Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside With Kids: Honest Review
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is one of the Disney resorts I know best.
It’s where my family stayed when I was a kid, and it’s also where I worked as a Concierge Cast Member during one of my Disney College Programs. Coming back years later with my own kids felt very full-circle.
I’ve stayed here twice recently with my kids, once in Magnolia Bend and once in Alligator Bayou, so I’ve seen 2 very different sides of the resort.
Port Orleans Riverside is beautiful, peaceful, and full of charm. It has quiet paths, mature trees, bridges over the water, a relaxed Moderate Resort feel, and some of the prettiest outdoor spaces at Disney World.
But I also think it is important to be honest about the logistics.
This is a large resort. Room location matters. Transportation is mostly bus-only. Some buildings do not have elevators. And depending on where you stay, the walk to the lobby, food court, pool, or bus stop can feel longer than you expect.
In this review, I’ll walk through what Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside was actually like with kids, including the layout, room options, transportation, pool, playground, activities, dining, and the pros and cons I noticed during our stays.
Is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside a Good Fit With Kids?
Yes, Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside can be a great fit with kids, especially if you want a peaceful Disney Moderate Resort with more atmosphere than a Value Resort.
This is not the resort I would choose if you want the fastest or easiest transportation to the parks. It is also not the simplest resort layout with little kids.
But if your family likes a slower resort feel, outdoor space, pretty walking paths, good dining, and room options that can sleep up to 5, Port Orleans Riverside has a lot going for it.
It’s a good fit if:
- You want a peaceful Disney Moderate Resort
- You like resorts with outdoor space and walking paths
- You want a room that can sleep up to 5 people
- You are interested in Alligator Bayou fifth sleeper rooms
- You want both quick-service and table-service dining
- You like having access to boat transportation to Disney Springs
- You want to be able to walk or boat to Port Orleans French Quarter
- Your family enjoys resort activities and slower Disney days
It might not be the best fit if:
- You want Skyliner, monorail, or walking access to a theme park
- You want the easiest transportation with a stroller
- You are trying to minimize walking
- You are booking Alligator Bayou and need an elevator
- You want the most compact Disney resort layout
- You need your room to be very close to the lobby, pool, and food court
- You want a resort that feels especially exciting for toddlers
For us, Port Orleans Riverside was beautiful and memorable, but not effortless.
I love this resort. I really do. But when I look at it through the lens of staying here with young kids, the biggest thing to understand is that the charm comes with some logistical tradeoffs.
If you are prepared for the size of the resort and the bus transportation, it can be a wonderful stay. If you are hoping for the easiest possible Disney resort with a stroller and little kids, I would think carefully before booking.
Location and Layout: Beautiful, Peaceful, and Very Spread Out
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is a Moderate Resort located near Disney Springs along the Sassagoula River.
It is part of the larger Port Orleans resort area, along with Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. The two resorts are connected by a walking path, and you can also take a boat between them and to Disney Springs.
Port Orleans Riverside is divided into two main areas: Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou.
Magnolia Bend has the mansion-style buildings with white columns, landscaped courtyards, and a more polished Southern feel. This is also where you’ll find the Royal Guest Rooms.
Alligator Bayou has a more rustic, wooded feel, with smaller buildings tucked into winding paths and greenery.
Both areas are pretty, but they feel very different.
One thing Port Orleans Riverside does extremely well is atmosphere. The resort has mature trees, bridges, quiet paths, river views, and a calmness that you do not get at every Disney hotel.
It is one of the prettiest Disney resorts to walk around.
But it is also very large.
This is the biggest thing I would want families to understand before booking. Port Orleans Riverside is not a compact resort where every room feels close to the lobby, food court, pool, and transportation.
Depending on where your room is located, you may have a decent walk to the main building, pool, bus stop, or dining.
That does not mean the layout is bad. It is part of what makes the resort feel peaceful. But with young kids, strollers, tired legs, or mobility needs, room location can make a big difference.
