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Disney Port Orleans Riverside Resort Review

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Continuing with my Walt Disney World resorts reviews, today I’m covering Disney Port Orleans Riverside! I most recently stayed here in December of 2023 when I reviewed the princess themed rooms at this resort. However, I also stayed in a regular room back in 2016. So, this review will be based off of both stays.

Disney Port Orleans Riverside

Disney Port Orleans Riverside

As I mentioned in my Port Orleans French Quarter Resort review, there are two sister resorts under the Port Orleans Resort name. There’s French Quarter (a much smaller resort with jazz vibes) and this one, Riverside. Both resorts are considered moderates as they are a higher price point than the values. However, they also have classier themes and nicer food. In fact, Riverside even has a sit-down table service restaurant. Both resorts also provide boat transportation to Disney Springs!

Riverside Theme

Port Orleans Riverside is a large resort with multiple bus stops. It’s themed to the stately mansions of the bayou. There’s even a section of princess themed rooms. Overall, it’s a beautiful, peaceful resort. Currently, the regular rooms look very similar to the ones found at the French Quarter. The beds are moderately comfortable, but you are also paying for that comfort.

Now, on to the pros and cons of staying here.

Pros

  • Beautiful resort – This truly is a pretty and calm resort, which is good since you will be doing a lot of walking here.
  • Comfortable rooms – Again, both stays here have been quiet and we slept well. I also appreciated the good water pressure, particularly after staying at Cabana Bay at Universal.
  • Good for adults only stays – The classy touches are perhaps better appreciated by the adults. Children may find the theme (aside from the princess rooms) a little under-whelming.
  • Royal themed rooms – The princess/royal themed rooms we stayed in were really nice! The theme was beautiful and delightful. It’s the only resort to have these sweet rooms.
  • Boat transportation to Disney Springs. If you are planning a visit to Disney Springs, then you can enjoy a lovely boat ride over there.
  • On-site perks – Once again, I love staying on-site for the free park transportation and 60 day advance dining reservations.
  • Boatwright’s Dining Hall – This is the table service restaurant at the resort. We ate here for dinner prior to heading over to Hollywood Studios for Jollywood Nights. We didn’t have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate us within 10 minutes. We enjoyed the sweet cornbread that was more akin to a corncake with its sweet flavor. I got the Taste of the Bayou and enjoyed sampling lots of things. I published a full Boatwright’s Dining Hall review last week if you want to hear more. Suffice it to say, it was nice to have a sit down meal without having to go anywhere else.
  • Carriage rides – We didn’t get a chance to take one, but we did see a couple taking a carriage ride around the resort. It looked lovely.

Cons

  • Large resort – More than likely, you won’t be right beside the lobby or a bus stop. If you book a stay here, know that you will be doing some serious walking.
  • Multiple bus stops – Due to the size of the resort, there are multiple bus stops. That might not sound like a big deal, but when you are tired at the end of the night and you have to stop several times, it adds up. Also, if you are at the last bus stop, then it might take a while for a bus to actually pick you up. Basically, give yourself extra time to get anywhere when you stay here.
  • Bus transportation to parks – We didn’t have time to visit Disney Springs in December. So, we spent a good amount of time waiting for and sitting/standing on the buses this trip.
  • More expensive than value resorts – Yes, you get a lot more and better things for the price here. However, it’s never cheap. We used a Disney+ discount on our stay in December, but it was still pretty expensive to stay here.

Is Port Orleans Riverside Worth It?

I think this is a lovely resort. It’s certainly a unique and relaxing resort. However, it’s expensive and expansive. Personally, I prefer the more compact French Quarter or somewhere on the Skyliner. Have you ever stayed here? What was your experience like?

Boatwright’s Dining Hall Review

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When my mom and I stayed in the princess rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside in December 2023, we had dinner at the table service restaurant, Boatwright’s Dining Hall, located at the resort. Here’s a review of that experience.

Boatwright's Dining Hall Review

Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside is a moderate resort. It has a quick service food court as well as this table service, i.e. sit-down restaurant. It’s a southern cookery with a Louisiana bayou theme. In fact, there’s a hull of a boat suspended from the ceiling in the front of the restaurant! The dark lighting makes for a relaxing vibe. The fireplace adds to the calming atmosphere. Eating here after wandering around the large resort really makes it feel like you are in the southern US.

No Reservation

I recommend making an advanced dining reservation for 99% of the table service restaurants at Walt Disney World. However, I wasn’t sure if we would eat here or not. So, I didn’t make a reservation for this meal. Thankfully, they were able to accommodate us within 10 minutes of our arrival without any trouble. In fact, the restaurant didn’t look full. So, this may be one of the few restaurants that you can get into without a reservation pretty safely.

