Port Orleans News

The December 2019 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 switching to their reduced winter timetable this month. December hours start at 9am—10pm, reducing to 10am—8pm from Sunday 8 December through to sometime in March. Christmas Holiday hours (22 Dec — 4 Jan) will be slightly extended to 9am—9pm. Outside of these times, the main feature pools and hot tubs are gated and locked as there are no lifeguards on duty. The five leisure (quiet) pools at Riverside are officially open 9am—10pm, but they are not locked and are generally available at any time within reason.

Movies Under the Stars will be screened at 7:30pm five nights a week at Riverside’s Magnolia South pool deck, between buildings 90 & 95 (Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), and at 7pm four nights a week at French Quarter on the Green between buildings 5 & 6 (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). There are no movies on Tuesday nights during December.

Evening Campfire Activities will take place from 5:30pm-6:30pm every night at Riverside, and at 7:15pm (6pm?) on movie nights at French Quarter (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). 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.

Other 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, 2pm—4pm Wednesdays. Note the change of time and venue) — Learn to paint at Port Orleans French Quarter! Join us in Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory from 2pm to 4pm 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! Please call 407-WDW-PLAY or visit the Concierge Desk to reserve your spot. Registration is limited to 16 Guests per week and costs $35 per person, plus tax. For ages 12 and up. Share your masterpiece with the hashtag #PaintingOnDeBayou.
• Winter Wonderland Festival (Riverside, 7pm—9pm, Saturdays) — Wander over to the Riverside Levee Marina every Saturday from 7pm to 9pm for some treats, crafts and games to celebrate the cool Winter weather.
• Rockin’ Around the Pool Deck Party (Riverside, 7pm—8pm Tuesdays) — Jingle all the way down to Ol’ Man Island Pool for a jolly good night of dancing and games filled with holiday cheer.
• Tinsel Tuesdays (French Quarter afternoons) — Special Christmas-themed activities and games at the Doubloon Lagoon pool, including an evening Glow Party starting at 7pm.
• Arts & Crafts ($) 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).
• Back Porch Games (Riverside, 12pm Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays) — Bring the family down to the Back Porch of the Riverside Lobby for some fun in the sun. These giant games will be a blast for everyone!
• 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.
• Snowflake Scavenger Hunt (French Quarter, daily) — Port Orleans French Quarter has been sprinkled with magical snowflakes, and we need your help to find them all! To join in on the flurry of fun, visit the Front Desk to pick up your clue guide. Find all of the sparkling snowflakes and turn your completed clue guide to the Front Desk to collect a frosty surprise!

The November 2019 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—10pm as from 29 September. Outside of these times the main feature pools and hot tubs are gated and locked as there are no lifeguards on duty. The five leisure (quiet) pools at Riverside are not locked, and are generally available at any time within reason. Note: the quiet pool located between buildings 80 and 85 has now reopened.

Movies Under the Stars will be screened at 7:30pm five nights a week at Riverside (Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), and at 8pm four nights a week at French Quarter (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). Note: On Tuesday November 5th, Port Orleans French Quarter will be presenting Little Mermaid Live! instead of the regular scheduled movie.

Evening Campfire Activities will take place from 5:30pm-6:30pm every night at Riverside, and from 6pm-7pm four nights a week at French Quarter (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays). 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.

