Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER

Port Orleans French Quarter, and its sister resort Port Orleans Riverside, are Disney World’s best-loved moderate resorts.

French Quarter is also my own personal favorite among the moderates, and it’s inspired a great fan site, PortOrleans.org.

However, many stays–most recently in November 2016–confirm that Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort remains the fourth best of the moderate resorts for first time family visitors.

(These moderate rankings are very close; for what the moderates provide, and how they compare to the other Disney World resort classes, click here)

[Read more →]

DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

(Note 10/17: Port Orleans Riverside is now part of a dog-friendly pilot program.)

With more than 2000 rooms sprawling in two different sections around Disney’s (man-made) Sassagoula River, Port Orleans Riverside is probably Disney World’s best-loved moderate resort, and has inspired a great fan site.

I’ve stayed at Riverside nine times since I started this site, most recently in September 2015. These visits confirm that Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort remains the third best of the moderate resorts for first time family visitors.

(For what the moderates provide, and how they compare to the other Disney World resort classes, click here)

You can have a wonderful visit at any Walt Disney World resort.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World avoid the moderate resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. (See this for why.)

That said, the moderates represent ~30% of the rooms of Walt Disney World, and will be sought by some because this site’s recommended resorts are sold out, because you are on return visits, or because–sensibly–you’re just not that into my rankings!

So I stay in them all, and update my reviews.

REVIEW: DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience.

On this basis, Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort is the third best moderate resort for first time family visitors.

(Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is first, but see this before booking it; Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort second; and Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter is fourth; these results are very close.  The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are ranked last, and this is not close.)

Kid Appeal. The southern bayou and plantation theming of this resort, while charming to many adults (especially the Magnolia Bend section, whose Georgian architecture is quite lovely), will miss most kids entirely.

That said, its extra amenities bump it slightly ahead of its sister resort Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. (French Quarter visitors are encouraged to use these amenities; the difference is that for Riverside guests, they are immediately present.)

Moreover, the Royal Rooms will have great appeal to some kids–though they are more expensive, and less convenient, than alternatives.

Now, I get comments all the time along the lines of “We stayed at Riverside and it had great appeal for my kids!” Of course it did. All the Disney resorts have great kid appeal. My point is that some have even more than others…

Convenience. Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is in the middle of moderates convenience.

While often thought of as out of the way, it is in fact just across the street (or two) from Epcot, and along with Port Orleans French Quarter is the closest of the “traditional” moderates to the Magic Kingdom. It also shares with French Quarter a slow boat to Downtown Disney.

The principal convenience frustration is that, since it shares most buses with Port Orleans French Quarter, it has in effect 5 bus stops. The Magic Kingdom bus is the exception–it has only four stops, as it skips Port Orleans French Quarter.

Buses fill all too often before they get to their final stop (which varies, depending on the route), and the first day or two of a visit, it can be hard to identify from inside the bus whether one is at the West, North, or East Bus Stop.

Getting off at the wrong stop matters, because Port Orleans Riverside is pretty darn big, and can be a challenge to get around.

While at my pace no room is more than a ten minute walk from the central service area and pool, this is assuming you take the most direct path, and don’t get lost.

Getting lost–especially at night–in the far reaches of the Alligator Bayou section is easy.

It’s not widely noticed, but the texture of the concrete paths in the Alligator Bayou section is meant to help with wayfinding.

Where there are groups of buildings, the main path through them is textured to look like a plank road.

The image above shows the junction between the path around the river and one of these plank road paths. The texturing is meant to indicate to you that you are on a main path, and keep you from wandering off accidentally onto a building-specific path.

The image on the right side shows the texture of the plank road a little more clearly.

As a final convenience point, the two story buildings in the Alligator Bayou area have no elevators.

Other distinctive features. One of only  two traditional moderates that can sleep five, in the Alligator Bayou section. (Caribbean Beach is the other, and its five person rooms are slightly more livable.) These Alligator Bayou rooms provide two queen beds and a short Murphy bed. With Port Orleans French Quarter, the only moderate with no lake, and with the French Quarter the only moderate with boat transport to Downtown Disney.

