Realizing I had a milestone birthday approaching, my oldest sister recently planned a girls trip to Orlando. I immediately started researching Disney resorts that I haven’t yet visited. It didn’t take long for me to decide on Port Orleans Riverside!
I’m a huge fan of good food, good theming, and southern hospitality. This resort promised all of them.
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
This Walt Disney World resort is themed after river delta communities of the South. Port Orleans Riverside’s Sassagoula River even serves as a mini Mississippi! This resort is split into two areas: Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend.
The rustic cabins of Alligator Bayou are in a lush, overgrown swamp. It’s full native plants like magnolia trees and giant oaks covered in Spanish moss.
Magnolia Bend has a tidier, grander feel. The rooms are in buildings that look like plantation houses with sprawling front lawns decorated with fountains and gazebos.
I was completely immersed in the experience! It was so easy to forget I was at a resort, let alone a Disney resort in Florida.
The resort is sprawling, covering about 200 acres around the Sassagoula. Most of the sight lines are blocked by the foliage in Alligator Bayou, where I stayed, I didn’t have a sense of the resorts true scale until I started to explore a bit. It’s actually huge! While I was there, I learned that when combined with Port Orleans French Quarter, this is the largest resort at Walt Disney World.
Riverfront property is well used by restaurants, boat launches, and resort buildings. The Sassagoula doubles back on itself like a cul-de-sac, surrounding an island that is home to the resort’s main pool. Several bridges cross the river, providing easier access to resort rooms.
Located “next door” to Port Orleans Riverside is another Disney resort, Port Orleans French Quarter. The theming is an extension of Riverside’s, though with more Vieux Carré flair. The resort is a 10-minute walk from Riverside and definitely worth exploring, especially for the food!
The running trail, looping around both resorts, is nearly 2 miles long and marked by trailside maps. This gave me a good sense of the size of these two resorts combined.
The Lobby at Port Orleans Riverside
I didn’t need to visit the lobby to check in because I was able to check in on the My Disney Experience app. I stopped by on my second day to pick up the 50th Anniversary Celebration scavenger hunt.
As you can see, the lobby is elegant and beautiful. The ceiling fans were particularly intriguing. (See the Hidden Mickeys?)
Clues for the hunt were located all around the resort. It wasn’t too hard to figure the answers out without them, though! I did find all the clues, though, as they were conspicuously posted on small, round signs on building exteriors around the resort.
The Gift Shop
You’ll also find Port Orleans Riverside’s gift shop, Fulton’s General Store, in the lobby. It’s notable for its displays featuring Disney characters in action!
I didn’t find much resort-specific merchandise, though Port Orleans French Quarter had quite a bit for both resorts. Merchandise celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, snacks, and sundries were readily available. I preferred that gift shop because, though smaller, it had more character (no pun intended).
The Room in Alligator Bayou
My room was located in the Alligator Bayou. I had a room on the second floor and was pleased to discover that I got one with two windows! This is a feature of corner rooms and it’s worth requesting one if you thrive on natural light. Other rooms have one window.
I stayed in a room with a single king bed and a murphy bed (pulldown sleeper), a unique setup that is perfect for a family of three. Rooms with two queen beds are available, too. For families of five, Port Orleans Riverside offers rooms with two queen beds and a pulldown sleeper. It is actually one of few Disney properties that can accommodate families of five in a single room.
The bed was very comfortable!
The room had a rustic feel and was decorated with The Princess and the Frog touches, like the shower curtain, the curtain separating the sinks from the sleeping area. I also found a Hidden Mickey or two!
The room had a coffee maker and small fridge, which is hidden in the willow cabinet. Though it did not have a freezer, I accidentally froze my water by turning the gauge all the way up! I was anticipating a much less powerful refrigerator.
This room was purposefully plain, but still fun. I had some major concerns about how well everything would function since the resort reopened only a few weeks before after a closure that lasted nearly two years. They were completely unfounded!
The Pools
Port Orleans Riverside has six pools. That’s right, six! There’s no need to visit all of them, though you definitely want to hit up the main pool.
Ol’ Man Island
The main pool, Ol’ Man Island, is themed as a backwoods swimmin’ hole, complete with waterfall and slide. It’s fairly shaded for a pool, a feature I would have appreciated if we visited in a warmer season.
Ol’ Man Island is named for an oak tree that the island was built around. This oak is the largest living oak to ever be transplanted! At 55 feet tall and 85 tons, it was moved from the land that would become Animal Kingdom to the land that would become Port Orleans Riverside.
Ol’ Man Island is also home to a playground, a fire pit for s’mores, and a fishin’ hole. While many resorts have playgrounds and offer evening campfires with s’mores packs, this is the only Disney resort to offer fishing!
A kiddie pool and hot tub round out the offerings at Ol’ Man Island.
Quiet Pools
The other pools at Port Orleans Riverside are nameless “quiet pools.” This means they don’t have the bells and whistles of the main pool, though I suspect most guests are happy to have closer pools. These are located throughout the resort near guest buildings. Several buildings are usually clustered around one pool, “sharing” it.
The pools in Alligator Bayou are irregularly shaped, like the main pool, mimicking a riverbend. They blend in beautifully. Those in Magnolia Bend are quite boxy and, with a more refined look, they also fit their environment.
The Pool Bar
Muddy Rivers Pool Bar is also located on Ol’ Man Island. The menu features light snacks, beer, and mixed drinks. The menu includes Hurricanes, of course!
Like Mardi Grogs, Muddy Rivers serves All That Jazz, a layered drink featuring three of the bar’s specialty frozen blends in a souvenir hurricane glass, which is actually made of plastic. The layers were Front Porch Freeze (mango, pineapple, and orange), Gata-Melon Juice (made of melon, pineapple, banana, and piña colada), and Nola Cola (pineapple, pear, raspberry, mango). They layered beautifully! Thankfully the flavors were compatible as they begin to melt and mix. It was good and nowhere near as sweet as I expected.
There are non-alcoholic freezes, too. The most interesting is the Bull Frog Brew, which is served in a souvenir mason jar that lights up!
Dining Options at Port Orleans Riverside
The traditional quick-service restaurant at Port Orleans Riverside is The Riverside Mill & Market. Read more about dining at The Riverside Mill & Market here.
Boatwrights Dining Hall is located next door, but it was closed during my stay. (I suspect that there are not yet enough guests to support opening the resort’s table-service restaurant.)
River Roost Lounge is a specialty bar that is open during the evenings. Sometimes there’s live entertainment, too. The dining menu is limited, but this lounge is definitely worth a visit for non-drinkers, especially if Yee-ha Bob is performing!
The Sassagoula River Cruise
The Sassagoula River Cruise ferries guests from Port Orleans to Disney Springs. The cruise is an excellent alternative to Disney buses. The cruise also serves Old Key West and Saratoga Springs.
The Takeaway
Port Orleans Riverside is so secluded and well themed that vacationers seeking relaxing time away from the daily grind can find it here. Somehow the resort balances that with enough amenities and activities to keep everyone in the family busy and engaged on non-park days.
Instead of planning a visit to a new (to me) resort, I find myself dreaming of returning here. I loved the charm and the subtle Disney touches. It is definitely magical when a resort this large can feel small.
Plan Your Visit
Port Orleans Riverside
1251 Riverside Drive
Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830
407-834-6000
website