Dinner

My mom and I enjoyed the cornbread and Mickey-shaped butter we received upon sitting down. The cornbread is really sweet though. In fact, I saved some for the end of the meal as a makeshift dessert! It was good.

I wanted to embrace the whole vibe of this resort and restaurant. So, I selected the Taste of the Bayou entree. It’s technically an all you care to enjoy meal, but I was too full to ask for seconds of anything. First up, I tried the ribs. The BBQ was sweet and tasty. However, the meat was a little too fatty for my liking. Next, I tried the Cajun chicken. It had a nice breading (not overly crunchy, but a little crispy). It had a bit of a kick, but not too much. I enjoyed it. I also liked the smoked sausage. It was also a little spicy, but not overly so. Unfortunately, the barbecued beef brisket wasn’t for me. Again, the meat was fatty.

The sides were also plentiful here. The macaroni and cheese was good. Somewhat basic, but still good. The mashed potatoes were fine. I liked the green beans. They were a little salty without being too salty. The corn was fine but a little dry.

My mom got the prime rib. I was shocked with how big it was. It was easily a couple of serving sizes worth of meat! She enjoyed it thoroughly. The broccoli was basic and fine. She also liked the mashed potatoes.

Boatwright’s Dining Hall Overall

Basically, it was nice to have a relaxing dinner at our resort. The food was good, but not great. I wouldn’t recommend traveling over to the resort just to eat here. It’s good for someone already staying at the resort though if you don’t want the quick service or don’t have time to go over to Disney Springs.

Winter in Orlando Theme Parks Guide

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I feel like I just started this seasonal theme parks guide series, but it’s my last post. I just did Christmas in the theme parks, so now it’s time for winter in Orlando theme parks! FYI: I will be considering January and February as winter for this post. As in, the period of time after the holidays but before the spring festivities start.

Winter in Orlando

Winter in Orlando

If you aren’t familiar with the theme parks, you probably wonder why I’m doing a separate post from the holidays guide. That’s because there’s a couple of months wherein the holidays are over but the parks are still open and have some special events! Typically, the crowds are smaller during this time of the year. So, the parks host special events to draw people in.

Winter in Disney

The Christmas decorations usually come down in January, around/after the marathon weekend. You enter the half of the year where the Magic Kingdom looks normal without any holiday decor. The majority of the parks are somewhat quiet and feature special After Hours events to entice people to visit. I plan to visit in February and attend an event at Magic Kingdom, so be on the lookout for a review of that experience. However, in previous years it was a great time to ride the rides with minimal waits.

The other big thing that happens in January and February in Walt Disney World is the Festival of the Arts at Epcot! You know from my Epcot Festival of the Arts Guide that I love this event and it’s my favorite seasonal event at Epcot. The weather is cooler, which makes it easier to enjoy the food around World Showcase. Plus, there’s lots of fun entertainment to enjoy. Festival of the Arts ends on February 19th and Flower and Garden begins February 28th this year! So, technically your winter trip could coincide with either or neither of these fun festivals!

Winter at Universal Orlando

Once again, we encounter another one of my favorite theme park events. This time, it’s at Universal Orlando resort and I’m talking about Mardi Gras. I posted a Mardi Gras at Universal Orlando guide previously, but suffice it to say it’s a fun time! The event begins the first weekend in February and goes until the beginning of April. Since it’s so long, I’m covering it in both winter and spring guides. I highly recommend riding on a float if you can. If not, enjoy catching some beads when you watch the parade.

Winter at SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld tries to draw in visitors during this time of the year with several limited time special activities. For instance, there’s an Inside Look event taking place over two weekends that offers a behind the scenes look at how the animals are taken care of at the park. Just for Kids Weekend takes places one weekend in January. There’s also an Elmo’s Birthday celebration lasting one whole week. Additionally, from February to May, they have the Seven Seas Food Festival! We enjoyed a few food items from it one time and think it’s good for any foodies in the area.

Where are you headed?

So, that’s an overview of what you can expect to experience in the Orlando theme parks in January and February. Are you visiting any of the parks this winter?

You can check out my other seasonal theme parks guides here:

Disney World Princess Room Review

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In December I was lucky enough to spend a few nights in a Disney World princess room at Port Orleans Resort – Riverside! Here are my thoughts on staying there.

Disney World Princess Room

Disney World Princess Rooms

Technically, these are called the Royal Guest Rooms as it pays homage to Tiana and her prince/princess friends! However, I’ve always thought of them as the princess rooms. So, that’s what I’m calling it. Ha!

These rooms are located at Port Orleans – Riverside. I intend to do a separate post reviewing the resort itself at a later date. However, it’s a sister resort to the Port Orleans – French Quarter that I reviewed last year. That means it’s a moderate with more upscale touches than a value but less amenities than a deluxe.

