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Port Orleans Riverside has everything from early 19th-century Louisana mansions, to rustic-styled cabins in a section called Alligaot Bayou. It's big, but generally well done. Some rooms sleep 5 people.
Cost Range
$289 - $603
Lodging Area
Disney Springs
Category
Moderate
Transportation
Boat, Bus
Room: B
Pool: A-
Lighting: C
Pillows: C
Interesting narrative to theming
Disney princess-themed rooms in Magnolia Bend
Live entertainment in River Roost Lounge
A Moderate resort that can sleep five, the fifth in a Murphy bed, at Alligator Bayou
Very nice feature pool
Close driving distance to the Magic Kingdom
Good place to walk or run for fitness
Recreation options (bikes, boats)
Multiple bus stops; may share service with Port Orleans French Quarter during slower times of year
Disney updated the Alligator Bayou section of rooms in 2019. These rooms, along with those at Caribbean Beach, are unique among Disney Moderates in that they sleep five people; the fifth bed is a Murphy-style fold-down, more suitable for kids than adults. Rooms feature hickory-branch tables, and all have vinyl "hardwood" floors. Bathrooms have increased shelf space and a curtain separator that allows three people to get ready at once.
Rooms in Magnolia Bend are more conventional, with light-green walls, chestnut-colored wood furnishings, and olive carpets. Bathroom lighting seems to have been improved, and a small shelf above the dual-sink countertop provides additional storage space.
Princess-themed "Royal Rooms" are in the Oak Manor and Parterre Place "mansion" buildings at Riverside. Here regal curtains, faucets, portraits, and other decorations target prince/princess fans and their families.
The decor is cute and clever, but these rooms have the same size and function of other standard rooms at Riverside. Note that no royal room with non-standard bedding are available: there are two queen beds, and that's it.
We’ve mapped and taken photographs of the views from every single room on Walt Disney World property! Our Room Finder helps you find the perfect room for you and then request that room from Disney.
Riverside has an on-site food court for quick meals, and a sit-down restaurant for when you want more service. It's adequate for most meals you'd want outside the parks or Disney Springs.
Boatwright's Dining Hall The kitchen struggles with consistency when the restaurant is full. Stick to the basics.
Port Orleans Riverside Pizza Delivery
Riverside Mill Food Court Effectively looking like an old mill, the food court at Port Orleans Riverside has actively turning rods and gears above you, powered by the water wheel outside.
Muddy Rivers The Muddy Rivers pool bar at Port Orleans Riverside sits up on a raised deck surrounded by trees on one side and lounge chairs overlooking the pool on the other. The smooth sounds of jazz can be heard (when the daily Disney “pool party” is not in effect) and the large wooden roof provides ample shade.
River Roost Lounge Located near the main lobby, the River Roost is not generally much to look at, but has probably the longest, most elaborately created backstory of any Walt Disney World lounge. In fact, the entire Port Orleans Riverside Resort has a fascinating story behind why it looks the way it does. The entire story can be found over at PortOrleans.org, but the gist of it is that it was a rural outpost up-river from the more metropolitan French Quarter Resort which developed things such as a cotton mill and a shipbuilding industry, many hints of which can be found around the resort. River Roost started, so the story goes, when the proprietors of the general store decided to make some extra money selling drinks to patrons. While the lounge is not heavily themed, many examples of shipbuilding are present, as well as hints that Riverside is a major trading hub. The stage area contains a commodity board, a departure schedule for the “Sassagoula Steamship Line,” and some ship-related architectural drawings.
Fulton's General Store Souvenir shop with a small selection of snacks, drinks, and groceries.
Refillable Mugs Allows guest self-service soft drink refills from quick-service locations in hotels (NOT in theme parks) for $22.99 for the length of stay.
Amenities
SWIPE TO EXPLORE
Riverside's main pool is Ol' Man Island , built to look like an abandoned sawmill. It features a 95-foot water slide, children's play area, and whirlpool spa. Five leisure pools are arranged around the resort, too - 3 in Alligator Bayou and 2 in Magnolia Bend.
The Medicine Show Arcade is just off the main lobby and features relatively recent video games of all kinds.
Free Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday at the Magnolia South Pool.
Port Orleans' jogging trail is about a mile. There's a map in the main lobby near the check-in desk.
Roast marshmallow around a campfire starting at 5:30 PM nightly on Ol' Man Island.
A children's' playground, with slides and other play structures, is near the Ol' Man Island pool area in the middle of the resort.
Cane pole fishing can be done on Ol' Man Island. Guided bass fishing excursions happen at the Riverside Levee Marina too.
Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.
Practical Matters
Check-in is 3:00pm
Check-out is 11:00am
All Disney resorts participate in Disney’s Online Check-In program. If you’ve checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.
These rubber and plastic wrist bands can function as your room key, park admission, charge card, and more! MagicBands cost money, but if you'd like a free option you can use the official Disney World app on your phone or request an RFID-embedded card at the front desk.
Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator. However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk in the hotel lobby.
Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. You can also use our Disney World Reservation Finder.
Washers and dryers are availabile in laundry facilities at each Disney World hotel. Cost is $3 per wash, and another $3 per dry cycle. A small selection of soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets are also sold, for around $1 each. Only credit/debit cards can be used for payment. For more information, see our Disney World Laundry Facilities page.
If you lose something in a theme park or during your stay at a Disney-operated hotel, visit Disney's Lost and Found website or call (407) 824-4245.
Disney hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of Disney-branded souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. Resort hotels with Deluxe Villa rooms offer an assortment of groceries, as well.
Disney recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out, to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney World Child Care page for more information.
Transportation
Port Orleans Riverside is in the Disney Springs Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward Disney Springs once you're on property, then look for signs directing you to Port Orleans French Quarter. Note that Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside are separate resorts with separate, gated entrances.
Destination | Boat | Bus | Car |
---|---|---|---|
Magic Kingdom | – | 26 min | 38 min |
EPCOT | – | 23 min | 20 min |
Hollywood Studios | – | 29 min | 20 min |
Animal Kingdom | – | 30 min | 20 min |
Disney Springs | 26 min | 25 min | 11 min |
Disney provides free bus service to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs from bus stops around the resort. Buses run about every 20 minutes. For all of those destinations except the Magic Kingdom, it's probably faster to drive. Water taxi service is also available to Disney Springs.
Disney provides free bus service to the theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. Riverside has several bus stop around the resort, including one near the lobby. Buses run about every 20 minutes, but varies through the day.
If you have your own car, it's faster to drive yourself everywhere except the Magic Kingdom; Disney's transportation system is faster to the Magic Kingdom,.
Boat service is available to Disney Springs. Boat service might not be available during thunderstorms.
For all resort destinations, the fastest option is an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Disney's bus service is free but slow, and will probably require you to use an intermediate destination like Disney Springs, to get to your destination. And that can take a couple of hours each way if you're unluckly. Disney's water taxi service is also available between Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Disney Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, and Port Orleans French Quarter.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
Driving to the Resort
Getting to the Parks
and Disney Springs
Getting to Another Hotel
from Port Orleans Riverside
Getting to Universal Orlando
Port Orleans Riverside is in the Disney Springs Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward Disney Springs once you're on property, then look for signs directing you to Port Orleans French Quarter. Note that Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside are separate resorts with separate, gated entrances.
if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.
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