Hello,
We have our first trip planned on September 15th. We (family of 4) are going with another family of 4 and staying at the Port Orleans Riverside for 8 nights.

My questions are;

1. One day we have plans to go to Seaworld. Does anyone know if there is transportation from Disneyworld to Seaworld or are we better off renting a large van for the day. We tried calling the hotel but they didn't have any tips on what types of transportation are available. It would cost approximately $100 to rent a van. We could also check into how much a cab would be.....any suggestions?

2. As mentioned above we are staying at Port Orleans Riverside. From what I have read on this site, building 14 is a favorite. We are planning on trying to make a room request closer to the date we arrive, I just wanted some feedback on people who have stayed at the resort, if building 14 is in fact the best one to request.

3. Waterparks - I've read that one park can be done in 1/2 day. Would it be wise (fesible) to do both Waterparks in one day? We had planned on one day at each waterpark but now we are wondering if we could try to do both in one day and use our "extra" day to spend more time at Magic Kingdom.

Thanks in advance for any tips and suggestions! Cant wait!

Tammy

Hellooooo! Welcome Kelownafamily! I'll try to answer 1 1/2 of your 3 questions :).

For the first, I do not think that there is transportation to Sea World other than renting a vehicle or taking a cab. Orlando does have bus service and perhaps if you took the Disney bus to Downtown Disney, perhaps you could connect with an Orlando bus. Perhaps you could call the Orlando or Orange County transportation dept to check on bus schedules and routes.

For your second question, I have never stayed at Port Orleans, so I cannot advise you on this. But here and on allearsnet.com, you will find reviews on nearly everything Disney, including the resorts.

As for your third question, I would not advise doing both parks in one day. Here's the reason. As both parks fill up, the lines get incredibly long, making for a lot of waiting and very little sliding fun. When we were there recently, we went early to each park using the extra magic hours, giving us over an hour at the parks before the general public was let in. In that hour, we did nearly everything at TL and then just hung out in the wave pool for a few more hours before going back to the resort, showering and then heading out to Downtown Disney for supper. Blizzard Beach was even more crowded, and even though we arrived early, the lines caught up to us much more quickly. Plus, there's no huge wave pool at BB, just a placid lagoon -- not nearly as much fun. So, if you have the time available, I'd hit one water park for 1/2 day and then go to DTD or one of the amusement parks, and then hit the other water park on another 1/2 day. Just my opinion though; I'm sure others will weigh in.

Again, welcome and have a great time on your first trip. Make sure you stop by city hall to get your 1st Visit badge!

Hello and welcome!!! Let me just say that I hope you have a wonderful trip and that everything goes just as perfectly as possible for you all!

1st question: We have always driven to WDW, so we have our car when we go to other parks. Renting a van is an option, but it probably wouldn't be as expensive to just hire a cab. We've seen lots of those large van taxis, so it would be possible for all of you to share a cab. I've had friends tell me that they went to DTD and hired a cab from there rather than the hotel because it was cheaper.

2nd question: We have stayed at Port Orleans, but in the French Quarter section. We did walk around over at Riverside and building 14 is definitely closest to the food court/lobby area. One of the reasons we chose POFQ over POR was because of the size, but once we were actually there and walked around, I didn't think POR was as large as I had imagined. Don't get me wrong, it's still plenty big and spread out, it just seemed a lot more manageable than I had thought.

3rd question: I agree with Petesimac about the water parks. Yes, it is physically possible to do them both in a day, but you would be absolutely worn out. We're always at a park for opening, stay 'til about 2, head back to the hotel for a nap and out to DTD for the evening.

That's another great thing about Port Orleans....boat service to DTD!!! It's so easy to head down there in the evenings and so relaxing to take the boat back to the hotel. We've even been able to see fireworks from the boat on a couple of occasions! Very nice.

We loved Port Orleans. Hope your stay is as enjoyable as ours was!!!

Welcome aboard.

Mears runs a service, but for 8 people it would be more expensive than renting a car. $128 dollars round trip for 8 people. you will also be subject to their schedule and stops at other hotels. so overall I would suggest renting a car as the best way
http://www.mearstransportation.com/pdf/Rates2007.pdf

As to the water parks, yes they could in theory both be done in a day, but I wouldn't want to do it. most people say they do the WP in half a day because about 4-6 hours into the fun they begin running out of steam. it's not that they've done everything, but that they are getting tired. if time is short then pick one WP and do just that one and save the other for next time.

which brings me to a point. since this is your first trip to WDW you really don't have any idea of the scope of the place. inside your mind you think you can and will do everything worth doing in this trip. don't worry most first timers start out that way. but there is virtually no way of doing this in less then about 12-14 days, even then there will be a feeling of so much to do that frustration sets in. stop now, take a breath and realize that you will not do everything. then set about reading and studying (if you haven't done so already) and find the things that are most important to everyone and start there.
then while you are at WDW purposely slow down. don't over plan, and don't rush from one thing to the next. rather take your time where you are exploring what is there, then after you feel you got a good handle on that one move on to the next. WDW is full of layer upon layer of treats, and if you rush through the top layer of something to get to the next item on the list you may miss the best part. then when ultimately you come up short of your expectations to see it all you will feel disappointed.
so now's the time to say, "we're not going to see it all, so we're not going to try. we will have fun with what we see, and save the rest for next time".

