July 19, 2023 • 34 mins
Have you ever wondered what it's like to visit Disney's Port Orleans Riverside or the quaint French Quarter? Allow us, to take you through our memorable journey, painting a vivid picture of these spectacular resorts. We loved the low-key vibe of Riverside with its serene atmosphere. As we navigate our way around these resorts, we delve into the aesthetics, food and the easy walkability, giving you a first-hand account of our experiences. Whether you're a seasoned Disney aficionado or planning your first visit, we hope our experiences and tips inspire your own magical adventure.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey friends.
Hello, it's Elizabeth and Sarah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thanks so much for listening to this week's episode
of the Tiki Room.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We are going to be talking about our trip that we
took in May that we realized wenever talked about.
Was that May?
It was May because it was yourbirthday.
Oh, that's right, it wasThursday, friday before Mother's
Day.
Yes, we stayed at Port OrleansRiverside and we wanted to talk
about that because none of us me, sarah and Ashley, none of us
(00:37):
had ever stayed there, had everstayed there.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yes, I visited before just to get beignets.
To be honest, you know, likemade the whole trek there just
to get some beignets.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Worth it.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Worth it.
Westlin and I we did like apark hopping adventure a few
years ago and that was one ofthe places we went to, but none
of us.
I couldn't believe.
It's like a moderate resort.
None of us ever stayed there.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
None of us.
It is equivalent to CaribbeanBeach.
Yes, in terms of price.
In terms of price right, and sothere's two.
there's Port Orleans Riversideand there's Port Orleans French
Quarter, yeah, and we stayed atPort Orleans Riverside and we
went over to Port Orleans FrenchQuarter.
(01:22):
We were like we just were sochill that I mean, I'm not gonna
lie to you, that was probablyone of my favorite chips, it was
so chill.
So laid back, yes, but we wentover to French Quarter just to
go into the, I think it was.
It was like the grab and goplace for dinner and we grabbed
something to eat and we kind ofwalked around and then we went.
We went to get beignets, yes,but we just wanted to see what
(01:46):
French Quarter was, becausewe'll talk more about the
Riverside.
But French Quarter was muchsmaller and in true Disney
fashion they did such a good jobat.
I've never been in New Orleans,I've just seen pictures of it
but they did a true.
I mean they had the wrought ironand the detailing on the
buildings, but it was a muchsmaller footprint and once you
(02:10):
got inside the gate there wasnowhere to drive, like you
parked.
Yes.
You could try to drive throughto go from building to building,
whereas with the Riverside oreven Caribbean Beach, you can
drive from building to building.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, and it's open.
Yes, yeah, you can walk or youcan drive, like on the other
side, I think, of each of them,just to kind of get closer if
you're really far.
But it's not a super spread outresort, but once you get on the
inside, it's like a.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
it's like a there is like a meeting spot on the
inside of the main area the pool, whatever and then it's.
I mean it's super cute how theydo it.
I love it.
It was so well done.
So that was the French Quarterside, and apparently French
Quarter is very hard to book.
It is apparently always bookedup but, after looking at it,
it's because it's so small.
Yes, so we stayed at Riversideand it was so serene, it was
(03:05):
delightful and quiet.
Yes, and, oh my word, it was sonice.
Yes, it was so nice, and it ismassive.
Yes, it is massive.
So I'm trying to remember this.
We went that morning.
Our room overlooked this.
I don't even know, I don't evenknow.
(03:29):
It was like a, it was like astream.
I remember we had to cross overthe bridge, yeah, and there was
something.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
There is because there's access, water access to
be able to get to the springs.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yes, so sorry.
So what did we count?
So there's like 10 differentbuilding units, right, we were
like Alligator Alley orsomething like that.
Yeah, alligator Bayou,alligator Bayou.
And then, just to compare it,in Caribbean Beach they have
like the Bahamas, aruba, tortugaor whatever it is, so it was
(04:03):
equivalent to that.
So there were 10 of those, Ithink we counted, and within
each of those there is its ownpool yes, so it was.
That is just how large thisproperty is, or that resort is.
Is that they are able to have apool with each unit, if you
(04:23):
will?
And then they had the big poolin the middle.
Yeah, right, is that right?
So they had small.
Okay, it wasn't 10.
I lied One, two, three, four,five, six, seven, seven, oh,
seven, yeah, that's bigger Morethan five.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But it's big, you can see on the map how much bigger
it is yeah, then French Quarter.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yes, so, like I said, there's a little pool at each
of these buildings and some ofthem it looks like it's in
between some, and then there'sthe main pool in the middle, and
this is just for Riverside, notFrench Quarter.
And so our little, our littleroom there was like a stream
outside of it.
And I mean I think that I satoutside and I called Scott and
(05:04):
like no noise.
Right, no road, no road, noroad noise.
I don't know why that took me aminute to say.
There was no bus system thatwent through it, which was so
nice.
But we walked from our room tothe main building, which was
(05:24):
called Riverside Mill.
We walked to that and Gotcoffee.
Got coffee, yes, and it was aquick, I mean less than five
minutes it took us to get there.
Now, the Alligator Bay was theclosest one, so after that we
went and we walked around and wewalked around the whole thing,
yeah, and we made it back to ourroom in less than 20 minutes.
(05:46):
So it seems big, but thewalking footprint is small Right
.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I remember you guys saying I mean because obviously
I wasn't awake when they went togo get coffee but you guys were
like, oh, I wonder how far it'sgoing to be, because we have to
go and get coffee in themorning.
Yes, and you guys were back sofast.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So fast, yes, but you weren't rushing no.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
You were just like it was just a leisurely stroll to
go get the coffee.
It was a leisurely stroll.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
And to be clear, I was definitely in my pajamas, no
question about it.
I just wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It was beautiful, it was so great.
It was exactly what we needed.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
People probably look at me and they're like keep on a
universal studio.
But I think that Disney doesthat.
We're on the map, it looksbigger than it really is.
Probably.
Maybe I drew Disney's mapsbecause my to scale drawings are
always way off, so it was sothe quiet, the quietness there
(06:44):
were, and there were.
I mean there were kids around.
I just thought it was just it.
Yeah, the Japanese map, therewere kids around our hotel room
and it was still so quiet, so Idon't know.
I said a while ago that I lovedCaribbean Beach.
Remember when I was like,because we stayed in that one
that was right next to that cafeor whatever which was so
(07:04):
convenient I really likedRiverside.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Yeah, I know, I know we were all kind of shocked.
We thought I mean we were goingjust for one night.
We were wanting to go to Epcotjust having like a little girls
weekend, and just to.
It was the week after mybirthday, I don't.
I think we did Guardians.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And that was it.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And that we were like it rained in the afternoon.
Oh yeah, that's right, that'sright, that's right and we
didn't want to leave, we werejust, it was so nice to not just
rest.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
We were in bed by like eight o'clock.
I know it was so lovely, it wasso nice.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
We had friends who were also there and we were like
we're going to try to meet up.
They did not go to bed at 8 pmthey did not go to bed, they.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I think went out at 8 pm.
They are so much cooler than us.
They were staying at theRiviera and they were, they
lived it up.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
They lived their best life.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
They lived, we lived our best life, but our life is
lived a little bit differentlythan theirs is yes.
Yes, we were able to.
Not only were we functioningthe next day, we were lively the
next day, because we were sorelaxed.
But one of the other thingsabout it that I loved was that
there was no bus system, and Iknow I just said this, but
(08:14):
there's no bus system internally, so you don't have the loud bus
traffic.
Excuse me, you don't have theloud bus traffic.
