Port Orleans News

The June 2018 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 9am—11pm and will stay that way throughout the summer months. 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 8:30pm on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at Riverside, or Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at French Quarter. Please note the revised dates; there is now a movie scheduled for every day of the week at one resort or the other, so feel free to try both! On Saturday 2 June, both resorts will show a special presentation of Peter Pan in celebration of this classic film’s 65th anniversary.

Evening Campfire Activities will take place from 6:30pm-7:30pm on the same nights as the movies at French Quarter, and daily at Riverside. You can roast marshmallows for free, or you can optionally purchase full s’mores kits, all in the warm glow of a night-time campfire.

Some other specific activities to watch out for (on select days, see schedules for details):

• “Beignet Dash” Fun Run ($) (French Quarter, 8am Sundays) — Craving beignets? Join us on Sunday Runday for a quick 1½ mile dash around the Resort. Complete your race with a tasty beignet! Check-in begins at 7:30am on the Riverwalk between Building 5 and Doubloon Lagoon Pool and the run begins at 8am. Be sure to share your photos with the hashtag #FQBeignetDash. Cost is $15+tax, including three beignets and a souvenir “medal”. To reserve your spot, please call 407-WDW-PLAY or visit the Concierge Desk.
• Painting on de’ Bayou (French Quarter, 6pm—8pm Wednesdays) — Learn to paint at at Port Orleans French Quarter! Join us in Scat Cat’s Club on Wednesdays for an instructor-led painting class to design your own take-home masterpiece. Our instructor will help you walk away with a painting you’re proud of, whether you’re a beginner, an expert or somewhere in-between! The class is for guests aged 12 and up, and costs $35 per person, plus tax. Registration is limited to 16 guests per evening, please call 1-321-347-0750 for additional information or to reserve a spot in the class. Share your masterpiece with the hashtag #PaintingOnDeBayou.
• Glow with the Flow Pool Party (Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at Riverside; Mondays & Saturdays at French Quarter. 8:30pm-9:30pm) — Dance on down to the pool for an exciting evening of party games and dancing that will light up the night!
• 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 (cost is $18+tax, including the T-shirt).
• SassagoulaSelfie Scavenger Hunt (Riverside, 9am—5pm daily) — 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 from 9am—5pm. Be sure to share your selfies with the hashtags #SassagoulaSelfie and #PortOrleans.
• Summer Sing-A-Long Scavenger Hunt (French Quarter, daily) — It’s Summer at Port Orleans French Quarter, and we are inviting you to join in as we celebrate some of our favorite Disney songs! We’ve hidden 13 music notes around the Resort, each one representing a favorite Disney movie with songs that keep us humming and singing along. To join in on the fun, visit the Front Desk to pick up your clue guide. Return your completed clue guide to the Front Desk to collect a summertime surprise!

Boatwright's Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside is offering a special three-course Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday 13 May 2018 from 10am to 1:30pm. Dining Reservations are recommended.

Adult Meal ($32)

To Begin
Family Style Service of Fresh Seasonal Fruit & Sweet Bread Basket with Complimentary Mimosa

Main Course
Eggs Benedict with Crab, Tomato, Hollandaise and Tasso Ham with Spicy Micro Greens
Stack Buttermilk Pancakes with Seasonal Berry Compote & Fresh Whipped Cream, Bacon and Sausage
Banana Stuffed French Toast with Seasonal Berry Compote & Fresh Whipped Cream, Bacon and Sausage
Steak and Eggs over easy with Southern Honey Biscuit & house made Sausage Gravy
Cobb Salad with Avocado, Tomato, Roasted Chicken, Eggs, Bacon, Blue Cheese & house made Avocado Ranch Dressing
Southern Omelet with Tasso Ham, Pimento Cheese, Peppers, Onions, Green Tomato Salsa, and Hash Browns
Nashville Hot Chicken on a Southern Honey Biscuit & side of Collard Greens
Roasted Shrimp Salad on a Freshly Baked Multi Grain Croissant with Bibb Lettuce served with a Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Enjoy a Selection of Our Southern Sweets

Child Meal ($17)

To Begin
Family Style Service of Fresh Seasonal Fruit & Sweet Bread Basket with Complimentary Sparkling Mocktail

Main Course
Ham & Cheese Omelet with Hash Browns
Short Stack Pancakes with Fresh Strawberry Sauce, Whipped Cream, Bacon and Sausage
Steak Kabobs, Scrambled Eggs, and Hash Browns
Corn Dog Nuggets, Mac & Cheese and Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing
Mini Mickey Waffles with Fresh Strawberry Sauce, Whipped Cream, Bacon and Sausage
Pain Perdu French Toast tossed with Cinnamon Sugar, Fresh Strawberries, Whipped Cream, Bacon and Sausage
Crispy Chicken Nuggets and Mickey Waffles with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Enjoy a Selection of Our Southern Sweets

Now that notification letters and emails have started going out to guests who are booked in to Port Orleans Riverside during the second half of 2018, this seems a good time to elaborate on the refurbishment program that will be taking place there soon.

