Over the last several months, all of the rooms at Port Orleans Riverside have been refurbished and slightly redecorated. Last week I spend a couple of days here so I could film and photograph the new Alligator Bayou and Mansion rooms. While I was there, I was also given access to a Mansion Accessible room which I will also cover today. The new Royal rooms were discussed in another blog so these will not be discussed at this time.
This blog is strictly about the new room designs. If you’d like to know more about the resort and its amenities, check out the article I wrote two years ago by clicking here.
The Alligator Bayou rooms are located in 16 two-story lodge buildings. They are nestled in groves of pine and oak trees which create the feeling of backwoods wilderness. The exterior of the lodges have not changed with the refurbishment.
Inside the room, we’ll look first at the two queen beds. The headboards have not been altered from the previous design. They appear to be made out of small logs and branches. However, the bedspreads have been updated. They now sport scenes from around the resort.
The decorative pillow features Louis from the Disney animated film, “The Princess and the Frog.”
Two lantern-styled lamps can be found above the beds. Each is operated by a separate switch located over the nightstand.
The nightstand resembles a shipping crate that might have traveled along the Mississippi in another era. On it are a telephone and clock radio.
The picture on the side wall is that of the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland. It was painted by Disney Legend Herb Ryman.
All rooms have at least one, large window. Corner rooms have two. Besides blackout curtains, Venetian blinds allow guests to adjust the amount of outside light that enters the room.
Beneath the window is a reasonably disguised air conditioner. In the past, the controls were on the unit itself. Now, a wall-mounted thermostat operates the device. This is a nice improvement.
Like the headboard, the room’s table appears to be made out of logs and branches. The chairs have slat backs and are painted dark brown. The carpet continues this wood theme and looks like peg-and-groove construction.
The biggest change to the Alligator Bayou room comes in the way a fifth person is accommodated here. In the past, inconvenient trundle beds were located under one of the primary beds. These have been done away with and replaced by an easy-to-use foldout bed. Resembling more shipping crates, this single bed opens and closes with ease. When the bed is open, we see Louis again, dreaming an alligator dream.
FYI: This bed is intended for children and young teenagers. An adult would be a little tight on space.
When not in use as a bed, this structure offers bench seating. Beneath the bench are three drawers. On one of the drawers we see a stenciled silhouette of a steamboat. The lettering says Willie Inc. Est. 1928. This is in reference to Mickey Mouse’s debut in the animated short “Steamboat Willie.”
On top of the “crates” is a shelf, perfect for the storing of wallets, jewelry, room cards, and park tickets. You’ll also find convenient audio-visual outlets for connecting your video camera to the TV.
Next to the foldout bed is a cupboard that houses a small refrigerator and two shelves. On top of this cabinet is the coffee maker and ice bucket. The hammered tin door is especially appealing with its scene of water lilies and cattails.
Above this cupboard is a coat-rack adorned with Mickey. However, the close proximity to the coffee maker below makes this coat-rack almost useless except for very small items.
All of the walls have been given a texture treatment. I don’t know if this is wallpaper or plaster, but either way, it adds a nice, rustic touch. Rough-hewn wood planks circle the ceiling.
The vanity area of the bathroom is separated from the bedroom by a curtain.
The old bathroom design featured two pedestal sinks. This was attractive, but offered very little counter space. These have been replaced by a vanity unit with two sinks. Beneath the counter are shelves and a decorative washboard. The two mirrors are framed with “branches” that match the headboard and table. The number 92 on the washboard represents the year the resort opened. The hairdryer on the wall has a small light on the bottom of the unit. This makes a perfect nightlight.
Next to the sink is an open closet. There is plenty of space here to hang your clothes. Also in this area are extra bedding, an iron, ironing board, and key-locking safe.
The toilet and tub/shower are located in a separate room. The shower walls are covered in a material that resembles wood planks. The shower curtain features a non-Disney design of fish.
I liked this new design of the Alligator Bayou room very much. It was rustic, but didn’t reek “outdoors.” It still retains some sophistication. I was comfortable here and suspect most others would be too. If you have five people, or a son and daughter that require separate beds, I would highly recommend one of these units.
