Port Orleans Riverside - Get me excited!

[disneyworlddad]

Ok, so the extended family is taking a summer vacation to Disney World. My wife and I love French Quarter but my brothers family has 5 so they had to book at Riverside. We decided to also book at Riverside to be close to them. Spending time at Disney with family is going to be awesome! Tell me some things you love about Riverside to help get me excited about the resort stay!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

IMO, Riverside is much nicer than French Quarter, with French Quarter's distinct advantage being the smaller size. Riverside feels to me like a deluxe-lite, while French Quarter is more of a value-plus.

 

[King Racoon 77]

Ok, so the extended family is taking a summer vacation to Disney World. My wife and I love French Quarter but my brothers family has 5 so they had to book at Riverside. We decided to also book at Riverside to be close to them. Spending time at Disney with family is going to be awesome! Tell me some things you love about Riverside to help get me excited about the resort stay!

We used to stay at CS. We swapped to PorS a few years back and haven't regretted it. It is a nice and peacefull resort (unspoilt by huge towers).It feels more quiet than French Quarter.

 

[Swissmiss]

Calling @riverside - her TRs were what got me to book there for my next trip

 

[LeighM]

I love everything about Riverside!!! I love the music they play around the resort and the on the buses, which goes a long way in creating that relaxing atmosphere I love so much. I like the size because its so pretty and relaxing. It's very quiet because it is spread out. The food court is my favorite on property. The boat ride to Disney Springs is wonderful. Walking to FQ for their beignets was something we always like to do. It's so quiet and relaxing - the complete opposite of the parks!

Just something to keep in mind - the buses do fill up fast during busy times with long lines. I found that requesting a room in Alligator Bayou near the West Depot was the way to go. The West Depot is the first bus stop to the parks and the first to drop off. We couldn't beat that location. It is further from the lobby but I would prefer to be the first on the bus. And, as I said earlier, we love walking around the resort.

This was overlooking the mansion area walking over one of the bridges from Ole Man Island

Looking at one of the Alligator Bayou buildings

A bridge we had to take to get to our building in Alligator Bayou

Looking at the main lobby from one of the paths.

 

[JillC LI]

Loved POR. Alligator Bayou was beautiful. Easy access to the food court and bus from standard rooms in Building 17. Yeehaa Bob in the River Roost Lounge. Quick walk to beignets at POFQ. Boat to Disney Springs. Tons to love.

 

[Hcalvert]

Ok, so the extended family is taking a summer vacation to Disney World. My wife and I love French Quarter but my brothers family has 5 so they had to book at Riverside. We decided to also book at Riverside to be close to them. Spending time at Disney with family is going to be awesome! Tell me some things you love about Riverside to help get me excited about the resort stay!

I am in the same boat, but I like to stay deluxe. I need inspiration too as it has been 6 years since I stayed at the resort and I don't remember much about it other than staying in the Alligator Bayou with the pull-down bed.

 

[muddyrivers]

Dixie Landings (what I'll always call POR) is my favorite hotel and my family has been staying there since it first opened! A large, expansive property which allows for long walks along the beautiful Sassagoula River, with a great pool and large well-themed food court. Not to mention, like others have said, home of Yee-ha Bob Jackson and easy to hop on a boat down to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs (I take the round trip ride just for the nice views along the way!)

You are going to LOVE POR!

 

[disneyworlddad]

Thanks everyone! Our biggest concern is really the size! We have only stayed at POFQ so I'm trying to focus on the other things besides size.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thanks everyone! Our biggest concern is really the size! We have only stayed at POFQ so I'm trying to focus on the other things besides size.

What type of room did you book? I believe all of the five-person rooms are in the Alligator Bayou section so you might consider booking a Preferred Room, which would put you in building 14, 15, 18, and 27. Building 15 would be the most convenient to parking if you'll have a car, 14 would be the most convenient to the main facilities at the resort. Being closer to the center might help the resort feel smaller than if you were out on the edge.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We stayed in Alligator Bayou (Bldg. 17, near the preferred section but not quite in it) and absolutely loved it. PORS has one of the best CS food courts of any Disney hotel we've ever stayed in, and the theming is really lovely. Transportation was also very good in our experience, too. Because it was the first stop (at that time) for buses leaving for the parks, we used to walk south to Building 15, cross the parking lot and take a little path to the South Depot when we wanted to catch a bus, rather than walk to the West Depot (see map below) - it took all of 5 minutes.

The only downside of PORS for us was that the layout can get pretty confusing (especially at night) and the signage can be sparse, so print (and keep with you) a map like the one here - https://www.portorleans.org/floorplans.php - if you plan to go wandering. I left our room one night to refill our DDP mugs at the food court, got lost on the way back, and ended up taking about 20 minutes to get back to the room.

 

[riverside]

Gosh--where to begin???

POR is hands down my favorite. It's a beautiful, relaxing resort. Magnolia Bend has so much charm to it. Alligator Bayou really makes you feel like you're in the woods in the South. You mentioned that your brother's family is a party of 5 so that means that they will have to stay in the Alligator Bayou section. If you want a room close to them you may want to request to be in that section also. But, being in the same section doesn't necessarily mean you will be close b/c the resort is huge.

