Our First Visit to WDW

It was March 1996 when my husband and I took our 3 children to Florida to the World that Walt built, so to speak. We had planned the trip to be a "camping trip" in the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. We loaded our Dodge Caravan with tent, sleeping bags, cooler full of food and drinks as well as a portable t.v/vcr combo for the kids to watch Disney movies on the 14 hour drive south. We packed a couple warm items but mostly clothing that was fitting for the warm air of Florida. Once we neared my sister-in-laws house (midway on the journey)we stopped for a couple hour nap and learned the temperatures in Orlando were going to be record breakingly low. She had a few extra jackets for the kids to use so we took those along. Once we located a Disney retailer along the interstate we stopped and called the Walt Disney World resort to see if we could make reservations for a room. We had no idea how much it would run as it was such late notice and everything affordable would be taken; but we had a daughter that was 2 1/2 years old with us we didn't want to sleep in a tent with record breaking low temps. We knew we just had to take the risk and call hoping for the best.
To our suprise they had room at the Port Orleans French Quarter resort. With there being five of us we didn't know if we would be able to get a single room rate or if we would have to get a suite or two rooms that joined. We were so pleased with our reservations. The castmember was so attentive and caring even offering us the Visa discount without us asking for it. The room we stayed in had a trundle bed, which our10 year old son thougth was cool because he could just slid his bed under our bed without making it. We had pizza delivery one night after getting home late from the parks. There were only three at that time; Magic Kingdom, Epcot and MGM Studios. We had a blast but was exhausted each night when we returned to our room. No way would a sleeping bag offer the comfortable night of sleep that we needed. I am so happy that we were able to get an affordable room at Port Orleans. As we stepped through a wrought-iron portal into an alluring recreation of the historic New Orleans district, we found nestled along the banks of the Disney-created Sassagoula River, these two resorts are probably the best themed, and certainly the most picturesque, places you can stay within Walt Disney World without breaking the bank.
If not for this beautiful resort we probably not have enjoyed our first stay on Walt Disney World property and would not have fallen in love with all things Disney.