The guest rooms in each of the three major sections of the Port Orleans resort – French Quarter and Riverside’s Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend – vary in their theming and decor, but the actual room size, layout and amenities are similar (see list). For tips on choosing the best locations for your stay, check out the Room Categories and Locations page.

As from 1st January 2026 there are now just three bookable room categories at Port Orleans French Quarter (Standard Location, Preferred Location and King Bed) and five at Port Orleans Riverside (the same Standard/Preferred/King options, plus Standard Location 5th Sleeper and Royal Room). These are all seasonally priced at varying nightly rates (see the Room Rates page for current prices).

As from the end of April 2017 the final few vestiges of theming remaining on guest beds were removed. This included the themed bed-scarves – which themselves recently replaced the original ornate, but heavy, comforter covers – and the scatter pillows. The refurbishments which took place in 2018/2019 to all sections apart from the Royal Rooms further reduced the themed elements and replaced carpets with hard flooring, but added larger 55" TVs, USB sockets, more space under beds, net curtains instead of blinds, and some other updates. The 2026 updates to the Royal Rooms sucked every last vestige of royalty out of the rooms apart from illuminated artwork over the beds, and they now remain “Royal” in name only. These changes appear to have been made to keep the resort in line with current trends in hotel decor and to allow for easier cleaning, but the end result is somewhat more bland than before.

2025: After completion of the 2024/25 Port Orleans French Quarter refurbishments, work commenced on the Magnolia Bend mansion buildings at Port Orleans Riverside, which are now fully complete. Alligator Bayou will follow later in 2026. See the Refurbishment Page for the latest details.

Each Port Orleans guest room is approximately 314 square feet (roughly 25½ ft x 12½ ft) and they are laid out as shown below. Click on each layout plan for more a detailed PDF document for easy printing. Note: adjacent rooms are mirror images of each other, so any connecting doorways are always located beside the beds.

Port Orleans French Quarter

Now fully refurbished (2024/2025), the new Port Orleans French Quarter rooms provide more storage, sliding doors, and some other nice touches – but the New Orleans theme is rather muted now.

Port Orleans Riverside: Magnolia Bend mansion buildings

The Magnolia Bend section of Port Orleans Riverside is similar to the French Quarter, but this time the rooms and intended to portray the grand plantation mansions which thrived alongside the Mississippi in the antebellum South. The rooms in all three regular mansion buildings (80, 85 and 90) were refurbished during 2025, resulting in almost identical room layouts to the French Quarter updates. Minor differences include the safes being moved to a lower location within the bedroom area, and providing two chairs and a table in all rooms rather than the unpopular bench seat that was installed in most French Quarter rooms.

Port Orleans Riverside: Royal Guest Rooms

The Magnolia Bend section also features the premium priced Royal Guest Rooms, which opened in March 2012 spanning two mansion buildings, but are now offered in building 95 only. They have recently reopened after a three month refurbishment program (April 2026) but internally they are now devoid of most of the whimsical features which previously made them special. Indeed, they now appear to be virtually identical to all the other Magnolia bend mansion building rooms – certainly there seems to be nothing extra that is worth paying an additional $95 per night on average.

Port Orleans Riverside: Alligator Bayou lodges

The rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of Port Orleans Riverside still have some theming in their wooden decor, designed to appear somewhat rustic as if these ‘tin roofed’ Lodges are located somewhere in the outlying regions of the cotton plantations. The original themed bed frames have gone, replaced with more generic blue headboards with incongruous small crown icons, and the only remnant of the original iconic wood-hewn decor is the table and the mirror surround above it. The dividing curtains portray a Princess and the Frog bayou scene. These rooms are due to be refurbished starting late summer 2026.

This is also the only section of the resort to feature an extra pull-down child-sized bed (approx. 63" x 30") over the banquette bench seat.

For lots more pictures of the room interiors, please see the Photo Galleries.

Guest Room Amenities

The amenities provided have varied a bit as newer room designs and refurbishments have incorporated layout changes. The Alligator Bayou rooms are currently the oldest, and French Quarter and the Magnolia Bend mansion buildings at Riverside are the newest. See the annotations for details.

