Am I the only one underwhelmed by Riviera?

[Chuck S]

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes. For the most part, the most popular DVC resorts have little to no personal appeal to me. I like the quiet, laid back style of OKW. I do want to try AKL and BLT sometime. I stayed at Poly. It was nice, but just not my personal style. And while I enjoy strolling through the Grand Floridian, and occasionally dining there, it isn't a place I particularly want to stay.

I find some of the photos of Riviera appealing, but I'd want to stay there b4 I decide if I like it or not.

 

[sleepydog25]

My wife and I were just at Disney the week of Christmas, and we visited Riviera to grab a latte, a pastry, and to explore a bit. We even managed to get in on a DVC tour as a walk-up.
Pros
- It's new, and as it is with most new, shiny objects, the wear isn't showing and the CMs are all excited.
- Clean lines, whatever that means exactly. Seriously, if you prefer a sharper, well, cleaner look then RR has it.
- Location. Granted, the Skyliner doesn't always work, but it is a nice bennie to have staying there. We rode it twice with no issues.
- Grounds, pool side. Lovingly rendered, they will remind you of a European hotel of sorts, Disneyfied, of course.
- Artwork. Lovely, engaging, and playful on occasion. There's not a ton of it which is in keeping with the whole "clean lines" idea, I suppose.
- Not a plus for us, but if you like the artwork, you can purchase prints there.
- The library. Just off the 2nd floor cafe--La Petit?--is a great seating area that has Walt memorabilia. Truly a gem at the hotel.
Cons
- While some like clean lines, we appreciate theming more, and RR is bereft of such except small touches here and there. Again, each to his/her own tastes.
- Coffee and food at QS. Joffrey's quality espresso (not very good) and the pastries were meh. Service was achingly slow at Primo Piatto despite 6 people behind the counter. Twenty minutes for eggs and bacon with the place only half full at best.
- Slippery floors. They use lots of tile at RR, and when it's wet, it's very slippery even in sneakers.
- Point costs. I understand it's a new resort, but it will cost primo points. I suppose that's an argument for all follow on DVC resorts, though.
Miscellaneous
- We took the tour. You start out in a GV, and certainly, those are impressive. However, most people won't stay in those or even 1 or 2BRs. So, we concentrated on the studio look and feel.
- Nice? Sure, it's new. Bland? Yep. . .unless you love that clean lines look. Lots of muted creams, whites, grays. Doesn't look very European, though.
- They did well designing storage for suitcases and clothes, much better than VGF, for example, so they learned from their mistakes.
- I can't say we actually disliked the environment, but we didn't really like it, either. It felt a bit cold, indifferent, non-inviting.
- Don't mistake the non-inviting comment to mean sophisticated--it's not. It is what it is, a new resort where everything is currently shiny. Give it a couple of years.

It's not a resort that floored us. Anecdotally, it appears to be a Disney attempt to recreate European luxury but coming across as more upscale moderate. Nothing made us want to buy more points or even rush to stay there, though I suppose we will at some point. Of all the options I saw, the Tower Studios were the most unique. It's a small space but has a larger-than-expected bathroom, enough storage if you pack lightly, and the pull down bed which seemed nice enough. That might be how we first sample RR, though I suspect those units will be extremely hard to come by unless you own there. In summation, Disney didn't strike out with this resort, but at best, I'd give them a double to left field with little hope of the runner advancing. On a sales note, the DVC agents made a big deal out of buying now before the price goes up, and they constantly reminded you that other legacy resorts don't offer you anywhere near as good a bargain as RR does which I suppose is true if you buy directly from them.

 

[Wakey]

Good to know! Opens up so many possibilities for us! I really wish they would put them in BCV and/or BWV!

