We stayed 8 nights last week at Riviera in a 2 BR lockoff. We got our room request of a high floor facing Epcot, we were in 8729 and 8731, exactly where we wanted to be. Here are some random thoughts about the resort in no particular order. However, as an overall, we loved it and are so glad we bought here!!
1. We spent 1 night in a 2 BR at the BCV first, and the room at the RR was so much nicer!! Like light years nicer. Much larger, set up better, brighter, more seating at the table and in the LR, no pull out beds, better bathroom setup.... I could go on and on. I love the location at the BCV and SAB is amazing, but nothing about the room is better.
2. The skyliner is wonderful, hands down the best transportation option at Disney. We never waited more than a few minutes, and were lucky in that it was never down when we needed it and it never stopped while we were waiting or on it.
3. The pool is small and, quite frankly, nothing special. I wish they had put in something better. The slide was fun, and fast. But IMO this pool area is one to swim at to cool down for an hour or so, not one we want to carve out entire days at like we do at the Poly, GF, or BC/YC. It needs to be larger and deeper. What's with the huge concrete peninsula instead of more pool? The slide and kids area are picturesque.
4. The pool area was always windy, making me cold when wet despite 90 degree temps. What's up with that?
5. Despite my husband worrying prior to this stay that they pool would be too small and crowded for the resort, we never found it crowded and always found chairs/loungers. Could also be partially related to #3.
6. The QS at the resort was very good, we love La Petite Cafe. However, after eating there 3 times, I wish they would bring back their pre-covid menu, I remember reading many more options before. It's time Disney!
7. Related to #6, time to bring back the Monte Cristo!
8. I never saw Bar Riva look crowded.
9 After staying there I stand by my prior thoughts- the lobby should have been bigger and the shop should have been way bigger. I have heard the whole it's like hotels on the actual Riviera and it's DVC only so they don't do grand lobbies arguments - I disagree and think a somewhat grand lobby would have elevated an amazing resort even more. The single file stairs in the back going down should have been grand like in the GF or even the tower at CS - what a missed opportunity!
10. Despite being small I loved what they shop carried for Rivera merch and DVC merch. But there wasn't much else, the kids thought it was a terrible resort gift shop. I, however, spent way too much money and now own a large portion of the Riviera resort merchandise!
11. Why can't all of the resorts have such a great resort specific merchandise selection?
12. The lobby was so crowded with furniture that it was hard to get a double stroller through it from the busses to the elevator if there were many people at all standing around. Around 11:00 AM it was a zoo.
13. On day 4 they did our room fully- made the beds, new folded towels on all of the racks, and I think even did counters/floors. On day 8 they only left new towels, and I found out that night hadn't filled the conditioner and we were out. When I went to the front desk to have them fill conditioner he told me they aren't doing any full cleanings on days 4 and 8 unless you ask, I forgot to mention to him that they did on day 4, not sure what the deal is with that.
13. It's time to bring back regular housekeeping for cash stays and the regular scheduled cleaning for DVC stays. If I can stand shoulder to shoulder with tens of thousands of people to watch fireworks, jam into a bus, and be told to fill up all available space in lines, they can clean my room despite COVID not being over (I was told COVID is the reason for the reduced cleaning).
14. Direct to room has it's advantages, but I prefer the personal check in touch where you get a resort map, get told about hours/activities, get told (hopefully) about needing to request full cleanings, etc. In the future I think I will still stop at the desk to check in.
15. With the view we had a standard view is definitely the way to go at this resort! You can see Spaceship Earth while laying in the master bed! Enough said! Even without the fireworks I think the point savings is worth it, but being able to see the MK fireworks from afar and the Epcot fireworks is just icing on the cake. It's not like BLT where you see the castle and fireworks with the music, a PV here is just the resort pool and CBR. Pretty, yes, but not amazing and we would need to use a ton more points for 9 nights PV over SV.
16. I'm not sure how I would feel about SV if I had gotten a room like second floor directly on the entrance walk. However, in walking around, there are a lot of subpar Premium views you could get also. The PV is so much more than the SV, getting a bad view in that case would really sting.
17. I love The lobby and elevator smell, and after staying there think the
magic candle company candle is actually pretty good at reproducing it. It isn't exact, but its close.
18. They should put in pool cabanas. Then we would do a full pool day despite #3.
19. The art around the entire building is amazing.
20. We did the DVC tour of the Tower Studio and GV. The TS is fine, small but would suffice in the right circumstances and for the right points/price. The GV is amazing, and I would take it in a heartbeat if someone gave it to me, but as far as using points I don't want to feel like I'm in a home on my vacation and I would rather get 2 trips (roughly) in a 2 BR than 1 in that. Now If I had a family member to split it with, then we could talk lol...
21. Confusing that the second number in the room number is the floor haha. I had read that somewhere, but when everyone else in my family heard the room number they just assumed it was on the 8th floor. I thought to tell them first, maybe I should have had some fun and let them wander around upstairs a bit
.
22. Topolino's breakfast is by far my new favorite character breakfast. The food was great and a step above most, you could order all you wanted, there was lots of room around the tables, and we saw the characters probably 5 times each. They were almost always out. Their costumes were cute, and I usually don't care about things like that. The service was also great, a notch above.
23. Topolino's diner was great also, good service and nice atmosphere. We didn't have a view and I wasn't super hungry when we went, which made it not as good for me that specific night, but definitely somewhere we will go to again.
24. Not specific to Riviera, but I hate that menus are all using QR codes. Specific to Topolino's, the CM who seated us overheard me say that to my DH and brought me a menu. I don't ask, just prefer that way, but it was such a nice touch that he heard and acted on it.
25. The products in the dispensers didn't seem to smell like the small bottles did when they used those. Am I crazy, or does anyone else agree?
26. I like the double shower heads, and they look cool, but as for practicality and using them it really didn't make a difference to me. I tried each one and them together, and really didn't care which I used.
26. Having 3 showers was great, and with the master tub 4 people could bathe at the same time if needed (probably if one was a kid, but still 4 methods of getting clean).
27. I still stand by not wanting to do laundry on vacation, but did like having the W/D for when my kids got things all over new outfits and I could wash them right away instead of when we got home.
28. Things don't dry in Florida! My Lands end bathing suit is not a quick dry material, and 3 days later it was still damp hanging in the bathroom. I had to put it on he balcony, and that still took time.
29. The pull down beds are game changers as far as the whole couch/bed thing. So, so, so much better than the pull out couches. two of my boys slept on the twin ones, they loved them. My MIL slept on the queen one. The mattresses are not the exact same like I had been told they would be, they are thinner, but they are still real mattresses and not the terrible pull out ones. The one in the LR in the 1 BR/2 BR is a notch better than the one in the studio, with side storage and charging areas when you pull it down. I do wish that exact bed was also the one in the studio.
30. The lighting in the entire unit is awesome! When you have all of the lights on it is amazingly bright, yet there are many lights so you can selectively turn them on if you don't want it daylight bright. I hate, hate, hate, dim hotel rooms, this was the best one I have ever been in! Overhead lights, wall sconces, lamps, reading lights - you name it they had it!
31. Tons of storage in the room - I love it. I overpack, and we drive, and had storage we didn't use/need.
Ok, I think that's enough! I do tend to be too wordy, I hope this helped someone and didn't just make everyone skip the whole thing lol. I'll post some view photos in a separate post next.
