Raise your hand if you love Port Orleans!!

Sure, people may look at you and wonder why your hand is in the air, but pay them no mind. It’s all for the love of the Port.

I’ll take any opportunity I can get to head over to the Port Orleans Resorts, be it Riverside or French Quarter (though I have a slight bias towards Riverside, what with the River Roost and all). So I was excited to finally have a chance to stop by recently to check out the specialty drinks that debuted earlier this summer. These sips are specific to the pool bars at Port Orleans — Muddy Rivers at Riverside, and Mardi Grogs at French Quarter.

I made the stroll to the Ol’ Man Island pool area and Muddy Rivers over at Riverside. Where Mardi Grogs celebrates the colorful Mardi Gras vibe of the French Quarter, Muddy Rivers offers the rustic Southern charm of Riverside. (You can’t go wrong either way.)

Before I even reached the bar, though, signs showing guests the Big Easy Splash — the food and beverage selections currently available poolside — led the way.

Once at the bar, I got to take a closer look. The first order of business was checking out the Specialty Drinks, starting with three frozen blends: the Front Porch Freeze, Gata-Melon Juice, and NoLa Cola. Or, you can grab all three served in a layered fashion with the All That Jazz.

You’ll notice that all the beverages are listed as being served in a souvenir Port Orleans Hurricane glass… and here it is, for my fellow Port Orleans fans!

But stay tuned! I have a little tale to tell about the glass a bit later.

Blinded by my love of colorful, layered beverages, I neglected to take a picture of the Hurricane on the main bar sign menu, but I collected myself once I sat down at the table — yep, that’s right! Muddy Rivers has poolside menus these days. The Hurricane is Gosling’s Black Seal Rum, Don Q Cristal Rum, tropical juices, grenadine, and Monin Red Passion topped with a float of Gosling’s Black Seal Rum (also served in the souvenir Hurricane).

Non-alcoholic options are the standard — and yummy — Lava Smoothie and Mango Freeze, but the Bull Frog Brew (served in a souvenir light-up Mason Jar. CUTE.) is unique to Port Orleans.

Tabletop menus also give a rundown of the food options, including Croissant Sandwiches, a Cajun Turkey Club, and a Garden Salad with Chicken.

Ok, on with the order! I couldn’t resist a chance to try three drinks in one, so I went with the All That Jazz in the souvenir glass. (Or I should say plastic Hurricane – no glass is allowed at the Resort pools.)

But not so fast…

They were out of the glasses. According to the friendly bartender, it’s been next to impossible for them to keep these popular babies in stock! So, if the glass is your main draw, be sure to ask if it’s available before placing your order (even if it is on display), because it seems they aren’t sticking around long whenever they come in.

The price is adjusted, by the way, if you still want the drink and the glass is unavailable ($10.25, pre-tax and tip).

In any case, what I did receive was very appealing to the eye, indeed! The drink is layered with the green Gata-Melon Juice on top, the orange Front Porch Freeze in the middle, and the purple-red NoLa Cola on the bottom. The colors come together in a very fun and fitting Mardi Gras effect.

Thanks to the merciful drop in Central FL humidity recently (for a few days, at least), I was able to do some strategic straw-maneuvering to sample each beverage flavor individually before everything melted together. The Gata-Melon Juice top layer is Midori Melon Liqueur, pineapple juice, and Monin Banana blended with Piña Colada mix. I was hoping for a bit more from the coconut of the Piña Colada mix, but the melon flavor of the Midori was most prominent, offering a bright, fruity twist on a beach cocktail.

The Front Porch Freeze is a pure hit of citrus thanks to the blend of Cruzan Mango Rum, pineapple juice, and orange juice along with mango puree to bump up the overall presence of the mango.

I experienced pretty much what I expected from the Gata-Melon Juice and the Front Porch Freeze – your basic tropical, fruity pool drinks. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that. But I gotta say, the NoLa Cola was a very refreshing change of pace! This time, the Cruzan Mango Rum and pineapple juice are blended with Monin Desert Pear and raspberry purée.

You might think it’s the raspberry puree that would make the most difference – at least, that’s what I figured would be the case. But, oh my goodness, it was the Monin Desert PEAR that came through, and made this beverage taste truly unlike any of the standard Disney Pool Bar drinks. I can’t think of many Disney beverages where pear is a featured flavor, and the result was delicious. A highly recommended sip!

It has been fun seeing a few pool bars across Disney Resorts step outside the standard pool bar menu.  The Barefoot Pool Bar at Polynesian Village Resort has its own specialty drink menu, and I’ve heard tell of a Key Lime Cooler at the Grand Floridian’s Courtyard Pool Bar, made with Skyy Citrus Vodka and Key Lime Juice blended with vanilla ice cream. It will be fun to see (and sip!) if this trend continues to expand to pool bars all over the World!

What do you think of Disney Pool Bars featuring their own unique beverages? Please let us know with a comment!