They will be next updates- full update now every 15 years so not until 2029/30 for these properties. I doubt they will put them in the soft goods refurb which is now 7 years.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

My wife and I were just at Disney the week of Christmas, and we visited Riviera to grab a latte, a pastry, and to explore a bit. We even managed to get in on a DVC tour as a walk-up.
Pros
- It's new, and as it is with most new, shiny objects, the wear isn't showing and the CMs are all excited.
- Clean lines, whatever that means exactly. Seriously, if you prefer a sharper, well, cleaner look then RR has it.
- Location. Granted, the Skyliner doesn't always work, but it is a nice bennie to have staying there. We rode it twice with no issues.
- Grounds, pool side. Lovingly rendered, they will remind you of a European hotel of sorts, Disneyfied, of course.
- Artwork. Lovely, engaging, and playful on occasion. There's not a ton of it which is in keeping with the whole "clean lines" idea, I suppose.
- Not a plus for us, but if you like the artwork, you can purchase prints there.
- The library. Just off the 2nd floor cafe--La Petit?--is a great seating area that has Walt memorabilia. Truly a gem at the hotel.
Cons
- While some like clean lines, we appreciate theming more, and RR is bereft of such except small touches here and there. Again, each to his/her own tastes.
- Coffee and food at QS. Joffrey's quality espresso (not very good) and the pastries were meh. Service was achingly slow at Primo Piatto despite 6 people behind the counter. Twenty minutes for eggs and bacon with the place only half full at best.
- Slippery floors. They use lots of tile at RR, and when it's wet, it's very slippery even in sneakers.
- Point costs. I understand it's a new resort, but it will cost primo points. I suppose that's an argument for all follow on DVC resorts, though.
Miscellaneous
- We took the tour. You start out in a GV, and certainly, those are impressive. However, most people won't stay in those or even 1 or 2BRs. So, we concentrated on the studio look and feel.
- Nice? Sure, it's new. Bland? Yep. . .unless you love that clean lines look. Lots of muted creams, whites, grays. Doesn't look very European, though.
- They did well designing storage for suitcases and clothes, much better than VGF, for example, so they learned from their mistakes.
- I can't say we actually disliked the environment, but we didn't really like it, either. It felt a bit cold, indifferent, non-inviting.
- Don't mistake the non-inviting comment to mean sophisticated--it's not. It is what it is, a new resort where everything is currently shiny. Give it a couple of years.

It's not a resort that floored us. Anecdotally, it appears to be a Disney attempt to recreate European luxury but coming across as more upscale moderate. Nothing made us want to buy more points or even rush to stay there, though I suppose we will at some point. Of all the options I saw, the Tower Studios were the most unique. It's a small space but has a larger-than-expected bathroom, enough storage if you pack lightly, and the pull down bed which seemed nice enough. That might be how we first sample RR, though I suspect those units will be extremely hard to come by unless you own there. In summation, Disney didn't strike out with this resort, but at best, I'd give them a double to left field with little hope of the runner advancing. On a sales note, the DVC agents made a big deal out of buying now before the price goes up, and they constantly reminded you that other legacy resorts don't offer you anywhere near as good a bargain as RR does which I suppose is true if you buy directly from them.

That’s the biggest thing that jumps out at us— not European. And not luxury.

 

[Sandisw]

They will be next updates- full update now every 15 years so not until 2029/30 for these properties. I doubt they will put them in the soft goods refurb which is now 7 years.

So, the fact that those 2042 resorts will be do for hard goods only 11 years before they end, I wonder if Disney will use that to somehow to help them with a quicker transition to the new DVC that will take there place

 

[The Jackal]

So, the fact that those 2042 resorts will be do for hard goods only 11 years before they end, I wonder if Disney will use that to somehow to help them with a quicker transition to the new DVC that will take there place

Not if the kitchen cabinets are made from the same material VGF kitchens are made from. The cabinet faces and doors are not quality. The room we had they should have replaced the cabinets a while ago. Rest of the room was nice but the kitchen and living room were well worn. We have had rooms in better shape at SSR. Sorry, I don’t know why this site flips pics sideways.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

@ Wakey, what about SSR do you like over RIV? We have not stayed at either yet and plan on waitlisting RIV standard. Just curious !

 

[Wakey]

@ Wakey, what about SSR do you like over RIV? We have not stayed at either yet and plan on waitlisting RIV standard. Just curious !

I like the grounds, very pretty, multiple pools and walking to DS. I like the architecture of the buildings. I also like the refurb rooms which after Riviera are best on property. The spread out nature of SSR is a plus to us as we go to WDW to walk and run.

 

[mystereevan]

We just bought in Riviera as our first DVC property. I really think this resort appeals to people my age (millennials) who don’t have kids.

Riviera provides a lot of convenience with a coffee shop, nice upscale restaurant, and fast service restaurant, making it a one stop shop. The gondolas connect us two our two favorite parks (HS and Epcot) while providing Instagram views of the park. Hopefully they’ll start operating more reliably with time.

And you have to imagine the team that decided to put in the tower studios did so with the idea that young couples without kids would be the most likely candidate to stay here. While the resort is a bit plain, it’s very modern and gives nice vacation vibes.

I get that’s it’s not for everyone and probably one of the least “themed” resorts, it’s exactly what we were looking for.

 

[Chuck S]

Welcome Home, mystereevan! I hope you enjoy your membership for many years, as much as I have mine.

 

[BritneyBelle]

Chances are you aren't the only one underwhelmed by the Riviera. But the chances are equally as good there are many others who are very impressed with the Riviera.

Keep in mind that DVC is large enough to cater to a wide variety of tastes. Each of us can walk on to any of the 15 DVC properties and say "Wow, I love this!" or "Wow, this is definitely not for me!" There are no winners or losers in this game.

This is exactly how I felt when I saw the artwork “not for me, but I’m happy that others like it.” This isn’t a zero sum game. If it’s not for me and I never would buy or stay there I’m not taking away from anyone else’s enjoyment of it, if anything I’m increasing the availability by not taking up a room!

I personally just adore the Grand Floridian and honestly do not understand why so many people complain of it being too “stuffy.” But I’m not offended by people not liking it, I just think to each their own and move on with my Loire.

 

[anitatina]

I'm currently staying in a Riviera 1BR. We bought CCV a couple of years ago because I love the theming of that resort and the esthetic of the rooms. CCV and Riviera are the only 2 DVC resorts I've stayed in.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Riviera. The biggest con, in my opinion, are that the rooms are extremely noisy. I'm a light sleeper and woke up at 2 am because of what I'm assuming are pipe noises. The fireworks shows from the parks are also very loud in the room. I'm sleeping in the bedroom while my husband and toddler are sleeping in the living quarters. Even with the door closed, I can hear every sound they make. I'm talking every little sniffle and even when they just move slightly in bed. I'm not sure if the lack of sound proofing is normal, but I don't recall this being an issue at CCV.

The esthetic of the room itself is better than I expected. The bathroom is very pretty with all its tilework. I'm not a huge fan of the velvety couch or oversized leatherette headboard, but these particular things wouldn't detract me from booking here again in the future.

I booked a standard view room and only ventured out to the balcony once because the view is horrendous. We're on the 4th floor and basically only see the parking lot. I'm not the type to sit on the balcony for extended periods enjoying the view anyways, so this fact alone would also not deter me from staying here again.

Both the lobby and pool areas are lackluster in my opinion. Very small and crowded. During our stay at CCV, we enjoyed exploring the lobby and outdoors of Wilderness Lodge. I can't imagine us doing that here. I planned one resort day in our trip to hopefully enjoy the pool, but I'm not sure my toddler would be interested since the water play area seems underwhelming. However, I won't knock it until I try it in a couple of days.

I only traveled on the Skyliner once to get to HS. It was extremely convenient and fast. My toddler just started going on "flying" rides (e.g. Dumbo) and was a little wary of how high the Skyliner was on the trip to HS. However, by the time we took our return trip back to Riviera she happily went on the gondola with no issues whatsoever. The Skyliner and its ability to get us to HS/Epcot quickly would be the only reason for us to stay here again.

I would consider this resort again for an adults-only trip or when my children are older. My favorite park is Epcot, but I currently visit Magic Kingdom the most out of all the parks due to its many attractions catered for small children.

