Port Orleans french Quarter
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter celebrates all things New Orleans and Mardi Gras! It’s a great option for those visiting Disney on a budget, but wanting something a little more. Let’s explore what this resort has to offer!
Don’t forget to check out our FULL TOUR of this resort!
Theming
As the name suggests, this resort is themed after the French Quarter in New Orleans, with beautiful architecture and details to give you an immersive experience. You’ll find elements of Jazz, Mardi Gras, and Southern Charm to really give it an authentic charm all throughout the resort!
This is one of Disney’s smallest resorts, so it’s going to have a very calm and peaceful feel. It’s honestly one of my favorite budget friendly options for couples looking for a romantic getaway, or those looking for some calm during busy times of year.
This is a moderate level resort. This means that it is on the lower end price-wise, but it does have some more upscale amenities than a value resort. Some of these include dedicated lounges, waterslides and hot tubs at the pool, as well as some other specialty activities that we’ll go over later.
Pricing for 2024 is going to range between $300-$350 per night, with prices varying a bit depending on the time of year or discounts that are available.
Rooms
There are five different room types available at this resort. All of the rooms are themed the same and all but one type have 2 queen beds, sleeping up to 4 adults. The King bed rooms have one king sized bed and sleep up to two adults. If your group has 5 or more people, you may need to split into multiple rooms or consider a 5th sleeper room at Port Orleans French Quarter’s sister resort - Port Orleans Riverside.
The main difference between each room is the view. Standard view is the least expensive option and comes with views of the parking lot. These are also usually the furthest away from the main amenities like dining, transportation, and the pool.
Garden View Rooms are the next tier up and will feature views of the various gardens around this resort. These are some of my favorites as they are on the lower end price-wise, but you could get lucky and get a building a little closer to the lobby.
River View Rooms have some of the best views of the resort as they overlook the Sassagoula River! Keep in mind that none of these rooms have balconies, but you can always pull the chairs out of your room and sit on the walkway! (just be sure you don’t block people trying to walk by).
Pool View Rooms are the most expensive room type (besides King Bed Rooms) as they are considered the ‘preferred rooms’ of this resort. These rooms overlook the main pool area and are the closest to the lobby and other amenities. Keep in mind, these may also be some of the noisiest rooms as they are near the pool and where all the ‘action’ is happening.
King Bed Rooms can be all over the resort. the ONLY difference is that you are getting 1 King Bed instead of 2 Queens. Personally, I would recommend opting for choosing your room view if you can do without a King Bed.
The theming in these rooms is pretty basic, but does carry on that French Quarter Charm!
Check out our Room Tour of a Standard Room (which actually ended up being a Garden View Room) - Again, all the room types are pretty much the same on the inside!
The Pool
This resort, because it is so small, only has one pool. The Doubloon Lagoon Pool is super fun with a giant sea serpent waterslide, Mardi Gras float themed splash pad area, and more! Currently, it is undergoing some pretty major refurbishment, but I’ll be back to update with new pictures when it reopens April 2024.
When the pool does reopen, there are lifeguards on duty as well as Life Jackets available for guests to use, so no need to pack your own!
Also undergoing refurbishment is the spa aka hot tub. This is something special that only moderate and deluxe resorts offer and can be a fantastic option to unwind and relax after a long day at the parks!
Currently while the pool is undergoing refurbishment, guests are invited to head over to Port Orleans Riverside and use the pool there. You can take the ferry boat, walk, or take the shuttle over to that resort.
In between the pool and Spa area is the Laundry Facility. This is available to resort guests to use and there is a vending machine available with detergent and other supplies you may need. You can learn more about how using the laundry facilities at Disney works in this video: (This is at All-Star Music, but they all essentially operate the same!)
Other Resort Activities
While near the pool area, you may notice an activities board. These change monthly and offer a variety of free and paid activities that guests (both those staying at the resort and those that are just visiting) can enjoy! This is everything from arts and crafts to trivia and games, and my favorites - movie under the stars and campfire s’mores!
These activities are great to do on a resort day and I highly encourage checking them out!
For those with kiddos, there is also a playground for the days when they need to run out some energy, but maybe don’t want to head to the pool.
One of the most special things this resort does is a HUGE Mardi Gras party! We participated in this for the first time this year and WOW was it so fun. They have a cast member golf cart parade, crafts, music, dancing, characters, and lots more. You can check it all out in our Full Vlog:
Lobby and Check-in Desk
Let’s head back to the front and talk about the main lobby of the resort. You will find the Check-in desk here. This is going to be the best place to go not only for check-in, but if you have any questions regarding your reservation, magicbands, paying off balances, and other things for your stay. Keep in mind that they are NOT able to handle anything having to do with park tickets, so that will need to be done at the Ticket Center at Disney Springs or at one of the Theme Parks.
