Disneys Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter Review

One of our "hidden gem" go-to hotels for a few years has been Disney's Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter, a moderate resort at Walt Disney Earth. There's a lot to like about this Disney hotel, and information technology's i we've ever enjoyed staying at. Read on to larn everything y'all need to know about Port Orleans French Quarter, including how it compares to other moderate options!

Basics of Disney'south Port Orleans — French Quarter

Disney's Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter ("Port Orleans French Quarter") is a moderate Disney hotel at Walt Disney Earth. If you're considering French Quarter, you lot may desire to read some of our other posts. We have a ranking of the best Disney Globe moderate resorts.

Non-discounted nightly room rates at Port Orleans French Quarter in 2022 range from $266 to $488. This pricing is similar to what you'd see at other moderate resorts.

Originally, French Quarter and Riverside were unrelated resorts. French Quarter was originally "Disney'due south Port Orleans Resort" and Riverside was originally "Disney's Dixie Landings Resort."

In 2001, Dixie Landings was transformed, and the resorts were renamed "Disney'south Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter" and "Disney'south Port Orleans Resort — Riverside."

Despite sharing part of their name, the resorts all the same operate largely independently. Each has their own restaurants, transportation (except a shared boat route), shops, merchandise, pools, and theme.

Boat launch at Riverside

You lot can walk easily between French Quarter and Riverside. Information technology's most a twelve-minute walk lobby to antechamber. Throughout this review, whenever nosotros use the term "hotel" or "resort," we're referring specifically to French Quarter.

Nosotros were actually looking to book a room at Pop Century, but since we were booking the same day, they were unfortunately sold out. Lauren told us there was an annual passholder charge per unit of $237.61 for a River View room at French Quarter, so we grabbed that room.

For booking purposes, French Quarter and Riverside are treated equally entirely split up resorts. It'due south mutual that one will exist included in a promotion and the other excluded.

Both French Quarter and Riverside have an anteroom style lobby. In the case of French Quarter, yous enter into a sort of outdoor-themed surface area with cobblestone-style floor, a fountain, and French Quarter style lite posts.

The actual vestibule is less intimate, featuring columns and a large, biconvex roof.

French Quarter is ane of the better themed non-Deluxe resorts. It helps that the architecture of the actual French Quarter is then distinctive, to exist sure. We complained that Caribbean Embankment couldn't actually distinguish itself from other Florida hotels, and apparently French Quarter doesn't endure that problem.

Theming to a place really helps the resort. The pathways (streets) and edifice facades are pulled straight from the real French Quarter. The wrought fe elements are not bad. Street signs are added to requite even more realism.

In a way, information technology'due south hard as an adult non to enjoy the colorful whimsy of Port Orleans French Quarter. It shares that whimsy with the value resorts, simply in a more adult, far less kitschy manner.

The lack of annoying kitsch might make this resort less appealing to children, but the brilliant theming should keep them somewhat entertained. Okay…then there is a footling kitsch:

Finally, French Quarter is pretty minor, with the farthest rooms being about a five-infinitesimal walk from the main edifice. If you lot're used to staying at the palatial resorts or preferred rooms in the value resorts, this might non surprised you.

Only the other moderate resorts are huge and set around bodies of water. Is at that place a huge deviation between a room beingness five and ten minutes from the main amenities? Probably non. But information technology's at least a modest mark in favor of the hotel and, we'll see later, the modest size greatly improves transportation at the hotel.

Rooms at Port Orleans — French Quarter

Booking same-mean solar day, we arrived sometime close to the check-in fourth dimension of 3:00 PM and quickly got a room. If you lot use Disney World'southward online bank check-in service, you can get directly to your room, simply we didn't practise that last visit.

My kickoff reaction to our room at French Quarter was "bully, something a little unlike!" Then I idea for a second and asked myself—was I besides difficult on Caribbean area Beach, which I'd recently criticized for existence more of the same minimalist aesthetic?

Really, what I think happened was that I was already so taken in past the resort that the room was just sort of the cherry on top of the sundae. Use the arrows to click through the gallery:

Nearly rooms at French Quarter take two queen beds, but there are king bed rooms bachelor. Similar almost all the moderate and value options, the rooms are "motel mode" with doors facing outside.

On close inspection, French Quarter actually helped me narrow down that the bulk of Disney rooms seem to confine their theming to very specific areas. Window defunction, shower curtains, and room dividers are the commencement area. And and so there's headboards, bed lighting, and a bedside painting.

I enjoyed the room at French Quarter more than the comparable room at Caribbean Beach, only I'm willing to say this is entirely considering I was taken in by the theming of French Quarter.

It's here where I remind readers that I'm a noted fan of the newest, most functional rooms at Disney Earth. In the moderate tier, these rooms are found at Coronado Springs. The French Quarter rooms are definitely non the worst in Disney World, but equally renovations beyond the resort go along to happen, these rooms, which were last refurbished in 2018 are going to fall backside.

French Quarter Restaurants

French Quarter does not have a tabular array service option. Its only restaurant is the food hall—Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Manufacturing plant, typically open 6AM to midnight. Sassagoula is a fine food court, and will cost you i quick service credit on the Disney dining programme.

Besides the standard fare (burgers, pizza, pasta), Sassagoula offers a few New Orleans specialties, such as po' boy sandwiches, beignets, and jambalaya. Unfortunately the online menu is out of date every bit of this review.

The nutrient courtroom uses a traditional "social club, receive food, go to checkout station" model.

