Port Orleans French Quarter Review
Port Orleans French Quarter Resort is one of our favorite Disney resorts at Disney World. We’ve stayed there several times and never regretted it. Below I’ll tell you all about what makes this resort great and whether or not it’s a good fit for you and your family on your next visit to Walt Disney World Resort.
Quick Opinion: Is Port Orleans French Quarter Worth It?
Port Orleans French Quarter Resort at Walt Disney World is a great hotel for anyone. French Quarter has a fun Mardi Gras theme, an amazing pool and splash pad, good transportation to the Disney parks and Disney Springs, good nightlife, and access to decent restaurants. Its compact layout requires less walking than most resorts. And most importantly, it has beignets!
Port Orleans French Quarter Theme, Grounds, and Layout
Port Orleans French Quarter Resort is a moderate Walt Disney resort, meaning it has a larger room than a value resort, more amenities like a splash pad and better restaurants, and typically has better transportation (though value resorts Art of Animation and Pop Century have the Skyliner, which is a step up from POFQ). However, it lacks the premier transportation/location, large rooms, and upscale dining that you might find at a Deluxe.
Another thing to note is that Port Orleans rooms open motel-style to the outside rather than to an interior walkway. This is the case for any moderate or value resort with the exception of Gran Destino Tower at Coronadoand the family suites at Art of Animation.
The rooms and walkways at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter
New Orleans and Mardi Gras Theming
As the name suggests, French Quarter has a New Orleans and Mardi Gras theme, complete with bright colors and wrought iron fencing throughout the resort. It has ample Mardi Gras decorations, cobblestone, and pool facades that look like Mardi Gras floats. One fascinating thing is that they have hitching posts for tying up horses throughout the resort, so if you bring your horse, there’s ample parking.
Third child to the right admiring the enormous Mardi Gras jester at the pool. What is up with the creepy avocado under his foot??
The Compact Layout and Short Walks of Port Orleans French Quarter (Great for Elderly or Disabled Guests)
The design of POFQ is great for elderly or disabled guests because the resort is compact and there are fewer rooms than any other moderate or value resort (1,008 total rooms). This means that it’s easier to get to the lobby, parking lot, pool, and transportation than most resorts.
The entrance into the back of Port Orleans French Quarter lobby.
Main Building and Lobby
The small main building has everything you need: the front desk, gift shop, arcade, quick service restaurant, lounge, Mardi Gras, and beignets!
The indoor fountain in the lobby is reminiscent of the parks you’ll find all around New Orleans. First and second child to the right are fans.
Port Orleans French Quarter Rooms
Refurbished Port Orleans French Quarter Rooms
The POFQ rooms were recently remodeled in 2024-25, which means they are well-appointed, come with better charging options than most hotels, and have a Mardi Gras theme with subtle Tiana touches. They are spacious at 314 square feet. We stayed there right after the rooms were finished in May 2025, and they were amazing.
Most of the rooms are two queen beds, with a few king bedrooms on the corners. All the rooms sleep a maximum of four (two in king rooms), which isn’t great for our family of five. However, we’ve stayed there with four adults one time, and with a second room another time with the kids.
Room Types and Views at Port Orleans French Quarter
POFQ used to offer different rooms based on views. Now, they offer standard and preferred double-queen rooms primarily based on their proximity to the main lobby and pool, so if location is important to you, get a preferred room. Otherwise, the standard rooms are great. As I mentioned, they also offer king rooms.
Pool and Recreation at Port Orleans French Quarter
One thing that really stands out at Port Orleans is the pool complex.
The incredible Doubloon Lagoon pool. I made everybody get out, so I could take this picture.
Doubloon Lagoon Pool
The feature pool is designed around a functional sea monster. In the middle, it’s stairs across the pool, and in the back corner it’s the 51’ foot water slide, Scales. It’s excellent for everyone because there are quiet areas with lots of chairs, and near the slide, there’s room for parents to watch their kids do it over and over again. There’s also a bar at the pool (Mardi Grogs) with drinks, TVs, and food that make being there more enjoyable. We absolutely loved this pool for our family. It was so easy to enjoy it as adults and watch our kids have fun, which brings us to the best part of the pool for families.
POFQ slide, Scales, in all his glory. Our little guy calls it the dragon slide.
POFQ also has a hot tub, which is a nice feature that moderate resorts have. It’s great even during the few days a year that the weather is cold enough to make swimming not fun. That being said, Disney keeps the pools at every resort heated to 82 degrees, but that still feels cold when the weather drops to the 50s or high 40s. The pool stays open year-round, except in extreme cases. I can’t say enough about about how much our family enjoyed this pool.
