Riviera Resort is the newest Disney owned resort at Walt Disney World. It is considered a Deluxe Villa Resort, which means it is a part of Disney Vacation Club, the company’s timeshare arm. While all villa properties offer rooms to the general public (non-owners) because it is the newest property they haven’t sold all of the points available yet so it often has more availability than the other properties.  

About the Resort

Disney’s Riviera Resort is designed to capture the magic of Europe that Walt Disney fell in love with once upon a time. Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted home by a palm tree-lined boulevard at this Deluxe Resort. From the terraces and towers, to the grand archways and porticos, Disney’s Riviera Resort is a modern masterpiece of imagination, with each detail drawing upon the influences of Europe and the Mediterranean. Elegance awaits you inside. The main lobby is appointed with a mix of classic and modern 20th-Century furnishings. You’ll also discover a unique art collection celebrating beloved Disney Characters and icons, influenced by master artists who found inspiration along the European Riviera.

Category

Art of Animation is in the Value category, but it sets itself apart with family suites as the majority rooms in the resort. The theming goes above and beyond other resorts in this category, and I loved to just walk around these beautifully designed areas. The resort’s close position to the Skyliner also adds a level of convenience when traveling to and from the parks.

Disney Value Resort Comparison

 

The moment I pulled up at the Riviera Resort I felt like I was transported back to my honeymoon on the French Riviera. It evoked the same glamour, peace and je ne sais quoi. Many people dislike that it is not as heavily themed as the other resorts but my daughter loved the character inspired art throughout the resort and as adults, we loved the elevated design.

 

We stayed in a Deluxe Studio Units which sleeps up to 5 guests with 1 queen-size bed, 1 pull-down queen bed, and a single pull-down bunk-size bed. We felt a little cramped in the 423sq foot room after leaving Art of Animation, but we actually felt the space was used much better. The split bathroom was incredible, there was a ton of storage and we loved being able to sit out on the patio. We are looking forward to staying in a one bedroom on a future trip!

Every single meal we had at Riviera was incredible. The counter service restaurant, Primo Piatto had unique options and the quality was some of the best on property. We ate at Topolino’s Terrace for both breakfast (with characters) and dinner. The food at both meals was incredible. We even loved the poolside option, Bar Riva, the wings were incredible.

Riviera Resort features two pools, the Beau Soleil quiet pool and Riviera Pool main pool with winding tower slide, neither is anything particularly noteworthy. My daughter LOVED the S’il Vous Play interactive water play area for kids, featuring the under-rated Miss Hyacinth Hippo. 

The Activity Lawn was a nice touch with lawn games including lawn chess and bocce. And if we had more time I would have spent it in the The Voyageurs’ Lounge is a quiet study with a collection of book titles that Walt Disney gathered during his travels to Europe and other far-off places.

The biggest amenity of all is that Riviera Resort is on the skyliner system. The easy access to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT really makes this hotel a great option. Another huge benefit is that it does not share bus transportation service with any other Walt Disney World hotel and there is only one bus stop!

Disney Transportation Guide

OVERALL RATINGS

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