Riviera Tower Studio - tell me the it ain't so bad (by bad I mean the size of the room for 2)

[karen4546]

Okay, first of all unless a miracle happens and my waitlist for a regular studio gets filled, we will not change resorts. I really want to stay here and when our exact dates popped up on evening, I changed our value studio at Jambo to the Tower studio @ Riviera.

I love my home resort, but since we are going to Food & Wine, the Skyliner will be a much better alternative than just buses. Ultimately, BWV would be the way to go but that also is super difficult to get at 7 mos.

Anyway, if you have stayed there was it really that cramped? I have never stayed in a value resort room, but I think those are larger than the tower studios. We do spend some time in the room in the mornings since we get up very early to drink coffee but we usually sit on the balcony; and the many videos I took looked like the balcony was fine for that.

The shower looks great and since there is only my husband and I, we don't mind the lack of the double sink.

My husband can't believe I booked here because he knows how I had a mini panic attack the first time we rode the skyliner. It was so windy!!! On our trip in March, I made a point to ride it a few times by myself one afternoon so that I could get over my fear (I did this for TOT also one year and now it is one of my favorites).

So, if you have stayed here, give me your review. thanks!

 

[princesscinderella]

We toured the room and it was definitely on the smaller side but for a couple I do think it’s plenty big. The balcony is a nice size and the bathroom is huge in proportion to the overall room size. There’s not a kitchenette area but they made the bathroom sink large if you needed to rinse something out. It reminds me of a cruise ship room.

 

[jamesweikamp]

My wife and I stay in the TS for our couples trips. The balcony is really the only space we feel cramped. Plenty of room otherwise.

 

[kanerf]

I have stayed in one and it is not that bad. Had some issues getting the murphy bed to come down flat though. Once you get on it your weight will keep it down.

 

[LoverDisney]

My 16 year old daughter and I stayed in the tower studio last month. Honestly, it's not bad. We did not feel cramped at all. The bathroom is big. I think it is perfect for 2 people.

 

[KristaZ]

My husband and I have stayed in them a couple of times. It's always been fine for us - the bed is pretty much the entire room, but we're not ones for spending much time in the room. It's pretty similar in size to many European hotels we've stayed at ( if not slightly bigger and with far better use of space and organization), so if you've ever stayed in one of those tiny rooms, you'll know what to expect. This might be weird, but the bathroom is a highlight for me and genuinely one of the reasons I love the room so much - by far my favorite bathroom at any resort on property (and definitely not European hotel room sized!).

 

[karen4546]

My husband and I have stayed in them a couple of times. It's always been fine for us - the bed is pretty much the entire room, but we're not ones for spending much time in the room. It's pretty similar in size to many European hotels we've stayed at ( if not slightly bigger and with far better use of space and organization), so if you've ever stayed in one of those tiny rooms, you'll know what to expect. This might be weird, but the bathroom is a highlight for me and genuinely one of the reasons I love the room so much - by far my favorite bathroom at any resort on property (and definitely not European hotel room sized!).

no, I have never stayed in European hotels-yet. Thank you for the heads up.
The only cruise I have been on was DCL and we were in a 1 bedroom suite and it was a good size with 2 full bathrooms-Cabin 12000.

I have a waitlist in for the regular studio but I really think we will be fine in the Tower studio. I hope they are doing Epcot's new show by October.

 

[lovewdwdvc]

My DH and I stayed in one last month. I thought it was fine except I like to go to sleep earlier than my DH. Once the bed is down the desk chair is the only place to sit. That was a problem. Also the bed is a mattress on a flat piece of wood. It was fine for me but DH was uncomfortable.

 

[Blondie58]

DH = never. Me, I would be great. He is 6'6" and 250 pounds. Just too cramped for him. He likes to hang out at resport in the evening and just r and r with cocktails. I usually do a couple hours shopping or go see fireworks. A sizeable room is more important to him. However, we both think this resport is beautiful! We love the gondola system too.

 

[Akck]

We just stayed in a tower studio 4/24-4/27. It was actually bigger than our bedroom at home. As long as you use the available storage space, you will be good. Otherwise you’ll be tripping over your bags. While we did lay on the bed during the day, we did put the bed up and used the couch. The stool tops flip over to make a tray, giving you a place to eat. We determined we would stay in one again.

 

[jimmymc]

It's small but very well designed. I would suggest unpacking and putting your suitcases in a closet. Having the folding bed/couch really gives you the effective space of a regular studio room. The only disadvantage would be if one person wanted to nap while the other person was still in the room, then that other person is limited to the balcony.

 

[CarolMN]

www.dvcfan.com just posted a video tour of a Tower Studio. Check it out & see what you think!

https://dvcfan.com/2021/05/06/tower-studio-walkthrough-at-disneys-riviera-resort/

 

[cruisehopeful]

www.dvcfan.com just posted a video tour of a Tower Studio. Check it out & see what you think!

https://dvcfan.com/2021/05/06/tower-studio-walkthrough-at-disneys-riviera-resort/

Wow, it's not what I was expecting. When I looked the square footage, it sounded similar enough to my ocean view rooms on the Wonder and those are fantastic for 2 of us. I think the not having a couch and bed at the same time is a deal breaker for me to stay in one of those with another person. It's fine for just me traveling alone, but I wouldn't stay in one with my another person. I never understand why timeshares have such large bathrooms. I guess I must spend a lot less time in them than most people.

 

[Judique]

It's a handicapped accessible studio. If you check out a few more You tube videos you will see the bathroom differences.

 

[limace]

We are staying in an AKV value 2 bedroom lock off right now, and we toured the RIV this week. The tower studios are very pretty and the design reminds me of an RV or cruise line-lots of neat little storage tricks. But they are tiny. Looks like about 100 square feet smaller than the AKV studio, which also has a larger balcony. If you aren’t “hang out in your room” people it could work-the Skyliner is a great benefit though getting back from Epcot at closing during a festival is quite the wait (we parked for tour then were allowed to leave car there and take SL for a couple hours at Epcot).

 

[MomOTwins]

I agree it's not for everyone, but I personally like it.

We toured one of the tower studios when we were thinking of buying DVC on our last trip, and while we have kids now, I thought it'd be perfect for DH and I on an adults-only trip. Since the kids have always used the sofa bed when we've travelled, I have literally never sat on a couch in a hotel room, not once, so I wouldn't miss it at all with the bed pulled down. I'm comfy just stretch out on the bed on top of the covers with pillows propped up to watch tv. And whenever I've wanted to pull out my laptop and work, or sit and type some "here now" updates on disboards after DH has gone to bed (I'm a night owl, he's a morning person), I usually go down to the hotel lobby, outdoor bench, or cafe anyway so I can grab a drink while I work and not keep anyone else up with my computer screen light.

Between the florida heat and frequent swimming in heavily-chlorinated pools, I take a lot of showers on vacation, so the spa-like rainfall shower is a real plus for me.

And of course most importantly, it creates a value option to stay at my favorite hotel! So if our kids are grown and want to take a break from Disney for a year or two, DH and I can use the bulk of our points for something else (Aulani, Disney cruise) and also squeeze an Epcot festival weekend or two at a tower studio.

 

[DisLiss]

I think those tower villas are adorable. I love that they have the feel of a one bedroom suite, in that you enter the suite and are met with your mini kitchen and living room, and *not* a bed. (Of course, if you're leaving your room and know you won't be back until bed, you can always have it ready to go in "bedroom" mode when you come back from the parks as well. )

I like how cute & cozy it is and how they fit everything you need in the little nooks here and there, including a surprising amount of storage. (I like to pack those little fabric pop-up bins that fit into the 12x12 storage cube type furniture available everywhere these days, and I think they would work really well in these rooms with how many open shelves they have. A few bins for clothing, one for toiletries, etc.)

And I appreciate that they realize that you need places to be available for one guest if the second is napping/sleeping in, etc., and for me, that little desk and the cute balcony do the trick.

 

[Dug720]

It's a handicapped accessible studio. If you check out a few more You tube videos you will see the bathroom differences.

Curious how someone who is mobility challenged would get the bed down.

Also, the rails are missing from the bathroom.

Pretty sure it's just designed as a large bathroom.

 

[Bjaiken77]

I’m very curious about these as well. As I’ve said before, I would prefer a king sized bed in the deluxe studio. So if I’m going to get a queen sized bed in either a deluxe or tower, then maybe the tower would work. It’s just the two of us, and we come back from the park and rest at the same time. I’m willing to give it a shot.

The thing I don’t agree with is the straight comparison to SSR/OKW/AKL deluxe studios on the point chart. These rooms aren’t for the same type of people. TS people, IMO, are going to want to experience the amenities that are unique to the Riviera and, more importantly, have the skyliner transportation for park days that the other deluxe studios can’t provide. I’m not saying one is better than another - they just serve different purposes.

 

[limace]

Well, you can stay at BW and still do the Skyliner, and have the point savings to boot!