You don't have the noise of theother people running to the bus
stop or trying to get to thebus stop.
I don't know how the bus systemworks.
I guess that, since it's soeasy to get to that bus hotel oh
(08:36):
, there is, if you look like,you can see on the map that the
bus system does go around.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But if you are staying like, it goes on the
perimeter of the whole property.
But if you are staying closer,like towards the water, like on
the inside of the resort, you'renot going to hear any of that
bus, None of it.
You're going to now.
You're going to have to walk,like to the parking lot, you
know, into the bus.
You're going to have a littlebit of a walk, but not that long
.
Yeah, it's not like buses aregoing all the way through the
(09:03):
resort.
Yes, that's true.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And I and I think Caribbean Beach is that same way
, but I think that, however theypositioned these buildings,
it's like they're in I don't.
I don't know, I don't know howto describe it, y'all, but it
was so nice and we did do that.
We got two Queens and we gotthe fifth sleeper.
Yes, and Elizabeth loves thislove the fifth sleeper.
It's like I get to like nestlein my little cocoon in Caribbean
(09:29):
Beach, the way that they do.
The fifth sleeper is the twoQueen.
Fifth sleeper is one of theQueens.
Is the fold down bed from the?
Wall and then you have thesmall bed Sarah and Ashley
claimed was a toddler bed, but Iliterally did from head to toe
and my feet did not hang off theedge.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I'm telling you, Carly's feet were off the edge
and I think I'm taller thanCarly.
It's going to be fine.
I was like it's not going to befine.
We're sharing a bed.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Am I taller than?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Carly.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
I don't think so.
I think we're like the sameheight.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I think you're about the same height but she was like
it'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
I'm like we're not doing that.
Yeah, I did not.
I was like you're not, you'renot winning this battle, but I
do think the beds are differentsizes.
I think they're different sizes.
Yeah, I do, but there was.
I mean, so we.
So you go in the room.
It's the hardwood floor, whichis so nice.
Yes, and after staying atUniversal Studios in a carpeted
floor, I was like, oh, I misshardwood floors.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
How many people have thrown up on this floor.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
What has happened on this floor?
It's it's the hardwood floor.
The bathroom situation in theone we were in was not as
convenient as the one that wasit that I stayed in at Caribbean
Beach, yes, but I have afeeling that that could be
reversed right, because we'vestayed in rooms at Caribbean
Beach where the bathroomsituation was not as nice.
(10:43):
So, but it was still a separatetoilet room, toilet and shower
room, and then there were twosinks at Caribbean Beach.
The one the fifth sleeper thatI stayed in, there was a door
that shut the sink, the wholebathroom area.
Yes, in Riverside there was nobathroom door to shut it.
(11:04):
Remember.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, there was like a curtain.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
It was a curtain.
It was a curtain to shut thesink area.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's how they all used to be, yeah, and now
they've kind of transitioned allthe like that barn door yeah.
All the refurbs, like the barndoor and yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
There was a kitchenette refrigerator, there
was a coffee maker, there was alittle table with two chairs,
and it was.
I mean, it was so, it was sonice.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It was so nice.
You know what I wonder?
I wonder if it's the trees thathave the noise.
Yes, Because it's very wooded.
I what I liked about Riversidewas it's like you get a piece of
Fort Wilderness with your stay.
Are you speaking to my heartright now?
(11:55):
It does.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
It feels like you're walking through a vibe of Fort.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Wilderness, but you're staying in a hotel still,
yeah, and there's treeseverywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
There's birds they have like fishing it just feels
To your point about the stream.
Like you got the sound of theof the.
It's not a real brook people.
I'm very well aware.
But you got that water noise.
You're right, it did, that didand it's.
I mean, everywhere was shaded.
Everywhere we walked to go toto get coffee was shaded, and
(12:27):
even when we walked over thatbridge, pass by that pool,
everything was shaded there too,yeah, so it also is convenient
and we had to look this up.
We had to look it up on the mapbecause we knew that there was
a boat access.
Yes, and we were not sure if itconnected to Magic Kingdom and
we were like we need to makesure that we know this to be the
(12:48):
truth before we like broadcastthis.
The, the lake that the boat isconnected to, does not take you
to the Magic Kingdom.
It only takes you to DisneySprings.
Yes, and, and you go and youmeet that right there at the
front.
What was it at the main areafor Riverside?
(13:10):
You get on the boat there andit is a door.
I mean, it is so cute.
It is so well done, so you cantake it to Disney Springs and
it's a little.
It kind of reminded me of theboats that they have at
Hollywood Studios, likeHollywood Studios Epcot area.
Yeah, the fair, like theFriendship Ferry or whatever
it's not the same one that is inthe over in the map by the
(13:33):
Magic Kingdom and does all those.
So, yeah, it was really cute,really well done the beignets.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Oh Lord the beignets.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Y'all my tummy's about to grow.
I'm sorry, I was a big one too.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I didn't realize okay , I've gotten beignets before,
but I didn't realize theselection that it was a cult
fire.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Oh, I thought you were gonna say you didn't know
it was a cult following, cause Ididn't either, I.
So we pull up to French.
I don't know if you paidattention to this.
I did, cause I was like holyMoses, so I knew that there was
somewhat of a cult followingbehind the beignets.
I've heard of people being likeoh yeah, I just stopped in to
get beignets and I'm like whatin the heavens is happening?
(14:17):
Here, yeah.
So we walk into French Quarterthat next morning.
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.
That night we eat dinner overthere.
We go, we get the beignets andthey're like for six of them it
was like $3.
It was that's not it, but itwas like six for $10 or
something.
And these are y'all.
These are massive beignets andthey pour like the entire thing
(14:40):
of confectioner's sugar on topof it.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
It was so good it was so good.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
If you get it to go, they have to double bag it
because they bring them out hotand they pour that sugar on it
and it is great.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You are not far off.
Six beignets is 10.99.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
And you get three dipping sauces.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Two but dipping sauce .
Speaker 2 (14:58):
This has served with choice of one dipping sauce.
An additional is a dollar.
So it's one for six of them webought all three, but I think
that they did.
I think you're right.
I think for the six they didgive us two different kinds.
I don't think that they chargedus for the second one.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
And it was like chocolate, a caramel and a
raspberry or strawberry or somesort of a fruit.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, Salty caramel, strawberry and then chocolate
ganache and then three beignets,is $7.49.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I mean it was good.
It was good.
So we got that.
That was our dessert Fridaynight.
Or that night, thursday night,friday morning we went back
because we all said we weregonna get some for our kids.
Yes, so everyone every one ofus Draper, grave, branick got a
six pack of beignets, yep.
And when we walked in, the ladywas like, oh no, I guess it was
(15:53):
Thursday night when we walkedin to go to the restaurant.
Yes, she was like are you herefor the beignets?
Yes, and we were like, I meanlater we're here to eat dinner.
And she's like okay, if youwould like the beignets, you
need to go over here.
And they were prepared for, Iguess, the nighttime crowd to
come and get the beignets andthey do.
They had a live music.
There was a little bar overthere.
(16:15):
Yes, it was super cute.
Yes, it was super cute.
I mean it was super cute.
I also the smell.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh my gosh, when you walk in, it's ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So it's not the beignets that you smell.
Okay, you know, have y'all seenthese candles?
And it's supposed to smell likeDisney.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yes, magic candle company.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Whatever Disney does to Whatever scent they chose for
the French Quarter Lobby, which, by the way, was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I know I loved it.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
It was so well done.
I just can't get over thedetail that they put into these.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I have.
I was in New Orleans recently.
I was in the fall.
We went to a floor stake.
