We want to hear from you! -- Help others plan their trip!

Shannon - December 2005

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter from December 1-December 4, and it was absolutely wonderful! It was everything Disney should be. We are DVC members, but are out of points for the year, so we decided to stay at our second home away from home this time. We hadn't visited POFQ since the rooms were remodeled, and they look beautiful. The new colors are very soft and calming, and the privacy curtain is a huge plus. It felt like a luxury. I was a little nervous because I had read some complaints about Mousekeeping, but actually found them to be way above average. Each night, we returned home to towel animals complete with stickers and towel beds for our hairbrushes and toothbrushes. The grounds were decorated beautifully for Christmas, without being overdone. Bus service was quick. I was surprised to see that at the MK, Riverside and French Quarter have separate buses. Leaving Epcot after Illuminations, we had a huge line of people going to the two hotels, so two buses pulled up at the same time. Everyone made it in one trip! All in all, we had a wonderful Disney weekend.

*****

Jennifer Kolbe - November 2005

My daughter (age 13) and I just returned from a Land/Sea Disney Vacation, which included 3 nights at the Port Orleans French Quarter. We arrived Thanksgiving morning around noon. Our room was ready and check in was quick and efficient, especially since we also checked in for our cruise portion of the stay. The resort was beautiful. The landscaping and theming of the buildings was lovely and based on a New Orleans feel. Mousekeeping was also great, no problems that other readers reported. Even though we stayed in the building furthest away, because the resort is so small(a good thing), it was just a short walk to the food court and bus stops. I was glad that we chose this resort because of the small size and hope to stay here again soon. We also experienced no problems with the baggage delivery. Two thumbs up to Disney for their efficiency!!

*****

Tanya Sharkey - November 2005

My husband and I took our children on our 2nd annual trip to Disney over Thanksgiving weekend. We stayed at the French Quater and loved it! The grounds were just beautiful and we really felt transported to New Orleans. The curtain in the room worked like a charm to dim the lights from our kids as we got ready in the early morning. It was too cold (we live in FL) and there was not enough time to use the fabulous pool area they have. We are already planning a trip in late April so we can stay here agian and take advantage of the pool. They also have horse-pulled carriage rides from 6:30 to 9pm. Very nice! You can take a boat to Downtown Disney. Someone mentioned your the first to picked up by the bus, Yes!! And, the first to be dropped off, even better when your exauasted after the parks. The Sassagoula restaurant is good too! They even have Beignets.

*****

Leslie Rupp - October 2005

We just got back from our trip to WDW (October 15-22) and we have to say we were really happy with our selection of resort. We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter, and we found check in quick, even though the resort was sold out, and the closeness of the buildings to each other made if a very quaint place to stay. The kids loved the pool and we loved the boat ride to Downtown Disney (we found this to be much quicker then riding the bus). We found the room to be clean, however, I found the bathroom floor in need of a good scrubbing. I am not sure what they use to clean their floors, but it leaves a chalky residue on the floor. Check out was just as easy, and the staff at the Port Orleans was very helpful. We will considering staying here again.

*****

Nancy Johnson - October 2005

My husband and I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter October 18th thru the 25th. We loved the resort and were glad we chose the French Quarter side rather than the Riverside part. It was smaller and much quieter and the boats left from the dock just a few steps from our room to either the Riverside area or Downtown Disney. A huge bonus was the fact that the Disney buses always stopped to pick up French Quarter first and we were the first dropped off when returning from anywhere. Since I am a very light sleeper, I was a little worried about room noise from other rooms but they are very well built and virtually soundproof. The only minor complaint was that the "mousekeeping" could have cleaned the tubs out at least once while we were there. I'm sure if I had called the front desk and requested this someone would have been right up. We would most definitely stay here again.

*****

Lynne - October 2005

We (me,25 & boyfriend,23) just returned from a 6 night stay at Port Orleans - French Quarter. Overall, this was a good resort for the price, and probably great for a family on a budget. There are lots of great things to say about this resort. I liked how small and intimate it was, the theming is fantastic. We had a King Bed room, which, as others have said is a corner room with two windows. It felt bigger than the double bed room I had at the Polynesian in April. We were in building 1 tucked away in a quiet corner by the canal. The bus service was really nice and the food court was great for a quick bite.

We did have the same repeated complaint of this board which is housekeeping. I seriously think our room was the LAST to be cleaned in the entire resort. We returned from the Parks one day at 3:30 pm to find that housekeeping was still two rooms away from cleaning ours. Not fun when you want to take an afternoon snooze. They also did an OK job cleaning, just a quick make the bed, change the towels sort of thing.

