Port Orleans: French Quarter

You guys! Somehow 2023 is almost half over (man, if I still wrote checks I'd still be dating stuff 2022!), and that means that it's anniversary time! It's always such a hard decision where to spend our anniversary. Of course, it's always Disney (though for a hot minute we considered going on a cruise instead), but decided WHERE at Disney is always tricky. I go back to where we were last year with 'But we had such a great time', but lets be honest- Asa and I have fun anywhere. I could stay at All Star Sports, arguably the worst 'Disney' resort, and still have a great time with Asa. (Though, I mean, come on why would you stay at All Star Sports when you could stay at Pop Century for the same price and get access to the Skyliner). 

Anyway, we used to always want to go big for our anniversary- as many nights as we could get away from home, for the best price- because it was the one and only vacation Asa and I ever took together. But, the kids are (almost) all adults now, and it's me and Asa going places more than it's not, so while our anniversary is still very special to us, it's worth noting it's a very expensive time to go to Disney World. The weather isn't always great. And the crowds are building to their summer peak. So, basically we decided what was the most cost effective at about three nights away- and we came up with a great passholder discount at Port Orleans, French Quarter (for just $214 a night)! We'd stayed at Port Orleans, Riverside a couple of times before- but never French Quarter. While we'd been there to visit (in fact, I have swam in every Disney feature pool!), we'd not booked a room there before, so we were excited to see how it stacked up. 

But before we headed off to check in, we swung by Disney Springs for lunch at Homecomin. Pro tip: Homecomin is delicious, but portion sizes are huge! We can be happy with two simple appetizers: the thigh high chicken biscuits and the church lady deviled eggs. 

. The biscuits are the right combo of sweet and spicy with fluffy cheddar drop biscuits. I even like them, and I'm not really into chicken thighs. And you might think the delived eggs are overpriced- at $14 for 6. But I assure you, they are not. How someone makes deviled eggs so soft and fluffy and creamy, I will never know. 

On top of all of that, I have a Homecomin squeeze bottle- basically meaning if I bring it with me I get the whole bottle filled with a cocktail for the same price of a small one. And, if I don't want a cocktail I can get soda/pop or lemonade or tea- for free! 

After our appetizer lunch, we headed over to wait in line for Gideon's Bakehouse. This place is very popular, but if you hit it early enough in the morning you don't have to wait in the very long virtual queue. I don't often go here because of the line, but I really wanted to try this month's special cookie which was sea turtle inspired. Part of the proceeds from the cookies even go to save sea turtles, and the artwork card is a nod to the cookie as well (it's so cute, I'm going to add it to my bathroom gallery wall- trust me, it's going to be cool). 

While Asa got pumpkin chai cold crew, I got the cookie, which had carmel, chocolate and sea salt. Of course, per all Gideon's cookies, it was ginormous- which totally justifies the $6.50 price tag. Now, usually I'm more of a fan of Gideon's cakes (or the bite sized mini cakes if you can get your hands on those). I usually find their cookies to be too dense and dry for me. But not this thing. It was gooey and warm and the flavors just melted together perfectly. In fact, I wanted to go back to get another one of the cookies on our last day at Disney but the virtual queue was three hours long. 

It would take me three days to finish the whole cookie, because we were moving on to the Hangar Bar. This place is another favorite of ours, in part because of the drinks. I always get the Teddy's Tea. One, it's named after a president, so duh. Two, it's light and refreshing complete with tangerine and mint and it's green tea base. I could drink a whole pitcher of this stuff. I do hear you can get it alcoholic- but I always got the non-alcoholic version. If you like overly sweet drinks, this isn't for you. But if you're one of those people that cut take out drinks with water (like me!) this is one for you, especially on a hot Florida day. 

Asa, meanwhile, was there for the air cargo pretzel. He'll never pass up a good pretzel, and he really agonized over getting the charcuterie pretzel or just the plain old one- but he settled on the "loaded" charcuterie one. It comes with the usual meats and cheese and pickles plus the beer cheese and mustard that comes with the plain one. While Asa enjoyed this, in hindsight, we ened up taking half of this home with us because our eyes were bigger than our stomachs at this point. 

At this point it was just a little after noon, but we had gotten the text about 10:45 am that our room was ready! So, as soon as we boxed up our leftovers, we headed on over to Port Orleans, French Quarter. We opted for the cheapest room available on a passholder discount, which gave us two queens. The rooms are pretty nice- updated with fresh paint, wood floors, and the beds that give you ALL the storage space underneath. In fact, this room had lots of storage. Big deep drawers, hooks for hanging things, extra space at the bathroom vanity- and even the nice little 'stool' section at the end of the tub in the bathroom for all your toiletries in the shower. It's New Orleans inspired for sure, but not too over the top. 