The Riverside Mill is a great food court with a nice variety. I've had dinner at Boatwright's a few times & have enjoyed it every time. Muddy Rivers is a great place to grab a drink & relax.

They have carriage rides in the evenings that go from POR to FQ. That is a lot of fun. Being able to take the boat to DS is a nice change of pace from the buses. Fishing is offered in the mornings. I have not done that yet but it sounds like a lot of fun for the kids.

Definitely make time to see YeHaa Bob. His show is so much fun for kids & adults. He is there Wednesday-Saturday. His show starts at 8:30 but I would get there at 7/7:30 to get a good seat. You won't be disappointed!!

I walk/jog the trail between POR & FQ every morning when I'm there. It's beautiful & so peaceful being out there early!!

I saw that you just posted that you're concerned about the size. It is a big resort & a lot of people are turned off by the size, four bus stops(which I will say during peak times can get crowded--esp. the South Depot) etc. but for me there is so much charm to the resort that all the bus stops don't bother me. A plus for me is if you're leaving a park & there is a FQ bus you can always get on that & walk to Riverside from there.

I tend to gush a lot about POR in my TR's so check them out if you'd like.

 

[disneyworlddad]

Gosh--where to begin???

POR is hands down my favorite. It's a beautiful, relaxing resort. Magnolia Bend has so much charm to it. Alligator Bayou really makes you feel like you're in the woods in the South. You mentioned that your brother's family is a party of 5 so that means that they will have to stay in the Alligator Bayou section. If you want a room close to them you may want to request to be in that section also. But, being in the same section doesn't necessarily mean you will be close b/c the resort is huge.

The Riverside Mill is a great food court with a nice variety. I've had dinner at Boatwright's a few times & have enjoyed it every time. Muddy Rivers is a great place to grab a drink & relax.

They have carriage rides in the evenings that go from POR to FQ. That is a lot of fun. Being able to take the boat to DS is a nice change of pace from the buses. Fishing is offered in the mornings. I have not done that yet but it sounds like a lot of fun for the kids.

Definitely make time to see YeHaa Bob. His show is so much fun for kids & adults. He is there Wednesday-Saturday. His show starts at 8:30 but I would get there at 7/7:30 to get a good seat. You won't be disappointed!!

I walk/jog the trail between POR & FQ every morning when I'm there. It's beautiful & so peaceful being out there early!!

I saw that you just posted that you're concerned about the size. It is a big resort & a lot of people are turned off by the size, four bus stops(which I will say during peak times can get crowded--esp. the South Depot) etc. but for me there is so much charm to the resort that all the bus stops don't bother me. A plus for me is if you're leaving a park & there is a FQ bus you can always get on that & walk to Riverside from there.

I tend to gush a lot about POR in my TR's so check them out if you'd like.

Do all the rooms in Alligator Bayou have the fold down bed? I wanted to catch Bob because I have heard great things about him but we come in on Saturday and will be watching Fireworks that night, then leave Tuesday night. We all booked through the same travel agent. My brother and parents both got packages and i got room only (AP whoop whoop). SHe said she has had really good luck getting room requests and having people close to each other. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. Everyone wishes they had a 5 person max at POFQ but o well.

 

[riverside]

Do all the rooms in Alligator Bayou have the fold down bed? I wanted to catch Bob because I have heard great things about him but we come in on Saturday and will be watching Fireworks that night, then leave Tuesday night. We all booked through the same travel agent. My brother and parents both got packages and i got room only (AP whoop whoop). SHe said she has had really good luck getting room requests and having people close to each other. Keeping my fingers crossed on that one. Everyone wishes they had a 5 person max at POFQ but o well.

I am almost 100% sure they do but don't quote me. In all the times I have stayed at POR(& I've only requested the Magnolia Bend section once in all those times)I've never been in the Alligator Bayou section.

Bob does three different shows each evening & he's normally done around 11:30/12:00 so maybe you'll still have a chance to catch him. Plus, after his first show it tends to clear out quite a bit so you shouldn't have a problem getting a seat.

Good luck with your room requests!! I'm sure everyone will enjoy Riverside!!

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Another family that loves the vibe a POR. Reluctantly, we have stayed at POFQ the last year. That was due to husbands health issues. It is nice and smaller, BUT we both missed POR a lot. We always stayed in AB and loved walking the secluded paths with the lush tropical foliage all around. The Mill food court is the best with a wide variety of food. It is big enough to accommodate many people. The decorating is awesome with the Mill wheel right outside the window and the large wooden beam that is turned by it. (didn't see it turning the last time we were there). The quiet pools have not been mentioned, and we really like these beautiful, relaxing pools. They are never loud or crowded, and a nice alternative to the main pool. I would love to go back to POR again, but with health concerns we will stick to the smaller POFQ. We were able to walk the path to visit POR, which was a nice walk with benches for rest along the way.
About the buses? West depot might have been the best before the word was out. When we stayed there we were close to West depot. We found that many guests walked to west depot because they had heard it was picked up first. We even had a few that walked from North! So, that depot became more crowded! I don't know how it is at this time. But we never had a problem with the buses at any depot in all the years we have stayed there. You will love it!

