Disney’s Riviera Resort Review
Disney’s Riviera Resort is a hotel and DVC property on the Skyliner gondola route adjacent to Caribbean Beach at Walt Disney World. This review features room photos, the pros & cons of staying here, whether it’s worth the money, thoughts on dining & amenities, and a comparison to other WDW accommodations.
This Deluxe Villa Resort offers approximately 300 vacation homes and units, including studios, one and two-bedroom villas, and grand villas that sleep up to 12 guests each. There’s also the new Tower Studios room category that sleep two guests (as these are an outlier from the rest of the resort, we’ve separately reviewed the Tower Studio here).
Disney’s Riviera Resort is marketed as being inspired by Europe and imagined by Disney, as it brings the elegance of a modern European retreat blended with a touch of old-world glamour and Disney charm to Walt Disney World. In reality, it’s a resort of contrasts that in some ways lives up to its billing and in other ways falls woefully short…
Let’s begin by dispensing with the bad. The resort’s location on land that, in large part, used to belong to Caribbean Beach Resort feels lazy. It’s common for Disney Vacation Club resorts to be built adjacent to or as part of existing hotels in order to share infrastructure and save costs. However, those are usually Deluxe Resorts and built in a manner consistent with their design.
Disney is treating this as a flagship DVC property, but it’s essentially on the grounds of a Moderate Resort. Thematically, these two properties clash with one another, and it’s jarring to be sitting in the tropics of Caribbean Beach and see these grey towers looming in the distance. In fairness, Caribbean Beach guests do benefit from upgraded and new amenities at or near their resort.
Next, the architecture is uninspired and boring. The styles of the combined “Riviera” (French and Italian) are rich, varied, and ornate. There’s no shortage of inspiration from which Imagineering could’ve drawn, nor is there a singular style that typifies the regions. Here are examples of buildings in Nice, France–these are consistent with what you’ll find throughout the French Riviera. None of them are like Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Instead, Disney’s Riviera Resort has some mansard roofing, a few colorful awnings and window shutters, and…that’s about it. The architecture has less in common with the Italian or French Riviera and is more like Val d’Europe, a town adjacent to Disneyland Paris built in conjunction with Disney. Except even the modern, suburbia of Val d’Europe has more architectural merit and depth. Disney’s Riviera Resort is more like a knock-off of that than anything noteworthy in the Riviera.
To make matters worse, Disney didn’t even go all-in on this unambitious design. The hallways that connect the wings of the towers lack windows or, in some cases, have one lone window randomly and awkwardly breaking up a stretch of nothing. The aforementioned shutters and awnings aren’t above every window, just a few of them.
One prominent end of the building that should have two windows instead has one glaringly uncentered window. Some archways are distressed and given texture, others are not. We could go on.
Instead of serious efforts at themed design, Disney has used the crutch of adorning the resort with art and photos of Walt and Lillian in Europe. (We’ve visited several places that Lillian and Walt Disney visited in the French Riviera–they’re nothing like this DVC resort.)
Theme and decorations are not the same thing. These prints and photos would be an excellent touch in a lavishly-done resort, but they’re no substitute for actual theme. That’s especially the case given that these European stories aren’t specific to the Riviera, anyway.
For me, this all is a colossal disappointment as there’s so much potential for a Riviera-themed resort, and Disney squandered all of that. If the up-front intent was a resort with a less ambitious design, why not choose something less extravagant as source material?
The major criticism we’ve seen of Disney’s Riviera Resort from others is the lobby. Unlike many other hotels at Walt Disney World, there is no grand, multi-story lobby that makes a strong first impression.
There’s also fairly limited seating, which is insufficient for the number of guests who will mill about or wait here for Disney’s Magical Express.
Honestly, this bugs us far less than the above issues, and would be fairly forgivable if Disney’s Riviera Resort had some other defining design feature.
Grandiose lobbies have become a hallmark of upscale Walt Disney World hotels, but they’re hardly a necessity. Many of Europe’s finest properties forgo this feature in favor of a more intimate entryway.
The lobby seems like a good point to transition into the positives. This is a good example of how Disney has balanced modern luxurious with classicism. The lobby at feels at once contemporary and traditional, and sets the proper tone for the rest of the interior design.
