Most Recent Reviews
Reviewed by rlsaumure Review Date: 01/02/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Just booked our 5th vacation at this resort for the end of the month. We have enjoyed every experience so far. The staff is always friendly and the grounds are always beautifully maintained.
The resort is divided into 2 sections, Alligator Bayou & Magnolia Bend. Alligator Bayou is made to look like a Lousiana bayou and you stay in "Cabins" that are made to look rustic (hand carved wood beds, and shower tile that looks like wood) but rest assured everything is modern and well laid out. Magnolia has nicely groomed grounds and the rooms are located in buildings that look like southern mansions.
There are fountains, ponds and gazebos around the resort and 5 pools, 2 free form quiet pools in Alligator Bayou and 2 traditional quiet pools in Magnolia Bend and the main pool. The main pool is a huge free form pool that has a slide that the kids love.
If you want to cut down on the walking, pay the premium and request a river view room, this will guarantee you a room along the main path. An Alligator Bayou river view room will be your best bet (ask for building 14, 18 or 27) 14 being a two minute walk from the main building. Don't be afraid to ask what's available when you check in they are happy to accommodate if possible.
Utilize the water taxi to Downtown Disney it's a pleasant ride and you can have a few drinks and not have to worry about driving back. The water taxi's leave every 20 minutes but they will add more if it gets busy.
The Riverside Mill (counter service restaurant) can get quite busy in the morning but the lines move pretty quick (get somebody to hunt down a table while you are in line to pay). Or you can grab some cereal or a parfait the night before and eat in you room. Be sure to visit the River Roost (bar) with the kids Wed - Sat evenings, there is an entertainer there that is a lot of fun.
We always rent a car but have taken the buses occasionally, it gets very busy when the parks close and if your at the last stop in the resort it feel like a long trip at the end of a big day. You can rent a car for for $200-$250 at the airport and it never takes longer than 5 minutes to exit the park.
If your looking for a really nice resort with a lot of amenities, POR is the best bang for the buck...........unless you have money to burn.
Pros:
Beautiful grounds, friendly staff, great poolsCons:
Resort is large for someReviewed by JackM Review Date: 05/22/2010
Rating: (0) Recommended
This review of Star Wars Merchandise was sent in 5/21/10 from Chris:
I am sending this in the hopes it can help out some of your readers who are going to be attending Star Wars Weekends. After going through this today, I think it would be good to spread the word about the ridiculous change Disney made to the merchandise area this year.
Attending Star Wars Weekends for another year is always fun, and basically everything that applies to previous years regarding autographs, character greetings, the shows, etc. remains the same.
The only change, and it is a big one, is how the merchandise is being handled, and today I saw a lot of people end up spending a long time waiting in a line they didn't have to be on.
To make things easier, I will break down the merchandise into three categories:
General Merchandise - These are the Star Wars and Star Wars Weekend items that are available to everyone, and in plentiful supply.
Passholder Merchandise - These are the items that are only available to Disney Annual Passholders (or, in one case, Vacation Club Members).
Limited Merchandise - These are the items where you are restricted in the number you can buy, and there is a limited amount available.
In past years, Disney set up the merchandise in the large, warehouse-like "Hot Set" area. All the General Merchandise was spread out on the floor. The Passholder Merchandise was available at the multiple (I think over 15) registers by request. Limited Merchandise was off to the side, with a separate line to purchase, and you could approach the line (not crossing into it) and see the items.
For whatever reason, Disney decided to ditch this method and go with a different setup. The "Dark Side Depot", which is outdoors in what is normally a merchandise area has the same Star Wars items that are always available at Hollywood Studios, along with the Star Wars Weekend Event Shirts and Caps.
For everything else, you have to go to "Boba's Bounty" which is located in the air conditioned exit area of the Studio Backlot tour. Here's where the problem begins.
There is a long lineup area outside, then a line that works it's way through the inside area before emptying into the surprisingly small shop area. At the head of the line, a cast member lets people into the shop area "nightclub style" meaning they wait until people have exited and they feel there is sufficient room to let in more shoppers.
Inside the small shop area, you have to get on a short line to see and select the "Limited Merchandise" while the General Merchandise is spread out on the store floor, and the Passholder Merchandise is again at the registers (of which there are six).
Obviously, them using a smaller area and less registers is already going to cause a backup, but it gets worse because only two people are manning the Limited Merchandise area, making for slow going.
On top of that, many people waiting on line might have no interest in the Limited Edition items, but they still end up waiting on this line, just to be able to go grab General Merchandise or go to the registers to get Passholder Merchandise.
To their (slight) credit, Disney did have a cast member occasionally come out and state that if someone only wanted General Merchandise, they could be pulled from the line and let into the store (this was only to those waiting on line on the "inside" not those still lined up outside the doors).
However, I saw this lead to at least once instance where a person was allowed in, and then they walked over and got in the line for the Limited Merchandise (hardly fair to the others).
There was also confusion over whether those who wanted Passholder Merchandise had to stay in the line, or if they could be "bumped up" and allowed in the store (which they could be, since that merchandise was at the registers, not the Limited Merchandise table).
