Dixie Landings

[sbkline]

When they changed the name to Port Orleans-Riverside, did they do any changes to the resort itself other than change the name? For those of you who stayed there as Dixie Landings and who have since stayed there as POR, do you feel like it is the same place?

And whey did they change the name over anyway? I thought I heard once that it was to be politically correct. Is this true? Personally, I think I like the name "Dixie Landings" better. Too bad they didn't keep it that way.

 

[Master Yoda]

I stayed there back when it was Dixie Landings and I have never really noticed any major difference. However I was not a Disney snob back then and only stayed 1 night so I am not the most trustworthy source of information on this subject. The only thing change that sticks in my head was a different bed. When it was Dixie I remember is having a 4 post wood bed that was very high off the ground. The only reason I remember this is because I hate sleeping high off the ground. Now the beds are more the standard hotel fare. This very well might have been done at one of the refurbs and not necessarily during the name change.

As far as the name, couldn't care less. What is in a name? It is still the best moderate resort on property weather it is called Dixie, Riverside, or whatever.

 

[sbkline]

I stayed there back when it was Dixie Landings and I have never really noticed any major difference. However I was not a Disney snob back then and only stayed 1 night so I am not the most trustworthy source of information on this subject. The only thing change that sticks in my head was a different bed. When it was Dixie I remember is having a 4 post wood bed that was very high off the ground. The only reason I remember this is because I hate sleeping high off the ground. Now the beds are more the standard hotel fare. This very well might have been done at one of the refurbs and not necessarily during the name change.

As far as the name, couldn't care less. What is in a name? It is still the best moderate resort on property weather it is called Dixie, Riverside, or whatever.

Thanks for the info. :wave:

btw, I see you're a Star Wars fan. By chance, do you also post on the www.starwars.com messageboards? I've already ran into one person here (besides myself) who posts there as well as here. I was just wondering if there were any others.

 

[Master Yoda]

Thanks for the info. :wave:

btw, I see you're a Star Wars fan. By chance, do you also post on the www.starwars.com messageboards? I've already ran into one person here (besides myself) who posts there as well as here. I was just wondering if there were any others.

I have looked around on the Star Wars boards but I don't post there. Far to many "I hate Jar Jar", "Palptine is a clone" "George Lucas is devil" threads for my taste. I love talking Star Wars but have really been tunned off by the amount on negative criticism that the internet seems to have generated on the subject. I find there are far more civil and logical SW fans on this site than on any SW site.

 

[Cynderella]

I *think* the only things that changed was the signs and such that said Dixie Landings. We've stayed there like 10 times and that is the only major change I've noticed. They changed the refillable mugs too so when we came back and realized they changed it we had to buy new mugs since we brought the old ones with us. :lookaroun :zipit:

 

[sbkline]

I *think* the only things that changed was the signs and such that said Dixie Landings. We've stayed there like 10 times and that is the only major change I've noticed. They changed the refillable mugs too so when we came back and realized they changed it we had to buy new mugs since we brought the old ones with us. :lookaroun :zipit:

I see. I thought they may have done a new paint job with the name change, but I wasn't sure. I have some WDW "brochures" from a travel agency from when it was still DL, and I thought the picture looked a little different from the pictures I see of it now in the travel guides, but I wasn't sure. Of course, it could have been a routing re-paint job that had nothing to do with the change of name, if indeed, it was repainted.

So was it a totally seperate resort as Dixie Landings? I know that now, although it is sort of a seperate resort than POFQ, it is also considered another "half" of the same resort.

 

[Cynderella]

I see. I thought they may have done a new paint job with the name change, but I wasn't sure. I have some WDW "brochures" from a travel agency from when it was still DL, and I thought the picture looked a little different from the pictures I see of it now in the travel guides, but I wasn't sure. Of course, it could have been a routing re-paint job that had nothing to do with the change of name, if indeed, it was repainted.

So was it a totally seperate resort as Dixie Landings? I know that now, although it is sort of a seperate resort than POFQ, it is also considered another "half" of the same resort.

Oh it's possible I just never paid attention to the paint scheme. And I believe that it was a totally seperate resort from French Quarter back then because it was Dixie Landings and then Port Orleans had its own name as just Port Orleans minus the French Quarter. I *think* you could still use the pool though. It's a shame they had to change it because it's not it's own resort its now part of Port Orleans. But we still stay there almost everytime we go.

 

[sbkline]

It's a shame they had to change it because it's not it's own resort its now part of Port Orleans. But we still stay there almost everytime we go.

Ya, I know it's now at least "semi-merged" with POFQ, but for all practical purposes, is there any difference between it being its own resort as opposed to being part of Port Orleans?

 

[RiversideBunny]

They changed the name from 'Dixie Landings' to 'Port Orleans Riverside'. They removed some cotton bales, which were part of the themeing, from the food court. They repainted the mural in the food court and they renamed the lounge to 'Riverside Lounge' from the previous 'Colonel's Cotton Exchange', or something like that. In essence they did away with any reference to days that are better forgotten. The manager said the previous name and decor made people uncomfortable and that would not be the Disney way. The two resorts still operate independently, as they did before, even though the names are similar now. Sometimes during slow periods they share buses but that was always that way. Hope this helps. :animwink:

 

[RonAnnArbor]

There is no difference in the way it was as far as the resorts are concerned...although they do now allow you to do things like go in any of the pools provided you bring your room key, and they share a bus system. Otherwise, French Quarter doesn't have a restaurant and I suppose those desperate for dinner at the resort can go to the one at Riverside - but you have much better choices at downtown disney (short boat or bus ride away) or back at the parks. Riverside and French Quarter each have their own everything, from check-ins to food courts, to pools, to employees. They even retain their own drive-in gates with guard houses. For all practical purposes, they are separate resorts.

