Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter

Small Resort in a Big Theme Park

by MarieGutscher about Port Orleans French Quarter

Clean basic rooms. Good soaps and lots of towels. Our housekeeper Juan was wonderful.
The best part about this resort is its size. No matter where you are you are only a few minutes walk to the main restaurant and bus stops to go to the different Disney resorts.

Although there is only one fast food style restaurant they offer a wide enough variety that you don't have to eat elsewhere. The bottom line is that you spend so much time in the theme parks you're normally only in the resort for breakfast anyway.

We walked the short walk to the Port Orleans Riverside and had a sit down meal there as well. The service was good the food was also very good and the short walk back to the French Quarter along side the waters edge was lovely.

Get the meal plan - totally worth it and it makes budgeting a lot easier at the park. The Port Orleans French Quarter has one pool and one hot tub. Its fine! Especially with all of the water parks at your disposal!

We took the boat ride to Downtown Disney and our boat captain was funny and entertaining making the ride seem a lot shorter. We took a bus back to the resort and were glad for it as it was raining and a bit cold.

The resort was very quiet and we had a lovely stay. I would not hesitate to stay there again!

Disney's Port Orleans Hotel

by Annielou about Disney's Port Orleans Hotel

Very comfortable, clean with very good facilites including facilities for disabled. It was comfortable and clean and the restuarants on site were good too. It was also very easy to travel by Disney Transport in my wheelchair to anywhere in Disney I wished to go.

Loved This Place

by A TripAdvisor Member

My husband,daughter,5 grandchildren,and I just returned from a 5 day stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter. It was a wonderful experience. The rooms are pretty and well maintained. The beds are the most comfortable I have found in any hotel/motel. The employees are courteous and professional. I felt very safe at night with the kids at the pool. I would recommend this resort to anyone. Thanks for a great vacation.

Great Disney hotel

by A TripAdvisor Member

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter in May for a weekend. Our room was ready when we checked in at 10 AM!

We were in building 5 by the boat ramp and pool.
The Florida resident rate was only $89.

It was a great Disney hotel! The hotel just reopened in February this year, after being renovated.

The carpet was brand new and exceptionally clean!
The beds were very comfortable. The pool was very clean. The kids had a lot of fun on the slide!

The boat ramp was easy accessible from building 5. This building actually faces the river and the ramp. The housekeeping staff was friendly and the rooms were in excellent condition. We had two rooms with an adjoining door.

We would definitely visit the French Quarter again!

Good Choice

by A TripAdvisor Member

+Being first time vistors to WDW we had a hard time deciding whether to stay on-site or off-site. Once we we made that decision, we needed to decide on a Disney hotel and we were happy with our choice. We stayed for 8 days over Memorial weekend and first week in June. We were intially disappointed that we requested and paid extra for a river view because our water view was the pool. Upon check in they offered to move us but given the late hour of our arrival we decided to stay in the room assigned which was in building 5. This turned out to be a good location as we found it convinent to the pool, food court, and bus stops. The room was clean and comfortable even for 2 adults and 2 kids. Service was good and we found the staff very friendly.

Unless your planning to spend considerable time around the hotel and not in the parks, then the Disney moderate/value resorts are probably the most cost effective. I would recommend the Port Orleans French Quarter, and if we ever go back, we will stay there again.

Nice Place, Not Crowded, Kamakazi Birds

by A TripAdvisor Member

My wife, two young children, and myself were first time guests at Port Orleans French Quarter for the period June 5th thru June 13th, 2004. We had heard nice things about POFQ. The recent refurbishment was an added plus. Overall, we were not disappointed. We arrived early and were allowed to check in our room early. It was in building 6 and only a short walk from the food court and pool. The room was a bit small, but it was decorated nice. The first night we were there, other guests in a room about 20 feet away were outside their room in room chairs they dragged outside. They were loud, but it did not bother me since I figured they'd quiet down after 11:00pm. I went to sleep and was wakened after midnight by the same group laughing and carrying on. They were loud. I decided to call the front desk. They sent security over within 10 minutes. Apparently they told the group to keep the banter down. The group continued to stay outside, but the noise level decreased.

The landscaping is very nice at POFQ. I saw very few weeds in the natural areas. The only negative thing I can say about it is that the grass probably needed mowing. But this may have been difficult since it rained every afternoon while we were there. My son marveled at the number of small lizards scurrying on the walkways or up the trees. He tried to keep count, I think he counted about 200. Rabbits were out every day on the grounds. A few squirrels. We even saw an otter at the "fishing hole" at PO-Riverside. It was not too afraid of humans. There is one animal that you need to watch out for...birds. I over heard other guests talking about the 'attacking birds'. I saw staff trying to scare birds out of a tree near the food court. I eventually experienced first hand what they were talking about. As I exited the hot tub, I dropped my watch on the walkway. As I bent over to pick it up, I felt this "bump" on my back. It felt like someone through a small rock at me. As I turned, I saw a bird fly away. I think the birds must be nesting and are protecting their nests. It did not appear they were after food because we did not have any.

The staff was pleasant at POFQ. One day we took a boat ride over to PO-Riverside. (Yes, we could have walked.) Please note that you can only rent the surry bikes and boats at Riverside. We rented a surry and the four of us biked 2 miles. They would not let us bike back to French Quarter. They have a bike trail that you must stay on. After biking, we walked down to the fishing hole. The sight of the otter was a nice surprise. The man working at the fishing hole was a bit "smart allacky", but after talking to him for several minutes, I think he overall was trying to be nice and helpful to the guests. He just needs to work on his approach. We did not fish because I took the man's advice that the fish were not biting at mid day. (Too hot). Afterwards, we took the boat back to POFQ.

I think the food at the food court was very good. We mainly ate breakfast there. The kids loved the Mickey Mouse waffles. The prices were what I expected. Probably the best deal was the $1.99 fruit cup. We bought two $11.99 refillable mugs. We used them often. Of course, it would have been cheaper to bring a cooler full of soft drinks. We actually had a cooler with Kool Aid, orange juice, etc...but the soft drinks came from the food court. There was a piano bar next to the food court that we did not visit.

We swam in the pool three times. The kids liked the serpent water slide. The alligator statues were nice. The pool was never crowded although it was busy at times. On our last pool trip, the life guards announced that they wanted everybody out of the pool. They were closing the pool temporarily. From what we gathered, it appeared that some child -------- in the pool. I did not see anything nor did I investigate the matter. We were not given a specific time when it would re-open. A woman nearby kept telling us they would have to "shock" the pool and keep it closed for 24 hours. We left soon after. I'm not sure when it re-opened. There is a nice poolside bar. I had one drink and bought my kids their first 'smoothies'.

My kids brought along a menagerie of the favorite stuffed animals to sleep with at night. Each day the cleaning staff re-arranged the animals on the bed or in the window sill. We returned on one day to find the TV on and the remote control in the hand of one of the animals. All the other animals were gathered around the TV set. We got a kick out of it each day.

I'd probably stay at Port Orleans French Quarter again. It is one of the smaller resorts, thus there is less of a walk to the parking lot, guest services, and food court. The kids loved the pool and water slide. The boat launches directly from the resort to Downtown Disney was nice. The few shuttles we took to the theme parks did not take too long.

Great choice!

