Hi, I’m Quincy, and I’ve stayed in EVERY hotel in Disney World!
It took me several years, but it was a lot of fun, and now I have very strong opinions about where to stay on your Disney vacation! Recently, I checked out the newly updated Royal Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside. These new rooms are pretty controversial online, and as someone who has seen a plethora of hotel rooms, I have some thoughts.
The Royal Rooms have been a longstanding offering of Riverside, and they used to be themed to a variety of Disney Princesses, with the backstory that all these princesses were coming to visit Tiana and brought various trinkets along with them that decorated the room. There were dark wood accents, a Magic Carpet-themed floor, and headboards that played fireworks effects at the push of a button.
They were seriously beloved, but rather outdated. They had that clunky overfilled style of the 2000s and the furniture and layout weren’t entirely functional. Therefore, Disney embarked on a renovation, just like they’ve renovated so many other hotel rooms since the pandemic.
Now the rooms are lighter and brighter with new flooring, new furniture, and an updated theme. Instead of seeing decor from a variety of princesses, the backstory of the room is that you’re staying with Tiana and Naveen as a guest, so the room’s decor is exclusively themed to Princess and the Frog.
The iconic headboards have been replaced with a bayou-inspired design. Now, instead of fireworks, you’ll be able to see twinkling fireflies above your head. It’s beautiful, but it’s not quite as magical or iconic as the fireworks.
Many fans have been livid about the changes, taking to social media and Reddit to express their disappointment. They complain that Disney removed all the “character” from the rooms and made them more sterile. They’re now more similar in style to other hotel rooms around Disney World…and you know what? Those people aren’t necessarily wrong!
These rooms often cost nearly $100 more a night than a standard room at Riverside, and they don’t feel very different from other standard room refurbishments Disney has done recently. I would put them on par with the updates made to the rooms at BoardWalk, Polynesian, Caribbean Beach, or even the All-Stars. For a specialty room category, they don’t feel quite as “special” as they used to.
Now, don’t get me wrong. In some ways, these rooms are an improvement on the old design, and they are beautifully done hotel rooms. The furniture and layout are both more functional than they were before — there’s more storage and it’s easier to move around the space. They even added luggage storage under the beds.
Also, the design feels more luxurious and less “hokey” than it did before. The old look was a bit outdated, though it would’ve been nice to retain some of its uniqueness with the makeover. I miss the Genie lamp-themed faucets!
Ultimately, I think the problem here is that these rooms don’t feel like something you should pay an extra $100 a night for. Maybe if you’ve got a major Tiana fan in your group, but otherwise, they’re not too far off from the other new standard rooms at Riverside and the neighboring French Quarter.
If there are any other hotel rooms you want me to tour, make sure to tell us in the comments! And for my room tours at every Disney World hotel, check out the AllEars YouTube channel.
I’ve Stayed in Every Disney World Hotel and These Rooms Are Worth the Price
Would you stay in this room? Tell us in the comments!
You are a really good writer!
We stay off property, but my kids and family like to stay on, so great advice!