moderate resort
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
The short answer
Riverside is the moderate that sleeps five, in its Alligator Bayou rooms, from about $314 a night in 2026. It is also large — 2,048 rooms across two themed sections — so the room you are assigned decides how much walking your holiday involves. Ask, and ask early.
How you get to the parks
- Sassagoula River Cruiseto Disney Springs
- Busto every park, from every resort
- Wheelchair or ECVhow each bus, monorail, Skyliner and boat boards
Routes as Disney publishes them, read Sep 2026.
How long it really takes to get to each park
We haven’t timed this resort yet. A door-to-gate time goes here once we have walked the route with a stopwatch at least five times — a single reading hides the variation that actually makes people miss a breakfast reservation. How we measure.
What it costs
$149cheapest$558median$816dearest
Rack rate for a standard room in the cheapest 2026 season, tax included, from Disney’s published rate calendar. Read Sep 6, 2026.
Who it’s right for
Families of five who want one room and cannot justify a deluxe. Also anyone who wants a moderate with a table-service restaurant and grounds worth walking — the riverside path between the two Port Orleans resorts is one of the more pleasant stretches on property.
Who it’s wrong for
Anyone who will be unhappy with a fifteen-minute internal walk, and you cannot control which building you get. It is also wrong for a family of five with a tall teenager: the fifth bed is 66 inches, and a fourteen-year-old will not fit on it. Check that before booking rather than on arrival.
Is it worth the money?
Yes for a party of five, where it is the cheapest room on property that sleeps them without a suite. For a party of four the calculation is closer: French Quarter next door costs the same, has the same room, and is a quarter of the size. Riverside earns the difference if you will use Boatwright's, want the Royal Guest Rooms, or actively like a resort with somewhere to walk.
Where to eat here
Every restaurant here with its own page on this site, with the typical spend a head from that page.
- Boatwright's Dining Hall · Table service, about $33
- River Roost · Lounge, about $20
- Riverside Mill Food Court · Counter service, about $17
What the rooms are actually like
314 square feet. Magnolia Bend rooms sleep four in a formal, mansion-styled scheme, and the Royal Guest Rooms there carry Princess and the Frog theming with fibre-optic fireworks in the headboards. Alligator Bayou rooms sleep five — two queens plus a Murphy bed.
That Murphy bed is about 66 inches, five and a half feet: fine for a child and too short for most teenagers, which is not something Disney's own description makes obvious.
Sleeps up to 5, not counting infants — the table below says which room that takes.
Every room type, and who fits in it
Straight from Disney’s own booking data, checked 2026-09-19. Occupancy excludes infants — Disney counts a baby in a cot separately, which is why a room that “sleeps 5” here can appear as 6 on their site.
| Room | Sleeps (excl. infants) | Adults | Beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| King Bed Views of the Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden, Bayou, Riverfront, Courtyard Pool, or Parking Area Located in Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend | 3 | 2 | 1 King Bed |
| Royal Guest Room Views of the Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden, Bayou, Riverfront, Courtyard Pool, or Parking Area Located in Magnolia Bend | 4 | 4 | 2 Queen Bed |
| Standard Location Views of the Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden, Bayou, Riverfront, Courtyard Pool, or Parking Area Located in Magnolia Bend | 4 | 4 | 2 Queen Bed |
| Preferred Location Close to Sassagoula Steamboat Company, Dining, Shopping and Transportation Located in Alligator Bayou or Magnolia Bend | 5 | 4 | 2 Queen Bed or 2 Queen Bed + 1 Child-Size Pull-Down Bed |
| Standard Location - 5th Sleeper Views of the Landscaping, Courtyard, Garden, Bayou, Riverfront, Courtyard Pool, or Parking Area Located in Alligator Bayou | 5 | 4 | 2 Queen Bed + 1 Child-Size Pull-Down Bed |
Which room should you request?
2,048 rooms across two sections and a lot of ground. Alligator Bayou buildings 14, 15 and 18 are the closest to the main hall; Magnolia Bend's Acadian House and Magnolia Terrace are furthest. Internal walkways follow the river and are pleasant, but at the end of a park day the distance is the distance.
What are the pools like?
- Ol' Man Island — has a slide
- Five quiet pools across the resort — quiet pool
Disney’s own recreation page accounts for 6 pools — we list 2, so this is not the full set. Named by Disney: Ol’ Man Island Pool. Disney’s pool page, read 2026-09-19.
What has changed recently?
Royal Guest Rooms were added in Magnolia Bend in 2012 and remain the most heavily themed moderate rooms on property. The Alligator Bayou fifth-person bed changed from a pull-out trundle to the current mini-Murphy design.
Working from here
workable
A desk, decent wifi, and River Roost Lounge is a good place to work in the morning. The resort's size is an advantage here — there are quiet corners along the river that no value resort offers.
Common questions
- Which Port Orleans Riverside rooms sleep five?
- The Alligator Bayou section only. Those rooms have two queen beds plus a mini-Murphy bed of about 66 inches. Magnolia Bend rooms, including the Royal Guest Rooms, sleep four. Book the Alligator Bayou category explicitly, not requesting it.
- How long is the fifth bed at Port Orleans Riverside?
- Roughly 66 inches, or five and a half feet. That is comfortable for a child and too short for most teenagers and all adults. Disney's own description does not make this obvious and it is the most common unpleasant surprise at this resort.
- What are the Royal Guest Rooms?
- Rooms in the Magnolia Bend section themed to The Princess and the Frog, with fibre-optic fireworks that light up in the headboards. They sleep four, cost a premium over a standard room, and are the most heavily themed accommodation in the moderate tier.
- How big is Port Orleans Riverside?
- 2,048 rooms across Magnolia Bend and Alligator Bayou, which makes it one of the largest moderates. Internal walks of fifteen minutes are normal, and which building you are assigned changes the trip, so request early and book the section you want.
What it looks like
Illustration, not a photograph of this resort — a real one is on our shot list.
Sources
- MouseSavers — Port Orleans Riverside 2026 rates — reported by · checked
- WDW News Today — touring a fifth-sleeper room at Port Orleans Riverside — reported by · checked
- MouseSavers — 2026 Walt Disney World room rates and season dates — reported by · checked
- Walt Disney World — Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside: room types and rates (official booking data: 5 room types, sleeping 3–5 excluding infants) — Disney official · checked