Why a stay at Port Orleans French Quarter could put a little more Mardi Gras in your Disney vacation
Before we start this very serious and scientific review of Port Orleans French Quarter, I have a question. Am I legally obligated to use the phrase Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler right here in the lede?
I mean I took French for at least six years of high school and college, and visited Disney with our somewhat distant Cajun relatives back in 1979 before French Quarter was even a glint in Michael Eisner’s eye.
I CAN correctly use the phrase, but do I have to? Will I be beset upon by the cast of Swamp People if I don’t pay proper homage to the culture and heritage of New Orleans, and its sanitized hedonism as represented in Disney?
What if I say Que la fete Commence – which is get the party started? Would that work as well?
I could even give you a “let them eat beignets” to get a touch of N’awlins while adding a bit of the Old World flair to the proceedings.
Tell you what, I’m just gonna quote Robbie Nevil, say C’est la Vie and move forward. Hopefully, we’ve met the legal requirements outlined in the Louisiana Purchase.
Bienvenue to the Port Orleans – French Quarter, a lovely moderate level resort on the Disney World campus, not far from EPCOT or Disney Springs.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What is Port Orleans – French Quarter?
As we said, it’s a moderate level resort on the Disney World property, the sister resort of Port Orleans – Riverside, which is themed in the more rural parts of Louisiana and Mississippi. The French Quarter is very specific to the historic New Orleans neighborhood known for jazz music, great food and bars, and the kind of civic approved debauchery that is seldom seen in large American cities.
It is the most compact of the Moderate Resorts – Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Riverside, and Ft. Wilderness, and possibly the most charming. It features large glass windows in the lobby, allowing the natural light to shine through.
The resort offers cobblestone paved streets – careful if your ankle are made of tissue paper after a series of sports injuries like mine – wrought iron, gas powered lights, and Magnolias.
The Mardi Gras themed pool is excellent – second only to the Caribbean Beach at this price range – and features a King Neptune slide.
It is host to good dining, though I like Riverside a little better. But that’s ok, because you can take a boat, a bike, or a human powered pedal car to the sister resort to eat. Scat Cat’s Club features a bar and jazz-fusion band.
You can also take horse-drawn carriage rides – but do beware when wearing sandals in the parking lot or under the Porte-cochère – which is what the place where you park your car while you drop off your luggage and/or check in is called.
Why the French Quarter?
You might be wondering why Disney, of all places, themed one of its resorts after one of the lesser family friendly destinations in American society?
It’s a good question. We’re told that Walt was fond of New Orleans, especially the French Quarter for its charming architecture, its food culture, its gas lamps, magnolia trees, and jazz music.
But Walt was long gone before Eisner green-lit the thing, and it opened in 1991.
So, it might have been a tribute to Walt, or it might be that somebody in the Disney chain was building resorts themed after popular tourist destinations like the Caribbean, Polynesia, and others.
Because we here at Hey Orlando! go the extra mile, I can confirm that some of the rowdier French Quarter activities are frowned on. It is disappointing, because I worked really hard for those beads.
What’s to like about the French Quarter?
It is beautiful and compact. The biggest complaints about the other moderate resorts have to do with relative size.
Depending on where you are and the bus routes for the day, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside can be difficult to navigate. While it remains a family friendly resort, French Quarter is a nice option for a more quiet, romantic, and intimate Disney vacation. Sure, the pool is loud and kid friendly, but some of Disney’s most romantic theming is at this resort.
What else?
The Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory is a good commissary style option for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a lot of Cajun flavors. However, if you want more of a serious dining experience, you can go to Boatwright’s at Riverside, or take the boat over to Disney Springs along the man-made Sassagoula River.
Scat Cat’s Club – Lounge also serves small bites and drinks. You can get drinks at Mardi Grogs, an exceptionally well-named pool bar with cocktails, beer, and snacks.
The highlight of the dining scene, however, is the Mickey-shaped beignets at Scat Cat’s Club – Café. Beignets are the famous New Orleans fluffy donut-style pastry served with honey, melted chocolate, and/or powdered sugar.
In New Orleans, they are a miracle.
In Port Orleans – French Quarter, they are excellent.
Disney also offers Tiana’s Beignets in the Magic Kingdom at the Golden Oak Outpost near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. They are good. But not as good as you’ll get in French Quarter.
What else do I like about the French Quarter?
Ed.
We’ve had a lot of great cast member interactions over the years, but none as enjoyable as a nice conversation with Ed at the French Quarter.
He came out from behind the counter as we were getting out beignets at Scat Cat’s and seemed to be walking the same direction.
A friendly sort, on a bright spring morning, Ed was gregarious as we talked for a few minutes about our hometowns, how we made our way to Disney, the cast member life – our daughter was working for Disney at the time – and more.
Ed also discussed with us the relative quality of the beignets on property. We all agreed the ones at Scat Cat’s were superior.
Why Disney offers two kinds of beignets – one clearly better than the other – remains something of a mystery. Ed and I are on the same page that French Quarter is the place to go for beignets.
Why not the French Quarter?
The main reason, you have to go offsite for a real table service restaurant. It’s not that far to Disney Springs by boat, and there are a variety of ways you can get to Riverside. However, it is a bit of a commute that undoes some of the gains made by French Quarter’s relatively small size.
Also, the transportation system isn’t awesome. In terms of accessing the parks, all you have is the bus. No Skyliner, no boats, and no monorail. French Quarter isn’t that far from EPCOT. I hoped Disney would extend the Skyliner over to the Port Orleans resorts, but the internet tells me emphatically that’s not an option.
It would be great to ride the Skyliner over to Caribbean Beach Resort, the Riviera, and beyond. It would really open up resort hopping.
But alas.
I mostly approve of the Disney bus system, but the ride to the Port Orleans resorts, especially to and from the Magic Kingdom, are rougher and less enjoyable, especially when you have to stand.
Final Thoughts: An honest review
I consider the Port Orleans resorts second and third in the moderate category—I don’t really count Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground as moderate; it exists in its own realm to me because of the size and cost of the cabins. I put Caribbean Beach Resort first. Which is rare, most people rank it lower. I don’t mind the size though, and the Skyliner is a game changer.
After that, for me, it’s a coin toss between the Port Orleans resorts. I’d happily stay at any of the Moderate level resorts, actually, and typically let pricing dictate which one I choose. If the rate is significantly better at any of the moderate resorts, that’s the one I pick.
That said, I do think French Quarter is top notch and would never turn down a stay there. It’s got positive vibes and is a lot of fun. Also, makes for good pictures for social media or your scrap books at home.
