The Resorts Gal Guide to Disney’s Riviera Resort

Disney’s Riviera Resort is a Disney Vacation Club Resort inspired by Walt Disney’s love for the French and Italian Riviera region. The resort is modeled after European hotels, offering a boutique lobby and an efficient footprint.

We consider Disney’s Riviera the most luxurious resort at Walt Disney World, even more so than the Grand Floridian, which often gets that nod. From its high-end finishes and stellar dining options to the bow-tie marble accents and chic pool area, the Riviera exudes sophistication. Good luck finding availability. This resort stays booked all the time.

The Basics of Disney’s Riviera Resort

Before we get into the big stuff, here are a few basics about the resort:

• Check-In: 4:00 p.m.
• Check-Out: 11:00 a.m.
• Self-Parking: Disney’s Riviera Resort offers complimentary overnight self-parking for guests visiting with a vehicle. Valet Parking is available at a daily charge/per night.
• Free Wi-Fi Internet
• Address: 1080 Esplanade Ave, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

A Note on DVC Resorts

Since Disney’s Riviera Resort is a Disney Vacation Club, it operates slightly differently from the average Disney Resort Hotel. Disney’s Vacation Club members have a first-come, first-served choice of rooms when reservations become available. However, it is rare for rooms to fill up entirely on points, so Disney makes these rooms available to regular resort guests. Therefore, you do not have to be a DVC member to stay at this or any other DVC Resort.

Disney’s Riviera Resort Benefits

Guests of Disney’s Riviera Resort can participate in Disney’s early theme park entry, a perk extended to all Walt Disney World Resort guests.

Early Theme Park Entry: This perk allows resort guests to enter any Walt Disney World theme park 30 minutes before officially opening to the general public. This early entry provides several advantages:

1. Lower Crowds: Being among the first to enter the park allows you to experience popular attractions with shorter wait times. This will help you to check off must-see rides and experiences ahead of the crowd.
2. Photography Opportunities: If you love capturing the magic of Disney, the early hours provide a fantastic opportunity for photos in front of iconic landmarks with fewer people in the background.
3. Cooler Temperatures: Morning hours are often cooler, making outdoor activities more comfortable. But if you visit during cooler weather, don’t forget a jacket!

Extended Evening Hours: Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort guests, including those staying at Disney’s Riviera Resort, enjoy spending extra time in select theme parks on specific evenings. During extended evening hours, these parks stay open later than their regular closing time, usually for two more hours.

This benefit offers several advantages as well:

1. More Ride Time: This allows you to enjoy additional nighttime rides and attractions when lines tend to be shorter.
2. Magical Nighttime Atmosphere: Disney parks take on a unique and enchanting ambiance at night, with beautifully lit landscapes. So you’ll have time to savor the nighttime magic for longer with fewer crowds. 
3. Less Rush: With extended hours, you can explore at a more relaxed pace.

Rooms at Disney’s Riviera Resort

Below is an overview of the room types at Disney’s Riviera Resort. We have either stayed in or toured each room.

• Riviera Tower Studio Room Tour: This unique unit sleeps only two guests. It’s a small room with a pull-down queen-size bed, a bathroom with a walk-in shower, a closet, and a balcony. If you don’t need much space, this room type might be worth your consideration.
• Riviera Deluxe Studio Room Tour: Riviera’s deluxe studio is one of our favorites. It has a queen-size bed and a queen-size bed that pulls down from the wall. The pull-down bed converts to a sofa when it’s not in use. This room has a small kitchenette with appliances like a microwave, toaster oven, and mini fridge. A small trundle-style bed accommodates one child. This room sleeps up to five guests.
• One-Bedroom Villa at Disney’s Riviera: This is the perfect room for a family of four or less that needs a full-size kitchen and in-room laundry.
• Riviera Two-Bedroom Room Tour: We love this unit and think it’s a wonderful combination of a one-bedroom and deluxe studio (a lock-off) or just a two-bedroom.
• Riviera Three-Bedroom Grand Villa: Talk about luxury. This suite feels like a penthouse. You’ll have all the amenities of home and then some!

*All one-bedroom and larger units have kitchens with pots, pans, dishes, a full-size refrigerator, and other typical appliances. They also have a washer and dryer. Complimentary laundry facilities are provided for guests staying in the tower or deluxe studios.

