that you are wasting your time and money taking your children to Disney at their age. Sure, they can't ride the Rock'N'Roller Coaster or the Tower of Terror, but there is a ton of stuff they can do and will love. I took my kids for the first time when my daughter was 4, then when my daughter was 5 and my son 1, we had a great time. As they have gotten older they have been able to ride more and more, and seeing their faces the first time they saw Main Street USA was worth every penny that I have ever spent at Disney. It is sooo worth it. Have a great trip! Hope this helps.
4 :
For your requests, I would suggest looking at a map of the different resorts that you may and will be at, go to wdwinfo.com and they have each resort map with the designated smoking sections on them. Since you have a 3 and 5 year old I would try to get a room closest to the pool, bus stops, main area which has the food court. You don't want to be walking a long way just to get back to your room after a day of parks. As for Riverside, unlike one poster, I absolutely loved the place. It is so quiet and serene and the grounds is very beautiful. We stayed there in June in the Alligator Bayou section bldg #14. We had a 1st floor room which is very convient since we too had 2 little ones. Our room was right next to the main area with Boatwrights and the food court, the bus stop was an easy walk, and the marina and main pool was very close as well. We did pay for the water view room which gave us a wonderful view of the river....however, if you pay for the waterview room, you may get a view of a pool as well. Unlike the one poster, Riverside has more pools than the main one, each sections have quiet pools which are great, especially if the main pool is crowded, however these quiet pools do not have a waterslide like the main one does. Unfortunately I have never stayed in any of the All Star Resorts so I could not tell you which building would be the best for your situation, however, I do know that these resorts, like the Riverside and other moderates, do have preferred rooms that is a little bit more in price than the standard room. These rooms are usually closest to the main pools, food courts, and bus stops. Have fun on your trip.
5 :
For your All Star Room, try and get a room on an upper level to lessen the noise factor. Bottom room floors are easier to get to, of course, but tend to be noisier. As go as high up as you can to reduce that issue. Also, you can request a fridge in your room at the All Star. The Port Orleans Resorts offer River View rooms for a bit more money. If you plan to spend a lot of time at your resort, this might be nice. But if you only plan to sleep there and maybe take a dip in the pool, the extra money for the view isn't worth it. You'll be better off using that money for meals, souvenirs, etc... Be sure to visit http://www.easybreezyplanning.com There you can sign up for a free Disney E-newsletter, read up on fun tips and advice, watch fun Disney movie previews, purchase discounted Disney park merchandise and receive assistance with planning your Disney vacation! Have a wonderful trip!
6 :
If you are looking for elavators request a room in the masion area and not the aligator bayou. The alligator bayou only had stairs. The great thing about Port Orleans Riverside is that no matter where you are you are usually no further then a 5 minute walk to a bus stop. Also if you are wondering where the best room would be to be close to say a food court...just call Disney and ask! They are great about that. Go straight to the source!
7 :
i been there and was OK those Disney moderate hotels loOKs like 2 or 3 stars hotel, the service is OK no more choices, nothing much, but u can find a soda cup for a free refill, the breakfast is not good but the quantity is large u can spare u food. The bathroom is OK need renovation.. the hotel is too old, well is no more complaint but if u r in a budget is ok. Use the Disney bus for transportation, save you time and of course the parking time. Make early reservations for the breakfast in Magic Kingdom all of you will enjoy taking pictures with the Disney characters. All u shopping bags send to your hotel. Next time use the Hilton chain for the same price and the best service around Orlando, but if you go with friends rent a nice home in Kissimee (2,000 to 3,000 sf) to the English people.
8 :
I would suggest asking for a room close to the lobby/food court/bus stops. Making a long trek to the hotel room at 11pm after you have walked all day is tough! I'm guessing that reservations haven't been made yet, as you need to specifically tell them which themed resort you're at . I personally think that the Movie theme is the best of the three, just based on theming, since you have kids too. But if you are going as a large group, i guess thre's other things and interests to take into consideration. I highly suggest requesting a refrigerator for your room. Even if you don't thnik you'll need it, i think its worth the $10 a day. We pack some small cereal boxes, some milk and OJ as well as some little donuts or coffee cakes and fruit so we can have a quick breakfast in our room as we are all getting ready to go in the morning. I also pack some juice boxes for the kids as well as bottles of water. They're always cold and we can grab more if we need more when we go back mid day to rest. Plus it beats paying $2.50 for a water in the parks - bottled - asking for a cup or water and /or ice is free at any counter service eatery. Hope you have a great time!!
9 :
I wouldn't worry so much about the hotels cause you won't spend that much time in it. Make yourself familiar w/your surroundings...... laundry,bus areas, restaurants, vending and where you are in the whole picture. Lighten up... after all your going to Disneyworld!! Have fun!
10 :
At All-Stars put out a little extra cash for a preferred room otherwise you may end up at the very end of the resort and that walk from the bus stop to your room can be awful after a day at the parks. Also, rent a small fridge for 10 bucks and keep drinks and quick snacks in it. Also, music has wonderful family suites that offer more than a regular room. Plan on long lines at the bus stop as all the resorts share the same bus unless you stay at Pop Century.
11 :
With the All Star resorts, I highly suggest a room near the shuttle pick up. (As you and your family come back from a day at the parks, you will want a room that take the fewest steps to get to.) Also, the 2nd floor of the All Star resorts may have less traffic, but there is only one elevator per section so you may have quite a journey if your room is on the far side from the elevator.
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