Can't decide on Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter...

[unrequited23]

We really liked the quiet pools at POR. The main pool had too much going on for my kids to relax and enjoy themselves. We might have been there at off times but there were never more than three other families at the quiet pool. We found the dishes at FOFQ to be a bit spicier/more unique than POR--this was a big plus for us.

Vegetarian/vegan cuisine is not as uncommon as it once was. (My best friend was vegan in the mid 90's.) I think the biggest issue to worry about is repetition of options--I would avoid two restaurants that only offer veggie burgers in the same day. Also, I would plan on bringing/ordering some favorite snacks for the girls.

 

[jelo]

Both Port resorts will be much more "laid back" than All Stars or Pop (I've stayed at all of them many times). FQ is my favorite resort overall, but I also love the others for various reasons.



I've read good things about the chef(s) at FQ's food court as far as making sure there are vegan options available (don't be afraid to ask to speak to a chef), and of course there are the fresh vegan (and gluten free) beignets at FQ as well. I highly recommend both families check out; Vegan Disney World website. You can search for both hotels to see what is specific options at each, though I believe they like FQ's options more than Riverside.

As others have said, it's great at either Port hotel because you can share the pools and the restaurants.



The main difference in buses is this; FQ has one stop, Riverside has 4. Buses at any Disney hotel can be hit or miss, I've never really had a consistently longer wait at either hotel.



FQ is so compact it is really easy to find your way around. I'm not a big pool person, but I would suggest just looking up pics of each pool. FQ has Scales, the sea serpent slide, and Riverside has a much more spread out pool area.

In short; FQ is a little more quiet than Riverside, it is also the smallest Disney hotel. Both have a great atmosphere, music, carriage rides, etc... Look at the menu's for each food court. Also check out Andrea's page if you haven't yet; here.

Honestly you can't go wrong with either place! Hope you have a wonderful time!

Thanks so much for your thorough reply!! I will have the girls look up that link and they can plan on what to eat!!

I loved POP, but I really like the sounds of a quieter laid back vacation....the parks are busy enough!

 

[fhtpdw20]

A good web site dedicated to Port Orleans and Riverside is Port Orleans.org to help with your planning. It has helped with my planning and shows the resort activities schedule as well.

 

[need2travel]

Which of the two was most recently renovated? Was it Riverside or am I wrong? Slight chance we might switch from BWI to Port Orleans (not sure which) since we would save a boatload of money if we do. Thanks!

 

[Mome Rath]

Which of the two was most recently renovated? Was it Riverside or am I wrong? Slight chance we might switch from BWI to Port Orleans (not sure which) since we would save a boatload of money if we do. Thanks!

FQ was completely renovated already earlier this year, Riverside is in the process right now starting with Alligator Bayou.

 

[need2travel]

FQ was completely renovated already earlier this year, Riverside is in the process right now starting with Alligator Bayou.

Thank you!! Lots to think about now....

 

[Disneyhanna]

We just stayed at Riverside and visited FQ for dinner one night. Loved how quiet Riverside was, and we found the buses to be very reliable most of the time. I'd say we waited 10 minutes on average, with the occasional 20 minute wait and often it pulled up as we did.

The food court at Riverside is much larger but more American food like burgers, pasta, fries, etc. FQ's menu is more "adventurous" and a lot of rice and beans, so I think it might be more vegetarian friendly and customizable since the resort is smaller and you'd have better luck grabbing a chef. I'd check out the menus online since it should give you a good idea. The walk between resorts is very quick (~10 min between main buildings) so you can always try out both.

Prior to this we had only ever stayed at POP. Loved the refurb rooms, but the resort is just so noisy and packed with kids. Riverside was much more laid back and we only ever heard kids as they walked by our rooms when heading to the parks in the morning. Room was much bigger at Riverside as well compared to POP.

