One of the biggest questions we get asked when people find out we are Disney World annual passholders is “but you don’t have kids, is Disney still fun for adults?” Well if it wasn’t, we wouldn’t pay for those pricey passes, would we? Obviously, for some people, Disney isn’t going to be as enjoyable without children, but for us, it it absolutely a great vacation for just the two of us. So we decided to share our love of Disney with our friends, who are fellow DINKs (dual income, no kids) who had posed that question to us. The trip was even more special as the husband had never been to Disney at all, and the wife hadn’t been since she was a teenager!

As passholders, we are sometimes able to access discounted rooms on Disney property, and when we went to book our trip, we noticed a really great deal on the “royal rooms” at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside. Keep in mind, we were planning a trip for four grown adults, who certainly didn’t need a fancy princess bed, but we just kept coming back to the Royal Room option. Angie had stayed at Port Orleans before, but not since they added the new rooms, so we figured this would be a great trip to splurge a little on a nicer room, especially since our friends were coming along on this trip to help with the costs. (it’s worth noting that even without the passholder discount, the royal rooms are not much more than a “preferred” room at Port Orleans, and are comparable in amenities to those preferred rooms)

And Port Orleans seems to have a more adult vibe, with the sprawling wooded areas and large grass courtyards, it’s certainly more mature than some of the other Disney resorts. Plus we have relatives who live in Louisiana, and so do our friends, so staying in a room themed to New Orleans seemed sort of silly since we’ve all been there/done that in the actual sense, not the Disney “new orleans that never was and always will be” sense. So we decided we would give the royal rooms a try, with or without kids!

Not true to New Orleans by any stretch, but certainly true to fairy tales!

It turned out to be such a great decision, the room was really such a fun addition to the stay, and really helped bring that Disney magic to our entire stay. There were so many hidden touches that I think would be lost on kids, from Suzy and Perla hiding in the wallpaper border to the elegant light plates and towel hangers, Disney really made a great attempt to create an upscale princess decor that didn’t feel over the top and super-girly. (yes, we’re old, we got excited about the cute wallplates and fixtures) I mean, Chris isn’t exactly ready to convert his mancave to look like the royal rooms, it’s definitely designed with a feminine touch, but it’s not over the top. There’s just enough to make it feel special, and really draw you into that fantasy world even when you’ve left the park and come back to what could be just another hotel room. We had a bit of trouble with the resort buses on this trip, so when we stepped into the lobby a few days we were having trouble finding that happy Disney spirit, but as soon as we hit that magic band back into our room, there it was again. Especially for adults, it’s tough to keep that fun vacation feel going when your feet are tired and you just want to take a break back at the hotel, but when your room has fireworks on the headboard…how can you not smile while you kick your feet up and give in to that dreaded “I’m getting too old for this” nap?

The resort grounds themselves are gorgeous, with or without a sparkly, fireworks laden headboard, and like all Disney resorts come with some amazing perks from staying on property. Although we did have some difficulty with the buses, they are still such an convenient transportation option over having to fight for parking, take a tram, and remember where you parked each night (or multiple times a day since we like to take a mid-day break like we often do). Port Orleans even has the option of a relaxing boat ride to Disney Springs. We use the term “relaxing”, because if you’re planning to get to Disney Springs quickly, this isn’t your ticket. It took at least 20 minutes each way slowly drifting through the canals to get where we were going, which wasn’t such a bad trip during the day because the scenery was very nice. Our return trip to the resort was at night though, and with nothing to see and a screaming baby a few rows back, we were kind of wishing we had sprung for an uber. Just another perk of kid-less travel though, those poor parents had to deal with a dark boat ride and their poor baby, who we think just wanted a bottle that was tucked safely in the stroller that was parked at the front of the boat.

Generally, we are very frugal people, and our friends are too, so upgrading to the Royal Room was initially a bit of a hard sell since there are cheaper options, and with a Disney trip a lot of time is spent outside the hotel, so it was hard to justify spending extra for pretty decor. But we were all very pleased with the rooms, in fact all four of us took turns pressing the fireworks button on the headboard at random times, it was such a cute little surprise and always got a laugh or a smile. The Royal rooms are also located in one of several southern “mansion” style buildings at Port Orleans, so even on the outside they seem really opulent and special. Oh, and it’s also helpful that when Disney updated the rooms, they included updates on the furniture, so no worries for those of us who have reached the age of “chronic back problems”, we all slept amazingly well!