To see a three minute film of an Alligator Bayou room, check out my video below.
Whereas the Alligator Bayou section of the resort offers backwoods charm, the Mansion section of Port Orleans suggests stately elegance. Four massive buildings, each with a different Southern Plantation design, house the rooms here.
The two queen-sized beds are draped in a non-Disney blue bedspread. A dust ruffle covers the lower mattress.
Each headboard features a beautiful painting inspired by real places at Port Orleans Riverside.
Above each bed is a simple, but elegant light fixture. Once again, they are operated by switches above the nightstand.
The nightstand is of an unassuming design which features a shelf and a drawer. A phone and a clock radio sit on top.
The window is draped in a rich fabric of elegant design. Venetian blinds add additional lighting options.
A round table and two chairs offer a nice spot to set up your laptop. I was especially impressed with the chair coverings. Additional fabric hangs below the seat cushions. In the scheme of things, this extra material is completely unnecessary, but adds a stylish touch worthy of the Grand Floridian.
The chest has three drawers and a cabinet that houses a mini-refrigerator. The flat-screen TV and coffee maker sit on top.
I must use this opportunity to complain. I see this time and time again in EVERY Disney resort. It is a minor inconvenience, but it annoys me.
Many small refrigerators have reversible doors. Why is it that Disney doesn’t match the way the refrigerator door opens with the way the cabinet door opens? When one door opens to the left and the other to the right, it makes accessing the unit difficult. They should both open in the same direction.
Next to the chest is a cushioned bench. Above this is a Mickey coat rack. The arrangement here works better than at the Alligator Bayou rooms as there is space beneath the coat-rack, allowing you to hang longer pieces of apparel.
The picture on the wall is of Disneyland’s Mark Twain riverboat.
Like the Alligator Bayou rooms, the controls for the air conditioner have been moved to a wall unit.
The bathroom vanity is located behind a hand-drawn curtain.
The vanity has a large counter-top with two sinks. Above this is a shelf and two mirrors and the room has more than adequate lighting. A hairdryer hangs on the wall.
The open closet has plenty of hanging space, an iron, ironing board, and a small safe. I have the same complaint with the safe as I do with the refrigerators. Why can’t the safe door open toward the wall? By opening away from the wall, it becomes more cumbersome to use.
The toilet and tub/shower is located in a separate room. The shower walls are covered in a plastic material that hints at tile work.
I like the Mansion Rooms. They are nice. Very nice. But I didn’t feel that the theming was anything out of the ordinary. Remove the picture of the Mark Twain and a few other Disney references, and I could be in any nice motor lodge around the country. On the other hand, the Alligator Bayou rooms are loaded with character. You will not find rooms like these at your local motel. Disney has taken the decorating of their rooms to a new level. The Alligator Bayou rooms are a good example of this. The Mansion rooms are nice, but nothing to write home about.
To be fair, I’m not sure what Disney could do to “plus” the Mansion rooms any more than they already have. But when you stay in an Alligator Bayou room one night and a Mansion room the next, the differences become more obvious.
To see a two and a half minute movie of a Mansion room, check out my video below.
While on my most recent trip, I also visited an Accessible Mansion room. Since the overall décor is identical to a standard Mansion room, I will only highlight what has been changed to make this room “accessible.”
You may have noticed, at all of the moderate resorts, the doors are placed within an alcove. (First picture.) In order to give the Accessible rooms a little more square footage, these alcoves have been eliminated. (Second picture.)
The doors of Accessible rooms have two peepholes — one at a standard height and a second at a level convenient for someone sitting in a wheelchair.
The beds are several inches lower than in standard rooms for easier access.
The switch plate above the nightstand also has an electrical outlet so you don’t have to go searching for it along the baseboard.
Between the beds and the room door is a full-length mirror.
Standard rooms have a round table. Accessible rooms have a square table designed for those using a wheelchair.
In making the bathroom larger and more convenient, the closet in the vanity was eliminated. In its place, a large wardrobe was placed in the bedroom area. In it are shelving, hanging space, the iron, and ironing board.
Unlike standard rooms that use a curtain to separate the vanity area from the bedroom, Accessible rooms use a solid, pocket door.
