Alligator Bayou - How to get it?

[captainkidd]

Any tips I might not have thought of?

I originally booked French Quarter. We stayed at Riverside last year in the Mansions, and very much disliked them. From all the pics I've seen, AB is exactly what we want in a room. Not cray about the FQ rooms either given that they look so similar to Magnolia Bend, but I'd rather stay there than get stuck in the mansions again.

So, I changed the reservation over to Riverside in hopes that I get lucky enough to AB. I requested AB with the reservation agent as well. Since there are only 2 of us, my fear is, we don't have much of a chance of getting it as those rooms are reserved for families of 5.

We're going the 2nd week of January, so it will be "low" season, if there is such a thing anymore. I'm going to call the resort 3 days prior to arrival and request AB directly with them. I'm so opposed to staying at the mansions, that if they don't have AB available, I'm going to ask to be switched to another moderate resort (if available.)

Too risky?

 

[Rob562]

They don't "reserve" the AB rooms for families of 5. They're just the only ones that groups of 5 can be put in. We've stayed in Bayou rooms when it's only two adults.

Half of the rooms at Riverside are in the Mansions, half are in AB. So right off the bat you have a 50/50 chance at getting the room you want. I'm sure when you check in they'll be happy to oblige you in your request. (Though the more specific you get in your requests, like a first floor room or a specific building, starts to lower your chances of getting exactly what you want)
Though while we're talking about buildings, my suggestions would be Buildings 14, 18 and 27, in that order.

-Rob

 

[slappy magoo]

My then-gf-now-wife & I stayed at PO-R during Spring Break of 2005. We requested - and got - Alligator Bayou. Spring Break. One of the busiest times of the year, and we got what we wanted. In fact we got a preferred room, king size bed, corner room, close to a quiet pool without facing the quiet pool...considering how busy the parks were that week, we made evne more use of the resort.

Unless, for whatever reason, AB is sold out but Magnolia Bend is not (unlikely), OR perhaps so many people have requested AB that the proportion of people staying in each section is really disproportionate so they tell you AB is unavailable just to balance out the population of the two sections (which I'd think is even less likely) you shouldn't have any trouble getting into AB. Where you have trouble is when it comes to requesting specific buildings, specific areas, THAT'S when room requests become more problematic. But to merely request any one of over 2700 rooms on one half of the property? I can't imagine them saying no unless there were absolutely no rooms available at time of check-in.

 

[GoofyMom2]

Sorry to be a bearer of bad news........


We went for an anniversary trip in Sept last year. We requested AB for our trip having stayed in Magnolia Bend the previous year. My DH has mobility issues (walks with a cane and after a day at the parks is very sore and worn out). We hoped AB would be a closer walk for him. (Marie from KK even had them make note of that in the ressie)

(We had actually hoped for FQ with it being smaller but it was booked)

We even reminded them a few days before our arrival....well, upon check-in, they told us AB was full. We explained situation and they said they were sorry but it was full. No garuantees on rooms etc....They put us in MB again.....and this room was even further away from busses etc than the year before! Poor hubby!


So, I hope you can get it and have better luck than we did. This year we are staying at the Poly. Maybe the Monorails will be easier than walking far to the busses. I think he is even going to have to rent a motorized scooter this year for at least Epcot. All that walking is just too much for him....he hates that!

 

[DivineMadness7]

Wow, I'm just amazed to hear of someone disliking the mansions. I've stayed in both and while I prefer the mansions, I would not say that I disliked AB.

I'm hoping to get in the mansions in October! All you can really do is make a request, have them put it on file and then once you get there, ask again and hope for the best. Good luck!

 

[dixiegirl]

Try to put in a room request before you go , but remenber that it is just a request never a definate, but it can't hurt to try....In the past we've done this and never had a problem.... We love Aligator bayou section, stayed there for our honeymoon back in 96 (when it was Dixie Landings) and fell in love with it....Yes we stayed in the Mansions before and it too was very nice, but love the Country feel to the bayou section , it is such a beautiful resort with such nice surroundings!!! I do miss when they used to play the cajun bayou music around the resort (anyone remember that? I actually have the music someone sent it to me!!)...Oh I love POR just in general, to me its a moderate resort witha deluxe feel!!!

Just keep trying, and with it being January I would think you'd be fine.

 

[RiversideBunny]

We like the mansions area.
The landscaping is beautifull.

The four buildings in the mansions area, known officially as the Magnolia Bend section, are Arcadia House, Magnolia Terrace, Oak Manor, and Parterre Place.