Exploring Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter: A Review, Room, and Resort Tour
Tucked in a small corner of Walt Disney World is Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter, which offers guests a taste of New Orleans’ historic district. Featuring everything from romantic courtyards to fountains to wrought iron details, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter recreates some of the most iconic details of NOLA in the heart of Central Florida. In February 2024, I had the opportunity to stay at French Quarter to not only experience the resort first-hand, but also celebrate Mardi Gras at the resort… one of Disney’s most unique and lesser-known celebrations!
An Overview of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Although one of the smaller resorts at Walt Disney World, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter goes BIG on theming. Details emulating the iconic city can be found throughout the rooms, recreation areas, dining areas, and more.
Room Options at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is unique from other Disney resorts, as the rooms are not labeled by “Standard Room” or “Preferred Room”, which are common options at almost all other Value and Moderate Resorts.
When I was on the phone with a Cast Member the week before my visit (upgrading my resort selection from Pop Century to French Quarter), she said that French Quarter is so small and everything is so close together that all rooms are essentially a preferred room!
Instead, room options are divided up by view, with one exception:
- Garden View
- River View
- Standard View
- Pool View
- King Bed
All rooms have 2 queen beds UNLESS you book the 5th room option (King Bed); the King Bed room will also offer any of the views EXCEPT for Pool View.
Fun Fact: Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter has 1008 rooms across 7 buildings, which is less than half the number of rooms (2048) available at its sister resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside!
Dining Options at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
French Quarter offers a taste of NOLA throughout several dining options around the resort!
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory is the main quick service dining location at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter. There are multiple stations around the “food court” where you can select from a variety of meals.
Most options are the standard options found at most Disney resorts (pizza, pasta, chicken strips, etc.), but there are a few additional options that fit into the New Orleans theme, including Gumbo, Mardi Gras King Cake, etc.
In addition, there is a small station with grab-and-go items, such as pre-cut fruit cups, Uncrustables sandwiches, etc.
Since I was traveling with family and we utilized Early Entry (an amenity that gives Disney resort guests 30-minutes of early access to the parks) every morning throughout the trip, we often found ourselves going back to the resort around dinner time to relax for the evening. This meant that I ate dinner at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory every night throughout the trip (with the exception of resort hopping to Riverside and eating dinner there).
For some reason or another, I also got the same exact meal every time: pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken parmesan. Each time it was delicious; although the chicken parmesan was pre-cooked and in a hot pan, the pasta was made fresh each time.
On the last night of my trip, there was also a Cast Member going around the dining location with a tray of croissant samples, something I had never seen done during my other resort stays at Disney!
Although the food court and its accompanying seating area are quite small when compared to other Disney resorts, it seemed to be more than plenty to accommodate the number of resort guests. (As French Quarter is one of the smaller resort areas.)
Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge and Café
Scat Cat’s Club – Café is home to French Quarter’s iconic beignets, which come with a delicious dipping sauce. They even have a sundae version! I tried them for the first time while resort hopping during my Disney College Program, and they are a must-try treat while staying at the resort.
In addition to the café, there is also a lounge, which offers a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, appetizers, and (on the weekends) live music.
Mardi Grogs
Mardi Grogs is French Quarter’s outdoor bar located near the pool. It was closed for refurbishment during my visit, but during the rest of the year, it offers a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks in addition to a limited selection of salads, sandwiches, and pretzels.
Shopping at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is home to one gift shop: Jackson Square Gifts & Desires.
Inside are standard gift shop items found across Disney Resort gift shops, including ear headbands and hats, t-shirts, and more. They also had some resort-specific merchandise tied to the New Orleans theme, including beignet mix and Mardi Gras pins.
Recreation and Activities at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
For those looking to take a break from the busyness of the parks, French Quarter offers plenty of recreation opportunities and activities around the resort!
Pools at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
French Quarter has 1 pool (Doubloon Lagoon pool), 1 splash pad area for kids (“Aquatic Play Area”), and 1 hot tub. There is a slide at both the pool and in the Aquatic Play Area.
Unfortunately, the pool was under refurbishment during my visit in February 2024, but it was a unique opportunity to see the pool drained and the workers working on refurbishments. When I was on the phone with a Cast Member the previous week (upgrading my resort selection from Pop Century to French Quarter), I was told that my party was welcome to use the pools at Riverside. I’m not sure if this is a year-round offering (as French Quarter and Riverside both fall under the Port Orleans Resort umbrella) or if it was just something offered during the refurbishment, but it was nice to know it was an option, especially since Riverside was just a short walk or boat ride away!
