Port Orleans News

The free “Disney Dining Plan” offer for USA room & ticket package bookings during Fall 2017 was announced on 24 April 2017, and as usual it’s sadly only of limited benefit to Port Orleans guests. Given that our two favourite resorts already sell very well, Disney simply doesn’t need to offer very much in the way of extra enticement, especially for the smaller French Quarter resort.

• Summer Room-Only Discount: Up to 25% off many Moderate Resort rooms for stays from 28 May to 31 August 2017 (must be booked by 14 July). French Quarter is completely excluded, and availability at Riverside (15% discount) is now fairly limited too.
• Enchanted Escape Room-Only Discount: Up to 25% off many Moderate Resort rooms for stays from 1 August to 7 October 2017 (must be booked by 31 August). Both Riverside (15%—20%) AND French Quarter (20%, but from 1 Sep—7 Oct only) are included in this offer, but book soon as availability is limited.

Port Orleans Easter Sunday Recreation Activities, Character Greetings and Movie Schedules for 16 April 2017

Note: ** As from 14 April 2017, all campfire activities at Walt Disney World are temporarily suspended due to the extremely dry weather and local outbreaks of wildfires.

Riverside

9am — Candy Scramble (Building 90 Courtyard)
9:30am — Lawn Games (Building 90 Courtyard)
9:30am–11:30am — Character Greetings (Building 90 Courtyard)
10:00am — The Egg Hunt (Pathway to Ol’ Man Island)

Ol’ Man Island Poolside Activities:
11:30am–12:30pm — Mickey Tie-Dye ($)
12:30pm–1:30pm — Bunny Hoppin’ Pool Party
1:30pm–2pm — Egg Drop
2pm–3pm — What’s In Your Easter Basket?
3pm–3:30pm — Egg-straordinary Trivia
3:30pm–4:30pm — Easter Arts & Crafts ($)

6:30pm–7:30pm — Campfire on de’ Bayou (Ol’ Man Island) **

French Quarter

9am — Candy Scramble (Courtyard Lawn between Buildings 5 & 6)
9:30am — Lawn Games (Courtyard Lawn between Buildings 5 & 6)
10am — The Egg Hunt (Pathway to Doubloon Lagoon Pool)

Doubloon Lagoon Poolside Activities:
11:30am–12:30pm — Easter Arts & Crafts ($)
12:30pm–1pm — Egg Drop
1pm–2pm — Bunny Hoppin’ Pool Party
2pm–3pm — Mickey Tie-Dye ($)
3pm–3:30pm — Egg-straordinary Trivia
3:30pm–4:30pm — What’s In Your Easter Basket?

5:00pm–7:00pm — Character Greetings (Courtyard Lawn between Buildings 5 & 6)
6:30pm–7:30pm — Cajun Campfire (Courtyard between Buildings 5 & 6) **
8:30pm — Movie Under the Stars, “Zootopia” (Courtyard Lawn between Buildings 5 & 6)




(Setting up the Easter 2016 Candy Scramble, photo by David Kletter)

The April 2017 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available. See the main Recreation Activities Schedules page for full-size printable PDF versions.

The main feature swimming pool operating hours are currently 10am—9pm. These times are enforced and the feature pools are gated and locked when there are no lifeguards on duty, however the five Riverside quiet pools are generally available at any time (within reason). The evening campfires are scheduled for 6:30pm—7:30pm, and the Movies Under the Stars will be screened at 8:30pm, with both activities occurring on alternating days at the two resorts — Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday at Riverside, and Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday at French Quarter.

At 1pm at French Quarter and 3:30pm at Riverside there will be poolside Arts & Crafts Activities, with Mickey Tie-Dye T-shirt decoration occurring on select days as shown on the schedules (payment required for these activities). See Resort signage or a Recreation Cast Member for details.

April 11 Movie Preview: Disneynature’s “Born in China”. Join us at Port Orleans Riverside for a special advanced screening of the new film which ventures into the wilds of China, capturing intimate moments with three animal families: a doting panda bear, a two-year-old golden snub-nosed monkey and a mother snow leopard.

Easter Sunday activities will be announced closer to the date.

The “Bayou Pirate Adventure” riverboat activity cruise for children aged 4—12, which ran three days a week from the Riverside Marina, has been discontinued at short notice. The final cruise was on March 30th 2017. Similar cruises remain available from several other Walt Disney World resorts such as the Yacht & Beach Club, the Grand Floridian and the Caribbean Beach. Disney is currently in the process of contacting any guests who have already made bookings for this activity to offer them alternatives or compensation.

Live Evening Entertainment

No visit to Port Orleans Riverside would be complete without spending an evening in the company of the legendary “Ye Haa” Bob Jackson at the River Roost Lounge, playing 8:30pm—midnight four nights a week (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday).

Note: Bob will not be playing his regular shows on Wednesday 19 April or Thursday 20 April as he will be on vacation.

Port Orleans French Quarter’s Scat Cat’s Club does not currently have official resident musicians, but filling the gap admirably are Jason Thomas and Billy Varnes, two members of the fabulous Off Kilter rock band which used to perform in Epcot’s Canada pavilion. Occasionally when one of the boys is not available, Greg Hayworth (from Mulch, Sweat & Shears) will sit in. The dates are only announced a month or so in advance (generally most Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays) but if you happen to be around for any of their evenings (8:30pm—11pm) do yourself a favour and pop along, they are highly recommended.

Sadly, the kids' "Bayou Pirate Adventure" riverboat activity cruise for children aged 4-12, which ran three days a week from the Riverside Marina, will be discontinued at the end of this month. The final cruise will take place on Thursday 30 March.

Similar cruises will remain available from several other Walt Disney World resorts, such as the Yacht & Beach Club, the Grand Floridian, and presumably still Caribbean Beach too (although at the moment there is so much construction going on at that resort that it wouldn't be my first choice).

[Update: This decision must have been made fairly recently, so Disney is currently in the process of contacting any guests who have already made future bookings for this activity to offer them alternatives or compensation]