Five Reasons to Stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort
The Walt Disney Company doesn’t open new hotels often. Each time the company introduces a Deluxe Tier resort with a unique theme, it’s a big deal. And Disney’s latest offering is definitely worth your consideration. Here are five reasons to stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort.
The Location
Walt Disney World strategists selected a hotel at Disney’s Riviera Resort due to its location. The property was formerly a part of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort that company officials turned into a standalone resort. The Riviera is nearly in the middle of the main Disney campus.
Specifically, the Riviera’s position nearly splits the difference between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The hotel lies due south of Epcot and somewhat northeast of Hollywood Studios.
In fact, on a map of Walt Disney World, the Riviera is almost due east of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. And fans of that resort know that it’s walking distance away from Epcot and Hollywood Studios.
Disney didn’t pick this land by accident, folks. The convenience of staying here is ridiculous. And park officials made it better with the introduction of a new form of transportation that I’ll discuss in the final section.
The Theming
Imagineers settled on a unique theme for the Riviera. It’s styled after European vacation hotels near the French, Spanish, and Italian Riviera. However, there’s more to it than that.
Disney celebrates a seminal time in the life of its founder. Back in the 1930s, Walt Disney famously worked long hours. To make it up to his wife, he’d take her on exotic vacations. Some of their treasured memories occurred during trips to Western Europe. Similarly, Walt and his older brother, Roy, would make business trips there to perform research for animated movies.
At the Riviera, you step back in time to the 1930s, where European elegance meshes with classic Disney animation. Cast members have populated lounges, walls, and architecture with Disney memorabilia. You can nurture a beverage and a light snack while you examine pictures of the Disneys during their family vacations across Europe.
The art and architecture on display at the Riviera impresses so much that you’ll want to visit the resort even when you’re not staying here. The exterior features floor-to-ceiling murals that interpret scenes from Peter Pan’s Flight and Tangled. Imagineers have placed these in spots where you can watch them as you walk to and from the Disney Skyliner station.
Disney’s leaned into its history at the Riviera. The results are spectacular.
The Food
Have you ever visited Western Europe? If so, you understand that eating is ingrained in the culture. Guests will arrive at an eatery at twilight and then stay there for several hours. Meals are gatherings for current and future friends.
To perfect the theming at the Riviera, Disney’s honored this tradition with its restaurants and lounges. Two different places share the specific purpose of shared meals with conversation.
Bar Riva sells exotic drinks and a few shareable snacks. And Le Petit Café marries the concept of a dreamy French café with a coffee bar. You could lose a couple of hours luxuriating at either one.
The Quick Service restaurant at the hotel similarly delights. Primo Piatto carries several menu items that are French, Spanish, and Italian in nature. In other words, it’s got some of the best cuisine you’ll ever find at a Disney counter service restaurant.
However, the star of the Riviera resides on the top floor. Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera delivers stunning views of Disney landmarks while offering a delectable Signature Dining experience. This rooftop restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows that provide a skyline perspective of the Most Magical Place on Earth.
The food mirrors Primo Piatto, only it’s much higher end. The exotic cuisine rivals anything at a Disney resort, save for arguably Victoria & Albert’s. Plus, the restaurant hosts a Mickey Mouse character meal each morning!
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends unites Donald and Daisy Duck with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in an unforgettable interactive experience. Oh, and it’s a prix fixe meal with impeccable food, too.
You’ll never go hungry when you stay at the Riviera.
Coming to you LIVE from Topolino’s Character Breakfast!l
Posted by MickeyBlog.com on Sunday, January 12, 2020
The Rooms
Walt Disney World Imagineers hadn’t designed entirely new hotel rooms in a while. They embraced the challenge with a series of brightly colored facilities. Many rooms feature white walls offset by impeccable paintings of beloved Disney characters.
Since the hotel’s theme is the Riviera, French and Italian art styles influence these paintings. An Impressionist’s take on Wall-E is a sight to behold. The hotel’s retail store sells some of the art featured in the rooms. Disney wouldn’t do that unless the pictures were breathtaking.
When you’re not admiring the art, you’ll appreciate the spacious nature of the rooms and the efficiency of the design. Open concepts and airy décor evoke feelings of tranquility and comfort. But the luxury is unmistakable, too. You’ll admire the bathroom and kitchen tile so much that you’ll want to put it in your home.
Of course, the most exciting rooms at the Riviera are Tower Studios. Disney’s never built any of these before now, and they’ve received a lot of hype. They embrace the tiny house/micro-studio culture, as the rooms only sleep two. Tower Studios don’t even come with a regular bed; there’s a drop-down Murphy bed instead.
However, these 255-square foot rooms are ideal for romantic outings. You and your loved one will have no choice but to get close while staying here. And some of the views include the most gorgeous, memorable landmarks on the Disney campus. Plus, Tower Studios are cheaper than regular hotel rooms. Inventory is limited, though.
The Disney Skyliner
Park officials have entwined the fates of the Riviera and the latest form of transportation, the Disney Skyliner. This new traveling method takes place in the air. You board a gondola and travel to one of several destinations across the Disney campus.
The central station for the Skyliner resides at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. And that’s important since I mentioned earlier that Disney built the Riviera on some land previously assigned to Caribbean Beach. When you stay at the Riviera, you’re just one Skyliner stop away from the system hub.
The Skyliner includes stops at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot plus other official Disney resorts. For this reason, you’re never more than a few minutes away from two of the four parks at Walt Disney World.
Since the front of Epcot features direct monorail service to Magic Kingdom, you can reach three Disney parks without using a bus. This method of transportation provides guests with unprecedented convenience in transferring around the Disney campus. And you’ll rarely wait for more than a minute or two to board a gondola. So, it’s a more efficient form of transportation, too.
The Riviera would be a wonderful place to stay even without the Skyliner. However, the presence of a station right by the hotel makes it that much better.
Ultimately, the best way that I can describe is the Riviera is this. It’s like a love letter from Imagineers to the memory of Walt and Lillian Disney. Who wouldn’t want to stay at that resort?