Just back from Riverside - quick thoughts

[nigel-bigel]

Every time we visit Disney we like to try a different resort. And every time we go, it seems like we like the new one better than the last. Not this time. Didn't love the Riverside.

The Good: Bus service was great. We were there during kind of a busy time (Jan 2 -7) and didn't have long waits for busses at all. Further, I think that we didn't share busses with French Quarter, since the buses arrived empty and when we dropped off we never stopped there first.

Also, the trundle bed was really nice. We were just a party of four but we still used it. My teen DDs took turns sleeping there and were very comfortable (5' and 5'3"). While is a great option for a party of five, it does make the room kind of tight. Luggage was everywhere.

The Not-So-Good: We were in a preferred room (close to everything) and still found the place too big. I can't imagine if we were in one of the further out buildings, how miserable!

This also meant big crowds in the food court. Boo.

Mousekeeping was way below standards. Basically the room was clean, but things were overlooked. Like the crumbs from the previous guests that stayed on top on the trundle bed ledge the entire time of our stay. Or it taking five hours and a reminder phone call to deliver extra blankets and pillows.

What bothered me the most was that after two days I called and asked that the sheets be changed that day. The next morning my DD found some papers we thought we had lost two days prior in between the sheets at the foot of her bed. So, essentially, proof that the sheets were not changed.

I'm glad we tried it, but we won't be returning.

Nicole

 

[kellzkidz]

Every time we visit Disney we like to try a different resort. And every time we go, it seems like we like the new one better than the last. Not this time. Didn't love the Riverside.

The Good: Bus service was great. We were there during kind of a busy time (Jan 2 -7) and didn't have long waits for busses at all. Further, I think that we didn't share busses with French Quarter, since the buses arrived empty and when we dropped off we never stopped there first.

Also, the trundle bed was really nice. We were just a party of four but we still used it. My teen DDs took turns sleeping there and were very comfortable (5' and 5'3"). While is a great option for a party of five, it does make the room kind of tight. Luggage was everywhere.

The Not-So-Good: We were in a preferred room (close to everything) and still found the place too big. I can't imagine if we were in one of the further out buildings, how miserable!

This also meant big crowds in the food court. Boo.

Mousekeeping was way below standards. Basically the room was clean, but things were overlooked. Like the crumbs from the previous guests that stayed on top on the trundle bed ledge the entire time of our stay. Or it taking five hours and a reminder phone call to deliver extra blankets and pillows.

What bothered me the most was that after two days I called and asked that the sheets be changed that day. The next morning my DD found some papers we thought we had lost two days prior in between the sheets at the foot of her bed. So, essentially, proof that the sheets were not changed.

I'm glad we tried it, but we won't be returning.

Nicole

Thanks for the report, I was considering this resort for about 5 sec but decided against it because of the large layout. Still looks like a pretty resort, but I like a good housekeeping and tip well for it.

 

[quandrea]

Poor housekeeping seems to be a WDW wide problem.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Poor housekeeping seems to be a WDW wide problem.

Especially during busy times when the resorts are at (or near) full capacity.


Thanks for the review OP!! I like to read ALL opinions of the resort!

 

[pamkat1820]

I agree with the size of the resort. I like everything all under one roof. Very pretty but not for us. I did see a difference in mouse keeping the weekend staff was much better than the staff during the week.

 

[eastcarolinafan]

WOW! Goes to show you how different our experiences can be at WDW. I love -- absolutely LOVE -- Port Orleans Riverside. We have stayed in all three mods and this is my absolute favorite. My wife's favorite is CS, but POR is a close second, and my daughter agrees with me about POR. Go figure.

We were in Alligator Bayou, room 1458, I think and the location was ideal. I mean, I could not have been happier. We were two minutes away from two bus stops, and a five minute walk from the pool. Our experience was entirely different than apparently many here.

Not only would I reccommend POR, I hope to stay there again soon! Great Mousekeeping, friendly staff, convenient location, frequent buses ... what else do I need?

 

[mum2four]

Thanks for your honest review!

We are staying at POR in May and I'm really happy to hear that the bus service was great for you. I've read good and bad reviews of housekeeping for every WDW resort, so I'm crossing my fingers that we have good mousekeepers during our stay.

For our upcoming stay at POR, we are actually hoping for a room towards the back of the resort, removed from the hustle and bustle of the main building. We stayed at SOG during our last trip, and while it was a very nice hotel with everything under one roof, we found ourselves wishing there were more outdoor spaces for us to walk and explore. So, we are really looking forward to the large size of the Riverside resort LOL!

Hope you had a great trip overall!

 

[thymed]

Different things appeal to different people. My family and I LOVE POR and we have tried all the mods and even returned to the Yacht Club (where we originally stayed our first trip 10 years ago) last year for 5 days and I (all of us) wished we had just stuck with POR!!!