A second complaint was the concierge service. After staying on the concierge floor in other Disney hotels (Polynesian, Boardwalk), this is certainly NOT the same level of concierge service. (Plus, my boyfriend is a concierge at a 4 star, 5 diamond hotel and he was appalled and disappointed.) He needed help planning some birthday surprises for me, and they were COMPLETELY unhelpful, did not make other suggestions when something went wrong - they just told him flat out that they couldn't help him. (They never suggested the Epcot Birthday Boat, or ordering a cake from one of the resort bakeries, etc...had I KNOWN, I would have told him!) He went to the manager and even then we just were not treated like they treat guests in the Deluxe hotels. For what you pay, you get what you need. A bed, a shower and spacious enough room. But it simply was not as good as Deluxe resort experiences I have had.

*****

Ted - October 2005

Just returned from a week at WDW (October 9 - 15). We stayed at the Port Orleans - French Quarter Resort (POFQ) and I must say that the POFQ was great. Check in was quick and painless and the maid service was awesome. We stayed in building 4 which is very close to the food court, bus stop, and swimming pool. The food at the food court was expensive but we never had a bad meal. The meatball subs and chicken quesadillas were excellent. The kids enjoyed the Mickey waffles. The beignets are made to order and were very tasty. The pool was very nice and clean. The water could have been warmer but we are in October. The pool side bar came in handy during our pool day. We used the bus service on several occasions but never had any issues. The boat service to and from Downtown Disney was slow but worth the wait. Sure, the rooms were small but were very clean. Oh yeah, Typhoon Lagoon is the best. The wave pool and new roller coaster water slide are great for all ages. I would recommend the POFQ to anyone wishing to stay at a Disney property.

*****

Kim Cota - October 2005

We just got home from staying at the French Quarter for 8 nights. The room was much larger than I thought it would be. There was plenty of room for a family of four. We were in building #3. It was close to the food court and pool area. If we ever go back, we will stay in this hotel and ask for building # 3. The boat ride to Downtown Disney was great and coming home was a lot faster than waiting for the bus, which sometimes was almost an hour.

*****

Jason Jobe - September 2005

I stayed at the French Quarter Port Orleans in September and was very pleased with the accommodations. I visited both the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian for dinner and felt the French Quarter compared favorably with both. In fact, it seemed far nicer than the Contemporary. The rooms are arranged in little buildings designed in the vein of New Orleans French Quarter. If you can, try for a room on the back side of building 5. It's very private and you can wake up each morning to a view on the river - just beautiful. The boat transport to Downtown Disney is great and the bus transport elsewhere was never long. I'd estimate between 15 and 25 minutes tops. I can't recall ever waiting for longer than 10 minutes at the bus stop. Room size was good and my particular room was kept very clean- no towel animals however- this didn't bother me but I know some look for it.

The only complaint I have with the French Quarter was the lack of a sit down restaurant. The only option here was a fast food court. This was fine for breakfast and snacks but got a bit tiresome. There is a sit down restaurant at Riverside however and it is a pleasant walk over or you can catch the boat. I ate there a few times.

I would definitely stay at the French Quarter again and am planning another trip there next September. I think it may be one of Disney's best resorts.

*****

Tyler - September 2005

We stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and had a great time. This was our first family trip to Disney World and my first time visiting since 1984. I don't think I could have been more pleased with the resort and the whole Disney experience. From the time we checked in until the time we left, I was so impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. Our room was nice and clean. It suited us just fine considering that we were hardly in it. The pool was great. The kids LOVED the big dragon water slide though it did get very crowded on the weekend. If you stay here, be sure to get the beignets from the Food Court. They are the best....just like Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans!

*****

Michael Kaplan - August 2005

My family and I have just returned from a 6 day, 7 night stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter. We used the Disney Magical Express. Getting from the airport was so convenient with the Disney bus. Our luggage was delivered to our room almost immediately upon checking in. The room at the French Quarter was great. Every day, the maid would arrange our daughter's stuffed animals into various poses to greet us when we came back to our room! The bedding was sumptuous. The grounds at the FQ are beautiful. The pool is great. Being a smaller resort, there was never a crowded feeling. And since the FQ and Riverside share buses, FQ guests are always the first to be picked up and first to be dropped off. Everything at the FQ was a short walk from our room, the food court, gift shop and laundry. We would definitely stay at the French Quarter again!

*****

Diana Richards - August 2005

Stay at POFQ! My new fiance and I stayed there Aug. 12-19. The resort staff was excellent. The mousekeeping was great and so sweet. When the resort staff found out we had just gotten engaged, they went out of their way to get us things to make the trip extra special. In addition, we got these great little Magical Wishes buttons that when you wear them at the parks everyone congratulates you. We received free stuff and we didn't have to wait in some of the lines! Talk about making you feel special. The FQ was the 13th Disney Resort I have stayed in and by far the best. We are getting married next year and are planning to stay at FQ again.

*****

Denise Carozzi - August 2005

We just returned from a 6 day stay at the French Quarter. This was our first stay there, although I have been to WDW many times. We all loved this resort! It was very clean and quiet- we were upgraded without asking to a Courtyard & Fountain view room. The Magical Express service was also very efficient and convenient. The housekeeping was excellent - we requested extra coffee and it was delivered within the hour. We were in Building 2, very close to the pool, food court, store, jacuzzi, and boat launch. My dad had never been to WDW before and really appreciated the free boat rides to Downtown Disney and Riverside. My teenage son enjoyed renting a Water Mouse speedboat at Riverside. As others have mentioned, bus service here is great - we got picked up and dropped off first, a BIG deal when you are exhausted. Also, the in-room fridges are a great way to keep costs down - we ate cereal and had lost of snacks on hand to cut costs. I would stay at this beautiful, romantic, yet kid-friendly resort again in a heartbeat!

*****

Jill Fougerousse - August 2005

Our family (kids ages 4 and 7) just returned from our Disney vacation (Aug 6-Aug 12). This was our second trip to Disney. The first time we stayed at Riverside and this time we stayed at the French Quarter. We prefer French Quarter and will stay there again. The room was adequate for two adults and two children. We took a small blow up mattress that our 4 year old slept on. We thought everyone would get better sleep that way. The room was clean with plenty of towels and soap daily. The resort was very quiet. The front desk was very helpful. The restaurant had a good breakfast menu that we enjoyed...Mickey waffles. We took the kids to the pool one evening..nice, they provide towels at the pool. The buses to the parks pick up first and drop off first at French Quarter which is nice.

*****

Jane - July 2005

Thank-you for all the tips, I love this website!!! I recently spent 10 wonderful days over the Fourth of July at POFQ. This resort is wonderful. I have gone to Disney over 25 times and have stayed at Polynesian, Contemporary, Caribbean Beach, Riverside and many accommodations off-site. POFQ is a quiet relaxing resort. The room was very clean and big enough for me and my 3 teenage boys. We ate at the food court several times and have no complaints. The pool is beautiful, very large and my 11 year old loved the slide. The grounds are beautiful and remind me of New Orleans. I would absolutely recommend this resort to anyone wanting a clean, friendly, relaxing atmosphere. Also, the bus service to the parks was great, this was a very busy holiday period and not once did we wait more than 5 minutes for a bus. We are returning for the Thanksgiving holiday and are staying at the Contemporary, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I won't be sorry spending the extra money.

*****

Laureen Segreto - July 2005

We visited Port Orleans French Quarter July 16-22, 2005. We all loved this resort. There were 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 teenagers. We asked and were upgraded to a corner room with a courtyard view in bldg. 4. room 4235. The room was very clean and the towels were in abundance, refrigerator in the room was a great plus.The cute "washcloth bunnies" were a great treat. Take the boat ride to Downtown Disney, our Captain Steve was very informative and it is a very relaxing ride, a nice change from taking the buses. We have stayed at the deluxe resorts in years past and we were just as pleased with POFQ. We would stay here again.

*****

Lisa McSherry - July 2005

We stayed at POFQ for five nights in July. The bus service was great. I also enjoyed the boat to Downtown Disney. I would agree with the other posts about mousekeeping though. The third day I came back from the parks and found a rubberband on the floor and a bottle of cleaner OPEN on the sink. The bottom sheets of the beds were thrown over the bed, not tucked in; in fact on my daughter's bed, her bottom sheet did not even fully cover the mattress pad. Other than that it was great. I would stay there again, but next time make sure the mousekeepers did a better job.

*****

Laureen Segreto - July 2005

We just returned from a week in WDW, July 16-22, 2005. We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter. It was great!! This was our 10th visit to WDW and we have stayed at Deluxe resorts and since this was a last minute trip, we went to the French Quarter. We were very pleased and have no complaints.

The room was a good size. There were 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 teenagers. The room was very clean and they were very generous with towels. We even got the bunny towels left by housekeeping. The refrigerator in the room was a big plus. We were upgraded to a corner room with 2 windows just for asking.