Online Check-in is available to all guests before they arrive via the My Disney Experience App! This is a great way to skip the Check-in line and go straight to your room when it is ready. You’ll get a text with your room number and location and you can unlock your room with your Magicband or MagicMobile through the app. If you wish to get physical room keys, you can get those from the front desk.
You can also find a pin trading board at the front desk and this is where you can get your free celebration buttons!
Across from the Check-in desk, you will find a small sitting Area with a TV playing Disney movies for littles to enjoy while the parents are waiting in line.
Jackson Square Gift Shop
This is a small gift shop, but it always has some fantastic souvenirs! You’ll find all of your normal Disney merchandise, but you’ll also find things specific to the resort. This includes shirts, mugs, pins, ornaments, and even beignet scented ears! If you are a beignet fan, you can also purchase beignet mix, gumbo mix, or cajun spices to take a little bit of New Orleans home.
This is also where you are going to find things like first aid, toiletry, and a few grab and go snack options.
If you are looking for pin trading boards, you can almost always find a board with LOADS of pins as well as a mystery pin trading station behind the checkout desk. This is also where you will find the Trivia Board that changes out daily with fun questions you can try to answer.
Arcade
Next to the giftshop is the arcade. Here you will find a variety of games that you can play. You’ll need to purchase a token card (similar to if you’ve ever been to Dave & Busters). But this is also where you can find massage chairs, pressed penny machines, and right outside the door is this resorts Fuel Rod location. Keep in mind, pressed penny machines now have their own pennies/copper blanks, so no need to pack your own!
Sassagoula Floatworks
This resort has one main quick service location with a few specialty food locations we’ll talk about in a sec. Sassagoula Floatworks is cafeteria style dining with a variety of basic options like pizza, chicken tenders, burgers, pasta, etc. BUT you can also find a variety of specialty options too like Gumbo, Jambalya, and my favorite the Bayou Burger with fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese!
You’ll order your food from the counter and then take your tray to the check out register. This is also where you will find your rapid refill mugs or resort refillable mugs. These mugs are $21 to purchase or they come included with your dining plan if you purchased it. You can refill these as many times as you want during your stay at the coke freestyle machines or other beverage stations. Keep in mind, these are ONLY refillable at the resorts, so even though you can take it to the park, you won’t be able to refill it there.
There is a lot of available indoor and outdoor seating for you to use to enjoy your meal, or you can take your eats back to your room if you choose. This resort does also offer mobile order if you want a more grab’n go meal before heading to the parks.
Scat Cat Cafe
If beignets or specialty coffee is what you are after, you’ll want to head over to Scat Cat Cafe. TRUST ME you will want to try the beignets! They are hot and fresh all day and a super popular treat that guests will definitely go out of their way for. They offer basic beignets (which are the best) as well as allergy friendly options, beignet sundaes, and even boozy beignets.
You can also get a variety of coffee options including a Chicory Coffee. They have also started to offer seasonal beignets for a little something different!
Scat Cat Lounge
The cafe isn’t the only place to get beignets! If you want to sit, relax, and maybe even listen to some Jazz Music, head over to the lounge right next door! This lounge is open every day starting at 5pm, but Fridays-Sundays you can also catch live Jazz musicians playing from 7:30pm-11:00pm. They are FANTASTIC and absolutely worth a listen if you are there.
While in the lounge, you can order a variety of specialty cocktails and exclusive small bites that are only offered in the lounge. Out favorites are the Bourbon Peach Tea and the Mardi Gras Fritters! And of course, you can still get beignets here too.
There is a good amount of seating, but it does get pretty packed when the musicians are there, so be sure to pack your patient pants. If you just want a drink, there is a walk up bar available too.
Mardi Grogs Bar
Speaking of bars, there is also a Pool Bar that has it’s own specialty beverages. With the refurbishment, this is in a temporary location near the river.
There are all your favorite adult beverages, but you can also try the non-alcoholic Bullfrog Brew which is basically a mix of kiwi, lemonade, and other citrus flavors.
Transportation
Transportation at this resort is pretty straightforward. There is a Ferry Boat that will take you to Disney Springs and to Riverside, but for all other transportation, you have the buses.
There are two bus stops. Bus Stop B takes you to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios and Bus Stop A takes you everywhere else!
Because this resort is so small, you usually won’t run into crazy busy bus stops, but definitely try to hit the bus stop EARLY on your park days to avoid the bulk of the crowds.
LUGGAGE SERVICES
This resort does offer complimentary luggage services. You will find this right across from the Check-in desk. If you arrive to your resort and your room is not ready, you can drop your luggage by and they will take it to your room when it is ready. Just a heads up, they will not take it until later in the evening (after 5-6pm) so if you want it early than that, just make a stop by and you can pick it up! Same thing upon check-out. If you have a later flight and are heading to the parks or pool for the morning, you can have Luggage Service hold your suitcases and then you can pick them up before you leave.
