Why Port Orleans Riverside Is Our Favorite Disney Moderate Resort
Some Disney Resorts impress you the moment you arrive. Port Orleans Riverside is different—it slowly charms you until one day you realize you’ve planned yet another stay there.
That is exactly what happened to our family.
In the first post of my Moderate Resort Girlie series, I shared how our family unexpectedly fell in love with Disney’s Moderate Resort category. Now, I’m taking you inside the individual resorts, beginning with the one that has become our favorite: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
It Smells Like I’m Supposed to Be There
Yes, we are beginning with the lobby smell. If you know, you know.
The lobby at Port Orleans Riverside is gorgeous, but the scent is part of the experience for me. It smells fresh, clean and distinct. The moment I walk through those doors, something in my brain says, “Oh, I’m supposed to be here.”
The entire resort has that feeling.
Port Orleans Riverside captures the beauty and warmth of the South without feeling loud or overly themed. The enormous trees, hanging Spanish moss, flower gardens, bridges and peaceful Sassagoula River make the resort feel like a genuine escape.
The grounds are some of the prettiest at Walt Disney World. During our stays, we’ve encountered friendly squirrels, chipmunks, lizards and even a very cool owl perched on the low branch of a tree.
It’s beautiful—but it also feels alive.
The River, the Mill and a Slower Kind of Disney Magic
One of my favorite things about Riverside is that it encourages you to slow down.
You can stand near the water and watch the massive wheel turning at Riverside Mill. You can walk across the bridges, follow the river or board a boat for a relaxing ride to Disney Springs.
There is something about returning here after a loud, busy park day that allows your nervous system to take a deep breath.
Port Orleans Riverside also offers horse-drawn carriage rides along the Sassagoula River. They currently cost $65 per carriage—not per person—which can make this a surprisingly affordable activity for a family. Each ride lasts approximately 25 minutes.
I highly recommend reserving this early. Every time I’ve attempted to book one at the last minute, nothing has been available!
Sassagoula River at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
A Little Unexpected Character Magic
We have encountered Disney characters in the Riverside lobby on multiple occasions, usually with a photographer nearby.
These appearances aren’t something I would promise or plan an entire stay around, but they have created some incredibly fun surprises for our family. Unless we’re taking a very short trip, we normally purchase Memory Maker, so finding a character and a PhotoPass photographer waiting in our resort lobby feels like bonus Disney magic.
Dining at Port Orleans Riverside
We’ve eaten breakfast at Riverside Mill Food Court several times, and it has always been a great, convenient option before beginning our day.
Riverside also has a table-service restaurant, Boatwright’s Dining Hall. I ordered the shrimp and grits when we ate there, and they were so good.
But the pecan bark?
I still think about it.
You can also travel over to Port Orleans French Quarter for a completely different food mission: visiting Scat Cat’s Club – Café for Mickey-shaped beignets. We have absolutely made that trip!
Two Beautiful—and Very Different—Resort Sections
Port Orleans Riverside is divided into two distinctly themed areas: Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend.
Alligator Bayou
Alligator Bayou is lush, wooded and rustic. With its trees, greenery and overhanging branches, it feels like the most beautiful version of the Louisiana bayou.
This is also where you’ll find the rooms offering a fifth-sleeper option. The fifth sleeper is essentially a child-size pull-down Murphy bed, allowing select rooms to accommodate families of five.
That feature has been incredibly valuable to our family. Once Harper turned three and counted toward our room occupancy, Riverside allowed the five of us to remain together in one room instead of needing two rooms at a Value Resort.
The rooms aren’t huge, but we’ve always had enough space for our family. The fifth-sleeper backdrop includes a fun character design, and the rooms contain adorable touches inspired by The Princess and the Frog, including Ray and Evangeline.
Magnolia Bend
We have also stayed in Magnolia Bend, which offers a completely different atmosphere.
This section features beautiful, stately buildings with Victorian-inspired architecture, large white columns and lovely flower gardens. Walking through it feels like visiting a grand Southern estate.
