Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
This is a comprehensive review of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside. I will give my thoughts about the resort itself and I will review the room. I will also give some recommendations for those who may want to stay at the resort and some suggestions to make your stay better.
Sarah and I stayed here during our July 2017 trip. We had visited the resort during our last trip so I was excited to walk around its vast grounds. Sarah was more concerned about the Royal Rooms in which we were staying. She was ready to be drowned in a sea of princess theming. By the end, we were both gushing about both aspects.
Resort
Let’s start with positives. I will get this out of the way first, I think this is the best Moderate resort on the Walt Disney World property. I think the grounds are immaculate. Sarah and I loved getting lost and feeling like we were teleported to New Orleans. We loved lazily meandering the resort and exploring all its nooks and crannies. We loved the way that time seemed to slow to a crawl while we were in the resort.
Next, I thought the Royal Room theming was immaculate. Sarah could care less how over-the-top the theming was in the rooms because it was princess themed, but I thought it was really interesting. As I said in my July 2017 Trip Report, I think this room is interesting in that it is both over-the-top, but full of subtlety. There are the overt themes like the pictures of the princesses and princes, but there are also subtle details like the magical lamp and flying carpet from Aladdin “hidden” around the room.
The next positive is the theming of the grounds. I think this is one of the excellent aspects of PO-R. I think every detail is made to make you feel like you are actually on a Southern estate. The entryway is beautiful and welcoming and the lobby is layered with pastels and rustic fonts. I think the main building is worthy of the sometimes lengthy walk to just enjoy sitting out back on a rocking chair. I love that there are quiet courtyards in each one of the mansion buildings to sit down and unwind.
Another positive of this resort is its wide-ranging appeal. This may be more philosophical and subjective, but I think this resort appeals to a wide range of parties. I think kids can stay here and go to Ol’ Man Island to run around the playground, swim in the pool, and go down the waterslide. I think kids could also enjoy the Fishin’ Hole on Ol’ Man Island or a leisurely ride on a surrey bike (which are insanely expensive).
But I think this resort, like many of the other Moderate resorts, are designed with adults in mind. I think the larger property full of quiet spaces to sit down and unwind lend themselves nicely to adults who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of many of the other resorts.
One of Sarah and my favorite parts of staying here was coming back from the parks early to go to a quiet leisure pool and then walking around the Sassagoula River. We also both enjoyed the hammocks that were scattered throughout Ol’ Man Island.
For a Moderate resort, I think that the dining situation is both positive and negative at PO-R. We ate both in the Riverside Mill Food Court and Boatwright’s Dining Hall. It is a positive in that it actually has a Table Service restaurant. This compared to Disney’s Port Orleans - French Quarter, which does not. When we ate at Boatwright’s we had mixed reviews. My jambalaya was good, but Sarah’s etouffee was medicore. We both agreed that the cornbread and honey butter were divine.
I ate lunch at the Riverside Mill Food Court and I was very unimpressed. I got the bayou burger which I was expecting to be an indulgent meat masterpiece. It is a burger with prime rib on it, after all. I think I went in with too high of expectations because the burger was overcooked and the prime rib was very dry. The fries were also incredibly cold. Whenever we entered Riverside Mill, it was always incredibly busy and the Cast Members seemed understaffed. I felt so bad while we were there the first day that I decided to start cleaning up the drinks station.
Now time to talk about some negatives of the resort. I think the biggest downside of staying at PO-R is the transportation. The resort is fairly large and there are four stops on the transportation. The stops go in this order: West, North, East, South (main building).
The building in which we were staying was directly between the East and South stops. Most of the time we decided to walk slightly further to the main building so we could stay in some air conditioning while we waited. A few time we waited almost 20 minutes for a bus to arrive at the South depot.
The transportation is also shared with PO-FQ during the middle of the day. Both of these factors can lead to incredibly long waits for and on Disney Bus Transportation. Even though the resort is centrally located, the return trips from the parks took what seemed like an eternity.
Once we tried to just get off the bus at the West depot, but that was a mistake. It took us significantly longer to walk across the entire resort. Even though it was a peaceful walk, it was an incredibly long one. I understand why the main building is the last stop (being that most people will board at that depot), but my rational brain goes away at 1am when all I want to do is sleep
Rooms
Sarah and I stayed in the Royal Rooms at this resort and it was probably the most anticipated room stay since we stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation. Sarah being a princess fanatic, as soon as we discovered these rooms existed we needed to stay here. I don’t think that Sarah would choose any other resort room if she was given full control of our trips.
I thought there were some positives to the rooms. As I stated before, I think the theming here is a positive. I think it walks the line between over-the-top and tasteful masterfully. The in-your-face aspects are fun. I like that the headboard lights up like fireworks. Sarah loved the photos of the princesses and princes scattered throughout the room. I thought these were good, but I was impressed by the small details. I loved the Aladdin hints in the sink and on the floor. It was also really cool that even the wallpaper was full of Disney animation characters. Details matter!
