I had a chance to tour the new Royal Rooms planned for Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside resort this fall.

I was also told to not even think about photographing the room. I understood – it was a mock-up of what was to come and would not be a fair representation of the Imagineers’ work. Regardless, the room gave us an eyeful of what’s to come.

For the Short Attention Span Mousejunkie: I can’t wait to stay in one of these rooms with my wife and daughter.

A Royal Guest Room at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. (Image provided by Disney.)

Disney is re-designing 512 rooms at the resort with a new “Royal Guest Room” theme based on Disney princes and princesses. When Disney is firing on all cylinders, it provides guests with an engaging story when changing or upgrading things. This change is no different. The story behind the Port Orleans Royal Rooms centers around Princess Tiana – who lives in the New Orleans of “The Princess and the Frog” and is therefore a natural fit with the Riverside section of Port Orleans. She’s invited some of her royal friends over, and they’ve each brought gifts. The gifts are part of the room design, from Aladdin’s magic carpet to “candid” images of the Princesses playing in and around the resort. Sultan the dog, from “Beauty and the Beast” is included as a luggage bench, and Aladdin’s lamp doubles as the bathroom faucet. Look for Ariel’s touches in the shower, amid shining gold fixtures.

We were accompanied by an Imagineer who pointed out details of the room – but was quick to explain that guests would have to discover some of them on their own. My immediate reaction is that it felt like a Cinderella Castle suite on a smaller scale. The royal blues, vibrant reds and brilliant gold throughout the room lent an undeniably regal feel.

My favorite part: The ornate headboards – emblazoned with a “T” for Tiana – are decorated with beautiful, gauzy “Princess and the Frog” paintings. A button on the side of the headboard, when pressed, triggers a fiber optic fireworks display embedded in the painting.

As Disney Imagineers and managers ushered us through the room, and reminded us repeatedly that photographs were not allowed, my first thought was this: I can see my park time decreasing in favor of staying in this beautiful room just a bit longer.

When questioned about the price upgrade to stay in the room, the Imagineers – who freely admitted they’re not part of the financial arm of the resort – said it would likely be along the lines of the already-in-use Pirate-themed rooms.

The rooms are schedule to be available this fall. Trust me, you’re going to want to book one of these. Contact me if you want to indulge in the royal treatment.