 

[Wakey]

I'm currently staying in a Riviera 1BR. We bought CCV a couple of years ago because I love the theming of that resort and the esthetic of the rooms. CCV and Riviera are the only 2 DVC resorts I've stayed in.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Riviera. The biggest con, in my opinion, are that the rooms are extremely noisy. I'm a light sleeper and woke up at 2 am because of what I'm assuming are pipe noises. The fireworks shows from the parks are also very loud in the room. I'm sleeping in the bedroom while my husband and toddler are sleeping in the living quarters. Even with the door closed, I can hear every sound they make. I'm talking every little sniffle and even when they just move slightly in bed. I'm not sure if the lack of sound proofing is normal, but I don't recall this being an issue at CCV.

The esthetic of the room itself is better than I expected. The bathroom is very pretty with all its tilework. I'm not a huge fan of the velvety couch or oversized leatherette headboard, but these particular things wouldn't detract me from booking here again in the future.

I booked a standard view room and only ventured out to the balcony once because the view is horrendous. We're on the 4th floor and basically only see the parking lot. I'm not the type to sit on the balcony for extended periods enjoying the view anyways, so this fact alone would also not deter me from staying here again.

Both the lobby and pool areas are lackluster in my opinion. Very small and crowded. During our stay at CCV, we enjoyed exploring the lobby and outdoors of Wilderness Lodge. I can't imagine us doing that here. I planned one resort day in our trip to hopefully enjoy the pool, but I'm not sure my toddler would be interested since the water play area seems underwhelming. However, I won't knock it until I try it in a couple of days.

I only traveled on the Skyliner once to get to HS. It was extremely convenient and fast. My toddler just started going on "flying" rides (e.g. Dumbo) and was a little wary of how high the Skyliner was on the trip to HS. However, by the time we took our return trip back to Riviera she happily went on the gondola with no issues whatsoever. The Skyliner and its ability to get us to HS/Epcot quickly would be the only reason for us to stay here again.

I would consider this resort again for an adults-only trip or when my children are older. My favorite park is Epcot, but I currently visit Magic Kingdom the most out of all the parks due to its many attractions catered for small children.

Interesting review. The parking lot view really bothered me when I visited- I’d hate to spend these points to be just looking at an expansive parking lot and road with next to no landscaping. Seems higher up it’s not so much a problem, but low down, I also thought it looked horrendous to be honest. Nearly everyone will be requesting high standard floor I suspect when this becomes well known. That will leave standard a total crap shoot- meaning if I am ever persuaded to stay, I’d only ever do preferred, but the points are just so high.
Sorry to hear about the noise- we like it quiet and dark- that would not impress my wife in particular.
I did wonder if the smallish pools would be crowded, so good to know.
Yes Skyliner is brilliant, they just need to get it a bit more reliable. Hopefully we will then see it extended throughout WDW. Love it.

 

[RivShore]

I'm currently staying in a Riviera 1BR. We bought CCV a couple of years ago because I love the theming of that resort and the esthetic of the rooms. CCV and Riviera are the only 2 DVC resorts I've stayed in.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about Riviera. The biggest con, in my opinion, are that the rooms are extremely noisy. I'm a light sleeper and woke up at 2 am because of what I'm assuming are pipe noises. The fireworks shows from the parks are also very loud in the room. I'm sleeping in the bedroom while my husband and toddler are sleeping in the living quarters. Even with the door closed, I can hear every sound they make. I'm talking every little sniffle and even when they just move slightly in bed. I'm not sure if the lack of sound proofing is normal, but I don't recall this being an issue at CCV.

The esthetic of the room itself is better than I expected. The bathroom is very pretty with all its tilework. I'm not a huge fan of the velvety couch or oversized leatherette headboard, but these particular things wouldn't detract me from booking here again in the future.

I booked a standard view room and only ventured out to the balcony once because the view is horrendous. We're on the 4th floor and basically only see the parking lot. I'm not the type to sit on the balcony for extended periods enjoying the view anyways, so this fact alone would also not deter me from staying here again.

Both the lobby and pool areas are lackluster in my opinion. Very small and crowded. During our stay at CCV, we enjoyed exploring the lobby and outdoors of Wilderness Lodge. I can't imagine us doing that here. I planned one resort day in our trip to hopefully enjoy the pool, but I'm not sure my toddler would be interested since the water play area seems underwhelming. However, I won't knock it until I try it in a couple of days.

