Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

We stayed here in 2014 and again 2019. For our 5th visit to Disney we decided to come back. Although the hotel grounds are lovely and there is quite a good choice of food the negative points out way the positives on this occasion which is disappointing. Firstly, when we booked we booked a woods view standard room. On both previous visits we had booked standard and had been in alligator bayou which we loved and this was the main reason for returning here rather than another property we've stayed in. We assumed this would be the same as they are set in the woods but we didn't know Disney had changed the categories of the rooms. This time we were in building 85. I did try and amend it but was told if I did it would cost another £2000 so we had no choice but to leave it. Although this is the same room layout there are so many rooms in this building so you hear a lot of noise. We are on ground level (1st floor) next to the tunnel. This means anyone who comes in the lift from the top 2 floors can be heard as their voices amplified. Some days are better than others and we did think about asking to move but we only have 4 days left and so much stuff for 4 adults on a 2 week holiday!. The towels could do with improving. I am 5'2" and a UK size 10-12 but they hardly wrap around me so not sure how others manage. The food is quite good and we have the dining plan. We are not big eaters in the morning but if you want to use a meal credit you are forced to eat a full meal (eg pancakes, potato barrels, sausage, egg and bacon). A pastry and yogurt or fruit doesn't count as a meal. Previously, you could have a few snacks like above and it would be classed as a meal but not this time. We now have lots of meals left which we won't use in the time we have left. Another change for the worse. Although the hotel is good we don't think we would stay here again (or a another property) unless the dining plan changes etc as we have so many meals left that will be unused. Read less

We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside for 10 nights - 19th-28th April- on arrival the check in was fast and very efficient - it is a massive resort so it took us a while to take our cases to our room ( but there is a service free for them to take you and your luggage to your room ) we found all the staff so friendly and very helpful -we eat out most nights but did use the restaurant in the hotel several times and found the food / drink fantastic ( you can buy a large cup for 22 dollars and it's then FREE to refill at all times ( all soft drinks and tea or coffee) the hotel bar is great and fast service ( you can also have light snacks - I recommend the cheese board ) there is a huge games room full of machines to play and also outside they do a horse and cart ride for 65 dollars ( it's great ) the boats to Disney springs go from the hotel every 15 minutes and we loved it ( although you can expect to wait a bit coming back to the hotel ) going to the Disney parks - bus stop just outside reception and they go every 15 minutes and it's about 25 minutes to every park ( really well organised) there is also a large store in the hotel - sells great official Disney merchandise and food/ drink etc - 3 swimming pools -2 are relaxing and the main pool is busy but enjoyable ( with good entertainment for the kids ) we travel a lot and I would recommend this hotel - it's a 4 star hotel and very chilled - Thank you for a wonderful stay - The Davies Family xx Read less

My family had a really nice time at this resort. They have a lot of great things and a few things that could use improvement. Pros: 1. The charm and the layout of the resort as a whole are just really nice and beautiful. We loved walking around the resort and walking to the french quarter also( 12 to 15 min walk). 2. One of my favorite things about the resort was that they have several pools. We really enjoyed the quiet pool near the Acadian House. It was so nice and quiet most of the time we were there. 3. The bus service to the parks I thought was very easy and convenient ,they have a schedule posted on the my disney experience app and also on the tv by the bus stop.We only did rope drop one morning ,so I can't really comment on crowds during the early morning hours. 3. I loved the character meet and greet they offered at the hotel. They have a caravan come by with characters a few times a week, and we were very lucky to be a part of that when we stayed. 4. I felt like all cast members that we encountered were so friendly and kind. 5. The resort itself looked very well maintained and cleaned. I could see all the effort that was given to make the resort look nice. 6. The arcade was a pretty fun option to take my family to. We all had a great time playing games. Cons: 1. While the food court was very large and never felt crowded. I felt like the options were not great. I was sick of burgers, chicken tenders, and fries by day 3 of my stay. We even drove to a restaurant to get something different one night. I really prefer to park the car and not have to leave my resort. I think more freshly made items would be great , not just food sitting in the fridge for fresh options. This is the biggest difference I noticed in deluxe and moderate resorts. Food options are better at the deluxe resorts. We did stop at the muddy rivers pool bar, and they had several good drinks. They do not have many food options, though, and the pretzel I ordered was awful. It is a nice place in the shade to sit at ,but just not a lot of food. 2. The main pool was just not my favorite at this resort. It was often too crowded, and the hot tub was always full. We did not use it much even though other people did seem to enjoy it. 3. I do have to comment on how the gift shop smelled . I am not sure what scent they were going for, but it smelled like urine the entire week. I could not get my child to go in to pick out a gift. The cast members that worked there were amazing and kind ,I just wish they had a better selection of items to shop for. 4. I think the room was good enough for what we needed. I could definitely tell a difference in size between the deluxe and moderate. The bathroom was definitely small but functional, and the closet was in the bathroom. A little more space would have been helpful. We always enjoy the provided soaps and shampoo and conditioner. Also, the air conditioner was definitely loud, and a quick swiffer mop over the floors would have been nice. We did get very lucky with the building we stayed in, I don't think I would have like the alligator Bayou section. I will make a quick comment on our experience at Disney Springs. We took a quick bus ride over at night. Unfortunately, it was so crowded we could hardly walk around or shop. We took the boat back from Disney Springs to our resort, and it took forever because of the crowds. Just a tip if you plan on going is to make sure you time it right. Summary: I definitely think I would come back here in the future, just maybe for a shorter stay or a split stay. I really did enjoy the charm of the hotel and how you could walk to french Quarter. We did have a lovely time. A mostly positive experience. I just wanted to give full details to help someone make the right decision for themselves. Read less

This is the third time staying at this hotel and it did not disappoint. Disney cast members were friendly and helpful. Our room was clean and ready shortly after we arrived (we were there in the morning) but they were able to store our luggage when we arrived. That way, we could go directly to pick up our race numbers at the expo and hit the parks. We were there for the Springtime Surprise race weekend. The hotel had a shuttle that worked well to get us to the expo to get our numbers and to the start line race morning. The rooms are so adorably themed with details from all the princesses….the beds light up with lanterns from Tangled and the sinks are Aladdin’s lamps and the luggage rack is the footstool from Beauty and the Beast. In full disclosure, the rooms are a bit tired since my first stay back in 2018 BUT they are still amazing and everything is clean and tidy which is all that really matters to me. Highly recommend. Read less

Just came back from a week at this hotel and I can’t wait to go back! Such a beautiful location! Yes it’s very big and there’s a lot of walking but there’s also a lot of shaded paths. You can also rent bikes, go fishing, and tons of other fun activities. The boat to Disney springs and French quarter were so relaxing! We never had a problem with buses and our room was ready as soon as we arrived. Staff was so nice, they brought our luggage right to our door and housekeeping was excellent. Everyone on the staff was so friendly! The food court had lots of different options so we could eat something different every day and the refillable cups are so worth it! The whole place smells like roses! We had the most relaxing vacation I was so sorry to leave! Read less