Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

Honeymoon Trip. 2nd time staying at this resort. Stayed this time in Aligator Bayou 39, previous stay was in Arcadian 85(?). Preferred the latter. Pros: - theming of the resort is stunning and doesn’t feel like you are in Disney (in a good way) - pool bar, try a margarita, you won’t regret it - hotel shop, great choice and wonderful cast members - the smell - a delight Cons: - the room could do with a refurb, just felt a bit tatty compared to 2022 - didn’t book a 5th sleeper but was assigned one which meant storage space was limited - the usb ports didn’t work and the plug sockets felt loose and wobbly - the boat was a nigh**are this trip, constantly very very busy and the boats need upgraded. They are so loud and slow. It took an hour to get back from springs one night between an insane number of people queuing, to the boat captains faffing about having a chat for 10/15 mins to then the snails pace the boat went at. - busses were also a bit of a nigh**are at times and we opted to just Uber back a few times as we waited upwards of 30 mins for a bus back from a park We are going to try a different resort for our next trip.

Giving the resort a generous 3 out of 5. Room is OK and cleaned well. Top tip ask for a daily towel change. Food is passable- less so if you have a gluten intolerance, just about everything thing comes in a gluten free bun that varies from soggy to solid. The rest of the food is OK although a bit canteen like. Transport between the resort and rest of Disney seems to be worse than any other resort. Usually count 2-3 buses to the one going to Port Orleans Riverside. In summary would avoid if I was coming back and stay at another resort.

I’m not a Disney person and wasn’t expecting much. Or rather I had no idea what to expect. I often stay at very high end hotels (think $2k per night) but have discovered I’m raising entitled kids who think turn down service is standard and can’t understand the concept of a fridge in a hotel room that isn’t stocked with snacks and drinks. This means PO Riverside will be the nicest hotel my kids will experience for a while. I considered more expensive resorts and so glad I chose this one. The room was comfortable and clean, grounds very attractive, pool fit the bill, and transportation to the park was easy. I know many people suggest being on the monorail but is it really worth an extra $700 a day to save 25 minutes? Not for me. The bus was comfortable and seemed quick. Each day we arrived at the park for early entry and then came home in the afternoon for pool time. We often returned to the park in the evening and the bus situation never bothered me at all. In case it’s helpful the bellman can help escort you to your room and deliver your bags at any hour of the day or night. The dining hall food was GROSS. Worst omelet I’ve ever eaten. I decided on day two not to eat breakfast. I don’t understand why the food needs to be that bad. I hated the dining hall and felt like I was back in high school. I am southern and loved Boatwrights. The food was excellent and same with the cocktails. Don’t understand how the food there is great while the dining hall is gag worthy. If you’re European you’ll probably hate the AC units as they are loud. I think this doesn’t bother Americans as much. I know my European friends can’t seem to stand any climate control that makes noise. I consider it white noise. A lot of commenters suggest going to the pool at FQ. We did that and I didn’t think it was worth the effort. Similar water slide (maybe shorter?) and pool scene.

Stayed here for 2 weeks with my wife, a great Disney hotel which having stayed in a deluxe hotel its definitely at the high end of the moderate hotels. Boat to Disney springs in fantastic. My only gripe is that all rooms have inter-connecting doors with no sound proofing so you can hear everything from the room next door. Having said that it’s probably our new favourite Disney resort.

We used a travel agent to help us prepare for our Disney trip, and this was one of her suggestions for a moderately priced on property stay. Riverside did not disappoint. We had a preferred room which put us near the hotel lobby area. We were in alligator bayou in building 27, and in my opinion, it was perfect. It was close to the lobby, the larger pool, the food places. There is a welcome message on your TV when you get it. We checked in several days prior to arrival and had our room number texted to us the day of arrival so we went straight to our rooms. We did have magic bands that let us in but I believe you can also use your phones. We didn't have to go to the lobby for check in. Room was smaller than what I thought average rooms are but it also had a table with two chairs. It had the pull down 5th sleeper as well. The actual shower and toilet area is TINY but the sink area is larger and has a nice area to put your luggage and hang some clothes. Also a curtain to pull across so you can dress privately. We were near another pool as well that was quieter and more laid back but with little kids, the large pool with slide was a hit. There are several bus stop as this is a large resort, we used the one outside of the lobby entrance but coming back from the parks they dropped us at a different one. It was a little further walk but still not bad. Beautiful grounds. Food & drink - expensive but expected. There is quick service, a lounge, a restaurant, and a bar with a light selection of food at the pool. French quarter is about a 15 min walk. Very pleased with this resort and would stay there again.

