New Orleans recommendations needed, what have you done there?

[Snowwhyt]

We wanted a few days before and after our cruise to visit the area just after Mardi Gras. We are a party of 5 adults. Probably have to bring the scooter for my parents. Might choose 2 hotels, one before and a different one after the cruise.

If you have recommendations for kids, I will pass it on to the group we will be traveling with. So any recommendations or heads up would be appreciated.

Can anyone share their experience is good or bad?

 

[sheilafri]

There are many good restaurants. The bars have great music. DD and I did a swamp tour outside of town. The WWII museum is incredible—don’t miss it. DH and I also loved the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. It’s in the museum district which was also very interesting. Get a muffuletta from Central Grocery. Get beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde and people watch. We also took a buggy tour around town—very touristy but it was fun.

Unfortunately, my last visit after getting off a ship it was very hot. I couldn’t stand the smell and we cut our part day short as I felt sick.

 

[JAM9842]

The WWII museum is a must!!!!!!! It is incredible and even little kids will stay entertained.

 

[Snowwhyt]

There are many good restaurants. The bars have great music. DD and I did a swamp tour outside of town. The WWII museum is incredible—don’t miss it. DH and I also loved the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. It’s in the museum district which was also very interesting. Get a muffuletta from Central Grocery. Get beignets and coffee from Cafe du Monde and people watch. We also took a buggy tour around town—very touristy but it was fun.

Unfortunately, my last visit after getting off a ship it was very hot. I couldn’t stand the smell and we cut our part day short as I felt sick.

Just checking… the smell of the horse?

 

[squirk]

I live in NOLA, so I can speak to a few things.

Audubon aquarium is not far from the terminal. Probably the easiest and most convenient "kid" thing near the port.

The French Quarter can be fun for kids ON CERTAIN STREETS. There are establishments on Bourbon St. that you may not want your kids to scope out as they pass by. The closer you stick to the river and Jackson Square, the more family-friendly it will be.

St. Louis Cathedral, Cabildo and Presbytere Museums, Cafe du Monde, carriage tours, street musicians/magicians/other performers, etc.

The WWII museum is awesome, but some exhibits can be a little grim if the kids are really little. The museum is in the Central Business District, not in the FQ.

If you want to go further afield, you can take a streetcar ride to view the mansions on St. Charles (though that may not be ideal for folks with mobility issues and ECVs). New Orleans Museum of Art with an awesome sculpture garden, which is part of City Park, is another great idea.

 

[nlharpel]

NOLA is my favorite US city and we’ve done multiple trips there both with a baby/toddler and adults only. Here are some ideas:

Food: I base all my travel around where I’ll be eating. Cafe du monde (beignets), central grocery (share a muffuletta, they’re HUGE), Drago’s (chargrilled oysters), pat o’briens (hurricane, rainbow drink), port of call (burgers and baked potatoes), Parkway bakery and tavern (life changing po’boys - still dream of the James brown one), Palace Cafe (brunch)

Things to Do: cemetery tour (super cool!), casino (close to port), ww2 museum, swamp tour, royal street (one street over from bourbon with antiques and art), st Charles street car

There’s so many scheduled things you could book there through tour groups like grayline (they have a booth near cafe du monde) that are done well but what I love best about NOLA is that it’s just a super walkable city. I’d recommend just walking around and exploring areas around Jackson square, river walk, French market.

 

[Snowwhyt]

I live in NOLA, so I can speak to a few things.

Audubon aquarium is not far from the terminal. Probably the easiest and most convenient "kid" thing near the port.

The French Quarter can be fun for kids ON CERTAIN STREETS. There are establishments on Bourbon St. that you may not want your kids to scope out as they pass by. The closer you stick to the river and Jackson Square, the more family-friendly it will be.

St. Louis Cathedral, Cabildo and Presbytere Museums, Cafe du Monde, carriage tours, street musicians/magicians/other performers, etc.

The WWII museum is awesome, but some exhibits can be a little grim if the kids are really little. The museum is in the Central Business District, not in the FQ.

If you want to go further afield, you can take a streetcar ride to view the mansions on St. Charles (though that may not be ideal for folks with mobility issues and ECVs). New Orleans Museum of Art with an awesome sculpture garden, which is part of City Park, is another great idea.

I’m so thankful for your help here.

Do you have a recommendation for non-spicy meal restaurant? I figure only a local could advise me on such an unusual request. We have easy to aggravate stomach conditions frequently triggered by spicy foods. It would be nice to go someplace besides Denny’s and Perkins.

 

[princesscinderella]

We always go to Mother’s when we go to New Orleans. So yummy

 

[squirk]

I’m so thankful for your help here.

