Hi Kathryn,
Welcome to planDisney! Your visit to Walt Disney World and the beautiful Port Orleans Resort -- Riverside is just around the corner, so let's help you get everything lined up for a perfect arrival.
Like you, I prefer a ground floor room at Walt Disney World resorts like Port Orleans, Caribbean Beach and Coronado Springs. The best, easiest way I have found to make that request is in the
Online Check-In section of
My Disney Experience.
Online Check-In looks slightly different in the desktop and mobile versions of My Disney Experience, but in either place, you can check in before you arrive so that you can go straight to your room. (If you already have completed online check-in, you will see a button to modify or change your check-in information.)
During online check-in, there's a section for room requests. You can choose up to two requests from a dropdown menu. That's where you can ask for a specific floor, area of the resort, or room specification. Please know that requests are not guaranteed, but I have found that the resorts do their absolute best to accommodate guests' requests.
On the day of arrival, you will get a text or an email when your room is ready that includes room number and location. If it's satisfactory, you can go straight there, using your My Disney Experience Mobile App or your MagicBand as your room key. Or, if you arrive before the official check-in time, feel free to go to the front desk and speak with a cast member to reiterate your need for a ground floor room.
Once you are all settled at the resort, Kathryn, make sure you check out the amenities. I love
Port Orleans -- Riverside's Louisiana feel, including the New Orleans cuisine at
Boatwright's Dining Hall (yummy shrimp and grits!) and hot beignets at the adjacent
Port Orleans Resort -- French Quarter, which is a short walk away.
And make sure you take the leisurely boat ride down the Sassagoula River to Disney Springs for shopping, dining and fun.
Wishing you a magical vacation, Kathryn!
Wilma