Port Orleans - French Quarter tips

[Lindsey]

We have just changed hotels from the Wyndham Palace to the French Quarter and having spent months doing research on the Wyndham would really now like a head start on the French Quarter. Can't believe we are actually staying IN Disney, I was excited before now I get butterflies everytime I think about our holiday.
Any tips or recommendations or even just memories of what made it a special holiday would be fantastic. I do have one or two questions,

1) What are the buses to the parks like? Are they easy to get on?

2) I have read somewhere that there are now fridges free of charge in the rooms, is this true?

3) Should we be tipping the maid? If so how much?

4) Oh and do the busses from the Disney hotels drop you at the same place at the parks that the buses from outside Disney hotels etc do? or is there a different drop off point near the entrance?

Thank you from a very excited Mum, in fact if you have seen the advert on television for Disney when the dad says he's too excited to sleep that's me already.

[Iona]

2) I have read somewhere that there are now fridges free of charge in the rooms, is this true?

Yes :thumbs:

[joanne]

1) Didn't use the buses. But I believe they pick up at POFQ before POR, so should be less crowded than if you're getting on at POR. That said, at peak times, I'd be prepared to wait, and the buses to be crowded.
2) :yes:
3) :yes: Some say $2 a day.
4) Yes, same place as the other buses.

[Ad.]

As to the pick up order of the busses (i.e. whether its FQ first of POR first), there is no set rule. It dependes on where the busses are going and where they are coming from, and also on the driver. So its never guaranteed where it will go first.

One thing I do remember is that coming back from DTD at night, the bus always seemed to go round all of the Riverside resorts first before finally dropping off at FQ - this is the time when you really feel it on you legs if you don't get a seat on the bus :rolleyes:

POFQ is really really great though. The pool is fab, and there is an exit from right by the pool which takes you virtually to the dock for the boat to DTD or Riverside - make sure you go on this at least once :D

[uscwest]

Actually the WDW buses drop you off closer to the parks than the Non WDW buses do. From my experience the non-WDW buses drop you in the parking lot where you have to take the tram. The WDW buses drop you off right in front of the parks.

We have never had a problem with any bus service from either POFQ or POR in getting to and from the parks. Have fun.

[Ad.]

Actually the WDW buses drop you off closer to the parks than the Non WDW buses do. From my experience the non-WDW buses drop you in the parking lot where you have to take the tram. The WDW buses drop you off right in front of the parks.

We have never had a problem with any bus service from either POFQ or POR in getting to and from the parks. Have fun.


Yep, I agree with this! The WDW busses definately drop you off much closer - each park has special access for WDW busses which drop you right by the parks. You never need to take a tram after getting off a WDW bus.

[Scoootch]

I do have one or two questions,

1) What are the buses to the parks like? Are they easy to get on?In my experience, the buses have always picked up first before heading over to POR AND dropped off first coming back from the parks when we've stayed at FQ ...but ya never know I supposse:shrug: Bus service has always been pretty good there though:thumbs:

2) I have read somewhere that there are now fridges free of charge in the rooms, is this true?Yes.

3) Should we be tipping the maid? If so how much?Technichally, maid service is listed on the check-in sheets of all the WDW hotels as "not a tipped" position. However, many people do tip and I think it's customary of $1 per person per day for those who do so choose to tip:unsure: If you stay in a larger room/villa (such as FW cabins or DVC) some people tip even more. But again, technically Disney lists this position as not necessary to tip ....it's all up to you.

4) Oh and do the busses from the Disney hotels drop you at the same place at the parks that the buses from outside Disney hotels etc do? or is there a different drop off point near the entrance?WDW buses have their own bus stops and definetly closer to the park enterances...i.e. MK is right outside the gates whereas off-sight buses drop off at the TTC I believe and then you'd have to take the monorail to the MK enterance.



Thank you from a very excited Mum, in fact if you have seen the advert on television for Disney when the dad says he's too excited to sleep that's me already.Have a wonderful time!!:D You're going to love FQ it's a favorite of mine:thumbs:

[joanne]

4) Oh and do the busses from the Disney hotels drop you at the same place at the parks that the buses from outside Disney hotels etc do? or is there a different drop off point near the entrance?

:oops: Sorry, misread this question, thought you meant other WDW Resorts :slapme:
As the others have said they drop you off in different place to offsite hotel buses.

When I stayed at POR a while back, the bus had always picked up at POFQ first. Maybe it's changed :shrug:

[tajainaz]

:woohoo: You're staying on site! :clap:

You'll also have the ferry from POFQ/POR to DTD! :thumbs:

[DizBot]

I love POFQ. It is the only place that I have stayed at, more than once. I find it, and Dixie Landings (I refuse to give in), to be the most convenient hotels, there.

You've got the bus system, which is great. I won't even rent a car, when I go there. I have never had one, single problem with the buses.

The boats are outstanding. I love taking the boat to DTD. It's like another ride, outside one of the parks. It's very nice, quiet, and relaxing. I don't think the boat system, at WDW, gets enough credit for being as good, and convenient, as it is.

The pool is great, too. My little girl loves that big dragon slide. I think we spent 37 hours, straight, in the pool. The whole time she would just slide down, get back in line, slide down, get back in line, slide down.........It was great. It was her vacation, too, and she was having a ball doing that. I offered to take her back to the MK, but she just wanted to stay in the pool, and go on the slide. It was great.

Have fun. I don't think I would ever want to stay off-property.