Playground at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
French Quarter does have a small playground that is in a central area of the resort, close to both the pool and the main check-in/dining/shopping area. It features a few slides and spots to climb on.
Additional Activities at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
French Quarter offers plenty of additional activities outside of the pool (when not being refurbished) and playground. They even post a recreation calendar highlighting what’s happening each day of the week!
There was also a separate board highlighting what was happening that day, broken down by the time.
Some of the activities offered at French Quarter (that are posted on the official website) include:
- Nightly campfire
- Movies Under the Stars
- Carriage Ride
- Bike Ride
During my stay, additional activities that were not posted on Disney’s website included arts and crafts, tie dye, dance parties, a mosaics class, and more! There is also an arcade available and (just a short walk away) fishing at Riverside.
Amenities at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
French Quarter offers the standard amenities that most hotels have, including complimentary WiFi, housekeeping, and laundry/dry cleaning services. However, two of the biggest amenities that make me choose a Disney resort over an off-property resort are the complimentary transportation and Early Entry to the theme parks!
Early Entry can make a MAJOR difference in your Disney experience as you can potentially experience a couple of rides before the park officially opens! Early Entry is also an amazing opportunity to get photos in the park before the crowds converge in an area.
Transportation Options at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter has two complimentary transportation options: Water Transportation and Bus Transportation. I tried both during my recent visit!
Water (Boat) Transportation
French Quarter is one of only four resorts that offers water transportation to and from Disney Springs!
The wait for the boat was short, both when going to and from Disney Springs. In general, it was a relaxing journey and a unique way to travel throughout Disney!
While on the boats, the Cast Members provided short snippets of information along the way, especially as we approached Disney Springs.
Bus Transportation
For getting to and from the parks, French Quarter offers bus transportation. There are two bus stations at French Quarter (both located next to each other) which offer limited bench seating and vending machines. Perhaps the most important aspect is the screen that provides an ETA for the bus to each park.
Mardi Gras Celebration at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
One of the most unique aspects of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort is the annual Mardi Gras Celebration, a lesser-known celebration at Disney that happens at Port Orleans resort on Mardi Gras. Lucky me, this happened to fall during my stay at the resort!
As I arrived on February 12th (Mardi Gras was on the 13th), there was plenty of signage describing the fun activities that would be happening around Port Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras. A full parade route map was also available, which was super helpful! Tons of decorations were also on display.
In 2024, the resort’s Mardi Gras parade was themed “Celebrating Walt Disney World Parades Past and Present!” and featured floats designed after the Main Street Electrical Parade, Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade, Main Street Trolley Show, Rainy Day Cavalcade, Spectromagic, and so much more.
In addition to the themed floats, the parade was led by the Walt Disney World ambassadors and featured an appearance by Princess Tiana. Plenty of goodies were handed out and you could even vote for your favorite float! Afterwards, some of the floats were on display at French Quarter for the block party, where you could see them up close and grab a photo!
As a huge fan of the Halloween parties, the Boo to You! Halloween Parade floats on display were by far my favorite.
After the morning parade, French Quarter held a block party in the late afternoon/evening. A DJ played plenty of Disney music and there were decorated tables and photo opportunities scattered throughout the courtyard.
Some merchandise tables with Venetian masks and Mardi Gras merch were also set up for the event. They even had specialty Disney pins for Mardi Gras, and (FREE!) celebration buttons to mark the event.
While there was plenty to see and do for the 5-hour party, the highlight for me was (of course) the character meet-and-greets, as both Princess Tiana and Louis were meeting guests during the block party. (And Louis is a rare character!) As they were taking turns meeting people, I looped back around in line in order to meet both of them.
Of course, Princess Tiana was super sweet. Although the line was long, she spent plenty of time with each guest, making the time waited in line feel well worth it.
The line was quite literally wrapped around the block in order to meet the characters!
One of the coolest parts of the experience, however, was the “party boat” that ferried guests from Riverside to French Quarter (and vice versa). The boat was decorated with lights and banners, and guests were given light-up tambourines to rattle as the music played. A few Cast Members were also onboard to help out and keep the party going. I walked to Riverside and took the party boat back to French Quarter in order to experience it for myself and it was an incredibly fun experience!
