Our most recent trip was last month and it was amazing as usual. This time we went with extended family which added a whole new dynamic of fun to our vacation. More about that later though. We were also lucky enough to test the new Magic Bands and Fastpass+ system and I definitely have a lot to say about both of those!
Today's post is about Port Orleans Riverside. This was our first time to ever stay at this resort, and we were all super excited to try it out. It constantly gets rave reviews from guests, and I can definitely see why. It was absolutely beautiful and very relaxing after a long day in the park. The grounds were beautiful, the rivers were calming, and the pools were so much fun. Everything we hoped for, and so much more!
We also were lucky enough to try out the Royal Guest Rooms, which were so much fun! I don't know that I would pay extra every time for these rooms, but they were definitely worth doing once. When free dining was announced for our trip, they were the only rooms we could get at Port Orleans Riverside (POR) and we were willing to pay extra just to stay at that resort and get the free dining. Our little princess was turning 10 during our trip, so we knew it wouldn't be long before she felt "too cool" for these rooms. We decided it was a perfect time to try them out. As the trip approached, we were getting more and more excited about the rooms, and they definitely did not disappoint.
The decorations were so pretty and there were so many little details that made the room fun for all of us. I must admit that my favorite part was watching the fireworks on the headboards. I hit the button multiple times while we were there just to watch the 30 second fireworks show :) So much fun!
We were also very lucky to receive a great location for our room. When I did online check in prior to our trip I had requested a corner room on the ground floor. These requests are definitely not guaranteed, but we almost always get what we ask for. Another thing you can do is call the front desk about four days before you arrive (or send a fax) and ask for the room assignment area. If you have a more detailed request to make, such as requesting a specific building, or making sure you have everything you need for a medical issue, this is definitely the way to go. I didn't need to do it for us since there are only two buildings that are royal rooms, but I did do this for my in-laws who were staying at Pop Century and needed to be as close to the main building as possible. Thankfully, their requests were met! Anyway, back to our room assignment. We received a corner room directly behind the fountain in the Oak Manor building. The nightly movie was literally right outside our door and my daughter was able to watch the movie while sitting in our window. Very nice! Plus, our morning walk to the main building for breakfast and the buses was less than five minutes for us. I doubt I could have loved our location more :) Here is a picture looking out our front door.
While the food court at the hotel isn't huge, it served it's purpose and we were happy with it. Some people complain that there isn't as much variety as some of the other resorts. I can't comment on that as we didn't buy any meals there, but we did have ice cream snacks a few days and they were pretty good. The service was pretty fast and the eating area is very large. We ate our donuts or bagels there every morning and never had a hard time finding a table.
One of my favorite parts of the resort (other than it's beautiful grounds) was the main pool. It had something for everyone. There were fountains spraying water in one part of the pool, while the other part had one of the longest slides on property leading into it. Next to the main pool was a kiddie pool and a hot tub (which in my opinion should have been a lot bigger). Sadly, there were a few times that it was hard to tell the difference between the kiddie pool and hot tub as there were so many kids playing in the hot tub I couldn't get in it. I wish that was better patrolled, but like everything else, it comes down to parents watching their kids and being cognizant of others. That's a topic for a whole different blog! We didn't get to spend as much time as we would have liked at the pool, but then again we paid for the parks, not the pools :) I can swim at home.
There are two other quick things I must add about our resort that made it so unique. Several nights during the week it has a performer named Yee Ha Bob who entertains unlike any other I have ever seen. I doubt anyone can walk by the lobby without stopping a minute to watch the show and sing along. We watched him several times, and loved every minute of it. Also, Port Orleans has a boat service from the resort to Downtown Disney which was a wonderful way to take a relaxing break during the day. It was by far the highlight of one of our days.
So, that in a nutshell is our stay at Port Orleans. The resort was beautiful (though very big), the staff was super friendly, the mousekeeping staff did a phenomenal job, the food court was adequate, the pool was fun, and the buses were very good while we were there. For all of these reasons (and many more) I can't wait to stay at this resort again. Next time I would like to stay in the Alligator Bayou section just to see the complete other theme of the resort (there are two themes at the resort....Mansions and Alligator Bayou). I highly recommend Port Orleans Riverside to anyone! Just make sure you put in a request for a building close to the main building before you leave home :)
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