We don't find the walk to be too bad at all. We LOVE the quiet pools next to each mansion and the food court while usually busy has NUMEROUS food options, and they are usually quick to serve and you can always find a seat.

The Old Man River Pool is always fun and has something going on, but when you want to swim in peace and have a lounge chair the quiet pools are perfect! If you want to change things up you can take the ferry boat to FQ and swim in their pool.

The bar in the lounge is usually always upbeat with the piano player and everyone singing along, the Restaurant is very good.

You can rent boats, rent bikes or take a horse and buggy ride.

The bus stops are almost right out the back door of each mansion.

For mousekeeping, we called one time about the bathroom, someone was there (a manager actually) within 20 minutes and we never had the issue again.

I am sorry you didn't like your experience, but I hope others will give it a chance

 

[tjherring]

I totally agree with the resort size comments. When we stayed at POR this past Sept. we were well aware of all the warnings of the size of the place....and still underestimated the amount of walking time we'd be doing. Whether it be a walk down to Riverside Mill for a meal, returning home after a long day at a park, visit the arcade, etc - it was A LOT of walking. Kind of made the whole refillable mug thing obselete . HOWEVER, we did experience great mousekeeping service every day and the overall beauty and charm of the resort really helped to make up for our tired feet. I think if we wanted to stay here again we'd simply go to the French Quarter - same type of atmosphere and about 1/4 of the size!

 

[The V Gang]

Every time we visit Disney we like to try a different resort. And every time we go, it seems like we like the new one better than the last. Not this time. Didn't love the Riverside.

The Good: Bus service was great. We were there during kind of a busy time (Jan 2 -7) and didn't have long waits for busses at all. Further, I think that we didn't share busses with French Quarter, since the buses arrived empty and when we dropped off we never stopped there first.

Also, the trundle bed was really nice. We were just a party of four but we still used it. My teen DDs took turns sleeping there and were very comfortable (5' and 5'3"). While is a great option for a party of five, it does make the room kind of tight. Luggage was everywhere.

The Not-So-Good: We were in a preferred room (close to everything) and still found the place too big. I can't imagine if we were in one of the further out buildings, how miserable!

This also meant big crowds in the food court. Boo.

Mousekeeping was way below standards. Basically the room was clean, but things were overlooked. Like the crumbs from the previous guests that stayed on top on the trundle bed ledge the entire time of our stay. Or it taking five hours and a reminder phone call to deliver extra blankets and pillows.

What bothered me the most was that after two days I called and asked that the sheets be changed that day. The next morning my DD found some papers we thought we had lost two days prior in between the sheets at the foot of her bed. So, essentially, proof that the sheets were not changed.

I'm glad we tried it, but we won't be returning.

Nicole

I agree with you as well. We stayed in POR in Nov. 2011. We had connecting rooms for our famiy of 7. While the mansion rooms we stayed in were freshly refurbished the long walk to the food court meant our expensive mugs were rarely used. We were also disappointed by the theme pool. There were too many trees and shrubs around which left the majority of lounge chairs in the shade for a big chunk of the day. Had to wake up at 7:30 to snag chairs that had sunlight all day.

POR did have lovely grounds and the food court was outstanding in terms of selection. The only other disappointment for us was outdoor entrances to the rooms (which we knew about prior to booking) & walking thru a parking lot to get to the bus stops. Felt very undisney.

Just not for us but plenty of people really like it

 

[Sweettears]

We are arriving late the end of February and will be staying there for just one night. I haven't been there since it was Dixie Landings. I love the grounds but the room size and lack of a comfortable chair keep me from an extended stay. We usually stay deluxe. I stayed at POFQ for a couple of days last trip and felt the same. It looked like who ever stayed in the room decided to take a shower after the room had been cleaned on checkout day. Can't blame mouse keeping for that.

 

[OThopeful35]

We stayed at POR in 2011 (our first WDW trip) and we were so far away from the food court. It was a long walk to our room in the hot August sun but overall we loved the resort and would definitely stay there again

 

[mum2four]

I agree with you as well. We stayed in POR in Nov. 2011. We had connecting rooms for our famiy of 7. While the mansion rooms we stayed in were freshly refurbished the long walk to the food court meant our expensive mugs were rarely used. We were also disappointed by the theme pool. There were too many trees and shrubs around which left the majority of lounge chairs in the shade for a big chunk of the day. Had to wake up at 7:30 to snag chairs that had sunlight all day.

POR did have lovely grounds and the food court was outstanding in terms of selection. The only other disappointment for us was outdoor entrances to the rooms (which we knew about prior to booking) & walking thru a parking lot to get to the bus stops. Felt very undisney.

Just not for us but plenty of people really like it

Very interesting to read all the differing opinions. This is actually one of the reasons I am looking forward to POR - shade at the pool! I am very fair skinned, my children are not. I usually end up moving my chair around trying to catch any little bit of shade I can while I watch my kids swim. Nice to know I'll have my pick of shady spots at POR!