• Comfort Tray with Cuisinart Coffee Machine and supplies

  Laminated hard flooring instead of carpets
• Window blinds have been replaced with net curtains
• Two Queen Size beds (or one King Size if you have booked that option) with storage space underneath.
• Optional bed rails for children are no longer offered, but the resort does have a limited stock of bed bumpers (first-come first-served, by request).
• Multiple USB (type A and type C) power sockets have been fitted during the 2024-2027 refurbishments. Older non-refurbished rooms in Alligator Bayou currently have USB-A only.
• Separate lights over the beds (sadly no longer dimmable). The 2024-27 refurbishments feature four small positionable over-bed reading lights, one for each guest.
• Large 55" wall-mounted TV sets were installed during the 2018/19 refurbishments. HDMI sockets are available for connecting cameras, laptops, streaming devices, etc, with countertop break-out sockets.
• Bedside table (no alarm clock) plus a small shelf next to the second queen bed in the new 2024-27 refurbishments. Two bedside tables in King Bed rooms.
• Telephone with voice mail (no per call connection charge, so all local and toll-free calls are completely free)
• Air conditioning/heating via a stand-alone unit mounted under the main window, with the thermostat control located on the dividing wall next to the bathroom
• Table and two chairs, or a two-person bench seat and table in French Quarter non-corner rooms
• Corner-rooms feature an extra window which can make the room feel more light and airy, especially if the room also happens to include a King bed. In the new French Quarter design, these rooms feature two chairs rather than a bench seat.
• Cuisinart dual-cup ‘pod’ coffee machine, with complimentary Joffrey’s French Roast coffee pods (regular and decaf), Twining’s teabags, sugar/sweeteners, and creamer. Housekeeping will refill these, and more are available upon request. A limited stock of hot water kettles is held at the resort which you can request on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Ice bucket, which can be filled from the ice machines located in every building
• “Hey Disney” machine (voice activated Disney planning assistant)
• Combination-lock Safe in the newly refurbished rooms, with internal dimensions of 18" wide, 7" high, 14" deep). Older Alligator Bayou rooms still retain the older slim key-lock safes (35cm x 24.5cm x 9cm, 14" x 10" x 3½"). The 2024 French Quarter refurbishments placed the safes higher up on the wall, but the 2025 Magnolia Bend refits restored them to a height that does not require using the provided step-stool.
• Ceiling fan
• Hanging rail for clothing in the vanity area (shorter rails in the 2024-27 refurbishments)
• Storage drawers located underneath the TV (under the bench seat in Alligator Bayou rooms). Three drawers in Alligator Bayou rooms, but six/seven in the 2024-26 refurbishments .
• Small “Beverage Cooler” (or a mini-fridge in non-refurbished Alligator Bayou rooms). No freezer compartment. Beverage Coolers can be identified by their transparent glass front door. See the FAQs Page for more details on the type and usage.
• Vanity area with twin hand-basins, mirror, etc. This area can be separated off from the rest of the bedroom if required (curtains in older rooms, sliding wooden door in 2024-26 refurbished rooms)

• Beverage Cooler

  Counter-top pump-action dispensers for ”Sea Salt“ liquid soap and body lotion are provided as from around 26th November 2025. Previously, bar soap and a small bottle of lotion was supplied.
• More storage shelves have been added in the vanity area during the 2024-27 refurbishments.
• Illuminated shaving / makeup mirror near the basins
• Separate bathroom with toilet, bath tub and shower. Walk-in showers have been fitted in upper floor rooms as part of the 2024-27 refurbishments, so families with younger children may wish to request a traditional bathtub.
• Bathroom toiletries (”Sea Salt“ Shampoo, Conditioner and Body Wash) are now supplied in large wall-mounted pump dispensers situated over the bath/shower instead of travel-sized bottles.
• Retractable clothes line over bath/shower.
• 2024-27 refurbishment: A wooden step-stool is provided to help kids reach the basins more easily
• Hair dryer
• Iron and Ironing Board
• 2024-27 refurbishment: Door latch mechanism has been changed. You can no longer temporarily prop open the front door by flipping the catch across.
• Baby cots/cribs (Pack’n’Play) and bed rails are available upon request
• All of the Alligator Bayou rooms (including the Alligator Bayou King Bed rooms, but currently excluding the specially modified wheelchair accessible rooms) include an extra pull-down Murphy bed located over the banquette bench seat. These beds are about 63" x 30" and are suitable for most children aged up to about 12-13 years, but would probably be too small for adults over about 5' 3" tall. Note: the only way to guarantee this feature is by having a party of five people in a Preferred Location room at Riverside (or three people in a King Bed room) or by booking a 5th-Sleeper room.
• Some rooms include a connecting door into the next room. Although Connecting Rooms can be requested, they cannot be guaranteed. Note: this is not the same as “Adjoining Rooms”, which simply indicates two rooms are located next (or near) to each other but they don’t have an internal connecting doorway
• Complimentary wireless internet access (wi-fi is available in-room and in the main public buildings around the resort, see the Internet Access page for more details). Note: the old HSIA wired internet cable connection is no longer available.
• As with all Disney Resorts now, the rooms are all completely non-smoking – including balconies and walkway areas. Designated outdoor smoking areas are provided
• Note: There are no toasters or microwaves in the rooms although both are available for guest use in the food courts. There is a very limited quantity of microwaves available upon request on a first-come first-served basis. There are also a few box fans and hot water kettles available by request

Accessibility for Guests with Special Needs

A number of rooms have been specially modified for disability access. These rooms are spread out across the whole resort and offer the same choices of view options as regular rooms. Many also provide extra floor space to allow for parking/charging of ECVs, and vanity areas have been replaced with a separate room containing the toilet, easy-access hand basin and a roll-in shower area with a bench seat or a bathtub with handrails. Other details include the wall safe and other fittings being mounted at more convenient heights to facilitate easier access from a wheelchair. See the Accessible Rooms page for more details.

