News Disney Riviera Resort announced

[Missing20K]

It is being well received on many sites both Disney sites and travel sites. Now I don't know how many of those people are into architecture beyond the "it looks nice" but only here have I heard the "it looks like a Marriott".

"It looks nice" should never be an acceptable emotional response to experiencing a Disney resort.

 

[easyrowrdw]

Just back from a stay at Riviera and really enjoyed it. Really enjoyed the grounds and the transportation. Plenty of space in the room even with the murphy bed down. I didn't worry about the roof line or fake dormers once during my trip.

I'd try to go back there for part of our split stay in the summer but there is 0 (studio) availability in the 7 month window for my trip, even with the higher point cost per night compared to other resorts.

Were you in a standard view room? How was the view?

 

[UNCgolf]

It is being well received on many sites both Disney sites and travel sites. Now I don't know how many of those people are into architecture beyond the "it looks nice" but only here have I heard the "it looks like a Marriott".

Marriotts often look (and are) nice. Those things aren't mutually exclusive, and they're also beside the point.

The fact that it looks like a random Hilton or Marriott isn't a comment on how nice the hotel is or isn't; it's a comment on how bland it is.

 

[Bocabear]

Marriotts often look (and are) nice. Those things aren't mutually exclusive, and they're also beside the point.

The fact that it looks like a random Hilton or Marriott isn't a comment on how nice the hotel is or isn't; it's a comment on how bland it is.

EXACTLY! and again, we are all comparing this to the level that Disney set for themselves...

 

[pdude81]

Were you in a standard view room? How was the view?

Preferred view. Didn't get what I requested, but I only sent in through TP 4-5 days before. Probably one of the poorer preferred views but it was still fine actually. East facing, looking down on the courtyard and out towards Topolino's Terrace. It was a short trip but even without spending too much time looking outside I think waking up to a parking lot view would bum me out.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Marriotts often look (and are) nice. Those things aren't mutually exclusive, and they're also beside the point.

The fact that it looks like a random Hilton or Marriott isn't a comment on how nice the hotel is or isn't; it's a comment on how bland it is.

Very true, I was just saying that I have only seen that comparison here, it has been mostly well received.

 

[Heppenheimer]

EXACTLY! and again, we are all comparing this to the level that Disney set for themselves...

Plus, the advertising feels like a bait-and-switch. "This new resort will pay tribute to Walt and Lillian Disney’s amazing European travels, connecting Disney artistry and storytelling to this region’s renowned art heritage and inspiration." Knowing how well Disney can execute a theme, this certainly raises expectations for something a little more imaginative than a standard business-class hotel.

The effect is like if I promised a meal inspired the unique culinary traditions of northern Germany, then I served you a well-prepared but standard American hamburger. Yes, hamburgers have a distant connection to a certain large German port city, but the expectation promised something that wasn't delivered.

 

[Nunu]

Other people have mostly covered it, but since you're replying to me I'll chime in too -- it's not about Disney characters (in fact, throwing in a bunch of Disney characters is almost the opposite of theming). It's about creating a specific setting and following through with it. When I say it could be a random nice Marriott or Hilton, I mean that it would fit basically anywhere because it doesn't really have a theme beyond "luxury". Compare it to other Disney hotels like the Polynesian, the Animal Kingdom Lodge, or even the two at Port Orleans where you can clearly see the theme and it carries throughout the whole resort.

You could drop the Riviera down just about anywhere in the US and nobody would look twice at it because of the lack of theme. It's just a standard hotel.

I get what you mean. Thing is, the resorts you mentioned were not thought and built as a single standing tall building. Riviera is just that. Theming must be harder to accomplish when you have a limited footprint, I guess.

 

[Nunu]

Well the fact that it’s 100 yards from the Magic Kingdom might have something to do with it.

That's fair. Riviera has direct access to the Skyliner, many might see that as an advantage other DVC resorts don't have.

 

[No Name]

The hotel was opened with the Skyliner, around like 5 major rides and significant development coming to Epcot and DHS over a span of a few years, and the views of fireworks are also a draw. There are valid complaints about the hotel itself and I don’t mean to defend it, just pointing out there’s plenty of marketability behind Riviera.

 

[Bocabear]

I get what you mean. Thing is, the resorts you mentioned were not thought and built as a single standing tall building. Riviera is just that. Theming must be harder to accomplish when you have a limited footprint, I guess.

No, you can certainly accomplish a theme in a single building... Look at the Hollywood Tower Hotel (Tower Of Terror) a single structure completely themed... Though Wilderness Lodge has additional buildings, they do not contribute to the theme that the main lodge creates... Likewise with all the Disney Hotels... One structure can carry the theme...
The Riviera Resort is barely themed on purpose...most likely to save money. It is sad in comparison to the other Disney Premium resorts.

 

[carolina_yankee]

As an early defender of the resort, I'll share a few observations from my 9 night stay.

I totally agree with criticisms of the exterior, especially from an architectural viewpoint. There are a couple of angles from which the resort looks nice (and they managed to find one for a print they sell in the gift shop), but it is basically a bland exterior - especially from pool side. Its best angle, IMO, is the porte-cochere in the front, which nobody sees.

I can get behind the resort as themed to "Walt's European Travels" rather than themed to the Riviera. That still doesn't excuse the facade, though. There are some nice touches - hearing "Bear Necessities" sung in French (and other Disney music in French or Italian), seeing posters of Disney animation in French down the hallway, seeing mementos from the Walt Disney Archives of Walt's travels to Europe in the library. Those things are cool. I want the resort soundtrack.

There are 30+ paintings inspired by Disney characters and scenes that have been done in a more "European" style that are scattered throughout the resort. They're nice. It's better than some of the stuff at the Festival of the Arts. But the problem is there are 30+ painting that are repeated all over the resort! Now, that means you can easily see all 30, but still. I would have liked something like the Disney Cruise LIne where different things are in the public areas of each floor. Each elevator lobby looked the same (actually, I think it alternated by floor with a sculpture on one floor and the same two paintings on the next).

Dining was outstanding for both QS and TS. Unfortunately, there is no standard TS, only Signature, but it's very good. The QS is definitely TS quality and has the best resort QS menu I've seen.

The rooms were great - nothing felt cheap. Everything felt solid and well assembled. A "larger" person visits our room even sat on the fold-down bed under the TV without even a creak, so they have addressed that issue!

It's European eclectic. The design and architecture purists won't like it (my husband is one of them, but even he was won over once he surrendered to "eclectic") but it by no means ugly or less than top-notch compared to other DVC resorts (insert your bias here).

Transportation wise - it's the smallest resort with dedicated bus service. I don' know how long they will keep this up, but I doubt they can share with CBR anyway because of its size. For AK, DS, and MK - this was very nice. I absolutely loved the gondolas, and I'm a huge Skyliner Fanboy, but there wasn't a single day that we weren't confronted with a Skyliner issue with a temporary closure of a line or the whole system. Sometimes it was 10 minutes. Other times it was a couple of hours. Nobody was left hanging, but they did a full empty and close of the line more than once during our stay. The Skyliner hours also need to be expanded.

Otherwise, Japan Pavilion to Riviera room in 15 minutes after a 14 hour day that began with RotR, win!

To be honest, though, while BWV and BCV are nice they strike me as generic sea-side stuff. I'm not wowed by them, but they are successful in their theming, I'll grant you that. The only really Wow resort to me is AKL, followed by WL. I suppose Contemporary should Wow me, but it doesn't. It did when I was 13, but familiar breeds contempt, in this case.

Some of this is always going to be taste. Some of it is objective evaluation the success of a them. I like Riviera and it will be a top choice of mine, but it's not perfect.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I get what you mean. Thing is, the resorts you mentioned were not thought and built as a single standing tall building. Riviera is just that. Theming must be harder to accomplish when you have a limited footprint, I guess.

Why? The supposed inspiration for this building includes spectacular large buildings. They may not be as tall, but early skyscrapers and their tripartite design offer a model for how to adapt traditional architecture to a taller form.

 

[LSLS]

Honestly at some point people need to accept that A.) This is a lazy attempt at themeing (if you want to call it an attempt) no matter how beautiful you find the resort, B.) It does not matter, because people are flocking to it for whatever their reasons are, and C.) There's a real chance we have seen the last of the truly themed hotels at WDW. If you are ok with all 3, you are going to continue to enjoy staying at WDW. If you aren't, honestly it's probably time to start changing your emotional investment into WDW (assuming you will be able to continue to afford it anyways). You are in the minority, and things are probably going to get much worse in your eyes there.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I was a little skeptical of this one along with what skyliner operation might look like in practice, but we stayed there for a short stretch the week it opened and really enjoyed it.

We had a 2BR preferred view; we thought the room was beautifully appointed, felt classy without being stuffy at all, and it had more storage by a mile than any other DVC resort. The view was really nice -- was nice looking out the window and seeing the skyliner working; reminded me a bit of BLT and watching the monorails go by. The entire resort was beautiful IMO, and the mosaics near the fountain on the way to the skyliner are gorgeous.