ACCOMMODATIONS AT DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

Much more so than Disney World’s other moderate resorts, Port Orleans Riverside has distinct areas and room types, with varied pros and cons.

There’s two areas–Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend–and three different room types.

See the map (click it to enlarge it)–whose colored circles I will explain as I go along.

THE MAGNOLIA BEND SECTION OF PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside contains the four large buildings circled in yellow at the right of the map, themed as graceful southern plantation homes, with courtyards, porticoes, grand stairs, and fountains.

The two top-most of these buildings are Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace.

These two buildings are the most highly recommended among the Port Orleans Riverside options, because of their

• Access to bus stops–above on either side, circled in red
• Access to the main pool, on the island at the center of the map over the bridge between them, and
• Access to the food court and services, just to the left of the pool

The rooms you’ll find here are tied with the rest of the Magnolia Bend rooms for being most livable, and tied with the Alligator Bayou rooms for having the lowest cost.

Their floor plans are typical of the moderates. What make them more livable than the Alligator Bend rooms is that they have both more, and more accessible, drawer space.

For a full review of this room type, see this.

The two bottom-right buildings, Oak Manor and Parterre Place, circled in black, are where you’ll find Riverside’s Royal Rooms.

Royal Rooms are distinctively decorated to a Disney Prince and Princess theme, and are higher cost than any other options at Port Orleans Riverside. Their floor plans are very similar to those in the two other Magnolia Bend buildings.

Families who find the added theming worth the extra ~$45-$80 per night these rooms cost may find them quite pleasant.

The buildings themselves, however, are distant from the main pool and from bus stops.

A detailed review of the Royal Rooms is here.

THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU SECTION OF PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside is on the top left of the map, circled in purple. The two-story, no-elevator buildings here are themed as backwoods hovels homes.

While some of these buildings are quite convenient, e.g. Building 14, many are distant from one, two, or all three of the main pool, central services, and bus stops.

However, these rooms are among the few “traditional” moderate rooms at Walt Disney World that can sleep 5–the only other ones are at Caribbean Beach.

The fifth sleeping spot is in a short (66″) Murphy Bed that drops down from the TV/dresser object.

The geometry of the object means that these rooms have both less drawer space to start with, and also that the drawers are inaccessible if the Murphy Bed is in use. The five person rooms at Caribbean Beach have a better design–they both have more drawers, and some of their drawers remain accessible after the bed is lowered.

These rooms are great for families seeking a Riverside room, but needing the extra sleeping spot; otherwise, a room in the Magnolia Bend section at either Acadian House or Magnolia Terrace is a better choice.

See a full review of these Alligator Bend rooms here.

BEST PLACES TO STAY AT DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

This site suggests that first time visitors stay in standard rooms, not preferred rooms (because they won’t be spending much time in their rooms, or going to the main resort food area often; the single exception is visitors to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, who should always pay for savanna views.)

Unless you need the bed for the 5th person, stay in a top floor (quieter) standard room in building 85– “Magnolia Terrace” –in the Magnolia Bend section. This area is much lovelier than the other section, Alligator Bayou, and the storage is more convenient. And of the non-Royal options, Building 85 is the best choice–lovely, closer to the pool and central services, and with a nearby bus stop.

If you do need the fifth person bed in Alligator Bayou, shoot for a ground floor room (no elevators) in buildings 38 or 39—better views, closest to the main pool—or 27 for a balance among views, pool access and closeness to the central services area.

Room request forms for Riverside are particularly thin on options. If you booked a Royal Room you’ll automatically be put in Oak Manor or Parterre Place, the buildings that include them; if you booked five people three or older, you’ll automatically go into one of the Alligator Bayou rooms.  Beyond this, call to express your preferences.

