Disney World - Port Orleans?
 

Going to WDW in November and I have reservations at Port Orleans. Has anyone stayed there? I have not been to WDW in 4 years - what are the "must see and do" things as well as restaurants? Thanks for any advice?

Port Orleans is not bad for WDW properties. Animal Kingdom is the new thing and morning is the best time to go. If you have not seen the Wilderness lodge, go! Skip the Rainforest Cafe unless your kids FORCE you to go. Our favorite resturant is the seafood at The Living Seas in EPCOT. Hopefully Ilisa will write on this forum. She's been since me and is better at recommending things. <BR>HAVE FUN!!!

Hi Karen! We stayed at the Port Orleans about a year and half ago. We had some minor problems at the hotel with checking in, but I think they were the exception, not the rule. It is a nice resort; if you have children, they will love the pool. Our room was river view. While we weren't in the room that much, the view was quite pleasant and peaceful. The grounds are beautifully landscaped. What I really like about Port Orleans is that it is small, with only one bus stop, so we didn't feel that we had to hike miles to get anywhere. When are you going in November? The Epcot Food and Wine Festival will be going on at the beginning. We'll be there for that. Living Seas at Epcot is an excellent restaurant. It's fun to watch the fish while you eat. However, it is expensive, even for lunch, so if you are on a budget, you may want to skip it. We loved the Akershus restaurant for dinner in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. Tony's Town Square Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom is great for Italian. They give you so much food! You must do a character breakfast or two, even if you don't have kids. Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary is the best. If you like Pooh, then definitely try Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom (can you tell I'm hungry?). Other things...Definitely see Animal Kingdom. It's small enough to do in 1/2 a day. Beware, it gets very crowded since it is a smaller park, and the pathways are narrow. Magic Kingdom brought back the best parade, the Main Street Electrical Parade. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is no longer, and has been replaced by a Winnie the Pooh ride. Have you seen the Boardwalk? If not, you must go one evening. It is designed to look like 1940s Atlantic City. Jellyrolls, a dueling piano bar, is a must. If you do have time, try checking out the other resorts. It's a lot of fun, and you may find a place to stay at for your next visit. Feel free to email me for any more information.

The Port Orleans is a nice hotel -- I also liked being along the river. There's a complimentary boat ride that will take you to Downtown Disney from PO which is a pleasant ride. <BR> <BR>One of my favorite places to eat at WDW is Wolfgang Puck's. It's not Disney and is a chain, however, we don't have one around here. I also love the apple turnovers at the Boardwalk Bakery, the cinnamin rolls at the Magic Kingdom Bakery, the chocolate cake at the Italian dessert kiosk in Epcot, the tempura udon in Japan and the kaki-gori (or whatever) - which is Italian ice - kind of like a slushcone, but much better - kiosk right by Japan. <BR> <BR>EPCOT's new Tapestry of Nations and Illuminations is fabulous and definitely a MUST DO. The crowds gather early for the Illuminations, but it's just a 17 minute show so you can actually walk around and see it pretty well rather than sitting for hours to get a prime spot. (I've done both.)

Port Orleans is great. Been there twice. We ate breakfast at Port Orleans every morning. 2 place to choose from. First drop off coming back from theme parks. Nice pool. Be sure to book Hoopty Doo Review. Good show and excellent food. It's at Fort Wilderness. At Epcot the Japanese resturant is very good. Also, be sure to go into Mexico and take the boat ride. I love Disney!

Your list of things-to-do will depend on who you're taking (kids, no kids, etc.). We've gone for the last 3 years -- twice without kids and once with. The trips couldn't have been any more different. <BR> <BR>We didn't make the Animal Kingdom last trip (April 99) but we went shortly after it opened and really enjoyed it. Hopefully, the lines are a little better now that there is quite a bit more open than when we went. We went shortly after lunchtime, though, and didn't have much trouble with crowds. <BR> <BR>We love the Boardwalk for a laid-back evening. You can see Illuminations from there and the atmosphere is great. Jellyrolls is wonderful for entertainment and the Flying Fish is a great meal. Downtown Disney's West Side is very nice, but get priority seatings at a restaurant or plan on eating counter-service food! I've also heard that the Cirque de Soleil i fantastic. We love Fulton's Crab House (the boat in Downtown Disney) for dinner and the Portobello Yacht Club was excellent as well. <BR> <BR>If you're taking kids...do a character meal or two. They really were great. I'm not a big fan of buffet-style restaurants, but both the Crystal Palace and 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian were fabulous. The kids loved it and were most entertained throughout the meal. It allowed the adults to really enjoy dinner at a leisurely pace rather than listen to, "Can we go yet" all throughout the meal. <BR> <BR>We're going again next November and I can hardly wait that long! Feel free to contact me if you want more info. Also...I really like the "Unofficial Guide to WDW" book. It has great information and presents it in a very entertaining, readable format. <BR> <BR>Have a great vacation!