Disney Riviera Resort – What You Need to Know!
If you are heading to Disney, you should definitely consider staying at the Disney Riviera Resort. As one of the newer Deluxe Disney accommodations, with a terrific location and beautiful theming, it’s well worth considering for your next Disney vacation.
Related post: Should you stay on-site or off-site when visiting Disney World?
What is the inspiration behind the Disney Riviera Resort?
Influenced by Walt Disney’s many trips to Europe, Disney’s Riviera Resort is beautifully inspired by Europe and the Mediterranean. With covered arched walkways, sumptuous furnishings, fountains, and special details throughout the resort, the feeling is comfortable but luxurious.
In fact, the fountains and mosaics on the path to the Skyliner are absolutely beautiful – a terrific place for pictures too!
One of the other lovely and unique details of this resort is the art collection. Inspired by Disney characters, make sure to spend a little time wandering the halls and discovering them.
Where is Disney’s Riviera Resort Located?
The location of Disney’s Riviera Resort is fantastic if you enjoy Epcot and Hollywood Studios. As part of the Epcot resorts, it’s fairly near Disney Springs too.
Near Disney Skyliner
With a Disney Skyliner stop right outside the doors of the Riviera resort, it’s quite convenient to get to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
I love riding the Skyliner to Epcot as you end up at the back entrance which tends to be less crowded and puts you right in the middle of the world showcase. The Skyliner drops you off at the front entrance of Hollywood Studios, so it’s just a short walk into the park.
The only downside is that you will have to take a bus (or drive) to Animal Kingdom, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney Springs. However, every deluxe resort requires buses to at least a few of the parks, so that’s not unusual.
Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Situated on the same lake as Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, the Riviera resort shares a lovely walking trail around the water.
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So if you want a change of scenery, it’s an easy walk over to the Caribbean Beach Resort to visit their quick service or grab a drink at one of the pool bars.
What Restaurants are at Disney’s Riviera Resort?
Topolino’s Terrace
Located on the top floor of the resort with a beautiful view, is the signature restaurant Topolino. The menu is French and Italian inspired – and priced like an upscale restaurant.
It’s open for breakfast and dinner only. Breakfast is a character breakfast, but a bit of an elevated menu. Dinner includes a variety of interesting appetizers, salads, pasta, meat, and seafood. Plus of course plenty of fun drinks and plenty of wine choices.
As it’s considered signature dining, it’s best to book a reservation – this one can be challenging to get into during busy times of the year.
Le Petit Cafe
My daughter’s favorite spot for morning coffee at Disney’s Riviera Resort is Le Petit Cafe. With decadent pastries and desserts as well as any variety of coffee drinks you desire, this Parisian-inspired cafe is the ideal place for your morning caffeine fix.
It’s also open into the evening with drinks, desserts, and small plates. Beside the cafe is a lovely room with plenty of seating – perfect for relaxing at the end of a busy Disney day.
Primo Piatto
The quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Riviera is conveniently located on the main floor near the pool and outdoor lawn area. It’s open from fairly early in the morning to late at night so a great choice for breakfast before the park or a nighttime snack.
The breakfast is very good. We’ve ordered it to go several times and then enjoyed it sitting at a table by the lake – a lovely way to begin the day. This is also a fun location to use your refillable mugs as they have a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine!
Bar Riva
If you are hanging out at the pool and want an easy lunch or yummy drink, head over to Bar Riva. Sharing many of the entrees and drinks available at Primo Piatto but with a laid-back pool bar feel, it’s an easy way to fuel up when enjoying your pool day.
The drinks are especially tasty – and there is a fun variety of mocktails for non-drinkers or kids too! Splurge a little and get those fruity drinks to enjoy poolside!
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What is there to do at Disney’s Riviera Resort?
Just like most Disney Deluxe Resorts, there are plenty of fun things to do at Disney’s Riviera Resort. You could easily decide not to visit the parks, and still have a wonderful stay enjoying all the resort has to offer.
