Disney's Riviera Resort.........just another high-rise hotel?

[pennymike]

My wife and I just back from a stay at Disney's Riviera Resort.
First let me say that this is a very nice hotel (DVC resort).
That being said, we did feel like we were in any other higher end hotel........not a Disney hotel. In our opinion, very generic......very little theming. The european theming right next to the caribbean themed resort we thought was a bit odd as we looked out the window of our room. Where did the designers go who worked on the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk........even the classics like the Contemporary and Polynesian. The Riviera and the Gran Destino Tower (has a better atrium than Riviera) are simply easy ways to stack guests in a basic building. Thoughts?

 

[aleh021]

I enjoy Riviera a lot. But I always found it strange how they decided to tear down parts of CBR & place it right there considering all the different options they could have had.

 

[Her Dotness]

DH liked the looks of it much more than I when we wandered about after dining at Topolino's.

I agree with you that it's just any old hotel with nothing very Disney about it.

I was somewhat surprised that there were no shops besides that single rather cramped one. Yes, it is impressive that one may buy Riviera artwork, but that was it for me.

Perhaps my view was somewhat slanted by our arriving so early for our ADR that we had a longer wait than anticipated before going up to Topolino's. I found the lobby rather stark and not especially welcoming, lacking any Disney warmth such as at WL, Poly, YC, etc.

But then, I like COLOR in my surroundings instead of this white-gray-black fad we seem to have fallen into.

 

[reddog21]

The only good thing about this hotel is the the coffee shop which had some delicious coffee. Other than that the rooms are small over priced and Topolinos is way over rated. Not a fan at all with this hotel.

 

[Wedgeout]

I can’t blame Disney. They did their best to bring this style to WDW. We should probably blame the European designers instead. It is what it is. Like it or leave it. See how much love it gets after its first ten years when the new hotel smell wears off.

 

[sndral]

I’ll disagree on Toppolinos, I quite enjoy the restaurant & it’s been added to our rotation of preferred places to eat. I’ve traveled to the real Riviera in Europe a couple times & DVC’s version doesn’t remind me of those visits at all, perhaps I don’t have enough imagination .
The lobby feels really cramped & at least the few times I’ve wandered through on my way to Toppolinos it’s been crowded. The grounds are so limited & the grey monolith towers over them.
Unfortunate because I really wanted an Epcot resort w/ a longer end date - even w/out the resale restrictions it would have been a no for me probably - although I do like the Skyliner.
Maybe someday I’ll stay there & find the attractions it’s fans rave about outweigh the negatives I’ve observed & change my mind.

 

[Marthasor]

I think the rooms at RIV are gorgeous, but, other than that, I did not see much of an advantage to staying there - limited dining, lack of theming, transportation perk removed when the Skyliner goes down. I would consider staying there again if the price comes down. I just didn't see the value in staying there, quite honestly.

 

[nuhusky123]

Never stayed and can’t judge the resort but whoever came up with a cable car system in a region that has near daily lighting storms probably should have thought things through a bit more

awesome on paper, dumb in practice. The thing always seems down and I keep hearing about horror stories of people trapped in their cars when the system breaks. Most recent breakdown I’m aware being April 6 but I’m sure there have been more since

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

The only good thing about this hotel is the the coffee shop which had some delicious coffee. Other than that the rooms are small over priced and Topolinos is way over rated. Not a fan at all with this hotel.

While they do have a new pod/tower studio room category which is smaller by design, the usual room categories at Riviera are all actually among the largest of DVC resorts.

 

[lockets]

I stayed at riv and loved it, but I agree the exterior colors of the buildings are terrible and more color (or more true riviera inspired colors) could have been introduced to give it a better sense of place. But maybe that’s also because America went through a massive gray design trend in recent years that I’m a little over. Also agree that Imagineering didn’t seem too involved and I wish they had been. They definitely could have done a lot more to make it feel like the riviera. A lot more!

I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to have a hotel that lacks the super strong Disney IP/theming because there are other on site hotels that have that, and for some people (only some! I’m not knocking it) it can feel too corny. I think this hotel wasn’t targeting that guest profile as much and was going for a different guest that wants a more lux hotel feel without too much theming. I think it’s ok that this is the one property that they made different. Especially since they doubled down on strong IP at other properties (Contemporary and Poly room renos).

As to Coronado Springs Tower - I think they did a superb job of striking the balance of low key but quirky Disney theming with images of Walt’s smiling/mischievous face throughout.

Riviera has stunning mosaics and a very manicured look to it. I like that the lobby is more boutique than grand. It’s beautiful in its own way.

 

[Smugpugmug]

I agree with you OP. I never stayed there but I visited a few times to eat at Topolino's and I am not a fan of the lack of theming. To me, it looks boring and kind of sterile. I don't mind the lack of over the top "in your face" Disney theming, but the Riveria just seems so...bland compared to other resorts like Wilderness Lodge, Polynesian and Animal Kingdom Lodge. The lobby is super small for a deluxe resort, I agree with a previous poster that it seems cramped.

I also might be in the minority with this but I'm not a fan of being forced to take the Skyliner to certain parks, so I typically don't stay at the resorts that have a line. Not a fan of how TINY those tower studios are (add onto the fact that you don't even get an actual bed) and how insanely priced they are.

