Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a beautiful resort along the Sassagoula River. This moderate resort is perfect for families who want a few more amenities than a value resort without the hefty price tag of a deluxe resort.
We have stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside several times, including one Walt Disney World Vacation where we brought our dog with us. There are many benefits to staying at this charming moderate resort.
From an old-fashioned swimmin’ hole to horse-drawn carriage rides, there is no shortage of fun family activities at this peaceful resort. Whether you are thinking about booking a room, or want to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the offerings, this guide has you covered.
Let’s dive into everything you need to know about Disney’s Port Orleans Resort!
Where is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Located?
The official address for Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is 1251 Riverside Drive, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830-8514. You can call the resort at (407) 934-6000. This is considered the Disney Springs Resort Area.
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Map
What is the Theme of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside?
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside has a Southern Charm theme depicting Louisiana. The Magnolia Bend Rooms features mansions with columns while the Alligator Bayou Rooms has a backwoods cottage theme.
The standard rooms are Princess and the Frog themed while the Royal Rooms are princess themed. Both themed rooms feature Tiana.
Guest Rooms
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside rooms average $311 to stay at this southern themed resort. Rooms at this moderate resort are 314 square feet, so they are slightly bigger than the value resorts. Check-in time is 3:00PM and check-out time is 11:00AM at the front desk.
All guest rooms include these amenities:
- Coffee Maker
- Wi-Fi
- ​Iron and Ironing Board
- Hair Dryer
- ​in-room safe
- ​Phone
- Beverage Cooler
- Shampoo and Conditioner
- Soap and Body Wash
- TV
Standard Rooms – Standard View
- View of the Parking Lot
- 2 Queen Beds
- Sleeps 4 Adults
Standard Rooms – Standard View 5th Sleeper
- View of the Parking Lot
- 2 Queen Beds, 1 Child-Sized Pull Down Sleeper
- Sleeps 4 Adults, 1 Child
Standard Rooms – Pool View, Woods View, River View
- View of the Courtyard Pool (Pool View) or Views of Landscaping, Courtyard or Bayou (Woods View), Views of Riverfront (River View)
- 2 Queen Beds
- Sleeps 4 Adults
Standard Rooms – Woods View 5th Sleeper
- Views of Landscaping, Courtyard or Bayou
- 2 Queen Beds, 1 Child-Sized Pull Down Sleeper
- Sleeps 4 Adults, 1 Child
Standard Rooms – King Bed
- Views of Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden, Bayou, Riverfront or Courtyard Pool
- 1 King Bed
- Sleeps 2 Adults
Preferred Room
- Views of Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden or Bayou
- Close to the boats, buses, and main building
- 2 Queen Beds, 1 Child-Sized Pull Down Sleeper
- Sleeps 4 Adults, 1 Child
Royal Guest Rooms – Standard View
- View of the Parking Lot
- 2 Queen Beds
- Sleeps 4 Adults
Royal Guest Rooms – Woods View, River View
- Views of Landscaping, Courtyard or Bayou (Woods View), Views of Riverfront (River View)
- 2 Queen Beds
- Sleeps 4 Adults
Dog-Friendly Accommodations
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a pet friendly Disney Resort Hotel. You can bring your dog to this Disney Resort. Here are the rules for doing so:
- No more than 2 dogs are allowed
- Guests are responsible for care and cleaning up after their dog
- Vaccination records are required
- Dogs must be kept leashed outside of the room
- Dogs are not permitted in the common areas or main building like the dining, shopping, and pool areas.
- Dogs can be left unattended in the room for up to 7 hours
- Housekeeping is only available while the pet is not present. You will need to schedule housekeeping if you bring your pet.
- Dogs are only allowed in Minnie Vans if they are in pet carriers.
- Dogs are not allowed in the parks, or on park transportation.
Read Also: Bring Your Dog To These Pet Friendly Disney Resorts
What does Port Orleans Riverside smell like?
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside has a southern smell that includes notes of citrus, cotton, and floral notes like freesia and jasmine.
How big is the 5th sleeper at Port Orleans Riverside?
