Riverside or French quarter?

seahawk7

Well-Known Member
We liked Port Orleans Riverside when we stayed there. We also want to try French Quarter in the future. I don't think you can go wrong with either resort.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Thank you @Master Yoda!! We are a party of 5...will we def be getting a royal room?? I hope so, they are SOO PRETTY!!!
If you are a party of 5, PORS is your only choice. However, if that 5th member is an infant, they will not count against your occupancy.

Unless something has changed recently, the only section of either PORS or FQ that have the Murphy bed for the 5th party member is Alligator Bayou at PORS. The Royal Rooms are in the Mansion section and max out at a party of 4.

The Royal Rooms are a specific room category (eg standard, water view, royal,etc) so you must book that specific category to get a Royal room.
 

ToInfinityAndBeyond

Well-Known Member
Riverside is one of my favorite resorts. It is certainly my favorite moderate. It has such a relaxed atmosphere and fits so perfectly in Florida's climate. I could go on forever about the resort, but if you're trying to decide between the two, I think Riverside is the better option. If you don't mind a bit of a walk to get beignets, that is.
 

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Riverside is one of my favorite resorts. It is certainly my favorite moderate. It has such a relaxed atmosphere and fits so perfectly in Florida's climate. I could go on forever about the resort, but if you're trying to decide between the two, I think Riverside is the better option. If you don't mind a bit of a walk to get beignets, that is.

Would u mind going on and on???;) I'd love ANY advice/tips...I'm a planner and like to know what to expect and never having stayed there is driving me nuts lol
 

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
If you are a party of 5, PORS is your only choice. However, if that 5th member is an infant, they will not count against your occupancy.

Unless something has changed recently, the only section of either PORS or FQ that have the Murphy bed for the 5th party member is Alligator Bayou at PORS. The Royal Rooms are in the Mansion section and max out at a party of 4.

The Royal Rooms are a specific room category (eg standard, water view, royal,etc) so you must book that specific category to get a Royal room.

Ok, @Master Yoda, I was confusing myself...I thought the royal rooms were in A Bayou...thanks for clearing it up for me!!! Much appreciated!!! :)
 

JohnD

Well-Known Member
So I'm sure this has been done before but just seeing which Port Orleans resort people prefer and why. I'm staying at the riverside for the first time in may:)

I like both, although staying at POR generates another question: Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Plantation? I've only stayed at Alligator Bayou. I like the rustic setting.

But I like POFQ just as much. It's the smallest moderate resort and very quiet.
 

Master Yoda

Pro Star Wars geek.
Premium Member
Ok, @Master Yoda, I was confusing myself...I thought the royal rooms were in A Bayou...thanks for clearing it up for me!!! Much appreciated!!! :)
Any time.

I would read the site I posted from beginning to end if you want every detail about PORS and FQ. It goes all the way into the backstory of the resort, has floor plans for the rooms, pictures of all the common areas, etc.

It would not surprise me to find every blade of grass in the resort photographed and cataloged there.;)
 

ToInfinityAndBeyond

Well-Known Member
Would u mind going on and on???;) I'd love ANY advice/tips...I'm a planner and like to know what to expect and never having stayed there is driving me nuts lol

Riverside is a fairly large resort, but it is very manageable. Food-wise, you've got a few great choices. Boatwright's is pretty nice if you want a sit-down place in the evening, but I prefer to spend the money on something fancier in the parks or at a deluxe resort. Riverside Mill food court is amazing. It has build-your-own pasta bar, burgers, and the like. The flat bread pizzas are pretty good, too. French Quarter is never too far away, honestly. It's a walk, but it's worth it in the morning if you are a beignet person. My wife and I usually spend at least one morning walking over to the French Quarter for some beignets when we're at Riverside.

The pool at Riverside is pretty awesome. The entire resort is rustic and gorgeous and the pool follows that theme. The entire area is wooded (as is most of the resort) but you can get some sun if you're looking to tan.