Disney has three levels of resorts: Deluxe (those pricey ones like Grand Floridian), moderate like Port Orleans, and Value like the All Stars/Pop Century. We had some typical moderate resort features, like the curtain closing off the vanity area and the cooler fridge that only keeps drinks cold, but can't really be used for food. But, I found for a moderate resort we had a lot of the nice little touches only Deluxe used to have- but have been making their way to other resorts. We got the full sized shampoo/conditioner/body wash, and a ceiling fan. 

Plus we got the new tvs- the one that display your name and let you cast to them from your phone. The French Quarter also just so happens to be one of the handful of resorts testing a new smart device in rooms. Sure 'Hey, Disney' has some kinks to work out, which is why it's just in the testing phase, but it's a fun new edition that lets you check the weather, bus times (supposedly, we never got anything other than 'a bus arrives every 20 minutes), guess at trivia, play music or soundscapes, and hear jokes and bedtime stories. You can even set an alarm and a Disney character will wake you up. Admittedly, I used this WAY more than Asa because I liked those features while he just complained it didn't do much. (It wouldn't tell him what time certain Disney things were, how late the pool was open, or if we could get a late check out). It also claims to send someone to your room if you need anything like towels- but we never used that feature. 

Of course, our 'cheapest' room was a 'Standard Room', aka parking lot view. Sure, there are cars beyond the trees, but this is very similar to the 'garden views' of other rooms. Plus, Moderate Resorts can be really spread out, so being near your car if that's your preferred choice of travel throughout your trip- can be pretty convenient. 

But really, part of the draw of French Quarter is that it's the smallest of the moderate resorts. You will never be walking for ten minutes to get to the pool, your car, or the lobby, like you can be in some of the very spread out Moderate Resorts (as well as 'Deluxe Resorts Saratoga Springs and Old Key West). In fact, we got very lucky being in Building four, which I will ask for every time we stay here. We were right next to the main building and the pool, which was lovely. And of course, we enjoyed the French Quarter nods, including out mardi gras beads hidden Mickey when we arrived. (I took them home and I'm going to use them for some French Quarter inspired ears!) 

The whole resort looks like the French Quarter. You've got the wrought iron on the buildings, the street lamps, courtyards, lots of gardens and fountains, and even little make shift brick "streets" (where you won't find cars but maybe an occasional horse drawn carriage driving through). Plus, there's always New Orleans music playing from the main building, which houses all the food, a lounge, the store, the front desk area- and even a beignet stand! It has a glass enclosed are with a fountain and outdoor ceiling fans with seating underneath. Disney never skimps on details, which is especially true at Port Orleans, French Quarter. 

And of course, you'll find the famous alligator band marching in the street at the entrance to the pool area. (I really wanted to get these guys in our annual anniversary picture- which I knew the second we booked the French Quarter, so stay tuned for that.) 

The gator theme continues to the pool area, where there's some sort of sea serpant featured. Honestly though, the only thing missing here is some nods to Princess and the Frog. Because come on... how early would it be to stick a statue of Louis in with the alligator band and call it a day?!? Anyway, the feature pool is nice here. You get a slide, some sunny and some shady areas, and some water features. But, since the resort is so small, this is the only pool. There's no 'quiet pools' (aka plain boring slide-less, feature-less) pools to be found. However, if you take a quick walk down the path, you happen upon Port Orleans Riverside when you're welcome to use those amenities as well. It's a rare pool hopping option, because while totally allowed here, it's normally a practice that's outlawed at Disney. 

After a trip to the pool, we headed back to the room. Apparently, the Mickey cartoons we watch at Disney are watchable on Disney Plus from anywhere- but they just hit different at a resort (especially the Potatoland episode). I texted Gwen a picture of me watching it- and said as much and she responded with 'SO TRUE', so I'm not the only one. I did however fall asleep watching Mickey cartoons for a little afternoon nap. Picture courtesy of Asa, who looks unhappy in this picture, but I assure you he is not. He thinks my naps are great. 

After a recharge, we changed and headed out to dinner. 

I booked all kinds of dinner reservations pretty far out. A common saying between me and Asa: "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it", so I book us up and then closer to the actual trip, I drop them off and some lucky person ends up with a 5:30 Snow White at Artist Point Dinner Reservation. (We just could not justify the $70 price tag a person on that one). Instead, we were ready to finally try Sebastian's Bistro over at the Carribbean Beach Resort. We'd had reservations for this one back in 2020- because it had just opened. But then, you know, 2020- so we didn't get to go. 

I had heared really great things about this meal, and it's price point- it's $35 per person for a basically all you care to eat family style meal and your drink (a basic one anyway),  plus thanks to an extra discount for passholders this June we got 20% off. 

The resturant itself is very cute and Carribbean cozy, with very subtle Little  Mermaid vibes (sans the giant mural of Sebastian himself). The chairs are cushiony and cozy, though the table could stand to be bigger because they bring you so much food!

They'll start you off with the bread and the salad. 