by A TripAdvisor Member

We recently stayed at POFQ and really were so happy with everything. It was our very first family vacation to WDW, (my husband and I and our two children, ages 10 months and 6) and I had made all the arrangements and reservations myself and I have to admit I was nervous about our accomodations. Upon arrival, I was immediately pleased. The atmosphere at French Quarter was wonderful. Beautiful grounds! Great pool! Excellent room! We arrived very late in the evening and ended up in bldg. 7. Although we were not right next to anything (pool, food court, etc.) it was a great location and a nice PEACEFUL stroll could get us to those areas in just a couple of minutes. We could walk alongside the river side or through the mini brick paved streets. Loved hearing the horse and carriage clopping by. Beautiful! Our room was very clean, including the bathroom area, and the decor was very colorful. We requested a fridge and that helped us out during the week. Our beds were very comfortable, and there was plenty of room for the pack-n-play for our baby. (I visited with a mom in the laundry room who said the value resorts did not offer enough floor space for portable cribs etc., to be convenient.) Glad we chose FQ and moderate. As far as bus transportation from this resort, we did take the buses, they were convenient and timely for the most part, sometimes crowded, sometimes not. Towards the end of our stay, we did become quite tired of loading and unloading the stroller (the junk we toted around with us in the parks) just to get on and off the bus but, we would do it again because having our own strollers was a huge benefit. Just a little bit of a hassle, but not that big of a deal.We had our own car with us and chose to drive to Blizzard Beach one day and MGM another day and truthfully driving was a piece of cake, not a hassle at all. We did eat at the food court just a couple of times in the evening and it was not crowded and the food was ok. Refillable mugs were very handy. The gift shop had some nice things. My husband and son visited the arcade a couple of times. I visited the laundry a few times. Ha! Fun for mom!(VERY expensive...but very nice to have access to!) We took the boat to Downtown Disney one evening and really enjoyed this. Wish we had had the opportunity to do that again and spend a little more time at the marketplace. Just for the atmosphere. The kids enjoyed the night ride. There is nothing negative to say. Port Orleans French Quarter went beyond my expectations. (remember I was nervous about the accomod.) When I made these reservations through the Disney reservation center, the c.m. told me (her name was Suzette but she sounded just like Zsa Zsa Gabor) "I prooomise, you will looovve French Quarter! You will not be dissappointed." She said this several times to reassure me and I have to say thanks to Suzette, she was more than right. We did looovve POFQ. It was perfect! I can't see how anyone wouldn't be happy staying there! I can't wait to go back!

Solid Stay!

by TripAdvisor Member DFGA

Spent the July 4 weekend at Port orleans FQ and had a great stay. The hotel staff and service was excellent. The hotel restaurant had great food and was reasonably priced. The bus service was very timely and was by far the best of any hotel I have stayed in Orlando. This was my 5th trip. For the money on this holiday weekend, we couldn't have asked for much more. The rooms could have been a little nicer for the money, but they are well-appointed and the beds are comfortable. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

Words of wisdom, do not go to the parks on a holiday weekend. They were very crowded, much more than we anticipated. All in all, if you are going to take a nice vacation, and want a quiet place yet close to all the action, this is the place. Do not waste $$ staying at fancier resorts that are outside of Disney. You will spend way too much time on the buses and less time in the parks. Have fun!

Stayed at many on site properties. This is the best!

by TripAdvisor Member ariesfire

As a family of four, we go to Disney twice a year. I have stayed at many resorts both on and off the property and Port Orleans is by far my favorite. We went during the first week of June and arrived on Sunday morning at 6:00am. We wanted to take advantage of the early entry to Disney. Much to my delight, the room was ready! We were able to check in at 6:30am. I am extremely picky when it comes to pools and unlike other reviews; I found the pool to be very clean with attentive lifeguards. The life jackets provided by the hotel offered my two year old a chance to play in the pool and this was the highlight of the trip for my kids. The rooms were clean and large. We stayed in building 4 and it was so quiet, I could not believe we had people next to us. We had paid for a water view room, but we didn't bother to complain out of fear we would be moved to a noisy area. We were close to the food, pool and bus stop. If there is one negative, it was the bus. After waiting for almost an hour to go to Typhoon Lagoon we gave up. Another attempt to get to the Marketplace by both boat and bus failed due to the horrible wait times. We had our own car and it was worth it. If you are going to the parks for early entry; arrive at the bus stop at least 45 minutes before you want to arrive at the park. Otherwise you may find yourself missing the early entry time by over an hour. This happened to us trying to get to MGM.

Disney World in January - What to expect

by MarieGutscher

"Disney in January? That's Brisk Baby!"