I especially noticed this during our Alligator Bayou stay. We had booked a preferred room, but our location did not feel especially convenient to me. We were not right near the lobby, food court, pool, or a bus stop, and by the end of the trip, I felt like we had paid extra for a room location that did not help us as much as I expected.
That is not to say every preferred room will feel that way. But at a resort this large, I would not assume that “preferred” automatically means everything will feel close.
Transportation: Mostly Bus-Only, With a Boat to Disney Springs
Transportation is one of the biggest tradeoffs at Port Orleans Riverside.
The resort does not have Skyliner, monorail, or walking access to any of the theme parks. For Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, you will use buses.
There is boat transportation to Disney Springs, which is one of the resort’s best transportation perks. The boat ride is peaceful and a nice option if you are planning a Disney Springs meal or a slower resort day.
But for park days, buses are the main thing to think about.
Port Orleans Riverside has multiple bus stops throughout the resort. That can be helpful because you may have a stop closer to your room, but it also means the buses may loop through the resort before heading to the parks.
On one of our stays, the bus stop closest to our room was not the first stop on the loop. That meant buses sometimes arrived already crowded, which made things harder with a stroller and little kids.
We eventually started walking to a different bus stop so we could get on earlier, but then we had to sit through more of the resort loop before leaving for the park.
Neither option was terrible. It was just more of a process than I would prefer.
Buses are always the hardest form of Disney transportation for me when I am managing kids and a stroller. The stroller has to be folded, and then you are carrying the stroller, bags, and children while getting on and off the bus.
At Port Orleans Riverside, the size of the resort and multiple bus stops add another layer to that.
If transportation convenience is your top priority, this would not be my first Disney resort choice with young kids. But if you are prepared for the bus system and build in extra time, it is manageable.
I would just go in knowing that the peaceful, spread-out layout is part of the appeal, but also part of the transportation tradeoff.
The Rooms: Magnolia Bend Felt Easier Than Alligator Bayou
I’ve stayed at Port Orleans Riverside twice recently with my kids, and the rooms felt very different from each other.
One stay was in a Standard View room in Magnolia Bend, and the other was in a Preferred Location fifth sleeper room in Alligator Bayou.
Both rooms worked, but I definitely preferred the Magnolia Bend experience.
Standard View Room in Magnolia Bend
Our Magnolia Bend room felt fresh, comfortable, and easy to use with kids.
It had 2 queen beds, a small table with 2 chairs, and a bathroom with a bathtub. I always appreciate a real bathtub when traveling with young kids because it makes bath time and cleanup much easier.
The sink area was separate from the toilet and tub area, and there was a privacy curtain you could pull across. That kind of setup is helpful when you are trying to get ready while kids are sleeping, winding down, or getting dressed.
The room itself felt calm and pretty, and I liked the Magnolia Bend area overall.
It also helped that the Magnolia Bend buildings have elevators. If you are traveling with a stroller, a scooter, or anyone with mobility needs, that can make a big difference.
Here’s a quick room tour of our Magnolia Bend room so you can see the layout:
Preferred Fifth Sleeper Room in Alligator Bayou
Our Alligator Bayou room had a very different feel.
It was more rustic, with darker wood accents and a more cabin-like style. It was cozy, but it also felt more worn than our Magnolia Bend room.
This room was a fifth sleeper, which means it had 2 queen beds plus a small child-size pull-down bed. The pull-down bed worked well for my kids, who were 2 and 4 at the time, but it is definitely meant for younger children. I would not count on it being comfortable for an older kid or adult.
The biggest issue for me was the room location.
Our room was categorized as preferred, so I expected it to feel convenient. But our building did not feel especially close to the main lobby, food court, pool, or bus stops. We were in building 27, and it felt like we were somewhere between multiple things without being truly close to any of them.
By the end of the trip, I felt like we had paid extra for a preferred room that did not actually make the stay much easier.
The other thing to know is that Alligator Bayou buildings do not have elevators.
If you are staying in Alligator Bayou with a stroller, I would request a first-floor room. But even then, the buildings can still be slightly elevated, and depending on where your room is, you may need to use stairs or walk around to find a ramp.