Oh yeah, that's right and wewere there with all our old
college friends and so I had itfresh in my mind what New
Orleans looked like.
And then when we went to FrenchQuarter, I was like this is why
Disney does like destinationtrips with their Imagineers, and
they go to the places and Takenotes and really figure out
(17:16):
exactly what the feel is what itlooks like the smell like they
hit.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
They hit those vibes so well and I feel like they do
it.
I mean they.
That's why Disney is so good attheir jobs, that's why but they
Remember I made like so manycomments about that smell.
Whatever it was, it was like agardenia smell.
It was so good and it was sounique and it was just in the
(17:41):
lobby.
Yeah so when you walked in youkind of got that vibe, that feel
, that vibe.
But I Don't know how you can,because to get into French
Quarter or River Port Orleansthrough the gates, just like
anywhere else, you have to havesome sort of a reservation.
Yes so I don't know, have youever just gone to get the?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
vineyards.
We have gone just to get thevineyards, but I think it
through the gate.
Well, you, so you can take aboat from Disney Springs.
Oh so you can get on the boatand go over that way that way.
When I went with Westland, wewere renting bikes, so we kind
of resort hopped and the bus too.
(18:24):
Yeah, we took a bus.
That's what we did.
We resort hopped around MagicKingdom and then we took a bus
over to Port Orleans.
Okay, we rented bikes, we rodebikes all around Riverside and
had like the best time, and thenwe went at the end we dropped
off the bikes and then gotBenye's you're so cool.
(18:44):
I know I used to be really cool.
That was like three years ago.
I need to pick it up.
Think that you're so cool.
But that's what you can do ifyou want to.
That's what I tell people.
They're like oh, I can't getinto the resource resort because
I don't have a ration, areservation.
That's when the bus system does, you know, work.
If you really want to get overto that place, if it's not a
(19:08):
monorail, it's not a skyliner,you're just gonna have to take a
bus.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Scott Brannick's favorite story about me in the
bus is when we were dating.
We went to Disney with my dad.
Yes and I can't remember if mymom was there or not, but we
went.
My dad was definitely therebecause we went to.
We were on the boardwalk and wewere staying in the cabins, and
(19:34):
my friend Lindsay was there too, and I was like let's just take
a bus from the boardwalk.
And my dad was like that's theworst idea You've ever had.
And I was like, dad, the bussystem takes you ever y'all.
We waited for an hour and ahalf, yeah, and so to this day,
scott will tell you let's justtake a bus from the boardwalk.
We'll be like in Colorado skiing, and I'll be like which way
should we go?
(19:55):
And who be like?
Let's just take a bus from theboardwalk.
I.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Mean it is.
The bus system is not superconvenient all the time and you
do have to wait.
But if you want to go, if youhave time like if it's not a
park day and you're wanting togo to some of those moderate
resorts, but definitely go tofrom up, from wherever you are.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Get go to a park.
Yeah, go to a hub, go to a hub.
Don't sit at the boardwalk towait for a bus for Fort
Wilderness.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yes, that's right you need to go to a Hub yeah, go to
a park or go to thetransportation ticket center.
Yeah, go to Disney Sprint, likewherever you're the closest in
all those areas.
Go there and then go find thebus.
Yeah, for the said.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Do.
I'm sorry that this is adistraction.
We should.
This is pretty usual.
This is not.
I don't.
I cannot believe I'm gonna saythis at Well, oh my gosh, do it.
I think that we should go andjust use Disney transportation.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Oh, my gosh Elizabeth , I don't know about that.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
We could do a live recording of how frustrated I
get that's.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
We should do it just for the purposes of trying to
see how it's gotten better orworse a hundred.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
We're usually just driving a thousand percent every
time we're driving.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
We're driving, we're taking the car, we're parking in
the parking lot and we shouldsee how it is now.
We do it a lot when we do theskyliner like if we're doing
something on the skyliner, butI'm talking about the bus.
I know if we just use the buswherever we need to go.
I Did that for the run Disneyand the bus system was on it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, because it was 4 am.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I know that's true.
It's the only thing that theywere using y'all.
Do you want to sidetrack?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Oh yeah, I'm.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Everybody know this.
Okay, I signed up for theDisney run Disney half marathon
weekend.
I Signed up for a 10k.
A 10k for Ren Disney.
This is for the princess halfmarathon weekend next year.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah, I have no business.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
I have no business Making plans for myself to do
something without my family nextyear.
I'm like I have no idea whatwe'll be doing.
I have no idea if my kids aregonna.
I don't know.
I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I signed up.
I'm gonna read this text chainokay.
Sarah, sarah Graves texts.
Ashley Draper and I.
I registered for another run,disney race.
I Send a picture of a cowboyhat, an American flag cowboy hat
with a eagle on it.
That was at Walmart.
I was in Walmart and I said youand I are on different journeys
(22:34):
right now.
Sarah Graves, walmart friendsfinds a I.
When is the run next February?
A 5k question mark.
I have no business committingto something outside of my
family that far out.
10k, six miles won't be bad.
That's on the long.
That's the longest I'm doingfrom now on me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Elizabeth has said this.
Okay, she hasn't writing.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I have been writing.
Do you have someone to run itwith?
If not, I will do that for you,but it's in caps only because I
love you and the gift of mypresence at Disney run is At a
Disney run is the biggest gift Icould ever give you, not
because I have a desire to do it.
Sarah says that would be themost amazing gift if it wasn't
(23:20):
actually sold out.
Hate that for me, but at leastI found a cool hat from Walmart.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Yeah, but do you want to know what is that I am?
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I have an app that is the worst, like a notification
for when something becomesavailable, because I've
committed to this.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I have an app, if you are wondering, because you want
also do the princess run.
There's an app called Telegramand then you can subscribe to
the Run Disney Race Availabilitychannel.
And when the 10K shows up asavailable and, if I get it fast
enough, I am going to registerElizabeth for it, and she has to
(24:02):
do it with me because she saidshe would do it.
So let's all be excited becauseI think I have.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
That's talk about something that you're going to
record it is me at 4am.
Yeah, it's going to be great.
It's definitely going to be alike six months version.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yeah, I got a long time to be able to get to get in
on this race.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I say that as I woke up yesterday morning at 4am to
go fishing.
My kids were in a.
There's a kingfish tournamenthere and my kids fish in it and
I love fishing and my husbandloves fishing and it was like
every one of our we were likethis is all of our dreams come
true and I had no problem wakingup at 4am.
But if you wake me up at 4am torun lol it's going to be
amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I'm definitely going to register her, so you guys
look forward to that.
It'll be great.
But back to let's.
Let's finish up with Portland.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Oh, it was so great.
I mean, I know that we've saidthis about the.
I feel like the moderate resortis so overlooked at Disney
every time, but they knock itout of the park.
I know and I loved, I loved it.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
You love it more than Caribbean Beach.
I think Ashley said she doestoo.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
It is the it.
Actually, I can't remember ifit was you or Ashley talking
about the loudness of CaribbeanBeach because of the Skyliner,
and it's not that the Skylineris loud but I think your point
of yes, it's busier, I think,that your point of the nature.
I am not kidding you when I saythat everything was shaded.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Everything was shaded , it was.
It was quieter, more chill,Ashley.
That's what she loved.
She looked at the pools andjust could see her and her kids
and Tony like getting a drink,sitting by the pool, her kids
having a blast and it not beingso overwhelming overloaded with
noise and she would know herkids were.
(25:58):
Everybody would have a goodtime.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Well, and I liked that, Thinking about from that,
from a family perspective, oreven if it was just us Since
they had these little pools thathave.