Do you have a recommendation for non-spicy meal restaurant? I figure only a local could advise me on such an unusual request. We have easy to aggravate stomach conditions frequently triggered by spicy foods. It would be nice to go someplace besides Denny’s and Perkins.

The “spicy food” thing is really just a play for the tourists. You might have some mild heat in things like jambalaya, gumbo and anything prepared in crawfish boil, but by and large, the “spicy” schtick comes from you choosing to add Tabasco or Crystal to the food yourself.

I can’t think of any restaurant where everything on the menu is prepared as spicy by the kitchen. You should have plenty of non-spicy options wherever you go.

As far as restaurant recommendations, it really depends on where you’re staying and how far afield you want to go.

Our favorite restaurant in the city (http://jacques-imos.com) is actually not in the French Quarter, but off to the west near Tulane University.

But if you want to stay in the FQ, we like Bayona (http://www.bayona.com). Other places I might take a visiting friend who wants to eat in the Quarter are Tujague’s (http://tujaguesrestaurant.com) and Galatoire’s (http://www.galatoires.com).

As @princesscinderella said, Mother’s (http://www.mothersrestaurant.net) is very popular with visitors, and with businesspeople working in the Central Business District, but it’s several blocks removed from the Quarter. Very casual.

But it’s really hard to go wrong. Since you have folks with mobility issues, I might start with setting your desired radius in terms of travel, and look within that circle. Odds are you will find something good.

 

[brentm77]

I live in NOLA, so I can speak to a few things.

Audubon aquarium is not far from the terminal. Probably the easiest and most convenient "kid" thing near the port.

The French Quarter can be fun for kids ON CERTAIN STREETS. There are establishments on Bourbon St. that you may not want your kids to scope out as they pass by. The closer you stick to the river and Jackson Square, the more family-friendly it will be.

St. Louis Cathedral, Cabildo and Presbytere Museums, Cafe du Monde, carriage tours, street musicians/magicians/other performers, etc.

The WWII museum is awesome, but some exhibits can be a little grim if the kids are really little. The museum is in the Central Business District, not in the FQ.

If you want to go further afield, you can take a streetcar ride to view the mansions on St. Charles (though that may not be ideal for folks with mobility issues and ECVs). New Orleans Museum of Art with an awesome sculpture garden, which is part of City Park, is another great idea.

Don't want to hijack the thread, but it's really helpful to hear from a local, and maybe this will help OP too. Is a swamp tour worth taking on a first visit, for a family that's from the desert out West? I've always wanted to see alligators in the wild, but never seem to see them in Florida. How would a swamp tour be the week of Christmas? Too cold?

Do I need to be looking at reservations if a primary purpose of the visit is to try a variety if local food? Or is most of the good stuff available by walk up?

Finally, we currently have the Ritz booked. Are there better options for tourists?

Thanks! I feel very ignorant planning this trip. Leave it to DISbaords to be a wealth of info, even for my non-Disney trip. People here rock.

EDIT: Just saw your list of restaurants above, and that some offer reservations on their websites. Very helpful!

 

[MommyCMickey]

Muriel's Jackson Square is a great restaurant
Also take time to visit the Louisiana State museum right near it before your dinner, it’s amazing what that city has been through, good and bad. I almost never do bourbon street because it has a bad odor. But New Orleans is an amazing city and I usually stay at the Roosevelt and walk everywhere.

As far as Cafe du monde, it’s nice because usually there are musicians playing music right there so it’s relaxing and entertaining but if you don’t want to hear that, cafe du monde is also in the airport . Also there are a lot of local shops on that street that have survived the hurricanes so I tend to go and support local shops

 

[auntlynne]

Food. It’s about the food. i don’t remember much else (it was a nursing convention the first time; Katrina clean-up the last).

Second/third muffuletta’s at Central Kitchen. Not spicy. And yes, they are huge. We split one 3 ways. This is where they come from.

I also ate at Galatoire’s for lunch; we just happened upon it while walking in the French Quarter. I got home and found out my mom had eaten there 50 years previous.

If the street car (St Charles) is still running, I think it takes you by some lovely homes. Architecture being another focus. Music is probably the third biggie.

A good history lesson would be to visit the 9th Ward or any other area affected by Katrina and other hurricanes. The loss of protective wetlands should be part of our education.

Commander’s Palace - I dined at the Vegas location. But it’s a venerable New Orleans restaurant. I don’t do spicy.

 

[squirk]

Don't want to hijack the thread, but it's really helpful to hear from a local, and maybe this will help OP too. Is a swamp tour worth taking on a first visit, for a family that's from the desert out West? I've always wanted to see alligators in the wild, but never seem to see them in Florida. How would a swamp tour be the week of Christmas? Too cold?

Do I need to be looking at reservations if a primary purpose of the visit is to try a variety if local food? Or is most of the good stuff available by walk up?