The bathroom has been radically redesigned from the Standard room. First, it’s one large room rather than two. This allows the toilet area more space. Handrails have also been added for support.
There is only one sink with no cabinetry below. This frees up this lower space for those riding in a wheelchair. To make up for the lack of counter space, additional shelving has been added nearby.
The shower is designed to be “rolled” into. Dual height controls and a shower head on a flexible hose provide easy access. A fold-down chair is attached to the wall.
To see a two and a half minute movie of an Accessible Mansion room, check out my video below.
That’s it for my coverage of the new room decors at Port Orleans Riverside. This is a great resort and I highly recommend giving it a try sometime.
Do you know if a bed rail could be attached to the Murphy bed? I worry that my almost 3 year old might fall off without one. Also, does Disney supply bed rails free of charge? Thanks!
Jack’s Answer:
I really don’t know. It doesn’t look like it to me, but then, Disney can work wonders. I also don’t know if they charge for bed rails, but I doubt it. Disney usually supplies most items like this free of charge. Sorry I can’t help you. But if you call Disney, I know they’ll be able to answer your questions.
407-824-4321.
The coffee makers at Riverside last spring(2012) looked the same as in the picture shown. They use the round coffee sachets/pods. Not very tasty. We always bring a french press and hot pot for our coffee. If your a coffee lover, you’ll be glad you did. You can use the coffee maker for your hot water instead of a hotpot.
We will be staying at PO Riverside shortly. Can you tell me what the coffee makers in the room use to make coffee. Are they K-cups, because I don’t see a coffee pot in the picture. Hearing the complaints of Nescafe we would like to pack our own coffee but need to know if it is 4 cup filters and regular coffee or K-cups. Thanks for the great pictures, thought I wanted the Mansion but know leaning towards Bayou.
Jack’s Answer:
I’m not a coffee drinker so I pay little attention to the coffee makers. I can tell you it’s a Cuisinart. I’ve attached a picture of it for you so you can make better determinations as to how it functions and what coffee it uses.
I hope this helps.
I love the renovatiosn! I’ll be staying there in January (well, probably… might stay at the cabins at Fort Wildrness; we’re up in the air).
Any clue if they’re going to be selling those bedspreads? They’re great for disney freaks like me! LOL
Richard/Tralfie
Jack’s Answer:
When Disney is liquefying used merchandise, they either offer it to cast members at greatly reduced prices or sell it to third-party vendors for them to resell. Some of the vendors offer Disney goods on eBay.
Is it true that all double rooms have been upgraded to queen beds?
Jack’s Answer:
The rooms at the Riverside are queen-sized beds.
Are preferred rooms in the mansion part or in bayou? Thanks so much for the great post!
Jack’s Answer:
Mansion rooms are Mansion rooms and Bayou rooms are Bayou rooms. Thre is no crossover.
Do all Bayou rooms have the 5th person pull down bed?
Jack’s Answer:
Yes, unless it’s an Accessible room for those with special needs.
Hi, We stayed in a refurbished Alligator Bayou room back at the beginning of June. Ours did not have the murphy bed since we had no need for it. It was also set up differently then the one you showed (I’m assuming from the lack of a murphy bed). The decor was the same, however instead of the sinks being outside the bathroom and having the curtain partition, we had a bathroom set up like the Accessible bathrooms in the Mansions (our room was not labeled Accessible though, that we knew of). The floor in the bathroom was really cool. It was stone and had stone outlines to look like rugs. The cubby holes in the wall were great and we loved the spaciousness of the bathroom. Now that I think about it, it must have been an accessible room, maybe just not labeled yet because it had been newly refurbished?? Why we got it, I don’t know since we didn’t request it. However, I did love the spaciousness and set up of its bathroom. We also had the big wardrobe except ours was designed to look like shipping crates (much like the nightstand). We also had a dresser of 6 drawers which was nice. Anyhow, just thought I’d share that little tidbit. POR is definitely one of our favorite places to stay, especially with all the new updates!
Hi Jack! Once again another well done blog! Lots of great pics and info.