For all of our quibbles with the exterior, the inside of Disney’s Riviera Resort is largely on-point. There are some spots where the finishings feel cheap or rushed, but the good outweighs the bad. There’s a lot of texture and detail in a variety of places: tile, carpet, trim, ceilings, walls, and yes, even that aforementioned artwork.
Disney has made a big deal about the number of original pieces of artwork designed exclusively for Riviera Resort, and many of these are lovely. These provide pops of color throughout the hotel, and also soften up the interiors with touches of Disney in common areas, hallways, and guest rooms.
In general, this approach works really well. At its core, the interior design is probably best described as a low-key mix of French Baroque and neoclassicism. It’s not as over the top or intricate as the best exemplars of either style, but the guest rooms have a subtle formality to them that’s nicely offset via uses of color, artwork, and some contemporary flourishes.
The guest rooms do a good job of balancing competing interests. They’re simultaneously luxurious, modern, and themed. Achieving this trifecta is something with which Disney has struggled in recent years, and the range of various room redesigns reflect this.
My personal preference is for rooms that skew more towards the themed end of the spectrum, as I think that’s what Disney does best (that’s why my favorite resorts are Wilderness and Animal Kingdom Lodges, and why I’m a huge fan of the room reimagining at the latter). I’d hazard a guess that many longtime WDW fans and purists will feel similarly.
However, I can recognize that not everything Disney does needs to cater to my personal tastes. For what Riviera is, the rooms hit the right notes. The studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units are on par with the guest rooms at the Villas at Grand Floridian Resort. Personally, I’d give the edge to the Villas at Grand Floridian, but it’s a close call.
As we noted in our review of that DVC property, those DVC units are superior to the regular Grand Floridian hotel rooms. We’d now add that the guest rooms at Disney’s Riviera Resort are also superior to the new rooms at Beach Club, BoardWalk, Bay Lake Tower, Contemporary, and a handful of other resorts.
As with the Tower Studio, we found the bathrooms to be quite nice in the higher tier rooms.
Pictured above is the bathroom in the 1-bedroom unit.
In particular, we really like the Deluxe Studio rooms. (Above is one in the finished resort, but we have more of model 1-bedroom and studios in our Disney’s Riviera Resort Room Tour.)
These have some nice aesthetic touches that give them a Disneyfied European sensibility, along with practical features that offer plenty of utility.
Having learned its lesson from Old Key West and Saratoga Springs, Disney has opted for a single-building and condensed layout with Disney’s Riviera Resort.
While I prefer a sprawling property, it’s hard to argue against this approach (especially given that the size and layout of the aforementioned resorts is one of their most common complaints).
Disney’s Riviera Resort makes the most of its compact layout, with grounds that are both intimate and having plenty of charm.
The landscaping is lovely, there are some quaint touches and other details that help buoy the property. The lawn and its games are a particularly nice touch.
The pools are sufficient, but will hardly be why anyone books a stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
In typical European fashion, it seems like both the Riviera Pool and Beau Soleil Leisure Pool are better suited to lounging and sunbathing than swimming. The pools do offer quality lounge chairs, sun umbrellas, and a variety of seating. Adults should appreciate all of this–we did.
Kids will enjoy the 30-foot tall tower turret water slide. Smaller children will likewise enjoy the S’il Vous Play Area, which features characters from Fantasia.
If these areas fall short and your family takes its pool time super seriously, the Fuentes del Morro “Pirate Fortress” Pool over at Caribbean Beach is a short walk away. (To my knowledge, guests at Riviera Resort can pool hop to Caribbean Beach, but not vice-verse.)
Then there’s the dining–Disney’s Riviera Resort is superb on this front. In our Review of Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast Á la Art with Mickey & Friends, we called that the best character meal at Walt Disney World. At dinner, Topolino’s Terrace also offers a Signature meal that made a strong first impression.
Our success with three meals down at the resort’s counter service restaurant, Primo Piatto, has been more hit or miss. However, it’s batting around .667, with one entree that’s in the top 5 of all Walt Disney World counter service.
Likewise, Le Petit Café, Bar Riva, Voyageur’s Lounge, and whatever the pool gelato stand is called have all impressed.
