Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Review by Resorts Gal
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a moderate resort at Walt Disney World located in the Disney Springs Resort area. It’s also a massive resort—so massive that it might be difficult to conceive its actual size if you’ve never visited. Riverside is not the kind of hotel where you hop on an elevator to come and go from your room. The resort consists of many buildings situated on both sides of Disney’s Sassagoula River.
As inconvenient as it sounds, staying at a resort spread out over 300 acres has perks. There’s no argument–Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is stunning, especially if you haven’t spent much time in the South.
Often referred to as a “romantic” resort, Port Orleans Riverside has a diverse landscape, massive oak trees, and garlands of Spanish moss gently swaying in the breeze. On your sunset stroll around the resort, you might run into guests enjoying horse-drawn carriages, which only adds to the resort’s charm. Who knows? You might even reserve one for an evening at the resort during your vacation. Day or night, the resort offers plenty to do, and nearby Disney Springs is only a short boat ride away.
But is a stay at this resort right for you? We’ll try to determine that in this review of Port Orleans Riverside. Below, I’ll share the details of our latest visit. Hopefully, by the time we finish, you’ll have the answer to that question.
During our last stay at Port Orleans Riverside, I spent almost an entire day taking photos and touring the grounds. As I strolled along the Sassagoula River (the river between Riverside and the French Quarter that continues to Disney Springs), I was reminded of what makes Disney Resorts unique.
Where else can you find a resort with such broad, open spaces? It’s a place that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. It reminded me of an uncrowded oasis—a blatant paradox from the theme parks.
Riverside comprises two distinct areas: Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. Both reflect the landscape you might find on the Bayou in rural Louisiana. Magnolia Bend has white mansions with manicured lawns. This area reflects a softer, more traditional style.
Alligator Bayou is themed to the backwoods of the Bayou, this section of the resort has a woodsy, outdoor feel.
Riverside sits next door to sister resort Port Orleans French Quarter, an entirely separate resort with New Orleans theming, including a touch of Mardi Gras. It’s also a boutique resort, nowhere near the size of Riverside. Combined, both resorts span over 325 acres!
Both resorts are located on Disney’s Sassagoula River, a short walk or boat ride apart. Guests are welcome to use the amenities at either resort.
When it comes to selecting a room at Port Orleans Riverside, the options might be confusing. We’ve stayed in every section of the resort, so I’ll provide a brief overview of what to expect. We’ll start with Magnolia Bend, home to the mansions.
Magnolia Bend is made up of four sections:
- Arcadian House
- Magnolia Terrace
- Oak Manor
- Parterre Place
Magnolia Bend has standard and royal guest rooms. Standard rooms are located in Arcadian House and Magnolia Terrace, and royal guest rooms are located in Oak Manor and Parterre Place.
On our first-ever stay at Port Orleans Riverside, we reserved a royal guest room. Unfortunately, that was a long time ago, so I don’t have photos. Not knowing any better, I assumed an upgrade would mean a better room location, view, and overall experience. But little did we know the royal rooms are located on the far end of Magnolia Bend. We ended up in a room at the back of Parterre Place with a view of the parking lot. We were not close to anything!
So, what is a royal guest room? Well, it’s a little more decorated than a standard guest room. You can expect attention to detail in the room’s fixtures and furnishings. Disney princesses are featured in the room’s artwork, and the headboards have a button that makes the art above the bed light up. Sure, your children will probably think the headboard element is fun, but that’s about it. Oh, and you might get a letter from Princess Tiana at check-in. But it’s not a big deal.
At the time of that stay, I didn’t care for Port Orleans Riverside. Our room felt like a letdown because we expected more, and the location was probably the worst we could have gotten. It felt like I had paid a considerable amount for a room upgrade with no extras.