Important note: All Disney feature pools (not the quiet pools) have the absolute best lifeguards the world has ever seen. They watch. They pace like sentries. They throw dance parties. And I once saw a water park lifeguard jump in fully clothed to save a flip flop. On top of that, Disney has complimentary life jackets for anyone who can’t (or doesn’t want to) swim.
Splash Pad at Port Orleans French Quarter
The splash pad (for kids 48” and under) is amazing! With water jets, water slides, and other features, parents can have fun with their kids or sit in the chairs around the area and watch their kids enjoy themselves. Splash pads are what set POFQ above some moderate resorts and all the value resorts. They might have splash pads, but nothing like the elaborate playground French Quarter (and Caribbean Beach) have.
Such an awesome splash pad at POFQ.
Other Activities at Port Orleans French Quarter
POFQ offers lots of other activities like campfire s’mores, the arcade, walking/jogging path, and movies under the stars. We were super bummed when we watched the rain ruin the campfire before we could get out there. The playground area is a fun diversion for littler kids, but it feels weird to me to spend time there when you could be at Disney Springs or the Disney parks.
It’s also a short walk to Port Orleans Riverside, which has its own set of amenities that we’ll talk about in a second.
Dining at Port Orleans French Quarter
POFQ has a variety of dining options that make it a unique and fun experience. The weakness here is that it doesn’t have any table-service restaurant, but what it does have fits neatly into the Mardi Gras/New Orleans theme.
Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory
This is the main quick-service/food-court restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It serves the expected Disney basics, but it also leans into Louisiana flavors with things like shrimp po’ boys, muffuletta-inspired items, Cajun/Creole dishes, and rotating dinner specialties. At its core, though, it’s just a food court. But this is where you can fill those amazing refillable soda cups (if you buy one).
Our family at the food court at POFQ before enjoying Christmas festivities at the Disney parks.
Scat Cat’s Club Café and Mickey Beignets
Scat Cat’s Club Café is a coffee shop and beignet dealer. This is our favorite part of the whole resort. We’ve come here at least 10 times when we’re not staying at the resort to get the beignets. They are fantastic and much better than the nonsense they are serving near Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (we actually returned them for a refund in Magic Kingdom). The coffee is decent, too. A lot of powdered sugar has ended up in our luggage because of this place.
The whole point of this article and this stay. It’s all about these beignets.
Scat Cat’s Club Lounge and Live Jazz
Despite having the same name as the coffee shop next door, the Scat Cat’s Club Lounge is not the same room. Scat Cat’s Club Lounge is a full-service bar with seating area behind it. If you go at the right time, there’s live jazz playing as well. And if you know anything about live music, even in an out-of-the-way bar like this, the music is incredible.
The lounge, in between jazz sets.
This is one of my favorite places at the resort because it feels like authentic New Orleans nightlife. They have most every drink but specialize in New Orleans drinks. Some of my favorites are Abita beer and a Sazerac, basically the New Orleans rye whiskey answer to the Old Fashioned. When we stayed here with just adults, we hung out here after the parks most nights…such a good vibe.
Port Orleans French Quarter Transportation
POFQ has great transportation. Being close to Disney Springs instead of near the parks would seem like a drawback, but hear me out. POFQ makes getting places easy. Here’s why.
Disney Buses and the Single Bus Stop
As far as public transportation to the Disney parks, POFQ only has access to the buses, which is a bummer. However, since it’s a small resort, it only has one bus stop, which means you don’t have to ride around to multiple stops before going to the park, or worse, have a bus show up full of people. The larger resorts are bad about this (looking at you Coronado). And because it’s small, a million people won’t be trying to get on the same bus as you (looking at you All-Star resorts). This is also how I recommend getting to Disney Springs from the parks, regardless of where you’re staying. Take the bus here; then take the boat.
For my review on Coronado’s Gran Destino Tower or my review of All-Star Movies, click on them.
And remember, because POFQ is small and compact, it’s a relatively short walk to the bus stop from just about anywhere, just don’t get your stroller stuck in the cobblestones.
Parking and Rideshare
Of course, you can bypass the need for buses by just driving to the park. Since the bus stop is next to the parking lot, it’s not farther to walk to your car. And Disney offers resort guests free parking at both the resorts and the parks, so this is always a good option.
Tip: Drive to Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. But take the bus to Magic Kingdom, because the parking lot takes you to the Transportation and Ticket Center, where you’ll have to take the monorail or the ferry to get to the entrance. However, the bus will go directly to the Magic Kingdom entrance, saving you 15 minutes or more of time wading through crowds.