When you include the exceptional dining within a 10 minute walk over at Caribbean Beach, you could do an entire trip without ever leaving the Barefoot Bay area for meals. (Seriously, don’t underestimate Sebastian’s Bistro or Spyglass Grill.)
Next, transportation. Having the Skyliner station right next to the Riviera’s towers is a huge asset. The resorts within walking distance of a park will always have the advantage in our minds.
Nevertheless, being able to walk out the door of Riviera Resort, board the Skyliner, and be inside Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios in ~15 minutes is a huge asset that really cannot be overstated. Skyliner transportation will no doubt be one of the biggest selling points Disney’s Riviera Resort offers.
Bus transportation is also available to the parks and Disney Springs. We weren’t able to test the bus service as thoroughly as we would’ve liked (the in-app times were not working yet during our stay), but buses generally seemed prompt and were not overfilled.
We’ve already made comparisons between Riviera and Grand Floridian in terms of the guest rooms, but two other resorts are worth mentioning as counterparts that may be worthy alternatives depending upon your preferences, priorities, and budget. First is the one next door–Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (read our full review here).
Caribbean Beach is a sprawling Moderate Resort with exterior hallways and multiple bus stops, so in some senses it has very little in common with Riviera Resort. However, it’s also within walking distance of Riviera’s dining, has better pools, and two Skyliner stations. Riviera’s advantages are its compact layout, significantly nicer rooms, and overall upscale vibe. Caribbean Beach’s main advantage is that it’s a fraction of the price.
The next comparison is Gran Destino at Coronado Springs (read our full review). This is also different in a few ways; most significant of which is that Gran Destino is not on the Skyliner.
However, it’s also an upscale tower hotel with modern and luxurious amenities and elevated dining. Gran Destino’s rooms are weaker, but it’s lobby is more impressive, the hotel is more adult (Chronos Club Level is excellent), and it’s also significantly cheaper.
As is common for Deluxe Villas, rack rates at Disney’s Riviera Resort are fairly absurd. It’s really difficult for us (if not impossible) to justify these prices. With a 35-40% off discount, the rates become more palatable. Of course, since this is a Disney Vacation Club resort, the vast majority of guests staying here (eventually) will be using points. (For reasons beyond the scope of this article, we’d caution against buying Riviera as a home resort.)
In terms of points, we think the “cost” is more or less fair (with the Tower Studio being too high). Renting points, the average cost for a 1-night stay in a studio is around $250-350, depending upon season. See our Tips for Renting Disney Vacation Club Points article for more info on that.
Overall, I would expect Disney’s Riviera Resort to be a hit with guests. While I stand by all of my qualms with the property, especially the weak exterior, I’m probably going to be in the minority on these points. It’s likely that Disney has made a calculated bet, expecting most guests won’t notice or care.
Perhaps Disney figures that even guests who do will be sufficiently impressed by the transportation, interior, grounds, dining, and other amenities that they’ll forgive the bland exterior. I’m of the mindset that we shouldn’t accept “good enough” from Disney. What the Imagineers can do, even with a similar hotel concept, can be awe-inspiring when they’re given the creative freedom and budget.
Even we are split on whether the upsides of Disney’s Riviera Resort are enough to overcome its shortcomings. For me, the answer is no. I’d be fine never staying here again. Sarah sees the same problem-points but disagrees, noting that you largely don’t see the Riviera’s exterior when you’re in the rooms.
Sarah finds that the resort’s grounds have enough personality and visual interest that you aren’t focusing on the exterior. In her view, the room quality, Skyliner, and dining provide more than enough to make Riviera Resort a worthwhile choice for Walt Disney World accommodations. Regardless, our ultimate recommendation would be visiting Disney’s Riviera Resort before booking a stay here to see how it works for you, personally.
If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of Disney’s Riviera Resort? If you’ve stayed here or even just visited the grounds, how would your review differ from mine? What do you think of Riviera’s theme/decorations? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Thoughts on the rooms, dining, transportation, or other amenities? If you’re Disney Vacation Club member, do you plan on trying to stay at Riviera Resort? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
I just scheduled our summer vacation at the resort and was wondering if they had a cafeteria like Caribbean Beach? Just wondering about refillable resort mugs and such that comes with the dining plan?
