Carribean Beach Resort or Port Orleans

[DRJJH1]

Hi, :wave: Im going to Walt Disney World in early october '05 with my wife (who has never been to WDW), mother and father. We are going to do the Magic Your Way Premium package. I know many of you are experts at having the best time possible, so Im looking for help planning a few details of the trip because it has been a while since I have done an all-inclusive trip to WDW (since I was 14 in 1989). Im going to list a few questions that I have. Any help with these would be greatly appeciated.. Also if anyone has other tips that might be helpful feel free....
1) We are either staying at the Carribean Beach Resort or Port Orleans, (maybe Coronodo springs)which one would you prefer and why? Im leaning twords Port Orleans because it's closer to Downtown Disney (I think) and I've also heard it's easier to get transportation to and from the parks there??
2) I know that we will get tickets to the Cirque Du Soleil. Does anyone have any other nightly entertainment (like dinner shows they can recommend)?
3) My Wife loves seafood more than life itself:sohappy: She will need to eat a lot of it.. Where are the best seafood restaurants in WDW?
4) I have been to WDW many times but have never been to AK... Would you
plan a full day there or just a half??
5) If you like PO--- French Q or Riverside and why??
Thanks for the help everybody....
Jeff H.

 

[HunnyPot]

I've never stayed at either, but I'm going to be staying at CB in January, but we picked it for the theme. One thing we did last April when we were there was to eat at the Rose and Crown Pub at Epcot. We had a priority seating for 8:30, and we had a member of our party who didn't want to ride Mission:Space again head over at 7:30 and request an outside table. This was so we could watch Reflections of Earth from there while we ate. We ended up getting a patio table and it was one of the most memorable nights I've had at Disney. You might not be able to get a table where you want, but showing up early really helped us. Enjoy your trip!

 

[dixiegirl]

you will love staying at PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE....love that resort(if you could not tell from my signature)!....beautiful grounds.yummy food at boatwrights...the bannana stuffed french toast is so good...nice general store.boat transportation is great to downtown disney.you'll love it..

 

[KaliSplash]

Hi, :wave: Im going to Walt Disney World in early october '05 with my wife (who has never been to WDW), mother and father. We are going to do the Magic Your Way Premium package. I know many of you are experts at having the best time possible, so Im looking for help planning a few details of the trip because it has been a while since I have done an all-inclusive trip to WDW (since I was 14 in 1989). Im going to list a few questions that I have. Any help with these would be greatly appeciated.. Also if anyone has other tips that might be helpful feel free....
1) We are either staying at the Carribean Beach Resort or Port Orleans, (maybe Coronodo springs)which one would you prefer and why? Im leaning twords Port Orleans because it's closer to Downtown Disney (I think) and I've also heard it's easier to get transportation to and from the parks there??
2) I know that we will get tickets to the Cirque Du Soleil. Does anyone have any other nightly entertainment (like dinner shows they can recommend)?
3) My Wife loves seafood more than life itself:sohappy: She will need to eat a lot of it.. Where are the best seafood restaurants in WDW?
4) I have been to WDW many times but have never been to AK... Would you
plan a full day there or just a half??
5) If you like PO--- French Q or Riverside and why??
Thanks for the help everybody....
Jeff H.

Hi,

I realize you made your hotel choice and I think it's probably a good one for you.

1. I prefer CBR because its closer to the parks. DTD is something we visit MAYBE once during the trip and to me POR/R are just too far from the parks. But your choice gets rave reviews on this site so I think you'll be very happy.

2. Strongly recommend Hoop De Doo Review. It's hilarious. You might even get to be in the show. The food is fried chicken and ribs, all you can eat, with appropriate fixings and strawberry shortcake for desert.

3. I'm not a seafood eater buy my wife is. Best reputations are Fulton's at DTD and Narcoosee's at the Grand Floridian. either the Yacht Club or Beach Club has a nightly oyster roast, I recall.

4. As to the Animal Kingdom, the park is much different from the other Disney parks. It also suffers from the same problem that Disney MGM had when it first opened. There's not enough for a full day. Actually, there can be enough for a full day if you see all the live shows and do all the walking tours where you can linger as long as you like. But if you're only going to do the main rides, you'll be finished shortly after lunch.

5. Riverside seems to get the best marks from this site.

 

[lawyergirl77]

First things first - I am INCREDIBLY jealous that you are going to be on the Premium plan!! I did it once on a trip a long time ago and... *sigh* it was heaven!