The bed is child-sized and the bed size is 63 in by 30 in. Some people report that their teenager has been able to sleep comfortably on the child-sized sleeper, though 5 feet tall is the recommended height limit. The 5th sleeper rooms are in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort.
How many rooms does Port Orleans Riverside have?
There are 2048 rooms at Port Orlean’s Riverside Resort. The boat captain told us that Riverside is the largest resort on Disney property if you look at the number of rooms. The layout of this resort was designed very well and does not feel like it is the largest resort.
Transportation
How do you get to the parks from Port Orleans Riverside?
All four Disney theme parks have complimentary bus transportation from Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. There are also many bus stops located around the resort so you don’t have to walk to the main building to use transportation. The bus stops are called North Depot, East Depot, West Depot, and the Main Building has a stop as well. Check the map above for the closest bus stop to your resort room.
There is also complimentary boat transportation to Disney Springs. If you want to head to the water parks like Typhoon Lagoon, you can take the boat or the bus to Disney Springs and then catch a Typhoon Lagoon bus from there. The boats bring you to the back entrance of Disney Springs so you will have to walk across to the bus transportation if you choose that option. It is much easier to take a bus if you want to go to the water parks.
The Boat Transportation also goes to the following resorts:
- Disney’s Old Key West Resort
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter
How long does it take to get to Magic Kingdom from Port Orleans Riverside?
It takes about 20 minutes to ride from Port Orleans Riverside to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Buses run every 20 minutes, though you may have to wait if you just miss the bus. I would plan about 60 minutes to get to Magic Kingdom.
How long does the bus take from Port Orleans Riverside to Epcot?
It takes about 10 minutes to ride from Port Orleans Riverside to EPCOT. Buses run every 20 minutes, though you may have to wait if you just miss the bus. I would plan about 50 minutes to get to EPCOT.
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort is also 10-15 minutes away from Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
How often does the boat to Disney Springs run?
The boats run every 20 minutes from 10:30 AM–11:30 PM. Sometimes the lines can be long and you may have to wait for multiple boats. If the water is too low, the boats may not be available.
How long is the boat ride from Port Orleans Riverside to Disney Springs?
The boat ride is about 20 minutes, though it felt like much longer when we took the boat.
How long does it take to walk from Port Orleans to French Quarter?
It takes about 10-20 minutes to walk from Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside to Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. It depends on where you are starting from at Riverside and how fast you walk. You can also take the boat from Riverside to Port Orleans as well. It’s definitely worth the trip to get some Beignets from French Quarter!
Dining and Shopping
Fulton’s General Store
All Disney property resorts have a gift shop that offers souvenirs, toiletries and basic pharmacy items plus snacks. Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside’s gift shop is called Fulton’s General Store.
Riverside Mill Food Court
The Riverside Mill Food Court serves American style southern food. There are 5 stations available for this quick service dining option located in the main building next to the Big Mill Wheel you can see turning.
In the food court you will find a bakery, grill food, pizza & pasta, and sandwiches. There is also a Grab ’n’ go section for drinks, snacks, and some prepared foods if you are in a hurry. You can also use mobile ordering on the My Disney Experience App to make this process even faster. Order from the comfort of your room while you’re getting ready to head to the parks, or from the buses as you return from a long day.
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner averages $15 per person here.
Bar Service
If you are looking for Drinks, you can find them at River Roost or Muddy Rivers. Both of these bars offer adult beverages and light snacks on the menu. Muddy Rivers is the Poolside Bar near Ol’ Man Island Pool. The River Roost Lounge is located next to Boatwright’s Dining Hall.
Boatwright’s Dining Hall
This is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort only table service restaurant and it may require a reservation. The first time we ate here, we were able to get a table without having a reservation. The second time we stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside, the restaurant was not allowing walk-ins due to demand.
Boatwright’s Dining Hall overlooks the Sassagoula River for a casual dinner experience. Boatwright’s Dining Hall is only open for dinner. Find your Louisiana favorites like Jumbalaya, Cajun Chicken, and Southern Seafood. You can expect your meal to be about $35 per person.