Primo Piatta is the Quick Service location at Riviera and it had Coke Freestyle machines that are available for the refillable mugs 😀
Hi Tom,
I am glad to hear that you think the Riviera looks boring on the outside. I think the inside looks boring, too, but the outside matters greatly. The outside is what made me want to stay at GF – it looked so impressive and beautiful, and still does!
The rooms have some nice touches, but overall looks cheap for the price, especially if you compare it to Grand Destino. For the difference in price, why not just take the Minnievan? And Coronado Springs is very close to Epcot anyway, keeping the Minnievan price low. Isn’t the Minnievan even better than the Skyliner? You don’t have to worry about getting stuck for God knows how long, in the Florida heat with no air conditioning. I know it doesn’t happen often and has never happened to you, Tom, but the possibility is distinctly there, whereas the Minnievan is all out awesome. Even Lyft beats the Skyliner for such short distance.
Also, the Skyliner makes you get out at the back of Epcot, and that’s a long, unshaded walk to the front (where the rides are) in the morning heat. I don’t find that too enchanting.
I’ll stay at the Grand Destino before I stay at Riviera, and I have no interest in the Grand Destino.
The pictures you show of the actual Riviera look stunning! I would so stay there if the Riviera looks like that! It gives an overall ambience, you know? Like you are really in Europe without having to go there! Now you are really in a downtown Hyatt.
Did I say the rooms look boring and the furniture looks cheap? Did Disney do research and find out that people can’t tell the difference between expensive and cheap furniture, or something? For a moderate, it looks nice. For a deluxe, it looks totally insufficient.
The rooms at GF could be better, yes, but the outside makes up for it. That’s how it works: the outside of the hotel makes up for the inside, not the other way around. Because the outside is what makes it all feel grand or awesome. One can always decorate the inside no matter where you are. Imagine me making a room in my house look like a room in the Riviera Resort. That wouldn’t be too hard or cost too much. Just stick white sheets on the beds. But imagine I making my house and neighborhood look like the French Rivera pictures. Yeah, that’ll never happen. Where would I even find contractors who know how to build that? The outside is the most important point!
People go to Disney World to find different and amazing, not some generic hotel that you can find in any city or something that’s slightly better than generic. Consider, for example, the Caribbean Beach Resort. There’s nothing like it anywhere else in the country. It really makes you feel like you are in the Caribbean.
But I only say all this because of the price. If, say, the Riviera costs only slightly more than the Grand Destino, like 30% more or something, to help pay for the gondola, then I would say that it’s worth it, and I might try to stay there. As it is, it not near luxurious enough to justify the cost.
For example, the standard, non discounted room at the Grand Destino costs $279 for September 2020, whereas the deluxe studio (the cheapest room that sleeps 4) costs 534, almost double. So not worth it. If it cost 30% more than $279, that is, 362, it would make much better sense. It is being discounted down to $400, but it’s not getting snatched up. At the same time, all the preferred pool view rooms ($200) at Pop Century are gone, even without the discount.
The Riviera is discounting at 25% with many rooms available, even though Bay Lake Tower is discounting at 10%, and for many years, BLT never even gave any discount. So the Riviera is not such a flagship as Disney might hope it to be. At the least, people are not buying into it.
After reading this review, I wonder if you and Sarah’s opinion of “spread out” Old Key West is changing. When we were there last August, we did a split stay at OKW and Gran Destino. It dawned on me that we will probably never see a resort like Old Key West built again. We probably wont see any resort with multiple buildings built and that is sad because they are so nice and rare when it comes to resorts. In fact, I wonder if they may knock down some buildings at Old Key West (and others like it) and build an Old Key West Tower that looks totally out of place among the existing gingerbread buildings. Gosh that would be awful and sad. Despite your dissatisfaction with the Riviera, I’m intrigued enough to possibly switch our one night from the Polynesian this August to the Riviera, just to try it out. We can experience the Skyliner on our way to spend way too much building light sabers and droids in Galaxy’s Edge!
Does anyone know if Riviera has its own designated bus routes or so they share bus routes with the Caribbean?
They have their own buses but the bus schedule does not run consistently and reliably every 20 minutes. Bugs that they will hopefully work out.