So to answer your remaining questions (since you have already chosen POR - great choice, btw! I loved it when I was there a few weeks ago!!):

2) La Nouba is fabulous! I would skip the Luau, but try the Hoop-dee-doo. It's good fun. I would also spend one night at Pleasure Island - make sure you go to the Adventurers Club! It defies description...

3) Virtually every restaurant at WDW has some kind of seafood dish on its menu. Seeing as you can eat anywhere with no limits as to price, you should really try the Coral Reef (seafood is their specialty!!) and the California Grill. Also try Artist Point and Jiko - all are AMAZING restaurants!

4) You can schedule a half day at AK for now and leave the last few days of your trip flexible so that you can go back and re-visit your favourite attractions. If there are some that you missed at the AK that you definitely want to see, then you can go back then.

Another bit of cheap advice: seeing as it will be your first time at WDW in a while, I would schedule things for the first half of your trip and leave the second half a little more "open" (although I would still make some dining reservations for that second half, given how popular all of the table service restaurants have been with the Free Dining package). Afterwards, you'll have a better grasp on all the changes that have taken place in WDW and will be better able to figure out what it is that you want to see again or to see things that you don't want to miss.

Have fun!!!!! It should be an AWESOME trip!! :sohappy:

 

[3IAlienKid]

I think both Port Orleans and Caribbean Beach are comparable in terms of value and service. To me it really just depends on your personal tastes for what kind of environment you prefer -- island beaches or the South. Personally I prefer the beach so that's where I'd stay.

If you stay at the Caribbean, I don't care for the gardens there so if I had the extra money I'd get a lake view room. Whereas if I were staying at the French Quarter, I don't mind either the garden or river view. Never stayed at the Riverside.

 

[saltmom1]

I have stayed at POR and CBR and for me, no question-CBR. POR is VERY spread out. We were in the mansions and had a good 15-20 minute walk AFTER getting off the bus to get to our room. Jamaica and Aruba are not considered premium room and we had a 2 minute walk to the bus stop and a very nice 5 minute walk to Old Port Royale and the main pool. The food court is better at POR but that is the only thing I liked better at POR. Not that POR was terrible-far from it. It would just pick CBR because I think the theming is better.:wave:

 

[3IAlienKid]

originally posted by kalisplashAs to the Animal Kingdom... there can be enough for a full day if you see all the live shows and do all the walking tours where you can linger as long as you like. But if you're only going to do the main rides, you'll be finished shortly after lunch.

I agree with this. And even if you do the walking tours but don't linger to read the blurbs in front of the viewing areas or listen to the CM's give their spiels, you can be done after lunch. Personally, the 1st time I went I liked lingering to take it all in, so I was there until 5. Every visit since we include walking tours without lingering and skip all the shows -- we're usually done by 1.

 

[Shrike]

Tackling them in order:

1. I can't recommend Riverside enough. Have breakfast at Boatwrights (get the banana stuffed french toast..even if you don't like bananas, toast, or the French ). Take a stroll around the grounds with your wife, take the boat to DTD.

2./ 3. Speaking of DTD, I'm a seafood snob, and Fultons is excellent. After Fultons, go to the Adventurers Club. It's not what you might think it is. Stay awhile, and enjoy in the spirit intended. California Grill for dinner during the Wishes fireworks is another great evening.

4. AK is easily a 1/2 day. We always set aside a full day for AK, but pretty much without fail see everything we want to and end up at Epcot by mid-afternoon. Linger over things, take your time...walk down that overgrown trail. You'll still have no problem making early dinner before La Nouba.

If you're going in early/mid October (we always go mid-September), you'll most likely have very short waits for virtually everything, so my advice would be to not schedule every last moment. My wife and I did that 2 years ago, and quickly realized that we didn't need to have that much structure, especially staying on property. It's a vacation...enjoy it!

 

[dixiegirl]

Tackling them in order:

1. I can't recommend Riverside enough. Have breakfast at Boatwrights (get the banana stuffed french toast..

..ok this is making me hungry....yes they do have great bannana stuffed french toast....top it off with a mimosa!!!


oh ya 17 more days and i'll be eating mine!!!!!!!!!

 

[bgraham34]

I have not stayed at either of the resorts. But I am staying at CBR this year. My wife liked it years back when she stayed there so we will check it out. Its only 2 days but no big deal.

 

[DRJJH1]

Well thanks again for all the pointers...

I guess one thing I must do according to many people in this thread is eat the "banana stuffed french toast". What's wierd is I think I ate that at the old Tangaroa Terrace (sp?) restaurant in the Poly years back (about 1985 to be exact). I think it's wierd that I remember that and I also wonder if it the same recipe?? I know the restaurant does not exist anymore... I loved that place.