We were in building four, room 4235 across from the courtyard. We were close to the bus stop and also the pool and lobby. The buses ran smoothly but if you stayed at the Riverside you were not likely to get a seat. They pick up at French Quarter first.

We went to the water parks early and then to the parks since they had extra hours and it wasn't as hot in the evening. I would return to French Quarter in a heartbeat. Take the boat to Downtown Disney - the boat Captain Steve was a hoot.

*****

The Reeds - July 2005

Recently had a 7 night stay at PO-FQ and enjoyed it immensely. We stayed in Bldg 5, and it was an excellent location. I cannot recommend this resort enough. It is in a great location. The transportation wait times are very reasonable. The resort seems very cozy. The pool is great for kids. I will stay there next year for sure. It is my new favorite. Make sure you ask for Bldg 5.

*****

Joe B. - July 2005

We just returned from a stay at the Port Orleans (French Quarter) and there were good and bad issues. The resort area itself was acceptable with the rooms quite comfortable. The maid service was below average as it looked like the rooms were not cleaned on a daily basis. Upon arrival, we found much dirt on the shelves and lights in the bathrooms. There was a hole in the wall in the bathroom, the tub was dirty and there were many scrapes and scratches on the walls in the room. This from a resort that was recently remodeled.

The resort grounds were not quite up to Disney standards as there was decaying foliage all over the resort which emitted a very sickening odor, especially after a rainfall. There was dirt and dust on the decorations in the dinner hall and the signage was old and needed replacing. The jacuzzi was always dirty and the water temperature was either too hot/cold.

On a good note, the pool area was spotless and there was always plenty of towels. The Bell Service was marginal as it took over (2) two hours + to have our luggage delivered to the room. Normally it would not bother me on this issue but we arrived at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and we were the ONLY guests checking in or out of the hotel at that time. I had to check on the luggage myself and then they had it to the room within 10 minutes.

We did take the boat ride over to the Riverside, which is a much larger and better amenitied resort. The dining hall was much cleaner and the grounds were nicely manicured and well kept.

The Disney transportation system was a blessing, especially at the French Quarter. We were always the first to be picked up and the first to be dropped off as our buses were shared by the guests at the P.O. Riverside. The boat transportation to Downtown Disney was excellent.

We used the Magical Express pick-up at the airport and it went very well. I would highly recommend the service.

The parks -- they were moderately packed with guests but if you arrived when they opened, you were able to access many attractions quickly before the bulk of the crowd arrived. I recommend the Fast Pass feature as it saved much time on the Major attractions.

All-In-All, our trip went very well but I probably would stay at another resort on our next visit.

*****

Michelle - July 2005

We just returned from a 4 day stay at French Quarter. We did not have any problems with mousekeeping and the kids LOVED the pool. Also we found the bus service to be very good and getting on and off first before the 3 Riverside stops was a definite benefit. One night we ate at Boma at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and had to wait 30+ minutes for a bus to Downtown Disney. We never waited more than 10 minutes at POFQ. We would definitely stay here again.

*****

Vince - July 2005

The marching band I'm in stayed at the FQ for Disney's Magic Music Days. We were originally supposed to stay in All Star Music, and we were thrilled that WDW upgraded us to FQ. It was a wonderful experience. We were usually out by 7:30, and back by 8ish, so we really couldn't explore too much. Our room was wonderful, just the right size for 5 guys with lots of luggage, instruments and other people. The Food Court is quite good, I just wish they would serve those fabulous beignets 24/7. The pool was amazing, and the slide was so much fun, and the music theme of the pool was great for a bunch of bandos.

My only complaint is thus: when it rains the 'streets' don't really drain, so flooding is a problem. One night i was carrying food back to my room (6304) and it had just rained and a golf cart went by and I had to dodge a tidal wave. I had no complaints whatsoever about housekeeping. They cleaned our tub daily, and always gave us clean glasses and new sheets every day. I was exceptionally thrilled on our last day when we were checking out me and 2 of my roommates had called for help with our luggage, and they were wonderful enough to give the 3 of us a ride in the golf cart to our tour bus. It was exceptionally fun to ride by everyone whilst it was raining. All in all, I would definitely stay in PO FQ again.

*****

Traci Parsley - July 2005

I just returned from a 6 night vacation at WDW French Quarter resort. This web site helped me so much in deciding which resort to stay at so I wanted to be sure to let you know how our stay was. With much debate, we chose the French Quarter and could not have been more pleased. The rooms were spotless when we arrived and stayed that way for our entire stay. We had a connecting room with our inlaws. All of our room requests were met. This resort is smaller than the others and more quaint. I would not chose another.

