A few points to keep in mind when you book your stay at Disney resorts. The Port Orleans hotels are offered in the lower priced packages. Overall I would say they are a decent value. However, the Port Orleans locations pack more people in one location and these locations seem to be furthest from the parks. The biggest disappointment was the "Magical Express" buses to the parks. We continually had to wait in long lines for the buses and they make stops at four different depots in Port Orleans going to and coming from the parks. Door to door to a park took well over 40 minutes each trip and the buses were packed.

Overall, Disney has become overwhelming with lines for everything. You find yourself in a constant rush and wait cycle.

My husband and I have just returned from our twenty-fourth visit to Disneyworld and stayed, for the first time, on property, at Port Orleans Riverside. We chose this hotel because we had visited some of the resorts last year on a day that we had deemed too rainy to go to the parks, and loved the atmosphere of Riverside. Part Mississippi riverboat, part Southern plantation, this is very nearly a perfect resort for the price, but I'm afraid the secret is out: Riverside must be very crowded, for the lines for the free bus transport are always longer than those for any of the other resorts. However, we found the grounds to be practically deserted most of the time. (Probably because the resort is very large and spread-out.) The food court was usually crowded, but we never had any difficulty finding a table close to the water wheel. The lobby, store, lounge, and restaurants are beautifully designed and decorated, each in its' own unique style. My husband grumbled about the "high" prices of food in the food court, but I thought they were very reasonable. We ate all of our meals at the food court and found the food to be of a higher quality than that of mall food courts. The breakfast made-to-order omelets and Mickey-shaped waffles with strawberries were fabulous. We stayed in one of the "mansion" rooms; furnished in a simple elegance, these rooms feature two double beds or one king, an ample table and two comfortable chairs, a comfortably upholstered bench, a beautiful mirrored armoire, refrigerator hidden in a wooden cabinet, and twin pedestal sinks in the dressing area. The resort is full of amenities I would have expected to find at a higher-priced property: beautifully landscaped grounds, spectacular views, bridges over a winding river with a free boat ride (to Downtown Disney,) seven pools, hidden and very private little nooks, and romantic rentals: bicycles built for one, two, four, or more; two-or-more passenger boats, and twilight horse and carriage rides. The lobby (like most of the Disney hotels) also features a little tv area just for children, with Disney (of course!) programs constantly playing. We found the entire staff to be extremely pleasant, helpful, considerate, and, seemingly dedicated to their jobs. The only drawbacks to this hotel (or any Disney hotel) are that they do not provide free wireless internet (a hook-up will cost you $9.95 per 24-hours,) the small size of the rooms, and prices of snack and pharmacy items in the store. (Almost $4 for a two-liter Coke!) However, this IS Disney, and nobody goes expecting to find bargains. Overall, a great experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Lucky to snag Room 1839 (Alligator Bayou, 2nd floor), close enough to lobby and food court as well as to the main pool. Quiet pool close by but too chilly for my liking. A bit of a walk to the bus but got us in tune for the rest of our walking day. The grounds are so serene and took a stroll over to the Oak Manor area and could actually believe I was down south. We were a bit snug (3 adults, 2 kids - ages 5 and 3) but with so much time spent either in the parks, visiting other resorts, or on property, it worked with the young one sleeping in the trundle bed. We opted for the dining plan so meals were not an issue. I ate at Boatwright's and while the ambiance and service were very good, the food (Filet Mignon) was bit tasteless and chewy. The couple beside me had the Prime Rib and said about the same - even asked for steak sauce. Staff were VERY friendly and helpful. The boat to Downtown Disney is fascinating (w/Capt Lisa) and just a boat ride with any other captain. As much as I wanted to sample the beignets at French Quarter, I never made time (or had the appetite - we had excess Counter Service and Snack Credits up to our last hour).

I would say the one upgrade to the resort would be to offer hot tubs alongside the quiet pools. Everytime I visited the main pool the hot tub was jammed with individuals both in AND around it. I look foward to returning with my husband and enjoying the ambiance the resort has to offer!

Our family of 4 have just returned from Port Orleans Riverside, having stayed 5-15th Nov. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay and would gladly return! We stayed in Magnolia Terrace, with our particular room just a short walk to the main amenities and old man island pool (which the kids loved due to the water fountains and slide!). We also had a 'quiet' pool near our room, together with a laundry room which turned out to be very convenient. If you don't like, or are unable to walk far, it's best to request a room near to the main lobby and food court - the grounds are beautiful but vast and it's easy to get lost when you first arrive! We found the staff very helpful on the whole, the maid did a good job (we were generous with the tips mind!) and the kids couldn't wait to see which animal shape the towels had been turned into when we returned from the parks! We didn't eat at Boatwrights, as the food court suited us more with the kids. Choice a little limited if you were to eat there every day but food pretty good. I'd make use of the refillable mug - really worth it in the long run. We weren't keen on hiring a car and we found the Disney transport system to be very quick and convenient, never waited longer than 10 mins for the bus - we particularly liked taking the boat to Downtown Disney. We took a taxi to Seaworld - if I remember rightly, a cab cost approx $25-$30.
Bike hire was good fun and on one occasion we took an evening horse carriage ride around the grounds - well the kids had just been turned into princesses so it had to be done!!
We really enjoyed our stay at Port Orleans Riverside and would highly recommended it for all ages.