The rooms are also well-themed and very comfortable. I find that Riverside is just a lazy, relaxing place to be. It's a great place to spend some time during the day, just taking a stroll through one of the many paths around the resort. There's a boat service to take you to DTD. If you have some time in your trip, it's a fun little ride that stops at a few resorts along the way. The buses at Riverside have never failed me. The one I'm looking for always seems to show up within 10-15 minutes of sitting down at the stop. However, the caveat to that is that my wife and I go to the parks at rope drop and the buses come pretty frequently in the early morning.
 

216bruce

Well-Known Member
POR and Alligator Bayou unless you want to walk less (but at Disney, walking is a given). The only advantage to the Quarter is it's smaller. Other than that it comes down to decor and theme. I give an edge to POR due to the main building, restaurant and lounge and because it's more "planted" and wandering friendly. FQ is too much like streets but it's still nice. If POR was a DVC resort, I'd have bought it.
 

Courtney6682

Well-Known Member
Riverside is a fairly large resort, but it is very manageable. Food-wise, you've got a few great choices. Boatwright's is pretty nice if you want a sit-down place in the evening, but I prefer to spend the money on something fancier in the parks or at a deluxe resort. Riverside Mill food court is amazing. It has build-your-own pasta bar, burgers, and the like. The flat bread pizzas are pretty good, too. French Quarter is never too far away, honestly. It's a walk, but it's worth it in the morning if you are a beignet person. My wife and I usually spend at least one morning walking over to the French Quarter for some beignets when we're at Riverside.

The pool at Riverside is pretty awesome. The entire resort is rustic and gorgeous and the pool follows that theme. The entire area is wooded (as is most of the resort) but you can get some sun if you're looking to tan. .

Awesome!! Thank you so much @ToInfinityAndBeyond!!! The food court does sound pretty good...we are planning on doing a resort day the day we land. We should arrive at POR around 3pm...so we planned on going to the main pool and either doing dinner at the resort or DTD. Thank you again for all your advice...I appreciate anything you're willing to share!!!
 

TB4244

Well-Known Member
We stayed at POR, but also investigated FQ thoroughly, and as already been stated whichever one you choose you really can't go wrong. They are both beautiful resorts, quiet and peaceful and very relaxing. FQ is marginally closer to DTD by boat, but then I loved the ride along the river so being further away at POR wasn't a hassle.
The main pool can be busy, but the quiet pools in-between the building are less crowded, so much nicer for a swim. I hope that helps.
 

TXDisney

Well-Known Member
POR is bigger and has more going on there and lil better atmosphere although obviously nearly identical to POFQ. POFQ isn't as crowded but doesn't have much there.
 

Stellajack

Premium Member
So I'm sure this has been done before but just seeing which Port Orleans resort people prefer and why. I'm staying at the riverside for the first time in may:)

We have stayed @ Riverside 12 times but in May we will be staying for the first time at FQ. We love POR and hope that our stay at POFQ is just as enjoyable. We have left the parks many nights on the French Quarter bus and walked the 10 min. to Riverside.
 

Kingdom Konsultant

WDWMAGIC Board Sponsor
Premium Member
WDWMAGIC Sponsor
Ok I'm jumping in with my 2 cents LOL. I have stayed at both numerous times. Out of the 2 hotels, I would go with Riverside. Why? well yes it's a beautiful resort and I agree with everything that you all have said about both resorts but here is why I would choose it over FQ. Disney has not been including french Quarter in any of the discounted promotions for a while now. So unless you have your heart set on FQ and you do not want to stay anywhere else, go with Riverside because you will have a better chance of getting a discount.

Have a wonderful time!!

Pam
 

Stellajack

Premium Member
We were able to book POFQ with a military discount. We asked for Riverside but were told it was not available for this discount at the time we booked.
 

iYazmo

Member
I've stayed at Riverside but only walked around French Quarter. Even while I was walking around, I definitely enjoyed it better than where I was staying in Riverside. Riverside is larger and much more hectic in my opinion. I'd book FQ just because of the size if nothing else.
 

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