Can anyone confirm the ability to pool hop from Riviera to Caribbean Beach? Is this for DVC members only, or could all guests use the CB pool?
Hoping Disney Imagineers go above and beyond for Reflections: A Lakeside Lodge.We own at Copper Creek and cannot wait to see this new DVC resort!!
Riviera is a nice hotel. Feels more like a Myrtle Beach resort than Disney.
Misses the mark.
But, food is good, depending on which ovens are working…. still working with opening glitches.
Resort overall feels rushed.
You mentioned riviera would not be your home resort. I own at AKL and OKW. I have been flirting with adding a 3rd to my collection to give me another option at my 11 month window. What are your reasons for not owning here?
Thanks!
There are significant resale restrictions on purchases after January 19, 2019, almost a year ago. Meaning? If you buy a resale of a property developed prior to that date, and there are 14 properties, you’re only able to use your rebought points within those 14 properties, not anything built or originally sold after that date. Meaning if today you bought on the resale market points at the Grand Floridian, you’d not be able to stay at any properties built after January 19, 2019, So, you’d not be able to stay at the Riviera with your points, or the new Lakeside DVC by Ft. Wilderness.
By the same token, down the line, someone buys Riviera resold points. That person would not be able to use those points on any of the original 14 points, but only on Riviera (and presumably Lakeside and other future properties, unless Disney changes things again). You’d still be able to use your points through Disney’s deal with RCI (which, IIRC, Wyndham now owns).
The concern is that this might have a major & negative impact on the resale ability of Riviera units. Consider the resale market now: A purchaser can choose between any of the original 14 resorts, as their home resort, and stay at any of those 14 resorts with their rebought points (as well as the RCI resorts…and I’m not sure if Disney Cruise lines would be excluded). Or you can buy at the Riviera…and until Lakeside opens, you can only stay at the Riviera. And after that, Riviera and Lakeside, with a possible opening of other resorts be including, but it’s going to be a long time coming.
Of course, if you buy directly from DVC for the Riviera, you can use your points anywhere; the restrictions only apply to the resale market.
The concern is that this might result in little desire for the Riviera on the resale market, and that it might result in a resale market where original buyers can’t make a profit on the resale of their Riviera DVC property. This is all a big unknown at this point, but that uncertainty is the cause of many being leery about buying into the Riviera.
I think all the resort rooms are getting blander. Every time Disney does a room remodel the rooms lose some of their uniqueness.
I fully agree. Since Bay Lake, the feeling of adventure in missing.
We are doing our 1st WDW trip in Feb (Disneyland APs) and doing a split stay btwn Kidani Village with a Savannah view which was my dream room, and Riviera which is his preference due to the skyliner and more central access. Plus we got the 40% Disney visa deal on the Riviera rooms. I look forward to seeing both. Good review.
It’s definitely worth checking out with the 40% off Visa deal. Hopefully we see more of those while the majority of the property remains undeclared by DVC!
What is the 40% deal with visa?
I booked 2 bedroom preferred villa in May. I really haven’t done anything Disney and be disappointed. This place looks great. The more people that choose not to go means less people I have to deal with when I go. I think people should take a Happy Test before being allowed to stay at a Disney DVC resort. My family has stayed at them all and we have enjoyed all the differences and similarities. While I am not an architect. I can only appreciate all the hard work the imagineers put into this project. I cant wait to hear all the negatives about the upcoming Reflections DVC on the Lake.
The Riviera is a moderate resort painted with a lot of lipstick. It doesnt even have a spa. Grand Floridian has a spa, an orchestra, a piano player with grand piano, victoria and Albert’s, the docking site for the Grand 1 yacht, a conference center, food options at all price levels, the BB Boutique, Concierge staff at the Villas check in, sprite boats, and soon a direct walking path to magic Kingdom and frankly the GF is easily the most photogenic resort on property. The GF is, has been, and remains WDW TRUE flagship property. And no resort moving forward will become the flagship simply because Disney will never spend the money to make it so.
Totally agree with you on everything. Grand Floridian is definitely the most luxurious hotel on property and the only place I will stay. It’s everything and more
While I don’t share your enthusiasm for Grand Floridian, I think emphasizing everything it has that Riviera does not really underscores the difference between the two.
