Our family has been vacationing at Walt Disney World for over a decade, and we've stayed at resorts in every Disney resort category. I'm also a travel advisor and have booked clients at Disney's Riviera Resort, but this was our family's first time personally staying here. After spending four nights at Riviera, I can confidently say it's become one of my favorite Disney resorts!
Riviera is absolutely beautiful! The European-inspired theming, artwork, landscaping, and waterfront areas give the resort an elegant but welcoming atmosphere. I especially loved that it felt peaceful and relaxing without losing that Disney magic. The resort is also relatively compact, which made it easy to get between our room, dining locations, pools, and transportation.
We stayed in a Preferred View Deluxe Studio on the seventh floor, near the Skyliner side of the resort. We've stayed in Deluxe Studios at other Disney resorts, including the Grand Floridian, so the general room layout was familiar. However, we really loved how spacious and thoughtfully designed Riviera's accommodations felt.
Our studio had a queen bed, a queen-size Murphy bed, an additional pull-down sleeper, a kitchenette, and plenty of storage. One of my favorite features was the split bathroom, which included both a walk-in rainfall shower and a separate tub/shower combination. Having two showers made getting ready so much easier for our family!
Our balcony was another highlight. We had beautiful views of the Skyliner and surrounding resort area, and we could even watch EPCOT fireworks at night.
One of Riviera's biggest advantages is its Skyliner station. We used the Skyliner to travel to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios and found it incredibly convenient. During our stay, we experienced virtually no waits, and the transportation was one of our favorite parts of staying here. Bus transportation is also available for the other Disney parks and destinations.
We tried several of Riviera's dining locations during our stay, including Primo Piatto, Bar Riva, and Le Petit Café. We enjoyed our meals overall, and I especially appreciated that Bar Riva felt more like a casual sit-down restaurant than a typical pool bar. It was a great option for lunch while spending time at the resort.
We've also previously enjoyed the character breakfast at Topolino's Terrace, which was a wonderful experience. My only minor dining criticism is that I would have liked a little more variety on the quick-service menu at Primo Piatto, particularly for a longer resort stay.
We spent time at the quieter Beau Soleil Pool and really enjoyed its peaceful atmosphere. The resort also has the larger Riviera Pool, which is a great option for families looking for more activity. Beyond the pools, there are beautiful outdoor seating areas, lawn games, walking paths, and other little touches that make the resort enjoyable even when you're not visiting the parks.
Riviera is definitely a splurge, especially compared with Disney's Value and Moderate Resorts. However, after staying at Disney resorts across all categories, I can appreciate what Riviera offers.
Our family has reached a point where we enjoy balancing our park days with time relaxing at our resort. If you plan to spend every waking moment in the parks, you may not get as much value out of the additional cost. But if you enjoy beautiful accommodations, convenient transportation, great dining options, and time to unwind, Riviera is a fantastic choice.
Disney's Riviera Resort exceeded my expectations and quickly became one of our favorite places to stay at Walt Disney World. I loved the room layout, beautiful grounds, relaxing atmosphere, and especially the convenience of the Skyliner. I would absolutely stay here again and would highly recommend it to anyone considering a Deluxe Resort for their Disney vacation!