I only traveled on the Skyliner once to get to HS. It was extremely convenient and fast. My toddler just started going on "flying" rides (e.g. Dumbo) and was a little wary of how high the Skyliner was on the trip to HS. However, by the time we took our return trip back to Riviera she happily went on the gondola with no issues whatsoever. The Skyliner and its ability to get us to HS/Epcot quickly would be the only reason for us to stay here again.

I would consider this resort again for an adults-only trip or when my children are older. My favorite park is Epcot, but I currently visit Magic Kingdom the most out of all the parks due to its many attractions catered for small children.

Disappointed to hear about the pipe noises. First I have seen anyone mention that in a review. Can any others who have stayed comment on this?

Our first DVC stay on rented points was one night at SSR and the AC or pipes made occasional loud noises all night long, constantly waking us up. I would have hoped the remodeled rooms and new resorts would have solved that problem.

 

[Wakey]

I haven’t heard pipes anywhere and would be disappointed if I did. I do know the SSR plumbing generally was rubbish and I understood it’s been and is being sorted in the refurb.

 

[SPLzero]

Interesting review. The parking lot view really bothered me when I visited- I’d hate to spend these points to be just looking at an expansive parking lot and road with next to no landscaping. Seems higher up it’s not so much a problem, but low down, I also thought it looked horrendous to be honest. Nearly everyone will be requesting high standard floor I suspect when this becomes well known. That will leave standard a total crap shoot- meaning if I am ever persuaded to stay, I’d only ever do preferred, but the points are just so high.

Do you feel the same way about standard view for Kidani and Boardwalk? Both resorts have driveway/Parking lot views.

 

[kboo]

Disappointed to hear about the pipe noises. First I have seen anyone mention that in a review. Can any others who have stayed comment on this?

We were just in a std 1br and heard no pipe noises, and I'm a light sleeper. We did hear EP fireworks even though we were on the other side of the building, but perhaps we were farther away?

I will add that having stayed on the outer circle of BLT (facing MK) in std, LV and TPV rooms, you would not be happy there because the fireworks from MK are loud enough to shake the windows. (yet, our kids can sleep through them) We were also in a VGF std recently that had MK fireworks views and while those didn't shake the windows, they were still quite loud with everything shut.

 

[RivShore]

We were just in a std 1br and heard no pipe noises, and I'm a light sleeper. We did hear EP fireworks even though we were on the other side of the building, but perhaps we were farther away?

I will add that having stayed on the outer circle of BLT (facing MK) in std, LV and TPV rooms, you would not be happy there because the fireworks from MK are loud enough to shake the windows. (yet, our kids can sleep through them) We were also in a VGF std recently that had MK fireworks views and while those didn't shake the windows, they were still quite loud with everything shut.

Thanks kboo.

The fireworks don't bother us - a short term problem that should end before bedtime. But the loud mystery AC/pipe noises throughtout the night at SSR were too much to handle especially after being up since 3AM for an early flight. Between that early flight and little sleep that night, we never really recovered during our short trip last fall. Anyway, hoping for quieter equipment at our first Riviera trip this summer.

 

[anitatina]

We were just in a std 1br and heard no pipe noises, and I'm a light sleeper. We did hear EP fireworks even though we were on the other side of the building, but perhaps we were farther away?

I will add that having stayed on the outer circle of BLT (facing MK) in std, LV and TPV rooms, you would not be happy there because the fireworks from MK are loud enough to shake the windows. (yet, our kids can sleep through them) We were also in a VGF std recently that had MK fireworks views and while those didn't shake the windows, they were still quite loud with everything shut.

What floor and wing did you stay in? Just curious if there’s a difference in location since there were definitely noises in the East wing on the 4th floor where I’m staying throughout the night.

 

[anitatina]

Thanks kboo.

The fireworks don't bother us - a short term problem that should end before bedtime. But the loud mystery AC/pipe noises throughtout the night at SSR were too much to handle especially after being up since 3AM for an early flight. Between that early flight and little sleep that night, we never really recovered during our short trip last fall. Anyway, hoping for quieter equipment at our first Riviera trip this summer.

Keep us updated if you hear pipe noises in the Riviera. I’m wondering if I’m the crazy one since no one else is reporting hearing the same noises