Disney is one of Florida's main attractions, with four amusement parks, two water parks, a major shopping and dining area, and a massive sports complex. Tens of millions of people visit its parks every year, and many stay on-site to get thoroughly inundated with Disney "magic." Disney owns over a dozen resorts in Florida; staying at a Disney resort is an experience many visitors return to experience again.
The Port Orleans resort consists of two neighboring hotels: Port Orleans, French Quarter and Port Orleans Riverside. The hotels are connected by the Sassagoula River; they're close to Downtown Disney and are on the Disney bus lines.
The French Quarter resort has a festive Mardi Gras theme. It is a small resort; its buildings have a New Orleans look and feel in architecture and style. The food court here is decked out with Mardi Gras, parade-type decorations, with its colors of purple, yellow and green. This is the only Disney moderate resort that does not have a sit-down restaurant.
Riverside is themed on the antebellum south and has two sections. One is themed on plantation mansions; the other, Alligator Bayou, is themed on backwoods cabins. This hotel is home to Boatwright's Restaurant and the River Roost Lounge, which four nights a week is the performing venue for "Yee-haw" Bob Jackson, a piano-playing entertainer.
Port Orleans
1251 Riverside Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
407-934-6000
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The Animal Kingdom Lodge has an African theme. The most unique feature of the hotel is that on property are hundreds of African animals. Meant to evoke an African savanna, the animals graze directly outside of guest rooms, giving people up-close exposure to exotic animals. Rooms have wireless high-speed Internet access for a fee and flat-panel TVs. The two on-site restaurants--which are Jiko: The Cooking Place and Boma: Flavors of Africa--have African-inspired food, with Boma's being served in a buffet setting. The hotel features a pool with water slide, a 24-hour game room, a 24-hour playground and a supervised child care area.
Animal Kingdom Lodge
2901 Osceola Pkwy.
Bay Lake, FL 32830
407-938-3000
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The Polynesian Resort opened with the rest of Disney World in 1971; it has a South Pacific theme. The resort is on the Seven Seas Lagoon, across from the Magic Kingdom; it has hammocks, beach chairs and other beach items for guest use and relaxation. This is a Disney deluxe-level resort; standard rooms here are very spacious, at 470 square feet. The hotel hosts a luau five nights a week, with traditional Polynesian food served family-style while entertainers--such as fire eaters--perform. Kona Café and 'Ohana are the other on-site dining options. The resort is one of the few directly on the Disney World monorail line, making transportation to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot easy. The resort has two pools, a marina and a spa that it shares with the Grand Floridian Resort.
The Polynesian Resort
1600 Seven Seas Drive
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
407-824-2000
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