The grounds of this Disney resort are very nice and well kept. Our room was in a nice spot and close to the north bus stop & transportation was never an issue. Always a bus coming (multiple bus stops here so factor that in to your time and stay) The food court mobile ordering was SO slow. I've never experienced this at other Disney resorts, but it was almost ridiculous how long that took. Our trip was over spring break & this resort always seemed BUSY. Pool filled, chairs taken, line at the pool bar down the stairs. When housekeeping came they did the CUTEST display on our beds with our kids stuffed animals - that made their day! It's a very nice resort & there wasn't anything "wrong" but I'm just not sure if we would stay again.

First time at Disney and our travel agent recommended this resort due to the close proximity to the parks we opted to visit. We stayed here during Spring Break, week of March 18th, 2024 which was a very busy time for this hotel. Although the grounds are beautiful, the hotel room (we paid extra for preferred) was just ok. We asked for a corner room on the second floor and got it - glad to have no neighbors on one side as the walls are paper thin. We had a fold down bed and used to put our luggage on it which worked out well. We stayed Monday through Friday and house keeping only came once to empty trash and restock towels. We had to ask them to service our room more than once during a week long stay and I'd expected better from a Disney resort. I'd also say the absolute worst part about this resort for us was the food or lack thereof. We stopped in the main food court each day for Breakfast and had a hard time finding something on the menu that didn't taste like school cafeteria food and we are not picky eaters. I have gluten allergies but everyone else in our family can eat whatever they want but I was better off eating at the parks as they had more options for me. Everyone tried something different to eat on a daily basis and we never found something passable the entire time we were there aside from fresh fruit in the cooler or a yoghurt parfait but who can eat that all week long? The only drinkable coffee is the one they make in the dessert area that you have to pay extra for but it was worth the money if you wanted decent coffee. Seriously, for the price, this was a major draw back since we bought the dining plan too which I wouldn't do again. The issue for us was any egg based dishes had a weird taste and when talking with other guests who had smaller children they all agreed. Pancakes, omelettes, etc. anything egg based had a weird after taste. We strongly suspected it was because they must not be using real eggs or some type of egg substitute because the taste was just meh. They also serve potato barrels or tater tots with every single meal. I tried asking for getting fresh fruit instead of potato barrels once but the food court staff had a real language problem as most staff there only spoke Spanish so needless to say my request was not understood and therefore not honored. The boat ride connection to Disney Spring Mall was nice but again, that's about where the pluses end - we will look for other options on our next trip to Disney.

Riverside is AMAZING can’t wait to return, visited for long awaited holiday with hubby & teenage son, from the moment we arrived to the moment we checked out the staff were so friendly and helpful. We stayed in Acacia house which is one of Magnolia Bend blocks and it was beautiful, some reviews say it can be a walk from some of the blocks to main reception but I didn’t find this the case, it is less than a 5 minute walk through beautiful grounds, the north bus stop is also less than 5 mins walk and recommend you use this stop as the bus is relatively quiet when you get on rather than using main stop at reception. The rooms are spacious, VERY comfortable beds and cleaned daily by mousekeeing. No need to take too many clothes as the laundry room has dozens of machines to enable you to wash & dry essentials, it’s located next to the pool so ideal to put in when chilling out . Only ate in riverside mill for quickness & ease,the staff especially an older guy Roy were so friendly, it’s worth using the mobile food app especially if you want to take it back to your room. It’s a lovely journey to Disney springs along the sassagoula river and also stops at French quarter along the way. Friends have already booked this hotel on my recommendation and I can’t wait to return again .