 

[kanerf]

I like the RIV and own there. Agreed that it does not have the grandiose theming of some of the other resorts, but I am ok with that. Yes they could have spent another 20 million or so for a more spectacular lobby, but I never spend any time there anyway. At some of the resorts the major eateries are attached to the lobby, not so with RIV. I think the reason for locating it at one end of CBR was for the Skyliner network. Now it looks like they will be doing another similar property at PVR and I am sure we will have the same complaints about it. I think the new tower designs that Disney is doing are easier to put up and maintain so will be seeing more of these in the future rather then spread out resorts with multiple buildings.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

The lobby isn’t giant it’s true. Most that do have a huge lobby are associated with a cash side hotel. RIV is a stand alone DVC only property so the size of lobby, gift shop and amount of restaurants is less. Boardwalk or Grand Cal for example would not have those giant lobbies on their own.

 

[jennyq87]

Most of the reasons people have listed for NOT liking the Riviera are the reasons I love it so much . I like the quaint lobby, the modern feel, and the cleanly designed rooms. I think the view is spectacular, the food delicious, and location so nice and centrally located for the places we like to go (Epcot, HS, Disney Springs). Their 1BR is probably my favorite room on property!

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Most of the reasons people have listed for NOT liking the Riviera are the reasons I love it so much . I like the quaint lobby, the modern feel, and the cleanly designed rooms. I think the view is spectacular, the food delicious, and location so nice and centrally located for the places we like to go (Epcot, HS, Disney Springs). Their 1BR is probably my favorite room on property!

Nice to have so many DVC options. Something for everyone to enjoy. Obviously from my comments I’m a fan too - proud owner for all the reasons you mention. Hey neighbor.

 

[Sandisw]

Many of the reasons you listed are the exact reasons I love the resort, i like the gentle touches of Disney and the feel of the resort, Sitting at the waters edge and looking over at CBR is one of my favorite things to enjoy when I say. It just reminds me of being in the Bahamas.

I actually think. The lobby is quaint and the coffee shop and library just add to it.

I am actually hoping the new Poly tower has a similar feel to it!i l

 

[bobbiwoz]

We visited it for first time on April 9th, and we enjoyed Topolinos a lot and thought the resort was beautiful, and we are happy to have a three night stay there in August.

 

[bbn1122]

I think the Rivera is gorgeous. After two stays it’s my favorite resort. But then again, this is what makes Disney and DVC so nice. Something for everyone. I appreciate the elegant sophisticated theming. I really enjoy the food options and it’s location. Skyliner is awesome.

I stayed in a 1 bedroom there and then switched to a 1 bedroom at SSR. Rivera main living area is huge compared to SSR. I think the decorating in villas is lovely.

Can’t wait to stay there again

 

[Bo1203]

Love the skyliner, major reason we bought at Riviera. As a kid we went to the San Diego zoo and rode the gondola, my Mom freaked out mid ride, to the family's amusement. Laugh about it every time I see the skyliner. Even from bwv we found it more convenient to take the skyliner to HS than walking. Some great firework views. We've had good luck in terms of weather, but I could see that being frustrating if you travel stormier times of year.

Riv is just convenient, compact size to us is a bonus. Less wasted time to get to food/drinks, parking, bus, pool, skyliner to 2 parks. Everything down to the coke machines at primo is modern. Bigger nicer rooms, no terrible sofa bed, super nice baths, elevators that work

 

[havoc315]

My wife and I just back from a stay at Disney's Riviera Resort.
First let me say that this is a very nice hotel (DVC resort).
That being said, we did feel like we were in any other higher end hotel........not a Disney hotel. In our opinion, very generic......very little theming. The european theming right next to the caribbean themed resort we thought was a bit odd as we looked out the window of our room. Where did the designers go who worked on the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk........even the classics like the Contemporary and Polynesian. The Riviera and the Gran Destino Tower (has a better atrium than Riviera) are simply easy ways to stack guests in a basic building. Thoughts?

To each their own, I'm not going to tell you that your subjective impression is wrong -- it's your subjective impression.

But I do find it funny that you would say Riviera is just "stacking guests in a basic building" compared to the Contemporary. Other than the novelty of a monorail going through the building, the Contemporary is the ultimate theme-less "stacking guests" building there can be. It's so lacking in theme, that they have felt the need to do an Incredibles overlay. Perhaps the only resort building at WDW with even less theming and character than the Contemporary is Bay Lake Tower. (if ever there was a Disney resort hotel that you could just stick in any medium-sized city, it would be BLT).

I certainly get the comparison to Animal Kingdom Lodge, Wilderness Lodge, Boardwalk and Poly -- Those 4 hotels have more of a "transportative theme" in the sense that you can almost pretend you're somewhere more exotic or unique. Kind of like "visiting countries" in the Epcot World Showcase -- It's not the same as really visiting those countries, but gives you a theme-park level flavor, like Poly gives you a theme-park level flavor of Hawaii, Wilderness Lodge gives you a theme-park level flavor of the Northwest. In contrast, at best, Riviera gives you a gentle European inspiration, but you're not going to walk around and tell the kids to pretend they are in the French Riviera.
But by far, the least transportative of any Disney deluxe resort is the Contemporary and BLT.