Port Orleans Riverside | the disney food blog

2014 Resort Cast Member Pumpkin Carving Contests

Didn’t get your fill of Halloween fun this year? Fret not, friends! Because we’ve got one more treat for you from the season of tricks…

On October 30th and 31st, Disney Resort Cast Members at resorts around the World competed in pumpkin decorating contests. I got to check out the displays at the Contemporary Resort and Port Orleans — Riverside, and wanted to share some of the fun with you today!

At the Contemporary Resort, individual Cast Members showed off their pumpkin carving skills. The display was huge, including well over twenty pumpkins!

Contemporary Resort Cast Member Pumpkin Carving 2014

Contemporary Resort Cast Member Pumpkin Carving display

Guests at the Contemporary placed their votes for pumpkins across a few categories. A member of the Security Team won “Best Overall” for this awesome [Read more…]

Review: Cherry Cobbler at Port Orleans, Riverside Resort

By Wendy 14 Comments

It’s gotta be said… Port Orleans – Riverside has a lot going for it.

Learn About:Riverside Mill Food Court

Disney World Restaurants

It just might be my favorite Disney World Resort – at the very least, it’s in my top three. So it’s entirely possible that my total bias towards all-things-Riverside may be coming into play when I think about the food options.

But, c’mon! This is the home of the great River Roost lounge, made all the greater thanks to our friend Yeeha Bob. (Oh, and those unreal Prime Rib Sliders don’t hurt, either. Trust me.) Aaaaand it’s got Boatwright’s, serving up Louisiana favorites like Jambalaya and Chicken and Andouille Gumbo.

And last, but not least, is the Riverside Mill Food Court.

Riverside Mill Food Court

It’s rustic-meets-comfy, and somehow — for a place with huge amounts of seating – manages to feel at least a little bit cozy, with its abundant natural light and mismatched chairs.

Riverside Mill Seating

But the best part might be the slowly turning water wheel that you can view from inside.

View of water wheel

In my head, it looks like this… totally sepia-toned!

Water wheel… in sepia!

Today we’re here to try a treat I’ve had my eye on for a while now (and I’ve only ever seen it at Riverside Mill). It’s the Cherry Cobbler, coming at you from the Bakery section!

Riverside Mill Bakery section

The Cherry Cobbler doesn’t pop up on the menu until the evening, typically around 5:00 pm.

Bakery Menu at Riverside Mill Food Court

I’ve wanted to try it since the first time I saw a huge, bubbling pan-full!

Batch of hot Cherry Cobbler

What I received was definitely heavy on the cherry, but not so much on the cobbler.

Cherry Cobbler

That’s unfortunate, because every time I bit into some of the crumbled topping, it was [Read more…]

Review: Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside

By AJ 30 Comments

Learn About:Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Disney World Restaurants

Um. Boatwright’s is awesome.

During a recent trip, we were SO glad finally to have a chance to dine at this seems-like-it’s-been-there-forever-but-we’ve-never-eaten-there restaurant at Port Orleans Resort, Riverside, in Walt Disney World. The warm, relaxed feel of the space, coupled with some menu items I definitely wanted to try, made this a spot that we couldn’t wait any longer to check out.

Atmosphere

Seriously, we loved it. This is the type of old school restaurant that’s right up our alley, so forgive me if I ramble on.

Since we were staying at Port Orleans French Quarter Resort next door, we decided to walk to Boatwright’s for our dining reservation. First up, we thoroughly enjoyed the easy, 10-minute stroll from the French Quarter portion of the resort to Riverside, where the restaurant is located.

Boatwright's Sign

And while this was our first official visit to Boatwright’s, Port Orleans has long been a favorite of ours. There is such a lovely “Disney Imagineering” feel to these resorts; there’s a lot of attention to detail, and there are so many activities that guests can enjoy. Plus, everything is contained in one compact space for ease of use.

You’re also really close to Downtown Disney while you’re here, so that’s definitely another big plus.

As you walk in, your eyes are immediately drawn upward to the huge, partially-built riverboat suspended above the check-in area. The boat (more about it in just a sec!) crowns the larger and more open of the two dining rooms.

The lofty space lets in plenty of natural light during the early evening of the dinner hour and truly appears to be the workroom of a shipbuilder.

Boatwright's Check In

The smaller dining room has a cozy fireplace and a more intimate feel, with [Read more…]

Guest Review: Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside

By AJ 19 Comments

Learn About:Boatwright’s Dining Hall

Disney World Restaurants

Melissa Sue is back with more great Disney World restaurant coverage! This time she’s taking us along to Boatwright’s for a meal at the Port Orleans Riverside resort.

My husband and I headed out to Boatwright’s in early December to fortify ourselves before a long, long night at Magic Kingdom. With closing set for 2 a.m., and our ADR set for 7 p.m., we were planning to fuel up and head out, but as you’ll see, the charm of Boatwright’s and Port Orleans sucked us right in!

Atmosphere

You’ll find the entrance to Boatwright’s behind the main Sassagoula Steamboat Company building — just walk across the old-style porch, and it’ll be there on your left.

You can also access the restaurant from within the main Riverside building — at the entrance, just head straight back to the left, passing River Roost Lounge and walking straight on through.

Boatwright's Exterior Entrance

We arrived a little early for our ADR, so we walked over to Old Man Island (where the resort’s main pool is located) and looped over to Magnolia Terrace, where guest room buildings are built to look like “mansions.” Riverside is well-lit and more compact than I expected, but still peaceful and romantic. It was a lovely walk, and I can’t wait to go back in the daytime so I can explore the area more fully.

Eventually, we headed back toward Boatwright’s to check in for dinner, and though I’d seen pictures, I was unprepared for how huge and museum-like Boatwright’s really is. As you walk in, you’re looking right up at the replica skeletal wooden hull of a flat-bottomed “New Orleans Lugger” fishing boat, suspended above the check-in area and dining room.

The check-in desk located below the Lugger.

The walls are lined with [Read more…]

Quick Look: River Roost at Port Orleans Riverside

By AJ 6 Comments

The awesomeness that is Sarah Holodick sent along this quick review of River Roost lounge at Port Orleans Riverside in Disney World. She was there to see Yehaa Bob Jackson, who is quite the entertainer and a must-see for anyone who loves to laugh!

Here’s the River Roost Menu:

River Roost Limited Food Menu

And a photo of the Crawfish Tails, which were deemed [Read more…]

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2014 Resort Cast Member Pumpkin Carving Contests

Review: Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside

Atmosphere

Guest Review: Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Riverside

Atmosphere

Quick Look: River Roost at Port Orleans Riverside

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Tag: Port Orleans Riverside

Atmosphere

Atmosphere

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EBOOKS

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