Back to Dixie

There is one good thing that came out of waking up for a 7:00 breakfast at Chef Mickey’s, it’s that we were able to check into Port Orleans Riverside at 8:45AM, and our room was ready. Even though it was early, our breakfast was great and we even sat at a roundtable - all the way in the corner.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is the best moderate resort on property. The memories for me go way back to the days of Dixie Landings – I still hate that they changed the name. This was the first official Disney resort that my family stayed at and remains one of my favorites. We’ve only stayed in the Magnolia Bend area (Magnolia Terrace), so being put in Alligator Bayou for this review is a nice change and lets me get a taste of both sections. We are way in the back and it seems like the farthest point from the main lobby (building 34), but it’s only about a 10 minute walk without stopping – we timed it. It is very lush and wooded, which is really nice because you don’t feel like you’re in Orlando. Julie, being the country girl, is scared of nearly everything she hears in the bushes. I also don’t think it helps when I throw things in the trees ahead of her to get a reaction.

We spent most of our day walking around the resort taking photos (it’s suppose to be cloudy tomorrow) and gathering information. Tonight we are heading to Animal Kingdom for Extra Magic Hours.  Hopefully, it will not be too crowded and we’ll get to ride Expedition Everest!  We plan to see Bob Jackson later tonight at the River Roost and kick back a little.