If you have medication that needs refrigerated, they do have a refrigerator available as well.
Luggage Services is complimentary, but it is customary to tip a few dollars cash per bag, so be sure to have that handy!
MOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping (or Mousekeeping as Disney likes to call it) will visit daily to bring fresh towels and take trash. You do have the option to opt out of Mousekeeping, but be aware that for safety reasons, they still must do daily room checks. Don’t let this freak you out! They will give a knock, usually a little later in the morning and just do a quick peek inside to make sure that everything is good. If you are planning on a late start to your day, put the ‘do not disturb’ sign on your door and they will make sure to knock a few times before entering uninvited.
It is also customary to tip a few dollars each day for Mousekeeping, so feel free to have fun with this and maybe even make little envelopes with the tips for your Mousekeepers!
PERKS OF STAYING AT Port ORleans French Quarter
This is a great resort to consider if budget is a big factor, but you still want those Disney perks! But what are those perks?
Complimentary Transportation - We talked about this already, but a big reason people stay on site is to use Disney’s Complimentary Transportation. This can save you ALOT of money in rental car, gas, and parking fees and takes away the stress of trying to figure out traffic in Orlando.
Early Park Entry - Guests staying at Disney owned resorts (as well as a few select good neighbor hotels) can enter the theme parks up to 30 minutes each day! The rides start at that time, but most of the parks will let you in even before that to get ahead of the crowds, so the earlier you get to the park, the better! This is a great way to knock out a few of those rides that typically get long waits before the lines get long. I know 30 minutes doesn’t sound like much, but this is a great way to save yourself up to an hour or two of park time!
Early Access to Purchase Individual Lightning Lanes - anyone can purchase Genie+ and book their first Lightning Lane starting at 7am, BUT ONLY Disney resorts guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lanes (for attractions like Rise of the Resistance or TRON) starting at 7am. Guests staying on property can purchase these too, but not until official park open, so they may not get the best selection for return times or availability. If these rides are high on your bucket list, that early advantage is a great perk!
Learn More About Genie Plus and Lightning Lanes Here:
Speaking of advantages, Guests staying at Disney owned resorts have a leg up on dining reservations as well! In General, dining reservations can be booked starting 60 days in advance. If you are staying at a Disney owned resort, you can book dining for up to 10 days of your trip starting 60 days before check-in! So instead of having to get up early, multiple days in a row, you can book all your dining at once. PLUS if you are trying to get a harder to get reservation like a character meal, you have a much higher likelihood of snagging those since it is opening up to you earlier than those staying off property. In my opinion, this is the BIGGEST perk that is often overlooked as many don’t realize that some of those popular meals can be incredibly difficult to book.
Overall seamless experience - Because you are staying at a Disney resort, everything is connected! Your tickets, hotel, charging privaleges, and more. Guests who are staying on property can get discounts on Magicbands before their trip and with those, they can use that as their park ticket, their hotel key, genie+, and even make purchases that just charge to your hotel all at once at the end of your trip for easy bill-keeping. Guests staying off property can still purchase magicbands, but they will be full price and ONLY work as their park ticket or to scan into Genie+ Lightning Lanes. I love that this gives more of that ‘all-inclusive’ type feel.
Starting in 2024, guests will also be able to add the Dining Plan to their package! Talking about ease on vacation, this is a great way to pre-pay for your meals before your trip so that you aren’t having to worry as much about budget while there. This is only available to guests staying on property and is a big perk that guests love.
So who is this resort for?
This resort is definitely catered to families of 4 or less, but you can book two rooms and request that they are adjoining. (keep in mind, Disney does their best to accommodate, but cannot always guarantee requests)
I HIGHLY recommend this resort for honeymooners or couples on a budget, families that need a more quiet/less stimulating resort, or simply those that are looking for good food and and amenities.
It’s also one of the best for those looking for ‘night life’ after the parks close as the lounge is open pretty late every night.
If you are looking for more upscale amenities and have the budget for it, I would highly suggest a Deluxe resort, but Moderates are great if you are just looking for something a little nicer than a value, or if you plan on having some dedicated resort days.
Truly this is one of my favorite resorts on property and at the very least, it’s absolutely worth it to go out of your way to try those beignets and soak up the vibes.
If you are looking for help with booking your stay, my friends at Goofy Getaways would LOVE to help! Their services are complimentary and the best part is that you are getting an expert in your pocket while helping support a small business (and we are affiliates, so it helps us out too) for EXACTLY the same price as if you would be booking on your own! Interested in a FREE no obligation quote? Fill out a new client form linked below and we’ll help you get paired with one of Goofy Getaways expert agents!