To give you an idea of how bad the line got, we had a one hour wait outside (and this was DURING the only "Stars Of The Saga" talk show), then another hour-plus inside. I can only imagine how long the wait was earlier in the day.
Needless to say, the consensus of almost everyone I spoke to on line is that Disney made a mistake in changing the merchandise setup, and while I can understand the need for a lineup for the Limited Merchandise, they should make those items TOTALLY SEPARATE from the Passholder and General Merchandise... you know, like it used to be!
Pros:
—Cons:
Merchandise issuesReview of Backstage Magic - 3 Park Tour
Reviewed by EPCOTCitizn Review Date: 01/02/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was a great behind the scenes tour. We had great access to so many places at Disney World. We visited all 4 parks and more—most notable were the American Adventure and the nursery. The tour was very fast-paced because we had so much territory to cover. Disney provided headsets, so you could hear without crowding around the guide. Both of our guides were very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Overall, I’d recommend it to the seasoned Disney World fan who wants to see more.
Pros:
American AdventureCons:
A lot of information to processReview of Boatwright's Dining Hall Dinner
Reviewed by earthmom7 Review Date: 01/03/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Had dinner here on 12/26/12. Our server was friendly and very attentive although he did forget to enter an appetizer order. Next to the California Grill this was our favorite dinner of the week we had in Disney. The pork chop was cooked perfectly, the creole pasta with shrimp was very flavorful.
Pros:
service, foodCons:
NoneReview of California Grill
Reviewed by earthmom7 Review Date: 01/03/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
Had dinner here on Christmas (12/25/12) specifically to watch the fireworks. I love this restaurant. The sushi is absolutely wonderful with some unique rolls. We were finished with dinner about 90 minutes before the fireworks so we decided to take a ride over to the Grand Floridian; they allowed us to come back up to the roof to watch the fireworks, we just had to show our dinner receipt. My only complaint is that the kids menu is a little limited and when you have a picky eater in your group the lack certain items can cause some minor problems. That aside I would say this is a must if your budget or dining plan can cover it.
Pros:
Food, service, atmosphere, fireworks viewingCons:
kids menuReview of Pizzafari
Reviewed by earthmom7 Review Date: 01/03/2013
Rating: (8) Recommended
Loved the italian style sandwich and the pizza wasn't too bad. Interior decor was beautiful.
Pros:
food selectionCons:
—Review of Best Friends Pet Care
Reviewed by georgiadisneymom Review Date: 01/04/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We used Best Friends Pet Care this past summer for the first time. Naturally we were a little hesitant because our Beagle is handicapped and only has three legs. We wanted to make sure she would be taken care of properly, but had nothing at all to worry about. The staff contacted us several times prior to checking in, as we had to be on a wait list for the type of kennel room that we wanted. When it became available, the cast member immediately contacted us to make sure we still wanted to put her in that type of room. She stayed in a Vacation Villa and we were very pleased with the cleanliness of the villa. We were pleased with how she was treated by the cast members, and even received a report card on how she did each day while boarding there. She enjoyed the outside dog park and walk, and we enjoyed being able to go over to see her whenever we wanted to. It is no problem to get into the area to see her, and cast members make sure that only those allowed to visit your dog are let into the area. All in all, our dog had a wonderful stay and we would definitely use Best Friends Pet Care again!
Pros:
close to most resorts, very clean, cast members friendlyCons:
noneReviewed by muhmuh Review Date: 01/03/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
My 5 year old granddaughter and I spent 5 magical days at PORS! Yes, it is a huge resort, but so beautiful! We had a royal guest room and it was perfect! Our mouse keeper was awesome and created magical characters everyday, but one!
We loved the food court and even had room service with pizza one evening. The pools were heated and so relaxing for both of us. One evening we returned from the magic kingdom and they were showing movies on the lawn! Everyone was wonderful. Only waited 10 minutes for the buses! This is a great resort and will stay there again and again!!'
Pros:
EverythingCons:
NothingReview of Whispering Canyon Cafe Lunch/Dinner
Reviewed by earthmom7 Review Date: 01/03/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
We had eaten here our last time in the World and enjoyed it so we decided to give it another go. Had dinner here on 12/24/12. The endless milkshakes are great and we love the entertainment; yelling for ketchup, the pony races, watching someone get put in jail. However, I have to say that the food was only so-so. It's worth it if you have younger kids but as mine are now teenagers I should have chosen some place else for dinner
Pros:
entertainingCons:
so so foodReview of House of Blues Restaurant and Bar
Reviewed by BuckeyeBarb Review Date: 01/05/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
Ate here on New Years Eve and expected it to be packed--not so. The best thing we ordered was the cornbread. My husband had the shrimp and grits, which were very spicy, I had the chicken quesadilla (which had more mushrooms than chicken) and found it tastless. One son had the short ribs (tough) and my other son had the pork sliders which were pretty tastless. We expected at the very least having blues music playing, and would have loved a live blues magician...especially on new year's--we got neither. I felt like we were sitting in a Chili's chain restaurant. We really wanted to like this restaurant but won't return.
