Riverside... alligator bayou or magnolia bend?

[Jess G]

What are the differences between the 2 areas? Should I bother putting in a request for a specific spot?

 

[Tuvalu]

Magnolia Bend rooms are in the mansions and have a more "formal" decor than the rooms at Alligator Bayou. Bayou rooms have a pull-down Murphy bed for a child so those rooms sleep 5. Additionally, Bayou buildings have two floors but no elevators; Mansion buildings have 2 or 3 floors and have elevators.

Preferred rooms are located in the Bayou section since they are closest to the main building/food court. There are 4 bus stops, so whichever section you are in will have a convenient place to catch the bus.

 

[tractor tipper]

Both are great. Mag is more open with a water view of the river. Gator has the feel of being in a bayou with deep landscaping. Its easier to get lost in gator land.

 

[daisyduckie]

I like all of the green of the bayou section more than the formal feel of the mansions, but both are nice. And I agree with tractor tipper, it is very easy to get lost and confused on the twisty paths in the bayou section.

 

[tmstephe]

We always stay in Alligator Bayou. The mansions are just too "formal" for our taste - just personal preference, though. I personally love the dense greenery in the Bayou. While there are no "bad" locations because of the multiple bus stops, on recent trips I've paid extra for a preferred location (bldgs 14, 15, 18 and 27). Again, just personal preference.

One quick tip to avoid getting lost: the sidewalks that lead directly to the water (and therefore main resort services like food and the feature pool) have a wood plank design stamped in them. The other winding sidewalks are plain concrete.

A great resource is the fan site portorleans.org.

 

[Wdw62114]

I think a lot of it comes down to what your taste is as far as theming. I stayed at Magnolia and the walk wasnt bad to the lobby. I found that Magnolia landscaping was far more impressive and being right on the river watching the boats go by was relaxing. Bayou personally wasnt my fav.

P.s. dont spend the extra money on a royal room. We luckily got a free upgrade bit if i had to pay for it, i would of been disappointed. The themeing wears off in like 10 minutes

 

[JasonDeyoung]

Me personally, I like Magnolia better

 

[jaklgreen]

Both sections are very nice. I like the Magnolia rooms better because we do not need the fold down bed and it takes up most of the drawer space. So I rather have the space in the room over the theme. It is a great resort and you will love it no matter what room you are in.

 

[EvilQueen-T]

We've stayed in AB both regular and preferred rooms, a standard room in the mansions, and a royal room in the mansions...loved them all lol.

 

[Jess G]

I payed extra for the king bed.. its just my DH and I. I was debating about the royal rooms because it was the same price as the king room but thought it might be to "kiddish". I think I'm going to request the magnolia

 

[Dj Corona]

We always try and request Alligator Bayou building 14, 15, or 18. All three are within sneezing distance of the main building and main bus depot, so that's always a plus.