Once again, I have added a new resort to my Disney punch list, Port Orleans - Riverside. I stayed at this really neat resort last November with my family and I have all sorts of information & opinions to share!
First of all, a little refresher on Disney resort categories: directly from my previous post "Value vs. Deluxe & More".
Value refers to budget-friendly resorts (a.k.a the least expensive ones). They will offer everything you need for a hotel stay to attend Disney World.
Moderate includes exactly how it sounds, right in the middle, includes everything you need, but adds some inclusions you don't (but are nice to have).
Deluxe resorts are nice, department store-type hotels with luxury amenities and fancy restaurants.
Deluxe Villas, well, I think you get the idea. These rooms are the nicest of the nice and usually include kitchens and several rooms within the "room".
And if you'd like a little more information than that, here is the link to that article -
Cutting right to the chase, I liked this resort. I didn't love it, but I really liked it. If you're my family, friends or even some of my closest clients, you know I'm not shy sharing the fact I like a nice hotel. The popular saying, "we are hardly ever in the room anyways" makes absolutely no difference to me. I like a nice bed to sleep in, room to move, storage for my luggage and a bathroom that my teenage daughters can get ready in without shouting at each other. My husband and I enjoy a drink on the occasional evening at a nice bar and my girls enjoy the option of not sharing a bed. We need a beverage cooler and at least a small table, as we frequently eat breakfast in our room. These are all things that keep a vacation a vacation for us, and not just an exhausting trip. I can tell you with confidence, this resort was just right for us! Disney's Port Orleans - Riverside had everything we needed, wanted and I'm not going to hesitate to recommend it in the future.
But I said I would compare this to a Value, so here it goes. As a travel advisor, I have had the incredible experience of being inside several of Disney's resorts. However, my ratings & opinions of a hotel really don't appear unless I stay at it with my family. We have now tried out every category as a family, and of course Deluxe is our favorite. It's hard to deny how amazing all of those details and amenities are. But here's the deal, we don't want to pay for it every time we go (well the kids would let us). So, then what?
Moderate resorts...yep, the answer!
For more background into my experience at Disney's Port Orleans - Riverside, I will tell you we stayed at a Value resort the trip before this one. We were not huge fans, so our opinion going into this one was already a bit biased. Expectations of larger rooms, more attentive service & more restaurants had us already excited to try Port Orleans out. However, this was also the first resort we have stayed at that was not directly connected to either the skyliner or the monorail. Transportation to the parks is one of our tip-top priorities, almost always, so we had our concerns with this aspect of our decision. Also, adding up all of my Disney's stays, professionally and personally, I have frequented Deluxe resorts the most.
My honest advice, paying for Moderate vs. Value is worth the money. Now, did we have a terrible trip when we stayed Value, no. Do we always want to stay Moderate or Deluxe from now on, yes. Here's why:
Moderate vs. Value | Important Differences - Moderate has the edge | Similarities - noticed in both** |
Rooms | Noticeably larger, two sinks in the bathroom, option for 5th sleeper | Room access outdoors, no balcony or patio |
Dining | Table service available, multiple bars | Quick-service, cafeteria style option |
Service | More attentive & prompt | Room cleaning every other day |
**Added explanation, the Similarities column lists the things BOTH categories have, so we've had all of these aspects available to us in Moderate and Value.
Diving into some more details on the resort itself, I want to discuss its location. I mentioned before that transportation is high on my priority list when deciding where I'm going to stay in Walt Disney World. Port Orleans has two resorts, Riverside & French Quarter, and they are closest to Disney Springs. Provided Disney transportation to the 4 theme parks includes only the buses. So, this was a first for us as we have always stayed in a resort with either skyliner or monorail access. We did just fine! When we were in a hurry, we chose a rideshare instead of the buses and the boat ride to Disney Springs was pretty cool. Yes, the buses can be very exhausting at night when you just want to get off your feet but STILL have to stand because it's so crowded, but that's Disney. We roll with the punches.
I couldn't believe how well-themed like New Orleans this resort was! So cool! At times, I forgot I was at a Disney resort because of how detailed the structures & designs were. This is a positive thing to note for my clients that don't want Disney characters staring at them their entire vacation. It felt a little more adult and my teens still really liked it too.
Not to be forgotten, I will ALWAYS say, any Disney vacation is better than NO Disney vacation! If Value resorts fit your budget best, then let's do this! We will build you a Disney vacation to remember. I've had memorable Disney vacations staying Value, and you can too!
Let me or any of my fellow agents at Part of That World Vacations help you plan your Disney World vacation!
Contact me - nicole@partofthatworld.com
Or check out my agent profile - https://www.partofthatworld.com/nicole-smith
Comments