 

[Little E]

We stayed at PORFQ in June of 2017 and liked it. It was small and easy to navigate and we felt totally comfortable having our boys go off on their own there. They also really liked being able to walk over to POR-Riverside to use their arcade and food court, and we felt comfortable having them do that. We have never stayed at Riverside, but we visited there several times during our stay at FQ. It was beautiful. I don't think you could go wrong at either place. Because there are more rooms at Riverside, you might have a better chance at getting rooms side by side there? I don't know about this...just a guess?

Whatever you decide, have a magical time!!

 

[stinkpickle]

Go with the best deal. Both are great.

 

[hereforthechurros]

For your group I would stay at POR. Pool is a more adult (whereas POFQ is very much themed for kids) not to mention more dining options with Boatwrights. Both have boats to Disney Springs and you can use amenities at both resorts regardless of which one you are staying at. We had zero issues with buses at either resort. You won’t go wrong either way but POR may better suit your needs

 

[aml3679]

We are excited. Next month we will be staying at POR. 5 years ago we stayed at POFQ and really like it but decided that we love the look of POR and decided to stay there this time. We now live in Florida and are Silver Passholders and we recently got a $300 discount on our room. Having not stayed at POR before, I do not think you can go wrong with either choice. We loved the look of POFQ, the choice of buses to the parks or boats to Disney Springs, the bignets, etc.

 

[portocall]

Port Orleans Riverside fan here. Waits for busses weren't too bad at all the two times I stayed. Once we had a longer wait but that happens from time to time regardless of where I have stayed. The walk want too terrible. Even when I was in the furthest building from the main building. I think French Quarter has good points too but I live in New Orleans and visit the French Quarter regularly so not the theme I want when I go on vacation. That said, it is more intimate of a resort and it is also pretty.

 

[Amunet]

Port Orleans is just a beautiful resort overall, you won't go wrong either way. I e stayed at Riverside more because I love the Royal Rooms.

A few things to note:

• Even though French Quarter has one bus stop, it often also stops at Riverside anyways.
• Riverside is included in, at least, all recent promotional offers that Disney includes (free dining, percent off room only, etc). French Quarter is usually excluded in most promotions.
• If you're going in October, there is a chance you could get free dining with Riverside.

We are kicking around doing a trip in December of next year and we will for sure do one of the Port Orleans resorts, but, for us, it depends on price.

P.S. Disney is doing awesome with veggie diets, you will find what you need at both resorts

 

[disneyworldsk]

separate topic but there's a vegan facebook page for disney fans you can check it out. also you can look at touring plans youtube videos of rooms tours of riverside vs. fq. If i had a teen and a twenty something in one room with parents I would need double sinks and a larger toilet/bath area then fq. it was small, was just there.

 

[Cloudless Nights]

Stayed at both, but stayed at POFQ most recently, and now would never go back to POR. POR is beautiful, but POFQ is too. It's a lot smaller, and I never waited long for buses (and never shared buses with POR, even during a "slower" season in February). There's only one bus stop, instead of multiple at POR. It was always super quiet (even when I was on the ground floor). And the food court is THE BEST - po'boys, jambalaya, beignets - I'm drooling right now. I ended up getting their breakfast flatbread three days in a row I loved it so much.

 

[cinnaminny]

So which did you choose? I kind of always thought, if I went with a moderate I would choose POFQ, the updated rooms look pretty good. Plus if you don't have a vehicle the one bus stop sounds pretty good. My cousin stayed at POR once in one of the Bayou rooms and did not like it at all. But it sounds like they are updating those so maybe its changing??

 

[skyblue17]

Given the age of the girls, POR is probably better. POFQ is great but the pool IS catered more toward younger children, which is probably most annoying when you're a tween/teen and want a cooler, chiller pool experience. If you're not going to be spending THAT much time at the hotel/pool, POFQ is great for its small footprint and of course, you can walk to the POR pools anyway (the walk really is quick, easy and lovely!). I think you'd enjoy a stay at either one.