Just wondering!

[momminnie]

Does anyone know why the name of Dixie Landings was changed to Port Orleans? Just curious!

 

[cobright]

I'll take this one.

Port Orleans and Dixie Landings existed contemporaneously for some time before Disney rolled them together under a single banner.

As for the why of it all, this is my own conjecture:
The romanticism of New Orleans is nearly universal.

The romanticism of the antebellum deep south that the Dixie Landings resort intended to capture appeals to some people more than others and is offensive to many. Like the manner houses are clearly plantation mansions and the scurvey backwoods styled shacks in the now called alligator bayou would obviously be for housing the ... other people who were common on the plantation back then. The Riverside Inn was originally Colonel's Cotton Mill, obviously a confederate Colonel.

Personally, I like it better this way. I love the resort. I just wish they could weave a little Tiana into the setting as an obvious character tie-in.

 

[sharadoc]

Does anyone know why the name of Dixie Landings was changed to Port Orleans? Just curious!

I think it was to reflect the "story". It was the "country" to Port Orleans "city" so they made them all one big resort complex, like the All-Stars, Yacht & Beach etc. Gives guests more amenities that way too since they officially share them all.

 

[dansdad]

The reason was never officially announced. But here is a popular theory that I have read/heard multiple times.

From Mouse Planet.

In 2001, to try to eliminate the negative connotations associated with the Old South including a cotton mill that suggested the slavery of the pre-Civil War era as well as the word "Dixie" itself, the resort was formally merged into Disney's Port Orleans resort to become Port Orleans Riverside. Riverside is divided into two distinctly themed parishes: the stately white-columned Magnolia Bend "mansions" reminiscent of the Old South and the quaint backwoods "cottages" of Alligator Bayou themed after Cajun Country.


From Walt Dated World/

On March 1, 2001, Dixie Landings became known as Port Orleans Riverside. The original Port Orleans was now referred to as the Port Orleans French Quarter. Letters were sent out to guests explaining the name change but not the reason why. There was some speculation that Disney was trying to downplay the plantation setting due to concerns that it might hearken back to slavery days. Evidence to back this theory up included changing the name of the Colonel's Cotton Mill food court and the Cotton Co-op lounge.

 

[cobright]

Wow, so I was pretty close. I mean, there was no major leaps of logic or whatnot...

Hrmm. Anyway, like I said, I like it better this way.

 

[momminnie]

Thank you everyone.It never occurred to me that it may have been offensive to some people. I have stayed there twice, once in Alligator Bayou and once in Magnolia bend. I enjoyed both. I was just curious. Thanks again.

 

[OKW Lover]

Really good theories here. Surprised that nobody has mentioned an economic one. It allowed Disney to combine operations at these resorts and save money.

 

[minnie mum]

Really good theories here. Surprised that nobody has mentioned an economic one. It allowed Disney to combine operations at these resorts and save money.

In fact, at one point, didn't they close down Dixie Landings completely during an economic down turn? I seem to remember the whole resort being closed for quite some time before it reopened as POR.

I don't think there's any single answer here- but a combination of some of the theories already advanced. 1. Struck by the PC Police- changed the name of the resort to remove any negative connotations to the Dixie references. 2. Economic- easier to have the 2 as sister resorts with combined operations.

 

[cobright]

I don't know how much of their operations could be consolidated. They have separate general management and staff. Closing was probably to renovate the place. New signs and less "colonel"

 

[minnie mum]

I don't know how much of their operations could be consolidated. They have separate general management and staff. Closing was probably to renovate the place. New signs and less "colonel"

From the POR website:

On 1st April 2001, Port Orleans and Dixie Landings officially merged to form one large resort. In fact, the two sections had always shared the same management team

I'm pretty sure that they also share laundry supply (I've watched the laundry carts go back and forth between the resorts) as well as some of their other support staff.

I did a little more checking and I was right about the resort closure, but wrong about which resort. From the POR website:

After the terrible events in New York in September 2001, the subsequent drop in tourist demand meant that Disney needed to reduce some of its resort capacity. From late November 2001, French Quarter was completely closed and Riverside’s capacity was severely curtailed to around 350 rooms. Guests who had bookings were contacted and offered alternative resort choices. The Sassagoula River Cruise was also taken out of service for several months. As demand picked up again, French Quarter was reopened for new bookings starting from 31 May 2002.