They didn't have slides, theydidn't have splash features,
they had none of that.
I don't even think they had alifeguard on duty.
No, they didn't know when wewere there, not when we were
there the bigger pool there ismore.
(26:22):
But if you were to, just if, ifthe three of us were to have
brought a bathing suit, we couldhave gone to that pool and it
be quiet and not be loud.
It's not crazy.
On the flip side, if we were tohave brought our kids and it
was maybe a long day, but wedidn't want to do the full pool
setting where the slide and allthe splash features and the
(26:42):
games and stuff we could havejust gone there, done a quick
swim and then gone back and beendone, which is not an option.
That is not an option.
Well, I guess there that isn't.
It's not as prominent of anoption at Caribbean Beach as it
is there.
Yeah, so I did like that, thatyou had a more reserved option
(27:03):
for the pool.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Yeah, okay.
Well, we are going totransition really quick.
We'll be right back.
Okay, we're back.
I made Elizabeth take me intoher new car so we could record
the rest of this episode,because she just got a new car
and we were looking at thesecars when we were at Disney in
(27:24):
the parking lots.
We were walking through theparking lots.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Also I want you to know that I literally said I'm
like they're so ugly but they'reso nice, before she even
continues.
It's both.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
It's both.
It's like yeah, that's how youfelt.
You're like I can't.
I don't know how I feel aboutit.
I don't know how I feel, but wewere looking at these and we,
but when we saw them in theparking lot, I think all of us
were like this is the prettiestcar.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I'm pretty sure that Ashley went up and we all went
up and looked inside of it.
Right, yeah, it is.
It's so pretty, they're sopretty.
I was like we're going to getarrested.
Yeah, we're looking inside.
The back end is ugly.
The back end is what's ugly?
No, I mean on the outside, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, Well, we're sitting in it and I just got in,
I'm on the passenger side andthe seat totally moved.
Like, do you have it on asetting for what feels nice for
the person?
Like I have no idea.
There are oh my gosh, there aremassage chairs in here, so like
you can, I don't even y'all, Ijust want.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I feel like I need to make this clear.
I had a suburban, which was mydream car when I was like 12.
I was like one day I'm going tobe a mom and I'm going to have
a suburban.
And all my I did cry when Igave my suburban up and my
husband hated the suburban.
He was like this is the onlyway I'm getting you out of this
car and I was like you're notwrong.
You're not wrong, so it is.
It's a wagon year and there areeverything is.
(28:44):
Everything is electronic.
But yes, I don't know what thisis.
She's right.
When you come in the car likethe leg, things come around you.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Yeah, it like it supports you.
I don't know, I didn't evenrealize that it feel nice.
Yeah, I didn't know I neededsupport.
In the passenger seat there aremassage chairs.
Like could I also be getting apedicure while this is happening
?
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I do wish that the pressure was more.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You would wish the pressure was more.
The sunroof is humongous.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
And then the back, it's the whole car, and then the
third row has its own sunroof,that is my kids dream.
Oh, this is the other thing.
Okay, we can raise the car orlook for it.
Look straight ahead.
Okay, looking straight aheadDown.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
What is happening there are.
You have hydraulics on this car.
Yeah, sure, Did you know thatthat's what you would get?
I have no idea.
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So the level three is like what you typically drive
on the main road.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And then I can go off-road.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
This is off-road.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Off-road, off-road.
This is amazing.
It's very tall, wow, okay.
So from here we are going to doour top three of, like, our top
three favorite things.
While we're relaxing in this,we're getting a massage.
We're getting a massage in thisvery pretty car.
This is your top three favoritethings about Riverside yeah,
(30:17):
port Orleans Riverside, okay, orlet's say, French Quarter two,
because they're together.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Can we say that you call it Port Orleans and I call
it Port Orleans?
What's wrong with us?
What is?
Speaker 2 (30:28):
it which one of us is wrong?
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Definitely you, Definitely not.
Yeah, I feel like that is aquestion that I feel like people
need to respond back into us.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Who is it?
Is it Port?
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Orleans or Port Orleans?
Is it New Orleans or is it NewOrleans?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
I feel like occasion would say like New Orleans.
New.
Orleans, new Orleans orsomething, new Orleans, but I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
I don't know We'll get someone to comment what are
your top three of Port Orleans?
Top three of Port Orleans, okay, one is the quietness.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Which are your one.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
My number one is the environment is kind of like the
quietness, just what you'reseeing, yeah the aesthetics.
The aesthetic trees nature.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Okay, all right.
Number two I'm going to saythat I liked that everything was
walkable and not overwhelminglywalkable.
Does that make sense?
Like if you were to stayanywhere else?
I feel like if you were to walkfrom point A to point B, it
still may be a walk Like thewalk back is what you're like.
Oh, now we got to walk back.
(31:36):
Not, I did not feel like thatwas the case at Port Orleans.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Yeah, I'm going to say my number two, for that is
maybe like the amenities ofthings to do.
Oh yeah, there were a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I liked.
You can rent bike rent.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
You can rent bikes, there's pool, there was an
arcade.
I thought that the just theoverall things to do there, the
fishing.
I like that there weredifferent kinds of options of
things to do there.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yes, Okay, and number three.
Number three for me was theFrench Quarter side and how,
when you walked, well the like,just how pretty it was.
You walked through the lobbyand it was kind of like a like
you could walk straight throughand then everything was winged
around it.
But once you walked through andyou got to the courtyard area,
it was just so pretty I couldjust.
(32:27):
I was like we could sit outhere and eat, drink coffee, and
it was so cute and so relaxingand I really felt like I could
go and enjoy just relaxing there.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Are you seeing my answer?
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know I'mlike maybe, well, okay, no, I'll
say a different number three,which I do think location, oh
yeah.
I thought the location wasgreat.
You have access to DisneySprings via boat.
The thing I hate about DisneySprings the most I mean it is
overwhelming to me because it isjust an outdoor shopping mall,
(33:10):
but I do enjoy some of therestaurants there.
But what I don't like isparking there.
I don't like parking at DisneySprings, so I do like the
accessibility from Port Orleansto Disney Springs that way.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
So location yeah, if you are somebody who frequents
Disney Springs or you want toprioritize Disney Springs on
your trip maybe you're going fora week, or whatever the case
may be I definitely recommendsaying somewhere that has access
to the boat ride to DisneySprings because, to Sarah's
(33:44):
point, transportation to out of,in and out of Disney Springs is
a nightmare.
So Port Orleans does it,saratoga Springs has it, and I
think that's it.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Old Key West.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Oh, you're right, Old Key West.
Yes, yes, I'm 99% sure.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Yeah, but Saratoga is really close.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
It's very close, it's walkable.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
It's walkable to Disney Springs and I think that
the boat from Port Orleans goeslike kind of through Saratoga,
okay, so, yeah, all right.
Well, thanks, friends, we'lltalk to you next time.
Yeah, thanks for listening tothis week's episode.
I've decided now that this isthe fanciest car I've ever been
(34:24):
in.
I love it.
I'm so happy that you have thisand you're driving all the time
now, all the time.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
All the time, I'm never going to drive the van to
Disney and you can sit right init on the way there and actually
can ride in it on the way back.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh, it's so wonderful .
I love it All.
Right, thanks, friends.
See you next time.
Bye.
Hey friends.
Hello, it's Elizabeth and Sarah.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Thanks so much for listening to this week's episode
of the Tiki Room.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
We are going to be talking about our trip that we
took in May that we realized wenever talked about.
Was that May?
It was May because it was yourbirthday.
Oh, that's right, it wasThursday, friday before Mother's
Day.