 

[OThopeful35]

Very interesting to read all the differing opinions. This is actually one of the reasons I am looking forward to POR - shade at the pool! I am very fair skinned, my children are not. I usually end up moving my chair around trying to catch any little bit of shade I can while I watch my kids swim. Nice to know I'll have my pick of shady spots at POR!

Especially when you go in June, July or August. That shaded area becomes a prime location

 

[dminnie]

We stayed there last year and are going again this year! I liked the atmosphere. We figure you walk a lot at WDW anyways, so walking around the resort doesn't bother us at all. We were in a mansion room and it was a quick walk across the bridge to the pool or food court.

As to this comment that someone made: "It looked like who ever stayed in the room decided to take a shower after the room had been cleaned on checkout day. Can't blame mouse keeping for that." ...I would say that IS mousekeeping's problem. They should clean the room after the party is checked out. Lots of people go for a swim or something and then want a quick shower right before they check out.

If we had crumbs left from a previous guest, we'd probably just clean them up ourselves. If it was a bigger problem, I'd call to let them know about it.

I also loved the shade at the pool. I use sunscreen all the time, but the shade helped too.

 

[nkereina]

What other resorts have you stayed at? I'm curious because we found the walking to be minimal from POR preferred rooms, as compared to other ones.

I agree about mousekeeping. They were less than stellar on our last POR trip - finger prints on the mirror (not ours), rings from previous guests' drinks on the armoire, crumbs by the window seat next to the air conditioner that weren't ours, no soap/shampoo on our first day.

On our first stay at POR, the food court was nuts. It seems like everyone else was there at the same time we were. Did not experience this on our last trip and didn't have to struggle to look for a table either. The time of day makes a big difference - we were there about 7:30-8:00 every morning trying to make rope drop and it was pretty empty. On the trip before, we were there later and it was packed. I'd imagine this is par for most food courts because we experienced this at POFQ as well. POFQ's food court is much smaller than POR's so the situation was worse. POR actually has one of the bigger food courts so I don't know if you'll find a solution elsewhere, unless you change your time.

 

[princessallegra]

WOW! Goes to show you how different our experiences can be at WDW. I love -- absolutely LOVE -- Port Orleans Riverside. We have stayed in all three mods and this is my absolute favorite. My wife's favorite is CS, but POR is a close second, and my daughter agrees with me about POR. Go figure.

We were in Alligator Bayou, room 1458, I think and the location was ideal. I mean, I could not have been happier. We were two minutes away from two bus stops, and a five minute walk from the pool. Our experience was entirely different than apparently many here.

Not only would I reccommend POR, I hope to stay there again soon! Great Mousekeeping, friendly staff, convenient location, frequent buses ... what else do I need?

Could have written this myself! So funny!

 

[I Love Pluto]

Could have written this myself! So funny!

WOW! Goes to show you how different our experiences can be at WDW. I love -- absolutely LOVE -- Port Orleans Riverside. We have stayed in all three mods and this is my absolute favorite. My wife's favorite is CS, but POR is a close second, and my daughter agrees with me about POR. Go figure.

We were in Alligator Bayou, room 1458, I think and the location was ideal. I mean, I could not have been happier. We were two minutes away from two bus stops, and a five minute walk from the pool. Our experience was entirely different than apparently many here.

Not only would I reccommend POR, I hope to stay there again soon! Great Mousekeeping, friendly staff, convenient location, frequent buses ... what else do I need?

I agree with BOTH of you! We LOVE POR!

 

[nigel-bigel]

What other resorts have you stayed at? I'm curious because we found the walking to be minimal from POR preferred rooms, as compared to other ones.

For Mods, we have stayed at Port Orleans and Coronado Springs. It is true CS is bigger but we stayed preferred in the Cabanas section and for some reason we felt closer to the main building, I don't know why. Maybe becasue the paths are more direct and don't meander as much???

I must admit that the landscaping at Riverside is beautiful, and those meandering paths are quite pleasant if you are in the mood for a long stroll.

We have also stayed at Wilderness Lodge, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Dolphin and both the Boardwalk and the Boardwalk Villas (and those Villas entailed a LOT of walking as well.)

Nicole

 

[Amy&Dan]

Thank you for the review, I am sorry you had bad housekeeping. I'm afraid that's a Disney wide problem right now and one they need to get a serious handle on.

As for the size, I can see how that might be a problem for some people. Many of the resorts at WDW are large. We actually prefer those and have learned we would never spend a whole trip at a resort that wasn't as large or even larger than POR. That probably seems weird to you OP!

I am amazed you liked CSR although the buildings being situated around the lake are easier to navigate and you said you were in cabanas. Had you been in Rancho's, you might have felt differently. While POR is probably very near the same size as CSR, its situated differently. At CSR you can see almost all the resort from the beache's and to me its easier to get around. Same with CBR.

Its good you tried it out and thank you for the review!