Port Orleans Riverside Hotel Review Disney World

Port Orleans Riverside Hotel Review

The Port Orleans Riverside Hotel is a Moderate Resort at Walt Disney World!

Location: Disney Springs Resort area

Description:

Port Orleans Riverside Hotel – From the stately white-column mansions of Magnolia Bend to Alligator Bayou’s quaint backwoods cottages, delight in a picturesque setting that evokes the romance of rural Louisiana. Take a short walk along the Sassagoula River to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, known for Southern specialties like gumbo, jambalaya and beignets.

Our Take

This is one of our favorite Moderate Resort hotels at Walt Disney World! If you want a real Bayou experience with relaxation this is the place for you. This southerly estate has a lot to offer including strolls along the river, dockside dining and a boat ride to Disney Springs.

The main house includes the lobby which is really open and spacious, dining restaurants, marina, bike rentals and the main store where you can purchase merchandise and other food items. One of our favorite things to do is rent a surrey bike from here and ride along the dock and the path by the river. It’s a lot of fun! Make sure you bring at least 3 other people with you though.

Right off the back of the main house is a pool which features a really fun water slide, pool bar and a playground. The pool area is on a little island surrounded by a lake which offers great views and makes for a fun time. Be sure to try the pools lava smoothie (non-alcoholic). It’s a fantastic drink.

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The resort itself is decent size with a lot of houses to choose from so we would suggest if you want to stay close to the main house and a bus depot select a preferred room or a royal room. Buildings 14, 18, 95 and 90 our our top suggestions on buildings to choose from. They all sit right off the main house and have ample parking and their own swimming pools.

Buildings 85, 80, and 38 and the buildings furthest away from a bus depot so avoid them if you’re going to be busing everyday. All the buildings have pools close by though so not to worry if you plan to have several pool days. You won’t have to walk very far to get to one.

To take the boat to disney Springs head to the main house and out to the marina area. The boat runs every 15-20 minutes and makes some stops at French Quarter and Old Key West but ultimately it will take you about 20-25 minutes to get to Disney Springs. A word of caution, the last boat back has a long line and most people get turned away so either catch an earlier boat or plan to take a taxi or bus back to the hotel.

Port Orleans Riverside Hotel offers several great dining locations including our favorite Boatwright’s Dining Hall. The setting is like an old shipyard warehouse with hanging lanterns and the craftsmanship of a boat. The menu features dishes famed in New Orleans including crawfish, jambalaya, shrimp and chicken and dumplings. The desserts are even better so be sure to save room.

We’ve been asked about royal rooms and whether they are worth it or not. We say yes. They are bigger rooms that are in preferred buildings and offer upgraded everything. The beds are really nice and comfortable, the linens are much nicer than the other rooms. The decor and paintings are magical especially if you like Tiana and her pals.

The Port Orleans Riverside Hotel has a sister resort next door called Port Orleans French Quarter. While they share the same area both offer different experiences to their guests. Out of the two we like staying at French Quarter more because it offers a more intimate setting with less rooms and buildings.