Every bit the aforementioned suggests, the nutrient court is themed to a float storage/manufacture building. This sounds weird, only it's actually actually absurd to be surrounded by oversized Mardi Gras items.

Unfortunately, nosotros've only stayed hither during the holidays (twice now), when many of the items are replaced with holiday decorations.

The resort has 2 bars—Scat Cat'due south Gild indoors and Mardi Grogs outdoors. Mardi Grogs is a straightforward pool bar.

Scat True cat'due south is nicer, simply maintains an inoffensive plain, night wood experience.

Port Orleans French Quarter Puddle

The feature pool at French Quarter (actually its the merely puddle at French Quarter) is Doubloon Lagoon, and it primarily features a giant sea serpent, with Neptune atop, encircling the surface area. The serpent's natural language serves as a h2o slide.

There's likewise a play area nearby for smaller children.

Overall, this pool is closer to the quality of the value resorts than the more impressively themed Caribbean Beach pool. The difference isn't so great that information technology would gene into our decision-making, though.

Shopping at Port Orleans French Quarter

Similar every Walt Disney Globe resort hotel, French Quarter has a store—Jackson Square—stocked with vacation essentials, the latest in Disney fashion, and a few unique, resort-specific items.

Transportation at Port Orleans French Quarter

French Quarter is accessible from near of Walt Disney World only past bus and car. It is accessible from Disney Springs by boat, and from Port Orleans — Riverside past boat or walking. Guests driving at Disney Earth volition pay $20 per night for parking at the hotel, but parking at the theme parks is included with your stay.

Unlike Riverside, Caribbean area Embankment, and Coronado Springs, French Quarter utilizes a single bus stop. This ways you lot'll have to walk to the master building when you desire to go anywhere (pocket-size bummer) but the motorbus won't be making a ton of other stops (big HOORAY)! This makes it one of the amend resorts for efficiently getting to and from the theme parks.

The resort isn't huge, though, so we consider this to be a skilful arrangement. Relying on omnibus transportation is always a downside of many Disney hotels (and why nosotros often recommend Uber at Walt Disney Earth), but at least you're not suffering through multiple stops.

Apparently the resort's location makes it theoretically ideal for sharing a bus with Riverside, but this has not been a do our last few visits. I've been on the shared bus before, but but during mode off hours (similar coming abode from Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at 1AM).

If you're headed to Disney Hollywood Studios or Brute Kingdom for rope drop, you lot'll particularly want to consider fugitive the motorbus, as a small delay getting to these parks to start the day tin really make a difference.

As for the boat to Disney Springs, this is non as big a "perk" as some people make it out to be. The boat runs roughly every 20 minutes and takes 15 minutes to go to Disney Springs. The last boat departs Disney Springs at 11:xxx. I suppose that beats the motorbus.

Seeing Disney Springs from the h2o is pretty cool, though, so travel fourth dimension being equal I approximate the boat has that going for it. And a part of me thinks there'southward at to the lowest degree a perception that you'd rather have a regularly scheduled boat from the pretty conveniently located dock than throw yourself into the black hole of the Disney bus system at their gigantic springs depot.

Activities at Port Orleans French Quarter

Like every Disney hotel, French Quarter maintains a decent roster of activities. These vary day-by-day and month-past-month, simply some highlights include:

• Daily pool party

• Weekly trivia night

• Campfires (multiple times each week)

• Movies under the stars (multiple times each week)

Here's the December 2018 schedule.

Disney'due south Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter Conclusions

Having come up fresh off our stay at Caribbean area Beach, another moderate resort, nosotros're ready to say nosotros prefer French Quarter. In terms of theming and design, the resorts are pretty close in quality. Caribbean area Beach is newer in design, but French Quarter is a little more fun.

Our favorite quality of French Quarter, besides its theming, is its small campus and single bus terminate. Transportation is a large challenge at Walt Disney World these days, simply being able to quickly access a single bus stop definitely helps things.

What French Quarter actually has going for it is its minor size and intimacy. No thing what, the resort e'er lacks the chaos of the the larger resorts, particularly the value resorts just also the other moderate resorts.

It's a big favorite for adults doing Disney World for this reason—information technology's a decent price indicate without kids constantly zipping around. The proximity to Disney Springs also makes a big depict for adults.

Of course, information technology's still Disney Earth and families will feel more than welcome. Kids should even so get a boot out of the occasional alligator figurine and the scattered Mardis Gras theming.

At the end of the day, what French Quarter does best is doing nada poorly. It's just obvious "shortcoming" is the lack of a table service eating house—yous'll have to walk to Riverside for that. That's not to say information technology does everything best. It's rooms aren't my favorite, for instance.

French Quarter benefits from not being a hotel where I have to say "it'south adept for most people but…" or "I'd stay at this hotel for this kind of trip." Information technology's a ane-size fits all kind of hotel. And if what you've seen and heard sounds highly-seasoned, you can go ahead and book it without worrying nigh having a bad time.

Have you stayed at French Quarter? What did y'all recall?

All Your Other Disney Globe Planning Questions Answered

Don't exist overwhelmed by Disney Earth planning! Have a second to check out our most important content and you'll not merely be an expert, simply y'all'll salve big $$$ along the mode.

Simply starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If yous're still picking dates, we've got everything you demand to know most Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney Earth hotels guide.

When it comes time to volume we'll aid you observe discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney Earth Dining Plans! And don't forget to volume those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!

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Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Fauna Kingdom rides! Plus larn nigh the h2o parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.

Finally, before you head out, exist certain to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Means to Salvage on your Disney trip from beginning to finish.

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