Disney Does New Orleans at the Port Orleans French Quarter.
Written: Feb 13 '08 (Updated Feb 14 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Attractive grounds, moderately priced, great bar.
Cons: Lacks a full-service restaurant, lackluster maid service.
The Bottom Line: It's a good, solid hotel with a Disney touch.
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| chelledun's Full Review: Disneys Port Orleans-French Quarter |
After living it up in the lap of luxury during last year’s visit to the Polynesian, Mama Chelledun and I decided to do this year’s annual Disney trip on a significantly tighter budget. She found a fabulous Annual Passholder rate of $99 per night for select Walt Disney World’s resorts, so Port Orleans French Quarter it was. This was my fourth visit to the resort, but first in about ten years.
Know Before You Go
The Walt Disney World Resort offers four basic tiers of on-property hotels. The no-frills value category of hotels typically runs between $60 and $90. A stay at a moderate resort will set you back between $100 and $150 per night. Deluxe resorts can go for anywhere from $250 on up. Finally, the “home away from home” Disney vacation club hotels are somewhat of a wild card in terms of price and amenities. You may get a great deal on a small, basic unit or pay premium price for a multi-bedroom villa.
Port Orleans French Quarter is the smallest and second-oldest of Disney’s moderate class of resorts. These days it shares a name and some amenities with sister resort Port Orleans Riverside, formerly known as Dixie Landings. Like all Disney resorts, French Quarter is accessible from the airport by Disney’s free Magical Express transportation service. This particular resort offers bus service to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach, and Typhoon Lagoon. The Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island complex can be reached by either bus or ferry. Ferries also run between the two halves of the Port Orleans complex. The bus service was pretty good this trip, although stops are sometimes made at Riverside, adding substantial time to a given commute.
The Grounds
Port Orleans French Quarter is heavily themed in the sense that it is a squeaky clean, romanticized version of New Orleans. Guests enter a cobblestoned atrium for check-in, dine in a venue adorned with giant beads, cards, and jester heads, and wander past charming courtyards on the way to rooms in colorful buildings inspired by French Quarter architecture. The end result is less tacky and more peaceful than it sounds, thanks to the beautiful flowers and fountains situated around the grounds. French Quarter’s small size means it doesn’t get as many large groups as the others. I’ve stayed at all four moderate resorts and would deem this one the best pick for couples looking for some semblance of romance during their Disney vacation.
The hotel’s pool area is dubbed Doubloon Lagoon. It consists of a large, irregularly shaped pool with a giant serpent woven in and around the various sections. The serpent’s head and tongue form a short slide. A separate hot tub and children’s pool complete the complex. It’s bright, colorful, and kids absolutely love it. At least, I know I did during my childhood years. For adults, the pool area seems sort of busy and doesn’t compare to the relaxing, aesthetically pleasing pools at the deluxe resorts, but at least it’s big and wet. Unfortunately, all parts of the complex were closed during our most recent visit. We were permitted to use the pool on at Riverside but found it to be way too shady. Chairs were also in short supply, probably because the facilities were overtaxed due to servicing two resorts.
French Quarter offers plenty of outside activities besides swimming. Guests can rent bikes and boats from the levee at Riverside, or take a carriage ride around one or both halves of the resort. A path along the “Sassagoula River” provides a pleasant place to walk or run in nice weather. Inside, guests can play in the arcade or shop at Jackson Square Gifts and Desires. Better gift shops exist at all the theme parks and most of the other resorts, but if you need some sunscreen or a Mickey keychain they’ve got you covered.
Our Room
We got a free upgrade to a courtyard-view room in Building 1. This location was furthest from the main building, which made it a quiet place to stay. The room looked like it had been either recently renovated or well-maintained, with fresh yellow paint and new-looking linens. The slightly-tacky bedspread was covered with New Orleans icons and we had several Carnivale inspired works of art adorning the walls. Our room featured a table with a couple of chairs, two double beds, a coffee pot, and a mini fridge. It also had a safe hidden behind the ironing board which we found on day three of our four day stay. It was a pleasant room, overall, especially given the reasonable price point for this resort.
While the main room was more than adequate, the bathroom was not the greatest. The sinks were outside the bathroom itself, which was spectacularly wee. Our light didn’t function fully and the motion-activated fan drove me nuts at night. Water pressure was abundant, but toiletries weren’t. Disney has downgraded its moderate offerings to consist of a small bar of soap and a single-serving bottle of shampoo as opposed to the lotion/soap/body wash/shampoo/conditioner combo we always received as recently as last March at Disneyland. Try as we might, we just couldn’t get housekeeping to leave us a second miniscule bottle of shampoo or tiny bar of soap. We ultimately ended up getting four bottles and an apology from the front desk and buying some body wash in the hotel’s gift shop. Maid service overall was disappointing this trip. Counters and tables were not wiped down from day to day and we barely had enough towels to make it through any given day. Bad show, Disney!
Drinking and Dining
Sadly, French Quarter’s full-service restaurant, Bonfamille’s closed with the resort merger. Guests are now encouraged to head to Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Riverside. This restaurant is reasonably priced as Disney goes with a basic menu that should please families. You may want to make reservations, however.
French Quarter’s food court, Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory, has gone through several permutations over the years and now offers fairly standard American fare including pizza, burgers, and a few Cajun-inspired dishes. I like the hall’s cheery atmosphere better for a snack or dessert during off-times, when it isn’t so crowded. The deep fried beignets are a must-have at least once, preferably as a late night, post-bar snack. Ice cream, of course, is good any time of the day, as are the bakery’s cookies, brownies, and chocolate-covered rice krispie treats.
Mama Chelledun and I quickly discovered our favorite spot at the resort – Scat Cat’s Lounge, an old-school bar featuring live entertainment four nights a week. We saw the same folks all four nights of our stay, probably thanks to the incredibly talented jazz performer who kept us coming back. The man played six different instruments! We love to wind down with of a beer at the end of a long day at the theme parks, and being able to do it right at our hotel was a huge plus. On the whole, Scat Cat’s Lounge provides a much-needed adult space at this largely family-oriented resort.
Overall…
Disney’s fantastic transportation network and extra magic hour privileges are good enough reasons to stay on property. However, Walt Disney World can be a phenomenally expensive vacation destination, and one doesn’t always have the big bucks available to spend at its plushest resorts. While Port Orleans French Quarter doesn’t begin to rival the elegance of the Grand Floridian or the lushness of the Polynesian resort, one really shouldn’t expect it to at a third of the price. This hotel has pleasant grounds, a large pool, and rooms a cut above those at your average chain hotel. I still like Caribbean Beach a bit better as moderate resorts go, but most guests will be very happy with Port Orleans French Quarter.
*Deciding where to stay? Check out my other Disney hotel reviews!
Polynesian - October 2006 (5 Stars)
Caribbean Beach - October 2005 (5 Stars)
Grand Floridian - February 2005 (4 Stars)
Beach Club Resort - July 2004 (5 Stars)
Coronado Springs - May 2003 (2 Stars)
Top Ten Things You Must See on a First Visit
Top Ten Restaurants at WDW
Park Reviews
Magic Kingdom for Adults
Epcot Center's Hidden Treasures
Animal Kingdom - One Day Touring Plan
Disney-MGM Studios
Blizzard Beach
Pleasure Island
Downtown Disney Marketplace
Recommended:
Yes
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