PHOTO TOUR OF A MAGNOLIA BEND STANDARD ROOM AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE RESORT

• Overview of Port Orleans Riverside
• Photo Tour of Standard Magnolia Bend Rooms
• Photo Tour of Alligator Bayou 5 Person Rooms
• Photo Tour of Magnolia Bend Royal Rooms
• Amenities at Port Orleans Riverside
• The Pools at Port Orleans Riverside
• The History of Port Orleans Riverside

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PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE ROYAL ROOMS

ROYAL ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

There are two Port Orleans resorts at Walt Disney World: Port Orleans French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside.

On the map, French Quarter is the purple area on the right, and Riverside the green area on the left.

Port Orleans Riverside has two areas and three distinct room types.

Its Alligator Bayou area comprises the groups of buildings on the lower left corner of the map.  These rooms sleep five in two queen beds and one short (~66 inches long) Murphy bed.

Its Magnolia Bend area (the four blocks of rooms at the top of the Riverside part of the map) has two room types, Royal Rooms and Standard Rooms, each sleeping four in two queen beds.

This page reviews the Magnolia Bend Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside.

REVIEW OF THE ROYAL ROOMS [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, click here.)

MORE ON DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort officially

“invites you to become a part of your favorite animated films. At Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, [g]uests are immersed in the artistry and enchantment of Walt Disney and Disney•Pixar classics through imaginative design and themed rooms.”

The resort, built across Hourglass Lake from Pop Century, occupies land, foundations, and, in several cases, buildings meant to become the second half of the Pop Century project.

Instead, Disney decided to go with a new theme at Art of Animation, and in doing so came up with

• The most richly themed of all the value resorts
• The most Disney-themed hotel among all the Disney World resorts, and
• The best food court at any Disney World hotel [Read more →]

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, click here.)

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time family visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience. Art of Animation has the most kid appeal of all the values, and as much convenience as any.

This makes Art of Animation my highest-ranked value resort at Walt Disney World. [Read more →]

The Basics: Where to Stay

The Value Resorts   Art of Animation   Pop Century    Movies    Sports   Music

OVERVIEW: DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT FOR FIRST TIME VISITORS

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opened in stages in 2012, and we stayed in each of its two major room types–

• Tiny, four-person Little Mermaid standard rooms, and
• Large, 6-person Family Suites

–within a week of their respective openings.

Since then, we’ve stayed at Art of Animation six more times for a total of eight stays–six more visits to the family suites, and one more to the Little Mermaid rooms.

These two room types share all resort services.

Otherwise they are profoundly different, and families reserving one while expecting the other are in for a shock!

That said, each Art of Animation room type–with some qualifiers–comes in at the top of its respective class:

Little Mermaid standard rooms are the best place to stay for families seeking a standard value resort room.

(Families with mobility issues might want a preferred room at Pop Century instead, and families looking for queen beds a refurbed room at Pop Century. Those needing to spend the lowest amount possible should target All-Star Movies.)

The Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort beat out the alternative value resort Family Suites at All-Star Music on most dimensions as the best suites for first-timers.

(The Music link has a detailed comparison, and there are a few differences at All-Star Music that may make the family suites there better for some families.)

Because of the importance of this resort and these rooms–being new, and coming in at the top of their respective rankings–you’ll find thousands of words and hundreds of pictures in the later pages of this review.  

This page, by way of introduction, looks at the “big picture” of Art of Animation.

You can have a wonderful visit at any Walt Disney World resort hotel.

However, this site recommends that first time visitors to Walt Disney World who can afford it should stay at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, a deluxe resort, and that those who can’t should stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a value resort. (See this for more on the value resorts at Walt Disney World.)

(It also suggests that first time visitors should avoid the moderate resorts, while noting that these resorts are wonderful for visits after the first. See this for why.)

Compared to other Walt Disney World owned and operated resorts, the value resorts are distinguished by having the lowest prices, least amenities, and smallest standard rooms.  In contrast, value resort Family Suites–predominant at Art of Animation–are quite large, and for some families may even be substitutes for a deluxe resort.

