Port Orleans News

Port Orleans is getting a new General Manager, a position which oversees both sections of the dual resort. Val Bunting, currently Vice President in charge of Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, will take charge as soon as her Animal Kingdom successor is in place [now confirmed as Kevin Lansberry, who has been with Disney since 1986 and who was previously Vice President of Downtown Disney, Transportation, Sports and Golf operations].

Prior to taking the position of VP at Animal Kingdom in October 2007, Val Bunting was the General Manager of Park Operations at Magic Kingdom, and she has been employed at Walt Disney World since 1976. According to a Disney spokesperson, Val made the decision as a personal choice in order to move into the resort side of the business. For the news story, see this Orlando Sentinel article.

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The Sassagoula River ferry boat service which runs between Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter and Downtown Disney now operates from 10am until 11pm daily. The additional local service which used to ferry guests between the two resorts from 9am until 11am is no longer operating, presumably because there is less demand now that Boatwright’s Dining Hall no longer serves breakfast. Thanks to Allison Duddles for the update leaflet, which also states that the two games arcades are now open 24 hours per day (was 7am—midnight).

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The 25-minute horse drawn carriage rides which are available in the evenings from the Riverside marina area have recently been increased in price from $35 to $45. For more information on this service and how to book, please see the Recreation page.

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With the reopening of the central Pleasure Island ferry dock at Downtown Disney on 17 May, the Disney Vacation Club Resort ferry service (for Old Key West and Saratoga Springs) will be relocated to that new dock. The Port Orleans (French Quarter and Riverside) ferry boats will continue to depart as they always have from the Marketplace dock, next to the Rainforest Cafe.

On 21 May, the new dock for the rebuilt Treehouse Villas will open for public use. When this happens, the DVC resort boats departing from Downtown Disney will run two separate routes — one service from Pleasure Island to Old Key West (with green flags and signs) and the other from Pleasure Island to Saratoga Springs and the Treehouse Villas (with blue flags and signs). The continuing Port Orleans service from the Marketplace dock will be marked with yellow flags and signs.

The internal Downtown Disney water taxi service will continue to ferry guests between the three Downtown Disney docks — Marketplace, Pleasure Island and West Side — and will be marked with red flags and signs. The various services will run every 10-30 minutes from 10:30am until 11:30pm daily. See the Ferry Boats page for further details.

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This Easter Sunday (12 April) children can enjoy fun Candy Scrambles at several Walt Disney World resorts. Port Orleans Resort guests should meet at French Quarter Square at 9am to participate.

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