Best Rooms at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside
Looking for the best rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside? You’ve come to the right place! There are nearly 20 individual 2 and 3-story buildings that house about 2,000 rooms.
Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside are accessed via exterior corridors with exterior entry to the rooms.
Rooms at the end of each corridor have an additional side window that allows for more natural light, these are known as, “corner rooms.”
Heat and air conditioning come from a built-in unit under the window. The only moderate hotel to offer central air conditioning is Coronado Springs.
The main pool complex known as Ol’ Man Island is centrally located within the resort. You can access Ol’ Man Island by using one of three footbridges.
There are also smaller, neighborhood pools located throughout the resort.
In this guide, I’ll show you where you can find the best rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside.
Map of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside
Riverside is divided into two sections
Alligator Bayou
Magnolia Bend
Rooms in both sections have nearly identical floor plans but many rooms in Alligator Bayou have a 5th Sleeper which is a small fold-down bed ideal for children up to age 9.
See my full Port Orleans Riverside tour here ▸
Room Requests at Port Orleans Riverside
I make room requests for clients all the time but my disclaimer is that they are never guaranteed. Based on client feedback, requests are honored about 80% of the time.
Room Categories at Port Orleans Riverside
It’s important to understand the various room categories that are offered at this resort because there are quite a few to choose from. In the next section, I’ll show you where each of the room categories is located and the best rooms in each section.
Standard View - views of parking area, gardens, or woods. 2 queen beds. Most economical.
Standard View 5th Sleeper - views of parking area, gardens, or woods. 2 queen beds and a child-size pull-down bed.
Woods View - views of gardens or woods. 2 queen beds.
Woods View 5th Sleeper - views of gardens or woods. 2 queen beds and a child-size pull-down bed.
King Bed - views of garden, woods, or river. 1 king bed. Located throughout the resort, there’s no dedicated section.
River View - views of Sassagoula River. 2 queen beds or 2 queen beds and 1 child-size pull-down bed.
Preferred Room - views of garden, woods, or river. Close to dining, pool, and transportation. 2 queen beds and most have a child-size fold-down bed.
Dog-Friendly Room - Dedicated rooms for just those traveling with their dogs. Located in the Magnolia Bend section. If you do not have a dog, you will not be assigned one of these rooms.
Best Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside
Where are the Preferred rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Preferred rooms are located in Buildings 14, 15, 18 and 27. They are closest to the check-in area, the boat to Disney Springs, the bus stop for the theme parks, Ol’ Man Island pool complex, and the resort’s 2 restaurants: Riverside Mill Food Court and Boatwright’s Dining Hall.
Within the Preferred section, the closest rooms to the resort’s amenities are Buildings 14 and 15.
There’s a walkway that serves as a shortcut between Buildings 14 and 15 and the main bus stop, a terrific benefit when you’re tired!
Where are the Standard View rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Standard rooms at Port Orleans have views of landscaping, walkways, parking areas, or walkways.
This is the most economical room category.
Standard View 5th Sleeper rooms are only found in Alligator Bayou.
If you’re looking for convenience, I like Buildings 15, 16, and 17 as they are closer to the lobby and dining and they have a neighborhood pool nearby.
If you prefer a Standard View with a chance of having a view of a wooded area or manicured lawns, Buildings 80 and 85 in Magnolia Bend are great for this, but far from the lobby.
Where are the Woods View rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Woods view rooms are very similar to Standard View and cost only slightly more.
In most cases, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell Standard View and Woods View apart.
At Port Orleans Riverside, the term “woods” means anything that’s green: trees, gardens, grass, etc.
There is one major distinction, however: Woods View rooms will not have a parking area view.
5th Sleeper rooms are available in the Alligator Bayou section only.
Rooms in Alligator Bayou have a secluded feel which is perfect for those seeking privacy and quiet. Best Woods View rooms are in Buildings 26 and 39.
Where are the Pool View rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Most of the Pool View the rooms in Alligator Bayou will have the 5th Sleeper. There’s an excellent chance you’ll be assigned a 5th Sleeper room if you have 5 people in your party.
Don’t let Pool View fool you. Not one of the Pool View rooms are close to Ol’ Man Island - the feature pool complex at the resort.
At Riverside, Pool View means a view of a “quiet pool” or what I like to call “neighborhood pool.” These are smaller pools, without waterslides and entertainment, that are conveniently located around the resort.
If your goal is to be as close to the the feature pool as possible, request buildings 80 or 85 in the Magnolia Bend section, but remember there are no 5th Sleepers there.
Where are the River View Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Best Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort
The Sassagoula River runs through the middle of Port Orleans Riverside and it’s an important part of the resort’s overall story.
Yet there are very few rooms that have a true river view and so they can be hard to get.
Most rooms designated as River View will have a somewhat distant view of the river.
Building 27 contains rooms that have some of the best views.
More great views of the river can be found in the Royal Rooms section, there’s a River View category there as well.
Where are the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside?
Royal Rooms have a Disney Princess theme.
Located in Buildings 90 and 95 in Magnolia Bend, Royal Rooms come in Standard View, Woods View, Pool View, and River View.
5th Sleepers are not available in Port Orleans Royal Rooms.
While most people adore these rooms for their attention to detail, the downside is that they are far from the lobby, dining and feature pool.
When staying in this section you’ll need to decide if you would like to be closer to the bridge leading to the lobby, or the bus depot. It’s one or the other here.
Floor plan of a typical room at Port Orleans Riverside
The vast majority of rooms have 2 queen beds, a small table and 2 chairs. Across from the bed is a TV and dresser. Rooms that have 5th sleepers will have a fold-down bed instead of a dresser.
Tips for making room requests
It’s better to leave room requests as general as possible. The more general they are, the more likely they will be honored.
Requests for a room near the bus stop, a particular room or building, or “high floor” are viable requests and have a great chance of being honored.
I do not recommend requesting a room that is outside of your category. Free upgrades are highly unlikely because the resorts sell out nearly every night at Walt Disney World.
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside is located near Epcot and Disney Springs. It’s the closest Moderate resort to Magic Kingdom.
Room Amenities
Complimentary internet
Housekeeping every other day
Designated dog-friendly rooms
Mini fridge
Hairdryer
Coffee maker
Small table and 2 chairs
Club Level
Club level rooms are not offered at Port Orleans Riverside.
Darren is an Orlando-based travel advisor and writer with Magical Vacations Travel, since 2008. Readers of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World rate him as a Best of the Best Disney Travel Agent.