THEY SPEAK FOR THE TREE While the Walt Disney World Resort does its best to protect and preserve its first-nature environment , there ’ s no doubt that , as The Walt Disney Company builds more amenities for fans ( think Disney ’ s Riviera Resort ), some of that untouched nature will make way for other things . It ’ s an uncomfortable fact , but sometimes there ’ s a way to squeeze out an environmental victory . If there ’ s a corporation on earth that can find that victory , it ’ s The Walt Disney Company .
At Ol ’ Man Island at POR , you can find one such triumph : In 1991 , a live oak tree found a new home by the pool . It ’ s so massive you almost don ’ t notice it , but when you do , you ’ ll see a map of tree branches stretching beyond the pool , into the sky , and over the leaf-patterned walkways . Which brings us to perhaps the most grand feature of this resort hotel of all …
EVERYTHING ELSE The singing man at River Roost and grand oak aside , there ’ s a bayou magic at play at Port Orleans - Riverside . Yes , my husband and I only stayed here — at first — because they allowed dogs , although less expensive and far grander resort hotels on property do the same . And yes , the rooms are lovely , although they don ’ t have club amenities or Value Resort prices , No , the intrinsic beauty of POR comes from the nature surrounding it .
For someone who earns most of her living writing about traveling through Florida with a bent toward the state ’ s history and environment , Port Orleans - Riverside holds a special charm . You see , although Imagineers designed it to be part of the bayou — think Tiana and collards and grits and now I ’ m hungry — it also , however unintentionally , showcases what makes much of Florida , Florida .
Port Orleans - Riverside , with the 2012 redesign , is part of Tiana ’ s Bayou , and bayou , you see , is simply another word for marsh , swamp , tidal pond , or gulf ( although , admittedly , “ bayou ” sounds far more appealing ). And that isn ’ t that different from some of Florida ’ s best natural areas . You might never visit Manatee Springs or Ocala National Forest , but you can take a morning run through the perimeter of POR and see sweetgum , cypress , and saw palmetto .
As my husband and I stroll the grounds , we stay away from the buildings , the shops , and the neatly manicured paths . Instead , we walk by a copse of pine and palm , slow down as we pass a sweetgum , and watch as cats — yes , there are feral cats at Walt Disney World — appear from behind cypress knees .
Despite the best efforts to bring everything Mickey here , Port Orleans - Riverside still serves a slice of natural Florida , from towering oaks to a bed of pine needles . Nothing in all the ( Walt Disney ) World feels more Florida than it does here . The resort seems carved from a piece of prehistoric Florida , with moss draping from tree branches , pine duff scenting the ground , and , yes , bunnies bounding about at midnight .
And about those bunnies : We call them marsh hare ‘ round these parts , and they ’ ve all but disappeared from the Everglades , courtesy of an influx of Burmese python . But thanks to Port Orleans - Riverside ( and other natural bits of Disney ), they ’ re part of the magic .
MEET DISNEY DREAMER TYLER
Each year , Walt Disney World hosts the Disney Dreamers Academy , bringing together 100 inspiring students from underserved communities to help grow the skills they ’ ll need to leave the world better than they found it .
Last year , we spoke with one of these Dreamers , Tyler C ., who actively plants trees to combat environmental degradation .
“ I ’ m part of TreePeople ,” he told WDW Magazine . “ I ’ m a supervisor there , and we go around the San Fernando Valley area to plant trees in underrepresented areas … and where environmental degradation is high . We also go to places where forest fires have destroyed a lot of trees and environments , and we try to bring back natural plants that were lost there .”
Tyler knows exactly how important this cause is , for him and for future generations .
“ I love my garden . It ’ s my comfort zone , my safe place ,” he said . “ Knowing that my children and grandchildren might not be able to experience the same kind of peace — I feel that we need to restore the environment so that people can have access to the natural beauty in the natural world .”
Tyler is interested in pursuing environmental engineering and entrepreneurship . He hopes the skills he learned from Imagineers — “ how they find creative solutions to big challenges ” — will serve him well on his path .
PHOTO BY ALESSANDRA SFERLAZZA