Thanks everyone. I will stick with the original plan, one day we are going to do a waterpark, then we have the Mickey Halloween party that night. The other day we will do the second waterpark and then DTD that night.

We've been to Disneyland but I imagine it's going to be quite different. We don't have too much "scheduled" just a few dinner reservations since we are on the dining plan.

I looked at Happy Limousine rates and it's only $85 round trip for a van to SeaWorld, I think we will do that. (we can all fit in the van).

Thanks again!

Ditto on what others have said about the water parks.

As far as POR, we LOVE it and yes building 14 is our favorite. We've stayed in others (always in AB though) and really any building is fine, but 14 is the most convenient.

Sorry, no help on the transportation, we always rent a car.

It's just around the corner -- have fun!

We went to to Bell Services at POFQ to ask for a taxi to Sea World and got one in a nano second. My husband recalls it was $20 each way but I think we paid a tip on top of that. There were four of us. I do remember thinking it was cheap! We didn't book a taxi back from Sea World in advance but found several waiting outside in the car park no problem. I think the price suggested for a rental car is more than 2 taxis would have been from memory - however, it is not a clear memory.

Sea World tip - (am I allowed?) If you go to feed the dolphins keep some food back for when everyone else around the area has run out of fish. I'd suggest buying 2 extra boxes. Guaranteed way for your children to get close to the dolphins - have the camera ready.

I don't think this has already been covered, and I hope it's not out of line, but what sort of tickets are you planning on getting? If they're park hoppers, I'd suggest using that benefit to make the most of your time. In my experience, you can do parts of two parks (including water parks), broken up by a short nap (or shower, or swim) back at your hotel, and still have time for some nightlife all in one day. Also, getting in early and staying late is when you'll get to see and do the most! And trying to do anything other than a hotel activity in the middle of the day is generally a futile endeavor as lines get horrendous, days get hot, and tempers of adults get short while kids get cranky for "no reason". The other thing about that is, if you're getting at least a little pool time everyday, you may find you don't need to go to both water parks; especially when you realize how truly large the theme parks are, you may want to have that extra day to devote to them... I don't think there is such a thing as over-planning, if you're planning to move at a leisurely pace.

Kelownafamily:
First off September is a great time to go; the lines are far shorter than they are in the summer and the weather, while still hot, is much more tolerable.

You'll love POR. We've stayed there several times and found it to be very nice. Don't be disappointed if you can't get building #14. The other buildings are still very nice. The pool is kinda nice for kids because it has a small water slide.

Just remember there is alot to see and do in WDW. I've been there about a dozen times and there is still stuff I haven't seen or done. Relax, have a good time and don't overcommit yourself. There's always next year....

Also, feel free to bring costums to the Halloween party. Both kids and adults dress up.

Just so you know you can take a local bus (Lynx) from the TTC at MK to Sea World for $3.00 round trip per person.

Just so you know you can take a local bus (Lynx) from the TTC at MK to Sea World for $3.00 round trip per person.


Ding, ding, ding, ding; winner!

Just so you know you can take a local bus (Lynx) from the TTC at MK to Sea World for $3.00 round trip per person.
Just so you know getting to the TTC can be as hard as getting to Seaworld. unless you are staying at one of the monorail hotels it will require going through either the Mk or Epcot and taking the monorail.

It still sounds like a great option if price is an issue. Bus from POR to MK, monorail to the TTC, then bus to Seaworld. Doesn't sound that bad.

Thanks everyone, I think we may just take a cab (or two, one per family) to Seaworld. As long as it's under $80 round trip I don't mind. We have decided that we are going to just visit one waterpark (Typhoon Lagoon). I would much rather have two days at the other parks than spend two of our vacation days at waterparks. Only 12 more days! It's going by so fast I can't wait!! :)

Thanks again for the advice.

Tammy

Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite resort.

We always stay in the 'mansions' area with the beautiful buildings and landscaping.
The mansion buildings, which go by names, are Oak Manor, Magnolia Terrace, Parterre Place, and Arcadian House.

Bldg. 14 and similar numbered ones are in the Alligator Bayou section which has many small buildings.

For our next trip we have requested Parterre Place.
In some cases we have just requested 'a room near the lobby/food court' and that has worked out well.

Good luck.
:cool: