Why We Chose to Book with French Quarter's Sister Resort for Our 2019 Trip!
Hi!
As discussed previously in my review of Port Orleans - French Quarter, we think that this resort is fantastic! If you haven't had a chance to read it, here's a brief breakdown of why:
1. Boat service to Disney Springs
2. Single bus stop for more compact travel
3. Beignets at Sassagoula and Floatworks Factory
4. Beautiful grounds
5. Coca-Cola Freestyle machines
6. Great customer service and greeter (Update: Arneil, the greeter, retired in June 2018 after 31 years of service)
At the end of my review, I said I would definitely be booking at French Quarter again in 2019. However, I decided to give another resort a try: Port Orleans - Riverside. In this article, I'll discuss why we chose to book with French Quarter's sister resort for our 2019 trip!
Brief History of Port Orleans Sister Resorts
Port Orleans - French Quarter opened on May 17, 1991 as Disney's Port Orleans Resort. Disney's Dixie Landings Resort opened on February 2, 1992. Almost a decade later, on April 1, 2001, the two resorts were portrayed as a united region, with Port Orleans Resort becoming French Quarter and Dixie Landings becoming Riverside. French Quarter was designed to reflect New Orlean's French Quarter, while Riverside was designed to reflect the south along the Mississippi River.
With 2,048 rooms as compared to 1,008, Riverside is the much larger of the two Port Orleans sister resorts. There are two areas: Alligator Bayou (the more rustic-feeling lodges of the resort) and Magnolia Bend (styled as grand manors within a southern plantation).
Dining
As discussed in the review of French Quarter, French Quarter is the only Moderate resort that does not have its own Table Service Restaurant. This is not the case with Port Orleans - Riverside. On top of the Riverside Mill Food Court, Riverside also has Boatwright's Dining Hall, a casual Table Service restaurant, River Roost Lounge, and Muddy Rivers Pool Bar, as well as pizza delivery service; this resort has a slightly more varied selection than that of French Quarter.
Pools
As I discussed previously, the pool theming is stellar at French Quarter. However, there is not one, but SIX pools at Riverside for you to take a dip in!
The main pool is located at Ol' Man Island, with five smaller, more quiet pools located throughout the Riverside Resort. For those of us travelling without children, having the option to relax away from the main pool is a welcome choice.
Boat Ride to Disney Springs
Like French Quarter, Riverside also has a dock where you can take a boat to Disney Springs, the shopping center at Walt Disney World. This was one of our favourite parts of our last vacation, so having the option to utilize it again is a huge upside to our next trip.
Bus System
As a smaller resort, French Quarter has one bus terminal near the main lobby. Although Riverside has four terminals, I do not necessarily view this as a bad thing. For tired feet, this option can allow you get closer to your room at the end of the day. If you just want to get out in the morning, there is a separate bus for the South station near the lobby from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, so you don't need to be worried about being limited by the transpotation system. Depending what is important to you, there's a bus strategy to fit your needs at this resort!
Deals
As some of you may know, both Port Orleans resorts tend to miss out on many of the good deals. From only offering 10% off rooms when other rooms are at 15-25% off, not always offering free dining, etc., the popularity of these resorts can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse.
This time around, I was able to get a deal at Riverside, but not French Quarter for the time frame in which we wanted to book for 2019. We would have had our choice of resort deals earlier in the year, but we wanted to get more varied experience on going at different times of year. As discussed in my budgeting article, money is obviously make-it-or-break-it on your Disney World vacation. Given Riverside's stellar reputation, we could not overlook a great deal to make our trip more affordable.
In the coming weeks, I'll be discussing ways to find great deals on tickets and resorts to make your Disney trip even more magical.
Variety
They say variety is the spice of life. Cliche, but true. There are currently 30 Disney-operated resorts on property including the Villa options. Each option has its own pros and cons, and I'd argue that if you're on a Disney vacation, there's only good and better options!
We haven't stayed at Riverside before, so this is our chance to get some perspective on what makes this Disney resort magical and how it compares to its sister location!
But What About Beignets and Coca-Cola Freestyle Stations?
Although Riverside has more amenities than French Quarter, French Quarter does have it beat by being the only place in Disney World to currently have beignets. Additionally, Sassagoula and Floatworks Factory's 2016 renovation brought the addition of the Coca-Cola Freestyle stations. I'm a bit of a pop junkie (bad, I know), so this did give me pause when I was selecting resorts for my upcoming trip!
However, lobby to lobby is about a 10-minute walk between the sister resorts, with shuttles between the two from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. I can enjoy the benefits of Riverside without being too inconvenienced to get to French Quarter. As sister resorts, you can also use the pools and amenities at both resorts if you choose.
In all, I believe Riverside is a fantastic choice and I cannot wait to give it a try!
Have you stayed at either of the Port Orleans resorts? Comment, subscribe and/or follow me on Instagram :)
Let me book the magic for you! Fill in this form for a FREE quote and/or click here for my contact information!
As discussed previously in my review of Port Orleans - French Quarter, we think that this resort is fantastic! If you haven't had a chance to read it, here's a brief breakdown of why:
1. Boat service to Disney Springs
2. Single bus stop for more compact travel
3. Beignets at Sassagoula and Floatworks Factory
4. Beautiful grounds
5. Coca-Cola Freestyle machines
6. Great customer service and greeter (Update: Arneil, the greeter, retired in June 2018 after 31 years of service)
At the end of my review, I said I would definitely be booking at French Quarter again in 2019. However, I decided to give another resort a try: Port Orleans - Riverside. In this article, I'll discuss why we chose to book with French Quarter's sister resort for our 2019 trip!
Brief History of Port Orleans Sister Resorts
Port Orleans - French Quarter opened on May 17, 1991 as Disney's Port Orleans Resort. Disney's Dixie Landings Resort opened on February 2, 1992. Almost a decade later, on April 1, 2001, the two resorts were portrayed as a united region, with Port Orleans Resort becoming French Quarter and Dixie Landings becoming Riverside. French Quarter was designed to reflect New Orlean's French Quarter, while Riverside was designed to reflect the south along the Mississippi River.
With 2,048 rooms as compared to 1,008, Riverside is the much larger of the two Port Orleans sister resorts. There are two areas: Alligator Bayou (the more rustic-feeling lodges of the resort) and Magnolia Bend (styled as grand manors within a southern plantation).
Dining
As discussed in the review of French Quarter, French Quarter is the only Moderate resort that does not have its own Table Service Restaurant. This is not the case with Port Orleans - Riverside. On top of the Riverside Mill Food Court, Riverside also has Boatwright's Dining Hall, a casual Table Service restaurant, River Roost Lounge, and Muddy Rivers Pool Bar, as well as pizza delivery service; this resort has a slightly more varied selection than that of French Quarter.
Pools
As I discussed previously, the pool theming is stellar at French Quarter. However, there is not one, but SIX pools at Riverside for you to take a dip in!
The main pool is located at Ol' Man Island, with five smaller, more quiet pools located throughout the Riverside Resort. For those of us travelling without children, having the option to relax away from the main pool is a welcome choice.
Boat Ride to Disney Springs
Like French Quarter, Riverside also has a dock where you can take a boat to Disney Springs, the shopping center at Walt Disney World. This was one of our favourite parts of our last vacation, so having the option to utilize it again is a huge upside to our next trip.
Bus System
As a smaller resort, French Quarter has one bus terminal near the main lobby. Although Riverside has four terminals, I do not necessarily view this as a bad thing. For tired feet, this option can allow you get closer to your room at the end of the day. If you just want to get out in the morning, there is a separate bus for the South station near the lobby from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM, so you don't need to be worried about being limited by the transpotation system. Depending what is important to you, there's a bus strategy to fit your needs at this resort!
Deals
As some of you may know, both Port Orleans resorts tend to miss out on many of the good deals. From only offering 10% off rooms when other rooms are at 15-25% off, not always offering free dining, etc., the popularity of these resorts can sometimes be both a blessing and a curse.
This time around, I was able to get a deal at Riverside, but not French Quarter for the time frame in which we wanted to book for 2019. We would have had our choice of resort deals earlier in the year, but we wanted to get more varied experience on going at different times of year. As discussed in my budgeting article, money is obviously make-it-or-break-it on your Disney World vacation. Given Riverside's stellar reputation, we could not overlook a great deal to make our trip more affordable.
In the coming weeks, I'll be discussing ways to find great deals on tickets and resorts to make your Disney trip even more magical.
Variety
They say variety is the spice of life. Cliche, but true. There are currently 30 Disney-operated resorts on property including the Villa options. Each option has its own pros and cons, and I'd argue that if you're on a Disney vacation, there's only good and better options!
We haven't stayed at Riverside before, so this is our chance to get some perspective on what makes this Disney resort magical and how it compares to its sister location!
But What About Beignets and Coca-Cola Freestyle Stations?
Although Riverside has more amenities than French Quarter, French Quarter does have it beat by being the only place in Disney World to currently have beignets. Additionally, Sassagoula and Floatworks Factory's 2016 renovation brought the addition of the Coca-Cola Freestyle stations. I'm a bit of a pop junkie (bad, I know), so this did give me pause when I was selecting resorts for my upcoming trip!
However, lobby to lobby is about a 10-minute walk between the sister resorts, with shuttles between the two from 6:30 AM to 11:30 PM. I can enjoy the benefits of Riverside without being too inconvenienced to get to French Quarter. As sister resorts, you can also use the pools and amenities at both resorts if you choose.
In all, I believe Riverside is a fantastic choice and I cannot wait to give it a try!
Have you stayed at either of the Port Orleans resorts? Comment, subscribe and/or follow me on Instagram :)
Let me book the magic for you! Fill in this form for a FREE quote and/or click here for my contact information!
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