We’re taking you on a full tour of one of our readers’ FAVORITE moderate-level hotels in Disney World.

There are several different moderate hotels on property, but whenever we’ve asked for our readers’ top picks, they always go back to Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts — both French Quarter and Riverside. French Quarter might get a lot of the attention (probably because of the lively atmosphere and the incredible Mickey beignets), but Riverside has an elegant charm and a TON of outdoor amenities. In fact, we’d go so far as to call it something of a miniature Fort Wilderness! Let’s check it out.

Fort Wilderness is a much-loved resort in Disney World because it has all kinds of different outdoor activities available for its guests. You can go horseback riding, take a segway tour, and learn archery all in one day. But Port Orleans Riverside has an amenities list that comes pretty close to the one at Fort Wilderness.

If you want to experience all of those outdoor activities but don’t want to camp or pay the higher price for a cabin, Riverside might be the perfect compromise.

We’re getting ahead of ourselves, though, so let’s start with an overview of the hotel as a whole, and then we’ll get into the amenities list, followed by a thorough tour of one of the standard rooms.

Port Orleans — Riverside Hotel

Atmosphere

At Port Orleans — Riverside, Disney wanted to recreate “a picturesque setting that evokes the romance of rural Louisiana.” There are mansion-style buildings at Magnolia Bends and cottages at Alligator Bayou, which are the two distinct sections of the resort.

The atmosphere is calm and peaceful, and some of the buildings are nestled right by the Sassagoula River.

You can walk to Port Orleans — French Quarter to grab a beignet or hop on a boat and head over to Disney Springs.

Dining

In our opinion, Riverside and French Quarter are tied for having the BEST food courts in Disney World. Most of the value and moderate hotels have food courts, but Riverside Mill Food Court (at Riverside) and Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (at French Quarter) can boast the best fare available of all the food courts.

Riverside Mill has classic eats like burgers, pizza, and pasta, but the real magic is in the Southern-inspired dishes like Smothered Beef in Gravy, a Beef Po’ Boy, a Pimento BLT, and a Honey Barbecue Pork Sandwich.

If you’re looking for a table-service meal, Boatwright’s Dining Hall is a hidden gem of a sit-down restaurant. The menu is inspired by Southern and Cajun food, and we especially love the Jambalaya.

River Roost Lounge is a great spot to grab Louisiana-inspired cocktails and some appetizers, but the REAL reason folks love to visit this hang-out is Yehaa Bob Jackson. Yehaa Bob is a sing-along piano player who performs on Wednesday through Saturday evenings, and the lounge will be crowded with his fans, so make sure to arrive early!

While you’re at the Ol’ Man Island pool, you can grab a cocktail or mocktail at the Muddy Rivers Pool Bar.

And if none of those eateries sounds good to you, just hop on a boat on the Sassagoula River and head over to Disney Springs, where you’ll find practically limitless restaurant options available to you.

Shopping

The main place to grab a souvenir at Riverside is Fulton’s General Store, which has both hotel-themed merchandise and generic Disney souvenirs.

Pools

The main pool at Riverside is Ol’ Man Island. This spot is a 3.5-acre water area that’s themed to look like an abandoned sawmill. It has a 95-foot waterslide, a whirlpool, and a kiddie pool!

If you want something a little quieter and more relaxing, check out any of the five leisure pools throughout the resort. Two are in Magnolia Bend, and three are in Alligator Island.

You’re also welcome to visit the French Quarter pool — Doubloon Lagoon — if you’re staying at Riverside, since the two hotels are sister resorts.

Other Amenities

The pools and restaurants are just the start of a long list of amenities available at Riverside, and all of the outdoor activity options are what make this resort feel like a miniature Fort Wilderness. There’s just so much to do!

Here’s a quick list of some other activities, but make sure to visit our page about the hotel to learn more about them all:

• Bike and Surrey bike rentals
• Fishing excursions
• A jogging trail down the Sassagoula River
• A playground
• The Medicine Show Arcade
• Horse-drawn carriage rides
• Movies under the stars
• Evening campfires
• Pool parties

Riverside is one of Disney World’s dog-friendly hotels, so you can bring your pup along with you on vacation! You can learn more about pet-friendly accommodations by calling (407) 939 – 7539.