Hmmn… While what you’re saying feels true of the resort itself, outside of the Villas, the rooms at the GF are woefully out of date.
It’s shameful that the modernity of the Value resorts has eclipsed that of the flagship resort, which lacks the hardwood-type flooring, USB/charging stations, elevated/storage enhancing bed design, etc. The GF itself needs a LOT of work from the rooms standpoint (as does Boardwalk Inn) before I’d consider it a contemporary flagship. It’s a great 2000s flagship, but has not advanced in the way a resort with $500+ per night STANDARD room should. Disney, overall, needs to really start upgrading the “Deluxe” resorts. (And I, for one, DO like the updates at the Yacht Club, though like Tom, like the updates at Beach Club less so.)
Thanks for the honest review Tom. We look forward to seeing it July.
The photos are great. You and your wife with Mickey is super cute.
Have you done your review for Topolino dinner yet? I have been waiting for it! We have reservations next week and I don’t feel confident with the reviews that are out there right now.
I didn’t see a review from Tom for Topolino dinner as well plus given the other reviews available online. We were not confident in keeping our Topolino’s reservation for Christmas dinner at 5;45. We switch to Chef de France for dinner since a day at Hollywood Studios with early morning wake up for RotR, traveling via skyliner to Epcot for Chef de France was perfect. Dinner was top notch service and delicious dinner at Chef de France, probably more authentic than the mix bag of the Rivera Resort.
Hi, our family ate at Topolino last night & it was superb from beginning to end. Our server Christopher was terrific. I had pumpkin ravioli as an appetizer which was fabulous. Entrees included filet mignon, rigatoni & lamb shank, all superb. You’ll love it.
Thanks for the review Tom. It’s interesting to hear your perspective. We are international guests and bought into Riviera because it had a mix of excellent rooms, grandeur, and elegance. We also really wanted a fixed week contract. Riviera has been the first DVC resort that caught our attention since VGF.
Although I agree that Imagineering could have themed the hotel to a historical Mediterranean building, they chose to go for a modern aesthetic which also exists on the riviera. I see the facade as a modern twist on a mash up between the Negresco and Barrière Le Majestic. I don’t mind it and prefer that it isn’t sprawling.
I also wonder whether we are having the wrong conversation. This is a DVC resort, not a mixed use hotel. We do this because we aren’t used to stand alone DVC properties. Most DVC components of resorts don’t have large lobbies: I can see the point for a mixed use hotel but does a DVC resort require this? Comparisons to Kidani, VGF, and BLT would be more accurate.
Riviera meets the needs of a particular market and isn’t being pitched at the market that would buy at AKL or SSR (we dislike both these properties). Some of the DVC market won’t like this while others have been waiting for this type of resort for some time (I wished we bought VGF back in the day but have passed on every resort since).
I expect Reflections to also represent a general theme of nature through mid-century architecture rather than the older Disney hotel style.
“I expect Reflections to also represent a general theme of nature through mid-century architecture rather than the older Disney hotel style.”
This is actually my hope. Some of what they flashed on screen at the D23 Expo looked promising in the mid-century regard, while other elements looked very questionable/lazy.
Out of curiosity, why didn’t you just buy into VGF now?
Sure, it’s midcentury but it still seems vaguely themed – like Riviera.
We have several friends who own at VGF and they find it very difficult to book studios even at 11 months during the fall season sometimes. I didn’t want to contend with that and the price of Riviera (with incentives) was the same price as VGF resale. I also get my fixed week (and after the 2021 points reallocation the premium for that is negligible).
I am really pleased we bought direct since the announcement/proposed new Disneyland Hotel DVC is an added bonus as we often stay there. Now I just need DVC at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and I am done for life 😉 (I am aware this can’t happen).
100%. We finally bought because it’s grand without a ton of amenities we will never use.
I know on a certain level it is apples to oranges (or moderate to deluxe) but I think I actually prefer the look of Gran Destino by a wide margin. While both have issues with being generic towers that are mostly decorated instead of themed, the Art Nouveau stylings at Gran Destino appear to have had a bit more thought put into them. I do like the artwork at the Riviera (that Aristocats piece is adorable) but all the gold and marble is definitely not my style. I know the comparisons have focused more on GD than RR, but to my eye Riviera is the more “Vegas.” Maybe high-end Vegas, but Vegas nonetheless.
