Disney's Port Orleans Resort evokes the spirit and flavor of Louisiana with its riverboats, piping hot beignets, and leisurely, hospitable atmosphere. Port Orleans is seated on the Sassagoula River; a waterway that connects both sections of Port Orleans with Disney Springs, along with Disney's Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts, nestled in between.
Port Orleans is in Disney's 'moderate' resort category, which translates to more resort amenities like a full-service restaurant in addition to a quick-service food court, highly themed-pools, larger rooms, and a median price tag versus 'value' resorts and 'deluxe.' Room rates start around $190 per night, before tax, and run up to $275, depending on room location, type, and season. Port Orleans Resort is ostensibly broken up into two separate hotels, Riverside and French Quarter. However, they are within walking distance of one another, and the stroll is quite pleasant along the Sassagoula River. The beautiful landscaping and architectural details transport you to a lazy river somewhere in the antebellum South.
If that isn't convoluted enough, Port Orleans Riverside is then broken into two sections based on room theme; Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. The Alligator Bayou rooms, which as the name suggests, is more rustic in its aesthetic, knotty, rough-hewn timbers, plaids in deep hunter greens, crocodile motifs, and squared-off furniture. The landscape is rural and verdant, with lanky conifers dotting the lodge exteriors that lend to the authentic feel of being on the Louisiana bayou.
Where Alligator Bayou takes its thematic cues from "Cajun Country," Magnolia Bend draws inspiration from the grand and elegant antiquated mansions of the deep south. Manicured landscapes, Georgian columns, and tranquil fountains create a breezy gentility. The furniture is more ornately carved in a serene cherry finish, bright white wainscoting, and billowy ecru drapes lend to the under-stated, soft color palette.
But to further complicate things, Magnolia Bend has two separate themed room types, the original mansion rooms and the Royal Guest rooms, that were converted to fit a Disney Princess theme. They also have more of a monarch's price point, as they are priced around $50 more per night, than the regular Mansion or Alligator Bayou rooms. Washed in dark woods, rich fabrics in regal blues and golds and opulent finishes, the Royal Guest rooms are not overly-princess-y. It's more stately in tone; the Royal Guest rooms are fit for any prince or princess. And the headboards contain a special surprise; fiber-optic fireworks!
The Royal Guest rooms are reserved specifically at booking, but you can request Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend at check-in, or by calling a Disney reservationist to add the request to the reservation prior to check-in. Though they may not always be able to accommodate location requests, they have, in my experience, been able to accommodate my room requests.
Alternatively, Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter is themed around that 'je ne said quoi' of New Orleans. The spirit of jazz, the buzz of Mardi Gras, the distinctive architecture with its delicate wrought iron and flickering lampposts all add to the romance of this 19th century port city. And Disney's French Quarter captures that essence, right down to the piping hot beignets.
The colorful buildings, the cascading fountains, and manicured squares create a dreamy exterior. The room interiors are rife with purples and golds with hints of green, evoking the colors of Mardi Gras.
The rooms at French Quarter are similarly sized and priced as the rooms at Port Orleans Riverside, though French Quarter is a smaller resort, thereby having a lesser number of rooms, than the expansive Riverside. Both halves of Disney's Port Orleans resort are within walking distance of each other, and I highly recommend meandering between the two resorts, as the scenic pathway lay along the smooth Sassagoula River. There is also ferryboat transportation and bus transportation that can be used to travel between resorts.
There are also many unique amenities and recreational activities between the two Port Orleans Resorts to enjoy. There are carriage rides, bicycle rentals, an arcade on both properties, and surrey bikes for additional fees, but there are plenty of activities included in your room package. There are nightly campfires, Disney movies under the stars, and a playground on Ol' Man Island, at Riverside near the main pool. There are several pools at each resort. The main pool at Riverside is the Ol' Man Island Pool, near the lobby. At French Quarter, the Doubloon Lagoon is a fantastically themed pool central to the resort. There are also a number of quiet pools at Port Orleans Riverside for those looking for a less whimsical dip.
