Review: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

Written by Mariann Bell Posted August 15th, 2024

My family stayed at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside for the first time on a recent trip. This resort is reminiscent of a southern plantation, beautifully decorated with magnolias and lush landscaping. We especially enjoyed walking along the Sassagoula River with its cypress knots and a variety of ferns and native grasses.

Editor’s note: images are courtesy of Derek Bell.

Sassagoula River at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort

Port Orleans Riverside Resort features

Port Orleans Riverside Resort has six pools. They feel smaller and more private than those at the All-Star Resorts (where we usually stay). The five main pools have accessibility lifts. The Ol’ Man Island Swimmin’ Hole, a kiddie pool, doesn’t have a lift but does have a zero-entry walkway.

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort at night

The complimentary Sassagoula River Cruise runs between Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Disney Springs. The hours were limited during our stay, so be sure to check the times before your visit. The cruise is stroller-, wheelchair-, and ECV-friendly.

Horse carriages at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort

Port Orleans offers several paid experiences, including Horse Drawn Excursion – Carriage Rides, Bike and Surrey Bike Rental, fishing gear rental for dockside fishing, and 2- and 4-hour guided fishing excursions. These experiences are not fully accessible to individuals with physical disabilities. The Horse Drawn Excursion – Carriage Ride requires transferring and using a block step to enter the carriage. Bike and Surrey Bike Rentals do not include adaptive equipment.

Dockside fishing is physically accessible for individuals who use wheelchairs, strollers, or ECVs. It was not immediately clear if there were wheelchair-accessible boats for the fishing excursions or if the boats require individuals to transfer. Contact the reservations team for specific ADA information and to register for your experience.

Port Orleans Riverside restaurants and bars

Boatwright's Dining at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort — Boatwright’s Dining Hall

There are two restaurants at Port Orleans Riverside: Boatwright’s Dining Hall and the Riverside Mill Food Court. Boatwright’s is the table-service option and is only open for dinner. This was a short trip for us, so we didn’t dine there.

Riverside Mill sign — Riverside Mill Food Court

The Riverside Mill Food Court is a great example of a traditional Walt Disney World quick service resort dining. It’s themed well and offers plenty of comfort food. My husband and I shared the Steakhouse Burger and the Greek salad for lunch. Both were fine. The Greek salad is very olive-forward. Our picky eater approved of the chicken strips with french fries. Guests with the refillable resort mug will find the fountain drink dispenser in Riverside Mill.

On the second day, we shared the Western Omelet with Potato Barrels and the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait for breakfast. Both were good, with a surprisingly nice crisp on the potatoes. I prefer Port Orleans French Quarter’s beignets for breakfast, but I started my day with a much cleaner shirt this way.

River Roost at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort — River Roost

Muddy Rivers at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort — Muddy Waters

Port Orleans Riverside also has two bars, the indoor River Roost and the outdoor Muddy Waters. While River Roost has air conditioning, Muddy Waters has a great vibe, particularly at night. It’s right on the water, and the music is very chill. Both bars have Abita on tap and good mocktails. Overall, the food and beverage establishments fit the Louisiana theme perfectly.

Port Orleans Riverside Room Review

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort preferred room

We opted for a preferred room at Port Orleans Riverside because it has an extra bed. Our room was conveniently located on the second floor in Alligator Bayou. If someone in your party cannot handle stairs or the first-floor’s large step up to a walkway, you’ll need to request a room in the Magnolia Bend Mansion building. It’s the only building with elevators.

While the room appeared to be the same size as the All-Star Resort rooms were used to, it had much less counter space. That’s because the preferred room here has the bonus of a bench that turns into a smaller pull-down bed. Surprisingly, Noah enjoyed the bench bed. The two queen beds were perfect for my husband and me and our other son.

Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort preferred room queen beds

Port Orleans Riverside Preferred Room pull-down bed

There are four dresser drawers beneath the bench bed. They’re difficult to access if you have trouble bending down low. They also aren’t accessible if someone is in the bed, so plan accordingly.

The room’s decor was lovely and appeared to be fairly new. We kept the table out for the duration of our stay, which made up for the lack of counter space.

Summary

We very much enjoyed our stay at Port Orleans Riverside! I wish we’d had more time to enjoy some of the resort’s features. If we visit Port Orleans Riverside again (and I hope we do), we’d love for it to be a longer stay. One thing is certain, we’ll choose a preferred room if all four of us are traveling.