UPDATED: The brand new Riveria hotel has suffered an unfortunate incident involving one of the trundle beds falling out of the wall. As a result, all such beds have been marked as out of order in the entire resort.
Here’s the message left for guests: “We apologize for the inconvenience. This trundle bed is out of order and for your safety, it cannot be used at this time. We want to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. If you have planned to use this bed, please contact the Front Desk so alternative arrangements can be provided.”
Disney’s Riviera Resort held its grand opening on Monday, December 16th, and we were on hand to check it out for you. Is this the next must-visit Disney resort? Let’s take a look and find out . . .
While any addition to the Walt Disney World Resort is exciting, Disney’s Riviera Resort is particularly special as it is the first stand-alone Disney Vacation Club resort since Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa opened in 2004 (DVC towers have been added to existing resorts since then).
Monday’s dedication ceremony included Terry Schultz, Vice President and general manager of DVC, Thomas Mazloum, senior vice president of resorts, premium services, Disney Springs and sports at Walt Disney World, and Walt Disney World Ambassador Stephen Lim. Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald also joined the celebration. Decked out in new outfits, fit for learning different art forms —Mickey, painting; Minnie, poetry; Daisy, dancing; and Donald, baking. Minnie even showed off her writing skills with a poem to commemorate the day!
Disney’s Riviera Resort is inspired by elegant European resorts of the Italian and French Riviera old-world glamour and of course, Disney Charm. Paying tribute to Walt and Lillian Disney’s European travels with Disney artistry and storytelling, there is a distinct Disney vibe. The 40 signature art pieces created exclusively for the resort feature Disney characters and icons. In addition, prints from Walt Disney’s European travels and books he collected are represented in The Voyageurs Lounge.
Artwork is found throughout the resort, much of it with a direct tie to Disney animation history.
Walt’s photos from his travels are found in the Voyageurs Lounge.
Disney’s Riviera Rooms
Disney’s Riviera Resort is made up of 300 family-friendly vacation homes. The resort offers the new Tower Studio specially designed for 2 guests. Deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and the grand villas complete the options accommodating up to 12 guests. It’s the unique touches that make them special. The Mickey wrought iron window railings in the one-bedrooms, the arch detail, soaker tub and family dining table in the grand villas and, of course, the artwork found throughout.
Shopping
La Boutique offers a large assortment of resort-specific merchandise, with many options for both kids and adults. Of course, there are the usual (and completely expected) assortment of resort shirts and mugs. Additionally, some of the more unique items include a Loungefly bag, plushies of Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald in their new outfits, and even resort-specific ears! My favorite may be the suitcase. I love the old world trunk feel it has.
Disney’s Riviera Restaurants
Le Petit Cafe is a modern French patisserie featuring a coffee bar by day, as well as a wine bar by night! Additional seating is available in the Voyageurs Lounge, inspired by Walt Disney’s travels. Primo Piatto offers quick-service dining options. Bar Riva is a family-friendly open-air pool bar with a coastal theme. Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera offers dining with a view and features Breakfast a la Art with Mickey & Friends. Dinner is also be available, complete with fireworks views over Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Riviera Activities
The Riviera Pool is the feature pool with water slide, lounge chairs and Cast Member led entertainment. Beyond the feature pool is S’il Vous Play, an area for guests under 48 inches. This interactive play area is based on the popular fountains found in Europe. Beloved characters from Fantasia can be found at the kids’ splash area, featuring small water slides. For a quieter poolside, the semi-private tranquil Beau Soleil Pool is surrounded by lush hedges and shaded by palm trees. Pool activities include options such as Bocce Ball. Additionally, the evening entertainment has a European flair with movies by the pool that include titles such as The Aristocats, Ratatouille and Tangled.
Disney’s Riviera Gondola Station
The resort features a gondola station with service nonstop to Epcot and one transfer to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The walkway tunnel to the entrance is a sight to see with mosaics featuring Tangled and Peter Pan, giving a nod to the concept of flight. The mosaics, which are 20 feet tall with over 1 million hand-cut tiles, encompasses three sides of the tunnel.
As with any DVC resort, reservations are available through DVC points and cash.
More from the Riviera:
It’s Disney Vacation Time!
We’ve got some great news for you. Our partners at Get Away Today are helping you save money on Disney theme park tickets and travel packages. AND, through Christmas, they’ve got some great ways for you to gift Disney trips for a reduced deposit:
- For Discounted theme park tickets and travel packages, always start HERE: Get Away Today (When calling, always mention MiceChat so you get your special rates and deals!)
- For a limited time, MiceChat readers can book a trip for just $99 down with an interest-free Layaway Plan!
- Layaway Plans must be booked by December 25, 2019 to get the $99 reduced deposit.
- Book for travel for dates through December 31, 2020.
- Payments can be made at any time and in any amount, with final payment due just five days before travel.
- Layaway Plans can be used for any of our Southern California vacations and can be combined with any of our specials – like Extra Day Free Tickets and Extra Night Free Hotel Specials.
Just imagine giving the gift of a Disneyland vacation to someone special in your life:
And if a Disney vacation sounds like the perfect Christmas gift, here are some GREAT ideas on how to do it (we even have things you can download to make gifting easy) – HERE
Let’s Hear From You
What do you think of Disney’s Riviera Resort? Are you planning to stay there one day soon?
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