Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort is known as a hidden gem on Disney property. I heard many great things about French Quarter, and it’s sister resort Port Orleans Riverside, leading me to book an early spring stay at the resort.

The theming is colourful and evokes the feeling of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The resort’s lush landscaping, black wrought-iron fountains and lantern-lit pathways gives this Disney resort an adult feel that’s still fun for kids.

Why, hello there Mickey.

PRICE AND VALUE

French Quarter is classified as a moderate Disney resort. You can easily book a night’s stay in the $175 to $200 per-night range, which I felt was reasonable considering you can to take advantage of Disney perks such as Disney’s Magical Express airport shuttle, transportation to and from the parks, and Extra Magic Hours at the parks.

So what makes French Quarter stand out from Disney’s other moderate resorts?

Although the parks were close to capacity during our post-Easter weekend visit, the 1,000-room French Quarter never felt like we were visiting during one of the busiest times of the year. French Quarter is definitely the smallest and easiest moderate resort to get around–walking from one end of the seven-building resort to the other took no longer than five minutes. After walking around at the parks all day, you will be thankful to reach your room in such a short time.

Building 5 provided us with a lovely view of the pool and lush gardens, and was also close to transportation and dining.

ROOMS

Our room in Building 5 faced the pool and had easy access to dining, the gift shop and transportation. We were nestled behind trees on the second floor, which was surprisingly private and quiet despite having exterior corridors (like other value and moderate resorts).

French Quarter’s rooms are a modest size and sleep four, with separate shower/toilet and sink areas. This division makes getting ready in the morning much easier. A curtain separates the double sinks from the main room, which provides more privacy if needed.

The beds and pillows were comfortable, and looked like they had recently been refurbished. As much as the room met our needs, I felt the resort’s theming didn’t transition as seamlessly into the room itself, but French Quarter’s beautiful exterior made up for it.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation at French Quarter was much more efficient than I had anticipated. Buses transported guests to all of the parks–and, luckily, we never had to wait longer than 20 minutes for one.

Gorgeous view of Downtown Disney from our riverboat.

Our party of 12 was especially impressed with the time it took to get to Magic Kingdom–approximately 10 minutes. We never had to share a bus with sister resort Riverside to reach any of the parks. With smaller children, minimizing the amount of time spent in transit was definitely a priority for us.

In addition, French Quarter offers a boat to Downtown Disney. This was a beautiful (and fun) way to head to Disney’s dining and shopping district!

DINING AND RECREATION

With only one quick-service restaurant onsite, and no table-service options at French Quarter, I found that we often wanted to eat offsite.

Doubloon Lagoon features a sea serpent water slide–the kids loved it!

While the food was good at French Quarter’s Sassagoula Floatworks Food Factory, we found a variety of delicious options at Downtown Disney.

Dining aside, we loved French Quarter’s themed pool area (“Doubloon Lagoon”) which is located in the centre of the resort. The sea serpent water slide was a hit with the kids, and the pool’s quieter corners were perfect for lounging adults. Daily afternoon pool parties, hosted by Disney’s excellent recreation staff, kept our kids entertained, giving us an opportunity to relax and enjoy the Florida sun!

If you’re seeking more onsite recreation opportunities, take a 10-minute walk up the river to Port Orleans Riverside, which includes amenities such as a full-service restaurant (Boatwright’s Dining Hall), a well-themed pool and recreation area, and numerous other quiet pools. Riverside also offers surrey bike rentals, cane-pole fishing and evening carriage rides.

Heading down to the pool for an evening swim, we were greeted by the French Quarter Gator Band 🙂

LAST WORD

I’m confident that visitors to Disney World who are looking for a quieter resort option will enjoy Port Orleans French Quarter.

Whether you are a family of four, or a couple on a quick Disney getaway, Port Orleans French Quarter offers great value for a moderate resort.