We’ve stayed at both VGF and RIV with three kiddos. Both resorts are great and have excellent resort staff.
However, the feelings I get from each resort are very different. The Grand Floridian feels much more “adult” and “stuffy” than Riviera does to me. The Grand is more of a collared-shirt resort to me (although there are plenty of those at Riviera). GF has more fancy restaurants and you’ll see people dressed up to visit them. Both have good quick service restaurants, but Topolino’s Terrace at Riviera is our favorite Character Breakfast by far.
On room size and location, Riviera is a tower hotel and so it’s nice that everything is in one building. The VGF1 building is farthest from the main building and very far from the quick service restaurant. The studios are about 50 square feet bigger than the original deluxe studios at VGF. The new resort studios at VGF have a better layout and theme and are about 65 square feet larger than the original deluxe studios. The resort studios are also closer to the main building, but have no covered walkway like the
DVC building. HOWEVER, the resort studios have paper-thin walls and you will hear your neighbors’ conversations and all their music/TV/showers etc.
The resort studios now make up the bulk of the room inventory at VGF. It will be easier to get a studio at VGF (harder at Riviera so may want to own there if prioritizing studios). Room inventory for 1 and 2 bedroom units is larger at Riviera and it will be easier to get those rooms at Riviera (harder to get at VGF so may want to own there if prioritizing 1 and 2 beds).
Both VGF and Riviera’s pools and splash pads feel underwhelming to me, but they are fun and adequate. Riviera’s pool bar is outside the pool gate, while the Grand has twice as many and they are inside.
Neither Riviera nor the Grand Floridian have playgrounds for kiddos. The Grand does have some beach sand to play with and a gray area. Riviera has some fake grass, and some lawn games.
The Skyliner is great in great weather. The monorail is unreliable in any weather and Grand Floridian has the worst spot on the resort monorail line. The grand does have a walking path, but it’s far too MK if you’re coming from the original DVC building (it’s basically like walking from the Poly).
Both resorts have
points charts that are point-hungry compared to other DVC resorts, but Riviera is a little more favorable.
I do wish the Riviera had a slightly larger lobby and some more shopping choices, but it works. I don’t spend that much time in a resort lobby anyways. The Grand Flo’s lobby with a professional piano player dressed to the nines is quite spectacular. However, I fell out of place pushing a stroller and sweating from the Florida heat.
If you’re buying direct, incentives will vary slightly. Riviera has a longer contract, higher dues, and resale restrictions that likely mean you’ll sell it for much less than you purchased it for. VGF will have shorter contract, lower dues, and will fetch a resale price closer to what you paid direct.
If you’re buying resale, your VGF points will be more expensive and can’t be used at Riviera, Villas at
Disneyland Hotel, or future dvc resorts. Riviera resale points are cheaper, but can only be used to stay at Riviera.
All that to say, which is best for families with kids? I think Riviera, especially if you want to stay in studios and have the home resort priority. VGF could be the more safe financial choice if you think you’ll sell down the road. Buying direct means getting access to both at 7 months.
. I may be biased but I think you made a good choice.
