One of our favorite Disney Resorts is Port Orleans French Quarter. This resort, which is a sister resort of Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, is the smallest of the Disney resorts. This, when coupled with it’s French Quarter theming, really made it a very enjoyable resort to stay at. We first stayed at POFQ in August of 2009. This trip was originally planned for June, but we canceled once because of the economy, then later on in the summer decided it was more advantageous to go because of the free Disney Dining Plan, so we booked our trip for August. However, we left Sophie out of the loop, and proceeded to plan, pack, and leave all one Saturday with her having no idea of where we were going. When she found out, it prompted this video:
When we got to the resort, the first people we met were the two gentlemen who serve as doormen for the entrance to the lobby of the hotel. They were some of the nicest Cast Members we have ever met, and it is just a shame that I don’t remember their names. In addition to being doormen, they also were extremely knowledgeable about which was the best way to get somewhere to meet a reservation. Whenever we saw them they always said — “Where are we going today?”, and when we told them, they promptly pulled out the park information we needed, pointed out the location of whatever it was we wanted to see, and also told us about some other things to do when we were there. Lastly, they would tell us when the last bus was here that went to that particular destination. Sadly, they were not there in June when we went back to POFQ.
In addition to the great doormen, we also had a great staff in other areas. Check out this picture of the towels that the housekeeper left in our room:
The thing that really sets Disney apart from any other theme park, in my opinion, is the incredible detail that is put into every part of a Disney resort. Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, is based on the real French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana (obviously). The street signs are the same, landscaping is the same, every detail is brought into the equation of what makes a Disney resort. For a whole lot more about Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, you can check out the unofficial Port Orleans tribute site.
Because Port Orleans Resort comprises both the French Quarter and Riverside sections, you can actually take advantage of the services at both locations when you stay at one of the resorts. This means that you can choose from two pools to enjoy, a fishing hole to enjoy some actual fishing, and the nice thing is that the two resorts are only about a 5 – 10 minute walk up the Sassagoula River. Of the two resorts, Riverside is the larger of the two, and French Quarter feels much more intimate. However, that intimacy does come at a price — there is only a quick service food court type restaurant at the resort. If you wish to have a sit down dining experience, you need to head up to Riverside for that.
If you don’t feel like walking, and you don’t want to get in your car and drive, you have other choices available to you. First off, you can take the water taxi. The Sassagoula is a man-made river, and you can ride the water taxi up to Riverside, or you can wait for the one coming back and ride it down to Disney Springs! We have done that twice, and it is a nice change of pace from sitting in a bus to get where you want to go.
But talk is cheap, take a look at some of the pictures we’ve taken of the resort!
Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is the smallest of the resorts, but it definitely has it’s set of amenities. Take a look at the official Disney World page for more information, and better pictures!
Lastly, if you are looking for someone to help you plan your family vacation to Walt Disney World, reach out to me and I can assist! I am a full service travel consultant with Pixie Vacations, and have been helping families like yours for over six years now. I am certain I can help you plan and have the trip of a lifetime! Email me at mike@pixievacations.com or submit a quote request form today!
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