Greetings from Louisiana!

And by Louisiana, we mean Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter and Riverside Resorts! These two resorts are part of Disney’s Moderate tier resorts, which land right in the middle between Value and Deluxe. Both resorts offer great perks to guests, including free transportation, a complimentary water park visit on the day of check-in, Early Theme Park Entry, and advance Lightning Lane booking!

While we love both of these resorts, they are not perfect, as these six unfortunate things happen every time we stay there. 

All Disney World resorts are not created equal, and while Riverside and French Quarter are beautifully themed, we have run into a few problems when we visit and stay at these resorts. 

Transportation is Limited

Both Riverside and French Quarter only offer bus transportation to the parks. Since this is the only transportation option, bus lines can be long, and buses can be crowded. If you are staying at Riverside, depending on your building’s location, you may be in for a longer bus ride as there are four bus stops that the buses need to stop at. Meanwhile, the French Quarter only has one bus stop. 

Although bus transportation is the only way to the parks, boats travel along the Sassagoula River between both resorts and Disney Springs. You can also catch boats to Disney’s Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resort, along with the Treehouse Villas from Disney Springs, if you want to do some resort hopping!

It is Easy to Get Lost

Although both of these resorts are in the Moderate tier, Riverside is specifically spread out similarly to a Value Resort or like Disney’s Old Key West and Saratoga Springs Resorts. There are multiple buildings and bus stops, so it can be easy to be confused and get lost. If you want an easier resort to navigate, French Quarter may be a better choice for you. 

You Have to Double-Check Which Room You Want to Book

Both French Quarter and Riverside are in the process of updating and refurbishing all of their rooms. While French Quarter’s refurbishment will wrap up in the Spring of 2025, Riverside will continue construction from April 2025 to January 2026. This means if you want an updated room, you need to make sure you book one. 

The same goes for Royal Guest Rooms at Riverside. You can choose between two different versions of rooms: Standard Rooms (with location and view upgrades) or Royal Rooms (also with location and view upgrades). Royal Guest Rooms will make you feel like royalty, with dark tones and touches of Tiana and her friends throughout.

Only Riverside is Dog-Friendly

Now, this is not necessarily something that “happens every time” but falls more into the unfortunate category. Four resorts at Disney World allow dogs: Art of Animation, The Cabins at Ft. Wilderness, The Yacht Club, and Port Orleans – Riverside. If you want to bring your furry companion with you and stay at Port Orleans, you must book a room at Riverside and disclose that you are bringing your dog. 

Beignets are Only at the French Quarter

The only place to currently get Mickey beignets at Disney World is the French Quarter. So, if you want one of these delicious confections and you are at Riverside, you will either have to walk to the French Quarter or take the boat between resorts.

Room Promotions are Constantly Changing

Disney World hosts a ton of promotions throughout the year that range from discounted park tickets to discounted room rates and even discounted Disney Dining Plan deals. While these are great, sometimes the promotions offered are not the best bang for your buck when choosing Port Orleans. 

So, if you want to stay at these resorts with a discount, you will need to watch out for new promotions, as well as price out which promotions are the best. The most apparent promotion is not always the best one! Sadly, while you may get a great deal to stay at these resorts, you may not get the same deal in the future.

Check Out Disney’s Current Discounts and Deals!

Well, there you have it! Both Port Orleans — French Quarter and Riverside are beautiful resorts, but they do have their quirks.

We have stayed at every hotel at Disney World so make sure to continue to follow along with us here at the Disney Food Blog for more hotel tips and to stay up to date on all the latest Disney news!

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Have you ever stayed at Port Orleans — French Quarter or Riverside? Let us know in the comments!

The post 6 Unfortunate Things That Happen Every Time We Stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog.