Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Disney World, Orlando, Florida

Crocodile marching band statues

Built in the spirit of celebrating Mardi Gras in the French Quarter of New Orleans -- with a more playful, kid-friendly twist on the original, of course -- the Port Orleans French Quarter comes with pastel-colored buildings, a wrought-iron entryway, and giant statues of a crocodile marching band near the elaborate Doubloon Lagoon pool complex. At 1,008 guest rooms, the resort doesn't exactly feel intimate, and during the day crowds of rambunctious children (and their harried parents) swarm the lobby and the the cafeteria-style Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory. But it is about half the size of the neighbording Port Orleans Riverside, and it can feel comparitively peaceful in the early mornings and in the evenings. Due to this, and a small, jazz-themed lounge called Sassagoula, the resort is a popular choice among couples as well as families.

The French Quarter is about halfway up the pricing scale of the Disney World resorts (in the Moderate category). For the most part, guests get what they pay for -- clean, though older, guest rooms with no iPod docks and less-than-luxurious bedding; casual dining from just one sit-down restaurant, a food court, and a poolside snack shack; a large pool with a waterslide and a kiddie play area. The staff doesn't offer the typical service one finds at many hotels -- no full room service menu; just pizza delivery -- though there are some welcome touches geared toward families with kids, like a costumed "cast member" at the door to engage children as they pass through the entrance.

But the real advantage is its location -- near Epcot, just a five- to 20-minute free shuttle bus ride from all the other Disney theme parks. Along with the Riverside, the Port Orleans Resorts have a far more convenient location than all of the other Moderate-category hotels. Coronado Springs has much newer and nicer guest rooms, but it is much farther from the most popular theme parks, like Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.

Within the Port Orleans Resort compound, the Riverside bests the French Quarter with its small pools right outside the rustic-looking bungalow guest rooms (it can be a long walk from some rooms to the pool at the French Quarter) and a more pleasent, full-service, southern-style restaurant (the French Quarter has none). Plus, the Riverside includes standard rooms that can sleep a family of five; rooms at the French Quarter only sleep up to four people (like most other Disney resorts). Since both resorts are typically the same price, pick the Riverside.

• Concierge desk; open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mainly, the concierge can help guests book an activity or get tickets to an event.
• Free buses (or riverboat) to any Disney resort or theme park
• Limited room service; just pizza during dinner hours
• Extended hours to access the Disney theme parks
• Free shuttle to and from Orlando International Airport; free luggage delivery (one item per person).

View on a Larger Map

Located in the northeast area of gigantic Walt Disney World, the Port Orleans French Quarter is connected to several Disney properties including Port Orleans Riverside and Downtown Disney via a free riverboat. The closest theme park is Epcot Center, an eight-minute drive via a free Disney bus (that runs to all of the various parks and Disney hotels). Any trips outside of Disney World would require a car.

• Free bus transportation to Epcot (eight minutes), Animal Kingdom (15 minutes), Hollywood Studios (10 minutes), Downtown Disney (five minutes)
• Free, 20-minute water taxi to Downtown Disney, a strip with shops, bars, and restaurants
• 20-minute drive to International Drive, a 14.5-mile road parallel to Interstate 4 that's chock-full of hotels, strip malls, outlet shops, and restaurants.
• 25-minute drive to SeaWorld and Wet 'n Wild parks
• 40-minute drive to Downtown Orlando; While there's not too much to downtown, there is some notable dining and nightlife on Orange Avenue, and non-theme-park attractions like the Orlando Science Center and the Harry P. Leu Gardens.
• One-and-a-half hour drive to Kennedy Space Center
• Free Disney shuttle to and from Orlando International Airport, a 30-minute drive away

Large pool with kid-friendly features

• Large pool with waterslide and kiddie area, playground, video-game arcade; fewer features than at the Riverside
• Free transport to all the major Disney resorts
• Free Wi-Fi
• All standard rooms sleep four; at the Riverside, some standard rooms sleep five
• Extra rollaway beds are charged per night, but can't be used to increase room occupancy (that's limited to four)
• Free Pack 'n Play playpens, available on request
• Kid-friendly fare at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory