Rivera or Boardwalk

[Mynamewastaken]

I currently have two reservations booked because I can't decide on which resort to stay at. I am booked at the Riveria through Disney to stay in a studio and a regular room with the Boardwalk. We've stayed at the Boardwalk many times and love it because of the proximity to Epcot and HS. I've always wanted to try the Riveria but I am afraid the transportation will be an issue. We are a family of 4 kids are 15 and 13. Advice is appreciated.

 

[Marionnette]

I currently have two reservations booked because I can't decide on which resort to stay at. I am booked at the Riveria through Disney to stay in a studio and a regular room with the Boardwalk. We've stayed at the Boardwalk many times and love it because of the proximity to Epcot and HS. I've always wanted to try the Riveria but I am afraid the transportation will be an issue. We are a family of 4 kids are 15 and 13. Advice is appreciated.

What are your transportation concerns? Under normal circumstances both BWI and RIV use bus transportation to MK and AK. The only transportation difference between the two resorts is boat/walking to Epcot or HS from BWI vs Skyliner from RIV.

I would stick with RIV because:

• You have always wanted to stay there and you've stayed at BWI many times
• RIV is newer, fresher
• Your room at RIV will be, at minimum, a studio with kitchenette
• RIV has split bathrooms, which can be a godsend when you have 4 people sharing a room

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I currently have two reservations booked because I can't decide on which resort to stay at. I am booked at the Riveria through Disney to stay in a studio and a regular room with the Boardwalk. We've stayed at the Boardwalk many times and love it because of the proximity to Epcot and HS. I've always wanted to try the Riveria but I am afraid the transportation will be an issue. We are a family of 4 kids are 15 and 13. Advice is appreciated.

Skyliner is much faster than walking to HS about about equal to walking to Epcot.

You're UPGRADING your transportation to stay at Riviera, not downgrading it, and I say this as an avowed Riviera hater.

 

[DeeBee3]

Agree with above - try Riviera. Your kids are older so if something happens, like lightning, and Skyliner is down, the kids are more flexible. Since it's new to you, I would totally go with that. Nice to have a change in scenery.

 

[k5xs]

Love both resorts.

Transportation for us was better at the Riviera because of SkyLiner access. The only downside was we were pushing a wheelchair, and the bus stop was a bit far down a long sidewalk, so trips back up that were a trifle long.

Food options were more limited at Riviera, but the counter service eatery is excellent.

We far preferred the room at the Riviera, but that’s probably because we had a suite. The decor was more to our preference as well. And the Riviera was much quieter.

BWI seems more centrally located, but the SkyLiner made up for that.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Agree with above - try Riviera. Your kids are older so if something happens, like lightning, and Skyliner is down, the kids are more flexible. Since it's new to you, I would totally go with that. Nice to have a change in scenery.

And if there is lightning and they have to scramble buses (or at the non-Skyliner parks to begin with), take whichever of the Riviera or Caribbean Beach buses gets there first and/or has a shorter line.

 

[Mynamewastaken]

Thank you all! I am getting excited!!

 

[Marthasor]

I would try RIV. The rooms are beautiful. I just wasn't thrilled with the lack of food options (QS is good, Topolino's was very difficult to get an ADR) and the unreliability of the Skyliner. I always prefer having the option of walking places and not relying on Disney transportation. That being said, many people love RIV, so, if you've always wanted to stay there, I would give it a try!

 

[kanerf]

I own at both and I would go with the Riviera, especially as you have just Boardwalk rooms reserved and not a Villa. Having that little kitchen area is a great thing. You can have breakfast in the room and save time and money.

 

[Moliphino]

Skyliner is much faster than walking to HS about about equal to walking to Epcot.

You're UPGRADING your transportation to stay at Riviera, not downgrading it, and I say this as an avowed Riviera hater.

I don't see how the Skyliner can be much faster than walking when it's only a 15 minute walk from Boardwalk to DHS.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I don't see how the Skyliner can be much faster than walking when it's only a 15 minute walk from Boardwalk to DHS.

It's like 7 minutes on the Skyliner.

Maybe I shouldn't have said MUCH faster, but it's certainly not a downgrade.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't see how the Skyliner can be much faster than walking when it's only a 15 minute walk from Boardwalk to DHS.

Ha ha! Tell that to my feet at the end of the day! I swear that walk back to the Boardwalk takes at least 30 exhausting minutes!

 

[Moliphino]

It's like 7 minutes on the Skyliner.

Maybe I shouldn't have said MUCH faster, but it's certainly not a downgrade.

Estimates have it at 10-11 minutes from the Riviera station, not counting walking to the station from the main building and lines.

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 5-6 minutes
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort: about 5 minutes
• Disney’s Riviera Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: approximately 9 minutes

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Estimates have it at 10-11 minutes from the Riviera station, not counting walking to the station from the main building and lines.

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 5-6 minutes
• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort: about 5 minutes
• Disney’s Riviera Resort to International Gateway at Epcot: approximately 9 minutes

I'm not sure what site you're using, but if it's the OLP Transportation Wizard, they estimate that the walk from Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios is 25 minutes.

You don't get to substitute your subjective calculation of DHS walking times and then compare it to some kind of estimate you found online for Skyliner times.

 

[Moliphino]

I used Google maps for the Boardwalk to DHS time.

I've also walked it countless times.

Skyliner times from WDWInfo and also personal experience.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm not sure what site you're using, but if it's the OLP Transportation Wizard, they estimate that the walk from Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios is 25 minutes.

You don't get to substitute your subjective calculation of DHS walking times and then compare it to some kind of estimate you found online for Skyliner times.

LOL, even your own analysis used 18 minutes for Riv to DHS, so I'm not sure where you pulled 7 minutes from this time.

 

[GoBears79]

It depends on what is important to you. Food (dining) is very important to us, so all the dining options between the Boardwalk, Y&BC, EPCOT, Swan & Dolphin and Hollywood Studios would make the Boardwalk an easy choice for us.

 

[CarolynFH]

I currently have two reservations booked because I can't decide on which resort to stay at. I am booked at the Riveria through Disney to stay in a studio and a regular room with the Boardwalk. We've stayed at the Boardwalk many times and love it because of the proximity to Epcot and HS. I've always wanted to try the Riveria but I am afraid the transportation will be an issue. We are a family of 4 kids are 15 and 13. Advice is appreciated.

BWV is our home resort, but we like to try new resorts too. So we’d stay at Riviera to check it out. (Actually, we did manage one night in a 1 BR prepandemic and would love to return.)

 

[amandaks]

How long are you going? Have you considered a split stay? With older kids it wouldn’t be too painful. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to each resort, but this way you’d at least get to try Riviera.

 

[Nabas]

I currently have two reservations booked because I can't decide on which resort to stay at. I am booked at the Riveria through Disney to stay in a studio and a regular room with the Boardwalk. We've stayed at the Boardwalk many times and love it because of the proximity to Epcot and HS. I've always wanted to try the Riveria but I am afraid the transportation will be an issue. We are a family of 4 kids are 15 and 13. Advice is appreciated.

We recently stayed at Beach Club and were using the Skyliner to get to Disney's Hollywood Studios.

We reached the transfer station at Caribbean Beach Resort, although we stopped a few times. (It was the middle of the afternoon on a beautiful sunny day.) At the transfer station, the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios stopped working just before we boarded! Cast Members were directing everyone back to Epcot to take a Friendship boat from there!!! We ended up Ubering from CBR, got to DHS in about 5 minutes.

What a waste of time.

This is the fourth time we have been stranded by the Skyliner, with some even worse stories to tell.

Needless to say, we took a Friendship boat back to the Beach Club that night.