Pool
There are actually two pools at Disney’s Riviera Resort. One is a quiet pool, more adult-oriented with plenty of tables, chaises for lounging, and even soft sofa-type seating. This would be the pool I’d pick for an adult trip – with a good book on my Kindle and a tropical drink in hand.
The second pool is geared towards the younger crowd. There is a fun waterslide as well as a connected kid’s water feature – my kiddos would have LOVED this when they were younger. If you like pool activities and lots of kids, this is the best choice for you!
Fitness Center
The resort has a really nice fitness center with treadmills, weights, ellipticals, and more. Definitely, a nice perk if you like to work out while on vacation!
Outdoor Games
On the lawn beside Primo Piatto are several fun lawn games – free for use! There is a large, well-groomed spot for bocce ball – and every time I’ve walked by I’ve seen families enjoying this fun game.
There are also games such as cornhole, connect four, and a large chess set. Alongside the lawn area is plenty of comfortable seating – even a few swings!
Activities
One of the things I love about Disney Deluxe Resorts are the activities. When my kids were younger we often scheduled our days around the activities they wanted to do!
Disney’s Riveria Resort offers a full schedule of fun things to do. From pool activities in the afternoon to evening outdoor movies, you can keep quite busy without leaving the grounds.
There is also a very nice activity center with board games, puzzles, video games, and craft projects you can purchase and complete.
What are the rooms like at the Disney Riviera Resort?
There are several room types at Disney’s Riviera Resort, so you can definitely find a room that fits your family and traveling style. I’ve stayed in both a studio and a 1 bedroom, and both were lovely.
The smallest room type is called a Tower Studio – and this is unique to Disney’s Riveria Resort. I don’t know of another deluxe Disney resort that has a similar room. The Tower Studio is made for just two guests, and the bed is a pull-down Murphy bed. It’s most similar to a standard hotel room, but without a dedicated bed.
I loved the Deluxe Studio because I found it spacious and perfect for our family of four. It has a kitchenette with a small fridge, microwave, toaster and coffee maker, so ideal for a quick breakfast, drinks and snacks. There is one bed, and a then a pull-down murphy bed, PLUS a pull down bed under the TV. So, if you have two kids, they each get their own bed – which is a big selling point in my book.
The one-bedroom has a full kitchen, a separate dining area, a separate bed area, AND both the pull-down murphy bed and pull down bed under the TV. So plenty of room for a family of four or five.
There are also two-bedroom and three-bedroom villas, so if you have a large party or like a lot of privacy, these might be the best options for your group.
How to book a room at the Disney Riviera Resort
The easiest (but most expensive) way to book a room is directly through the Disney Web site. You’ll find that the Disney Riviera Resort price per night varies quite a bit depending upon day of the week and time of the year. But, I do have a few other ways to help you save a little money if you really want to stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
As DVC members, that is our best method for booking – we already have the points, so when we’ve stayed at Riveria, it’s been by using those.
If you aren’t a DVC member, you CAN buy points through a third party. A few that I know do a good job are David’s Disney Vacation Club Rentals (I actually rented some of my points through them one year) and DVC Rental Store.
The final method is to use a 3rd party seller like Undercover Tourist. I’ve used them many times for Disney tickets and I know they do offer rooms at a discount too.
👍 Ready to book your stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort? Check out the prices on this link to Undercover Tourist to see what kind of deal you can find!
Regardless of how you book, Disney’s Riviera Resort is very popular and books up quickly, so the farther out you can make plans, the more likely you are to be successful in finding your desired room.
Should I stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort?
If you enjoy a luxurious setting with a bit of a Disney flair, then Disney’s Riviera Resort will be perfect for you. It’s also a good choice if you prefer riding the Skyliner to the buses.
If you really like the over the top Disney theming, you might find the touches at Riveria a bit too subtle. For my family, it’s one of our top choices, but my kids are also older and appreciate a bit of a bougie feel.
Hopefully, this review of Disney’s Riviera Resort will help you know what to expect and make the right decision for your family.
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