The cleaning people fixed cute animals, etc. for my 8 month old son (not that he knew what they were), but it was a nice touch. The food in the food court was very good. We ate one night at Riverside and the food at French Quarter beats this by a mile. The walk along the river was nice at night with the horse drawn carriage ride too. I just can't say enough good things about the resort in all.

*****

Steve and Mary Hatfield - July 2005

We just returned from three nights at the French Quarter. We found the mousekeeping just fine. They made characters out of the towels for us. There was always fresh soap, etc..

We were in room 2323 and actually ended up with a half canal/half courtyard view for the price of a standard view. We could even see the fireworks from our front porch area. The food was ok (with the exception off the beignets which were great). We chose to eat at other locations. The Concierges were outstanding and always helpful. They went out of their way to give us detailed directions to specific shopping areas and helped us make sure our carriage ride was cancelled in pouring down rain. (they will charge you if you don't show up for your ride even in inclement weather. They said the driver was the only one who could cancel a trip, which meant you had to go down to the Riverside dock to cancel.)

This was our second trip to FQ and it is still my favorite. We'll try the AKL next though.

*****

Rick Holmes - June 2005

We just returned from our stay at Port Orleans French Quarter. This was our second stay at a Disney resort. The hotel was great. I would stay there again. I liked the French Quarter better than Riverside due to it not being as spread out, and it had the true flair of the French Quarter. All staff was more than accommodating.

The food court was great and the prices were not all that bad considering it was Disney. The pool area was the best feature of this resort. Plenty of room and our daughter loved the water slide. I was very impressed with the life guard service around the pool, in fact, at times I thought they were too strict, but had safety in mind at all times. Overall, a great place to take small children, I felt completely safe even when I could not see my 5 year old child.

We used the new Disney Magical Express service. This was top shelf service. I would highly recommend using this. We had a very short wait on the bus when we arrived at the airport. When we arrived at the hotel, around 2:00 PM, we were able to check right into our room. About 5 minutes after we got in our room, our luggage arrived. I was pretty impressed at this time, since we had not seen our luggage since leaving the airport that morning. The only hiccup was when we departed, our 2:30 PM bus did not arrive until 2:55 PM, but they made up for this by taking just the passengers from French Quarter straight to the airport and not making any stops for other resorts. When we arrived at our airport back home, all 3 of our bags were right together when they came off of baggage claim. All in all, this is one nice feature. We checked our luggage and obtained our boarding passes at the French Quarter on Saturday morning and then left a carry on bag with bell services and headed out to the park.

This was yet another great trip to Disney and I would highly recommend French Quarter to anyone.

*****

Stephanie - June 2005

Stay at French Quarter, it is much smaller and less crowded than Riverside. The buses from all the parks except Magic Kingdom are shared by the two resorts and they always pick up and drop off at French Quarter first, then go on to the Riverside stops (yes, that's three Riverside stops). It was very nice to be picked up first, we usually got a seat, and on the way home we always got off first. The line after Illuminations (Epcot) was very long, but since both resorts use the same bus system, they assigned quite a few buses this resort (it was about a 25 minute wait). On every other evening, we never waited more than 10 minutes.

Mousekeeping was okay. We had plenty of towels and on most days my kids' "babies" were arranged on the bed. They even made some little animals from hand towels that my kids wanted to bring home.

It was nice to have the coffee maker and in room safe. No combination to remember, just a key to take...easy. There is a night light too. They do have hairdryers now.

Our room overlooked the river, and it was very quiet at night. If you are looking at the pool, note it is open until quite late.

One draw back was that there was no sit down restaurant. The cafeteria was relatively inexpensive but service was SLOW. Good selection of food. Everything was fresh and people were helpful/friendly.

There was entertainment (live music) each nite by the bar. My kids loved the pool and the lifeguards were very attentive. We will be staying here again.

*****

Robyn - June 2005

We found this resort to be a great value. Thankfully the hotel is not as spread out as the Riverside, you can actually walk to the restaurant and bus stop! The rooms were clean and tidy. The food court was a hit with my family! I was surprised at the affordable pricing and the huge selection. As a bonus, the food was good. Please understand - it is not gourmet food by any stretch of the imagination. If you are looking for decent food, you will not be disappointed. Try the Mickey Waffles! My son ate two orders every morning.