Yes, we stayed at Port OrleansRiverside and we wanted to talk
about that because none of us me, sarah and Ashley, none of us
(00:37):
had ever stayed there, had everstayed there.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Yes, I visited before just to get beignets.
To be honest, you know, likemade the whole trek there just
to get some beignets.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Worth it.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Worth it.
Westlin and I we did like apark hopping adventure a few
years ago and that was one ofthe places we went to, but none
of us.
I couldn't believe.
It's like a moderate resort.
None of us ever stayed there.
Speaker 1 (01:02):
None of us.
It is equivalent to CaribbeanBeach.
Yes, in terms of price.
In terms of price right, and sothere's two.
there's Port Orleans Riversideand there's Port Orleans French
Quarter, yeah, and we stayed atPort Orleans Riverside and we
went over to Port Orleans FrenchQuarter.
(01:22):
We were like we just were sochill that I mean, I'm not gonna
lie to you, that was probablyone of my favorite chips, it was
so chill.
So laid back, yes, but we wentover to French Quarter just to
go into the, I think it was.
It was like the grab and goplace for dinner and we grabbed
something to eat and we kind ofwalked around and then we went.
We went to get beignets, yes,but we just wanted to see what
(01:46):
French Quarter was, becausewe'll talk more about the
Riverside.
But French Quarter was muchsmaller and in true Disney
fashion they did such a good jobat.
I've never been in New Orleans,I've just seen pictures of it
but they did a true.
I mean they had the wrought ironand the detailing on the
buildings, but it was a muchsmaller footprint and once you
(02:10):
got inside the gate there wasnowhere to drive, like you
parked.
Yes.
You could try to drive throughto go from building to building,
whereas with the Riverside oreven Caribbean Beach, you can
drive from building to building.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Yeah, and it's open.
Yes, yeah, you can walk or youcan drive, like on the other
side, I think, of each of them,just to kind of get closer if
you're really far.
But it's not a super spread outresort, but once you get on the
inside, it's like a.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
it's like a there is like a meeting spot on the
inside of the main area the pool, whatever and then it's.
I mean it's super cute how theydo it.
I love it.
It was so well done.
So that was the French Quarterside, and apparently French
Quarter is very hard to book.
It is apparently always bookedup but, after looking at it,
it's because it's so small.
Yes, so we stayed at Riversideand it was so serene, it was
(03:05):
delightful and quiet.
Yes, and, oh my word, it was sonice.
Yes, it was so nice, and it ismassive.
Yes, it is massive.
So I'm trying to remember this.
We went that morning.
Our room overlooked this.
I don't even know, I don't evenknow.
(03:29):
It was like a, it was like astream.
I remember we had to cross overthe bridge, yeah, and there was
something.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
There is because there's access, water access to
be able to get to the springs.
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Yes, so sorry.
So what did we count?
So there's like 10 differentbuilding units, right, we were
like Alligator Alley orsomething like that.
Yeah, alligator Bayou,alligator Bayou.
And then, just to compare it,in Caribbean Beach they have
like the Bahamas, aruba, tortugaor whatever it is, so it was
(04:03):
equivalent to that.
So there were 10 of those, Ithink we counted, and within
each of those there is its ownpool yes, so it was.
That is just how large thisproperty is, or that resort is.
Is that they are able to have apool with each unit, if you
(04:23):
will?
And then they had the big poolin the middle.
Yeah, right, is that right?
So they had small.
Okay, it wasn't 10.
I lied One, two, three, four,five, six, seven, seven, oh,
seven, yeah, that's bigger Morethan five.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
But it's big, you can see on the map how much bigger
it is yeah, then French Quarter.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Yes, so, like I said, there's a little pool at each
of these buildings and some ofthem it looks like it's in
between some, and then there'sthe main pool in the middle, and
this is just for Riverside, notFrench Quarter.
And so our little, our littleroom there was like a stream
outside of it.
And I mean I think that I satoutside and I called Scott and
(05:04):
like no noise.
Right, no road, no road, noroad noise.
I don't know why that took me aminute to say.
There was no bus system thatwent through it, which was so
nice.
But we walked from our room tothe main building, which was
(05:24):
called Riverside Mill.
We walked to that and Gotcoffee.
Got coffee, yes, and it was aquick, I mean less than five
minutes it took us to get there.
Now, the Alligator Bay was theclosest one, so after that we
went and we walked around and wewalked around the whole thing,
yeah, and we made it back to ourroom in less than 20 minutes.
(05:46):
So it seems big, but thewalking footprint is small Right
.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
I remember you guys saying I mean because obviously
I wasn't awake when they went togo get coffee but you guys were
like, oh, I wonder how far it'sgoing to be, because we have to
go and get coffee in themorning.
Yes, and you guys were back sofast.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
So fast, yes, but you weren't rushing no.
Speaker 2 (06:08):
You were just like it was just a leisurely stroll to
go get the coffee.
It was a leisurely stroll.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
And to be clear, I was definitely in my pajamas, no
question about it.
I just wanted.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
It was beautiful, it was so great.
It was exactly what we needed.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
People probably look at me and they're like keep on a
universal studio.
But I think that Disney doesthat.
We're on the map, it looksbigger than it really is.
Probably.
Maybe I drew Disney's mapsbecause my to scale drawings are
always way off, so it was sothe quiet, the quietness there
(06:44):
were, and there were.
I mean there were kids around.
I just thought it was just it.
Yeah, the Japanese map, therewere kids around our hotel room
and it was still so quiet, so Idon't know.
I said a while ago that I lovedCaribbean Beach.
Remember when I was like,because we stayed in that one
that was right next to that cafeor whatever which was so
(07:04):
convenient I really likedRiverside.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Yeah, I know, I know we were all kind of shocked.
We thought I mean we were goingjust for one night.
We were wanting to go to Epcotjust having like a little girls
weekend, and just to.
It was the week after mybirthday, I don't.
I think we did Guardians.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
And that was it.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
And that we were like it rained in the afternoon.
Oh yeah, that's right, that'sright, that's right and we
didn't want to leave, we werejust, it was so nice to not just
rest.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
We were in bed by like eight o'clock.
I know it was so lovely, it wasso nice.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
We had friends who were also there and we were like
we're going to try to meet up.
They did not go to bed at 8 pmthey did not go to bed, they.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I think went out at 8 pm.
They are so much cooler than us.
They were staying at theRiviera and they were, they
lived it up.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
They lived their best life.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
They lived, we lived our best life, but our life is
lived a little bit differentlythan theirs is yes.
Yes, we were able to.
Not only were we functioningthe next day, we were lively the
next day, because we were sorelaxed.
But one of the other thingsabout it that I loved was that
there was no bus system, and Iknow I just said this, but
(08:14):
there's no bus system internally, so you don't have the loud bus
traffic.
Excuse me, you don't have theloud bus traffic.
You don't have the noise of theother people running to the bus
stop or trying to get to thebus stop.
I don't know how the bus systemworks.
I guess that, since it's soeasy to get to that bus hotel oh
(08:36):
, there is, if you look like,you can see on the map that the
bus system does go around.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
But if you are staying like, it goes on the
perimeter of the whole property.
But if you are staying closer,like towards the water, like on
the inside of the resort, you'renot going to hear any of that
bus, None of it.
You're going to now.
You're going to have to walk,like to the parking lot, you
know, into the bus.
You're going to have a littlebit of a walk, but not that long
.
Yeah, it's not like buses aregoing all the way through the
(09:03):
resort.
Yes, that's true.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
And I and I think Caribbean Beach is that same way
, but I think that, however theypositioned these buildings,
it's like they're in I don't.
I don't know, I don't know howto describe it, y'all, but it
was so nice and we did do that.
We got two Queens and we gotthe fifth sleeper.
Yes, and Elizabeth loves thislove the fifth sleeper.
It's like I get to like nestlein my little cocoon in Caribbean
(09:29):
Beach, the way that they do.
The fifth sleeper is the twoQueen.
Fifth sleeper is one of theQueens.
Is the fold down bed from the?
Wall and then you have thesmall bed Sarah and Ashley
claimed was a toddler bed, but Iliterally did from head to toe
and my feet did not hang off theedge.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
I'm telling you, Carly's feet were off the edge
and I think I'm taller thanCarly.
It's going to be fine.
I was like it's not going to befine.
We're sharing a bed.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Am I taller than?
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Carly.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
I don't think so.
I think we're like the sameheight.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
I think you're about the same height but she was like
it'll be fine.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
I'm like we're not doing that.
Yeah, I did not.
I was like you're not, you'renot winning this battle, but I
do think the beds are differentsizes.
I think they're different sizes.
Yeah, I do, but there was.
I mean, so we.
So you go in the room.
It's the hardwood floor, whichis so nice.
Yes, and after staying atUniversal Studios in a carpeted
floor, I was like, oh, I misshardwood floors.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
How many people have thrown up on this floor.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
What has happened on this floor?
It's it's the hardwood floor.
The bathroom situation in theone we were in was not as
convenient as the one that wasit that I stayed in at Caribbean
Beach, yes, but I have afeeling that that could be
reversed right, because we'vestayed in rooms at Caribbean
Beach where the bathroomsituation was not as nice.
(10:43):
So, but it was still a separatetoilet room, toilet and shower
room, and then there were twosinks at Caribbean Beach.
The one the fifth sleeper thatI stayed in, there was a door
that shut the sink, the wholebathroom area.
Yes, in Riverside there was nobathroom door to shut it.
(11:04):
Remember.
Yes.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
Yeah, there was like a curtain.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
It was a curtain.
It was a curtain to shut thesink area.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
That's how they all used to be, yeah, and now
they've kind of transitioned allthe like that barn door yeah.
All the refurbs, like the barndoor and yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
There was a kitchenette refrigerator, there
was a coffee maker, there was alittle table with two chairs,
and it was.
I mean, it was so, it was sonice.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
It was so nice.
You know what I wonder?
I wonder if it's the trees thathave the noise.
Yes, Because it's very wooded.
I what I liked about Riversidewas it's like you get a piece of
Fort Wilderness with your stay.
Are you speaking to my heartright now?
(11:55):
It does.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
It feels like you're walking through a vibe of Fort.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
Wilderness, but you're staying in a hotel still,
yeah, and there's treeseverywhere.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
There's birds they have like fishing it just feels
To your point about the stream.
Like you got the sound of theof the.
It's not a real brook people.
I'm very well aware.
But you got that water noise.
You're right, it did, that didand it's.
I mean, everywhere was shaded.
Everywhere we walked to go toto get coffee was shaded, and
(12:27):
even when we walked over thatbridge, pass by that pool,
everything was shaded there too,yeah, so it also is convenient
and we had to look this up.
We had to look it up on the mapbecause we knew that there was
a boat access.
Yes, and we were not sure if itconnected to Magic Kingdom and
we were like we need to makesure that we know this to be the
(12:48):
truth before we like broadcastthis.
The, the lake that the boat isconnected to, does not take you
to the Magic Kingdom.
It only takes you to DisneySprings.
Yes, and, and you go and youmeet that right there at the
front.
What was it at the main areafor Riverside?
(13:10):
You get on the boat there andit is a door.
I mean, it is so cute.
It is so well done, so you cantake it to Disney Springs and
it's a little.
It kind of reminded me of theboats that they have at
Hollywood Studios, likeHollywood Studios Epcot area.
Yeah, the fair, like theFriendship Ferry or whatever
it's not the same one that is inthe over in the map by the
(13:33):
Magic Kingdom and does all those.
So, yeah, it was really cute,really well done the beignets.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Oh Lord the beignets.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
Y'all my tummy's about to grow.
I'm sorry, I was a big one too.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
I didn't realize okay , I've gotten beignets before,
but I didn't realize theselection that it was a cult
fire.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Oh, I thought you were gonna say you didn't know
it was a cult following, cause Ididn't either, I.
So we pull up to French.
I don't know if you paidattention to this.
I did, cause I was like holyMoses, so I knew that there was
somewhat of a cult followingbehind the beignets.
I've heard of people being likeoh yeah, I just stopped in to
get beignets and I'm like whatin the heavens is happening?
(14:17):
Here, yeah.
So we walk into French Quarterthat next morning.
Oh no, no, no, no, no, no.
That night we eat dinner overthere.
We go, we get the beignets andthey're like for six of them it
was like $3.
It was that's not it, but itwas like six for $10 or
something.
And these are y'all.
These are massive beignets andthey pour like the entire thing
(14:40):
of confectioner's sugar on topof it.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
It was so good it was so good.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
If you get it to go, they have to double bag it
because they bring them out hotand they pour that sugar on it
and it is great.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You are not far off.
Six beignets is 10.99.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
And you get three dipping sauces.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (14:57):
Two but dipping sauce .
Speaker 2 (14:58):
This has served with choice of one dipping sauce.
An additional is a dollar.
So it's one for six of them webought all three, but I think
that they did.
I think you're right.
I think for the six they didgive us two different kinds.
I don't think that they chargedus for the second one.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
And it was like chocolate, a caramel and a
raspberry or strawberry or somesort of a fruit.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Yeah, Salty caramel, strawberry and then chocolate
ganache and then three beignets,is $7.49.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I mean it was good.
It was good.
So we got that.
That was our dessert Fridaynight.
Or that night, thursday night,friday morning we went back
because we all said we weregonna get some for our kids.
Yes, so everyone every one ofus Draper, grave, branick got a
six pack of beignets, yep.
And when we walked in, the ladywas like, oh no, I guess it was
(15:53):
Thursday night when we walkedin to go to the restaurant.
Yes, she was like are you herefor the beignets?
Yes, and we were like, I meanlater we're here to eat dinner.
And she's like okay, if youwould like the beignets, you
need to go over here.
And they were prepared for, Iguess, the nighttime crowd to
come and get the beignets andthey do.
They had a live music.
There was a little bar overthere.
(16:15):
Yes, it was super cute.
Yes, it was super cute.
I mean it was super cute.
I also the smell.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Oh my gosh, when you walk in, it's ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
So it's not the beignets that you smell.
Okay, you know, have y'all seenthese candles?
And it's supposed to smell likeDisney.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Yes, magic candle company.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Whatever Disney does to Whatever scent they chose for
the French Quarter Lobby, which, by the way, was beautiful.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
I know I loved it.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
It was so well done.
I just can't get over thedetail that they put into these.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
I have.
I was in New Orleans recently.
I was in the fall.
We went to a floor stake.
Oh yeah, that's right and wewere there with all our old
college friends and so I had itfresh in my mind what New
Orleans looked like.
And then when we went to FrenchQuarter, I was like this is why
Disney does like destinationtrips with their Imagineers, and
they go to the places and Takenotes and really figure out
(17:16):
exactly what the feel is what itlooks like the smell like they
hit.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
They hit those vibes so well and I feel like they do
it.
I mean they.
That's why Disney is so good attheir jobs, that's why but they
Remember I made like so manycomments about that smell.
Whatever it was, it was like agardenia smell.