That was frustrating with a stroller.
I only found one accessible ramp for our building, which meant sometimes walking out of the way just to roll the stroller where we needed to go.
For families with older kids, that may not be a big deal. But with a stroller or mobility needs, it is absolutely something I would want to know before booking.
What About Royal Guest Rooms?
Port Orleans Riverside also has Royal Guest Rooms in Magnolia Bend.
I have not stayed in one with my kids, so I do not want to review them like I have. But if you have a child who loves princesses, especially Tiana, they may be worth looking into.
They are in the Magnolia Bend section and have more royal-themed Disney details than the regular rooms.
What It Actually Feels Like to Stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
Port Orleans Riverside feels calm, pretty, and more relaxed than a lot of Disney resorts.
This is one of the things I love about it.
The resort has a slower pace, with quiet paths, bridges, mature trees, river views, and a lot of outdoor space. It does not feel as loud or visually busy as some of the Value Resorts, and it has more atmosphere than many of the more practical Disney hotel options.
For families, that can be a really nice thing.
There is room to walk, explore, ride the boat, visit the pool, or head over to French Quarter for beignets. If you like a resort that feels like part of the trip instead of just a place to sleep, Port Orleans Riverside has a lot to offer.
But the size of the resort is always part of the experience too.
The peaceful feeling comes partly from the fact that everything is spread out. That can be lovely when you are taking a quiet walk along the river. It can feel less lovely when you are pushing a stroller back from the bus stop with tired kids at the end of the night.
That is the balance of Port Orleans Riverside.
It is beautiful and relaxing, but not always the easiest Disney resort with little kids.
Pool and Activities
The main pool at Port Orleans Riverside is Ol’ Man Island.
It has a fun theme, a waterslide, and a large pool area that feels more interesting than a basic hotel pool. There is also a kiddie pool, which was my kids’ favorite part when they were younger.
The fenced kiddie pool was a big help for us.
When you are watching multiple little kids near water, having a smaller contained area can make the pool feel much more manageable. I was still watching them closely, of course, but the setup felt easier than trying to manage 2 young kids in a larger pool the whole time.
Here’s a short video showing what the main pool and kiddie pool areas look like in real life:
There is also a playground on Ol’ Man Island.
The playground itself is fun, but it is not fenced in. It can also get busy, which makes it harder to keep track of younger kids. If you are there with toddlers or preschoolers, I would plan to stay close.
Here’s a quick look at the playground so you can see the setup:
Beyond the main pool and playground, Port Orleans Riverside has several smaller quiet pools throughout the resort. These can be helpful if your room is far from Ol’ Man Island and you just want a simple place to cool off without walking all the way to the main pool.
There are also a lot of resort activities and extras here.
Depending on the day, you may find things like campfires, trivia, fishing, tie-dye, outdoor movies, surrey bikes, or horse-drawn carriage rides. You can also walk or take the boat to Port Orleans French Quarter, which is an easy way to make the resort feel a little bigger without going into a park.
One of our favorite things to do was walk along the Sassagoula River to French Quarter for beignets in the evening.
That is the kind of thing Port Orleans Riverside does really well. It gives you quiet, low-pressure ways to enjoy the resort outside of the parks.
Dining: Good Options for a Moderate Resort
Port Orleans Riverside has some of the better dining options among Disney Moderate Resorts.
The main quick-service location is Riverside Mill Food Court. This is where we ate most often, and it worked well with kids because it was casual, easy, and close to the main lobby area.
You’ll find the usual Disney quick-service basics, like pizza, pasta, burgers, fries, and kid-friendly meals, along with some really delicious Southern-inspired options like jambalaya and po’ boys.
It is not fancy, but it is convenient. And with young kids, that matters.
Riverside Mill also has a fun setting because of the working water wheel and the river-inspired details inside. My kids liked looking around while we ate, which helped make basic resort meals feel a little more interesting.
Port Orleans Riverside also has Boatwright’s Dining Hall, a table-service restaurant with Louisiana-inspired food.