 

[Chape19714]

They changed the name from 'Dixie Landings' to 'Port Orleans Riverside'. They removed some cotton bales, which were part of the themeing, from the food court. They repainted the mural in the food court and they renamed the lounge to 'Riverside Lounge' from the previous 'Colonel's Cotton Exchange', or something like that. In essence they did away with any reference to days that are better forgotten. The manager said the previous name and decor made people uncomfortable and that would not be the Disney way. The two resorts still operate independently, as they did before, even though the names are similar now. Sometimes during slow periods they share buses but that was always that way. Hope this helps. :animwink:

From my understanding, there was a cooperate/management shuffling along with the new name.

There's the Port Orleans Host management, and then it brances out to the 2 different resorts. This differs because they used to be reguarded as completely seperate resorts.

 

[maelstrom]

French Quarter doesn't have a restaurant and I suppose those desperate for dinner at the resort can go to the one at Riverside

They used to have one: Bonfamille.

 

[Rob562]

Riverside and French Quarter each have their own everything, from check-ins to food courts, to pools, to employees. They even retain their own drive-in gates with guard houses. For all practical purposes, they are separate resorts.

From the Guest perspective, they are two separate resorts (but still "sister" resorts), just as you said.
But behind the scenes, they operate as one business unit. Cast Members are trained for both French Quarter and Riverside, and can be deployed interchangably as needed. (Making sure they put on the proper costume for those CMs who wear a specifically themed costume).
I have a friend that works there, and when talking about her job she simply refers to it as "Port" because to her it's just one large resort.

My guess is that this will also be the setup when the second half of Pop Century (eventually) opens. To the Guest it'll be two separate resorts that are next to each other (though probably share a bus route), each with their own pools, front desk and food court. But behind the scenes it's one giant resort complex.

-Rob

 

[sbkline]

They changed the name from 'Dixie Landings' to 'Port Orleans Riverside'. They removed some cotton bales, which were part of the themeing, from the food court. They repainted the mural in the food court and they renamed the lounge to 'Riverside Lounge' from the previous 'Colonel's Cotton Exchange', or something like that. In essence they did away with any reference to days that are better forgotten. The manager said the previous name and decor made people uncomfortable and that would not be the Disney way.

I see. I can see how it might be deemed "offensive". But on the other hand, cotton is a significant part of the history and culture of the old South, which is what this resort is supposed to be based on. Sure, slavery is associated with that as well, but the cotton crop was still an important part of the culture and economy with or without slavery. But I suppose, utlimately, WDW is a business as, like all businessess, has to seek to please the customers.

 

[duck_daddy]

Flame gear ready!

I too see where this could be slighty offensive! Buth on the other hand it isnt like disney had slaves wondering around through fields of cotton. It wasnt like the janitors at the place toted around cotton sacks for the garbage instead of garbage cans! I get so tired of continually having to change society of something that happened decades ago! My grandmother is very white and her family and her all picked cotton! I dont really think she would give a damn:brick: about the name of a resort such as this! Get over it!

 

[duck_daddy]

My parents lived in the 1960's and are very offended by the peace sign and peace flowers on POP do you think if they bitched about equality and such long enough Disney would take them down?:brick:

 

[sbkline]

My parents lived in the 1960's and are very offended by the peace sign and peace flowers on POP do you think if they bitched about equality and such long enough Disney would take them down?:brick:

If they're white, probably not. Seems to me that if anyone of a minority group gets their feathers ruffled, we have to go to the ends of the earth to appease them. But if a person who is not in a protected minority group gets offended over something, he's accused of being narrow minded, bigoted and intolerant of the thing that he's offended over, and basically told to shut up and get over it.

But anyway, this is getting a little off topic. I just wanted to know in what ways POR is different now that it is no longer Dixie Landings. It doesn't sound like there are very many significant changes.

 

[duck_daddy]

I agree!

And sorry for the rant! Just a touchy subject!:wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

If they're white, probably not. Seems to me that if anyone of a minority group gets their feathers ruffled, we have to go to the ends of the earth to appease them. But if a person who is not in a protected minority group gets offended over something, he's accused of being narrow minded, bigoted and intolerant of the thing that he's offended over, and basically told to shut up and get over it.

But anyway, this is getting a little off topic. I just wanted to know in what ways POR is different now that it is no longer Dixie Landings. It doesn't sound like there are very many significant changes.

It is a sad time that we live in where every one seems to look for something to be offended by. A fried of mine is a firefighter and on the station wall they have the definition of teamwork painted on it just like it reads from the dictionary.

team·work (tmwûrk)
n.
Cooperative effort by the members of a group or team to achieve a common goal.

When an investigation came about due to a racially motivated hate crime the investigators sited that the "n." in the definition was racially offensive.:brick: