A Little Taste of New Orleans in Disney

The best thing about Port Orleans is that you actually get good bang for your buck even though you are in Disney. With the way the resort looks and feels and the amenities offered, you feel like you are staying at a Disney Deluxe resort, minus the per night (during some seasons, it’s probably more like a night).

When staying at Port Orleans, I would highly recommend renting a boat from the marina. You can rent water mouse boats, canopy boats (if you have 2 to 6 people in your group, I would recommend this option), and Pontoon boats, with rates ranging from to per half-hour. If you use them for a half-hour, you can go by Old Key West; if you use them for an hour, you can go to Downtown Disney and back. The boats are a relaxing way to explore Disney, spend time with the family, and catch some sun. Other activities I would recommend are fishing at Ol' Fishin' Hole, the horse-drawn carriage ride, and both pools at Riverside and the French Quarter.

Quick Tips:

If you do not want to wait in long lines at the food courts, try eating before 5pm or after 7pm, or book a priority seating at Boatwright's Dinning Hall located at Riverside. However, the food there, like at the hotel, has New Orleans flavor. This is fine if you enjoy New Orleans cooking, but if you don't, you probably will not want to eat here.

Instead, try one of the dining options at Downtown Disney or the Disney Marketplace. I would highly recommend Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Planet Hollywood, or The Rainforest Cafe.

However, if you’re looking for bang for your buck when dining out, head to a character buffet. It will cost more than going to a regular restaurant, but it is all you can eat, there is something for everybody, and the atmosphere cannot be beat.

Best Way To Get Around:

If you did not rent a car or do not want to drive, a free shuttle takes you from Port Orleans to all of the parks and water parks, and a water launch boat takes you to Downtown Disney.

Port Orleans is two hotels, the French Quarter and Riverside Resort, both with a Louisiana theme. Even though the two hotels may seem separate, they function as one. All guests of the resort can use both hotels' amenities and pools. We stayed at the French Quarter, which is perfectly themed as an early twentieth-century New Orleans. All of the rooms at the French Quarter (as well as Riverside) are the same except for the view. There are three different views: garden/parking lot, pool, and water. We had a water view room, and for $10-15 dollars more a night, it is worth it. However, if the view is not important, book a garden view room, but be sure to request a room over looking a garden; otherwise you may end up looking at a parking lot (but remember, Disney will not guarantee your request but will try its best to accommodate you). The rooms are average-sized (330-350 square feet) but are very well-decorated and make you feel right at home.

Most of the recreation is located at Riverside, but there is a wonderfully themed pool, complete with a waterslide, and guests of the French Quarter can use any of the recreation over at Riverside. Now, you may think it would be annoying, going back and forth between hotels, and it probably will be if you spend more than two days strictly at the hotel, but if you're planning on doing Disney most of the time and spending 1 or 2 days just at the hotel, then you may want to consider staying at the French Quarter. It is not a bad walk to Riverside, and it is interesting to experience a different hotel without having to pay extra. Naturally, because most of the recreation is over at Riverside, the French Quarter population thins out during the day, and the pool and the whirlpool is not as crowded. It is a good way to get away from the hustle and the bustle of Disney and Riverside.

After you're done with the resort's recreation, you'll want to eat. The French Quarter features Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, the hotel's food court (try the beignets), and at Riverside there is Boatright's Dining Hall a full-service restaurant. At the woodsy, very Southern-feeling Riverside there is a marina where you can rent canopy, water mouse, and pontoon boats. Also near the dock is a rare Disney activity: non-guided fishing. Most of the resorts only allow fishing on guided excursions that can cost over $200, but at Port Orleans they allow you to rent just the pole and fish over the side of the dock (but keep in mind its catch and release). Port Orleans Riverside was named Birnbaum's (the official guide to Disney) top moderate hotel for Disney. After our experience, we would definitely return to Port Orleans: French Quarter.

The Food Factory is the food court and primary eating establishment at the French Quarter in Port Orleans. It has a very festive theme, yet laid back atmosphere because the food court is not as crowded as many of the other Disney food courts can get. Dinner is really the only meal where it can get hairy and I would reccomend eating at a later hour (7pm or later) to avoid lines, but it is not as bad as compared to some of the other resorts and you should not have a problem finding a table before 7pm. The food is standard fast food: for breakfast there are eggs, bacon, pancakes, french toast, waffles, fruit, and breads avalible for purchase. For lunch and dinner, burgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, pizza, salads, and fries are served, but a Cajun feel is injected into at least one stand where New Orleans dishes can be ordered. There is also a dessert stand with an ample supply of treats (make sure to have a beignet). Overall, the Food Factory serves good fast food and has a pleasant atmosphere.

This fast-food location is located at Riverside in Port Orleans. It is the main eating place for people staying at Riverside. Disney, again, perfectly captures its intended theme: the experience of dining in a mill. The problem is, who wants to eat in a mill. The location makes you feel like you are eating inside a barn out in the woods. Because of this, it certainly feels very laid-back but gives the food court a feeling of cheapness compared to that of the Food Factory over in the French Quarter, which provides a more upscale (as upscale as fast-food can get) atmosphere. The food is basically the same as the Food Factory and of the same quality. However, the pizza that we got for lunch here was not very good, mainly because they put way too much oregano on top. Overall, we preferred to eat at the Food Factory.

A rare find at the Walt Disney Resort is non-guided fishing, which can cost over $200 for 2 hours. However, at Port Orleans, such an event occurs everyday at the Ol' Fishin' Hole. Here guests can rent fishing poles for much less than $200 and fish until their hearts are content. Because Disney only allows catch-and-release fishing, you do not have to wait very long before the fish begin to nibble. Fishing at Disney has actually been rated as one of the best fishing spots in Orlando.