Port Orleans Riverside vs. French Quarter- Which Disney Resort is Best?

There are over 20 resort hotels on Walt Disney World property. From budget-friendly Value Resorts, to Moderate Resorts, and luxurious Deluxe Resorts, there’s a hotel option for every magical stay. Generally, it’s easy to decide which Resort Category you’d like to stay in, simply based on pricing. However, there are often times when two resorts within the same category are hard to choose between.

This is especially common within the Moderate Resort Category when Guests are considering Disney’s Port Orleans Resort. This resort has two sister hotels on property – Riverside and French Quarter. While these hotels are both part of the same resort, there are a number of differences between the two. This article will look at different aspects of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and French Quarter to help you make your choice between the two.

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Riverside Has a Wider Variety of Rooms

French Quarter only has Standard Rooms available, which sleep up to four adults. Guests booking one of these rooms can choose from Garden, River, Pool, or Standard View rooms. Rooms can also be chosen based on location, with Preferred Location rooms being an available option.

Essentially, the rooms at Riverside can also only sleep up to four adults. However, there are 5th Sleeper rooms available, which have one Child-Size Pull-Down Bed and can sleep a family of five. Available views include Standard, Woods, Pool, and River View rooms.

Besides Standard Rooms, Riverside also has Royal Guest Rooms. These rooms are furnished with royal decor that celebrates some of the most honorable Disney Princesses. One of the most enchanting pieces of furniture in these rooms are the headboards, which put on a magical “fireworks” display.

In regard to rooms, Riverside has more variety based on the number of Guests that can be accommodated as well as room types.

Room Prices are Very Comparable

Simply looking at Standard Rooms, we can see that there are varying prices between the two resorts, even for rooms with the same view types. For the most part though, the prices are very comparable.

However, for some views there is a distinct difference, such as the River View rooms. This makes sense though, since the river is the heart of Riverside, while it’s simply a nice waterway near French Quarter. Likewise, Pool View rooms are more of a priority at French Quarter, since the pool at that resort is much more extravagant in comparison to the ones at Riverside.

Here are the average prices of Standard Rooms at both resorts.

Riverside

• Standard View: $289-$476 per night
• Woods View: $322-$525 per night
• Pool View: $330-$532 per night
• King Bed: $364-$541 per night
• River View: $368-$565 per night

French Quarter

• Standard View: $289-$476 per night
• Garden View: $310-$529 per night
• River View: $326-$541 per night
• Pool View: $326-$549 per night
• King Bed: $341-$569 per night

For understandable reasons, the Royal Guest Rooms at Riverside are even more expensive, with costs ranging from $368 to $603 per night.

There’s not a clear winner between the two resorts when it comes to pricing. The prices between the two are so comparable, often with only a few dollars difference in nightly costs.

French Quarter's Size Makes it Easier to Navigate

In general, Walt Disney World vacations require a lot of walking. While this isn’t something that can particularly be controlled at the theme parks, it is something that Guests can choose not to deal with at their resorts.

Some of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels are extremely large and spread out, and Riverside is one of them. French Quarter, on the other hand, is much more compact and requires far less walking. That alone makes it an instant winner for some Guests.

Due to its Size, Riverside Has Multiple Bus Stops

Because Riverside is so large, it has multiple bus stops. This can become a nuisance, depending on which bus stop your room is by.

During my stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, I was lucky enough to be in a room next to the first bus stop on the loop. Because of this I never had to worry about seating. This was nice since the bus stopped to pick up Guests at multiple Riverside stops and then went to pick up Guests at French Quarter. As a Guest later in the loop or at French Quarter, I would have been concerned about seating.

That being said, the buses are my least favorite form of transportation at Walt Disney World. Because of this, I didn’t particularly enjoy how long I was usually on the bus and how many stops needed to be made before we were finally on our way to our destination. If you feel similarly about the Disney buses, you may want to opt for French Quarter and its single bus stop.

Both Resorts Offer Water Transportation

In addition to the buses, both of the resorts have water transportation to Disney Springs. While the boats only travel down the Sassagoula River, and are unable to make stops at any of the theme parks, it’s still nice to have this additional transportation option for visits to Disney Springs.