*****

Jonathan Bausman - June 2005

If you are debating between Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside, stay at French Quarter. The buses from all the parks except Magic Kingdom are shared by the two resorts and they always pick up and drop off at French Quarter first, then go on to the Riverside stops (yes, that's three Riverside stops). It was very nice to be picked up first, we usually got a seat, and on the way home we always got off first. The line after Illuminations at epcot was very long, but since both resorts use the same bus system, they assigned quite a few buses this resort. Another suggestion about this resort, if you have a chance, take a walk in the evening down the carriage path. It is a beautiful walk along the river.

*****

Laura Thomas - May 2005

We stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter from May 15-22 and were quite pleased with our stay. Our two children (ages 5 and 2) absolutely loved the pool! We (the parents) loved the size of this particular resort. It was smaller in scale so therefore we were close to the pool, dining, gift shop, bus stop, etc. The only thing we did not enjoy was sharing a bus with the Riverside, it seemed to make for a long time on the bus (and with two small children is NEVER fun). Also, we were disappointed in the mousekeeping's lack of creativity. Our previous stays at 2 deluxe resorts were filled with creative towel sculptures and repositioning of my children's stuffed animals. Not so at the French Quarter. We would stay there again though.

*****

Wendy Hardwick - May 2005

Our group returned from a 14 day stay at the French Quarter. Such a beautiful resort. There were 13 of us. Our grandsons ages 1, 3, 4, 5, & 7 - loved the pool. Liked the curtain separating the sink area from sleeping area. Enjoyed the relaxed feeling of the resort. The option of taking the boat to Downtown Disney is another nice benefit.

However, I do have one negative comment-mousekeeping! We are generous tippers and still found our room not vacuumed, tub not cleaned, etc. What does it take to get your room cleaned? We stayed at AKL in Feb. The Mousekeepers were worse there!

We have stayed at all of the moderates now-we like Port Orleans Riverside & FQ. Would stay at FQ again.

*****

Rebecca - May 2005

We had a 3 night day stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter resort. The theming (as per usual) was great...make sure you read the street names as you wander around the resort! We enjoyed the compactness of FQ as compared to say Caribbean Beach... I felt like the whole experience was more personal at this resort.

Transportation was as good as expected...even though the buses did occasionally get crowded - it was nice to be picked up and dropped off first! One day we even had a bus that went directly to the Magic Kingdom (skipping Riverside.) I haven't seen anyone else mention it, so maybe it was unusual.

All of that being said... housekeeping was more than spotty. On the second night I was reasonably certain that housekeeping hadn't done more than straighten towels and drop off some soap. Turns out, I was right. We came back to the room on the 3rd night to find a small, dirty, sock (not mine & we have no children) on top of my stuff. So, I don't don't how much cleaning was done between us and the last people. *Shudder* Retrospectively, I should have complained because it was the one blemish on an otherwise very nice trip to Disneyworld.

Still, we liked the ambience, decor, layout and CM friendliness enough to return there again someday.

*****

M. Moreschi - May 2005

We just arrived home from our stay at the French Quarter. We arrived May 13 around 1 and checked in to find that our room was ready. We stayed in room 6242 with a view of the river. It was really pleasant and quiet. The room smelled of bleach when we walked in and was really clean. We had no complaints with mousekeeping. Every day the room was spotless and they arranged all the kids' toys in cute poses, which they loved. The kids (2 and 5) loved the pool. We would go in the evenings and it was never crowded. We never waited long for the buses and were lucky that we never had to stand. Next time we go, we will be staying here again.

*****

Beth Hewitt - May 2005

We just returned from a week-long stay at POFQ. What a beautiful resort! We checked in at 2:00 p.m., and to our surprise, were upgraded to a first floor, courtyard view, in building #1. Everything was really close to walk to. We enjoyed the boat rides to Downtown Disney, and the knowledgeable captains. We especially liked seeing the Treehouses, as we have never stayed there, but heard a lot about them. We have stayed at Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, and Wilderness Lodge before. This was our favorite so far, and my husband wants to go back again!

*****

Kerri Eyler - May 2005

My family just returned from staying at Port Orleans French Quarter between May 6th and 13th. I have to say that we were thrilled with the entire experience. We were in building 5, which others here have mentioned, is a great location. You are close to everything, but it's still quiet.