I think the beds were also another positive in this room. Unlike our stay at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, both beds were the same and both beds were comfortable. Both of the sets of pillows were actually thick enough for us to sleep without using three pillows each. As I said before, the headboards are great so it makes the sleeping experience very positive.
I think the bathroom here was nice, but not going to knock anyone’s socks off. I liked that there were two sinks. Usually, Sarah and I scoff at the couple on shows like HGTV’s House Hunters about their need for two sinks. We scream when they declare: “It’s a gut job” every single time. But it is really helpful to have the extra sink when we are trying to get ready in the morning to make rope drop or trying to go to bed after the Kiss Goodnight at Magic Kingdom. Also, there was a nice ledge under the sink where we could put all our toiletries. It was a small detail, but details matter!
There were only two negatives in the Royal Room. First, it was incredibly difficult to find our room. We search for about 15 minutes around the mansions area for our room and we finally stumbled upon it. We seemed to go in one direction and then the numbers would change randomly. I am sure there is a method to this madness, but it escaped us completely. After we found our way to the room, it was easier to navigate, but we struggled mightily at first.
Secondly, the refrigerator in the room was very finicky. We have been making protein shakes for ourselves with almond milk recently and so we brought almond milk with us. We put the two half-gallon containers in the fridge the first day and they were frozen the next morning! The strangest part of this whole milk fiasco was that it did not even feel like the fridge was on when we stuck our hands in it. We finally turned the fridge down, but the milk was almost beyond help by the end of the first night. I know that is knit-picky, but I believe that shows the overall quality of the resort.
Should I Stay Here?
As I stated before, I think this is the best WDW Moderate Resort. I think the theming, grounds, wide-ranging appeal, and dining are positives here. I think that the transportation is what makes this resort appealing to a very specific demographic of WDW visitors.
As a result of this, I would recommend PO-R for the following people:
Tips
First, I would recommend splurging on a Royal Room. This is especially true if there are people in your travel party that are Disney princess fanatics like Sarah. Even if you don’t stay in the Royal Rooms, stay in the Mansions. This area is much nicer than The Bayou, which was almost flooding during our our stay. Take this resort in at a slow pace. I think this resort is like a fine wine. This resort is meant to be enjoyed slowly, not devoured. I think the best way to enjoy PO-R is to take a slow walk at sunset. This is the best time for the resort to show of its many beautiful areas.
Have you stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort? Share your experience! We would love to hear from you! Just add to the Comments section below.
This is a comprehensive review of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort - Riverside. I will give my thoughts about the resort itself and I will review the room. I will also give some recommendations for those who may want to stay at the resort and some suggestions to make your stay better.
Sarah and I stayed here during our July 2017 trip. We had visited the resort during our last trip so I was excited to walk around its vast grounds. Sarah was more concerned about the Royal Rooms in which we were staying. She was ready to be drowned in a sea of princess theming. By the end, we were both gushing about both aspects.
Resort
Let’s start with positives. I will get this out of the way first, I think this is the best Moderate resort on the Walt Disney World property. I think the grounds are immaculate. Sarah and I loved getting lost and feeling like we were teleported to New Orleans. We loved lazily meandering the resort and exploring all its nooks and crannies. We loved the way that time seemed to slow to a crawl while we were in the resort.
Next, I thought the Royal Room theming was immaculate. Sarah could care less how over-the-top the theming was in the rooms because it was princess themed, but I thought it was really interesting. As I said in my July 2017 Trip Report, I think this room is interesting in that it is both over-the-top, but full of subtlety. There are the overt themes like the pictures of the princesses and princes, but there are also subtle details like the magical lamp and flying carpet from Aladdin “hidden” around the room.
The next positive is the theming of the grounds. I think this is one of the excellent aspects of PO-R. I think every detail is made to make you feel like you are actually on a Southern estate. The entryway is beautiful and welcoming and the lobby is layered with pastels and rustic fonts. I think the main building is worthy of the sometimes lengthy walk to just enjoy sitting out back on a rocking chair. I love that there are quiet courtyards in each one of the mansion buildings to sit down and unwind.
Another positive of this resort is its wide-ranging appeal. This may be more philosophical and subjective, but I think this resort appeals to a wide range of parties. I think kids can stay here and go to Ol’ Man Island to run around the playground, swim in the pool, and go down the waterslide. I think kids could also enjoy the Fishin’ Hole on Ol’ Man Island or a leisurely ride on a surrey bike (which are insanely expensive).
But I think this resort, like many of the other Moderate resorts, are designed with adults in mind. I think the larger property full of quiet spaces to sit down and unwind lend themselves nicely to adults who want to avoid the hustle and bustle of many of the other resorts.
One of Sarah and my favorite parts of staying here was coming back from the parks early to go to a quiet leisure pool and then walking around the Sassagoula River. We also both enjoyed the hammocks that were scattered throughout Ol’ Man Island.
