Port Orleans News

Walt Disney World has just announced several new discount offers for hotel stays and packages during Spring 2018, and unusually the Port Orleans resorts are included for at least some of these offers. These discounts will have limited availability and will sell out quickly (and you may find restrictions on some dates and room categories) so book as soon as you can and be flexible with your dates if you want to snag a bargain. As always, I recommend visiting MouseSavers.com for full details of this and any other Disney offers.

The sections of the offers which relate to the Port Orleans resorts are as follows:

Gift of Magic Offer (room-only or as part of a package)

• Get "up to 20%" off a room-only booking (or the room portion of a package booking) at Port Orleans Riverside or Port Orleans French Quarter for most arrival dates from 1 January 2018 to 14 April 2018.
• Disney Visa Card holders can get an increased discount level of up to 30%.
• Park tickets can be added to form a package, but there is no discount on the tickets. However if you decide to add a five-day or longer park hopper ticket, Disney will apparently give you an extra day free.
• No minimum stay is required but any dates which don’t fall within the valid period, or are blacked-out, will get charged at full rack rate.
• Another website (Inside the Magic) is reporting that Port Orleans bookings are only getting a 10% discount, and for the period from 1 January until 22 February you may not be offered the deal on Friday or Saturday nights.
• Book by 2 January 2018.

• Get a discount on the regular Disney Dining plan when you book a package at Port Orleans Riverside (French Quarter is excluded from this offer) for arrival dates from 1 January 2018 to 10 March 2018.
• For moderate resorts the discount off the Dining Plan works out to around 45%, and while you can upgrade to the Deluxe Dining Plan if you wish, the cash value of the discount remains the same.
• Minimum stay is 3 days and you need to include at least a 2-day park ticket for each guest.
• Arrival dates must be within the offer period but you can stay as long as you like and receive the full discount until the end of your stay.
• Book by 22 December 2017.

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The planned dates for the upcoming Port Orleans French Quarter guest room soft-goods refurbishment project are as follows. Please remember that this schedule may be subject to minor changes:

• Building 2 — Jan 6 – Feb 9, 2018
• Building 3 — Jan 23 – Feb 25, 2018
• Building 1 — Feb 10 – Mar 13, 2018
• Building 5 — Feb 26 – Mar 31, 2018
• Building 4 — Mar 14 – Apr 16, 2018
• Building 6 — Apr 1 – May 4, 2018
• Building 7 — Apr 17 – May 20, 2018

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The October 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—10pm. These hours are enforced and the feature pools are gated and locked when there are no lifeguards on duty, however the five Riverside leisure (quiet) pools are generally available at any time (within reason).

Movies Under the Stars will be screened at 7:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday at Riverside, but only on Friday & Saturday at French Quarter. The evening campfire activities will take place from 5:30pm-6:30pm on the same evenings as the movies at French Quarter, but every day at Riverside (now confirmed). There are no movies scheduled for Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday.

Halloween Activities — Tuesday 31st October 2017

Riverside

• 2:30pm Mickey Tie-Dye ($) at Ol’ Man Island Pool
• 3:30pm Ol’ Man Island Ghoul Party at Ol’ Man Island Pool
• 6pm—8pm Boo: On the Bayou! Located in the courtyard near the Riverside Lobby. Join us for these fun activities in the courtyard:
  Themed treat stations starting in the courtyard and continuing around Ol’ Man Island. Offerings and supplies are subject to availability.
  A costume contest is available for all ages! Please check in by 6:15pm to participate.
  Create your own slime souvenir ($) at our Slime Lab!
• 8pm—9pm Happy HallowGLOW Party Located in the courtyard near the Riverside Lobby. Light up the night with ghoulish delight! Join us for bright lights, dancing, prizes, games and more!
• 9:30pm—10:30pm Spooks, S’mores and More! Located on Ol’ Man Island, enjoy complimentary marshmallow roasting at the campfire pit.

• 2:30pm Ghosts, Ghouls and Games Pool Party
• 3:30pm Halloween Arts & Crafts ($) beside the Doubloon Lagoon Pool
• 6pm—9pm Mardi Ghoul Bash in the Courtyard outside the Main Lobby. Join us to celebrate Halloween with a trick or treat trail, DJ, Mickey Tie-Dye ($), dancing, games and fun for the whole family! Join us at 6:00pm for our costume contest.
• 9pm Chilling Campfire between Buildings 5 & 6
• The French Quarter Pumpkin Hunt: Trick or Treat? Thirteen of Disney’s most mischievous villains have taken over Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter and are hiding around the Resort. We need your help to find them! To get started, visit the Front Desk to pick up your booklet. Find all 13 villains, and return to the Front Desk to claim your sweet treat.

• SassagoulaSelfie Scavenger Hunt — Grab a map and join in on an exciting selfie scavenger hunt around Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. To get started, visit the Riverside Levee Marina from 9:00am-5:00pm! Be sure to share your selfies with the hashtags #SassagoulaSelfie and #PortOrleans.
• “Beignet Dash” Fun Run — A quick early morning Sunday Runday dash around French Quarter resort, finished with a tasty beignet (payment required). Check-in begins at 7:30am on the riverwalk between building 5 and the Doubloon Lagoon Pool. The run begins at 8:00am.
• Fat Tuesdays — Let the good times roll! Join us every Tuesday at Doubloon Lagoon Pool for activities celebrating the spirit of Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter. There’s Mardi Gras magic for all ages!
• Mardi Gras “Mask”-erade — Sashay your way down Alligator Alley to join in on Mardi Gras fun! Located near the Musical Alligators at French Quarter, our Mardi Gras fun will include dance parties and mask-making ($)
• Family Game Night — Join us at the Mardi Grogs patio seating at French Quarter for a night filled with games and fun for the whole family.
  Glow with the Flow Pool Party — Come glow with the flow at our nighttime pool parties, at both Port Orleans Resorts.
• Arts & Crafts or Mickey Tie-Dye T-shirt decoration — Explore your creative side with themed poolside arts & crafts / Create your own Mickey Tie-Dye shirt to commemorate your Walt Disney World Resort vacation (payment required).

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Orange Country, FL - which covers almost all of Walt Disney World, including the Port Orleans Resorts - has announced that a mandatory curfew will take place from 7pm tonight (Sunday 10th September) until 6pm on Monday. This will exclude emergency services, medical personnel and critical services staff. See https://newsroom.ocfl.net/2017/09/orang ... -10-7-p-m/ .

This means that guests will be unable to leave Port Orleans for the duration of the curfew, and given the external access nature of the accommodation buildings people will effectively be confined to their rooms from 7pm tonight. Make sure you have sufficient provisions for you and your family and hunker down!

I've also heard from someone I know at the resort that Port Orleans is hosting about 400 rooms of emergency electrical teams from all over the country, and 110 rooms of nurses and doctors to assist with relief efforts. There are apparently many more at the other resorts too. As noted in previous posts, the main parking lots are packed with emergency and maintenance vehicles too. When you need to accommodate a lot of people in a single geographical area with good access to where they are going to be needed, I guess Disney is the place to be.

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