Just a few things that I will mention. The bus transportation was great, especially compared to other resorts. Most of the time, the bus picked up at FQ first, and then went to Riverside. It also almost always dropped us off first. Compared with the lines for the All-Stars, the lines for our buses were very short and wait times short. I will say, though, that the boat transportation works in the opposite way. If you are waiting at the FQ for a boat, they will drop off first, but they will only let on the number of people that just got off, especially if it is full. The boat then goes to Riverside and only if there is space left after those people board will the boat stop back at FQ. We waited over a half an hour, and for four boats, on Saturday night before we quit and took the bus, which was faster. Going from Downtown Disney to the resort was very convenient and we did that twice.

I did not find the little things in the room that I have heard about. Specifically the maid doing cute things with towels or stuffed animals in our room. In fact, my daughter, six years old, left a hand-written note asking for more Mickey soap, only to be ignored and nothing done. I got more at the Concierge desk and after that, seemed to find them every day in our room. My daughter also enjoyed the coloring pages and videos in the lobby. She was just as happy to do that some nights vs play on the playground. We will definitely stay at this resort again in the future!

*****

Linda - May 2005

My family and I just returned from a five-day stay at the Port Orleans - French Quarter. I highly recommend this resort, especially if you have small children. We stayed in room 5319 which had a great river view and was very close to the pool, food court, boat dock, and front desk. This resort is very quaint and pretty. We never waited more than ten minutes for the bus to the parks or the boat to Downtown Disney. My only two "complaints" were spotty housekeeping and slow service in the food court. Other than that, the room and resort were very nice.

*****

Hilary Sommer - April 2005

My husband and I stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter for a long weekend in late April of 2005. This resort was new to us and we loved it! We requested a king bed and got a corner room very close to the pool and main building. This meant we had a little more room, in addition to two sets of windows. The accommodations were very roomy, with plenty of drawer space and the standard amenities. We made good use of the refillable mugs. We also enjoyed the bar, Scat Cat's, on a couple of different evenings. Drinks were good and the musician on the weekend was a lot of fun. The resort was in great shape and our room was always very clean. We would definitely stay here again!

*****

S.Collins - April 2005

My family and I just returned from WDW and a stay at Port Orleans in the French Quarter. This was our first trip as a family and my first time staying at a WDW Resort. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this resort.

Upon our arrival, we were assisted with our luggage and groceries immediately. We didn't lift a finger. While we checked in, they made sure our milk was refrigerated for us. After we got to our room we just called down, and our luggage was delivered within minutes. At check- in there was a problem obtaining our park passes because a necessary code was left off of the voucher given to us by our travel agency. Guest Services worked tirelessly to resolve this issue for us.

Unfortunately, while we were there,my infant daughter, my 4 yr old daughter, and I caught a stomach bug. We required some late night replenishments of towels and sheets. The housekeeping staff at Port Orleans was very understanding and helpful. They delivered these items very quickly.

The rooms are fairly spacious, and we LOVED the privacy curtain. I did find, however, that the tile floor by the sinks seemed to need a good bleaching. It was looking a little soiled. But, as I said, our housekeeper certainly had her hands full in our room. I can excuse the floor.

My daughter LOVED the pool. Due to our illness she didn't spend nearly as much time in it as she had hoped to. It is a great pool for children of all ages. It is not deep, and it has a fun theme.

The buses were fairly convenient. They tended to be crowded at times because we shared buses with Riverside, but everyone was very pleasant. If you are traveling with small children, bring your own lightweight stroller. You do need to do some walking to get to the buses. If you have a sleeping child, it can be a VERY long walk back to your room.

The bedtime stories were a big hit with my 4 year old. Being that none of us were feeling well, we turned in early and enjoyed a good story each night.

Another little piece of info if you stay at the French Quarter: it takes a day for any packages purchased at the parks to be delivered. It is not same day delivery.

Port Orleans is a great addition to any Disney vacation.

*****

Dave DeMoe - March 2005

I recently spent 6 nights in Building 1 of Port Orleans French Quarter. The grounds were beautiful. We arrived at 4 p.m. so check-in went quite smoothly. We found our room without any trouble.

As others have mentioned: housekeeping was indeed spotty. Some days were brilliant with my daughter's dolls arranged in poses and the room spotless. Other days it was just cleaned. That being said, I would recommend.

The food court is a short walk from any of the rooms. I never found a need to use the in-room coffee maker. Although the Disney bus got a bit crowded at park closings; guests staying at the French Quarter are let off before those at Riverside. Quite a perk after a long day.

As this was my family's first trip to the World we were unable to make full use of the pool and the river transportation. I would not hesitate to return here.

