I am a Deluxe Resorts kind of girl. Give me a one-bedroom villa at Bay Lake Tower or a lake view room at the Grand Floridian any day of the week. But I was pleasantly surprised at my stay at the Port Orleans recently. It’s been recently renovated and our room, booked at the last minute on the fly, was clean, efficient, and perfectly functional. Our family of four shared a two-queen-bed room with a big TV, quality wood furniture (dresser and cabinet), and large shower.
In true Disney style, the room was clean and updated, but nothing truly remarkable. The artwork was on-brand (New Orleans-inspired artwork), as were the mahogany furnishings, white sheets, and Disney amenities.
My kids saw the pool and were obsessed. It’s Mardi Gras themed, with a gator slide (small, by Disney standards at only 51 feet long) but it’s super kid-friendly. The architecture is beautiful. Speaking as a southerner, I can also say that the architecture is accurate and on-brand from the scrolling iron fences to the Spanish moss hanging over the hot tub.
Breakfast at the the quick serve restaurant was filling and reasonably well-made. The beignets were incredible, but my pro tip is to bring wet naps or baby wipes. That powdered sugar gets everywhere.
One of the main amenities is the boat between Disney Springs and the Port Orleans resort. It isn’t a short ride, but it was pretty and a nice respite from the endless walking of a Disney vacation or the buses which I really hate.
I think this is a resort that would work incredibly well for parents of the 3-8 year-old set. Naturally, it would work for anyone, but I found the amenities to be particularly well suited to the older toddler and younger school age children. The playground was small but well-equipped with squishy astroturf and the aquatic park was great, but only for the 48” and under set, which my kids don’t qualify for. The slide is small but will still feel safe for younger kids. Parking is easy since you can park near your room, a great feature if you have a double stroller and need easy conveyance from car to room to parking lot. We parked about 100 feet from our room; for comparison, when we park at the Animal Kingdom villas, the car is a ten minute walk from the room.
If you aren’t looking for all the crazy amenities of a Deluxe Resort (monorails, yoga classes, fine dining, and the best pools, oh my!), but just want a nice place with some transportation options, a quality breakfast, a pretty setting (and place to jog/run), and a pool you might use once or twice (or use more frequently with younger kids), then this resort is fully adequate. You’ll still be serviced by the Disney essentials – bus service, quick serve restaurants, a gift shop for the essentials, and a fridge. But the benefit here is that you aren’t paying the price tag you’d be paying elsewhere. You’re still on-property, you still the get benefit of Disney transport, and you’re still part of the Disney magic (aka you get that AMAZING Disney service).
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