Dixie Landings Resort at WDW

. . . or as it's now been renamed, the Port Orleans Resort Riverside, and what was simply Port Orleans is now the French Quarter. Strangely enough, the name change actually went into effect during my stay! I checked in for my 2001 vacation at Dixie Landings, and checked out of Port Orleans Riverside when I left.

The peaceful Sassagoula River meanders along side the Southern mansions of Riverside, a relaxing resort nestled in quiet woods just ten minutes from Epcot or Downtown Disney.

River boats ferry guests south down the river to the French Quarter resort built to resemble the wrought iron balcony look of Bourbon Street.

The final destination on the river is Downtown Disney, home to Pleasure Island, the West End attractions including Cirque du Soleil, Planet Hollywood, House of Blues, and the Marketplace featuring dozens of shopping and dining opportunities including the Rainforest Cafe.

Seen below, this large wheelhouse on the river contains two restaurants: Boatwright's Dining Hall, where guests dine amid authentic "old South" shipbuilding lathes and tools while an unfinished wood keel spans the ceiling, and the Colonel's Cotton Mill, a spacious, rustic food court which overlooks the river. Guests can even order Boatwright's pizza delivered to their rooms after a long, tiring day in the Parks. The main hotel building adjoining it (to the left) offers a small pub lounge, a country store stocked with plenty of supplies and souvenirs, and the main hotel lobby where guests can fulfill all their ticketing, residential and special event needs.

Turning back from the wheelhouse and crossing the river on a footbridge, the path leads directly to Parterre Place, my "home away from home" where for one relaxing week I occupied the corner room (below) on the ground level of this 'mansion house'. My front door was a mere thirty feet up a gentle slope from the riverbank, where a trailway borders the length of the river -- the perfect setting to take a walk (or a bike ride) at early dusk after the bustling activity of the parks each day.

My room was quite spacious, comfortable (no 5 1/2' beds for a 6' guest!), and very quiet . . . add to that how clean the staff kept the place and I really hated to leave! As the song from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum goes, "Everybody ought to have a maid!"

For a moderately priced resort, Port Orleans Riverside is still such a pleasurable experience that I often forgot I was staying at a hotel. Its location on the property is just far enough away from the main parks that you avoid most of the crowds, yet the free transportation everywhere is so handy, you're not more than twenty minutes from any destination and car rental is quite unnecessary (save that money and spend it on nice resort accomodations).

Fortunately my vacation just preceeded the peak attendance season beginning with Spring Break, so guests were spread out in room assignments to give us all a bit more space. The hotel staff could not have been more professional or courteous -- and how can you beat having Mickey himself ring you in the morning for your wake up call? I would definitely return to Riverside on my next vacation, and highly recommend choosing it or one of several other resorts on the property to anyone visiting Walt Disney World.

To return to the Parks, cross the river on this wooden bridge.