Port Orleans Riverside Overview

Hello, and happy October! Even though fall is not my favorite season (spring is!), I have been enjoying pumpkin everything- pumpkin candles, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin patches, and pumpkin decorations for my home! At the beginning of the month, the weather had been quite unseasonable here in Indiana, with temperatures reaching the upper 80’s! I really enjoyed the last of the ‘summer weather’ before our cold weather began to hit us this week. Luckily, we have booked a mid-winter getaway to our favorite destination! We were originally booked to stay at our favorite resort, Port Orleans Riverside. However, because January and February are two of the best times to travel in terms of price due to Disney almost always offering some significant discounts during these months, we decided to upgrade from this moderate resort to Animal Kingdom Lodge, a deluxe resort. Our son’s birthday is in January, and we have made it an annual family tradition to celebrate his birthday at Walt Disney World. We think he'll love waking up and seeing the animals out on the savanna at this resort. But we will sure miss our family favorite Port Orleans Riverside!

(The beautiful Port Orleans Riverside resort at Walt Disney World)

(Looking over to the lobby of Port Orleans Riverside)

(Disney theming at its finest)

The two resorts that I’ve mentioned above- Port Orleans Riverside and Animal Kingdom Lodge- both have HUGE fan followings, and I decided that I’d like to cover each of these resorts and all that they’ve got to offer. Early next year, I will write a post on our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge, but this month, I would like to cover Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort.

(Overlooking the Sassagoula River)

Port Orleans Riverside was the first resort that my husband and I stayed at together, and for this reason alone, this resort is sentimental to me. This was also the resort we chose to stay at on my son’s first trip to Walt Disney World when he was 8 months old. We have stayed here three times together as a family, and both my husband and I had stayed here back in the 90’s multiple times with our families during our childhoods.

(My son and nephew enjoying their stay- and the pool- at Port Orleans Riverside)

(Checking out the selection of 'ears' at the Port Orleans Riverside gift shop)

Disney classifies their resorts into one of three categories based on price and amenities- value, moderate, and deluxe. Value resorts are the least expensive, and offer a food court and several large swimming pools. Resorts are fun and colorful, and are set up ‘motel-style’, with the doors to the rooms in exterior hallways (this means that your door opens straight to the outside). 

(Most Disney resorts offer a New Balance running trail- ideal for those active vacationers)

Moderate resorts, such as Port Orleans Riverside, offer food courts, at least one sit-down restaurant, swimming pools with waterslides, and are also set up ‘motel-style’, with exterior doors. These rooms are a bit bigger than value resorts, and to me, the theming is more refined. While value resorts focus on sports, music, movies/ animation and pop culture, moderate resort theming includes the Caribbean, the antebellum south, New Orleans Mardi Gras, and the southwest U.S. and Mexico. 

(My family enjoying one of the multiple quiet pools offered at Port Orleans Riverside)

(The feature pool at Port Orleans Riverside offers a waterslide and plenty of watery fun for everyone!)

(Muddy Rivers, the pool bar that my family often visits on our vacation!)

Deluxe resorts, the most expensive resorts, offer multiple sit-down restaurants, at least one quick-service location, pools with grand theming, and some offer alternate modes of transportation (monorails, boats, and walking paths) to the theme parks. These resorts are truly gorgeous, and in true Disney style, all have absolutely beautiful theming.

(The water taxi service at Port Orleans Riverside over to Disney Springs shopping and entertainment district)

The theme of Port Orleans Riverside is the antebellum south along the Mississippi River. The river running through this resort is called the Sassagoula River, which is the Native American word for Mississippi. This resort, along with its sister resort Port Orleans French Quarter next door, features water taxi transportation to Disney Springs entertainment district. This is one of my family’s favorite features of Port Orleans resort!

(The sign at the water taxi entrance)

(Carriage rides are often offered in the evenings at Port Orleans Riverside)

Another one of our Port Orleans Riverside favorites is YeHaa Bob Jackson at River Roost Lounge. YeHaa Bob performs a fun, interactive piano show which is fun for the whole family, on most Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights from 8:30pm-11:45pm. Even though we are not staying at Port Orleans Riverside on our next trip, we are making a trip over to Port Orleans Riverside one night specifically for this show (yes it’s that much fun!). You can check Bob’s schedule at yehaabob.com to verify that he will be performing when you plan to visit!

(My family enjoying some late-night fun checking out YeHaa Bob Jackson!)

Port Orleans Riverside features Royal Guest Rooms, which are truly fit for a Princess. While we have never stayed in a Royal Room, I have always enjoyed seeing photos of the LED fireworks display on the headboards, the Magic Carpet (from Aladdin) rug in the room, the letter from Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) on the table, and more! Check out the Walt Disney World website for more information on these beautiful rooms!

(Photo from www.disneyworld.com- Royal Guest room at Port Orleans Riverside)

Truly, for my family, and countless other families, Port Orleans Riverside is the ideal Walt Disney World resort. It boasts our favorite theming of any Moderate Resort at Disney, it features a food court with delicious food that satisfies everyone, from my picky mother (sorry mom!) to my wildly-adventurous, will-try-anything-once husband, and everyone in between! Everywhere you look, you see beauty, and there are photo opportunities EVERYWHERE! The sit-down restaurant, Boatwright’s, features plenty of Cajun favorites including Jambalaya. And the piano man YeHaa Bob puts on a show that cannot be missed!

(Port Orleans Riverside offers Royal Guest rooms, Mansion rooms, and Alligator Bayou rooms- this is a room in one of the mansion buildings)

(A room in Alligator Bayou)

(The beautiful outdoors at Port Orleans Riverside)

(The bayou at Port Orleans Riverside)

(Looking over at the mansion buildings at Port Orleans Riverside)

If you are still looking for a great resort to stay at when you visit Walt Disney World, do not hesitate to book Port Orleans Riverside! And as always, please feel free to email me at dana_aimee@hotmail.com with any Disney travel questions. Happy Travels!