Hey Howdy Hey Jaye and welcome to planDisney!
Thank you so much for stopping by with your question about
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside. This stately resort built on the Sassagoula River is one of my favorite places. Sure the rooms are great but the grounds themselves are amazing and taking an evening stroll along the river is perfect. A nice, quiet and beautiful resort to stroll through and enjoy the scenery while you are just a short drive from the hustle and bustle of the parks. Before I get too carried away, let's talk about the refurbishment timeline and details of the rooms.
Disney will do everything in their power to keep the resort rooms looking sharp. This typically involves a soft goods refresh every few years and a full refurbishment every 7-10 years. One major thing that has impacted this timeline was COVID. Disney was almost through with the refurbishment of the standard rooms before COVID shut things down. When they reopened, all standard rooms were back open and many of the rooms were rethemed with Princess and the Frog with the carpet taken out and replaced with vinyl flooring that looks like hardwood. The Royal Guest Suites are the only ones that appear to still have carpet but are scheduled for a refurbishment starting in April of 2025.
One thing I would highly suggest you do is to take a virtual room tour of the room you booked. You can search for things like "Preferred Room Video Tour Port Orleans Riverside" on YouTube and this should give you several options where you will be taken on a virtual tour of the room so you can better prepare for your amenities. Just make sure the videos are within the last year or so. The bathrooms are the unique space in this resort where the shower and toilet are in a separate area from the sink. The shower and toilet have a door to shut for privacy but the sink from the main rooms is separated by a curtain if needed.
In my experience vacationing with Disney, they will do everything in their power to make things right. If you get to your room and for some reason, it is not up to your standards, I would recommend calling the front desk. They will go above and beyond to make your vacation as Magical as they can. I have had the experience with little things such as doors that don't close completely or issues with sinks that were repaired super quickly. If Disney staff inspects the room and it is something they cannot fix quickly, they may offer to move you to a different room. You are also more than welcome to request a different room if you are not completely satisfied with your room and they will do everything in their power to make this happen. Just be patient as many Guests are visiting the resort and the Cast Members only have so much flexibility.
With all the times we have visited the Walt Disney World Resort with my family, I have never had a bad experience where I was disappointed with anything and wouldn't consider going back. Disney has always gone above and beyond to make things right and I'm sure they will do the same if anything were to come up with your trip. I hope this does help and if you have any other questions let us know!
To Infinity and Beyond,
Nick