Also, being so far from the bus stop was frustrating. At check-in, we were told the bus stop at the main entrance would be the closest to our room. So every time we left, we had to walk to the front of the mansion, across one of the bridges, through the resort, and then out past the entrance to the bus stop. In all actuality, we were close to the East Depot bus stop, but had no idea because it was our first visit to the resort. The entire resort experience was pretty overwhelming. But, again, we no longer feel that way.
If you’re concerned about being a long distance from anything, you can upgrade to a preferred room. By Disney’s standards, a preferred room at Riverside means close to dining, shopping, transportation, and the resort’s main lobby. Preferred rooms are located in buildings 14, 15, 18, and 27 in Alligator Bayou. These rooms are exceptionally convenient. During our last stay, I mapped the distance from the furthest out preferred building and it was a less than five-minute walk to Riverside Mill. (Magnolia Bend does not have preferred rooms.)
Other room upgrades include fifth sleepers, room views, and the option to upgrade to a room with a king-size bed. All standard guest rooms in Magnolia Bend have two queen-size beds, except for the king upgrade. Rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort have a fifth sleeper.
I wouldn’t normally consider paying for a room view upgrade. All of the rooms at Port Orleans Riverside have exterior access, and they do not have individual balconies. If you pay for an upgraded view, you’ll have to look out from the large front window of your hotel room. I don’t know about you, but we rarely open the curtains when we stay in this type of hotel room. Everyone who passes by can see inside.
Before we preview our room, there’s one other important thing you’ll want to know about the resort’s accommodations. Magnolia Bend has elevators in each building. All of the mansions are three stories in the middle, and the surrounding buildings have two stories. There is an elevator shaft in the center of each building. Exterior staircases are located on the corners.
However, Alligator Bayou buildings do not have elevators. This section of the resort consists of 16 buildings, each with two stories.
Need to Know: Only a few resorts at Walt Disney World do not have elevators. They are the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort in its entirety, and most of the buildings at Disney’s Old Key West.
While Alligator Bayou not having elevators might be a deal-breaker for some, rooms in this area are still sought after because they sleep up to five guests. They have two queen-size beds and a 5th sleeper for a small child. The fifth sleeper is a single pull-down Murphy bed under the television area. This bed comfortably sleeps guests up to around 12 years old. Since I wrote this review, we’ve returned to stay in an Alligator Bayou room. You can click on that link if you would like to preview those photos.
When I went online to reserve our room for this stay at Port Orleans Riverside, the only room available was a standard woods view. Since the resort rooms had been updated since our last stay, this resort was at the top of my priorities to review. Our room assignment was on the first floor of Magnolia Terrace in the Magnolia Bend mansions.
At first, I wondered if I would feel the same way about the mansions after all these years. Surprisingly, I found this room’s location to be convenient, and we enjoyed it. While we were in the mansions, our room location was close to the bridge that crosses over Ol’ Man Island to the Sassagoula Steamboat Company (check-in area).
Additionally, we were only a stone’s throw away from the East bus depot. So, it was less than a five-minute walk back to the room each night. One evening during this trip, we attended Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom and returned to the room at 1:30 a.m. Tired and exhausted, it was like a breath of fresh air to get back to the room so quickly.
As for the room view, this is a photo of the courtyard from outside our room. It was a pretty view.
But here is that same view from inside the room. So, I’ll let you judge whether a room view upgrade is worth it. If you were on an upper floor facing the river, it might be nice. But It’s not like you would sit outside and enjoy the view.
Our room was pleasant, with subtle touches from Disney’s animated film, The Princess and the Frog.
Additionally, the guest bath featured two sinks and plenty of space.
The water closet was separate and had a tub with a shower combination and toilet.
We also loved how these curtains separated the room from the vanity area. We have a separate photo and video tour of this room for more room details. It contains close-ups of all the room’s amenities.
Related: Port Orleans Riverside Standard Magnoli Bend Room Tour
Like most resorts at Walt Disney World, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort offers plenty of recreational activities. You can plan a full day to enjoy the main or leisure pools and everything else the resort offers. For starters, the resort’s feature pool, Ol’ Man Island, is a three-acre island designed to resemble an old sawmill.