Note that the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her at at KellyB@DestinationsInFlorida.com or 980-429-4499.

STANDARD ROOMS AT ART OF ANIMATION

You likely will never stay in a hotel with smaller rooms than the standard rooms you’ll find at Disney’s value resorts.

See the floor plan of a standard Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation.

I could not imagine staying in one of these rooms if I had to add a crib as well (the room sleeps four in two full-size beds, plus one more, younger than three, in a crib).

However, if your family will fit, standard rooms in Disney’s Art of Animation Resort have much more kid appeal than the moderate resorts, the next higher price class.

(Moderates are about twice as expensive, but have much bigger standard rooms, queen beds–other than a few exceptions–and nicer landscaping. See this for much more on resort distinctions by price class–value, moderate, deluxe, etc.)

Compared to staying off-site, the value resorts are distinguished by their higher kid appeal, convenience, and access to certain key perks that off-site hotels can’t provide.

Art of Animation has ten buildings, deeply themed in groups of two or three buildings around a well-loved Disney movie.

Standard rooms at Art of Animation all have a Little Mermaid theme. There are no Standard rooms in the Cars, Nemo, or Lion King areas, and no family suites in the Little Mermaid area.

Contrary to some pre-opening concerns, these rooms are not too girly for little boys. Ariel herself shows up only once in the Little Mermaid outdoor area, and just once inside the room–on the shower curtain!

In fact, Prince Eric is as present in the theming as Ariel is. Little boys will like these rooms just fine!

The main problem with the Little Mermaid standard rooms at Art of Animation is their relative distance from the central resort services–the bus stop, food court, check-in desks, and main pool.

Art of Animation was built on a site planned for an expansion of Pop Century. As part of that expansion the foundations, the central service building, and two of the ten hotel buildings were built a decade ago.

The two already-built buildings, along with a third planned for the same themed area, were converted into the standard room area of Art of Animation.

The other seven buildings–to become Family Suites–are on the same footprint, but profoundly different.

By chance, the two already-built buildings also happened to be part of the grouping that is furthest away from the main central services.

See the resort map above.  The Little Mermaid Rooms are in the orange circle on the left.  None of these buildings is either wildly distant nor particularly convenient, and families with mobility issues should consider a preferred room at Pop Century.

Among the Little Mermaid buildings, Building 7 is the best choice (one of the two closer buildings, and the only one of these two with rooms with a lake view), and building 8 the worst (the farthest).

FAMILY SUITES AT ART OF ANIMATION

The Family Suites at Art of Animation combine innovative and flexible floor plans with deep theming based on the Disney movies Cars, the Lion King, and Finding Nemo that makes them uniquely attractive for larger families.

See the floor plan.

These rooms sleep six in a space more than twice as big as the 4-person standard Little Mermaid rooms.

There are three sleeping spots–two in the queen in the master bedroom, two on a fold-out couch in the living space, and two on a Murphy bed that folds down where the dining table shows on the floor plan.

The number of beds (3 vs 4) and the dining table are the main furnishings differences between Art of Animation Family Suites and those at All-Star Music.

Folding the bed down to make the dining table disappear is also just fun.

These rooms are also much more deeply themed than those at Music–to an extent that may be garish to some families!

All-Star Music Family Suites also have some other positives–a bigger living room and kitchen, four sleeping spots rather than three, and a lower price.

For more details on the difference between these two types of suites, see this.

But for most families, Art of Animation Family Suites will be the better choice.  They have much more kid appeal, and more convenience, than those at Music.

Choices as to which group of buildings to book will, in many families, simply be guided by which of Cars, the Lion King, and Finding Nemo is their favorite film. (The Nemo rooms are a little more expensive.)

For those open to any of the three, a 2nd floor or higher Hourglass Lake view room on the Finding Nemo side of Building 6 in the Lion King area will be the best choice.

