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ACT FAST TO BOOK DISNEY WORLD DISCOUNTS FOR MARCH

A deal out right now on Walt Disney World hotel rooms (and tickets) for arrival dates up until March 23, 2013 expires on March 7th.

There’s more on this deal here.

But to get it, you’ve got to move quickly!

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 2, 2013 TO MARCH 10, 2013

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.

(For more on March 2013, see this.)

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For the first page of this review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, see this.

MORE ON THE BEST PLACES TO STAY AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

Much more so than Disney World’s other moderate resorts, Port Orleans Riverside has distinct areas and room types, with varied pros and cons.

There’s two areas–Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend–and three different room types.

See the map–which is annotated, perhaps, out of all usefulness…

THE MAGNOLIA BEND SECTION OF PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside contains the four large buildings circled in orange at the top of the map.

The two left-most of these buildings are Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace.

These two buildings are most highly recommended among the Port Orleans Riverside options, because of their

• Access to bus stops–above on either side, circled in red
• Access to the main pool, circled in black, over the bridge between them, and
• Access to the food court and services, circled in brown, just below the pool

The rooms you’ll find here are tied with the rest of the Magnolia Bend rooms for being most livable, and tied with the Alligator Bayou rooms for having the lowest cost.

Their floor plans are typical of the moderates. What make them more livable than the Alligator Bend rooms is that they have both more, and more accessible, drawer space.

For a full review of this room type, see this.

The two right-most buildings, Oak Manor and Parterre Place, circled in blue, are where you’ll find Riverside’s Royal Rooms.

Royal Rooms are distinctively decorated to a Disney Prince and Princess theme, and are higher cost than any other options at Port Orleans Riverside. Their floor plans are very similar to those in the two other Magnolia Bend buildings.

Families who find the added theming worth the extra ~$30 per night these rooms cost may find them quite pleasant.

The buildings themselves, however, are a bit distant from the main pool and from bus stops.

A detailed review of the Royal Rooms is here.

THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU SECTION OF PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside is on the lower left of the map, circled in purple.

While some of these buildings are quite convenient, e.g. Building 14, many are distant from one, two, or all three of the main pool, central services, and bus stops.

However, these rooms are also the only “traditional” moderate rooms at Walt Disney World that can sleep 5.

The fifth sleeping spot is in a short (66″) Murphy Bed that drops down from the TV/dresser object.

The geometry of the object means that these rooms have both less drawer space and also that the drawers are inaccessible if the Murphy Bed is in use.

These rooms are great for families seeking a moderate, but needing the extra sleeping spot; otherwise, a room in the Magnolia Bend section at either Acadian House or Magnolia Terrace is a better choice.

See a full review of these Alligator Bend rooms here.

MORE ON DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

This review continues here.

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THE FOURTH OF JULY 2013 AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

Disney World celebrates the 4th of July at several parks–and on July 3rd as well!

On Wednesday, July 3, 2013, the Magic Kingdom has a special fireworks show “Celebrate America” at 9p.

On Thursday, July 4, 2013

• The Magic Kingdom has the same show at the same time–“Celebrate America” at 9p
• Epcot’s Illuminations has a special holiday ending added, and is shifted from its normal 9p time to 10p, and
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have a special 4th of July fireworks presentation at 10.15p

Other Fourth Fireworks

• The Magic Kingdom will be offering the same show–instead of Wishes–at 10p July 1, 2 and July 5-7

Those following this site’s summer itinerary for Walt Disney World will be in Downtown Disney for Cirque du Soleil July 3rd, and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 4.

Sensible people might swap all this around, and see the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom on the 3rd, and do what the itinerary has written for the 3rd on the 4th…

FOURTH OF JULY CROWDS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

July is the most consistently crowded month at Disney World, and in the month, the week that includes the 4th of July is the most crowded week.

July is the most crowded month because every US schoolkid on a typical (that is, not year-round) calendar has the entire month off.  This is not true of either June or August.

Within July, many parents gravitate towards the week of the 4th for their vacations, because since the 4th is a holiday, they need to take one fewer vacation day to get a week off.

And people want to see fireworks on the 4th…so the Disney World parks offering fireworks on the 4th of July will be packed!

For more on July 2013 at Walt Disney World, see this.

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OVERVIEW: SEPTEMBER 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews September 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: FEBRUARY 23, 2013 TO MARCH 3, 2013

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the table, but organized by park, not by topic.

(For more on February 2013, see this.)

[Read more →]