By Kristi Letsinger
If you haven’t tried the Port Orleans French Quarter resort at Walt Disney World, you should. This resort is peaceful, beautifully landscaped, and very subtly Disney. Disney has such an awesome attention to detail and it shows at the French Quarter.
I recently had the opportunity to stay with my family at this resort. This was my third time staying; however, my family had never been there.
While planning this family trip, including my 75 year old father, we toyed with the idea of staying in a value, a deluxe, and then finally settled on the French Quarter. I knew that it would be perfect for not only the kids but also the adults.
The Port Orleans French Quarter resort is near the Port Orleans Riverside resort and they are both in the moderate resort category. The resorts are within walking distance of each other and share the same boat to and from Downtown Disney.
Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ) is modeled after life in the French Quarter in New Orleans. There are Mardi Gras beads given out, beignets in the food court (they are yummy), and brightly colored statues “playing” instruments in the pool/playground area.
I enjoy POFQ for the peacefulness of the resort. This resort, with only around 1,000 rooms, is smaller than most of the other Disney resorts. There are 7 buildings with 3 stories each. There does not seem to be a bad placement for a room in the resort. Since the resort is so small there is only 1 bus stop and a small food court. Some families staying at POFQ choose to visit the food court at the Riverside resort.
The landscaping is lush and made like a square might be in New Orleans including wrought iron railings, small garden squares, lamp posts, and even hitching posts! We enjoyed walking from our room to the bus stop each morning.
The rooms are spacious and have just been remodeled. There are subtle Disney details including Mickey Mouse heads on the shower curtains that you have to look closely to find. The rooms have two sinks with a vanity curtain between the room and the sink area. There is a large television in the room with a dresser and table and chairs.
One of the great perks of staying at POFQ is the boat that can take you to Downtown Disney. This boat travels on the water way behind the resort. This boat ride takes about 20 minutes but it is a peaceful ride through parts of the Disney property that you might not otherwise see. The boat drivers also will answer questions and give trivia about the boat ride or the parks in general. These boats can accommodate wheelchairs and scooters so they are great for anyone to ride. It is a different approach to transportation than the bus that most people take.
There are many other positives about staying at POFQ. You can take a horse drawn carriage ride, take a dip in the large pool with a sea serpent slide, use the shallow kiddie pool, play on the playground, or just quietly walk the “streets” of the property. You can also walk to Riverside and enjoy the activities of that resort.
My family loved Port Orleans French Quarter and I know that it helped us to have the fantastic trip that we did. My father loved the peacefulness of it and said that if we go back as a family we would stay there again.
4 replies on “Why You Should Stay at Port Orleans French Quarter”
I could not agree more about POFQ!
We stayed there before we had kids and loved it. We tried other moderates and a deluxe and last Oct we returned to the newly refurbished POFQ with our 2 yr old. She loved the theme!
It is so quaint, convenient and really is the resort for all kinds!
We have made this our ” go to resort”
The location is perfect and the boat to DTD is a great added bonus!!!
I recently stayed at the French Quarter. I really loved it! I have stayed at the Contemporary, most of the all stars, the Pop, the Coronado, Wilderness Lodge, and this is my favorite. My only objection is that you sometimes have to take a tour through the Riverside resort on the bus when there is not a demand for the bus service. But during the really prime times, no sharing of bus with Riverside.
It is so pretty at this resort and the boat to DDD is so nice. Did not sample the beignets, but next time. Can’t wait to revisit this resort!
We’ve stayed at POFQ three times, most recently a week ago. We love the intimacy of the resort, and also the pool & slide. The food court is not very impressive, but we love dining at Downtown Disney, so we plan for that. POFQ is a hidden gem, for sure.
You forgot the street posts! Each “street” has a nifty name, usually a word play, such as Rue d’ Baga. They’re a hoot!