This pool area has a 95′ long water slide and several other fun water elements.
A playground is available on Ol’ Man Island.
Muddy Rivers Pool Bar serves snacks and beverages nearby.
A campfire and Movies Under the Stars are held at the pool area. There will be a recreation schedule available at the resort during your stay. It will list the movies and the nights they are offered. A kiddie pool is also available.
The Fishin’ Hole is located on Ol’ Man Island behind Muddy Rivers. Guests can participate in cane pole fishing daily between 7:00 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. for a small extra fee. The fee includes cane poles, bait, and dock time.
Here is a list of the types of fish you might catch.
Of course, they are all catch-and-release. But catching them is the fun of the matter.
You might also rent a guided fishing tour along the Sassagoula River at Port Orleans Riverside. These tours accommodate up to five guests and usually last two to four hours. Horse-drawn carriage rides are available most evenings. They last approximately 25 minutes and cost $55.00 at the time of this update.
Bike rentals are available at Port Orleans Riverside. Bikes are an excellent way to tour the resort. They have Surrey and regular bike rentals available.
The following prices were posted during this stay:
- Bike Rentals $9.00 per 60 minutes or $18.00 per day
- Surrey Bike (2-seater) $20.00 for thirty minutes
- Surrey Bike (4-seater) $22.00 per thirty minutes
- Cane Pole Fishing $6.00 per thirty minutes
- Guided Bass Fishing $235 for a two-hour excursion
- Guided Bass Fishing $455 for a four-hour excursion
Note: Fireworks Cruises are listed in the photo above. However, these cruises launch from different resorts. Therefore, while you can rent a cruise here, you will have to travel to another resort to participate.
Port Orleans Riverside has five leisure or quiet pools spread out over the resort’s grounds. Alligator Bayou has three quiet pools among its buildings. They all look like the pool in the photo below.
Magnolia Bend has two large, quiet pools between the various mansions. One is between Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace, and the other is between Oak Manor and Parterre Place. They both look like the pool in the photo below.
We have an entire article that details the different pools at the resort if you want to learn more: The Pools at Port Orleans Riverside.
For those who prefer a little fun indoors, don’t miss the resort’s arcade. Medicine Show Arcade is located in the Colonel’s Cotton Mill building off the resort’s main lobby.
It’s a sizable arcade with plenty of games.
Here is a photo of the jogging trail posted at the resort.
Related: Best Jogging Trails at Disney World
Port Orleans Riverside offers multiple dining options. The resort features a large counter-service food court, a table-service restaurant, a bar with a lounge, and one pool bar. Riverside Mill Food Court is located off the resort’s lobby. The quick service is open daily from 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During this last stay, I had lunch and breakfast there one morning.
Related: Riverside Mill Food Court Review
Boatwright’s Dining Hall is the table service dining location for Port Orleans Riverside. This restaurant is open nightly from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Expect American cuisine with a creole touch.
River Roost Lounge is the bar and lounge located immediately off the lobby of Port Orleans Riverside. This location is where the infamous Yehaa Bob Jackson performs on Wednesday through Saturday evenings from 8:30 p.m. until midnight. The act is a musical and comedy medley mix.
Lastly, Muddy Rivers is the resort’s pool bar at Ol’ Man Island. This pool bar offers the classic Disney cocktail menu and limited quick-service food options.
Related: Port Orleans Riverside Restaurant Guide
Since Disney’s French Quarter is so close to Riverside, guests can walk over and enjoy the resort’s lounge, pool bar, or counter service. French Quarter has an excellent counter-service dining location. However, they do not offer table-service dining.
Related: Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory Review
Disney Springs is only a short boat ride from Port Orleans Riverside. This venue offers close to 60 dining establishments. It’s hard to keep up with them all! So, we have a separate article that lists a few of our favorites.
