Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter Resort is a Walt Disney World hotel in the Disney Springs area.  As far as categories go, Port Orleans French Quarter is considered a moderate resort.  The hotel invokes New Orleans and, more specifically, the French Quarter in that city.  In this post we’ll review Port Orleans – French Quarter, with photos of the rooms and amenities.

Over the last few years Melissa and I have consistently checked off Walt Disney World resorts that we hadn’t stayed at.  Our goal is to stay at each of them, although some we’re more excited about than others.  Coming into our most recent trip, there were three we hadn’t stayed at on our list that we are both very excited about – The Boardwalk, Polynesian Village Resort, and Port Orleans – French Quarter.  We’re staying at The Boardwalk in June and the Poly was out of our current price range.  That left us with French Quarter.  We found a decent deal on the hotel over a holiday weekend and jumped at booking it.

Port Orleans – French Quarter is one of those places at Walt Disney World that people consistently rave about.  You could call it a hidden gem but at this point, the resort gets a decent amount of hype.  An idealized New Orleans theme has proven to be popular and well executed by Disney, pointing all the way back to New Orleans Square in Disneyland.  The story is no different here and that, mixed with solid amenities, nice rooms, a decent price point and beautiful grounds, make Port Orleans – French Quarter one of the most popular resorts at Disney World.

The resort is connected by walking paths to Port Orleans – Riverside and that certainly adds to the beauty of their connected grounds.  French Quarter is relatively compact, especially compared to the other Disney World moderate resorts.  There are several wings to the hotel, all with royal blues and whites to go along with brightly colored doors.  The fence and grating throughout the resort is all beautiful and intricately detailed.  Architecture throughout the resort invokes the south and, obviously, New Orleans.  Port Orleans – Riverside makes it feel as if you are walking around southern mansions.  French Quarter has a touch of that but is a little more lively.

While there are still plenty of people staying at the resort, French Quarter is the most peaceful Disney resort we’ve stayed at.  The area is so compact and the buildings so warm and inviting that walking around at night is one of my favorite Disney World experiences.  The Sassagoula river runs alongside the resort, parallel to the pathway that leads to Riverside.  All of this makes for a gorgeous setting.

The Room

While the room isn’t the main reason we love Port Orleans – French Quarter, it certainly plays a part.  Let’s take a look at some photos.

From an aesthetic point of view, this is one of my favorite hotel rooms in Disney World.  The mint green accent wall gives the room some nice color.  The hardwood floor gives the room sharp lines and helps the room feel brighter.  I really love the details on the headboard, lamp and dresser.  Everything is done subtly but it all makes for a beautiful room that fits with the theme of the resort.  The rooms have recently been redone and that is on full display.

The room also featured my favorite wall art of any Disney World hotel.  I could be way off base here but I think there are some cool references to Disneyland in here while still being unique.  I’ve tried to find the painting online but to no avail, if anyone is aware let me know in the comments.

All of the subtle details came along with this fun Mickey made of Mardi Gras beads when we walked into the room.  It was a nice touch.

The bathroom is pretty standard Disney resort stuff.  I like the flooring and the curtain has a little more character than others.  Likewise, the sink and mirror have some more beautiful detailing.

Last of all, here’s a bad photo of a shower and toilet.  If you really enjoy average hotel bathrooms then this is a major selling point.  If not, then it’s fine.

Overall, we enjoyed the room.  If there’s a knock on it, it’s that the room is fairly small at 314 square feet.  That’s plenty of room for 2 adults but 4 adults would get pretty tight.  If you can get past that (which you should be able to) then this is one of the better Disney World rooms.  The decor is subtle but nicely done and the room feels modern but not overly generic.  While the rooms aren’t a major selling point to the resort, they don’t detract from it either.

Amenities

French Quarter has a strong list of amenities.  The one downside would be that there is no table-service restaurant at the resort.  Having said that, Boatwright’s Dining Hall is down the short walkway at Port Orleans – Riverside.  We were pleasantly surprised by that table-service restaurant and would happily dine there again.

Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory is the resort’s counter-service restaurant and a strong one at that.  Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sassagoula Floatworks serves a variety of food and is one of the few places in Disney World to find beignets.

Melissa and I were both huge fans of Doubloon Lagoon, French Quarter’s main pool.  Like much of the resort, the pool has a Mardi Gras theme.  There is an alligator band (statues, not real unfortunately) posing right outside of the pool gates.  The pool itself is large, with plenty of room to relax.  Guests can swim under or slide down the giant sea serpent that rises above the pool.  There’s an impressive water play area at the pool too, with a little slide and plenty of splashing.

A hot tub and pool bar are just outside of this complex, as well.

As far as other amenities, the lobby is beautiful and worth taking in.  While it’s not a spectacle like Grand Floridian or Wilderness Lodge, there is a gorgeous atrium over a fountain as you walk in.  The whole area is worth taking in and enjoying.  There’s also an arcade, which I don’t typically care about but the game selection included some classics.  A gift shop is right next to the arcade, as well.

One last amenity is the boat access to Disney Springs.  This is either a huge benefit to guests if you’re traveling there or something that you won’t even think about.  The ride from Port Orleans to Disney Springs is beautiful and worth your time, even if you don’t care about the destination.  On the same topic, the bus service seemed fine while we were there.  The resorts location is close to Epcot and not extremely far from any park.

Along with these amenities comes the overall ambiance of the resort.  As I’ve already mentioned, walking around the resort at night has become one of my favorite experiences at Disney World.  There are horse-drawn carriages around the grounds (you can get a ride starting at $55) and stunning gardens and trees.  Here’s a look around from one of our late night walks, sorry for the shaky footage.

From a value perspective, Port Orleans – French Quarter generally has room rates from $200 and up.  There are times throughout the year where you can find rates under $200/night.  It is one of the more expensive moderate resorts, for good reason.  French Quarter eclipses all other moderate resorts in nearly every category.  We’d even pick it over several Deluxe Resorts.  With this in mind, we’d absolutely recommend jumping at Port Orleans – French Quarter if the price is under $200.  We’d continue to recommend the resort up until $230/night.  Past that price point is pretty expensive for any hotel so it may depend on where you are financially.

Overall, Port Orleans – French Quarter has become one of our favorite resorts at Walt Disney World.  The rooms and amenities are top-notch, especially for a moderate resort.  More impressively, French Quarter has one of the best environments in all of Disney World.  It’s a romantic resort that still appeals to kids.  Factoring in the price, we think the resort is one of the best at Disney World.

Overall Rating – 9.5/10

Do you have any questions or thoughts about Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort?  Let us know in the comments.  Planning a trip to Walt Disney World?  Check out our Disney World Trip Planning Guide to help you out.  If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, you can subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email.  All of those links are on the right side of this page.  Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!