Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

Do not stay here if you expect to use the boat system to Disney Springs. They don’t provide you a heads up at booking that the boats are not running. They say extra buses are running to make up for it but that is not true. We are dealing with it right now. The bus took forever & it ended up stopping at Port Orleans Riverside(4 bus stops) & then went to Port Orleans French Quarter. Horrible experience. They are more concerned with saving money than providing a positive guest experience.

We checked into Port Orleans Riverside yesterday (5/22/24) at 4pm… after a long day of traveling we walked into a dark dirty room. There was crusted ketchup stains on the table, food splatters on the floor, spit stains on bathroom mirrors and urine on toilet seat. I am extremely disappointed that the magical experience that I booked for my 5yr old was ruined.. we did not walk into a magical royal room with our names on the screen and a letter from Princess Tiana. That was the experience I paid for but did not receive. After going to the lobby to advise them and to use the lobby bathroom since ours was not usable.. they told me they would send housekeeping to clean the room. Why was I given a dirty room!! The woman I showed the pictures to seemed very concerned and walked me to the front desk where there was no sincere apology, just “we’ll send housekeeping or change ur room”, completely oblivious to the fact that they just ruined our first day at the “most magical place”. If this is a “moderate” resort, I wouldn’t want to see what the value resorts. I have every intention of taking my pics and videos to social media. This was such a disgrace. Hopefully the remainder of our long stay gets better.

We had an outstanding 5 nights at the Port Orleans resort. Everything was great. We were upgraded to a Princess Suite upon our arrival. The staff was friendly. The resort was clean and our location was great. The bus stop to parks was a short walk and not too bad. Resort amenities were good. Food was decent, although it still had Disney prices. But we expected the prices to be expensive. Room service was great. They had all my daughter's new stuffed animals arranged to greet her upon getting back from the parks each day. Overall great stay.

We stayed in a princess and thought it was really nice. Only issue bathroom is very small. Grounds and room were clean and up to Disney standards. Would have been a 5 but boat to Disney springs were down due to lack of water. Would stay here again for sure.

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 nightmare 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 nightmare 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.