The Official Riviera Owners & Info Thread

[Doberge]

What they had around opening was fantastic with expanded menu options like a hanger steak and half chicken, at least for dinner. I really enjoyed the farm plant based pizza with the carrot pesto and other delicious toppings. Like many Disney restaurants they've limited the menu and removed many options. The current plant based skewer was, I believe, on the original menu but they just changed the category from entree to plant based. While Primo Piatto has done better keeping more options than many other QS locations, I hope they'll expand offerings again to fall back into a space between QS and TS.

 

[Diane Kompan]

We'll be there August 13 to the 22nd. Very excited!

 

[havoc315]

We'll be there August 13 to the 22nd. Very excited!

Will be there the same days (arriving 8/14)... see you there.

 

[MomOTwins]

Will be there the same days (arriving 8/14)... see you there.

Us too! We are brand new Riviera members and will be there for our Welcome Home stay August 14-18--a long weekend that includes my and DH's birthdays and our anniversary, and is a few days before my son's birthday, so going to need a lot of celebration buttons! We're spending wayyyyy more points than we probably should for this short stay given we only have a 150 point contract and had to use all our 2020 points and borrow another 58 from Oct 2021, but the only room we could get so last-minute was one bedroom preferred view. At least we didn't pay dues on the 2020 points. We almost went with another DVC resort for the lower point cost, but we LOVE Riviera so I felt it was worth the splurge, especially since we won't be a Disney again until our 2022 UY. Anyway, points have been borrowed so no going back now...

Someone talk me down from the ledge on my obvious anxiety that we shouldn't have borrowed so many points! The one bedroom at Riviera is my dream hotel room, so a dream-come-true birthday/anniversary splurge can't be a mistake, right?

 

[jamesweikamp]

Us too! We are brand new Riviera members and will be there for our Welcome Home stay August 14-18--a long weekend that includes my and DH's birthdays and our anniversary, and is a few days before my son's birthday, so going to need a lot of celebration buttons! We're spending wayyyyy more points than we probably should for this short stay given we only have a 150 point contract and had to use all our 2020 points and borrow another 58 from Oct 2021, but the only room we could get so last-minute was one bedroom preferred view. At least we didn't pay dues on the 2020 points. We almost went with another DVC resort for the lower point cost, but we LOVE Riviera so I felt it was worth the splurge, especially since we won't be a Disney again until our 2022 UY. Anyway, points have been borrowed so no going back now...

Someone talk me down from the ledge on my obvious anxiety that we shouldn't have borrowed so many points! The one bedroom at Riviera is my dream hotel room, so a dream-come-true birthday/anniversary splurge can't be a mistake, right?

CONGRATS!!! Borrowing to get a bigger room is totally worth it. The 1bd (and larger) rooms are awesome.

 

[MomOTwins]

CONGRATS!!! Borrowing to get a bigger room is totally worth it. The 1bd (and larger) rooms are awesome.

Thanks. I think I know that too just wanted to hear someone else say I am not crazy! I will probably get less anxiety as I get more used to making DVC bookings, but all the scary language I had to click through on borrowing being a final transaction had me panic a little. We did a tour back in March and my kids jaws were on the floor in the 1bd. I had to warn them we were really more of a "studio family," so they are probably going to flip out when they get home from school today and we tell them the news.

Just noticed we are exactly 100 days to arrival. So excited!

 

[havoc315]

Us too! We are brand new Riviera members and will be there for our Welcome Home stay August 14-18--a long weekend that includes my and DH's birthdays and our anniversary, and is a few days before my son's birthday, so going to need a lot of celebration buttons! We're spending wayyyyy more points than we probably should for this short stay given we only have a 150 point contract and had to use all our 2020 points and borrow another 58 from Oct 2021, but the only room we could get so last-minute was one bedroom preferred view. At least we didn't pay dues on the 2020 points. We almost went with another DVC resort for the lower point cost, but we LOVE Riviera so I felt it was worth the splurge, especially since we won't be a Disney again until our 2022 UY. Anyway, points have been borrowed so no going back now...

Someone talk me down from the ledge on my obvious anxiety that we shouldn't have borrowed so many points! The one bedroom at Riviera is my dream hotel room, so a dream-come-true birthday/anniversary splurge can't be a mistake, right?

Our welcome home too.... But we are stretching. We purchased 200 points, but joined with close friends who also bought 200 points. So doing a 2 bedroom for 8 nights in August and then for another 3 nights President's weekend 2022.

For August... celebrated 3 birthdays, 2 middle school graduations. Hmm, my 20th anniversary in 3 months later, maybe should celebrate that too.

 

[tdonnell56]

September 14 - 17, 2021, 1 & 2 bedroom, family vacation

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

Thanks. I think I know that too just wanted to hear someone else say I am not crazy! I will probably get less anxiety as I get more used to making DVC bookings, but all the scary language I had to click through on borrowing being a final transaction had me panic a little. We did a tour back in March and my kids jaws were on the floor in the 1bd. I had to warn them we were really more of a "studio family," so they are probably going to flip out when they get home from school today and we tell them the news.

Just noticed we are exactly 100 days to arrival. So excited!

Don't fear the one-bedroom. We started off in a studio and lasted two days, LOL. Never looked back! The one-bedrooms are pricey but sooo worth it. The privacy, bathroom access, extra room to spread out -- it's really great. We invited friends over for dinner at Topolinos and drinks back at the room, and we had two 15 year-olds, two 8 year-olds, a 7 year-old, and four adults in the one bedroom. The teens took the balcony, the kids the Murphy bed to watch TV, and the adults the dining room table. No one was squished, and it was a really pleasant surprise how much room we all had to be together -- but not on top of each other, either.

Enjoy your stay!

 

[jamesweikamp]

More reasons people love Riviera !!

https://dvcfan.com/2021/05/10/dvc-show-why-i-just-fell-in-love-with-riviera/

 

[MomOTwins]

More reasons people love Riviera !!

https://dvcfan.com/2021/05/10/dvc-show-why-i-just-fell-in-love-with-riviera/

Funny, but the opposite takes on the extent of the theme-ing made me realize another thing that made Riviera a good fit for "odd couples" like DH and me. I'm super into the heavily imagineered Disney resorts: LOVE the feeling that I've stepped out of modern USA and into another place/time. DH feels that is bit too "Disney Vegas" and gimmicky--he likes the subtler elegant style of resorts like GF or Boardwalk (now that the clown is gone) better. Riviera is a nice hybrid: the theme is not super in-your-face and to DH it feels like a luxury hotel that just happens to be at WDW, but there are enough themed elements (palm trees, marble, the chaises around the pool, mosaic walls at bar riva) that I feel 100% transported to the French Riviera.

 

[zavandor]

An excellent review of Topolino's for dinner:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/topolinos-terrace-flavors-riviera-resort-restaurant-dinner-review/
I guess it's not open for luch, is it?

 

[Doberge]

An excellent review of Topolino's for dinner:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/topolinos-terrace-flavors-riviera-resort-restaurant-dinner-review/
I guess it's not open for luch, is it?

"Breakfast" seatings go until at least 12:15, but no, there's no traditional lunch option.

I do think it's strange to not have a regular table service lunch, but given they can make $40-something per person on breakfast with characters it's unlikely they'd do better per person with lunch. Also, given the freshness and handmade nature of a lot of the dinner ingredients and options, they probably don't have much time to quickly switch from breakfast to a more dinner-like lunch. That's a long winded way of saying "no."

 

[havoc315]

"Breakfast" seatings go until at least 12:15, but no, there's no traditional lunch option.

I do think it's strange to not have a regular table service lunch, but given they can make $40-something per person on breakfast with characters it's unlikely they'd do better per person with lunch. Also, given the freshness and handmade nature of a lot of the dinner ingredients and options, they probably don't have much time to quickly switch from breakfast to a more dinner-like lunch. That's a long winded way of saying "no."

That's why they "elevated" Primo Piatto over most deluxe resort QS.

I'd assume Riviera is too small on its own to have the same number of dining options as the bigger resorts. And I'll take Riviera dining over Olivia's, for example.
But yes, I wish there was a regular TS for lunch and dinner. Maybe a "Riviera" equivalent to Beaches & Cream -- a creperie could be perfect.