Related: The Best Restaurants at Disney Springs
We’ll briefly examine the transportation options available at Port Orleans Riverside. As we discussed, Disney Springs is only a short ride away from the resort via a water taxi. The water taxis stop at Riverside, French Quarter, and Disney Springs. Then, they travel back and forth in that exact order.
Additionally, Port Orleans Riverside offers bus transportation to the following locations:
- Magic Kingdom
- Epcot
- Hollywood Studios
- Animal Kingdom
- Blizzard Beach
- Typhoon Lagoon
- Disney Springs
If you don’t want to take the boat to Disney Springs, you can always catch a bus. Our transportation guide covers the options available at Riverside and the French Quarter in more depth.
Related: Transportation Options at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
It’s important to mention that Port Orleans Riverside has an internal bus system with four bus stops. The bus stops travel in the following order.
- South Depot (Main Lobby)
- West Depot
- North Depot
- East Depot
During less busy times, the resort shares a bus service with the French Quarter. One of the things to consider is that you’ll likely spend a decent amount of time on the bus, given all the stops it makes along the route.
We’ve covered a good bit of ground in this Port Orleans Riverside Review. However, I felt a few odds and ends were missing. One of those things is the resort’s lobby, the Sassagoula Steamboat Co. building.
Inside, you’ll find all of the resort’s main amenities. This building is home to the arcade, counter-service restaurant, table-service restaurant, gift shop, lounge, and check-in area. The check-in area is in a large room with plenty of seating. Most of us bypass check-in these days with Disney’s text-to-room service.
Fulton’s General Store, the resort’s gift shop, is one of the largest on property! We recently provided a new photo tour of the gift shop if you want to see photos of the merchandise, grocery items, and sundries available during our visit.
Related: Fulton’s General Store at Riverside
Laundry facilities are available at each of the resort’s quiet pools.
Related: Laundry at Port Orleans Riverside
The Resorts Gal Spin On Port Orleans Riverside
Overall, Port Orleans Riverside is a lovely resort with two varying landscapes. While I think that most will enjoy a stay here, there are a few pros and cons you’ll want to consider.
The fact that Port Orleans Riverside is such a large resort is a positive for some and a negative for others. Due to the resort’s size, there is more to explore and tons of recreation. However, the resort’s size contributes to the need for an internal bus system. For example, if you’re leaving for Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning from the main bus stop, the bus will make three more stops before leaving the resort.
So, I would resolve to deal with this upfront. If you set unrealistic expectations that the bus service will swiftly get you to and from the parks, you’ll end up frustrated or, worse, angry.
Additionally, you might have a long walk back to your room, so make sure to consider this when planning. Because of the resort’s smaller footprint, you might prefer the boutique size of the French Quarter over Riverside.
Related: Port Orleans French Quarter vs. Port Orleans Riverside
As we discussed, Riverside doesn’t have many dining options. However, this is not a huge deal if you’re willing to take the boat to Disney Springs for several meals. Also, Riverside is one of the few resorts that offers a fifth sleeper for an extra guest. So, the price alone for the additional guest accommodation could be the thing that tips the scale toward a stay here.
Don’t forget that if you receive a second-floor room assignment in Alligator Bayou, you’ll have to take the stairs. Of course, you can always request bell services to deliver your luggage to the room.
Overall, Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a tremendous resort that offers a retreat from the busyness of the Disney Parks. Its grounds are romantic, and the location along the scenic river is charming. For many, the variety of landscapes offered at the resort is appealing. Unfortunately, others may find the resort overwhelming due to its size.
Overall, this resort might be perfect if you want something different from your typical hotel or need that extra bed! We were pleasantly surprised about this last stay.
For more information, we have a complete guide for the resort:
Or you can browse our entire list of Disney World Resort Reviews.
In the comments:
Have you stayed at this resort before? Did this review of Port Orleans Riverside answer your questions about planning a stay here?
