When we go to Disney World, we prefer to stay on property. It adds so much more magic to the overall experience and makes getting to the parks a breeze! In this post, we will be telling you all about staying at Port Orleans Riverside Resort and why it’s our go to when we want to stay at one of Disney’s moderate resorts.
Disney has 3 main classifications for their resorts – Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. As the names suggest, the amenities, overall resort quality, and price increase at each category level. At Disney’s moderate resorts, you can expect outside motel-style doors on the rooms, a quick service eating area, a sit down restaurant, transportation to the Disney theme parks, and daily activities for guests to enjoy.
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What’s So Special About Staying at Port Orleans Riverside?
Resort Theme
Port Orleans Riverside is one of two New Orleans themed hotels at Disney World. While its neighboring sister location (Port Orleans French Quarter) is reminiscent of the French Quarter with its colorful buildings and wrought iron railings, Riverside pays homage to the Antebellum South along the Mississippi River. One of the best things about staying at Riverside is that you get to use all of the amenities offered at French Quarter (more on that below)!
The resort has 2,048 rooms divided between two sections – Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. In Magnolia Bend, rooms are housed in stately mansions designed to look like plantation homes. Magnolia trees and mossy oaks are dotted throughout. The courtyards have carefully manicured lawns and fountains bubbling which creates a peaceful atmosphere only interrupted by the boats tooting their horns as they float down the river in front of the mansions. Magnolia Bend is dripping with Southern charm.
The buildings have a more rustic feel in Alligator Bayou with an earth tone color scheme, brick columns, and a swampy vibe. Pine trees dot pathways, giving the landscape a more forested look that you might find in the Southern Bayou.
Royal Rooms
One big draw to staying at Port Orleans Riverside for parents is the chance for their children to experience staying in a Royal Room at a non-Royal price point. Located in Magnolia Bend, the Royal Rooms are princess themed rooms. They are complete with ornately framed pictures of Disney princesses on the walls, a handwritten note from Princess Tiana embossed on the table, and a headboard that has a button you can push that makes fireworks shoot off above your head. While the fireworks aren’t quite as exciting as watching the Magic Kingdom firework show from your balcony at a Deluxe resort, my toddler absolutely LOVED when we turned the lights off at night and she got to press the firework button.
Other homages to Disney films include the faucets at the double vanity looking like Aladdin’s lamp, a heralds banner displaying silhouettes of some of Disney’s leading men, heavy ornate furniture pieces that look like they jumped out of Beauty and the Beast, and a border going around the room featuring various characters from Disney princess movies. You may be thinking, That sounds like a lot going on. It certainly is. BUT, your children will love it and Disney fans will enjoy finding all the little easter eggs around the room. I personally wish they would hone in on the theming of the Royal Rooms a little more so it doesn’t feel quite so clunky. However, it did not stop us from staying in the Royal Rooms twice so far with a third trip lined up for next year.
One newer feature that the Riverside Rooms now has is the “Hey Disney” Alexa device. This handy device can assist you with ordering more towels for your room or letting you know park hours for the day. It can also do more magical things though, like greet you with a good morning or good night message from beloved Disney characters. It can also tell you jokes and stories or you can play soundscapes and music from Disney films which make for great background noise as your family gets ready for the day. All you have to do is say “Hey Disney” to activate the device. One of the most heartwarming moments from our most recent stay was seeing the excitement on my daughter’s face when Daisy Duck told her goodnight through the Hey Disney device.
Gift Shop and Dining Options
The main building houses guest services, the gift shop and dining options. With ample seating and airy lighting, the guest services area is a nice quiet place to sit if you are waiting on your group. There are also rocking chairs on the back porch of the main building that make for a great meeting point.
Riverside has one of the best gift shops out of all the resorts I’ve visited. Fulton’s General Store is quite big for a resort gift shop and has a wonderful selection of apparel, ears, hats, toys, and trading pins. There is also a small grocery section if you need to grab some snacks for the room. If you fall in love with the resort, you can also get specialty Port Orleans Riverside merchandise – the Riverside ears are absolutely gorgeous!
Inside the main building is also where you can find the dining options. For an intimate sit down dinner highlighting New Orleans home cooking, check out Boatwrights Dining Hall. Most people head to the Riverside Mill Food Court though where there are more food options, an abundance of seating options, and more room for little ones to move about. The Food Hall serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are 4 serving stations that each serve different items plus a bakery counter! We’ve eaten at the food court on countless occasions and haven’t been disappointed yet. Cast members are usually generous in handing out stickers to children when you go to check out, which is always a bonus!
If you have small children with you, head to the back left corner of the dining hall to eat. Here you will find a TV playing Disney cartoons all day and they usually have crayons and Disney coloring sheets available.
While you are in the Riverside Mill Food Court, be sure to pick up a refillable mug ($21.99 at the time of this post). The 16oz mug can be used at both the Riverside and French Quarter resorts for the duration of your stay. If you know you will be drinking your fair share of soft drinks or coffee, it will save you money!
The local watering hole and lounge are also located in the main building, right beside the gift shop. This is where you will want to head at night to hear Disney legend Yehaa Bob play one of his renowned performances on the piano. Bob happened to be on vacation both times we visited, but Riverside fanatics will be quick to let you know that this is something you do not want to miss!
Activities
Yeehaa Bob is just one of many unique things to Riverside. This resort is PACKED with things to do. A fan favorite is going on a horse drawn carriage ride! For $65 your family can enjoy a 25min evening ride, experiencing the beauty of the resort in a whole new light. You can also rent bikes that are standard or that seat all the way up to six people to explore both Riverside and the next door French Quarter.
