Absolutely true that orchids growing in the wild will survive and 'make do'. But they won't grow huge and bloom for years and years like our pampered potted ones.
That sounds like the right medium to use, and it will be interesting to see which part of the plant does best. I'm betting on the one that has the roots buried. It will poke new roots out the top if it wants to. Some of mine have a lot of roots outside the pot, and some have them all inside. It took me a while to get used to seeing those bare roots hanging out there, but the plants are epiphytes designed to collect nutrient and water from the air, so those roots do great.
Don't forget the cinnamon! I hose down the roots just before putting the plant in the new pot, dust the wet roots with cinnamon and then pot it up.
