We stayed there in September of '05, so less then a year ago!
First off, we loved it enough to go back again this year to the same resort. And to put it into perspective, we could of (and looked at) staying in either a Savannah room at the AKL or a MK View room at the Contemp. But what it came down to for us was how we were treated and how much we enjoyed our stay at PoR.
Mousekeeping, no matter what hotel you stay at, is always going to be hit or miss at times. I have heard stories of horrible housekeeping at 5 star resorts. Our personal experience was excellent. While we did not get any towel animals, they always did something special with my daughters stuffed animals.
The buildings in Alligator Bayou look aged, peeling, and a bit run down. But it also looks RIGHT. It's all part of the theming. They are supposed to look that way.
The hotel is also VERY romantic in the evening, probably more so then anywhere else on property. It is quiet, the walkways between the buildings are lit with the little path "solar lights", giving it a more subtle feel. Also the Horse Carriage rides at night, and just standing on the little bridge watching the water wheel turn in the moonlight... very romantic.
There are plenty of activities for everyone, from fishing (catch and release) to boat rentals, bike rentals and entertainment. You have to see Bob Jackson while you are there. He is great, and does a family friendly show in the hotel bar/lounge.
The food court is EXCELLENT, the only thing i was dissapointed there is that when we went, for some reason they didn't serve Biscuits and Gravy or Pralines. But otherwise the food there (at least what we tried, which was a bit of everything), was on-par with standard fare sit down (perkins, country kitchen, etc). It was also very decently priced, considering.
Also, I am not sure how often they do this but... our first evening there my wife wanted me to run to the food court and get some drinks in our mugs quick. When I went in, it wasn't busy (It was around 10:30), and the workers were singing, banging pots, etc. Making music. For some reason, that struck me as very cool, and i hope i get to experience that again this year.
Bus transportation was decent, we never had to wait very long. Of course, at a busier time of year, who knows. I have heard some people say they had problems, but some of those were also there the same time we were... so I am not sure the accuracy of either of our statments (we could be lenient in our opinions, or others could be harsh).
The only problem we had was with a waitress at boatwrights. The service was very poor, but we wrote that off as a "what can ya do" type of thing, and we are trying it again this year.
Have fun and enjoy your stay!
(Wow... I just realized... 14 days until we go!!!!!)