*****

Daniel Harwell - February 2005

We stayed at Port Orleans from February 21st to February 25th and it was wonderful!!! We loved the theming and the plant life at the resort, it is all just wonderful. The service was wonderful, however I didn't feel like it stayed open late enough. We had stayed at Pop Century last year and everything remained open until like 1 a.m., at the French Quarter is is 11 p.m. for guest services, and varying times for other services.

We had 2 complaints about the resort. The first was the food court. It was awful compared to Pop Century, the service and quality was simply sub-par. Also, we found the pool to be way too crowded. We simply walked to one of the quiet pools over at Riverside, and loved that. The walk was nice, and relaxing.

Overall I would give French Quarter an A, just because the plusses tremendously out weigh the negatives.

*****

Kathleen Smith - February 2005

My family just returned from a wonderful five-night, six-day vacation at Disney World. This was our first trip to Disney and we wanted to stay on site for that reason. After much research on your website and Disney's, we chose the Port Orleans French Quarter. I liked the fact that it was a smaller hotel and that it had been recently renovated.

I was able to choose the building I wanted which was Building #5. It was close to the pool and restaurant but still very quiet. The rooms were very clean and had enough room for two adults and two kids under the age of 12. I was grateful for the double sinks. Housekeeping was great when we needed extra towels. Transportation to the parks and Downtown Disney was wonderful. We were not disappointed in the least. We will definitely book this hotel the next time we visit Disney.

*****

Lisa - February 2005

My sweetheart and I just returned from a two night, three day stay at the Port Orleans French Quarter -- we both thought that the resort was wonderful! It feels as though you are staying in a little town, not a resort. The grounds are absolutely lovely.

Our room was kept up quite well - no complaints at all about housekeeping! They even left our towels done up as little lovebirds since we were staying over Valentine's Day.

The river cruise was a very nice way to travel to Downtown Disney and the buses were never too long of a wait. Valentine's morning we took a walk over to Riverside, which was also quite lovely to look at -- I enjoyed their store more than the Jackson Square Gifts because there was more variety.

Overall, our stay was wonderful!! I would certainly go again! Also -- the extra three magic hours at Animal Kingdom was very nice!

*****

J. Rodriguez - February 2005

My wife and I just came back from an 8-night stay at French Quarter. This was our first trip to WDW. After reading all the reviews on AllEarsNet, we decided to go with POFQ. We were not disappointed.

My main impression of the resort is that it is smaller than other resorts...much smaller, which suited us just fine. We were located in building 1, second floor, room 1232. It had a perfect view of the river. The south side also has a better looking courtyard. There is a nice fountain with benches all around for those time when you just want to relax. I didn't see any fountains on the north side, just a lot of concrete in their courtyard.

The FQ shares transportation with Riverside, although the bus from FQ to the Magic Kingdom is exclusive to FQ and will not stop at Riverside. Even though we were at the southmost building, it never took us more than 5 - 7 minutes to get to the bus stop. A plus about staying at FQ is that buses stop at FQ first..for pickup and drop-off.

The size of the FQ resort was just perfect for us. Considering other moderate resorts like Caribbean Beach or even Riverside, French Quarter is much smaller. You can get around the entire resort fairly easy.

They have also have a pretty good food court, considering we weren't expecting 5 star cuisine. Getting the refillable mug is a definite must. February must be the time when they are training all their staff as we noticed training going on all around (must be preparing for the heavy season which is just coming up), but that didn't bug is.. a little patience goes a long way.

They have a store, Jackson Square, for souvenirs/gifts and "desires" as they call them. If you buy anything at the parks or other resorts, you can have them ship your purchase to the store where they will call your room when it arrives...sure beats hauling around all those souvenirs you purchase at the parks.

Our room was always clean and made up by 3 p.m. We had fresh towels and toiletries (shampoo/conditioner/ face and hand soap) and on one day, housekeeping left a towel in the shape of some bird with some mardi-gras beads around its neck. All rooms come with hair dryer, iron, ironing board and a mini-refrigerator, which came in handy since we had our transport stop at a grocery store before we got to our resort.

There is a long winding path along the river that runs from POFQ to the Riverside. It's a very romantic walk if taken during the evening, and a nice jogging path during the morning hours. You can rent mice, boats and bikes at Riverside and take the boat to Downtown Disney from POFQ. All other transportation is by bus.

We really like POFQ. We like the fact that it's a smaller resort. It has a much more intimate setting with it's narrow streets..and you don't have to walk half across WDW to get to the other side. We'll probably be staying here from now on.

Read Other Comments

2004 Reader Comments
Pre 2003-2004 Renovation Visits