Note: the bathroom layout changes do not allow enough space for a hanging rail, so these rooms include an armoire wardrobe instead – which means no fold-down 5th-Sleeper bed is provided in the Alligator Bayou Accessible rooms.

To discuss any special room requests based on medical grounds, or any other special needs, please call (407) 939-7807 well in advance of your stay and the cast members will do their best to ensure that your individual needs are met. Please don’t leave it to the last minute to call though. The TTY number for the hearing impaired is (407) 939-7670.

Perks for Guests Staying at Port Orleans

Free Use of Disney Transportation. Port Orleans has a bus service providing regular transfers to all the parks and water parks, plus a ferry boat service to the Disney Springs shopping and dining area. The monorail, Skyliner, and various other ferry boat services all around Walt Disney World are available for all hotel guests too. This facility makes it easy to pop back to your hotel for a midday break or a refreshing dip in the pool.

Free parking at your hotel and at Walt Disney World theme parks. You can use your magic band or keycard to access the theme park parking lots at no extra charge for the duration of your stay.

Charging facilities. You can pay for shopping and meals pretty much anywhere inside Walt Disney World using your keycard, Magic Band, or iPhone so you don’t need to carry a lot of cash around with you. To use this facility you simply register your credit card details at the Front Desk when you check in and create a PIN number (this can also be done in advance using the online system). Alternatively, you can opt to pre-pay with a cash deposit and then any remaining balance at the end of your stay will be refunded upon departure. Note: credit cards will be automatically charged overnight as soon as your total outstanding balance reaches $1,000.

Disney Dining Plan. For an extra charge, on-site guests can pre-pay for all their meals (one snack, one counter service and one table service meal per day for your entire stay). There is also a more inclusive Deluxe version of this plan at a slightly higher charge. Naturally, terms and conditions apply. Sometimes time-limited promotions are offered which include the Dining Plan as part of a package purchase (regularly available with many UK bookings for example).

Magic Bands. Note: These are no longer provided free to resort guests, if you want one you have to purchase it separately. Not only does this customisable rubber bracelet act as your room key, but it also means that you’ve got less to carry around all day as it provides:

• Charging privileges for purchases and meals in Walt Disney World (assign yourself a PIN number for security)
• Park Admission (extra charge). Note: if you already have pre-purchased park tickets take them to the Front Desk and they can transfer them onto your Magic Band
• Vehicle access at the resort entrance security barrier, and for free parking at the Disney theme parks.
• Extra Hours ID Validation
• Disney Dining Plan credits (extra charge)
• Access to attractions when using the Lightning Lane queue-bypass facility (extra charge)

Extra Magic Hours. Discontinued post-COVID, replaced with 30 minutes early park access. Extended access to selected parks on selected days (one hour before the general public on Early EMH mornings, two hours after normal closing time with Late EMH Evenings).

Free Package Delivery to the Resort. Not currently available post-COVID Any purchases made around the parks or Disney Springs can be delivered back to your hotel where they will be available to collect from the resort shop after 1pm the next day (or after 1pm the following day if you purchase your goods later than the pickup cut-off time).

Disney’s Magical Express. Discontinued as from 1 January 2022. Guests arriving at Orlando International Airport can make use of Disney’s free Magical Express service which whisks their baggage away directly to their hotel room while they catch the shuttle bus service.

On the Other Hand...

It’s only fair to point out that there are a few disadvantages to staying on-site too. The first is obviously the price; for the same cost as one room at Port Orleans you could get a longer stay or a larger room at many major hotels off-property, or maybe even a vacation home/villa. You are paying a lot for the convenient location of the hotel and all the Disney extras which you receive for ‘free’ as an on-site guest.

Also, bus services to non-Disney parks such as Universal and Sea World are not provided by Disney, and you would need to arrange your own external transport (car, taxi or public transport from the Disney Springs or Transportation and Ticket Center locations). Conversely, although it’s true that many off-site locations do provide their own bus services to Disney, these will be a lot less frequent and less convenient than the internal Disney transportation options. Please don’t be fooled by some of the more extravagant marketing claims from many of the off-site locations as none of them are really 5-10 minutes from the Magic Kingdom – well, not unless you have your own private helicopter anyway! If you’re staying off-site, you really do need to think about hiring a car.

While being located right in the heart of the Disney magic 24 hours a day can be a major selling point to some people – especially families – others feel that it can all get a little too much and prefer to get away from all the ‘Disnification’ when they return to their hotel. Luckily, the beautiful landscaping and old-South theming of Port Orleans really doesn’t force Mickey Mouse upon you at all (apart from in the resort gift shop, obviously) and it’s quite possible to chill out and have a relaxed ‘Disney-free’ day without ever leaving the confines of the resort.