There’s cause for celebration today as Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside marks its 25th anniversary!
This picturesque resort boasts 2,048 rooms in three-story southern style mansions and two-story rustic bayou dwellings. You can even choose to stay in one of the Royal Guest Rooms, which are specially-themed and immerse you in favorite Disney fairytales such as “The Princess and the Frog,” “Aladdin,” and “Beauty and the Beast.”
When the resort opened on February 2, 1992, it was named Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort. Although the name has changed, the resort has always be known for its charming waterfront walkways, Southern-style specialities at both Riverside Mill food court and Boatwright’s Dining Hall and extensive recreation options like horse-drawn carriage rides, pools, bike rentals and more.
One of my favorite features of this resort is being able to take a leisurely riverboat ride to and from Disney Springs, or a short walk along the Sassagoula River to visit the sister resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter. Tell us about some of your favorite memories from your stays at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside through the years!
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We will be staying a Riverside in October. I have wanted to stay there for years. Stayed at French Quarter for our 10th Anniversary. We are celebrating our 25th this year! I hope we are as happy as at the FQ. I am thinking of changing to the PQ. What to do?
Happy 25th Anniversary Port Orleans Riverside! We will be staying at this resort for the very first time beginning on May 15th, 2017! The two of are commemorating our “Special Event”. We hope that our very special WDW resort stay will be a truly wonderful and Fantasmatic Celebration! We are so looking forward to this resort. At 57 years old, I am still “Too excited to Sleep!” the night before going to Disney World, just like when I was a kid. We are fortunate to also be part of the first folks to see the new Magic Kingdom Fireworks Spectacular. We love “Wishes” but also are enthusiastically excited to see the new Fireworks Spectacular Disney has developed that surely will be awesomely better! The Magic of Disney, for us, is just around the corner!
My parents spent their last vacation at this beautiful resort, now known as Port Orleans-Riverside. But it will ALWAYS be Dixie Landings to me. My parents actually came down to check on me and my then-partner, since we moved down here about three (3) years earlier. My parents were both raised in Louisiana, and they both said it reminded them of when they were growing up back then. While my parents were not much into the parks, this resort was where they truly felt at home. They enjoyed the Colonel’s (now the Riverside) Mill most days, as well as Boatwright’s Dining Hall. By the end of their visit, they were convinced to move to Central Florida. My dad originally was coming to talk me into coming back to Texas. The Magic of Disney!
I was in charge of planning my family’s first annual family reunion and there were a total of 54 of us attending. We went in August 2016. The family overwhelmingly voted for Port Orleans Riverside and everyone was happy that they did. From check-in to check-out, the entire staff was warm and welcoming and my family had no major issues. Rooms are great, food is great, and the amenities are great. Traveling in such a large group is can be demanding and challenging and we didn’t expect any special treatment. But the staff at POR were so kind and accommodating. We sometimes got our own busses to the parks and seating areas in the food court. Overall, it was a great experience.
We love this resort! Disney put us up here on our honeymoon when our Disney Cruise on the Magic was delayed a day by Hurricane Frances in 2004 and Port Orleans-Riverside has become our favorite Disney resort. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and the food is fantastic at Boatwright’s Dining Hall.
My sister fell in love with the pictures online. We decided to stay here for her 50th birthday this April. Unfortunately, she passed away very unexpectedly a few months ago. My daughter convinced me to go and celebrate who she was on her birthday anyways. Following the blogs, and the reviews, have kept me going. I’m looking forward to wandering the grounds and remembering how lucky I was to have a sister who fostered my love of Disney.
This is the resort that made me fall in love with staying onsite – we were upgraded from a value resort due to overbooking. I was new to the internet and had done all the research for the resort we originally booked so I was upset at first because I knew nothing about this resort. However, I fell in love with every bit of it – early morning walks in the Alligator Bayou to the food court to get coffee. The Riverside Food Court had a great variety. The room was lovely and the kids loved the pool – especially the slide at Ol’ Man’s Island. I can’t recommend it enough!
My family and I stayed here last March. We so enjoyed the Alligator Bayou room, the dining hall, and general theming. It was relaxing for the adults but themed enough to feelin”Disney” for the kiddos. I am NOT looking forward to the day when my family of 5 has to change to AOA or the cabins at FW. If I had my way it would POR forever! I’ve also stayed at CBR but I feel like POR is my “home resort”. #disney2018. I can’t wait to return!
The four of us first stayed at French Quarter in 2011 and of course visited Riverside what a beautiful resort, We then booked our next visit in 2013 staying at Port Orleans Riverside enjoying it so much in the Magnolia bend area that we are returning again this July for 3 weeks,again hoping to stay in the Magnolia Bend mansions and just to make it even more special a room with a view over the Sassagoula would be great. See you soon!
I love this resort! It is my favorite out of all of them. Love the different sections and have stayed there several times. Plans to go back again real soon!!! Happy Birthday Riverside!!!!
Have 25th Anniversary Port Orleans Riverside. We arrived at Dixie Landings in 1995 on our 2nd visit to WDW. Since then, we do not even consider staying at another resort. Everyone there treats you like royalty. The Cast Members are the “BEST OF THE BEST.” We have been coming yearly since 2012 in October of each year and it truly is the most beautiful resort. It is so relaxing walking around the resort and the Food Court has to be the best around. We look forward to each year spending our time with you. Looking forward to many, many more visits to our 2nd home. Thank you for all you do for your guests.
That’s great to hear, Ann Marie! Enjoy your annual stay this coming October!
Our favorite resort….it feels like home to us whenever we return. How I wish we were there right now. Happy 25th Anniversary, Port Orleans Riverside Resort! May you continue to welcome Disney guests for 25 years more!
I’ve been on 7 Disney vacations and we’ve stayed here for 5 of the 7. We stayed there on my first teup5when I was 12 in 1993 when it was still Dixie Landings, and was instantly in love. Its so beautiful and relaxing espically after the craziness of the parks. When my wife and I took our daughter for her first trip in 2013 we stayed in a new royal guest room and it was beautiful. I recommend Port Orleans Riverside to anyone thinking going!
My wife and I stayed there for the first time on our honeymoon in 1995. Since then we have stayed there 5 other times. We love this resort. We find it relaxing and spread out which makes for a very nice and quiet stay.
What great memories, Kevin. Thanks for sharing!
My wife and I stayed there for our honeymoon in ’97. Beautiful resort! Would love to get back there someday.
Happy Birthday to my “Home” away from home!?
We stayed at POR on our first three trips to Disney and absolutely fell in love the instant we saw it. Beautiful grounds, fabulous service, just a real treat.
This is our favorite resort. We go in February when we visit, the week of President’s Day, but we leave by Friday night to avoid the crowds. The grounds are beautiful, we stay on the Mansion side as well. The Azaleas are blooming, the birds are singing it’s a beautiful place to go to and get away from the cold Ohio winters. There are so many “quiet” pools and activities like biking and carriage rides. It has all the amenities of a deluxe hotel for a moderate price.
Port Orleans Riverside is our favorite resort. Stayed there this past October and just got back from a long weekend. Beautiful and relaxing! We prefer the Mansion side, I think it is the walk along the river that attracts us to that area.
My wife, 2 kids and I are heading there this fall. Can’t wait. Looks like a beautiful resort.
I hope your family has a great time during your first visit to the resort, Adam. Enjoy it!
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