Disney’s Riviera Resort Review – Our Opening Night Stay at the New Resort!

We were lucky enough to stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort for its opening night on Dec. 16, 2019! Disney’s Riviera Resort is the first new resort at Walt Disney World since the opening of Art of Animation in 2012. So, it was pretty exciting to be able to be there for the opening! We got there early in the morning to check in so we were one of the first guests to check in on the official opening day. We even got to see the media ceremony that officially opened the new resort. It was definitely a pretty special experience!

Design and Theme of Disney’s Riviera Resort

This gorgeous new resort is themed after the architecture and culture of the French and Italian Riviera. The European influence really creates a beautiful feel throughout the entire resort. The lobby is elegant and full of European charm. The stylings and decor of the lobby and rooms make this a truly timeless resort! The overall atmosphere of the resort is very relaxing, and it is definitely a resort we will be recommending. It’s an amazing combination of the magic and glamour of the European Riviera and the charm of Disney.

Accommodations

Being a DVC (Disney Vacation Club) resort, it is comprised of studios and villas rather than standard rooms. In terms of room types, it has more in common with Saratoga Springs and Old Key West than it does the other Disney Resorts. All the studios include a kitchenette which the villas include a full kitchen. This is also the first resort to have a Tower Studio, a smaller option which has just 1 bed and can accommodate 2 guests. We stayed in a Studio Villa which has a regular queen bed, a queen-sized pull down bed and a single-size pull down bed. It’s a good use of space and the pull-down beds make it easy to turn the room back into a nice seating area during the daytime. This room can accommodate 5 guests, however the room is quite small so for a family of 5 the sleeping arrangements may be tight. The bathroom is large, with 2 showers (1 with a rain shower, and 1 with a bathtub), and doors separating each section so that multiple people can get ready at the same time. It’s a really smart design for families!

Dining at Disney’s Riviera Resort

The resort has a few new dining options available, including a new character breakfast at Topolino Terrace and a few quick service options. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy have European and art-inspired costumes for the character breakfast, which are so cute! We are doing the character breakfast later this week so we will be sure to share more about that once we’ve experienced it. The main quick service location, Primo Piatto has a good selection of items, including many options with French and Italian inspiration. Le Petit Café is a charming coffee shop in the lobby of the resort, while Bar Riva serves refreshing cocktails poolside.

Pools at Disney’s Riviera Resort

Disney’s Riviera has a lovely main feature pool and another quieter pool. The Riviera Pool has a slide and a splash play area for the kids. Every Disney resort has a fantastic pool, and this one is no exception. While this one is not as elaborate and doesn’t have as many water features, it would be a great place to spend an afternoon while taking a break from the parks. It also has a quaint gelato cart which we are excited to try. For those looking for a quieter atmosphere, the Beau Soleil Pool offers a peaceful and serene setting.

The Skyliner

One of the biggest highlights for us at this resort is the Skyliner. The Disney Skyliner, which opened in September of this year, is a gondola system that connects Epcot and Hollywood Studios to several of Disney’s resorts. With Disney’s Riviera Resort opening, it becomes the 4^th Disney resort to connect to the Skyliner. This is the first resort to be designed around the Skyliner so naturally it has prime access to both Epcot and Hollywood Studios by air! The other resorts that are connected by the Skyliner are Caribbean Beach Resort, Pop Century and Art of Animation. This was such a huge convenience and made it so easy to get around Disney property!

Overall Experience

Overall, as you can tell our review of Disney’s Riviera Resort is all positive! We absolutely love this resort and felt super lucky to get to stay here on opening night. The beautiful theming, the awesome dining options and the Skyliner make it so easy to get around and all contribute to making this resort amazing. Riviera Resort is definitely another fantastic addition to Disney’s collection of onsite resorts, and we can’t wait to stay here again!

Fairytale Wonders