Magnolia Bend is also home to Riverside’s Royal Guest Rooms—also known in our family as the Princess Rooms!
These rooms have traditionally offered more detailed Disney theming, with a special note from Tiana, portraits of the princesses, light-up headboards and Easter eggs referencing other movies. You might notice details such as Aladdin’s magic carpet worked into the room’s design.
We haven’t stayed in a Royal Guest Room since the recent refurbishment, but I’ve seen the newly renovated rooms, and I cannot wait to experience one!
Pools at Port Orleans Riverside
Riverside has several smaller leisure pools located throughout the resort, along with its main feature pool on Ol’ Man Island.
The main pool is where you’ll find the waterslide and pool bar. We love spending time here because the entire area is beautiful and centrally located.
The pool bar offers a limited selection of food, including some prepackaged items, and we haven’t always loved the frozen drinks we’ve tried there. However, we aren’t big drinkers, so that doesn’t have much impact on our overall experience.
Guests staying at Port Orleans Riverside have also traditionally been allowed to use the pool at neighboring Port Orleans French Quarter. We haven’t made the trip specifically for the pool yet, but it gives families another fun option during a resort day.
Transportation: My Honest Experience
Port Orleans Riverside is a large resort, but it has multiple bus stops conveniently placed throughout the property.
We have never had more than approximately a five-minute walk from our room to the nearest bus stop. However, that is also because we request a room near transportation when we check in.
That location matters to us.
We hit the parks hard. After being there from rope drop until park close, I want the shortest possible walk from the bus stop back to my room!
The resort’s size and multiple stops can mean spending additional time riding around the property before leaving for the parks. However, I personally prefer having several convenient stops instead of walking across the entire resort to reach one central bus station.
When staying here, I recommend considering what matters most to your family and including a nearby-room request. Disney cannot guarantee requests, but it never hurts to ask.
What Does Port Orleans Riverside Cost?
Pricing at Disney Resorts changes constantly based on travel dates, room type, availability and current promotions.
During particularly busy periods without a promotion, we have seen Riverside price above $400 per night. However, with the right promotion and travel dates, we have also found rooms for just under $300 per night.
That is where Riverside can become an excellent value.
For our family of five, having access to a fifth-sleeper room can make an even greater difference. One Moderate Resort room may cost significantly less than reserving the two Value Resort rooms that a larger family would otherwise need.
This is also why I always compare the actual options instead of assuming a Value Resort will automatically offer the lowest total price.
Who Will Love Port Orleans Riverside?
I think Riverside is an excellent choice for:
Families who want a quieter place to return to after busy park days
Families of five who need a fifth-sleeper room
Guests who love beautiful landscaping and relaxing resort grounds
Couples looking for a romantic atmosphere without Deluxe Resort pricing
Guests who want boat transportation to Disney Springs
Families who appreciate subtle Disney details instead of bold character theming
It may not be the best fit for someone who wants an extremely compact resort, a single bus stop or bright, larger-than-life Disney characters around every corner.
Port Orleans Riverside is not loud Disney magic.
It’s the quieter kind—the kind found beneath Spanish moss, beside the river and during an unexpected character encounter in the lobby.
Is Port Orleans Riverside Worth It?
For our family, absolutely.
The rooms aren’t enormous. The resort is spread out. Transportation may include several internal stops. But none of those things outweigh the feeling we get when we arrive.
The beautiful grounds, peaceful river, fifth-sleeper rooms, relaxing boat ride and distinctly Southern atmosphere keep drawing us back.
Some resorts are simply places to sleep between park days.
Port Orleans Riverside feels like part of the vacation.
Have you stayed at Port Orleans Riverside? What did you think—and are you an Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend person?
Ready to Start Your Own Countdown?
Whether Port Orleans Riverside is already calling your name or you need help comparing all your Disney Resort options, I would love to help you find the perfect fit for your family.
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