You can also rideshare. Have them pick you up at the lobby and go to the parks. The same tip applies to Magic Kingdom. Rideshare drops you off at the Transportation and Ticket Center. If you want to splurge, the Minnie Vans, bookable through the Lyft app, will drop you off at the front gate. But there’s another option…
Pro Tip: Book breakfast at one of the Magic Kingdom resorts. Maybe Chef Mickey’s (check out my Chef Mickey’s review) or our favorite for this trip, Kona Café at Polynesian (Kona press pot is the best coffee on property). Then you can take a short monorail (or walk from Contemporary or Grand Floridian). Don’t try to park your own car there. That’s risky because they only give you 2-3 hours.
Sassagoula River Cruise to Disney Springs
Port Orleans French Quarter is one of the best choices of resort if you want to spend a lot of time at Disney Springs (here’s stuff to do with kids at Disney Springs). The only better place would be one of the Saratoga Springs rooms near the walking path (or maybe one of the non-Disney hotels like the Hilton Lake Buena Vista near Disney Springs).
Here’s one of the boats stopping at Saratoga Springs.
It has a boat that goes between Disney Springs, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Port Orleans Riverside. It’s a short, beautiful ride that takes you past the Saratoga Springs Treehouse Villas and across the lake with a great view of Disney Springs before docking there. Here’s a full explanation of the boat from Disney Springs Port Orleans.
Port Orleans Riverside: The Sister Resort
Speaking of Port Orleans Riverside, it’s a short walk, bike ride, or boat ride away. Unlike the Mardi Gras scene at POFQ, Riverside is a more rural Louisiana feel, with bayou buildings and Southern mansions. They even put Spanish moss all over the trees. It’s by far the quietest resort at Disney we’ve stayed at. But it is worth the visit from French Quarter. For starters, it has a huge pool with a larger water slide better for older kids. And when you’re staying at either property, you are allowed to use both pools.
Here’s the dock at Port Orleans Riverside.
But there’s even more reason to head over there.
Dining and Entertainment at Port Orleans Riverside
One thing French Quarter lacks is a table-service restaurant. However, Port Orleans has the Boatwright’s Dining Hall. It’s not the most amazing restaurant on Disney property, and if you’re looking for good food, head to Disney Springs. BUT, the best idea is to get dinner there and head next door to River Roost.
River Roost is the bar at Port Orleans Riverside, and it is home to what we consider one of the greatest shows at Walt Disney World, Yehaa Bob! Bob Jackson does a hysterical piano show filled with ridiculous jokes and singalongs that all ages will love. Our kids love it. We love it. My grandmother-in-law loves it. We’ve gone there so many times, and I have the autographs and photos to prove it.
I told you we’ve been there.
And I told you I had an autograph.
Is Port Orleans French Quarter Good for Families?
Port Orleans French Quarter is fantastic for families with kids of all ages, or just adults. It has an amazing pool, access to another amazing pool, all-ages nightlife, access to the wonders of Disney Springs, boat rides, horse-drawn carriage rides (for purchase at Riverside), bikes, running trails, and BEIGNETS! It also has comfortable rooms and quick access to the Disney parks.
Our family loved it, so there’s that.
Is Port Orleans French Quarter Good for Small Children?
Port Orleans French Quarter is great for small kids. The splash pad, the playground, the arcade, and the beignets are amazing. And the slide is gentle enough for the most timid kids (don’t forget the free life jackets).
Here’s a small child enjoying it.
Port Orleans French Quarter Pros and Cons
Let’s go over the reasons one should or should not stay at POFQ.
Pros
-great pool and splash pad
-best resort that only has bus to the parks
-comfortable rooms
-small, compact resort
-excellent theming
-good nightlife
-access to Disney Springs by boat
-great sister resort
-MICKEY BEIGNETS!
Cons
-only has bus access to the parks
-fewest dining options of any moderate resort
-no table service restaurant
-no quiet pool
-motel-style rooms
Final Verdict: Who Should Stay at Port Orleans French Quarter?
Port Orleans French Quarter is an excellent choice for Walt Disney World. It has amazing things to offer and has great access to everything Walt Disney World has. If you want a smaller, less busy experience without sacrificing amenities, this is the place. We end up here almost every trip at least for the beignets, but it’s always on the short list of resorts we look at when booking a trip.
Our Port Orleans French Quarter review covers refurbished rooms, pool and splash pad, beignets, dining, transportation, family perks, pros and cons.