Finally, we currently have the Ritz booked. Are there better options for tourists?

Thanks! I feel very ignorant planning this trip. Leave it to DISbaords to be a wealth of info, even for my non-Disney trip. People here rock.

EDIT: Just saw your list of restaurants above, and that some offer reservations on their websites. Very helpful!

I’ll be honest - I have never been on a swamp tour. We are surrounded by swamps, and I spot gators all the time (from a distance), so going on a “tour” of a swamp never really occurred to me.

They lure the gators out with chicken, hot dogs and marshmallows. No guarantees, but from what I’ve heard, the guides and the gators interact enough to know where to meet up to maximize the chances of a (safe) encounter.

As for Xmas week temps - I wouldn’t say it’ll be too cold to go out on the water. But the morning could be chilly - high 40’s or low 50’s - and the cold will slow down gators’ activity. The chances of seeing one is not impossible, but reduced.

The Ritz is very nice (though I prefer the Waldorf), and it’s not too far off from the FQ’s main activities. If you have a little girl or boy who might enjoy the Ritz’s high tea, I would look into that.

I would definitely make dinner reservations for Xmas day and the day after. Other days, I don’t think reservations would be necessary for any but the most popular restaurants (Commander’s, Brennan’s, Tujague’s, Galatoire’s, Two Sisters, Emeril’s, etc.)

 

[brentm77]

I’ll be honest - I have never been on a swamp tour. We are surrounded by swamps, and I spot gators all the time (from a distance), so going on a “tour” of a swamp never really occurred to me.

They lure the gators out with chicken, hot dogs and marshmallows. No guarantees, but from what I’ve heard, the guides and the gators interact enough to know where to meet up to maximize the chances of a (safe) encounter.

As for Xmas week temps - I wouldn’t say it’ll be too cold to go out on the water. But the morning could be chilly - high 40’s or low 50’s - and the cold will slow down gators’ activity. The chances of seeing one is not impossible, but reduced.

The Ritz is very nice (though I prefer the Waldorf), and it’s not too far off from the FQ’s main activities. If you have a little girl or boy who might enjoy the Ritz’s high tea, I would look into that.

I would definitely make dinner reservations for Xmas day and the day after. Other days, I don’t think reservations would be necessary for any but the most popular restaurants (Commander’s, Brennan’s, Tujague’s, Galatoire’s, Two Sisters, Emeril’s, etc.)

Thanks! You were the second to mention Waldorf, and the price was about the same, so I went ahead and made the switch.

This information was very helpful.

One more question for you or others - should I rent a car, or just use Uber/Taxis?

 

[moericus]

We did a combined Laura and Oak Alley Plantation tour that was amazing. It is not far from downtown New Orleans.

Laura plantation is where the infamous Br'er Rabbit stories were recorded for the first time. It was a female owned creole plantation. Lots of stories and a unique history.

Oak Alley is just beautiful.

 

[salittle]

You've gotten some great recommendations! Mardi Gras World is awesome and near the port - they have Mardi Gras floats and sometimes artists working there - depending on time of year. Great photo ops and not just for kids.
We did Lyft a lot when we were there in October - it seemed to be more available than Uber at that time. I would not try to park anywhere in the French Quarter unless it's your hotel and then park and forget.
We are going with the Wyndham French Quarter and parking the car there for our time in Nola and the cruise - this is at the end of March.
Enjoy!

 

[squirk]

Thanks! You were the second to mention Waldorf, and the price was about the same, so I went ahead and made the switch.

This information was very helpful.

One more question for you or others - should I rent a car, or just use Uber/Taxis?

Absolutely no shade being thrown at the Ritz, especially if you are a Marriott guy. It’s a beautiful hotel.

I am a Hilton guy when I travel for business, so I have a bias toward the Roosevelt because I usually get perks with my Diamond status. And Domenica, on the bottom floor, is a restaurant we really enjoy.

Biases aside, I still like the Roosevelt better. It’s very evocative of a “bygone era” of early 20th century fancy hotels. And at Christmastime, it looks truly fantastic.

I am not sure how much ground you are looking to cover during your visit. If you plan to stay just in the FQ, Central Business District, Garden District, Mid-City, Uptown, I would Uber/Lyft.

Because the city was built on a swamp, and the ground is always shifting, keeping the streets smooth, level and pothole-free is a challenge. It can be unnerving to drive a rental car on some roads in the city, worrying that a bad pothole is going to mess up a strut or a joint on the car and cause you a headache with the rental company.

Also, due to Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River to the south, the city isn’t laid out on a traditional “grid”. It’s more like the bottom half of a bicycle wheel. So you can find yourself going south, west and north all on a single street if you stay on it long enough. It can seem non-sensical sometimes in how you get from Point A to Point B. Even with GPS, the navigation doesn’t always make sense. Google and Waze do get it wrong on occasion.