We always stay at FQ because as we love the size & atmosphere however we always eyeball the “mansions” at RS & the rehab makes it more inticing.
All That said, do you know which is the closest bus depot to the manion buildings. I believe there are 5 total on that property and I was curious.
This blog must’ve been fresh in my mind when I booked two nights in the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Thanks for helping me choose,
Dan
Thanks so much for all the pictures of the redo. We will be there in 18 days and was great to see what our room will look like. We are so excited we can hardly stand the wait.
once again just a fantastic blog . will be staying at F.Q. in 10 days but will be visiting riverside to see updates; lobby ect. oh & yeha bob
To answer a few questions:
The King bed rooms do NOT have Murphy Beds in them only the regular Queen Bed rooms. The Murphy Beds are only in the Bayou rooms. The Mansion rooms have either a King or 2 Queens. Keep in mind if you are booking the Mansions that the two Mansions closest to the main lobby are not ‘Royal Rooms’ and must be booked (and paid for) as such. The two farthest mansions are the only ‘regular’ ones left.
There are Accesible rooms in the Mansions and the Bayou. If you HAVE to have one, make sure you book through the Special Needs Line and don’t simply request it. New rules and regs required some changes to the locations and availability of rooms.
Jack’s Comment:
When I was there on my last visit, I specifically asked the front desk hostess if ALL the Alligator Bayou rooms had the fold-out bed. I was given a definite YES. I’m making the assumption that the Alligator Bayou rooms also offer a king bed rather than two queens. Is that not true? So I’m a little confused by the information you provided.
Todd’s Response:
I just got confirmation from a friend in the back office at PO.
The King rooms DO have the Murphy Beds, however, they can not, at this time, book more than 2 people in those rooms. They are trying to get the system fixed to allow them to book a third to that room, if that happens the third person MUST be a child. Given how long it takes to get this system updated, it will probably be a while before booking 3 to these rooms is possible.
Hopefully these changes show up at Disney’s site soon. I’ve been there a lot lately and no mention of this new design, or of a 5 person room. My question is: Do the King rooms in alligator bayou have the murphy bed? We are a family of three, and a King and a small bed for a child would be great. Oh, and do all the rooms have the pull down bed?
Jack’s Answer:
Another reader wrote to say that the king rooms do NOT have the fold-down bed. However, I specifically asked at the front desk if ALL the rooms in the Alligator Bayou have the fold down bed and I was given a definite YES. I would suggest verifying this when you make your reservation.
Hi Jack,
Do you know if Disney will be bringing those murphy-style beds to other resorts? As my children (who are of different genders) age, I think it will be necessary for them to sleep in different beds when we travel. Thanks!
Jack’s Answer:
Sorry, I really don’t know. I’m guessing these fold-down beds in the Alligator Bayou rooms at the Riverside are a test to see if they work out. Only time will tell.
Hi Jack,
What nice improvements. We stayed at the Alligator Bayou one time. We were way out in the boon docks. At night it was not lit up very much so I didn’t feel safe there.
Thank you for an extremely thorough review of the resort. We will be there in a few weeks (our first trip ever) and I have been wanting to familiarize myself and my family with our hotel room. I am trying to do everything possible to use our space wisely as we will have two adults, two teens, a pre-teen and an infant in our room. My question to you: is there space under the beds at the POR Alligator Bayou rooms or are they the typical hotel beds that have no under bed space?
Thank you for checking everything out so thoroughly. It is going to make my trip a lot easier to plan.
Jack’s Answer:
I did not check specifically under the beds, but to my knowledge, they are typical hotel beds with no space beneath. This is the way most of the beds are at Walt Disney World. Sorry.
I have to say Riverside is my least favorite moderate resort, I feel it’s lacking the excellent attention to theme the other moderates offer. I do like the update of the bayou rooms however, nice touches all around.
Hi Jack, Great review as always. It is our favorite resort and in 28 days we get to see the changes first hand. The queen beds are a great improvement. The old matresses were getting very tired. Thanks and keep up the good work
The new rooms look nice. I am a little disappointed with the new amount of drawer space. When we came for our 10 or more days, we always unpacked (family of four) and each one of us had a drawer or two! Now, there are just 3 drawers and the night stand. We also had a place to put our “snacks” on the tall amoire that was there. We will be staying at PO (still want to call it Dixie Landings) in October and are very excited to be going back! My husband and I just went through a grueling year of dealing with his cancer, and we can’t wait to get back!
