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.

Riverside draws on the lifestyle and architecture of Mississippi River communities in antebellum Louisiana. Spread along the Sassagoula River, which encircles “Ol’ Man Island” (the section’s main swimming area), Riverside is subdivided into two more themed areas: the “mansion” area, which features plantation-style architecture, and the “bayou” area, with tin-roofed rustic (imitation) wooden buildings. Mansions are three stories tall, while bayou guesthouses are a story shorter. The river-life theme is augmented by groves of azalea and juniper. Riverside’s food court houses a working cotton press powered by a 32-foot waterwheel.

Each of Riverside’s 2,048 rooms is 314 square feet. Most provide two double beds, a table and two chairs, and two pedestal sinks outside the bathroom. Rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of Riverside feature brass bathroom fixtures, hickory-branch bedposts, trundle beds, and quilted bedspreads. Rooms in the plantation-themed Magnolia Bend section of Riverside are more conventional, with light yellow walls, dark wood furnishings, and teal carpets with dark-blue floral patterns. Room refurbishment is under way throughout Riverside, but the look will be substantially the same as before.

Many readers have written asking us to emphasize that, aside from the differences in guest rooms described above, all the rooms are more or less the same regardless of the facade of your building. In other words, if your building looks like a mansion, that doesn’t mean your guest room will look like it belongs in one.

Riverside has one full-service restaurant and a food court. The restaurant is a 15-minute walk from many of the guest buildings. The Disney bus system links the resort to all Disney World destinations. The commute to restaurants in other hotels may be 40–60 minutes each way. Walking time from the most remote rooms to the transportation loading areas is 10 minutes.

A multigenerational family from Little Rock, Arkansas, shares the following:

We loved Port O rleans. The cast members were very friendly and helpful—much more so than at the Polynesian. The grounds were absolutely beautiful. The rooms were also very quiet as opposed to the Polynesian’s. The only downside about this resort is the shuttle service: it was standing-room-only much of the time, and this was the off-season—we wonder how bad it would be in July! However, we liked the resort so much, we can’t wait to stay there again.

A family of adults from Boston agrees:

Riverside was very nice. You downplayed how beautiful the grounds and wildlife are.

But a New York City reader doesn’t think the atmosphere lives up to its promise:

Although the Riverside section is modeled after mansions of the Old South, this will have no bearing on one’s stay. The outside decor of each building is simply a “shell”—there’s little or no decor inside your guest room that corresponds to the theme. (Believe it or not, the official Disney guidebook actually suggests this property as a “romantic” alternative for those who cannot afford the Grand Floridian. Talk about an exaggeration!)

Finally, from a Wayland, Michigan, couple:

We’ve been staying at WDW resorts every other year since 1988, and the bus service at Port Orleans Riverside was our worst ever.

Would you recommend this hotel to a friend?
Hotel Definitely (+/- since 2010)
Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside 68% (0%)
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 Riverside 83% (-8%)
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 Riverside

Riverside is so large that we use bicycles whenever we work there. All told, there are 20 guest-room buildings (not counting flanking wings on two buildings). Divided into two sections, Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend, the resort is arrayed around two pine groves and a watercourse that Disney calls the Sassagoula River. Magnolia Bend consists of four three-story, grand-plantation-style complexes named Acadian House, Magnolia Terrace, Oak Manor, and Parterre Place.

Though Magnolia Bend is on the river, only about 15% of the guest rooms have an unobstructed view of the water. The vast majority of rooms overlook a courtyard or parking lot. Trees and other vegetation block the view of many rooms actually facing the river. The best views in Magnolia Bend are from the third-floor river side of Acadian House (Building 80), which overlooks the river and Ol’ Man Island.

To the south are Magnolia Terrace (Building 85) and Oak Manor (Building 90), each in an H shape. In them, only second- and thirdfloor rooms on the very top of the H (facing the river) have an unobstructed water view. Ask for Rooms 9416, 9417, 9039, 9042, and 9239–9242. Both H-shaped buildings, however, are nearer the front desk, restaurant, lounge, and shopping complex than is Acadian House. Continuing south, Parterre Place (Building 95) has a number of rooms overlooking the river, but they also overlook the parking lot on the far shore. In general, with the few exceptions described above, if you really want a nice river view, opt for Port Orleans French Quarter downriver.

Alligator Bayou, the other part of Port Orleans Riverside, forms an arch around the resort’s northern half. Sixteen smaller, two-story guest-room buildings, set among pine groves and abundant gardens, offer a cozy, tranquil alternative to the more-imposing structures of the Magnolia Bend section of Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter. If you want a river view, ask for a second-story water-view room in Building 27 or 38. Building 14 also offers some river-view rooms and is convenient to shops, the front desk, and the restaurant, but it’s in a noisy, high-traffic area. A good compromise building for families is Building 18. It’s insulated from traffic and noise by landscaping, yet is next to a satellite swimming pool and within an easy walk of the Guest Relations building.

Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside map shows two lakes north of the river bend, suggesting additional water views in Alligator Bayou. But these are dried-up lakes now forested with pine. This area, however, is richly landscaped to complement the “pine islands,” and though out of sight of water, it offers the most peaceful and serene accommodations in the Port Orleans resort. In this area, we recommend Buildings 26, 25, and 39, in that order. Note that these buildings are somewhat distant from the resort’s central facilities, and there’s no adjacent parking. In Alligator Bayou, avoid Buildings 15, 16, 17, and 24, all of which are subject to traffic noise from nearby Bonnet Creek Parkway. Remember: All Port Orleans guest buildings have exterior corridors. When you look out your window, a safety rail will be in the foreground, and other guests will periodically walk past.

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 Riverside 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