Port Orleans News

Happy Easter! There will be lots of fun activities on Easter Sunday (1st April) for all the family at both Riverside and French Quarter, including games, egg hunts and character greetings:

10am-1:30pm - Easter Brunch at Boatwright's Dining Hall. $32 per adult (includes a Sparkling Wine), $17 per child (9 and under, includes a Sparkling Beverage). Reservations available via My Disney Experience or 407-WDW-DINE

Riverside:

• 9am - Candy Scramble (building 90 courtyard)
• 9:30am - Lawn games (building 90 courtyard)
• 9:30am-11:30am - Character Meet & Greet (building 90 courtyard)
• 10am - Bunny Hoppin' Activity Trail (buildings 85 and 90 courtyards)
• 11:30am-12:30pm - Mickey Tie-Dye (Ol' Man Island Pool) ($)
• 12:30pm-1:30pm - Bunny Hoppin' Pool Party (Ol' Man Island Pool)
• 1:30pm-2pm - Egg Drop (Ol' Man Island Pool)
• 2pm-3pm - What's in Your Easter Basket? (Ol' Man Island Pool)
• 3pm-3:30pm - Egg-straordinary Trivia (Ol' Man Island Pool)
• 3:30pm-4:30pm - Easter Arts & Crafts (Ol' Man Island Pool) ($)
• 6:30pm-7:30pm - Campfire on de' Bayou (Ol' Man Island)

• 8am - Beignet Dash. Get in on the Easter spirit by joining us for a quick run or walk around French Quarter and Riverside! Check in begins at 7:30am along the riverwalk between building 5 and the Doubloon Lagoon Pool. It's going to be a bunny hopping good time for the whole family. ($)
• 9am - Candy Scramble (between buildings 5 and 6)
• 9:30am - Lawn Games (between buildings 5 and 6)
• 10:30am - This Way, That Way, Wonderland Egg Hunt (between buildings 5 and 6). Stop by the French Quarter Green to pick up your Scavenger Hunt Guide. It will lead you on a journey to find 5 eggs themed to some of your favorite Alice in Wonderland characters hidden throughout French Quarter. Find them all and claim your prize at Doubloon Lagoon Pool.
• 11:30am - Mickey Tie-Dye (Doubloon Lagoon Pool) ($)
• 12:30pm - Egg Drop Relay (Doubloon Lagoon Pool)
• 1pm - Bunny Hoppin' Pool Party (Doubloon Lagoon Pool)
• 2pm - Decorate Your Own Water Bottle (Doubloon Lagoon Pool) ($)
• 3pm - EGG-Straordinary Trivia (Doubloon Lagoon Pool)
• 3:30pm - What's in Your Easter Basket? (Doubloon Lagoon Pool)
• 5pm-7pm Golden Afternoon Garden Party (between buildings 5 and 6). Join us for an evening of fun for the whole family including themed lawn games and character meet and greets, as well as Merchandise and Food & Beverage offerings available for purchase.
• 6:30pm - Very Merry Unbirthday Campfire (between buildings 5 and 6)
• 8:30pm - Movie Under the Stars (between buildings 5 and 6). Alice in Wonderland

As an alternative to the recently announced room discount offer, you can also get any of the Disney Dining Plans free for all children aged 3-9 when you book a package including full-priced room, theme park tickets, and the same dining plan for everyone in the room (Quick Service, Standard, or Deluxe are available). Valid for arrival dates from 11 June 2018 to 30 August 2018, your overall stay with the offer can extend further as long as you arrive by 30 August. The minimum stay is three nights and you must purchase at least a three-day base park ticket for each guest. Both Port Orleans resorts are included in the offer and you need to book by 1 August 2018.

As with all such offers, some dates and room categories may not be available, and you should weigh up the overall benefit compared with other options such as the Summer Room Discount. As Port Orleans is only receiving a maximum of 10% room discount, the free children’s dining offer might work out better value for you, especially if you have more than one child in the room and were intending to get a dining plan anyway. For example, if you have two children and would be purchasing the standard dining plan, you might save around $52 per night which is far better than a 10% discount.

Disney has released discount offers for stays during Summer 2018, and very unusually both Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter are included - although room availability is likely to be limited. See https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/ for full details, but here is how this and a previous offer apply to Port Orleans:

An Incredible Summer Awaits – Save Up to 25% on Rooms at Select Disney Resort Hotels

With this offer you can save on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights from 11 June 2018 to 1 August 2018. There are some tiered discounts at the other resorts, but for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter it appears to be a rather low flat rate of 10%. You need to book by 1 August 2018. The website also says to ask about "great rates" for stays most nights from 28 May through 10 June and 2 August through 30 August, but does not elaborate any further.

Soak Up Some Sun & Fun - Save Up to 20% on Rooms at Select Disney Resort Hotels This Spring

With this offer you can save on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights from 15 April 2018 to 10 June 2018 when you book by 7 April 2018. Only Port Orleans Riverside is included, again at 10% discount, and there is no offer at French Quarter. Plus, if you upgrade to a room and ticket package which includes a minimum of 5-day theme park tickets (with the Park Hopper Option or Park Hopper Plus option) you get one more day added to the ticket for free.

Guest car parking at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels will no be longer be a free perk. Effective for all bookings made from 21 March 20018 onward, parking at the Port Orleans Resorts will cost guests $19 per night.

Just when you thought Disney had wrung about every last drop of blood out of their visiting stones...

Effective for reservations made from 21 March 2018 onward, overnight car parking at any of the Walt Disney World Resort Hotels for registered guests will no longer be the inclusive perk that it has been for more than forty-five years. Self-parking will now incur a nightly fee that will be applied to your hotel folio upon check-out:

Value Resorts: $13 per night
Moderate Resorts (which includes Port Orleans): $19 per night
Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts: $24 per night
(prices include tax)

Guests staying at any of the Walt Disney World resort hotels will still receive "complimentary" parking at the Disney theme parks, as will select Annual Pass holders including Premium passholders.

Self-parking at the water parks, Disney Springs and the ESPN Wide World of Sports will remain free for everyone. Complimentary self-parking is also available to any day guests and visitors who want to visit any of the Disney Resort hotels to experience the dining, shopping, entertainment, and recreation offerings.

Designated parking areas are available throughout Walt Disney World Resort for Guests with disabilities. A valid disability parking permit is required.

For more information, please see the official page on the Walt Disney World website.

The perimeter circle road around Port Orleans Riverside has been closed at the road bridge over the Sassagoula River just before Parterre Place since late last week, apparently for emergency work on a burst water main.

To access Parterre Place by road in the meantime, guests will need to travel the reverse route all the way around the Sassagoula Circle road, going past the Alligator Bayou area first. Disney buses are being re-routed as well, turning back after their pickup at the East Depot and returning the same way they came, which will add slightly to journey times.

It is hoped that the road will be re-opened early this week.