Room Views at Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Standard View (View of Parking Area, Garden, or Water)
• Preferred View (Resort View or Pool View)
• Lake View (All Three Bedroom Grand Villas offer a view of Barefoot Bay.)

Planning Your Stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort

Below, you’ll find our resources for planning your stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort. We’ve taken detailed photos of everything we’ve experienced during our stays. If you’re unfamiliar with Disney or the Riviera, we consider our resort transportation guide to be one of our most valuable resources. It’s designed to help you prepare ahead of time and can be used as a tool to help you get around while you’re there.

Disney’s Riviera Resort Review: Our review provides a detailed account of our last stay at Disney’s Riviera Resort.

Disney’s Riviera Restaurants Guide: This article provides a comprehensive guide to the dining options at Disney’s Riviera Resort. It covers the resort’s primary restaurants: Le Petit Cafe (Coffee and Pastries), Primo Piatto (fabulous quick service), Bar Riva (casual outdoor lounge with food), and Topolino’s Terrace (character breakfast by day and fine dining at night).

Rapid Fill Mugs at Disney’s Riviera Resort: Find out the price, location, and beverage options for refillable mugs at Disney’s Riviera Resort.

The Pools at Disney’s Riviera Resort: Disney’s Riviera Resort has two pools. The Beau Soleil Pool is the resort’s quiet pool, and the Riviera Pool is the primary pool with a whirlpool spa, tower water slide, and separately fenced aquatic play area themed to Fantasia.

Transportation Options at Disney’s Riviera Resort: The article outlines the transportation options at Disney’s Riviera Resort, which include the Skyliner and buses. Guests can walk to the nearby Skyliner Station for travel to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Bus service is provided to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks (Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon). (The water park buses often require a transfer.)

Disney’s Riviera Transportation Map: This map highlights where to access transportation at the resort and provides a list of destinations.

To and From Disney’s Riviera (Mini-Pocket Guide): Save this pocket guide to your mobile device and use it as a cheat sheet during your vacation.

Bus Routes with Average Times for Disney’s Riviera: This guide shares the average bus times we’ve recorded during our stays at the resort.

La Boutique Gift Shop: This photo post shares what kind of items you might find in the resort’s gift shop. It includes everything from souvenirs to groceries!

Individual Dining Reviews for Disney’s Riviera Resort

Le Petit Cafe Review: Decisions are tough at this cafe! You’ll understand when you see the pastry case filled with delightful desserts unique to the resort. Enjoy a fresh pastry and coffee for breakfast here, or pick up a cocktail and profiterole later!

Primo Piatto Review: This quick service location is one of our favorites. We enjoy it so much that we dine there at least once a month! Don’t miss the lemon blueberry pancakes for breakfast! They are a resort staple. Our review shares photos of the items we’ve enjoyed.

Bar Riva Review: This open-air lounge near the pool is gorgeous with its blue tile accents and seaside mural. We’re not big on ordering cocktails. But that doesn’t stop us from enjoying a meal here.

Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast Review: Have breakfast with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, and Daisy Duck at this charming character dining experience. It’s one of our favorites because the food is a step above most other locations. Also, you can’t beat classic characters!

Extras and Seasonal

Photos of Disney’s Riviera Resort: We’ve taken many photos of Disney’s Riviera Resort since it opened a few years back. Browse some of our favorites in this photo guide.

A Walk Around Barefoot Bay: The Riviera was built on what used to be part of Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. During your stay, you can stroll around the lake. We love to do so, especially at sunset.

Recreation: Spend the afternoon on the Riviera’s lawn. They offer outdoor games, including chess and a Bocce Ball Court.

Related Reading

For your convenience, here’s a list of all our articles related to Disney’s Riviera Resort:

More Planning

Resorts Gal specializes in Disney World Resorts, Characters, and Dining. Explore our resources, including our Disney World Resorts Guide. It provides an overview of everything you need to know about the Disney Resort Hotels. For dining, our Disney World Dining Guide is an excellent place to start. Our Disney World Transportation Guide is a wonderful resource for planning your routes. It’s one of our most popular resources. If you plan to meet characters in the parks, we have an updated list of Disney World Characters. It includes every available character meet-and-greet in the parks and where to find rare characters throughout the year. Lastly, our Disney Parks Guide provides a complete overview of all four theme parks and water parks