For a Moderate resort, I think that the dining situation is both positive and negative at PO-R. We ate both in the Riverside Mill Food Court and Boatwright’s Dining Hall. It is a positive in that it actually has a Table Service restaurant. This compared to Disney’s Port Orleans - French Quarter, which does not. When we ate at Boatwright’s we had mixed reviews. My jambalaya was good, but Sarah’s etouffee was medicore. We both agreed that the cornbread and honey butter were divine.
I ate lunch at the Riverside Mill Food Court and I was very unimpressed. I got the bayou burger which I was expecting to be an indulgent meat masterpiece. It is a burger with prime rib on it, after all. I think I went in with too high of expectations because the burger was overcooked and the prime rib was very dry. The fries were also incredibly cold. Whenever we entered Riverside Mill, it was always incredibly busy and the Cast Members seemed understaffed. I felt so bad while we were there the first day that I decided to start cleaning up the drinks station.
Now time to talk about some negatives of the resort. I think the biggest downside of staying at PO-R is the transportation. The resort is fairly large and there are four stops on the transportation. The stops go in this order: West, North, East, South (main building).
The building in which we were staying was directly between the East and South stops. Most of the time we decided to walk slightly further to the main building so we could stay in some air conditioning while we waited. A few time we waited almost 20 minutes for a bus to arrive at the South depot.
The transportation is also shared with PO-FQ during the middle of the day. Both of these factors can lead to incredibly long waits for and on Disney Bus Transportation. Even though the resort is centrally located, the return trips from the parks took what seemed like an eternity.
Once we tried to just get off the bus at the West depot, but that was a mistake. It took us significantly longer to walk across the entire resort. Even though it was a peaceful walk, it was an incredibly long one. I understand why the main building is the last stop (being that most people will board at that depot), but my rational brain goes away at 1am when all I want to do is sleep
Rooms
Sarah and I stayed in the Royal Rooms at this resort and it was probably the most anticipated room stay since we stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation. Sarah being a princess fanatic, as soon as we discovered these rooms existed we needed to stay here. I don’t think that Sarah would choose any other resort room if she was given full control of our trips.
I thought there were some positives to the rooms. As I stated before, I think the theming here is a positive. I think it walks the line between over-the-top and tasteful masterfully. The in-your-face aspects are fun. I like that the headboard lights up like fireworks. Sarah loved the photos of the princesses and princes scattered throughout the room. I thought these were good, but I was impressed by the small details. I loved the Aladdin hints in the sink and on the floor. It was also really cool that even the wallpaper was full of Disney animation characters. Details matter!
I think the beds were also another positive in this room. Unlike our stay at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, both beds were the same and both beds were comfortable. Both of the sets of pillows were actually thick enough for us to sleep without using three pillows each. As I said before, the headboards are great so it makes the sleeping experience very positive.
I think the bathroom here was nice, but not going to knock anyone’s socks off. I liked that there were two sinks. Usually, Sarah and I scoff at the couple on shows like HGTV’s House Hunters about their need for two sinks. We scream when they declare: “It’s a gut job” every single time. But it is really helpful to have the extra sink when we are trying to get ready in the morning to make rope drop or trying to go to bed after the Kiss Goodnight at Magic Kingdom. Also, there was a nice ledge under the sink where we could put all our toiletries. It was a small detail, but details matter!
There were only two negatives in the Royal Room. First, it was incredibly difficult to find our room. We search for about 15 minutes around the mansions area for our room and we finally stumbled upon it. We seemed to go in one direction and then the numbers would change randomly. I am sure there is a method to this madness, but it escaped us completely. After we found our way to the room, it was easier to navigate, but we struggled mightily at first.
Secondly, the refrigerator in the room was very finicky. We have been making protein shakes for ourselves with almond milk recently and so we brought almond milk with us. We put the two half-gallon containers in the fridge the first day and they were frozen the next morning! The strangest part of this whole milk fiasco was that it did not even feel like the fridge was on when we stuck our hands in it. We finally turned the fridge down, but the milk was almost beyond help by the end of the first night. I know that is knit-picky, but I believe that shows the overall quality of the resort.
Should I Stay Here?
As I stated before, I think this is the best WDW Moderate Resort. I think the theming, grounds, wide-ranging appeal, and dining are positives here. I think that the transportation is what makes this resort appealing to a very specific demographic of WDW visitors.
As a result of this, I would recommend PO-R for the following people:
- Anyone! I think this resort really appeals to any WDW travel party.
- Visitors who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of WDW and have a relaxing vacation.
- Families who would appreciate princess theming and who would be willing to pay a bit extra for it.
Tips
First, I would recommend splurging on a Royal Room. This is especially true if there are people in your travel party that are Disney princess fanatics like Sarah. Even if you don’t stay in the Royal Rooms, stay in the Mansions. This area is much nicer than The Bayou, which was almost flooding during our our stay. Take this resort in at a slow pace. I think this resort is like a fine wine. This resort is meant to be enjoyed slowly, not devoured. I think the best way to enjoy PO-R is to take a slow walk at sunset. This is the best time for the resort to show of its many beautiful areas.
Have you stayed at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort? Share your experience! We would love to hear from you! Just add to the Comments section below.