I was a huge fan of the salad. It had a sour key lime dressing, and sweet candied nuts and seeds on top. Paired with the citrus of the oranges and the varied crush of greens and I was sold. Asa, who is a 'leave fruit out of my salad' guy just thought it was ok. Then of course, there are the famous 'Pull Apart Rolls'. Ok, well the rolls might not be as famous (though they are fluffy and easily pull-apart-able), as the stuff you're going to top them with: the guava butter and the onion jam. I love these so much I have infact gone to the pool bar here, Banana Cabana, that shares the same kitchen with Sebastians and ordered just the rolls and the guava butter, to which I was charged something like $10. And, for the record, I did not care. It's THAT good, people. So good, I have in fact tried to make guava butter at home as well (with not as much of a success rate). This time I wised up and brought the guava butter home with me, along with the leftover rolls). The onion jam is also great- and together they make an amazing combo. But that guava butter, man. I'm telling you. 

I could have just eaten the bread the salad and (stay tuned!) the dessert, and been happy- even at that price point, but there is a lot of food they serve you inbetween those two. They bring out a platter of beef, chicken, pork and fish and with varying accompaniments of things like cucumber relish and mango salsa and picked carrots. And they serve all that with sides of rice and beans, curry vegetables and broccolini. We really enjoyed all of it. The pork with the mango salsa was the winning combination for me, and the rice and beans were surprisingly flavorful (I usually find rice and beans boring, unflavored, and forgettable). Asa really liked it all, but the chicken was his favorite. They'll bring you more of anything if you'd like, though this was plenty for us. 

And then, when you think you can't fit anything else in your tummy, they bring you dessert. And dessert is not to be missed. I have gone to Banana Cabana just to get this as well, and payed something like $15 for it, and I don't regret a thing. It's a bread pudding with pineapple and cocunt served with a caramel sauce and ice cream. 

You even get to drizzle the sauce yourself. There's almost nothing in the world more satisfying. Disney does bread pudding well. Ohana's is fantastic. The House of Blues tops theirs with that dreamy whiskey butter.  Multiple places serve it in french toast form for breakfast. But, this one might be my favorite. It's the pinapple for me. Asa, who does not enjoy coconut or warm pineapple (unless it's simply a grilled spear, then he can tolerate it), actually liked it. As much as he likes desserts anyway. 

After dinner we debated what to do- we could head into a park, but instead we opted to head back to our resort and then walk down to the Riverside section of the resort. It's just a short, maybe 10 minute, walk along the canal until you find yourself among the mansions of Riverside. Now, I will note usually that canal is busy with boats coming and going from Riverside and French Quarter and heading to Disney Springs. Sadly, due to drought conditions here in some parts of Florida the water level was much too low for the boats to run. We did- very gently- 'complain' to the front desk about it. When things like that happen, sometimes if you ask in a 'hey, I know it's not your fault, but we were pretty bummed this happened' kind of way, they'll give you a little pixie dust. Usually it's something like a gift card, or a small credit on your account for things you charged. But, this time it was a pretty big thing- in fact, on a future visit Disney will be treating us to one free night at a Moderate Resort in the future! So, that's pretty awesome. Again, if you try this, your milage many vary, but be extra kind. That poor Disney cast member had no control over the rain accumulations, nor were they the one for not putting a notice out or sending an email before your arrival to give you a heads up of the situation. So, you know. Be kind. And, you just might get yourself some pixie dust! 

Anyway, low as the canal may be, it still made for an awesome stroll. While the day time temps were hot (we're talking feels like over 100), the evenings were still really nice, and because we did have some rain (which clearly they needed), we also got some nice breezy and cloudy days which always helps with the heat. So, we strolled on down to the River Roost Lounge to take in an evening of entertainment from Yehaa Bob. This guy is pretty much a Disney legend. When he was gone for so long - and even laid off, I believe- from Covid, there was an uproar. He sings, plays piano, and excudes happiness multiple times a week exclusively at the River Roost Lounge. It's a totally family friendly show, and the guy is just an absolute joy. We got to talk to him about his board of patches, his binder of 'Really Hard Songs' that was completely empty, and his love of music before the show. We even got a picture with him! 

There is no cover to see him, you don't even have to order anything from the bar to listen to him play. It's a family friendly show- but you better be ready to clap, laugh, smile, dance, and get up and down a million times during his show. It will all be worth it (did I mention it's free?) 

For an hour and a half Asa and I sat there and listened, clapped, danced, and got involved with the show front and center. It was a really fun time, I highly recommend it, especially if you can get there by Disney Spring boat or you're staying at a Port Orleans resort. 

At the end of the set, Yehaa Bob Jackson even gifted us a signed picture. This is going on the bathroom wall mural for sure (just trust me, it's going to be awesome). 

It was quiet as we walked back along the path back to the French Quarter. The place is even prettier at night. 

And then we headed up to the front desk to get our anniversary buttons. We get them every year, and are bombarded with 'Congratulations' and 'How many years?' and all the well wishes. Usually I hate attention, but that is pretty lovely. 

And that's it for Day 1 of our Anniversary trip. 

Next up: Tron, Dancing in the Rain, Vertical Horizon and Jellyrolls! It was an action packed super fun day (no time for naps!)