• You’d pick the Lion King buildings because these are the only ones at Art of Animation that don’t surround a pool.  This makes them quieter.
• Second floor or higher to limit corridor noise, which in the Family Suite buildings can be a problem on the first floor.
• Hourglass Lake view, and thus Building 6, because this is the best view (Art of Animation and Pop Century are the only value resorts on a lake; why not take advantage of that view?).
• And the Finding Nemo side of Building 6 as that will put you closer to the central services of the resort.

The room request form is the same for all Art of Animation areas.

Note that, with one exception, when you book your room you get to pick which themed area you will be in–the exception is if you book a family suite on a deal. For more specific requests, put in a room request.

WHY IS ART OF ANIMATION RANKED SO HIGH?

Resorts are ranked on this site for first time family visitors based first on their kid appeal, and then on their convenience. Art of Animation has the most kid appeal of all the values, and as much convenience as any.

This makes Art of Animation my highest-ranked value resort at Walt Disney World.

KID APPEAL AND ART OF ANIMATION

Several of the deluxe resorts–notably, the Wilderness Lodge, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and Polynesian Resort–have spectacular kid appeal. None of the moderates do.

All of the value resorts–Disney’s Art of Animation resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies, and its Pop Century resort–have terrific kid appeal.

This appeal comes from the approach to theming they all share: bright and vibrant exteriors, framing much larger than life objects of interest to kids.

These objects reinforce that these resorts were designed for the sake of kids…and not necessarily for adults!

Art of Animation takes this theming to a new level of immersiveness.  Its four areas each have two or three buildings themed around a movie with great kid appeal–Cars, Little Mermaid, the Lion King, and Finding Nemo.

The rooms are more deeply themed to their respective movies than the rooms in any other value resort are themed to their topics.

See the view of the Cars Family Suite above, for example, and the detail of its theme.

Even more astonishing is the theming outside the rooms.

The environments around the Art of Animation buildings are deeply themed to recall the settings of these movies.

This is particularly effective in the Cars (above) and Lion King (below) areas, and least so in the Little Mermaid section.

The Cars and Lion King areas are in fact so deeply themed to their settings that the areas around them may be a little off-putting to those who are not fans of these films.

CONVENIENCE AND ART OF ANIMATION

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is slightly more convenient than the All-Stars, and mostly as convenient as Pop Century.

Compared to the All-Stars, it is more central. Although Disney officially classifies it, like the All-Stars, as an “ESPN Wide World of Sports” Area Resort,” it is in fact quite centrally located.

• It is just south of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, nestled in the area between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
• It is closer to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the Magic Kingdom than the All-Stars are.

Second, Art of Animation is one of only two resorts at Walt Disney World that both has only one bus stop and also does not share buses with any other resort. (Pop Century is the other.)

Each of the All-Star resorts has only one bus stop, but they often share their buses with one or both of the other All-Stars.

Pop Century is a little easier to get around for than Art of Animation is for those in standard rooms.  The standard rooms at Art of Animation are more distant from the hotel’s central services than 70% of Pop’s are.

Compared to the other value resorts, Art of Animations’ strengths are its unmatched kid appeal from its great theming, transportation convenience at the highest level of the values, its vast number of really well-designed Family Suites, and the best food court on any Disney World resort hotel property.

The only weaknesses it has compared to other values is that its 4 person standard rooms (all in its Little Mermaid section) are less convenient to the hotel’s central service area than most of those at any other value. Note also that all of its standard rooms have full beds and no coffeemaker.  Refurbed Pop Century rooms have queen beds and coffeemakers.

The long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her using the form you can find here.

LITTLE MERMAID STANDARD ROOMS AT ART OF ANIMATION

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

• Overview of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• The Little Mermaid Area and Rooms
• Photo Tour of a Little Mermaid Room
• Overview of the Family Suites Areas
• Accommodations in the Family Suites
• Photo Tour of a Finding Nemo Family Suite (plus bed dimensions, storage, etc)
• Photo Tour of a Lion King Family Suite
• Photo Tour of a Cars Family Suite
• Amenities at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
• The Pools at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 150+ stays in them

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