Dining options are numerous between the two resorts, with both boasting a Cajun/Creole flavor. Port Orleans French Quarter's Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory is a quick-service food court, and the only dining choice at the French Quarter. It has typical food court fare, like hamburgers, pasta and chicken nuggets, but it also has a few Creole specialties like jambalaya, gumbo, and beignets. I was actually happy we were staying at Port Orleans Riverside, because each morning we would walk down to French Quarter to get beignets for breakfast, thus assuaging any lingering guilt I had about scarfing down pillowy squares of powdered sugar delight for breakfast.
There is also an intimate lounge at French Quarter called Scat Cat's Club with a small menu of appetizers and Creole cocktails that hosts a rotating list of jazz musicians playing nightly, where you can laissez bon temp rouler!
Port Orleans Riverside has more dining options, as it needs to accommodate more guests due to its sprawling size. They have both a full service restaurant, Boatwright's Dining Hall and The Riverside Mill, a quick-service food court. Boatwright's serves Cajun dishes like jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and catfish and desserts like bread pudding and pecan pie under the hull of the bones of a large ship that hangs from the ceiling. The Riverside Mill serves up more pedestrian fare in a bustling market atmosphere, with a slight Cajun twist, like pimiento cheeseurgers, Cajun chicken sandwiches or Shrimp Salad Po' Boys, along with a limited selection of grab-and-go items. The few mornings we stopped at the Riverside Mill to grab a few items it was always packed to the brim, with long lines, which led us to walk to French Quarter in the first place, where the pace was more manageable.
Port Orleans Riverside's dining complex is also home to the River's Roost Lounge where you get nibble appetizers and sip specialty cocktails while "Ye Haa" Bob performs piano and light comedy, most nights.
For all the current or recovering shopaholics out there, each resort has a respective gift shop for your perusal. Riverside has Fulton's General Store, while French Quarter has Jackson's Square Gifts and Desires. Each sells a limited amount of resort-specific merchandise, and a limited amount of theme-specific merchandise, which greatly disappoints me.
Fulton's General Store is themed as the name implies, like an old-timey general store, complete with Mickey and friends, in period dress, hanging off displays on stacks of cargo. There is so much thought and effort put into the design and details of the spacious store, that I guess they ran out of steam for the resort and theme-specific merchandise, as it is severely lacking.
Jackson Square, though smaller, seemed to have a least a few items unique to the resort, like Mardi Gras masks, Cafe du Monde beignet mix, and hot sauce, with resort-specific shot glasses and t-shirts, but still overflowing with general merchandise found just about everywhere else on the property.
As I mentioned, a continual complaint I have is lack of resort-specific or specialized merchandise for sale at the various gift shops. As a pretty seasoned shopper, it's really a let-down when all the shops seem to stock the exact same, generic Disney wares. I understand a small selection of various Mickey t-shirts or princess/pirate toys, but it's mostly these items rather than the draw of unique merchandise. I would really like to see resort-specific towels, apparel, and accessories beyond the customary coffee mug and maybe a magnet or trading pin. I am hoping they will move away from this general merchandise concept, as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, with its huge success, has integrated solely theme-specific merchandise into their shops for total immersion and as not to ruin the illusion.
Port Orleans is a great resort for couples or families alike, no matter which side you choose; the laid-back tranquility of Riverside, or the vibrant atmosphere of French Quarter. It's reasonably priced in the mid-range of Disney Resorts, without compromising on many of the amenities. There are plenty of activities, recreation, and pools to keep every member of the family content, along with several dining choices, to keep bellies full.
Also, if you would like to take a more in-depth look at the Port Orleans Resort complex, check out this unofficial fan site, www.portorleans.org It has a ton of information and little-known history about the resort.
Though the rooms were a bit small for my husband and I (and the mattresses in dire need of replacement), it's the ambience of the resort that made our stay so enjoyable. It's very well-themed with just enough attention to detail to make you feel transported down on the bayou.
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