Other 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, 2pm—4pm Wednesdays. Note the change of time and venue) — Learn to paint at Port Orleans French Quarter! Join us in Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory from 2pm to 4pm 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! Please call 407-WDW-PLAY or visit the Concierge Desk to reserve your spot. Registration is limited to 16 Guests per week and costs $35 per person, plus tax. For ages 12 and up. Share your masterpiece with the hashtag #PaintingOnDeBayou.
• Dockside Drawing (Riverside, 2:30pm—3:30pm Tuesdays) — Have you ever wanted to learn to draw like a Disney Animator? Join us on the back porch of the main building for classes to learn how to draw Disney classic animated characters.
• Glow with the Flow Pool Party (Riverside, 7:30pm Tuesdays) — Dance on down to the pool for an exciting evening of party games and dancing that will light up the night!
• Arts & Crafts ($) 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).
• Back Porch Games (Riverside, 12pm Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays) — Bring the family down to the Back Porch of the Riverside Lobby for some fun in the sun. These giant games will be a blast for everyone!
• Sassagoula Fall Festival (Riverside, 7pm—9pm, Saturdays) — “Fall” in love down by the Riverside Levee Marina every Saturday from 7pm-9pm for some treats, crafts and games to celebrate the Fall season.
• 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.
• Snowflake Scavenger Hunt (French Quarter, daily) — Port Orleans French Quarter has been sprinkled with magical snowflakes, and we need your help to find them all! To join in on the flurry of fun, visit the Front Desk to pick up your clue guide. Find all of the sparkling snowflakes and turn your completed clue guide to the Front Desk to collect a frosty surprise!

Happy Halloween 2019!

Port Orleans Riverside — A Monstrous Halloween — 31 October 2019

Ol’ Man Island Scary Poolside Activities
2:30pm–3:30pm — Decorate-Your-Own Trick-or-Treat Spray Art Tote Bag
3:30pm–4:00pm — Mummy Wrap Contest
4:00pm–4:30pm — Pass The Pumpkin
4:30pm–5:00pm — Disney Halloween Trivia
5:30pm–6:30pm — Screamin’ Hot Campfire, located at the Ol’ Man Island Campfire Pit. Come join us for a screamingly delicious time at our Campfire with some Monster S’mores!
9:00pm–10:00pm — HallowGlow Pool Party. Light up the night with ghoulish delight! Join us at the Ol’ Man Island pool for bright lights, dancing, prizes, games and more!

6:00pm–9:00pm — Monstrous Halloween Party Event — Join us on our Back Porch for these scary fun activities:

• Character Greetings — Intermittent times throughout the event; come take some spooky pictures with your favorite Disney Characters!
• Slime Lab ($) — Create your own Monstrous Slime in our Slime Lab!
• Cupcake Crawl — Come win a delicious cupcake as you show off your terrifyingly amazing moves.
• Frightful Trick-or-Treat Trail — Sneak around the resort trails and discover some hidden treats behind mysterious doorways.
• Monstropolis Monstrosities ($) — Scrumptiously scary concoctions and brews.
• Costume Contest:
  6:30pm — Ages 0–5
  6:45pm — Ages 6–10
  7:00pm — Ages 11–15
  7:15pm — Ages 16 years & over
  7:30pm — Group Costumes

There were two grand openings at Port Orleans French Quarter today. The existing Scat Cat's Club, located just off the main Lobby, closed its doors for the last time on 29 September, only to emerge phoenix-like this morning as two separate entities.


Scat Cat's Club - Café had its opening ceremony at 6am this morning, and our intrepid reporter John Schmidt wasn't going to be put off by the early hour and snapped some photos and videoed the ceremony for the site. This will be the new official home for beignets at the resort - both regular, specialty and even alcoholic - and it will also function as the pickup location for any orders placed at the nearby food court. See the Scat Cat's Club page for the menu.
Scat Cat's Club - Café Opening Video
Scat Cat's Club - Café Opening Photos




Later, at 4pm, the main Scat Cat's Club Lounge bar area opened its doors, and John was of course back to cover it for us. He also placed the first drink ordered at the new location; the sacrifices that man makes for the team! The new expanded lounge/bar is located in space vacated when the old Bonfamille's Cafe - the original table-service location during the early days of Port Orleans - closed down on 5th August 2000. The specialty cocktails and bar snacks menu seems to be exactly the same as it was before, nothing new has been added.
Scat Cat's Club - Lounge Opening Video
Scat Cat's Club - Lounge Opening Photos






The live entertainment commenced on stage at 7pm, with a traditional jazz trio: Video.




We'll be adding more photos to the main site soon, but the above Facebook page links are the quickest way to keep everyone in touch.