“Ol’ Man Island”
Right at the heart of the Port Orleans Riverside resort lies the 3½ acre Ol’ Man Island. This secluded, lushly wooded island is easily accessed from the various accommodation buildings via three wooden bridges and is home to many of the resort’s recreational activities, including the main feature swimming pool, children’s playground and fishing hole.
Feature Swimming Pool
Down by the levee, just over the bridge lies Ol’ Man Island, full of water adventure. It's an old fashioned “Swimmin’ Hole” with a large, rustic water slide fashioned after an old saw mill and built into the mill works.
The main feature pool at Riverside is a fun swimming area with waterfalls to duck under and a curved slide to hurtle down, along with sun beds and a pool bar for the adult aprés-swim time. There is also a separate shallow children’s pool and a jacuzzi hot tub right next to the main pool area.
- Opening hours: 7am until midnight, although it’s not uncommon to still find people swimming well after that. The lifeguards go off duty at 10pm and the main slide closes at that time
- Maximum depth: 5 feet (entry is via a gently stepped area)
- Pool Area: 12,980 square feet
- Pool volume: 158,000 gallons
- Maximum capacity: 158 in main pool, 7 in spa
- Pool Temperature: 82 degrees (standard at all Walt Disney World Resorts)
- Length of slide: 95 linear feet
- Depth at base of slide: 3 ft 6in
- For safety, diaper-age children must wear plastic pants or swim diapers
- Showers and coin-operated lockers ($1 in quarters) are available in the restroom area near the pool
- Towel pickup is available at the poolside and there is also a towel drop location
- The pool is available for use by any guests staying at Port Orleans Riverside or Port Orleans French Quarter for the entire duration of their stay (including their arrival and checkout days)
- Safety devices permitted at Walt Disney World resort pools:
- Walt Disney World approved flotation devices, which must be securely attached and supervising adults must remain within arms reach of the person using the device. Life jackets are available at the resorts
- Any US Coast Guard Type II or Type III personal flotation device
- Arm Bands
- Swim Rings (split rings and full rings)
- Beach Balls
- Not permitted at Walt Disney World resort pools:
- Hard Frisbees
- Hard balls
- Plastic Boats
- Rafts
The Muddy Rivers pool bar is open from 11:30am until 9:30pm and serves a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and hot and cold snacks. It features a pleasant shaded seating area in clear sight of the main pool.
The Ol’ Man Island area also features various other recreational activities such as Cane Pole Fishing, a seasonal evening storytelling session round an open campfire and a children’s play area. For more information on these facilities, please refer to the general Recreation page.
Riverside’s Quiet Pools
As Port Orleans Riverside is such a large resort, in addition to the main feature pool on Ol’ Man Island there are also five smaller “quiet pools” dotted around the grounds. Each of these pools also features a Laundry Room with guest-operated washing and drying facilities - your laundry can be taking care of itself while you take a refreshing dip in the pool.
Magnolia Bend pools (two locations, see map):
- Opening hours: 24 hours (no lifeguards)
- Maximum depth: 5 feet
- Pool Temperature: 82 degrees (standard at all Walt Disney World Resorts)
- Towel pickup is not available at the quiet pools, only at the main feature pool. There is a towel drop location though, so you bring your room towels. Additional towels can be requested by calling housekeeping
- The pools are available for use by any guests staying at Port Orleans Riverside or Port Orleans French Quarter for the entire duration of their stay (including their arrival and checkout days)
Alligator Bayou pools (three locations, see map):
- Opening hours: 24 hours (no lifeguards)
- Maximum depth: 6 feet
- Pool Temperature: 82 degrees (standard at all Walt Disney World Resorts)
- Towel pickup is not available at the quiet pools, only at the main feature pool. There is a towel drop location though, so you bring your room towels. Additional towels can be requested by calling housekeeping
- The pools are available for use by any guests staying at Port Orleans Riverside or Port Orleans French Quarter for the entire duration of their stay (including their arrival and checkout days)