By 7 a.m. the next morning (when I was leaving French Quarter for a visit to Magic Kingdom on Valentine’s Day), all of the Mardi Gras decorations were already taken down around the resort. The celebration added such a fun and unique experience to the resort stay and it makes me eager to experience it again next year!
Photo Tour: Room at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Although I have stayed at Port Orleans – Riverside multiple times in the past, this was my first experience at French Quarter.
Just like the rest of the resort, the room reflected the charm of New Orleans, featuring plenty of carved wooden furniture. The room had two queen size beds with plenty of pillows, and an extra pillow and blanket was also in the “closet” area in the bathroom.
Although Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is a Moderate Resort, the bathroom set-up is one where I prefer the Value Resort more. This is primarily due to the amount of space in the bathroom and the amount of shelving space near the sinks.
Another key difference is that the Value Resorts I have stayed in (primarily Pop Century and All-Star Sports) have sliding doors in the bathroom area and shower, whereas French Quarter just had curtains. However, there was significantly more “closet” space in the French Quarter sink area to hang up clothing. As someone who frequently wears vintage-style clothing to the Disney parks and needs more space to hang up those items, the additional space was greatly appreciated.
Although not as significant, there were also two sinks in the bathroom, versus the one sink that the Value Resorts have.
The room also had a set of table and chairs. On check-in day, housekeeping left a note welcoming us to the resort, along with a “Hidden Mickey” made of Mardi Gras beads. On the next housekeeping day (which fell on Valentine’s Day), housekeeping a Valentine’s card.
Additional details around the room included a bench and shelf with coat hooks, a TV (which was personalized with our party’s name), dresser, and mini-fridge.
My Experience of Staying at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
As someone who has stayed almost exclusively at Value Resorts in recent years, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect during my stay at French Quarter. But between the normal resort amenities and the Mardi Gras Celebration, my experience was a fantastic one!
Online Check-In
The online check-in process was simple and easy to do, as it allowed me to place a preferred email and phone number for notifications, set up card information for charges, and place room requests. Three room requests were available: near bus stop, ground floor, and corner room. Online Check-In also allowed me to select my arrival time; I selected the earliest option, which was simply “Before 3 P.M.”.
Check-In
Since I had an early morning flight, I arrived at French Quarter at around 11 A.M. and visited the check-in desk to confirm the details of my online check-in. Due to the early arrival, the concierge Cast Member was also able to make a selection to see if they could get me into the room prior to 3 P.M. (the designated check-in time). As a result, I received a text message just 20 minutes later notifying me that my room was ready, also providing my room number, building number and a map of the resort.
During those 20 minutes, I had actually already left for Disney Springs, but this did give me the opportunity to utilize Bell Services. The process for leaving luggage at the resort was extremely simple and complimentary. Every time I passed by Bell Services during my stay, there was always at least 1 attendant standing out front ready to assist guests.
Housekeeping
As I was staying 3 nights at Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter, this meant that I would receive 1 housekeeping service. (Value and Moderate resorts receive housekeeping every other day.) Since my second full resort day and housekeeping day fell on Valentine’s Day, housekeeping also left a cute Valentine’s note from the resort’s Housekeeping Team.
Check-Out
Just like the Check-in process, the Check-Out process was extremely simple. After leaving my bags at Bell Services (so I could spend the day at Animal Kingdom before my evening flight), I simply hit the “Check Out” button on the My Disney Experience app… that was it! Disney emailed my final bill to me on the last day, but since I didn’t charge anything to the room, it was just confirming that. Overall, an easy process!
Review of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
I’ve stayed at multiple Disney Resorts over the years, ranging everywhere from value resorts like All-Star Sports to deluxe resorts like Wilderness Lodge. However, my amazing experience at French Quarter made it instantly memorable and one of the best Disney resorts I’ve stayed at!
The small size of the resort made everything close together, which was a nice change from some of the other (larger) Disney resorts I’ve stayed at. Plus, going to the bus stop early in the morning or returning to the room in the evening didn’t seem as much of a rush or hassle, since it was only a couple minutes’ walk!
The uniqueness of the experience was also a major bonus, considering that both Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day were back-to-back holidays during my visit. Attention to detail like the Mardi Gras Celebration and the Valentine’s card from housekeeping made the experience one of the best Disney resorts I’ve stayed at!
Hi, there! I am a former Cast Member and current Annual Passholder who loves sharing my theme park tips and tricks that I’ve learned through countless visits over the years. Be sure to check out these other posts to make the most of your visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth!