Finally, this city hates left turns. Part of it is due to the streetcars and the very large medians (“neutral grounds”) that separate traffic. Especially on Canal Street, which is the main thoroughfare for downtown New Orleans, and goes right by the FQ. It’s aggravating when you need to make a left turn and there are “No Left Turn” signs for several blocks before you are allowed to make one. And again, the navigation platforms often miss this, and nag you to turn left when you can’t.

If it were me, and I had the resources, I would just do rideshare. If you use a taxi, use United Cab. They have been the most trustworthy and professional cab company in NOLA for years.

Can you tell that I hate driving in New Orleans?

 

[brentm77]

Absolutely no shade being thrown at the Ritz, especially if you are a Marriott guy. It’s a beautiful hotel.

I am a Hilton guy when I travel for business, so I have a bias toward the Roosevelt because I usually get perks with my Diamond status. And Domenica, on the bottom floor, is a restaurant we really enjoy.

Biases aside, I still like the Roosevelt better. It’s very evocative of a “bygone era” of early 20th century fancy hotels. And at Christmastime, it looks truly fantastic.

I am not sure how much ground you are looking to cover during your visit. If you plan to stay just in the FQ, Central Business District, Garden District, Mid-City, Uptown, I would Uber/Lyft.

Because the city was built on a swamp, and the ground is always shifting, keeping the streets smooth, level and pothole-free is a challenge. It can be unnerving to drive a rental car on some roads in the city, worrying that a bad pothole is going to mess up a strut or a joint on the car and cause you a headache with the rental company.

Also, due to Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River to the south, the city isn’t laid out on a traditional “grid”. It’s more like the bottom half of a bicycle wheel. So you can find yourself going south, west and north all on a single street if you stay on it long enough. It can seem non-sensical sometimes in how you get from Point A to Point B. Even with GPS, the navigation doesn’t always make sense. Google and Waze do get it wrong on occasion.

Finally, this city hates left turns. Part of it is due to the streetcars and the very large medians (“neutral grounds”) that separate traffic. Especially on Canal Street, which is the main thoroughfare for downtown New Orleans, and goes right by the FQ. It’s aggravating when you need to make a left turn and there are “No Left Turn” signs for several blocks before you are allowed to make one. And again, the navigation platforms often miss this, and nag you to turn left when you can’t.

If it were me, and I had the resources, I would just do rideshare. If you use a taxi, use United Cab. They have been the most trustworthy and professional cab company in NOLA for years.

Can you tell that I hate driving in New Orleans?

Thanks for the great info! You and others here have made planning so much easier. We now have everything set and plans for each day.

I tend to prefer Hilton over Marriott, but I am not too loyal to either brand. I read reviews and looked at photos of both, and think this will be a great choice for us.

I do have a car booked, mostly because it looked like a better option for visiting some of the plantations, so we can control our pace. But I think we will keep it parked at the hotel for most of the week and walk or Uber while in town.

Last year, we swore we would mix things up after we felt we weren't getting the same value when visiting the Disney parks as we expected, so this is one of those attempts. After visiting Europe recently, we realized how cool it was seeing the real thing after enjoying the Disney versions for so many years (in part because of a family member's health making it hard to travel until recently). I really look forward to experiencing New Orleans for the first time!

P.S. Sorry to the OP for jumping into their thread. I hope you don't mind, but the timing was perfect since we had just booked airfare and were totally lost on how to plan. Hopefully you have a great time and cruise.

 

[Snowwhyt]

The “spicy food” thing is really just a play for the tourists. You might have some mild heat in things like jambalaya, …..

So because of our issues I’ve never had Jambalaya in my life until I met Levi from the Magic/Wonder.

The ONLY time I’ve been able to have it in my life was because he noticed me looking at it and he asked if I would like some? I said “yes but I can’t because of my stomach issues”. Usually the conversation stops there and I smile saying “it looks great” and move on to mashed potato’s. He asked what I can’t have and where we were sitting. It was amazing!!! Never been able to have it again and he hasn’t come back to the ships my knowledge.

 

[Snowwhyt]

You've gotten some great recommendations! Mardi Gras World is awesome and near the port - they have Mardi Gras floats and sometimes artists working there - depending on time of year. Great photo ops and not just for kids.
We did Lyft a lot when we were there in October - it seemed to be more available than Uber at that time. I would not try to park anywhere in the French Quarter unless it's your hotel and then park and forget.
We are going with the Wyndham French Quarter and parking the car there for our time in Nola and the cruise - this is at the end of March.
Enjoy!

We’re getting there the weekend after Mardi Gras. Will I be able to see anything or is it all going to be tear down of the previous floats? Well I be seeing fourth of July or Thanksgiving floats?