Next in our series of posts featuring Walt Disney World Resort hotels is one of my favorites, a set of sister resorts……..Port Orleans-Riverside & Port Orleans-French Quarter.
Port Orleans-Riverside is a large, beautiful resort themed after the Mississippi Bayou and the rural South. The Sassagoula River runs through the resort property and on to Port Orleans-French Quarter then on to Disney Springs. The main building is home to the lobby, registration area, and various services. You will also find Fulton’s General Store, Boatwright’s Dining Hall and Riverside Food Mill. Behind that is a boat dock to catch the boat to French quarter or Disney Springs and the large feature pool, Ole Man Island, as well as check-in for horse-drawn carriage rides. Port Orleans Riverside is divided into two areas, The Mansions and Alligator Bayou. The Mansions, which house plantation-style rooms, are closer to the main building. A couple of these buildings are home to the royal themed rooms which were decorated by Princess Tiana herself! The more rustic section of the resort is home to Alligator Bayou which has rooms that have a pull-down Murphy bed (for children 9 and under) allowing them to sleep 5 people per room.
Port Orleans French Quarter is themed in a Mardi Gras theme after the French Quarter of New Orleans. The main building is home to the lobby, registration area and various services. There are seven 3-story brightly painted buildings which house 1,000 guest rooms.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Port Orleans Riverside offers a total of 2,048 guest rooms with a few different room types. The Magnolia Bend area is made up of four large white stately mansions with rooms that have 2 queen beds and some with 1 king bed. The royal themed rooms are also found in this area. Guests can choose from standard view, garden view, and pool view. There are nice well-lit walking paths which take you past adorable gazebos to the main building. The Alligator Bayou area is a more rustic setting with gorgeous landscaping and nice well-lit walking paths. The rooms in this area have 2 queen beds with a pull-down Murphy bed suitable for kids up to 9 years old allowing these rooms to sleep 5 guests.
The 7 buildings of French Quarter are painted in pink, blue, purple and yellow and house 1,008 rooms of which 946 have 2 queen beds and the remaining 62 have 1 king bed. They offer standard view, garden view, and water view options.
DINING
The main building at Port Orleans Riverside is home to one quick service dining location, Riverside Food Mill, as well as one table service dining location, Boatwright’s Dining Hall where guests dine in a rustic shipyard warehouse and savor the flavor of tasty New Orleans cooking.
The main building at French quarter is home to one quick service dining location, Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory.
RECREATION
Riverside features 1 feature pool, Ole Man Island including a water slide, 5 additional pools, children’s pool, playground, fishing, jogging trails and horse-drawn carriage rides.
TRANSPORTATION
Riverside offers motorcoach transportation to all Disney theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs and Disney Resort hotels (transfer required) as well as water launch to French Quarter and Disney Springs.
French Quarter offers motorcoach transportation to all Disney theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs and Disney Resort hotels (transfer required) as well as water launch to Riverside and Disney Springs.
RESORT BENEFITS
Both Riverside and French Quarter offer merchandise locations, self-service laundry facilities, laundry service and dry cleaning in addition to the benefits of staying onsite in a Disney Resort hotel.
KIDS PROGRAMS
There is not a kids activity center located at Port Orleans resorts but guests can register their kids at one of the kids activity centers at other Disney Resort hotels. Kids Nite Out Kid’s is another option for childcare for resort guests. Caregivers can provide one-on-one in-room childcare in the comfort of a Disney Resort guest room. The professional staff of Kid’s Nite Out gives the child individual attention by playing a variety of fun-filled activities with him/her including reading books, coloring, or playing games. They can also provide a fun, well-trained sitter to just hang out with the family if they need a father’s/mother’s helper. Kid’s Nite Out also plans and works children’s parties, camps, and children’s theme conventions.
This has just been a brief overview of what Disney’s sister resorts Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter have to offer. For more information or to book a stay at one of these resorts contact your Starts With A Wish Travel Agent.
If you have questions, comment below!