Just a guess but your frustration with the doors for both the wall safe and refrigerator, while warranted, may be explained by simple consistency. The fridge door, in every room I have stayed at WDW, opens to the right. Likewise, the safe door always opens to the left. Probably easier to replace a broken fridge without having to determine if it is left door or a right door model. Same goes for the safe. You can even see that when you compare the Alligator Bayou pictures with the Mansion, the respective items open the same way. Love your blogs.
Jack’s Comment:
You are entirely correct. Disney just orders 2,000 refrigerators from a manufacturer with no regard to the doors. However, I suspect that with an order this large, Disney could stipulate that 1,000 open left and 1,000 open right and the manufacturer would be more than happy to comply.
I have owned a couple of mini-refrigerators. Both of them allowed me to modify the door and change the way they open. I’m sure Disney keeps back-up refrigerators to replace broken ones. It only takes a couple of minutes to switch the door.
As for the safe, I examined one closely in the room. It appears that Disney could simply install half of them upside-down. However, if they did this, they would probably have to buy new instruction labels from the manufacturer and paste a new set on the upside-down safes, but this would be a minor expense. And once again, I suspect the manufacturer would be more than happy to do this for Disney with an order this large.
Like I said, in the scheme of things, this is a minor annoyance. It’s just that Disney pays such close attention to details it becomes more obvious when they miss one.
I noticed in the videos that now we are not only treated to the phenomena of the “Jack Spence Door”, but also the “Jack Spence Curtain”! (the divider curtain between the sink room and bedroom. 🙂 I always love seeing those room doors magically swing open for a look inside.
This is another great article with fantastic photos, thank you! – I hadn’t realized the rooms were going to be refurbished to this extent. I also agree with you about the door placement on the mini-fridge and safe, wish they would have called you in as a consultant, you have good insight into these things.
Alligator Bayou holds a special place in my heart, and it looks even better now.
Hi Jack. Thanks for writing about our beloved resort. We were among the first to experience “Dixie Landings” when it first opened in 1992 and fell in love with the place at first sight. Our last stay was in 2001. After seeing your pictures I’m longing to return there again and stay in the Bayou section. We love all the foliage surrounding the buildings and the quiet pools are hidden gems. Thanks again for rekindling the love of this place for us.
Jack,
You’ve made me HAVE to stay at this resort VERY soon. It looks AMAZING! I just can’t choose which rooms to stay in!
One quick thing, and I welcome you to call me crazy (via email or publicly), but I’m not so sure the Mansion rooms feature non-Disney-inspired bed spreads. I can think of one attraction that immediately sprang to mind… It’s more loose than some of the associations around WDW, but it definitely reminds me of a certain Mansion that always has room for one more…
Crazy,
Dan
Jack’s Answer:
I pulled up a picture of the bedspread and a picture of the Haunted Mansion wallpaper and examined them side by side. First, they both are blue (different shades). Second, there is a similarity in the basic shape of the primary design on both. But it’s only a similarity. It’s a long way from a match. Even if you removed the “eyes” from the HM paper, there are differences between the two. I won’t say that the bedspread wasn’t inspired by the HM wallpaper, but I can’t say that it’s a copy.
Another great blog! It’s a fun day when you have posted something new. The entire time I am reading and looking at the pictures, I dread reaching the end.
I enjoyed seeing the refurbished rooms and hearing so much about them. I have stayed at Riverside in Alligator Bayou twice and a Mansion room once. I especially like what they have done with Alligator Bayou.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Hi Jack! Although this is my least favorite resort, I think the refurbished rooms look amazing. I especially like the attention to detail (which Disney does best) in the wash boards on the sink vanity in the bathroom, the coat rack, and alligator pillows. Maybe I will have to give it another try…
Another great blog Jack.
We stayed at the Alligator Bayou for 8 days in 2010. While the room was fine it looks MUCH better now (from your photos).
