Um. Boatwright’s is awesome.

During a recent trip, we were SO glad finally to have a chance to dine at this seems-like-it’s-been-there-forever-but-we’ve-never-eaten-there restaurant at Port Orleans Resort, Riverside, in Walt Disney World. The warm, relaxed feel of the space, coupled with some menu items I definitely wanted to try, made this a spot that we couldn’t wait any longer to check out.

Atmosphere

Seriously, we loved it. This is the type of old school restaurant that’s right up our alley, so forgive me if I ramble on.

Since we were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter Resort next door, we decided to walk to Boatwright’s for our dining reservation. First up, we thoroughly enjoyed the easy, 10-minute stroll from the French Quarter portion of the resort to Riverside, where the restaurant is located.

And while this was our first official visit to Boatwright’s, Port Orleans has long been a favorite of ours. There is such a lovely “Disney Imagineering” feel to these resorts; there’s a lot of attention to detail, and there are so many activities that guests can enjoy. Plus, everything is contained in one compact space for ease of use.

You’re also really close to Downtown Disney while you’re here, so that’s definitely another big plus.

As you walk in, your eyes are immediately drawn upward to the huge, partially-built riverboat suspended above the check-in area. The boat (more about it in just a sec!) crowns the larger and more open of the two dining rooms.

The lofty space lets in plenty of natural light during the early evening of the dinner hour and truly appears to be the workroom of a shipbuilder.

The smaller dining room has a cozy fireplace and a more intimate feel, with [Read more…]