QUICK RESORT OVERVIEW
Resort Category: Moderate
Resort Size: 2048 rooms, divided into two sections: Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend
Bed Options: 2 Queens with an optional pull down Murphy style bed (sleeps up to 5) or 1 King Bed (sleeps 2 adults and an infant).
Transportation Options: Bus transfers to all Disney parks, ferry boat transfer to Disney Springs and Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.
Dining Options: 1 Table Service Restaurant, Food Court, Lounge, Pool Bar
Pools: 1 feature pool with slide, 5 quiet pools, hot tub, kiddie pool (coming soon: kids splash area)
Overall Vibe: The resort’s setting is modeled after the Louisiana Bayou communities along the Mississippi River. It has its own beautiful, winding Sassagoula River running through. Choose from 3 “styles” of rooms here: Alligator Bayou, Magnolia Bend Mansion or Disney Princess themed (very popular among visiting little princesses!)
DETAILED REVIEW
Check In
Although you can check in as early as you would like, your room is not guaranteed to be ready until 3:00 pm.
Upon entering the lobby in the Sassagoula Steamboat Company building, you are already immersed into the Old South!
Dining
Boatwrights Dining Hall is a table service restaurant available for dinner. Advanced dining reservations are accepted.
Such a relaxed setting in this restaurant!
Riverside Mill – the resorts food court, themed after a cotton mill. Five separate food counters service breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
River Roost Lounge – live entertainment with southern style libations.
Pools
The feature pool is located at Ol’ Man Island, which is centrally located and just behind the food court. It is made to resemble an old fashioned “swimming hole”.
This is also where the new kids splash play area will open in Spring of 2016, and is currently home to the hot tub as well!
The other 5 pools on property are the quiet pools, 3 of which are in the Alligator Bayou, and 2 at Magnolia Bend.
Recreation
Rent cane poles at the Ol’ Man Island Fishin’ Hole. This is a catch and release program.
Riverside Levee is the name of the marina, where you can rent boats, bicycles and Surrey bikes by the half hour.
Horse Drawn Carriage Rides will take you along the banks of the Sassagoula River. Carriages fit up to 4 adults, or 2 adults and 3 children. Cost is $45, lasts about 25 minutes, and available from 6:00 – 9:30 pm nightly, weather permitting. Cash and room charge are available, but no credit cards. Walk ups are sometimes available, but reservations are recommended to ensure availability. Check in at the Riverside Levee Marina.
2 hour guided fishing tours are also available on the Sassagoula River, and reservations are strongly recommended.
Rooms
First, here is a layout of the room. All the rooms have the same layout, but there are 3 different themes to the rooms:
Now, let’s look at the resort map.
Notice the island in the middle, where Fishin’ Hole is located. This is Ol’ Man Island, which is central to the resort.
A on the map is Sassagoula Steamboat Company building, where Riverside Mill food court, River Roost Lounge, Fulton’s General Store and the concierge desk is all located.
B on the map is Riverside Levee, for bike and boat rentals as well as the Ferry Boat going to Disney Springs and Port Orleans Resort French Quarter.
Earlier, it was mentioned that the resort has two “sections”, which are Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend.
Alligator Bayou are buildings 14-39 on the map. Crossing over the bridge from Ol’ Man Island looks like this:
Isn’t that just so peaceful and gorgeous?!
The buildings housing the guest rooms in the Alligator Bayou look like this:
Complete with their own country style front porch:
All 16 of these buildings are 2 story, and no elevators. Here is a room tour inside one of the Alligator Bayou rooms. (all the rooms at this resort have the same set up, just different themes and decor)
The next section is home to Magnolia Bend, in buildings 80, 85, 90 and 95. These buildings are referred to as the Mansion Buildings:
Building 80, the Acadian House and building 85, Magnolia Terrace have the Mansion themed rooms:
Building 90, Oak Manor and Building 95, Parterre Place are for the Princess themed rooms, known as the Royal Guest Rooms. I have yet to meet a little girl that didn’t just fall in love with these rooms!
Although there are 2 themed “sections” at the resort, and 3 different themed rooms; there are TEN, that’s right, ten room categories that can be booked. Again, this is when having a knowledgeable travel planner on your side really counts to ensure you get what you really want!
- Preferred Location Room: only located in the Alligator Bayou, in buildings 14, 15, 18 and 27. Views in this category will vary, but you are guaranteed to be in these buildings, which are the closest to the food court!
- River View Room: these rooms offer direct views of the Sassagoula River. They can be in either section, but guarantees this beautiful view.
- Pool View Room: these rooms, just as it sounds, gives you a view of a pool. Again, they can be anywhere throughout the resort, but just guarantees a view of a pool.
- King Bed Room: these rooms have 1 King Bed, or 1 King Bed plus a Murphy style bed (only in Alligator Bayou for the murphy/King bed combo). They can be anywhere throughout the resort with any view.
- Garden View Room: these rooms offer views of the landscaping, and may be located anywhere throughout the resort except Preferred Location Buildings.
- Standard View Room: these rooms mostly face parking lots, or sometimes just have obscured views of something else. They are located anywhere throughout the resort, except Preferred Location Buildings.
- Royal Guest Room – Standard View: located either in Oak Manor or Parterre Place Mansion, with obstructed views or views of a parking lot.
- Royal Guest Room – Garden View: located either in Oak Manor or Parterre Place Mansion, with views of landscaping or courtyards.
- Royal Guest Room – River View: located either in Oak Manor or Parterre Place Mansion, with views of the Sassagoula River.
- Royal Guest Room – Pool View: located either in Oak Manor or Parterre Place Mansion, with views of the nearby quiet pool. These rooms are the most conveniently located of all the Royal Rooms, with easier access to the food court.
If you have any further questions about Resort, please contact your PPDD Travel Planner.