It was so good and it was sounique and it was just in the
(17:41):
lobby.
Yeah so when you walked in youkind of got that vibe, that feel
, that vibe.
But I Don't know how you can,because to get into French
Quarter or River Port Orleansthrough the gates, just like
anywhere else, you have to havesome sort of a reservation.
Yes so I don't know, have youever just gone to get the?
Speaker 2 (18:02):
vineyards.
We have gone just to get thevineyards, but I think it
through the gate.
Well, you, so you can take aboat from Disney Springs.
Oh so you can get on the boatand go over that way that way.
When I went with Westland, wewere renting bikes, so we kind
of resort hopped and the bus too.
(18:24):
Yeah, we took a bus.
That's what we did.
We resort hopped around MagicKingdom and then we took a bus
over to Port Orleans.
Okay, we rented bikes, we rodebikes all around Riverside and
had like the best time, and thenwe went at the end we dropped
off the bikes and then gotBenye's you're so cool.
(18:44):
I know I used to be really cool.
That was like three years ago.
I need to pick it up.
Think that you're so cool.
But that's what you can do ifyou want to.
That's what I tell people.
They're like oh, I can't getinto the resource resort because
I don't have a ration, areservation.
That's when the bus system does, you know, work.
If you really want to get overto that place, if it's not a
(19:08):
monorail, it's not a skyliner,you're just gonna have to take a
bus.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Scott Brannick's favorite story about me in the
bus is when we were dating.
We went to Disney with my dad.
Yes and I can't remember if mymom was there or not, but we
went.
My dad was definitely therebecause we went to.
We were on the boardwalk and wewere staying in the cabins, and
(19:34):
my friend Lindsay was there too, and I was like let's just take
a bus from the boardwalk.
And my dad was like that's theworst idea You've ever had.
And I was like, dad, the bussystem takes you ever y'all.
We waited for an hour and ahalf, yeah, and so to this day,
scott will tell you let's justtake a bus from the boardwalk.
We'll be like in Colorado skiing, and I'll be like which way
should we go?
(19:55):
And who be like?
Let's just take a bus from theboardwalk.
I.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Mean it is.
The bus system is not superconvenient all the time and you
do have to wait.
But if you want to go, if youhave time like if it's not a
park day and you're wanting togo to some of those moderate
resorts, but definitely go tofrom up, from wherever you are.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Get go to a park.
Yeah, go to a hub, go to a hub.
Don't sit at the boardwalk towait for a bus for Fort
Wilderness.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
Yes, that's right you need to go to a Hub yeah, go to
a park or go to thetransportation ticket center.
Yeah, go to Disney Sprint, likewherever you're the closest in
all those areas.
Go there and then go find thebus.
Yeah, for the said.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Do.
I'm sorry that this is adistraction.
We should.
This is pretty usual.
This is not.
I don't.
I cannot believe I'm gonna saythis at Well, oh my gosh, do it.
I think that we should go andjust use Disney transportation.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Oh, my gosh Elizabeth , I don't know about that.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
We could do a live recording of how frustrated I
get that's.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
We should do it just for the purposes of trying to
see how it's gotten better orworse a hundred.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
We're usually just driving a thousand percent every
time we're driving.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
We're driving, we're taking the car, we're parking in
the parking lot and we shouldsee how it is now.
We do it a lot when we do theskyliner like if we're doing
something on the skyliner, butI'm talking about the bus.
I know if we just use the buswherever we need to go.
I Did that for the run Disneyand the bus system was on it.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, because it was 4 am.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
I know that's true.
It's the only thing that theywere using y'all.
Do you want to sidetrack?
Speaker 1 (21:40):
Oh yeah, I'm.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Everybody know this.
Okay, I signed up for theDisney run Disney half marathon
weekend.
I Signed up for a 10k.
A 10k for Ren Disney.
This is for the princess halfmarathon weekend next year.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah, I have no business.
Speaker 2 (22:00):
I have no business Making plans for myself to do
something without my family nextyear.
I'm like I have no idea whatwe'll be doing.
I have no idea if my kids aregonna.
I don't know.
I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
I signed up.
I'm gonna read this text chainokay.
Sarah, sarah Graves texts.
Ashley Draper and I.
I registered for another run,disney race.
I Send a picture of a cowboyhat, an American flag cowboy hat
with a eagle on it.
That was at Walmart.
I was in Walmart and I said youand I are on different journeys
(22:34):
right now.
Sarah Graves, walmart friendsfinds a I.
When is the run next February?
A 5k question mark.
I have no business committingto something outside of my
family that far out.
10k, six miles won't be bad.
That's on the long.
That's the longest I'm doingfrom now on me.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Elizabeth has said this.
Okay, she hasn't writing.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
I have been writing.
Do you have someone to run itwith?
If not, I will do that for you,but it's in caps only because I
love you and the gift of mypresence at Disney run is At a
Disney run is the biggest gift Icould ever give you, not
because I have a desire to do it.
Sarah says that would be themost amazing gift if it wasn't
(23:20):
actually sold out.
Hate that for me, but at leastI found a cool hat from Walmart.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Yeah, but do you want to know what is that I am?
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I have an app that is the worst, like a notification
for when something becomesavailable, because I've
committed to this.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
I have an app, if you are wondering, because you want
also do the princess run.
There's an app called Telegramand then you can subscribe to
the Run Disney Race Availabilitychannel.
And when the 10K shows up asavailable and, if I get it fast
enough, I am going to registerElizabeth for it, and she has to
(24:02):
do it with me because she saidshe would do it.
So let's all be excited becauseI think I have.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
That's talk about something that you're going to
record it is me at 4am.
Yeah, it's going to be great.
It's definitely going to be alike six months version.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Yeah, I got a long time to be able to get to get in
on this race.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
I say that as I woke up yesterday morning at 4am to
go fishing.
My kids were in a.
There's a kingfish tournamenthere and my kids fish in it and
I love fishing and my husbandloves fishing and it was like
every one of our we were likethis is all of our dreams come
true and I had no problem wakingup at 4am.
But if you wake me up at 4am torun lol it's going to be
amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:42):
I'm definitely going to register her, so you guys
look forward to that.
It'll be great.
But back to let's.
Let's finish up with Portland.
Speaker 1 (24:54):
Oh, it was so great.
I mean, I know that we've saidthis about the.
I feel like the moderate resortis so overlooked at Disney
every time, but they knock itout of the park.
I know and I loved, I loved it.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
You love it more than Caribbean Beach.
I think Ashley said she doestoo.
Speaker 1 (25:14):
It is the it.
Actually, I can't remember ifit was you or Ashley talking
about the loudness of CaribbeanBeach because of the Skyliner,
and it's not that the Skylineris loud but I think your point
of yes, it's busier, I think,that your point of the nature.
I am not kidding you when I saythat everything was shaded.
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Everything was shaded , it was.
It was quieter, more chill,Ashley.
That's what she loved.
She looked at the pools andjust could see her and her kids
and Tony like getting a drink,sitting by the pool, her kids
having a blast and it not beingso overwhelming overloaded with
noise and she would know herkids were.
(25:58):
Everybody would have a goodtime.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Well, and I liked that, Thinking about from that,
from a family perspective, oreven if it was just us Since
they had these little pools thathave.
They didn't have slides, theydidn't have splash features,
they had none of that.
I don't even think they had alifeguard on duty.
No, they didn't know when wewere there, not when we were
there the bigger pool there ismore.
(26:22):
But if you were to, just if, ifthe three of us were to have
brought a bathing suit, we couldhave gone to that pool and it
be quiet and not be loud.
It's not crazy.