Once the Port Orleans French Quarter refurbishments are complete around the middle of July, work will commence on Riverside’s Alligator Bayou section, starting with building 37. This is currently scheduled to begin on 21 July, but please remember that maintenance plans and dates are always subject to change at any time. Each 64-room building should take around four weeks to complete, and there will be periods of overlap when two or more buildings may be worked on simultaneously. The entire Alligator Bayou section should be complete by the end of the year.

All of the work will be of a similar nature to the current French Quarter room refurbishments (new hard flooring, larger TVs, raised beds, new curtains instead of blinds, USB power sockets, wall-mounted soap-dispensers, etc) but since the bayou buildings are a lot smaller than those in French Quarter each one should be completely closed before work commences. There will be no major external work, just in-room redecorating, so there should be little if any disruption to anyone’s stay — if indeed you even notice at all.

I won't go into too much detail on specific start and end dates at this stage, as it's too far out to be sure that they will be accurate, but the following should be a good general guide:

• Building 37: Starts 21 July 2018
• Building 38: Aug 2018
• Building 39: Aug 2018
• Building 36: Aug 2018
• Building 35: Aug/Sep 2018
• Building 34: Sep 2018
• Building 24: Sep 2018 [was Oct 2018]
• Building 28: Sep 2018
• Building 26 :Oct 2018
• Building 25: Oct 2018
• Building 27: Oct 2018 [was Sept 2018]
• Building 17: Oct/Nov 2018
• Building 16: Nov 2018
• Building 15: Nov 2018
• Building 18: Nov 2018
• Building 14: Dec 2018

The May 2018 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 9am—11pm and will stay that way throughout the summer months. 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 8:30pm on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays at Riverside, and Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at French Quarter. Please note the revised dates; there is now a movie scheduled for every day of the week at one resort or the other, so feel free to try both!

Evening Campfire Activities will take place from 6:30pm-7:30pm on the same nights as the movies at French Quarter, and daily at Riverside. You can roast marshmallows for free, or you optionally purchase full s’mores kits, all in the warm glow of a night-time campfire.

Some other specific activities to watch out for (on select days, see schedules for details):

• “Beignet Dash” Fun Run ($) (French Quarter, 8am Sundays) — Craving beignets? Join us on Sunday Runday for a quick 1½ mile dash around the Resort. Complete your race with a tasty beignet! Check-in begins at 7:30am on the Riverwalk between Building 5 and Doubloon Lagoon Pool and the run begins at 8am. Be sure to share your photos with the hashtag #FQBeignetDash. Cost is $15+tax, including three beignets and a souvenir “medal”. To reserve your spot, please call 407-WDW-PLAY or visit the Concierge Desk.
• Painting on de’ Bayou (French Quarter, 6pm—8pm Wednesdays) — Let your artistic side shine! Join us in Scat Cat’s Club on Wednesdays for an instructor-led painting class to design your own take-home masterpiece. Our instructor will help you walk away with a painting you’re proud of, whether you’re a beginner, an expert or somewhere in-between! The class is for guests aged 12 and up, and costs $35 per person, plus tax. Registration is limited to 16 guests per evening, please call 1-321-347-0750 for additional information or to reserve a spot in the class. Share your masterpiece with the hashtag #PaintingOnDeBayou.
• Glow with the Flow Pool Party (Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at Riverside; Mondays & Saturdays at French Quarter. 8:30pm-9:30pm) — Dance on down to the pool for an exciting evening of party games and dancing that will light up the night!
• 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 (cost is $18+tax, including the T-shirt).
• SassagoulaSelfie Scavenger Hunt (Riverside, 9am—5pm daily) — 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 from 9am—5pm. Be sure to share your selfies with the hashtags #SassagoulaSelfie and #PortOrleans.
• Shower of Flowers Scavenger Hunt (French Quarter, daily) — Spring is in full bloom at Port Orleans French Quarter. We have hidden flowers and butterflies celebrating some of our favorite Disney Characters around the Resort, and we need your help to find them all. To join in on the fun, visit the Front Desk to pick up your clue guide. Return your completed clue guide to the Front Desk to collect a springtime surprise!

Walt Disney World has launched its annual free Disney Dining Plan offer - covering 20 August to 23 December 2018, with some lengthy blackout periods - but this year the deals exclude both of the Port Orleans Resorts completely. Last year there were limited periods of availability for Port Orleans Riverside only, but this year you'll need to look elsewhere if you want free dining. Presumably with both Coronado Springs and Caribbean Beach undergoing fairly extensive construction work at the moment, Disney feels they do not need the offer any extra incentives for people to stay at the already very popular Port Orleans Rresorts.

All is not completely lost for Port Orleans fans though, because Disney have also just launched a new "Enchanted Escape" offer, which gives room discounts of between 10% and 25% (based on dates and selected room categories) for Moderate resort stays. This offer includes both Port Orleans Resorts, and it can be combined with tickets to make a package. However availability will be limited and these kinds of offers always tend to sell out very fast, and for Port Orleans you should expect to most likely only get the basic 10% rate. You can book for stays starting from 2 August until 7 October, and your booking needs to be made by 7 September.

As always, for more details please see the excellent mousesavers.com. These offers only relate to bookings made directly with Walt Disney World and/or via USA travel agents. Other counties may have different offers - the UK for example offers free dining for Port Orleans stays during 2019.