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Yee Ha Bob, is great, I think he plays Wednesdays? Maybe other nights too. The best thing is, it is nicely shaded, there is a bit of wildlife to see(one year we saw a huge hawk) and then you have all the little pools that dot the place. I will always remember taking my son swimming and we had the whole pool to ourselves because everyone else was at the Old Man Island pool(which is fun as well).

 

[LeighM]

Another family that loves the vibe a POR. Reluctantly, we have stayed at POFQ the last year. That was due to husbands health issues. It is nice and smaller, BUT we both missed POR a lot. We always stayed in AB and loved walking the secluded paths with the lush tropical foliage all around. The Mill food court is the best with a wide variety of food. It is big enough to accommodate many people. The decorating is awesome with the Mill wheel right outside the window and the large wooden beam that is turned by it. (didn't see it turning the last time we were there). The quiet pools have not been mentioned, and we really like these beautiful, relaxing pools. They are never loud or crowded, and a nice alternative to the main pool. I would love to go back to POR again, but with health concerns we will stick to the smaller POFQ. We were able to walk the path to visit POR, which was a nice walk with benches for rest along the way.
About the buses? West depot might have been the best before the word was out. When we stayed there we were close to West depot. We found that many guests walked to west depot because they had heard it was picked up first. We even had a few that walked from North! So, that depot became more crowded! I don't know how it is at this time. But we never had a problem with the buses at any depot in all the years we have stayed there. You will love it!

I would still prefer to get on the bus at West Depot instead of South Depot when going to the parks. The bus might fill up faster at West Depot (it didn't in 2016) but at least I'm still guaranteed a spot on the bus. The one time I made the mistake of trying to go to a park at South Depot during a busy time, we had to wait 40+ minutes because the bus was always full by the time it got there so it skipped over us. The last I heard, they added a second route for morning MK bus to help with the crowds - one bus that goes from West, North, East, and South, and another that stops only at South. That was added after my 2016 trip so I don't know if they are continuing to do that.

 

[Skibum1970]

I love everything about Riverside!!! I love the music they play around the resort and the on the buses, which goes a long way in creating that relaxing atmosphere I love so much. I like the size because its so pretty and relaxing. It's very quiet because it is spread out. The food court is my favorite on property. The boat ride to Disney Springs is wonderful. Walking to FQ for their beignets was something we always like to do. It's so quiet and relaxing - the complete opposite of the parks!

Just something to keep in mind - the buses do fill up fast during busy times with long lines. I found that requesting a room in Alligator Bayou near the West Depot was the way to go. The West Depot is the first bus stop to the parks and the first to drop off. We couldn't beat that location. It is further from the lobby but I would prefer to be the first on the bus. And, as I said earlier, we love walking around the resort.

This was overlooking the mansion area walking over one of the bridges from Ole Man Island
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Looking at one of the Alligator Bayou buildings
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A bridge we had to take to get to our building in Alligator Bayou
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Looking at the main lobby from one of the paths.
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Great. Now I want to schedule a trip and I've stayed there a few times. It is a great resort. Great for walking, relaxing, eating, and transportation was always easy for us. PORS and WL both have the true feel of "Welcome home". Except without the lows in the teens next week that Ohio is going to experience.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We stayed at POR back in summer of 2016. The issues that were a turn off for me would likely not be an issue for you since you already know you like POFQ (my issues would be issues for both resorts).

What I did like were the grounds. We are about an hour to the Louisiana border and I can get to New Orleans on a single tank of gas. I specifically picked POR over POFQ because I've walked through the French Quarter in NOLA plenty of times, but I never get to walk around the plantations and little tucked away areas along the bayous in the surrounding areas in Louisiana. So, that's what I liked most...

I thought the quick service/food court had a lot of good options and plenty of seating. And while I know POFQs pool is popular, I preferred POR's and actually enjoyed it more than Stormalong Bay (I'm not much of a beach/sand person).

While I didn't enjoy sharing buses with POFQ on the way back from the parks, bus service to the parks was great and we were a quick walk to the nearest depot. In this case, we could see it out of our room door...so, it really was close, but after looking at the various buildings in the area, it's really no better or worse of a walk than most the other resorts where we've stayed.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I would still prefer to get on the bus at West Depot instead of South Depot when going to the parks. The bus might fill up faster at West Depot (it didn't in 2016) but at least I'm still guaranteed a spot on the bus. The one time I made the mistake of trying to go to a park at South Depot during a busy time, we had to wait 40+ minutes because the bus was always full by the time it got there so it skipped over us. The last I heard, they added a second route for morning MK bus to help with the crowds - one bus that goes from West, North, East, and South, and another that stops only at South. That was added after my 2016 trip so I don't know if they are continuing to do that.

Yes, they did add another bus for the busy morning time between 8 and 11am, I believe? That did help some. But we never had a problem with the buses at ANY bus stop over several years of trips to POR. It could be because we went the 2nd week of November or the 2nd week of December, I don't know.