On the flip side, if we were tohave brought our kids and it
was maybe a long day, but wedidn't want to do the full pool
setting where the slide and allthe splash features and the
(26:42):
games and stuff we could havejust gone there, done a quick
swim and then gone back and beendone, which is not an option.
That is not an option.
Well, I guess there that isn't.
It's not as prominent of anoption at Caribbean Beach as it
is there.
Yeah, so I did like that, thatyou had a more reserved option
(27:03):
for the pool.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Yeah, okay.
Well, we are going totransition really quick.
We'll be right back.
Okay, we're back.
I made Elizabeth take me intoher new car so we could record
the rest of this episode,because she just got a new car
and we were looking at thesecars when we were at Disney in
(27:24):
the parking lots.
We were walking through theparking lots.
Speaker 1 (27:26):
Also I want you to know that I literally said I'm
like they're so ugly but they'reso nice, before she even
continues.
It's both.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
It's both.
It's like yeah, that's how youfelt.
You're like I can't.
I don't know how I feel aboutit.
I don't know how I feel, but wewere looking at these and we,
but when we saw them in theparking lot, I think all of us
were like this is the prettiestcar.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
I'm pretty sure that Ashley went up and we all went
up and looked inside of it.
Right, yeah, it is.
It's so pretty, they're sopretty.
I was like we're going to getarrested.
Yeah, we're looking inside.
The back end is ugly.
The back end is what's ugly?
No, I mean on the outside, ohyeah.
Speaker 2 (28:01):
Yeah, Well, we're sitting in it and I just got in,
I'm on the passenger side andthe seat totally moved.
Like, do you have it on asetting for what feels nice for
the person?
Like I have no idea.
There are oh my gosh, there aremassage chairs in here, so like
you can, I don't even y'all, Ijust want.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
I feel like I need to make this clear.
I had a suburban, which was mydream car when I was like 12.
I was like one day I'm going tobe a mom and I'm going to have
a suburban.
And all my I did cry when Igave my suburban up and my
husband hated the suburban.
He was like this is the onlyway I'm getting you out of this
car and I was like you're notwrong.
You're not wrong, so it is.
It's a wagon year and there areeverything is.
(28:44):
Everything is electronic.
But yes, I don't know what thisis.
She's right.
When you come in the car likethe leg, things come around you.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
Yeah, it like it supports you.
I don't know, I didn't evenrealize that it feel nice.
Yeah, I didn't know I neededsupport.
In the passenger seat there aremassage chairs.
Like could I also be getting apedicure while this is happening
?
Speaker 1 (29:10):
I do wish that the pressure was more.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
You would wish the pressure was more.
The sunroof is humongous.
Speaker 1 (29:19):
And then the back, it's the whole car, and then the
third row has its own sunroof,that is my kids dream.
Oh, this is the other thing.
Okay, we can raise the car orlook for it.
Look straight ahead.
Okay, looking straight aheadDown.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
What is happening there are.
You have hydraulics on this car.
Yeah, sure, Did you know thatthat's what you would get?
I have no idea.
This is amazing.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
So the level three is like what you typically drive
on the main road.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
And then I can go off-road.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
This is off-road.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Off-road, off-road.
This is amazing.
It's very tall, wow, okay.
So from here we are going to doour top three of, like, our top
three favorite things.
While we're relaxing in this,we're getting a massage.
We're getting a massage in thisvery pretty car.
This is your top three favoritethings about Riverside yeah,
(30:17):
port Orleans Riverside, okay, orlet's say, French Quarter two,
because they're together.
Speaker 1 (30:22):
Can we say that you call it Port Orleans and I call
it Port Orleans?
What's wrong with us?
What is?
Speaker 2 (30:28):
it which one of us is wrong?
Speaker 1 (30:30):
Definitely you, Definitely not.
Yeah, I feel like that is aquestion that I feel like people
need to respond back into us.
Speaker 2 (30:40):
Who is it?
Is it Port?
Speaker 1 (30:42):
Orleans or Port Orleans?
Is it New Orleans or is it NewOrleans?
Speaker 2 (30:46):
I feel like occasion would say like New Orleans.
New.
Orleans, new Orleans orsomething, new Orleans, but I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
I don't know We'll get someone to comment what are
your top three of Port Orleans?
Top three of Port Orleans, okay, one is the quietness.
Speaker 2 (31:02):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
Which are your one.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
My number one is the environment is kind of like the
quietness, just what you'reseeing, yeah the aesthetics.
The aesthetic trees nature.
Speaker 1 (31:15):
Okay, all right.
Number two I'm going to saythat I liked that everything was
walkable and not overwhelminglywalkable.
Does that make sense?
Like if you were to stayanywhere else?
I feel like if you were to walkfrom point A to point B, it
still may be a walk Like thewalk back is what you're like.
Oh, now we got to walk back.
(31:36):
Not, I did not feel like thatwas the case at Port Orleans.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
Yeah, I'm going to say my number two, for that is
maybe like the amenities ofthings to do.
Oh yeah, there were a lot.
Speaker 1 (31:50):
I liked.
You can rent bike rent.
Speaker 2 (31:52):
You can rent bikes, there's pool, there was an
arcade.
I thought that the just theoverall things to do there, the
fishing.
I like that there weredifferent kinds of options of
things to do there.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Yes, Okay, and number three.
Number three for me was theFrench Quarter side and how,
when you walked, well the like,just how pretty it was.
You walked through the lobbyand it was kind of like a like
you could walk straight throughand then everything was winged
around it.
But once you walked through andyou got to the courtyard area,
it was just so pretty I couldjust.
(32:27):
I was like we could sit outhere and eat, drink coffee, and
it was so cute and so relaxingand I really felt like I could
go and enjoy just relaxing there.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I like that.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
Are you seeing my answer?
Speaker 2 (32:47):
I don't know.
I don't know, I don't know I'mlike maybe, well, okay, no, I'll
say a different number three,which I do think location, oh
yeah.
I thought the location wasgreat.
You have access to DisneySprings via boat.
The thing I hate about DisneySprings the most I mean it is
overwhelming to me because it isjust an outdoor shopping mall,
(33:10):
but I do enjoy some of therestaurants there.
But what I don't like isparking there.
I don't like parking at DisneySprings, so I do like the
accessibility from Port Orleansto Disney Springs that way.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
So location yeah, if you are somebody who frequents
Disney Springs or you want toprioritize Disney Springs on
your trip maybe you're going fora week, or whatever the case
may be I definitely recommendsaying somewhere that has access
to the boat ride to DisneySprings because, to Sarah's
(33:44):
point, transportation to out of,in and out of Disney Springs is
a nightmare.
So Port Orleans does it,saratoga Springs has it, and I
think that's it.
Speaker 2 (33:54):
Old Key West.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
Oh, you're right, Old Key West.
Yes, yes, I'm 99% sure.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
Yeah, but Saratoga is really close.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
It's very close, it's walkable.
Speaker 2 (34:03):
It's walkable to Disney Springs and I think that
the boat from Port Orleans goeslike kind of through Saratoga,
okay, so, yeah, all right.
Well, thanks, friends, we'lltalk to you next time.
Yeah, thanks for listening tothis week's episode.
I've decided now that this isthe fanciest car I've ever been
(34:24):
in.
I love it.
I'm so happy that you have thisand you're driving all the time
now, all the time.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
All the time, I'm never going to drive the van to
Disney and you can sit right init on the way there and actually
can ride in it on the way back.
Speaker 2 (34:37):
Oh, it's so wonderful .
I love it All.
Right, thanks, friends.
See you next time.
Bye.
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