POR at Christmas?

[tabby1222]

So, just booked POR for two nights in December, the 22nd-24th. Due to being a teacher, and visiting with grandma who lives about an hour from Disney, travel depends on the holiday times. We are passholders, and used it quite a bit in July. I know that the week of Christmas is insane, have been there years ago during Christmas, and found out the hard way what New Years Day looks like in the parks.

We are booked in regular preferred room. Is there a room request that makes sense for this area? Never been to this resort, but have boys that love to swim. So close to the pool is always a plus. What do I need to know about this resort? We stayed one night at All Star Music in July, for grandma's birthday, but drove in other days. How is transportation to parks from the preferred room area? Will the resort be as decked out for Christmas as others are? We will be checking in on my birthday, and Christmas is my favorite time of year, so any special things going on there?

I did manage to get almost all of the reservations I wanted, so that is a plus. We are figuring on skipping Epcot this trip, as it just isn't as popular with my 5&6 year old right now.

Any other tips to survive a Christmas Trip?

 

[fngoofy]

So, just booked POR for two nights in December, the 22nd-24th. Due to being a teacher, and visiting with grandma who lives about an hour from Disney, travel depends on the holiday times. We are passholders, and used it quite a bit in July. I know that the week of Christmas is insane, have been there years ago during Christmas, and found out the hard way what New Years Day looks like in the parks.

We are booked in regular preferred room. Is there a room request that makes sense for this area? Never been to this resort, but have boys that love to swim. So close to the pool is always a plus. What do I need to know about this resort? We stayed one night at All Star Music in July, for grandma's birthday, but drove in other days. How is transportation to parks from the preferred room area? Will the resort be as decked out for Christmas as others are? We will be checking in on my birthday, and Christmas is my favorite time of year, so any special things going on there?

I did manage to get almost all of the reservations I wanted, so that is a plus. We are figuring on skipping Epcot this trip, as it just isn't as popular with my 5&6 year old right now.

Any other tips to survive a Christmas Trip?

This site is a great resource for all things POR.
https://www.portorleans.org/

 

[Brickrancher]

As a veteran of PO Riverside, I think you made a great choice. The resort is nicely decorated for Christmas. It is not as ornate as some of the deluxe resorts, but will be very festive with decorations in the lobby and at all of the bus stops.
I would recommend you request a corner room. These have two windows and we always prefer them to a regular in-line room.
Part of the attraction of the resort is the boat service to Disney Springs. You can easily get to the shopping area with a quiet boat ride past French Quarter and the treehouses. Always a great way to end a busy day. As for transportation, we always use the bus service to Epcot, MK, and DS. For AK we always drive. We have never had more then a twenty minute wait for transportation, and usually it is quicker than that.
This resort offers carriage rides thru the PO Resort which are also a great way to relax. Boatwright's is a very good restaurant for a more relaxed meal. The food court offers a fun rustic atmosphere and a great selection of entrees for all three meals.
As far as surviving Christmas I would recommend early mornings before the crowds build up and then being flexible. Use your fast passes for later in the day when lines are super long.
Hope this helps.

 

[tabby1222]

This site is a great resource for all things POR.
https://www.portorleans.org/

I did check this out thoroughly, was just looking for a more personalized answer! Thanks, though!

 

[tabby1222]

As a veteran of PO Riverside, I think you made a great choice. The resort is nicely decorated for Christmas. It is not as ornate as some of the deluxe resorts, but will be very festive with decorations in the lobby and at all of the bus stops.
I would recommend you request a corner room. These have two windows and we always prefer them to a regular in-line room.
Part of the attraction of the resort is the boat service to Disney Springs. You can easily get to the shopping area with a quiet boat ride past French Quarter and the treehouses. Always a great way to end a busy day. As for transportation, we always use the bus service to Epcot, MK, and DS. For AK we always drive. We have never had more then a twenty minute wait for transportation, and usually it is quicker than that.
This resort offers carriage rides thru the PO Resort which are also a great way to relax. Boatwright's is a very good restaurant for a more relaxed meal. The food court offers a fun rustic atmosphere and a great selection of entrees for all three meals.
As far as surviving Christmas I would recommend early mornings before the crowds build up and then being flexible. Use your fast passes for later in the day when lines are super long.
Hope this helps.

Thanks so much!!! I really struggled between the two resorts, and room category. It came down to what was available for PH discount, and what prices were. We are super excited to stay here, though, and I will definitely request a corner room.

We aren't super big fans of Disney Springs, but the option to take the boat is a plus, since I really want to try to go see the Christmas trees while we are there!

DS has a DAS, which can be a nightmare to use, so I am hoping Christmas time doesn't compound that. We had a ton of issues with it this summer.