Port Orleans

[ArmandNoUsagi]

I have stayed at every WDW Resort, being a local with CM is nice. The only one i have yet to stay at is Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter. I hesitate to because I spent several years growing up there and am going to bite the bullet soon and spend a weekend at them both in the near future. Any idea on how authentic it looks and how the rooms are? Sad to say is my biggest concern is the food. I miss my New Orleans cajun cookin', but no one outside the state seems to get it right. Any views and opinions would be very helpful in preparing for the stay there.

[HauntedGabe]

After 9/11 travel to WDW was way down. Disney took that time to rehab all the rooms at Port Orleans/French Quarter. They shut down all of PO and it took some time to bring the resort back up. This was shortly after the two sister resorts merged as one. Dixie now Riverside was rehabed I believe through 2004.

Unfortunately they closed Bonfamille's Cafe at the French Quarter. They left it sit untouched for years. Then nailed particle board over the door from the lobby which seemed to stay there forever. Now Bonfamille's is a test kitchen for Disney. Bonfamille's had the best and very authentic food. I miss it and hope that empty seating area up there will someday re-open. The Boatwright at POR side is very good. Often difficult to get ressies at. This is more to their limited hours, small size for now a large resort. It was open for breakfast and dinner only. Earlier this year, February it went to dinner only. Haven't heard if it reopened for breakfast for summer months or not.

We were there for both hotels grand openings about a year apart. It has remained a family resort favorite. All three areas have their own good points. Our favorite section to stay in is the Mansions. Least Bayou's, just because it was too rustic.

Boatwright menu: http://allears.net/menu/menu_bwd.htm

[beja]

I've stayed at POFQ twice and thought highly of it. I preferred it over CBR, which at the time had been the only other moderate resort that I had stayed at. The first time we stayed at POFQ, the park buses would also stop at POR, so it was nice to be the first on and off of the bus so that we were guaranteed a seat. The second time we stayed, the buses ran exclusively from and POFQ. We were always close to a bus stop and the main office/food/shop. We enjoyed the river boat, which provided access to DTD. Rooms were comparable to other moderates.

[SnwhtNdwrfs]

I have stayed at both resorts and enjoyed both visits. I do not know about the authentic value of the meals but I did enjoy the food courts. My children really liked going into Riverside's to see the mill actually running.

We don't spend a lot of time at the resorts but went swimming many times throughout our stay at POFQ. We are a family of six so we have to have two rooms so we felt we had plenty of room. Our only complaint was that during the 10 day stay, housekeeping didn't vacuum the floor as often as we would have liked. But we didn't make any complaints about it but I am sure they would have fixed it- we just didn't want to call and complain at 11 at night and then we were over it by the morning!

My husband and I stayed in 05 at POR in the Bayou's and though it was very relaxing and quiet. The theming of these two resorts is very good and they both have excellent benefits to them over the values. I would love to go again!

[bater8slater]

I love port orleans french. Here is a video of the hotel: YouTube - Port Orleans French Quarter (Walt Disney World)

Hope you enjoy!

[GIOny]

I also have never stayed at Port Orleans and was thinking about it for a possible trip this fall. I'm leaning towards the French Quarter but we would like to take that carriage ride and also go see YeeHaw Bob which I believe are both at Riverside, can you walk from POFQ to POR? If so, how long is the walk? What about the boat to DTD, is that at POFQ or POR?
ETA: ok now I just looked at the You Tube videos from both POFQ and POR and now I think I like POR better

[bater8slater]

I don't know how long the walk is, but the boat to Downtown Disney is at POFQ. I suggest POFQ for your hotel.

[bigyanks]

gonna be staying at POR. this Dec. im looking forward to seeing yee haw bob and just walking the grounds for a bit. i was uinder the impression the boat to DD was at POR.

[bater8slater]

I just checked it out and the boat is at both resorts. Here it describes it a little bit: Downtown Disney Marketplace

[HauntedGabe]

Yes, it is very walkable. About 10 minutes from FQ to the Main building at
POR where the lounge is at.

It is also a beautiful walk, very charming.

[mercurywaxing]

The nice thing about FQ is how manageable a resort it is.

• At other moderates you can face a half hour round trip to the food court, and that doesn't count actually going in and getting the food! At FQ it's a 15 minute round trip tops.
  
• The pools can be far less crowded because there are fewer people at the resort.
  
• If it is the same as when I was last there a few years ago the bus stops at FQ first and then goes to POR. That means you are the first on the bus in the morning and can get a seat, and the first off at night. I don't know if it's always like that, but it was that way every day of my stay.

Hope that helps

[suznels]

Love them both!!!!! Beautiful grounds and theming.

[awaldo]

We stayed at POFQ in July, after my wife convinced me to give up "my resort", Coronado Springs. We had stayed at CSR 5 times, and I was in love with it. Despite the fact that she liked it as well, she wanted to try something new. So, begrudgingly, I gave in to POFQ. i could not have been happier. The doormen that first greeted us upon arrival, and every subsequent leaving and return, always put a smile on our faces. The "main area", hosting the lobby, lounge, food court, and gift shop, was small but thorough, lacking nothing, except maybe a true "Sit Down" restaurant, which was a short seven minute walk to Riverside.

I always "trust" the room assignor, so never make a request. We were placed in the furthest building from the main area, yet were still a short 3 minute walk away. 2 minutes to the pool and the boat to DTD, everything was so small and quaint. I enjoyed the theming, although didn't truly remind me of the French Quarter completely, as the wet vomit smell of the REAL French Quarter wasn't imported.

As for the food, nothing I had at the food court truly made the cut as for authentic Cajun or "Nawlins" cooking. We did not venture to a seated meal as we were traveling with our very young daughters, and it just didn't make it as a priority.

I think Port Orleans is a "best kept secret" as far as moderate resorts go. Taken together, it is small, well appointed, and very accessible. Bus service was on par with some of the Deluxes, and well above some of the Moderates (do you hear me, CBR!?!). I do now, and will always, recommend Port Orleans Resorts. Unless you are planning on staying at Coronado Springs.....

[mercurywaxing]

I enjoyed the theming, although didn't truly remind me of the French Quarter completely, as the wet vomit smell of the REAL French Quarter wasn't imported.

Every now and then I'm actually happy when Disney doesn't go above and beyond in their search for authenticity. Like how the brown streak in the pavement in Liberty Square isn't real sewage.

[drifter]

We stayed at French Quarter in June after much research. We all loved the pool and the SUPER-VIGILANT life guards. We didn't expect to eat at the food court much but we did and we enjoyed it. For finer dining, take a 10 min stroll (or take the boat) to Riverside. The restaurant there is very good. I don't know about 'authentic' but take a look at the menus online before you go and guage it from that.
Theming is fab at both. After seeing FG for the first week, then seeing Riverside, I got worried and thought that it looked better. It does in a way but FQ is still great. I would stay there again. To eat and take the carraige ride from Riverside while staying at FQ is NO big deal. The CMs at FQ will book you in and 10 mins to wak up there is easy. Get the boat to Downtown Disney too. Really relaxing.
We loved it - we hope you do too.