When you check in, be sure to ask about the month’s activity calendar. The calendar will be able to tell you what time you can roast marshmallows over the campfire each night (free) and what Disney movie will be shown on select nights (also free). There are typically other fun activities you can do for a fee such as tie-dying shirts in a Mickey Mouse shape, button art, and other crafts.
I would be remiss to not also mention the pools. For a relaxing day at the pool, you’ll want to head to one of the leisure pools. There are 3 in Alligator Bayou and 2 in Magnolia Bend. Every time we’ve gone to one of the leisure pools, we’ve been the only ones there! The more popular option is the pool at Ol’ Man Island (near the main building). It features a 95 foot long water slide!
Younger children will enjoy getting energy out at the playground on Ol’ Man Island. Older kids will probably prefer playing in the arcade. Guests of all ages may enjoy fishing dockside or going on a fishing excursion! You can see the full list of activities offered at Port Orleans Riverside Resort HERE.
Transportation
When you stay at Riverside, you can get to all of the theme parks by bus. The resort has 4 bus stops spread throughout. Some say this is a downfall and can cause the buses to be delayed or over-crowded. I personally have always used the bus stop in front of the main building (the last stop) and never experienced any prolonged delays or issues.
One of my favorite things about staying at Port Orleans Riverside is that you can travel by boat! Not to the theme parks, but to the French Quarter Resort and Disney Springs! The ride to French Quarter only takes around 5 minutes (you can also walk to French Quarter if you want to get your steps in). My top reason for wanting to visit French Quarter is because you can go to Scat Cat’s Cafe and get made to order beignets that taste heavenly. After eating beignets, you can take your little ones to the fountain in the lobby where cast members frequently pass out Mardi Gras beads and gold coins to throw in the fountain. French Quarter also has a fantastic playground and a pool with a sea serpent slide!
The boat ride from Riverside to Disney Springs takes approximately 25 minutes. Disney Springs is brimming with fun things to do and delicious restaurants. If you need a break from things feeling quite so Disney, this is a good option. There are a ton of shops, with some of the most popular ones being the Lego store and Christmas shop. You can float in the sky on a tethered hot air balloon, take a spin on the lake in a vintage Amphicar, and regularly catch live music there.
You’ll want to make reservations well in advance for any restaurants, because they book up quickly! I highly recommend going to Iron Chef owned restaurant Morimoto Asia for a scrumptious meal. My favorite sweet treat in the area is a the Quake Shake from the Ghiradelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop. You get to select any 3 Ghiradelli chocolate bars you want, and they will blend them into your milkshake!
Make Your Stay at Any Disney World Resort Even More Magical With These Tips
- Every resort has a dedicated Facebook page run by guests who are very passionate about the resort. It is a place where you can ask questions, get advice about your trip, see recent photos of the resort, and increase overall excitement for your vacation! Sometimes when guests check out, they have unused items they are leaving behind and will post them to the facebook page so other guests can use it for their trip. Be sure to follow the Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter Resorts on Facebook to stay up to date on all the latest info!
- Another Facebook group that can add extra magic to your stay is Ear For Each Other. Between the Pandemic and summer 2023 layoffs, a lot of cast members lost their jobs. This page is comprised of cast members who started businesses that service guests wanting to enhance their Disney vacations in some way. Popular services include everything from drawing classes, in-room massages, room decorations, specialty treats, and magical hair and makeup transformations. There are a ton of services being offered though that you can find out about in the group. Some that I’ve personally used and highly recommend are the following:
- Cast and Crew Transportation – Will pick your family up from the airport in upscale SUVs and take you to your resort. Their trained professionals provide excellent service and will have car seats installed properly if needed. They had excellent communication and gave great instructions on how to find them when our plane landed.
- Vacation Grocery Delivery – Buying snacks at the park can be expensive and space can be limited when you travel (especially if flying). Save yourself the trouble of traveling with groceries by having them delivered to the resort! I loved Vacation Grocery Delivery because they do not mark up prices on groceries or alcohol and have no minimum. It was so nice to have the food and drinks we like waiting at the resort when we arrived. We didn’t have to pay an arm and leg or stress about how to fit them in our suitcases, which was incredibly convenient!
- Olivia’s Kitchen – Makes beautiful and delicious Disney themed treats and delivers them to your resort! Keep an eye out for their seasonal specialties and order as far in advance as possible, because Olivia books up fast! Her peanut butter cookies were the best we’ve ever tasted.
- Celebrating a special milestone? Ask the cast members in the lobby for a celebration pin! This will save you time from waiting in line at Guest Services while you are in the parks. If other guests or cast members see you with a celebration pin, they will typically congratulate you on whatever you are celebrating and sometimes it can lead to some extra pixie dust from cast members (don’t go in with this expectation though!).
- Celebrating a birthday? From your room phone, dial 82242144. It will play an automated message of Goofy singing Happy Birthday!
- Buy Disney themed pajamas for your little ones and surprise them with them the first night of your stay!
What are your thoughts on staying at Port Orleans Riverside Resort? Let us know in the comments below!
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What a magical stay! Definitely need to remember this for our next trip – the French Quarter looks so charming!
My girls would have absolutely loved this when they were younger (they’d probably still love it now in their 20s too!)
I would love to stay on the property as well, the rooms look great and would add to the Disney experience. Thanks for sharing all this info.
There are so many different places to stay when you visit Disney World. Good to get some honest input on stay at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. We too like to stay on property if we can. I love the idea of an Antebellum South theme. It certainly seems to have everything you would want in a Disney resort. And great to know how easy it is to get to the park and other resorts too.
Oh my goodness! Staying at the Port Orleans Riverside resort looks so magical! It’s a destination in an of itself. Disney seems like the icing on the cake! I love all things New Orleans so this really appeals to me!! Great guide!
Great information! It seems like you have covered everything. Can’t wait to go back.