Riverside and French Quarter share the same boats. However, they do not share the same dock. The boats first collect Guests at Riverside, before heading down the river to French Quarter. After the French Quarter Guests have boarded, the boat makes its way to Disney Springs. While this was a non-issue during my trip, there are a few things to consider.

The first being that the Riverside Guests are picked up first. This means that if there’s a large number of Riverside Guests boarding the boat, there may be limited seating left over for the French Quarter Guests. On the flip side, Riverside Guests need to be aware that they’ll be on the boat longer, as it will be making a stop at French Quarter.

This remains true for the return trip from Disney Springs. On the way back, French Quarter is the first stop. Therefore, Riverside Guests will again need to be prepared for a slightly longer trip, since a stop will be made to drop off the French Quarter Guests prior to the boat returning to Riverside.

Riverside Has a Peaceful Louisiana Theme

Riverside is themed to replicate the rural areas of Louisiana. Some rooms are located in white-column mansions, while others are designed to represent backwoods cottages. No matter where your room is located, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful scenery, woodland areas, and the Sassagoula River.

This resort has a very calm and peaceful ambiance. As a family that normally stays in heavily Disney-themed hotels, my parents were exceptionally fond of the theming and atmosphere that Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside holds.

French Quarter Has a New Orleans Theme

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is designed to replicate the infamous French Quarter of New Orleans. The spirit of Mardi Gras can be seen throughout the entire resort, while the buildings and walkways place you directly in the streets of New Orleans.

This theme is more merry and colorful in comparison to Riverside.

The Pool Experiences are Very Different

Simply based on theming, the pool at the French Quarter is much more fun. This pool area, which is called Doubloon Lagoon, carries out the French Quarter Mardi Gras theme. Guests can slide down a 51-foot sea serpent slide into the pool below. Little ones can enjoy splashing around in the nearby water play area while grown-ups relax in the whirlpool spa.

The main pool at Riverside, Ol’ Man Island, is designed to look like an abandoned saw mill. At this pool, Guests can enjoy the 95-foot-long water slide, whirlpool spa, and kiddie pool. In addition to Ol’ Man Island, Riverside also has five leisure pools. These pools offer a more relaxing and quiet pool experience. Three of the leisure pools are located in Alligator Bayou, and the other two are in Magnolia Bend.

Luckily, sister resorts share many things. Guests staying at either of the Port Orleans Resort hotels are welcome to stop by the other resort and utilize their pool areas. If you’re leaning towards one of the resorts, but the other pool seems more appealing, you can easily walk over to that resort and access the pool area.

French Quarter Lacks a Major Dining Option, But Makes Up For It

One advantage of Moderate Resorts is that they are all equipped with at least one full-service restaurant. All of them, at least, except French Quarter. This is the only Moderate Resort on Walt Disney World property that does not have a full-service restaurant. While French Quarter doesn’t have a full-service restaurant, it has one thing that no other Walt Disney World location has to offer – Mickey-shaped Beignets.

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For quite some time, it was the only place where Guests could get any beignet at Walt Disney World. However, this changed with the addition of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Now, Guests are able to secure Tiana’s Famous Beignets in Magic Kingdom. These beignets, while not Mickey-shaped, are topped with powdered sugar and drizzled with honey.

Many Guests make special trips to French Quarter just to enjoy a plate full of warm Mickey Beignets. At Scat Cat’s Club – Café, Guests can enjoy standard beignets that are topped with powdered sugar and served with dipping sauce, specialty beignets, or a beignet sundae. Adults ages 21 and older can sink their teeth into Baton Rouge Beignets. This dish includes two beignets with Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur, Kahlúa Liqueur, or RumChata Liqueur.

Baton Rouge Beignets are also available at Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge.

Which Resort is Better?

When it comes to choosing between these two resorts, I feel like the biggest things that should be considered are size and theming.

Some Guests absolutely love the serenity that can be found in the backwoods of Louisiana at Riverside. However, as we mentioned, that resort is extremely large. If a smaller resort is more beneficial for you, or if you simply prefer the more jazzed-up New Orleans theme, then French Quarter should be your pick.

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