On another note, I just wanted to say that dresser drawer space has never been an issue for us – we usually live out of our suitcases! We may hang up a few things, but underwear, socks, t-shirts, and shorts stay in their suitcases. It doesn’t make much “space” sense to empty your suitcases and then still have to store them somewhere in the room.
Thank you for this beautiful overview, and the amount of detail you put into the descriptions. We’re staying at Port Orleans Riverside in October and cannot wait to see the refurbed rooms.
I just returned from my 4th stay at POR this year and this was the first time we stayed in Alligator Bayou. I was hesitant to accept the room location because we had always stayed at the Mansions. We were thrilled at the exterior as we walked to the room which had a view of a small walking bridge over a pond. The landscaping was beautiful. The rooms were amazing. We loved everything about the room, from the “plank” carpeting to the fold down bed. We were in building 17 which was a rather long walk to Boatwrights and the food court, but it gave us time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and slow down for a while. Make sure to notice the Hidden Mickey on the drawer pull of the nightstand and the more noticeable one on the shelf bracket! The refurbishments in the Mansions are very pretty but Alligator Bayou is far and away my Disney favorite!
That switch + receptacle configuration over the nightstand in the accessible room should become standard in all resorts. A hotel we recently stayed at had three receptacles in the base of every table lamp (two nightstands plus desk). That was a real plus for me. Nine easily-reached outlets. It would be wonderful if the same feature was available throughout the Disney accommodations.
Well written. Gives someone who has never been there (me) a clear picutre and description of the resort. Thanks!
This blog was wonderful! I was wondering if you had a similar one for the refurbishments at French Quarter? We are staying there for the Princess Half-Marathon weekend. Thanks!
Jack’s Answer:
I have not addressed the rooms in the French Quarter since I wrote my original blog about the resort two years ago.
Dear Jack,
Thanks for all the great info and pictures, they are all great! POR is one of my favorite resorts at WDW. I agree with the fridge doors being on the wrong side, doesn’t make any sense to me. I do have one question…Are there only three mid size dresser drawers now? Is this true for both the Mansions and Alligator Bayou? How many were there before?
Thanks again!
Susie
Convent Station, NJ
Jack’s Answer:
Both the Alligator Bayou and Mansion rooms have three drawers. However, the drawers in the Mansion Room are a little bigger than the ones in the Alligator Bayou rooms. Both rooms have an addition drawer and shelf located in the nightstand.
Great blog Jack!
I love the kid’s bed! vToo bad they didn’t make it a little bigger, would have been a great place for a quick nap…
Just return yesterday from a 9 day stay in Lodge 27 of Alligator Bayou. The view from our window was of the water wheel, lovely to see every time we left our room and as we were returning.
This was our 2nd stay at POR. The last time being in the Mansion section, Parterre Place. We found that we liked the Alligator Bayou more. The trees made it shadier and a bit more cozy. Loved all the landscaping.
The “murphy” bed was small though, neither my 13 yr old nor the 17 yr old daughters fit.
Why though, are there never enough hangers nor drawers for clothing in any of the rooms at Disney?
Hi Jack,
I’m so glad to see Disney putting more theming in the rooms themselves! If I get a chance to come stay at this resort, I will want an alligator bayou room – they are so adorable!
The picture of the Mark Twain riverboat made me immediately think of the riverboat at Devil’s Bayou in the Rescuers.
Keep up the great work… your wonderful blog every week is the one thing that makes Monday tolerable!
The refurbished rooms look great. I think a nice combination would be to stay for a few nights in one of the “rustic” Alligator Bayou rooms followed by a night or two in one of the Royal Guest rooms as a small splurge. I have read a few complaints in the Rate and Review section about the walking distances involved in this admittedly large resort, but considering the masterful job of landscaping done by the Imagineers I always enjoyed the stroll (slow down and smell the magnolias and Spanish moss). And let us not forget the bonus attraction of the Sassagoula River water taxis.
Didn’t know if you noticed it or not, the headboards at the Mansion room also have characters from The Princess and the Frog. I stayed there in May and didn’t notice the headboards were painted from areas from the resort but noticed the charaters instead.
