Resort Review - Port Orleans French Quarter

This review of Port Orleans French Quarter (referred to from here on out as POFQ) is LONG overdue.  I stayed there for the first time in March, and again for a night in May, and wanted to share my thoughts and some pictures.

To cut to the chase - this is now my favorite resort on property.  I am in LOVE with POFQ!

The theme of this resort takes you right to New Orleans, and you certainly get that vibe here.  The cobblestone "streets", quaint details, the soft jazz music from cleverly hidden speakers and general ambiance make this resort both peaceful and beautiful.  One afternoon I was sitting in my room and heard a "clop, clop, clop" coming from outside.  I opened the door and low and behold, there was a horse-drawn carriage going on the path in front of my room!  Wouldn't that be a romantic way to spend an evening?  Just one of the special experiences that's available at POFQ.

POFQ is a Moderate level resort, and is the smallest of the Moderates.  Without knowing the exact measurements, I would say that this is one of, if not the smallest, resorts at WDW.  I enjoy the wide openness of larger resorts such as Saratoga Springs, but one of my favorite parts of POFQ is how close you are to everything.  Even if you are in the furthest rooms, you are still not more than a 2-3 minute walk, tops, from the main lobby, restaurant, pool, etc.  You are quite close to Port Orleans Riverside, a 5-6 minute walk, if you would like a table service restaurant (Boatwright's) or to enjoy their other resort amenities.

If you have small children, this is YOUR resort. It's very quick to get to the pool, the bus stop, or the food court.  When you are bringing those sleeping angels back to the room after a long day at the parks, you could be off the bus and back in your room in less than 5 minutes.  As I said, I do like the larger resorts but it can be a trek to get back to your room. When you're really hot and/or tired, that extra 5 minutes can seem like an eternity.  With POFQ, you don't have that issue - you're back in your room in a flash!

The rooms at POFQ have undergone a refurbishment and the rooms are just lovely.  The decor is done very tastefully in greens, purples and golds (again, a great homage to the New Orleans / Mardi Gras theme of the resort).  My rooms had 2 queen beds, a table with two chairs, and a split bath area.  There was also a nice, large dresser and a small refrigerator for your sodas and leftovers.  The beds were very comfortable, and the bedding pretty.  Resort-wide, they are removing the bedspreads and instead doing patterned runners at the ends of the beds.  I think this greatly improves the look, while also being more hygienic.

Also, I like to request the corner rooms at resorts.  They are not always able to accommodate this, but I like having the slightly larger room (being at the corner you get a touch more space) as well as two windows.











Here are some pictures of the rooms I had in March and May:

A nice touch in the bathroom - a little ledge at the end of the tub.

I am on a quest to stay at every Disney World resort, but you can bet that I WILL be staying at POFQ again.

Have a magical day!