When we first booked out trip way back in June 2017 we were originally just going to do two weeks in a villa offsite. However as we did our research and made our lists of what we wanted to do we decided that we should extend our trip by a few extra days. We debated adding these days to the villa rental but ended up choosing a Disney hotel so we could experience a little of that magic for ourselves, it would also give us the chance to compare onsite vs offsite. Ideally we would have liked to have stayed in a Deluxe resort however the costs were way out of our budget so we decided to make it a Moderate. Before we made our final choice we did a whole load of research and vlog watching and the first resort we decided we liked the look of was Old Key West. However when it came to booking we just couldn't get the room that we wanted and everything that was coming up was way too expensive so we opted for our second choice which was Port Orleans Riverside.
We only stayed at POR for 3 nights but that was long enough for us to realize that its a beautiful resort that has an air of peacefulness and tranquillity about it. The whole resort was beautiful and wasn't 'in your face' Disney which was something that we both actually liked. As much as we are both Disney fans it was nice to have a room that wasn't full of it if that makes sense. From the moment we checked in until the moment we checked out everything was perfect, all the staff we encountered were super friendly and helpful and the resort had everything that we needed. When we checked in we were assigned a room in Magnolia Terrace which was exactly where we had wanted to be. We had a ground floor room but at no time were we bothered by outside or upstairs noise. The room was a lot bigger than we expected, it probably could have done with a little more care in regards to housekeeping as it was ever so slightly dusty in parts but overall it was clean and very comfy. The added bonus for us was a coffee machine & a fridge which meant we could make ourselves a drink whenever we needed. Housekeeping also kept us topped up with plenty of pods & milk etc.
The room was perfect for us for a short stay but I think if we had been there any longer we would have started to feel a little cramped as there wasn't an awful lot of storage space or room to relax without lounging on the beds. We would definitely consider staying in a Disney hotel again, especially for the first couple of nights as once you are here you don't need to worry about driving to the parks etc. We were very lucky that our building was right by a bus stop so we could easily get to and from the parks. There is also a boat service that takes you down to Disney Springs.
The Sassagoula River runs through & around the resort which makes the resort very picturesque and gives you plenty of places to go for a stroll. There are three pools with the main one being on Ole Man Island (which links some of the accommodation buildings to the main lobby and check in area). This is the largest pool that offers a bar and snack service whereas the other two pools are a lot quieter. In the main building just off the hotel lobby there is a gift shop that has a ton of Disney merch as well as the usual snacks, drinks and other essentials that you might need during your trip. You will also find the River Roost Bar (make sure you check out Ye Haa Bob who plays in the bar on certain nights from around 8.30pm), Boatwrights Dining Hall table service restaurant and the Riverside Mill food court in this area. Unfortunately we didn't get time to eat at the restaurant but we did manage breakfast one morning in the food court. The breakfast was lovely and perfectly adequate for our needs, however we did find the food court area to be a little 'chaotic' for our liking.
We both enjoyed our stay at Port Orleans Riverside and we would quite happily stay there again for a few nights however we much preferred the extra space and freedom that the villa offered us.
I hope that you have enjoyed this post, hopefully there will be another one along real soon.
Jane
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