Jack:
Wonderful article and great pictures! My mom and I stayed here in an Alligator Bayou room back in 1998. It was still Dixie Landings then.
We loved our room and Boatwrights where we ate breakfast every morning. The pool looked like fun too but it was too cool out on our December trip to go in.
Disney did a great job with room decor and Alligator Bayou is still my preference. Now I want to go back!
Thank you,
Sarah
Hi Jack,
This resort is our personal favourite and we always stay in Alligator Bayou. We stayed in the new rooms in February and they were great. We’ll be back for two nights on Dec. 30th until we move to OKW.
I completely agree with your comments about the fridge door and the coat rack – they have bothered me for years…especially the coat rack…it should be by the door so you could hang coats!
The toiletries you showed in the Alligator Bayou look a little different…is the soap in a different package?
What resort are you visiting next?
Wendy
Jack’s Answer:
The H2O+ products are now packaged somewhat differently. The soap is a completely new shape and it comes in an easy-open plastic bag. The old soap was IMPOSSIBLE to open. Hurray for the change.
Jack, we were told that pack n plays are now standard in every room. Is this true? I didnt see one in your pictures. Did you see one?
Jack’s Answer:
Since the closets are small to begin with, Disney doesn’t want to add anything that isn’t necessary. However, Pack-N-Plays are available upon request.
Thanks, Jack! We love love love POR! We have always had a strong preference for the mansion section. However, I would agree. I really like the theming more in the alligator bayou section. The mansion theming is very nice, but just not the same. Something to think about. Thanks again for another fantastic blog. I have to say, I look forward to your blogs each Monday!!!! It helps start the work week off on a good note!
Glad that Alligator Bayou got a refurb. Stayed there last year and the room was just exhausted. Excited to stay there again!
Another great blog Jack!
I’m really pleased that they have the pull out bed in Riverside. We do need that extra bed now our kids are getting older. We haven’t stayed in either RS or FQ but would definitely consider it now we know about the extra bed. We were looking at a deluxe or DVC properties for the extra beds.
Your description of the resorts are brilliant and I love the wooden design on the carpets and in the shower/tub area.
Thank you again
Heather
We are staying there soon. We have a garden view room. Do you know what section of buildings that is?
Jack’s Answer:
First, I have no idea if you’re staying in an Alligator Bayou Room or a Mansion room. But even if I did, it wouldn’t help. All 16 Alligator Bayou lodges and all 4 Mansion buildings have garden views. It’s the luck of the draw.
Are there any accessible rooms in the Alligator Bayou section? And, if so, could you point out the differences in those rooms, please? We love the decor of Alligator Bayou, but have a daughter in a wheelchair.
Thanks!
Jack’s Answer:
I can’t answer this question with 100% certainty. However, the “old” Alligator Bayou Lodge buildings had Accessible Rooms so I would assume that some of the refurbished rooms are also accessible. Since I didn’t see any, I can’t give you a comparison. Sorry.
Dear Jack,
I happened to stay in a five person room with two of my cousins and my parents. I slept on the murphy.
It was comfortable, but short. if my head was touching the very edeg of the mattress, my feet hung over. You had to cramp up (at least for me, i’m 16) to fit. My parents tried it one night and had the same problem.
It would seeme to me that the bed would be more for younger children, but that is me.
What do you think of the bed?
yours truly,
Anderson
Jack’s Comment:
You are 100% correct and I should have mentioned this in my blog. The fold-down bed is intended for children and young teenagers. I’m assuming at 16 you’re almost adult sized. I’m sure you were a little cramped.
hey Jack
The rooms at Port Orleans look great. I love how they are able to tie in the bayou theme and i like that southern charm that the rooms have. can’t wait for your next blog and as always keep up the great work.
Hi Jack,
Thanks again for another great blog. The rooms look fantastic!!
Would the fold-out beds in Alligator Bayou accomodate a big kid/teenager?
Thanks for your time.
John
Jack’s Answer:
I should have mentioned this in my blog. The fold-down bed is intended for children and young teenagers. A 16 year old wrote me to say that he felt cramped.