Port Orleans News

The traditional plastic 'Key to the World' cards will be phased out at Port Orleans as from Tuesday 7 January 2014 as part of the ongoing rollout of Disney's new MyMagic+ system. When you check in after that date, each guest will automatically receive a Magic Band wrist bracelet only, with no backup plastic card supplied unless specifically requested.

The Magic Bands have been in testing for several months, and allow you to access everything that the old KttW cards did, and more - guest room door access, theme park admission, Disney Dining Plan credits, resort-wide payment facilities (charged back to your room account), FastPass+ pre-bookings for attractions, car park access, etc.

You can manage all of your bookings, customise your Magic Bands and make dining & FastPass+ reservations via a personalised account system called My Disney Experience, which can be accessed from the Disney website or via mobile devices or using terminals in the parks.

Guests who, for whatever reason, are not comfortable with the bracelet system can still request a plastic card which will do all of the same things - but it will simply mimic the tap-to-use operation of the Magic Bands (using its own RFID chip) rather than providing a magnetic stripe for swiping in the old-fashioned way. This means that you will no longer be able to reserve attraction times using the old legacy Fast Pass system - you will only have access to the new interactive FastPass+ variant. That sadly means that from now on, unless you have pre-booked you're probably not going to get a FastPass for the headliner rides such as Soarin' or Toy Story Midway Mania. Another nail in the coffin for spontaneity at Walt Disney World, I'm afraid.

The January 2014 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available. See the main Recreation Activities Schedule page for full-size PDF versions, or click on the images below.

The outdoor movies will start at 7pm and the daily campfires commence at 5pm this month.

So being a Brit, I always get a bit puzzled by the whole American "Happy Holidays" thing ... but with today being the actual 25th of December, I would like to wish everyone a very genuine and sincere:

And if you happen to be at Port Orleans today (as a guest or Cast Member) have an amazing time:

Just as a bit of a heads-up, as it might have an impact how people choose to request rooms, refurbishment work on the roof of the Oak Manor building (Port Orleans Riverside's building 90, in the Royal Guest Rooms section) will begin on 19 January 2014 and continue for about 6 months.

Construction staff will only be working on one wing at a time, so the majority of the building will remain open - but of course there may be visual intrusion from other parts of the building with some scaffolding, daytime noise, etc.

The December 2013 Recreation Activities and Movie Schedules for Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter are now available. See the main Recreation Activities Schedule page for full-size PDF versions, or click on the images below.

The outdoor movies will start at 7pm and the daily campfires commence at 5pm this month.

Don't miss the seasonal musical presentations in the run-up to Christmas. Special events including games, activities and Character Greetings will take place on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and more fun is planned at Riverside for New Year's Eve from 9pm until midnight.