Amazing Theme

My mom and I loved the theme of this room! There were little touches everywhere that made these rooms feel extra special. From the carpet with the Magic Carpet from “Aladdin” on it to the faucets shaped like the Genie’s lamp, it was so nice to take it all in. You can tell they put extra time and money into these rooms.

Similar to the headboards at Disneyland Hotel, they play a fireworks show. Unfortunately, these are silent fireworks. However, it was a really nice touch that I appreciated.

I think most Disney fans would enjoy spending at least one night in these rooms just to experience the beautiful details. I found myself just sitting in the room and taking it all in a few times.

Luxurious Vibes

Having most recently stayed in a value at WDW in October (Pop Century), this was a breath of fresh air! The room was significantly classier. Plus, we heard very few people while staying here. It was a much quieter experience and we slept great! The beds were definitely more comfortable than the ones found at a value resort.

The theme really made for a luxurious vibe. Even the shower head and faucets are fancier since they are gold in color. These are some of the best themed rooms on property, in my opinion.

Is a Disney World princess room worth it?

As I mentioned above, these rooms are more expensive than a typical room found at this resort. Thankfully, we used a Disney+ discount to stay here, but it was more expensive than a value resort. I would say a stay here is worth it for any Disney film fan, particularly fans of the princess movies. It’s so neat to look for all of the little touches around the room.

I will provide one word of caution on these rooms: they are far away from the lobby and bus stops. The trek to our room at the end of the night was longer than we liked. However, I’m happy we were able to stay here once.

Have you ever stayed in one of these rooms?

A Look Back at 2023: Year in Review

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It’s hard to believe, but another year is coming to a close! Just for fun, I thought I would do a little look back at 2023!

Look Back at 2023

Look Back at 2023

Maybe it’s just me, but the last few months have flown by! I can’t believe 2023 is almost over! The end of a year always makes me reflect on what I accomplished or what happened. It also makes me happy to look ahead to the new year. So, here’s a brief look at my 2023!

Return to Solo Travel

Prior to the pandemic, I would travel a couple of times a year by myself. However, that all stopped during the pandemic. In May of this year, I finally resumed my solo adventures! I visited Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm by myself! This felt like quite the accomplishment as I had to fly across the country and navigate things all by myself. I also wrote a post Solo Disneyland: Tips for Going Alone in case anyone else is interested in doing the same thing!

I wasn’t initially planning to visit Universal Orlando this fall. However, I ended up taking a bit of a last minute trip to see the Stranger Things house! Attending Halloween Horror Nights by myself feels like another accomplishment since their slogan is literally “Never go alone.” I also wrote Halloween Horror Nights Solo Tips for anyone considering taking the plunge to do HHN alone.

Visited Some New Places

I kicked off this year with my first visit to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. My mom and I visited the park for two days and enjoyed doing many of the Busch Gardens Tampa Animal Tours.

Then, in March my husband and I made a last minute trip to Colonial Williamsburg! It was his first time visiting and my second. Although, my first time was on a field trip in fourth grade and it’s a blur. I’m already discussing returning to Williamsburg for the food alone. You can read my Colonial Williamsburg Food Guide to see for yourself how good the food is!

In June I managed to book a weekend stay in Mt. Airy, North Carolina with my mom. You can read my Andy Griffith Homeplace Review to learn about our stay. I also wrote a Mt. Airy Food Guide for Mayberry North Carolina that has gotten several views.

Returned to Some Old Favorites

In February, I was happy to return to Universal Orlando for Mardi Gras! In fact, my mom and I did the Mardi Gras Float Ride and Dine and absolutely loved it! I was also tickled to visit my favorite festival at Epcot: Festival of the Arts! My Epcot Festival of the Arts 2023 Review details why I love it so much!

In September, my mom and I visited Disneyland for their Halloween festivities for the first time! You can read my Halloween 2023 at Disneyland Guide to see what I recommend. Suffice it to say that Oogie Boogie Bash is awesome!

Other Hobbies

In 2023, I also got into some other hobbies besides travel. I painted several door hangers and little home decor items. In addition to that, I also got better at baking. I made my first ganache for a chocolate peanut butter pie in September. In November, I made my first meringue for a pie for a family Thanksgiving get together. I realize these aren’t things most people would include in a post like this, but they are things I’m proud of.

Looking Ahead to 2024

You may have noticed a pattern in this year’s travels: I did several last minute trips. I prefer to have trips planned out in advance. However, that isn’t always possible. I’m not certain where I will end up next year, but I currently have one trip booked for 2024. I will be heading to UO for Mardi Gras and WDW for Festival of the Arts in February again! My mom and I are leaning towards canceling our UO passes and visiting some other places in 2024.

So, what was your 2023 like? Where did you go? Do you have trips planned for 2024?