Disney's Port Orleans Resort
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Downtown Disney Resort Area |
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Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter and Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside are a pair of resorts at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, themed to look and feel like guests are actually staying the night in New Orleans or the old South. Both resorts are located in the Downtown Disney (Florida) area.
Disney's Port Orleans Resort French Quarter was designed to reflect the style and architecture of New Orleans' French Quarter. The resort opened May 17, 1991 as Disney's Port Orleans Resort with 432 guest rooms in three guest buildings and expanded to its current 1,008 rooms in seven 3-story guest buildings containing 144 rooms each.
Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside was designed to reflect antebellum south along the Mississippi River. The resort opened February 2, 1992 as Disney's Dixie Landings Resort with 2,048 rooms. The resort is split into two further themed regions called Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. Alligator Bayou consists of 1,024 guest rooms over 16 buildings styled as rustic, weathered lodges with 64 rooms per lodge. Magnolia Bend consists of 1,024 guest rooms over four buildings styled as southern plantation grand manor homes with 256 rooms per mansion.
The two resorts are connected with each other and Downtown Disney via the Sassagoula River.
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[edit] Merger
Beginning March 1, 2001 road signage and other theming began to change reflecting the Disney's Port Orleans Resort and Disney's Dixie Landings Resort properties becoming "regions" of a united Disney's Port Orleans Resort as of April 1, 2001. The regions became French Quarter and Riverside, respectively. Changes leading up to and after this period would include the French Quarter region losing Bonfamille's Cafe table-service restaurant, bike rentals, and boat rentals. French Quarter region guests would have to use the larger facilities in the Riverside region. Bonfamille's Cafe's last meals were served August 5, 2000 and the area is now only used occasionally as a meeting space. Other theme changes took place such as Colonel's Cotton Mill food court becoming Riverside Mill.
[edit] Dining
Both resorts share a 208-seat table service restaurant, Boatwright's Dining Hall which is located in the Riverside region and features American Southern cuisine. It is themed after a wooden shipbuilding yard and is adorned with vintage shipbuilding tools.
Boatwright's Dining Hall is flanked by River Roost lounge featuring live entertainment on select nights, and the Riverside Mill Food Court. There is also a pool bar called Muddy Rivers on Ol' Man Island.
The French Quarter region is home to another food court called Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. The region also includes Scat Cat's Club, another lounge home to live entertainment on select nights. The pool bar is called Mardi Grogs.
[edit] Recreation
Disney's Port Orleans Riverside is home to the 3 1/2 acre Ol' Man Island featuring a 158,000 gallon swimming pool with a large rustic saw mill themed water slide. The island is also home to a fort-like playground and the Fishin' Hole where guests can rent a cane fishing pole and cup of worms for a small fee.
The Riverside region is also home to the Marina, where guests can rent personal water craft, bicycles or surrey bikes.
Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter is home to Doubloon Lagoon featuring a 225,000 gallon swimming pool and a sea serpent water slide. The sea serpent, named Scales, is jockeyed by King Neptune. The area also includes a playground area.
Both regions have cashless video game arcades, where a guest can purchase a card with points to use.
A seasonal campfire program called "Campfire on de' Bayou" is being offered from October 2007 through February 2008. Disney cast members read stories about the resort and lead a sing-along. The campfire is held behind the "Fishin' Hole" on Ol' Man Island on Thursday and Sunday nights from 6:30PM to 8:00 PM. No reservation is necessary for this free activity. S'mores kits are available for a small charge.
[edit] Trivia
The partially built sailing boat in Boatwright's Dining Hall is an authentic reproduction of the flat-bottom New Orleans Lugger that sailed the Mississippi River in the 1820s.
The center-piece Southern Oak Tree (Quercus virginiana) on Ol' Man Island in the Riverside region was moved 12 miles from a location now occupied by Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park in April 1991 and took hundreds of people to move and plant the tree which was originally 55 feet tall and weighed approximately 85 tons including box and dirt. The planting ceremony took place on April 22 (Earth Day), 1991.
[edit] External links
[edit] French Quarter
- official site
- PortOrleans.org - Unofficial Port Orleans French Quarter tribute site, with information & masses of photos of the resort
- All Ears Net
- WDWInfo.com Port Orleans French Quarter Reviews & Info
- Dockside Canepole Fishing at Port Orleans Riverside
- Disney's Port Orleans Resort is at coordinates Coordinates:
[edit] Riverside
- official site
- PortOrleans.org - Unofficial Port Orleans Riverside tribute site, with information & masses of photos of the resort
- All Ears Net
- WDWInfo.com Port Orleans Riverside Reviews & Info
- Disney's Port Orleans Resort is at coordinates Coordinates:
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| Location | Deluxe | Moderate | Value | Deluxe Villa / Disney Vacation Club |
| Magic Kingdom Resort Area |
Grand Floridian Resort Polynesian Resort Contemporary Resort Wilderness Lodge Shades of Green |
None | None | Villas at Wilderness Lodge |
| Epcot Resort Area |
BoardWalk Inn Yacht Club Resort Beach Club Resort Walt Disney World Swan Walt Disney World Dolphin |
Caribbean Beach Resort | None | BoardWalk Villas Beach Club Villas |
| Downtown Disney Resort Area |
None | Port Orleans French Quarter Port Orleans Riverside |
None | Old Key West Resort Saratoga Springs Resort |
| Disney's Animal Kingdom Resort Area |
Animal Kingdom Lodge | Coronado Springs Resort | All-Star Music Resort All-Star Sports Resort All-Star Movies Resort |
Animal Kingdom Villas |
| Wide World of Sports Resort Area |
None | None | Pop Century Resort | None |
| Campsites and cabins | Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | |||
| Hotel Plaza | Best Western • Doubletree • Regal Sun Resort • Hilton • Holiday Inn • Royal Plaza • Buena Vista Palace | |||
