Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside

Located along the Sassagoula River, Port Orleans is actually 1 large property, divided into 2 distinct sections.  Port Orleans Riverside, designed to feel like Louisiana and the old south, with beautiful antebellum mansions and bayou buildings representing the sleepy towns along the Mississippi River.  It is a gorgeous sprawling romantic resort.

Port Orleans Riverside itself is divided into two sections. The Mansions section and Alligator Bayou. Port Orleans Riverside recently underwent a complete renovation of the entire resort.  All of the guest rooms here now have either 2 queen beds or 1 king bed.  Double sinks in the vanity area, new shower stalls and new furniture including flat panel TVs and mini refrigerators.

Magnolia Bend resembles the grand manor homes of southern plantations with their grand staircases and stately white columns surrounded by azaleas and magnolias. There are four three-story individually-styled mansion buildings; Acadian House, Magnolia Terrace, Oak Manor and Parterre Place. Each building consists of a central three-story structure and four two-story wings. The elevators are located in the central part of the three-story sections, next to the main entrance.

Located in Oak Manor and Parterre Place are the all new Royal Guest Rooms. The Royal Guest Rooms are quarters befitting the Kings and Queens of the family—as well as the Princes and Princesses. Here, the remarkable décor and rich details will place your family right in the middle of classic Disney stories. Brought to life by celebrated Disney Characters, each room is fit for royalty. Enjoy magnificent touches and magical surprises, including custom drapes and linens, ornately decorated beds-and headboards that glitter with a fiber optic “fireworks” display.

Alligator Bayou resembles the small cottages or villages found in the rural bayou regions of Southern Louisiana, featuring rustic, weathered-wood buildings (or Lodges) with quaint tin or tiled roofs landscaped with pines and iris. Also recently renovated Alligator Bayou section is the only area designated for families of 5 in the Moderate Resort Category. This section has sixteen two-story Lodges, Due to their smaller size; there are no elevators in any of the Alligator Bayou Lodges so if you experience any difficulties with stairs you should request a room on the ground floor.

New Trundle Beds in Alligator Bayou Rooms

Riverside is the site of the only table service restaurant in the Port Orleans area. Themed after a wooden shipbuilding yard with vintage shipbuilding tools hanging on the walls inside the restaurant, even your cutlery is presented to your table in a woodworker’s toolbox. The partially built sailboat located inside the restaurant is actually an authentic reproduction of a flat bottom “New Orleans Lugger” that sailed the Mississippi River in the 1820s.  Boatwright’s Dining Hall serves dinner only and has a Cajun influence in its dishes.  They serve a delicious Jambalaya and spicy Gumbo.

There is also a great food court at Riverside; Riverside Mill.  You can get breakfast, lunch and dinner served here.  They have the typical fare of waffles and French toast for breakfast, pizza, hamburgers and salads for lunch and dinner.  They also have a make your own pasta bar with some very tasty toppings.

Right at the heart of the Port Orleans Riverside resort lies the 3½ acre Ol’ Man Island. This secluded, lushly wooded island is easily accessed from the various accommodation buildings via three wooden bridges and is home to many of the resort’s recreational activities, including the main feature swimming pool, children’s playground and fishing hole. The main feature pool at Riverside is a fun swimming area with waterfalls to duck under and a curved slide to hurtle down, along with sun beds and a pool bar for the adults  There is also a separate shallow children’s pool and a hot tub right next to the main pool area. There are also five “quiet” pools located throughout the Riverside complex.

In the evening you can take a relaxing, old-fashioned horse & carriage ride through the beautiful and serene woodlands and pathways of the Port Orleans resorts. Your private ride commences at the Port Orleans Riverside marina dockside (just behind the lobby building) and takes you on a slow and romantic journey along the banks of the Sassagoula River to Port Orleans French Quarter, where you will turn around in its quaint New Orleans-style streets for your return journey back to Riverside.

Port Orleans Riverside features an old-fashioned Fishin’ Hole that’s fun for the whole family, located on Ol’ Man Island just behind the Muddy Waters pool bar. The fishing hole is open from 7:00am until 1:45pm (last poles hired out at 1:15pm) and is stocked with catfish, blue gill and bass. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. All fishing at Walt Disney World Resort property is “catch and release” only, but you’re welcome to take pictures to prevent those “big fish that got away” stories later.

There are nightly campfires and a playground for the children as well as an arcade.  There are plenty of activities for everyone in the family to enjoy at Port Orleans Riverside.

Transportation services to all of the Theme Parks are available right out front of the resort. Busses run about every 15-20 minutes and during value seasons they will share bus services with Port Orleans French Quarter. Port Orleans also has riverboat transportation to Downtown Disney.  It is a lovely 20 minute boat ride along the Sassagoula River.  During the day boats depart from the dock located behind the pool area, every 20 minutes.  In the evenings the boats depart every 10 minutes.

Contact me today to book your Walt Disney World Vacation and stay at this amazing, gorgeous resort with your family!

Amy Ross
Manager & Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
MickeyTravels, LLC
amy@mickeytravels.com
www.mickeytravels.com/amy
630-251-8358
“Making Magic One Vacation at a Time…”