This wasn’t our favorite table service restaurant and we would not make reservations to eat here if we weren’t staying at Port Orleans. However, this is a good option for guests staying at Port Orleans Resorts for the convenience of location.
My husband did not enjoy the Jambalaya. I couldn’t eat anything from the menu due to a sulfite allergy so the chef made me a an allergy meal that isn’t on the menu. Disney is really the best with allergies!
Activities and Amenities
Towels are provided at all pools at this Walt Disney World Resort.
Ol’ Man Island
The main pool features a swimming pool, fishing hole, kiddie pool, pool bar, and playground. Themed for an abandoned sawmill, there is also a 95 foot waterslide built into the pool. This moderate resort also includes a hot tub. This pool is often busy so get there early to snag chairs if you plan to enjoy the pool. We had a difficult time finding chairs when we went in the afternoons.
5 Leisure Pools
If the main pool is busy, or you want to enjoy some peace and quiet, there are 5 other pools to choose from. There are 2 leisure pools in Magnolia Bend and 3 leisure pools in Alligator Bayou. Finding chairs at these pools was never an issue any time of day.
Mardi Gras at Doubloon Lagoon
A perk of staying at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is that you can also use the pool at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. Typically you cannot pool hop and can only use the pool at the resort you are staying at. This is the only exception – you can use the Mardi Gras pool at French Quarter.
Poolside Activities
- Themed Pool Parties
- Pool Games
- Relays
- Trivia
- Campfire on de’ Bayou – Make smores next to the playground every night between 6 and 7.
- Movies Under the Stars – on Magnolia South Pool Deck at 8:30pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Resort Activities
- Horse Drawn Excursion – Ride a horse-drawn carriage along the Sassagoula River for $65. This ride is about 25 minutes long for 4 adults or 2 adults and 3 small children. Reservations are required for this activity and can be made 60 days out.
- Bike Rentals & Surrey Bike Rentals – $9 to $20 to rent a bike or Surrey bike to ride around the resort
- Fishing – Rent fishing gear and fish in the Fishing Hole
- Jogging Trail – Run or walk the mile long trail along the Sassagoula River.
- Playgrounds – Located next to the main pool at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside & Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. Both playgrounds are available for guests at both resorts.
- Medicine Show Arcade – Located at Riverside in Colonel’s Cotton Mill building.
- South Quarter Games Arcade – Located at French Quarter in the Main Building.
- Character Meet and Greets – You will find unannounced, spontaneous visits from various characters outside the main building of Riverside. We were able to meet Princess Ariel here.
Additional Benefits
- Laundry Room – Self-service laundry is available 24/7.
- Early Theme Park Entry – Enter the parks 30 minutes before official opening for all on property resort guests. This can help you save money on Genie+
- Free Parking
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a great resort for families with kids and includes many amenities and fun activities for the whole family. There is also a peaceful feeling to this resort despite it’s large size that offers relaxation to guests.
Disney’s Port Orleans is one of our favorite moderate resorts to stay at on our Disney World Vacations. Will you stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside?
Related Questions
Which is better Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside or Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter?
French Quarter is a smaller resort, and also has the famous beignets. Guests like the peaceful and romantic vibe that French Quarter offers. Riverside has a larger food court and more dining options and tends to be less expensive. Both resorts share amenities and are a quick walk apart, you can’t go wrong with either resort.
Read Also: Which is better? Disney’s French Quarter or Riverside Resort?
Is Port Orleans Riverside a deluxe resort?
Port Orleans Riverside is one of the moderate resorts on Disney Property, it is not one of the deluxe resorts.
Does the monorail go to Port Orleans Riverside?
Port Orleans Riverside is not on the monorail or skyliner. Riverside offers bus transportation, and boat transportation to Disney Springs.
Is there a gym at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort?
There is no gym or fitness center at Port Orleans Riverside.
Is there room service at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside?
You can get pizza delivered to your room from 4:00PM to 12:00AM.
How many acres is Port Orleans Riverside?
The resort is 325 acres.
Read Also: Guide to Exploring Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