Right well, it was chilly! But compared to visiting in July - it was fantastic. We were there from January 21st to January 27th. We wore jeans and polar fleece sweaters the entire time. It was cold - above zero but only hovering around 15 degrees. Warm for Canadian standards and thus my son had no problem making use of the pool. Other folks from southern USA were NOT making use of the pool.

"Non-existant crowds and good cheap prices!"

The crowds were non-existant and also because it was low season we got an amazing deal through our travel agent (me). Now, on the other hand, one of the water parks was closed and being worked on. Who cared! It was too cold to use the water parks anyway!

Cheap prices? Lots of merchandise on sale in the shops on sale!! Yes trying to get rid of last years goods before the Spring Breaks start and the people with money start showing up.

"Nice Relaxed Staff"

Because it's low season the staff aren't run off their feet and thus they are much more relaxed. It's always nice to be served by smiling people who aren't overheating and hurried off of their feet.

Our housekeeper Juan was so appreciative of the little thank you cards I left him everyday (which had his tip in it) that he wrote little notes back which are now in our scrapbook.

He left lovely towel animals for us!! We loved Juan!

"Meal Plan for 3"

Since our son is 11 years old he is charged as an adult the three of us really made good use of our Meal Plan.

Supper usually ranged between 130.00 USD and 140.00 USD for the three of us.

Lunch usually ranged between 50.00 USD and 60.00 USD

Breakfast - we used the "snack" option on our card and usually cost about 10.00 USD

So the fact that we spent 500.00 on a meal plan may seem very expensive but you do the math - we saved a ton of money over the six days that we ate!

Also - I gained about 10 pounds...and that's with walking my butt off everyday...you can only imagine how well we were fed!

"Park Hopper Pass"

Was it really worth it? Well I am still undecided!
We only hopped between two parks on the very last day...so I guess it was because we actually used it.

I suppose if you had a bunch of older kids/teens - the park hopper would be a must. However if you're like us, you just hang around the one park until it's done...then you go back to your room and fall flat on your face.

I believe that a park hopper would be a fantastic idea if you were staying for two weeks...on that note see below...

"If You Stayed For TWO Weeks"

Get a car rental for your second week. You are going to want to leave the property and check out the other sites.

Get a park hopper pass as you won't be spending 12 hours straight at one park and can take your time.

Get the meal plan. It will cost a bit - but it's well worth it.

Stay at a Moderate resort like Port Orleans French Quarter - quieter and calmer.

"WHATEVER YOU DO DO NOT MISS...."

Fantasmic! A wonderful show! Show up early - at least an hour early if possible and get a good seat (there really isn't such a thing as a bad seat). It's a great show, fantastic!

If you are at all claustrophobic - or have a problem with crowds - when you're leaving the show it can be quite nerve wracking but the crowd moves quickly and you're only trapped in the human sea for a few short agonizing minutes. Ahem, yes speaking through experience.

Tower of Terror
I've avoided this ride like the plague. Thought it was some drop zone type ride and not worth my time. Boy was I wrong. It's very cool and I am going back!

Rockin Roller Coaster
Wahoo - need I say more?

Space Mountain
Good old favourite - don't miss it!

FIREWORKS AT MAGIC KINGDOM
Ok so you're tired and you're not going to stay for the fireworks...do yourself a favour...find a nice spot facing the castle where you can rest your legs and sit down and wait for them! A spectacular display...followed by a human stampede of people trying to exit the park.
This is a good time to unpack some snacks and a drink and sit and have a evening snack with the family while everyone else pushes through the park to the exit.
Don't worry - you'll have your snack, the kids will be happy and by the time you pick yourself up to go - the crowd will be thin and all will be calm.

"Summary"

Oh yes it's commercial! Oh yes its a "tourist trap" but if you can look beyond it and just love it for what it is...basically leave your adult mind at home and bring one of a five year old - everything will be just fine.

I have a great time everytime I go - the next time I'm going to try for a two week stay just so I can relax a bit during the "vacation".

I'd go again in January in a heartbeat!