lifestyle / disney / reviews / travel |
![]() I'm back with another Disney hotel review! And this time it's one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels!! I was so lucky to stay at Port Orleans Riverside back in August, and let me tell you it was incredible! And here's why.. ![]() {Side note: I have never stayed on site at Walt Disney World before, so this was the first time. Therefore this review is solely from my experience at the hotel and I do not compare to other Disney hotels.} If you don't already know, Port Orleans Resort is a moderate Disney hotel which includes two sites; Riverside (bigger site and holds two sections Alligator Bayou (bayou) and Magnolia Bend (mansions)), and French Quarter (compact site with a romanticised New Orleans theme). As you can tell there are differences and similarities between the two, and hopefully one day I can stay at French Quarter to compare both. Anyway here's a step by step review of our stay at Riverside. Proximity to the parks: 5/5 stars![]() Unlike at Disneyland Paris, Walt Disney World hotels can be some way away from the parks due to the huge scale of the whole resort. Yes you can't walk to the parks from this hotel, but there are free buses to take you to all parks and Disney Springs in the area. There are different depots depending where you are situated around the hotel. The buses can take around twenty to twenty five minutes depending on which depot you use, and what park you are heading to. As always the buses can get busy especially in the morning, so make sure to arrive beforehand- if you want a tips and tricks blog more about this let me know!! What caught our attention was that we could take a free boat ride from the main hub at Riverside to Disney Springs (which also stops off at Port Orleans). This was perfect for when we wanted a trip to see Disney Springs, grab some food and go shopping. It was really peaceful and only took about fifteen minutes. Overall we believe it was the perfect area to be close enough to the parks, but further away from the hustle and bustle of the Disney atmosphere, to feel relaxed and peaceful. The Room: 4/5 StarsPlease ignore the mess of the room. I didn't manage to get photos when we arrived, so I took photos just as we were leaving. ![]() Our standard room was perfect for the two week stay. It was clean when we arrived, and had all the basic necessities. We were situated in the Magnolia Bend area, in the building closest to the East Depot. Our room looked out to the back of the building, on the first floor. This building was perfect for us because it was only a short walk over the bridge, past old man island and over another bridge to the main building and lobby. The building was one of the mansion styles which was so beautiful, and the whole area was so quiet and peaceful during most of our stay. The scenery was stunning, with the view of the Sassaogoula River as you walked to the main building. However, the East depot was usually the second to last stop before heading to the parks and the final stop when dropping us back at the end of the day. This meant that in the mornings the buses were usually packed by the time it arrived to us. And during the evenings we had to stay on the bus as it took a tour around the resort, before finally dropping us off. We soon realised this took longer than if we got off at the main building and walked to our hotel room, so this is what we ended up doing. By doing this at night it became a lot easier for us, although we didn't do it every time for example when we were too tired to walk after a day in the parks. Also, our room was one of the last to be renovated which meant we didn't have all the upgrades like most of the other rooms had- bigger television, newly furnished beds and bathroom, USB port plugs. And we also had a lot of construction work going on around in the last few days of our trip. This was slightly annoying because some days it was a maze to leave the building, however we did get some money back from reception. Obviously this shouldn't be a worry now as most/all of the rooms are done, but it is something to bare in mind if you see construction work going on round your room. Food court : 5/5 Stars![]() The theming was spectacular throughout this hotel, even with the food court as an old water mill!! There was a mill outside this building, and all the mechanics to spin the mill could be seen from your table. It is a massive room with lots tables, an area to choose and collect your food (it is quick service dining), and space to fill up your drinks etc. The food was great for a quick service option. We had breakfast there a couple of times and there were plenty of options. Dinner too had meals to suit everyone. The staff were really friendly, and greeted you with a smile. Even when it got busy, I never felt like it was overcrowded or noisy. It was perfect for a meal before or after adventuring into the parks. Facilities: 5/5 Stars![]() There are several swimming pools across the resort, the most popular one being at Old Man Island. This is filled with lots of fun for the kids, and they even host activities throughout the day- there seemed to be kid sessions, party type activities with music. We used one of the pools in our area and it was perfect. It was really peaceful and a decent size too. We only went there once, but I wish we had gone more because it was so close to our room and it was perfect to relax after a hectic time in the parks. The main building was again stunning. The theming was so carefully done, and I just loved the main building. There is a shop situated near the bus stop, and it was perfect to get that Disney merchandise. The lobby was incredible (see photo), and was so calm and airy. In the lobby is also a fuel rod station, which came in handy when we needed to change our battery for our phones. Again the transport on the most part was great, with a few times where they were late etc. But it didn't bother us too much. Overall: 5/5 Stars![]() This hotel was just as peaceful and beautiful as everyone makes it out to be. The theming really blew me away (especially as it was our first time staying on site), and I would recommend this resort to anyone! The resort doesn't scream Disney in the sense that there's Disney theming everywhere. But I liked that! It was nice to step away from it all after a day filled with Disney, and just come back to a calm atmosphere. We would definitely stay here again, and it was so worth paying a bit extra to stay in a moderate resort. I think this would be perfect all year around, and wouldn't stop being beautiful. I hope this was helpful to anyone looking into staying here. If you would like a tips and tricks guide to Riverside featured on the blog please let me know. See y'all real soon with another blog coming Friday. Lidia x
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Hi I'm Lidia, a 21 year old English graduate from the UK. Blogger of all things lifestyle, disney, reviews and travel.let's get social:Categories
All
Archives
February 2020
|