Click here to learn more about Port Orleans — Riverside’s amenities.

Transportation

The biggest transportation perk at Riverside is the option to take a boat to Disney Springs or French Quarter.

Aside from that, your transportation options are limited to Disney’s buses. There are buses from Riverside to all four theme parks and Disney Springs.

Note that Riverside does have an internal bus loop, which means it might take a bit longer than expected to get on your way to the theme parks. This hotel has four internal stops, though during less busy times it might loop French Quarter into the route, adding an additional stop.

Rooms

Port Orleans — Riverside is broken up into two sections: Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou. You can book a Standard or Preferred room and choose between two queen beds or one king bed.

Some rooms can sleep up to five people because of an additional child-sized pull-down bed (these are called 5th Sleeper Rooms and are all located in the Alligator Bayou).

You can choose a standard view, woods view, river view, or pool view.

Some of the most popular rooms at Riverside are the Disney princess-themed Royal Guest Rooms. These are highly themed hotel rooms, and anyone who loves the princesses should stay there at least once.

Standard rooms average around $320 to $380 per night, and rooms with a specific view are at the higher end of that range. The Royal Rooms tend to be around $400 per night.

Room Tour

We had a standard room — it was not one of the highly themed Royal Rooms, though ours still had plenty of nods to The Princess and the Frog. Our room had two queen beds.

The room was nice and very clean, but we felt like the upscale, elegant feel was interrupted by the bright curtain that separated the room from the bathroom. We love that there were some extra Princess Tiana-themed design elements, but the in-your-face theming of that curtain contrasted with the rest of the more subtle design elements and felt disjointed.

There was a good amount of space in the room, so we felt more comfortable and were able to spread out more than we could in a value hotel room.

While we show more pictures, be on the lookout for more subtle Princess and the Frog and general Disney details!

As you walk into the room, you’ll see a window looking out to your view.

The curtains had a cute frog pattern!

Beside the window, there’s a small table and two chairs, with a mirror above the table. This is a nice spot if you have a lot of people trying to get ready in the morning at once.

The TV and dresser are beside the table…

…and there’s an outlet strip on top of the dresser.

This is also where the coffee maker is located…

…along with the ice bucket and some cups.

The dresser has three drawers…

…and a miniature refrigerator.

There’s not a ton of room in that mini fridge, but it has space for some drinks and snacks.

Next to the dresser is a bench…

…along with a shelf that has hooks for hanging bags or clothes.

Look closely at that shelf — there are a couple of hidden Mickeys there!

The thermostat is in this corner, too.

Turn around to the beds, and you’ll see they share a nightstand between them.

There are more outlets behind this nightstand…

…and it has a little drawer for extra storage.

The beds have lamps above them…

…and there are little lotus designs on the lampshades.

Make sure you check out the art on the beds’ headboards — they’re scenes featuring Princess and the Frog characters!

There’s more Princess and the Frog-themed art on the walls.

Let’s head over to the bathroom, which is separated from the main area by this curtain featuring Princess Tiana.

The first room has a vanity with double sinks and an area to hang clothes.

It’s separated from the water closet, with the toilet and shower, by a door. Having two separate areas to get ready in the morning is super convenient.

Underneath the vanity is lots of storage space, along with a hairdryer and some extra toilet paper.

Disney provides some toiletry items, like hand soap and lotion.

There’s a makeup mirror on the wall on one side…

…and the other has a shelf with hangers, and iron and ironing board, and extra blankets and pillows.

The room’s safe is also in this area.

Now, let’s look at the water closet.

The shower and tub combo is pretty simple…

…but the shower curtain is certainly pretty!

There is shampoo, conditioner, and body wash inside.

The towels hang over the toilet.

Here’s a look at the toilet.

So there you have it! What do you think — would you stay in this room?

There are a LOT of Disney World hotels to choose from, and if you want some help picking out the best one for your next trip, talk to our friends over at Small World Vacations. Their travel agents have decades of experience and can help you decide on the best option AND track down the best deals and discounts in the process. Best of all, their services are completely free!

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates and tips as you plan your next Disney vacation!

Click here to learn about ALL the Disney World hotels.

Would you stay at the Port Orleans — Riverside hotel? Let us know what you think of it in the comments!