Ultimately, Riviera guests will have easy use of Sebastian's at CBR, which I've heard is underrated. But they stopped doing lunch there even before Covid, just not enough demand.

 

[MomOTwins]

That's why they "elevated" Primo Piatto over most deluxe resort QS.

I'd assume Riviera is too small on its own to have the same number of dining options as the bigger resorts. And I'll take Riviera dining over Olivia's, for example.
But yes, I wish there was a regular TS for lunch and dinner. Maybe a "Riviera" equivalent to Beaches & Cream -- a creperie could be perfect.

Ultimately, Riviera guests will have easy use of Sebastian's at CBR, which I've heard is underrated. But they stopped doing lunch there even before Covid, just not enough demand.

Primo Piatto is pretty awesome for lunch. Bar Riva also has some lunch options.

The Topolino's character "breakfast" is really more of a brunch too. Steak and quiche are both excellent if breakfast foods aren't your thing.

 

[Doberge]

The no-lunch model is a hybrid between "deluxe" quality loations like Flying Fish, Jiko, Citricos, Narcoossees, Artist Point, California Grill (occasional brunch), and Yachtsman with breakfast-dinner joint hours like Ohana, Boma, 1900 Park Fare, Trattoria al Forno, and Cape May. It fits in nicely as having both at least two meal options with the quality (or better) of the aforementioned deluxe dining locations.

That's a long list and makes me realize there are generally few table service options at resorts and the only ones that exist are gwnerally attached to hotels (Beaches and Cream, Big River, Kona, GF Cafe, Wave, whispering canyon) where I guess they expect more demand. I'd just argue to Disney that the Skyliner makes a single table service lunch option at Riviera much more viable than a second table service at other resorts.

Regarding Primo Piatto, hopefully it gets backs to the original intention and they add back of a few of the original items they've taken away, at least at dinner, like the hanger steak and half chicken. Understandably covid caused menu simplification everywhere I just hope the changes are not permanent.

 

[DMLAINI]

Just booked 7/16-7/18. We're checking into Loews Royal Pacific 7/18 for Universal but after staying at CBR in April, we fell in love with The Riviera & decided to add on a stay for a surprise for our daughter's 13th. Birthday. Can a 12 year old order off of the children's menu at Topolino's for dinner?

 

[jamesweikamp]

Just booked 7/16-7/18. We're checking into Loews Royal Pacific 7/18 for Universal but after staying at CBR in April, we fell in love with The Riviera & decided to add on a stay for a surprise for our daughter's 13th. Birthday. Can a 12 year old order off of the children's menu at Topolino's for dinner?

A twelve year old is a "Disney adult" but I had some success asking our waiter nicely to allow it.

 

[Turn the Page]

Funny, but the opposite takes on the extent of the theme-ing made me realize another thing that made Riviera a good fit for "odd couples" like DH and me. I'm super into the heavily imagineered Disney resorts: LOVE the feeling that I've stepped out of modern USA and into another place/time. DH feels that is bit too "Disney Vegas" and gimmicky--he likes the subtler elegant style of resorts like GF or Boardwalk (now that the clown is gone) better. Riviera is a nice hybrid: the theme is not super in-your-face and to DH it feels like a luxury hotel that just happens to be at WDW, but there are enough themed elements (palm trees, marble, the chaises around the pool, mosaic walls at bar riva) that I feel 100% transported to the French Riviera.

You know, one thing I liked about our SSR stays was how calm and relaxing the atmosphere at the resort was. I thought they would all feel that way but now i'm not so sure.

Our last visit we stayed at AofA and while I really enjoyed the over the top Disney theme I just did not feel as serene there. Now, part of that was probably because we had 7 people in a family suite and DS, 20 months at the time, was pretty sick. But still, I felt it more when we walked through RIV than I did in our room at AofA.

 

[CarolynFH]

Can a 12 year old order off of the children's menu at Topolino's for dinner?

Many people have reported on DISboards that they were allowed to order off the kids’ menu when paying OOP (as opposed to using the Dining Plan) at an a la carte restaurant, not at a buffet, family style or AYCTE. They also frequently report being served an adult-size portion at a higher price than the kids’ menu price.