Perhaps that’s because a lot of Vegas mimics European styles (but on steroids)? I have a lot of criticism of Riviera, but it definitely doesn’t seem like Vegas to me.
I didn’t expect to, but I also prefer Gran Destino. (In fairness, part of that is based upon the price difference.) The Skyliner does give Riviera a big edge in terms of transportation, though.
I usually think of the photos I have seen of the Bellagio or the Aria when I think of Vegas so that is probably where I came up with the comparison. Admittedly, I haven’t been to Vegas since 1988 when I was a kid and I didn’t see much then beyond the midway at Circus Circus.
I gotta say, even the review was boring. I forgot what I read a few seconds after I read it. I’m definitely not inspired to stay here, though as a wdw noob, I have plenty of other options to choose from for a new first time experience.
I’m sure the theme or lack there of will really appeal to some. It definitely doesn’t seem super family friendly, so older guests will love the quieter resort.
“I gotta say, even the review was boring.”
Thanks! 😉
It’ll be interesting to see what demographics are drawn to Riviera. I definitely wouldn’t recommend it to first-timers. No matter what their preferences are or budget is, there’s a superior alternative.
Haha, I’m glad you didn’t take it personally Merry Christmas!
Show some manners. Tom provides a great unbiased blog and even includes specific counterpoints to his often. No reason for the first sentence. Your take may be right but this guy is cool. Keep reading his material and I think you may agree. Be nice please.
Tom doesn’t need your protection. He’s said before that that he welcomes both positive and negative comments here. Stop trying to police somebody else’s blog. You are just being a jerk.
Since I’m huge fan of WL, Poly, and AKL, you are right with the architecture being uninspired and boring plus guest rooms seem sterile in comparison to other deluxe resorts. I will check this resort out on a future Topolino’s Terrace character breakfast but I doubt I’ll ever stay there because of the location. Being a monorail/boat ride from MK is critical on my WDW trip since I spend more time at MK than AK/EP/DHS combined.
“…plus guest rooms seem sterile in comparison to other deluxe resorts.”
I wouldn’t go that far. Aside from Animal Kingdom Lodge, if you compare the *new* rooms at each resort to this, I think Riviera stacks up favorably. (I fear what’s on the horizon for the new rooms coming to Wilderness Lodge in 2020, but that’s another story for another day…)
Thank you for the very thoughtful, descriptive review!
While I’ve certainly not yet been to the Riviera Resort, I’ve read every article I possibly can, and while details differ among opinions, there’s one conclusion that seems clear – there’s a pastiche of elements that work, and many that don’t. The restaurants seem to be a huge draw, but one needn’t stay at RR to benefit from those.
For me, given the price of this resort, and the location overlooking CBR… and after seeing the renos at Saratoga (and considering the price and location of that resort), I’ve chosen to buy DVC points there. I realize that SSR has detractors, but I find it immensely improved given the new focus on Disney Springs and the resort overhaul.
“after seeing the renos at Saratoga (and considering the price and location of that resort), I’ve chosen to buy DVC points there. I realize that SSR has detractors, but I find it immensely improved given the new focus on Disney Springs and the resort overhaul.”
That’s where we own, and if we were to buy more points, that’s where we’d buy again.
(Now, we seldom use our points there, but we’d still buy there!)
We were there opening day and the day after (we were staying at Caribbean Beach) I agree with you on several points. I thought the lobby and the one small shop were very small considering the size of the resort (it reminded me a little of Kidani Village lobby. I also thought there didn’t seem to be a tonne of shade at the pool . However I agree we had great food (thought the Character breakfast was top notch) The Quick serve and bakery are outstanding and I thought the lounge had an Adventurers Club feel to it. Plus we LOVED the Skyliner. We’re DVC and will definitely be back for a full stay.
“I thought the lounge had an Adventurers Club feel to it.”
Yeah, vaguely.
That lounge is nice enough, but I was hoping for a bit more. That’s nitpicky, though, especially with such a strong dining slate at the Riviera.