In 2001 the Port Orleans and Dixie Landings Resorts were merged. The combined Moderate resort, called Port Orleans, is divided into two sections. The smaller, southern part that previously was Port Orleans is now called the French Quarter. The larger section encompassing the former Dixie Landings is labeled Riverside.

The 1,008-room French Quarter section is a sanitized Disney version of New Orleans’s Vieux Carre. Consisting of seven three-story guest-room buildings next to the Sassagoula River, the resort suggests what New Orleans would look like if its buildings were painted every year and garbage collectors never went on strike. There are prim pink-and-blue guest buildings with wrought-iron filigree, shuttered windows, and old fashioned iron lampposts. In keeping with the Crescent City theme, the French Quarter is landscaped with magnolia trees and overgrown vines. The centrally located Mint contains the registration area and food court and is a reproduction of a turn-of-the-19th-century building where Mississippi Delta farmers sold their harvests. The registration desk features a vibrant Mardi Gras mural and oldfashioned bank-teller windows. The section’s “Doubloon Lagoon” surrounds a colorful fiberglass creation depicting Neptune riding a sea serpent.

French Quarter rooms measure 314 square feet. Most contain two double beds, a table and two chairs, a dresser-credenza, and a vanity outside the bathroom. All rooms were refurbished from bow to stern in 2005, resulting in the most attractive and tasteful rooms of any of the Disney Moderate resorts. With their cherry headboards, Mardi Gras–pastel bedspreads, cherry-wood credenzas with oak inlays, and dark-blue floral carpet, the rooms rival those of several Deluxe resorts. No rooms have balconies, but ornamental, iron-railed accessways on each floor provide a good (though less private) substitute.

There’s a food court but no full-service restaurant. The closest full-service eatery is in the adjacent Riverside section of the resort, about a 15-plus-minute walk. The commute to restaurants in other hotels may be 40–60 minutes each way. The Disney bus system links the French Quarter to all Disney World destinations. Walking time to bus-loading areas from the most remote French Quarter rooms is 7–10 minutes.

Most readers really like Port Orleans French Quarter. This comment from a Lincoln, Nebraska, family is typical:

Port O rleans French Quarter is a real gem. The pool is exceptional for kids, and you can also use the very good pool at Riverside, which is an added bonus. They already have life jackets there for kids and good laundry facilities; shuttle service to parks was pretty good.

A dad from Danbury, Connecticut, says the secret is out:

Port Orleans French Quarter used to be our little secret. Thanks to greater word of mouth on the Internet, it was much more crowded this trip, which affected the pool, food court, and bus service. The food at the food court was much improved and was really quite good. We also enjoyed Boatwright’s at the Port O rleans Riverside. Very relaxed dining compared to other on-property restaurants.

From a Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, father of two:

I highly recommend Port O rleans French Quarter. We stayed at All- Star Movies on our last trip and didn’t think it made sense to stay anywhere else. Well, we were wrong. The price difference wasn’t that big, and what we got for the difference was well worth it: uncrowded pool, bellhop service, front-door greeters with great tips for touring, and a bigger, more comfortable room. Totally worth the extra money.

A Milford, Connecticut, mom had transportation problems:

We had a wonderful time at Disney, but I do wish Port O rleans French Quarter and Riverside didn’t share a bus route. After the French Quarter bus stop, there are four stops at Riverside. You always got a seat, but sometimes it took upwards of an hour to get to the parks after waiting for the bus, then stopping at all four Riverside depots.

One Philadelphia Gen Xer wasn’t exactly flush with joy about his Port Orleans stay:

The in-room toilets seem to be powered by jet thrusters. We were woken up far too many times in the night when someone in a neighboring room would flush.

Blog Posts About Port Orleans French Quarter:

May 10, 2009

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter 87% + (11%)
Average for WDW hotels 74% (+3%)
Average for off-site hotels 79% (+10%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 95% (N/A)

Would you stay at this hotel again?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter 98% + (15%)
Average for WDW hotels 90% (+1%)
Average for off-site hotels 94% (+5%)
Average for vacation homes & condos 100% (N/A)

Hotel Photos

Good (and Not-So-Good) Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter

Seven guest-room buildings flank the pool and Guest Relations building and bus stop. The best views are from rooms directly facing the river and natural pine forest on the opposite bank. Wings of Buildings 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 flank the river and provide the best river views in either the French Quarter or Riverside sections of Port Orleans.

River-view rooms in Buildings 1, 6, and 7 are a long walk from French Quarter public facilities, but they’re the most tranquil. Families with children should request river-view rooms in Buildings 2 and 5, nearest the swimming complex. Make sure the reservationist understands that you’re requesting a room with a river view, not just a water view. All river-view rooms are also water-view rooms, but not vice versa.

Following are the best river-view rooms in each building: Building 1 Rooms 1127–1132, 1227–1232, 1327–1332 Building 2 Rooms 2127–2132, 2227–2232, 2327–2332 Building 5 Rooms 5117–5122, 5217–5222, 5317–5322 Building 6 Rooms 6123–6126, 6223–6226, 6323–6326, 6133–6140, 6233–6240, 6333–6340, 6141–6148, 6241–6248, 6341–6348 Building 7 Rooms 7141–7148, 7241–7248, 7341–7348 Standard-view rooms look onto a courtyard or a parking lot. There are no private balconies, but you can bring a lawn chair and sit on the exterior accessway. You’ll have to make way for fellow guests coming and going to their rooms, but most of the time you’ll be undisturbed.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths Weaknesses
Creative swimming areas Large, confusing layout
Nice guest rooms Extreme distance of many guest rooms from dining and services
Beautiful landscaping and grounds Insufficient on-site dining
Pleasant setting along Bonnet Creek No easily accessible off-site dining
Food courts No character meals
Convenient self-parking Congested bus loading areas
Children's play areas
Varied recreational offerings
Boat service to Downtown Disney

Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter Dining

Commuting Times to the Parks
Park Commuting Time
Magic Kingdom 12 minutes
Epcot 8 minutes
Animal Kingdom 16 minutes
Disney's Hollywood Studios 13 minutes