We ate there as a big group of 9, including 4 kids under 8, and the staff was very kind and patient with us. That kind of thing makes a difference when you are eating out with kids at Disney.
Boatwright’s is not a character meal or a flashy Disney restaurant, but it was a nice option to have right at the resort when we wanted a sit-down meal without leaving the property, and the food was genuinely really good.
There is also River Roost Lounge near the lobby and Muddy Rivers Pool Bar on Ol’ Man Island if you want drinks, snacks, or something casual near the pool.
One of the best dining perks of staying at Port Orleans Riverside is how easy it is to get to Port Orleans French Quarter.
You can walk or take the boat over, and that gives you access to Scat Cat’s Club Café for Mickey-shaped beignets. Walking over for beignets in the evening became one of our favorite little routines.
Overall, I think dining is one of the strengths of Port Orleans Riverside.
You get an easy food court, a table-service restaurant, lounge options, pool bar options, and quick access to French Quarter. For a family trip, that gives you a nice amount of flexibility without needing to leave the resort area every time you want something to eat.
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside With Kids: Pros and Cons
What I loved:
- The resort is beautiful, peaceful, and full of charm
- The outdoor paths, bridges, river views, and trees make it feel relaxing
- It has more atmosphere than many Disney resorts at a similar price point
- Some rooms can sleep up to 5 people
- The Magnolia Bend room felt fresh, comfortable, and easy with kids
- Magnolia Bend buildings have elevators
- The main pool has a fun theme and a waterslide
- The fenced kiddie pool was helpful with younger kids
- There are quiet pools throughout the resort
- Riverside Mill Food Court was easy with kids
- Boatwright’s gave us a sit-down dining option right at the resort
- It is easy to walk or boat to French Quarter for beignets
- The boat to Disney Springs is a nice transportation perk
- There are a lot of resort activities if you want a slower Disney day
What I didn’t love:
- The resort is very spread out
- Room location can make a big difference
- Our preferred room in Alligator Bayou did not feel as convenient as I expected
- Alligator Bayou buildings do not have elevators
- The Alligator Bayou room felt more worn than our Magnolia Bend room
- Transportation to the theme parks is bus-only
- The multiple bus stops can make transportation feel like a process
- Bus transportation can be stressful with young kids, a stroller, and bags
- The playground is fun, but not fenced in
- If you want the easiest Disney resort logistics with little kids, this may not be the best fit
Is Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Worth It With Kids?
Yes, I think Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is definitely worth it with kids, but I would be very honest about what kind of trip it fits best.
This is one of the most beautiful Disney Moderate Resorts, and I will always have a soft spot for it. The walking paths, river views, mature trees, bridges, boat transportation, and relaxed atmosphere make it feel peaceful in a way that a lot of Disney resorts do not.
But with young kids, it is not the easiest resort logistically.
The size of the resort matters. The bus transportation matters. Room location matters. And if you are in Alligator Bayou with a stroller, the lack of elevators can matter too.
For our family, Port Orleans Riverside worked best when we had time to slow down and actually enjoy the resort. It is lovely for walks, pool time, beignets at French Quarter, boat rides to Disney Springs, and quieter Disney evenings.
It is not the resort I would choose if my main priority were quick, easy park transportation.
If you want a charming Moderate Resort with beautiful grounds, solid dining, activities, and room options that can sleep up to 5, Port Orleans Riverside is a wonderful option.
If you are traveling with toddlers, a stroller, or anyone with mobility needs, I would just think carefully about room location and transportation before booking.
For me, Port Orleans Riverside is a resort I genuinely love. I just love it more when I go in prepared for the logistics.
If Port Orleans Riverside feels like the right fit for your family, you may want to check current rates through Undercover Tourist before booking. Their Disney resort prices are often lower than booking directly through Disney, which can help if you’re trying to keep the trip budget more manageable.
Have questions about this post or want help thinking through the logistics for your own trip? Join my free Facebook community for parents planning family travel. You can ask questions, share what you’re working through, and get real-life advice from other parents who understand how many little details go into traveling with kids.
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