Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside Review
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside is a Moderate Resort at Walt Disney World. In our Moderate Resort Comparison, we previously ranked it as Walt Disney World’s top Moderate, on par thematically with some Deluxes! As mentioned there, the theming really shines at Riverside, which draws is themed to a rural Louisiana port city that is along the Sassagoula River. Riverside is divided into Alligator Bayou (bayou) and Magnolia Bend (mansions), which assists it in offering more thematic variety. In addition to these two different styles, each building within the sections uses different materials based upon its location on the river. The backstory is interesting and engaging (and is executed cleverly throughout the resort), and the quiet pathways that litter Riverside make it a great place to take a romantic stroll. The grounds are absolutely stunning, with rich wilderness in the bayou and perfectly manicured gardens around the mansions.
This variety of theming is really quite impressive and is pulled off remarkably well. The mansions of Magnolia Bend are surrounded by large, perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful gardens, which provide a stark contrast to the untamed wilderness and seemingly uncontrolled growth in Alligator bayou. In Alligator Bayou you feel you’d be at home floating down the river in a rickety boat hunting for crawdads. In Magnolia Bend, you might be better suited donning your dress seersucker, putting on a bow-tie, and drinking some mint juleps.
Due to Riverside’s sprawling layout, these differing styles don’t visually clash with one another. However, this layout may be perceived as a negative by some guests who aren’t fans of walking or internal transportation. We don’t mind either, and found the transportation to be more than adequate. We found that the larger layout gave us more to explore and a larger area to wander for romantic nighttime strolls (or carriage or bike rides if that’s your thing).
The area around the Main Lobby ties all of this theming together perfectly with its steamship theming, providing an excellent transition between the bayou and the mansions. In addition to the variety of boat and bike rentals available outside, inside there are a number of dining and shopping options. Boatwright’s Dining Hall is the table service restaurant at Riverside, and it is themed as a Southern, shipyard warehouse, complete with tools lining the walls and a large wooden hull of a fishing boat suspended from the ceiling. We didn’t have a chance to eat at Boatwright’s, but I’ve heard some very good things about the restaurant, and I did get a chance to spend some time exploring the details before the restaurant opened, and they were pretty cool. A lot of the restaurant’s story is told by the tools and artifacts hung from the walls.
Riverside Mill Food Court and River Roost Lounge are the other two dining options at Port Orleans Riverside, and both are excellent. The food court is themed as a riverside mill (I’ll bet you would have never guessed that based on its name!) and this is carried out excellently–it probably has the coolest theming of any food court at Walt Disney World. The menu is also fairly diverse at Riverside Mill, with plenty of options for guests. River Roost is similarly excellent. The bartenders are knowledgeable and the entertainment, in the form of Yehaa Bob, is some of the best at Walt Disney World. Bob has long been considered a hidden gem, and I would put him right up there with the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls in terms of nighttime entertainment in Walt Disney World.
Riverside has several pools, with the main pool being located on ‘Ol Man Island in the middle of the resort, where the playground is also located. I wouldn’t necessarily call the pool disappointing, but it’s probably our least favorite pool at any Moderate Resort. The complex is nice and large, and the pool is nice, but the theming leaves something to be desired. It’s difficult to say what could have been done better with the theming, but I far prefer the approach taken by Port Orleans French Quarter, which combines uses fun gators and a serpentine to overcome what otherwise might be “bland” Louisiana theming for its pool. This is a relatively minor complaint at what is otherwise the best-themed Moderate Resort at Walt Disney World.
As far as rooms go, Port Orleans again shines in this department. During our stay, Riverside was in the process of receiving room renovations to many of its rooms. Our room looked spectacular, and set the mood well. I had read complaints prior to the refurbishment that the rooms felt old fashioned and dated. That is definitely not the case anymore. Our room felt modern and clean, and although it wasn’t overtly “Disney,” it was very well-themed and looked nice. If you are traveling with small children, this might not be for you, and you might want to instead consider a different resort (Caribbean Beach Resort has some very festive rooms) or one of the Royal Guest Rooms.
Although we didn’t stay at the Port Orleans Riverside Royal Guest Rooms, we have to admit, they look like the perfect rooms for kids and would make a great compromise for families looking for an incredibly well-themed Moderate Resort that also has a liberal helping of classic Disney theming. Disney markets these rooms at families looking to give their prince or princess the royal treatment. The Royal Guest Rooms are brought to life by Disney Characters, and special “royal” touches like custom drapes and linens and ornately decorated beds. The headboards on these beds glitter with fiber optic “fireworks” lights. There is a nightly upcharge for these rooms, but the theming likely appeals more to kids than most Deluxes, and the rooms are cheaper, too!
Riverside is also conveniently located just a 10 minute walk from Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, where guests can find a cooler pool and a creepy food court. French Quarter doesn’t have its own table service restaurant, but it’s still worth a visit to the (smaller and more centralized) grounds to see the New Orleans theming. There are also boat rides available from both resorts to Downtown Disney, and bus transportation to the parks. The boat ride on the Sassagoula is nice and relaxing, even if there’s really not much that is worthwhile at the ultimate destination (besides, of course, Earl of Sandwich).
Overall, Port Orleans Riverside is the perfect resort for guests looking for exquisite theming without breaking the bank. The theming is definitely Deluxe quality in many regards, although I wouldn’t put it above any Deluxe Resort in terms of overall quality. Families looking for distinctly Disney (character) theming may not find quite so much to love in Riverside unless they stay in the Royal Guest Rooms, but couples looking for a romantic resort-hotel should definitely give Riverside a look. I could definitely see saving a little bit by staying at Riverside over a Deluxe Resort and reallocating that money on dining or other experiences.
