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| Fast
Facts |
| Resort Address: |
2201 Orleans Drive,
Lake Buena Vista, 32830 |
| Resort Phone: |
(407) 934-5000 |
| Resort Fax: |
(407) 934-5353 |
| Number of Rooms: |
1008 |
| Resort Category: |
Moderate |
| Resort Location: |
Downtown Disney Resort
Area |
| Check In Time: |
3:00pm |
| Check Out Time: |
11:00am |
| Room Types (maximum
capacity): |
Standard Room (4) |
| Room Service: |
Pizza and Snacks Only |
| Valet Parking: |
No |
| Laundry Service: |
Yes |
| Fully Handicapped
Accessible: |
Yes |
| Semi-Handicapped
Accessible: |
n/a |
| Wheelchair Roll-In
Showers Available: |
Yes |
| Hearing Impaired
Conveniences: |
Yes |
| Non-Smoking Rooms
Available: |
Yes |
| Room Safes: |
Yes |
| VCR Available: |
No |
| Data Port Available: |
Yes |
| Coffee Maker Available: |
No |
| Microwave Available: |
No |
| Refrigerator Available: |
Yes, Fee |
| Full-Kitchen Available: |
No |
| Concierge Service: |
No |
| Monorail Service: |
No |
| Table Service Restaurant(s): |
No |
| Character Meals: |
No |
| Counter Service
Restaurant(s): |
Sassagoula Floatworks
& Food Factory Serves Creole Dishes, Beignets,
and traditional fast food fare. |
| Lounge(s): |
Mardi Grogs, Scat
Cat's Club |
| Services (Salons,
etc.): |
No |
| Shopping: |
Jackson Square Gift
Shop sells character merchandise, souvenirs, and sundries
and provides film developing service and is usually
open from 7:00am - 11:30pm. |
| Pool Description: |
Doubloon Lagoon is
tops on many lists as the best themed pool for elementary-
aged kids which is based on Mardi Gras parade floats
and has a small children's wading pool and Whirlpools. |
| Children's Clubs,
Programs: |
No |
| Fitness Center: |
No |
| Other Recreational
Facilities: |
Biking, Kayaks, Canoes,
Rowboats, Canopy Boats, Pontoon Boats, Children's
Playground, South Quarter Games Arcade. |
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Overview
Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter, the
sister resort of Port Orleans Resort - Riverside (formerly, Dixie
Landings), is nestled along side the Sassagoula River and is laid
out like the French quarter of New Orleans. Disney's story here
is that Riverside is a riverboat landing up the mighty Sassagoula
river. The French Quarter is the down river destination of the paddle
wheel river boats that ply the waters of the river. I've never been
to New Orleans (the real city), but the French Quarter looks exactly
like what I expect it should. The rooms are contained in buildings
with streets (appropriately named "Pontchartrain", "Bourbon",
and the like) running in a grid pattern between them. The buildings
are decorated to look like they contain several row houses with
mismatching, but coordinating, iron work.
The main themed pool at the resort, Doubloon Lagoon,
is themed like a Mardi Gras celebration with a dragon that doubles
as a water slide and a special (see for yourself) band playing Dixieland
nearby. Doubloon Lagoon is often cited as one of the best
pools in all of Walt Disney World for children.
Room Description
As at Riverside, most rooms in the French Quarter
have two double beds (though, there are a handful of rooms with
king beds available at a slightly higher rate). The rooms
have a pair of sinks along with the standard bathroom/lavatory arrangement.
Of course, you'll also find a TV, dresser, and table with two chairs.
The room views include water or garden view and standard
view. Frankly, the additional cost for the water or garden
view (which may be the river or a pool) is hard to justify.
Preferred Room Locations
Since the French Quarter is such a cozy resort, none
of the rooms are terribly far from the main resort buildings.
Even so, toward the end of a long trip a few extra feet of walking
can be a pain...so you may want to consider requesting a room on
the lower floors (first floor, if possible) and toward the bus stop
and central resort buildings.
Be aware that there is no full service restaurant
or marina in the French Quarter. If you want to have a sit-down
meal or rent watercraft, you'll have to go over to the Riverside
area of Port Orleans!
Some specifics:
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The buildings closest to to the bus stop are four
and seven (although four is a smoking building).
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If close proximity to Doubloon Lagoon is more
important to you, you should request two or five (although two
is also a designated smoking building).
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A good compromise between bus stop proximity and
non-smoking rooms would be building seven.
Food and Drink
Bonfamilles, which used to be this area's full service
restaurant, has been closed. A food court, the "Sassagoula
Floatworks and Food Factory", is themed as a Mardi Gras float
warehouse, provides the resort's only food options. Pizza can be
ordered to be delivered right to your guest room. There are also
a couple of bars at the resort.
Activities
The themed pool area, known as "Doubloon Lagoon",
is likewise based on New Orleans Mardi Gras festival. The pool slide,
for example, is a colorful dragon parade float. This pool is often
cited as a favorite for kids (probably second only to the Yacht
and Beach Club's "Stormalong Bay".)
Note that the French Quarter does NOT have boat rentals
available any longer. If you want to rent a boat (for a cruise
to Port Orleans Riverside, Old Key West, or the Village Marketplace)
you'll have to go to the Riverside (formerly Dixie Landings) area
of the resort.
Disney Transportation
The French Quarter relies mostly on the Disney Buses.
One item of note, only one bus stop services the entire resort.
Buildings four and seven, for the record, are the two closest ones
to the bus stop -- while buildings two and three are the closest
to the themed pool area.
Water travel is also available to and from those other
resorts and the marketplace via water taxi (a nice change of pace
if you want to cruise down the river for dinner).
Other Comments
The French Quarter is significantly smaller than Riverside
and Caribbean Beach. As a result, it often fills up faster than
they do. Keep that in mind if this is the place you want to stay....make
your plans and reservations early.
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