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Your Thoughts…
Do you agree with us that Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside is the best of the Moderate Resorts? Do you dislike Riverside?! Share your thoughts in the comments!
23 Responses to “Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside Review”
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Great Review, Tom! Can’t wait to stay there for the first time in 17 days!
Just got back from WDW. We stayed here the first week in the Royal Guest room. I agree with everything Tom said here. This was far better than I expected.
I was mulling over resort options for my next trip — stay with the value resorts or upgrade to a moderate — and this review definitely pushed me over the edge! I just booked four nights at this hotel … can’t wait!
Thanks for the review. My family and I will be there in November. We’ve been at the other 3 moderates, so I’m looking forward to see how POR stacks up!
Will I agree with you about the resort (our favorite), I do not agree about the pool theming. I think the pool has the right amount of theming without being over done. There is a old saying that less is more.
Sounds like a fabulous place! We don’t have to have the “Disney” theme all day AND all night. We’ll be there in less than a month and your review was a confirmation that we picked the right place! Just one question…is it possible to swim at another resort’s pool? We originally had the water park add on, but cancelled it as it seemed we would be so busy going to the parks and water parks that we wouldn’t have enough time to just hang and relax at our hotel and pool. After your comment about the pool, I’m just wondering if we could head to French Quarter since its just a ten minute walk.
Seeing your pictures is making me jealous. I stayed there one weekend, but didn’t really get to check out much of the resort (a change of plans…. long story). So needless to say, I have hardly any pictures.
It would be nice to get back there though.
You live like 10 minutes away!!! What’s the hold up?!
Procrastination.
I’ve been think about just walking around the resorts, but I always end up not doing it for some reason. Thanks for calling me out. :p
Planning on staying here for marathon weekend 2013. Looks like some great theming, and I need to step up from the All Stars.
It’s the perfect “step up” resort for those who want something more than a Value but don’t want to break the bank on a Deluxe. We’re still debating on whether we’ll do the marathon. Well, not so much “we” as “me.” Sarah has already made it abundantly clear that she’s not doing it. I’d like to, though. I want to see how I enjoy the ToT 10-miler first, but Marathon is close to full…
My husband and I just go back from our “Disneymoon” last week. We stayed at Riverside the whole week and absolutely loved it. We were on the Alligator Bayou side and the scenery really made us feel like we were not at a Disney resort…which we loved because we were in the parks all day every day surrounded by Disney magic! The attention to detail in the rooms was fantastic. Disney definitely transports you to another magical place here!
Which building did you stay in? From the pictures I am trying to pick if I’d like to stay in another room (did the Royal Rooms this year….wasn’t sure if we should change for next year).
Thanks!!!!!
We stayed at POR the first week of August and were very impressed. We did have a RR and loved the all the little details in the room. We last stayed there when it was still “Dixie Landings” and the grounds were as beautiful as ever. This has definitely become our favorite moderate resort! Love your pics as always!
Sounds like a wonderful place to visit.I am going to make plan to visit this place soon.This review is awesome.
We stayed there ( river side)in May 2011… Wasn’t good first time in 40 years of staying at a Disney Resort…Air didn’t work well had to clean dressers found someones sweater behind a chair bathroom was NOT clean and there was mold in the shower.. Sheets had holes in them..To Disneys credit after telling them the trouble we had they refonded one night..We were back in Dec. 2011 stayed at a different Disney resort and that was great as all the other times were!!!! LOVE DISNEY
My husband refuses to stay anywhere else but the Riverside. He loves the landscaping there. We have stayed there 5 times and have our 6th stay already booked. He prefers the theming there even above the Deluxe resorts. He loves the boat to Downtown Disney. It is a great place to stay.
We’re off to POR in 15 days; thanks or the sneak peek. Can’t wait!
This review definitely has me excited for our “Disneymoon” at POR after Thanksgiving! My fiancee has only been to the value resorts so I can’t wait for him to see it.
Stayed there in Nov 2012, loved it as much as AKL!
This resort was where we stayed for our first “on-site” stay. I fell in love (you never forget your first love, right?) with the grounds – the early morning walks were lovely. The rooms theming was sufficient for us (I have 2 boys, ages 9 & 5 at the time). The many pools were great (we had a room overlooking one) & the main pool had a slide, as well as some entertaining scenery with it. We did go visit FQ’s pool & loved that too! I would stay here again in a heart beat – you won’t go wrong! There are many positives, which also include transportation & dining
we stayed at POR in Feb 2011. Our room was bayou themed – it was ok – smaller than Caribbean Beach Resort rooms we have stayed at. Our room was so far away from the main bldg/bus stop – I would request a closer bldg and would like to try a mansion rather than bayou if I stayed here again. The food court was great. We go back to the POR food court every visit – last visit we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and this food court kicks THE MARA’s butt!!! The little pool by our room was sufficient for my kids but they don’t care about all the toys in the pool – they just want to “swim” with their dad. My kids normally don’t care about going to the moderate’s main pools.
We stayed in two of the royal rooms in August of 2012. The youngest “child” in our group was 18 and the oldest was my sister’s fiance at 26. We loved them! While I could see how they would be great for small children, they are also a great option for the “older children” wanting something special added to their stay. The rooms were beautiful and we really enjoyed our first stay at POR. We were closer to a smaller pool and it was completely empty of people the entire week so it ended up being a great place to relax. We will be back there this coming July in a bayou themed room!