Skyliner was a very pleasant way to get around while we were there. I will add that we had not a drop of rain, however.

I still say that if they had a walkway to Epcot we might have tried harder to get our go/no-go analysis to "say yes" to purchase. But as it is, we'd book the occasional short stay at Riviera when discounted or perhaps with our SSR points if available.

 

[mousekedoc]

I thought this building was a response to the “luxury builds” of Four Seasons, J W Marriott. It’s not luxury but it is luxury feel. I don’t think that building was cheap. Did you see the tile mural? I see it as a much nicer addition than say Bay Lake tower. This is far nicer than that. So I see an improvement in the construction of this tower. Conversely, the “sterilization“ of World of Disney, etc., depresses me.

 

[No Name]

Sorry to bump this thread, but having stayed at the Riviera Resort personally before the parks closed, and having promised to share my opinion, I’ve suddenly decided to follow through. A few unique observations ahead.

——-

Staring off with the peculiar, there’s 10 missing awnings on the side of the hotel facing the main pool, which looks weird and inconsistent. I just checked the concept art and they’re pictured there. Guess Walmart ran out of stock! Also, the third floor doesn’t fully connect because of the lobby, but there’s no clear explanation or directions. I can imagine a stupid guest being unable to find their room. Finally, there’s an awkward part where the windows at the end of the hallways facing the rotunda have a rather un-charming view of a gray concrete wall. But otherwise, the hotel shape and layout is actually very well-designed, and I like that it minimizes walking in a way that the neighboring Caribbean Beach Resort does not. And it probably doesn’t look cheap to the average guest. Quite honestly, I’m surprised at many of the reactions here. I’m usually the critical one!

I’m also usually a fan of large lobbies, but the Riviera’s smaller lobby was surprisingly good with it’s elevated view out the large windows in the back. The pools are nice. It’s no Stormalong Bay, of course, but I don’t expect that nor do I think it’s a wise business decision. Bocce and giant chess are nice offerings too. The whole area just looks really nice, especially at night. Although many bulbs along the roof were out. As for the views from above, just about every room of the hotel has a decent view, because you either get the pool and lake side, or a nice view of the Epcot ball and the fireworks from the lagoon. Unfortunately, the GotG building is a legitimate eyesore, and probably justifies the lower price for that side of the hotel more than the parking lot. At night, it remains present with two bright white lights on the top of the building, are those permanent? But overall, the only location I would recommend against is a low room on the parking lot side.

The Skyliner access is everything that’s advertised and more. It’s fast and relaxing. Me and my gf woke up at 7:20 and got into DHS before it opened. The murals on the way to the Skyliner are nice, yes.

Finally, Topollinos. A bit too expensive of course. The bread was a weird variety, and the portions were decent (unlike Be Our Guest), but the view from the terrace was where the value really lies. We got to see all three fireworks shows at once. And you can’t see ugly things like the GotG building, but you can see things beautiful things like Everest and a floating mountain. It’s wonderful.

Overall, I can see why it’s apparently selling like hot cakes.

 

[UNCgolf]

Sorry to bump this thread, but having stayed at the Riviera Resort personally before the parks closed, and having promised to share my opinion, I’ve suddenly decided to follow through. A few unique observations ahead.

——-

Staring off with the peculiar, there’s 10 missing awnings on the side of the hotel facing the main pool, which looks weird and inconsistent. I just checked the concept art and they’re pictured there. Guess Walmart ran out of stock! Also, the third floor doesn’t fully connect because of the lobby, but there’s no clear explanation or directions. I can imagine a stupid guest being unable to find their room. Finally, there’s an awkward part where the windows at the end of the hallways facing the rotunda have a rather un-charming view of a gray concrete wall. But otherwise, the hotel shape and layout is actually very well-designed, and I like that it minimizes walking in a way that the neighboring Caribbean Beach Resort does not. And it probably doesn’t look cheap to the average guest. Quite honestly, I’m surprised at many of the reactions here. I’m usually the critical one!

I’m also usually a fan of large lobbies, but the Riviera’s smaller lobby was surprisingly good with it’s elevated view out the large windows in the back. The pools are nice. It’s no Stormalong Bay, of course, but I don’t expect that nor do I think it’s a wise business decision. Bocce and giant chess are nice offerings too. The whole area just looks really nice, especially at night. Although many bulbs along the roof were out. As for the views from above, just about every room of the hotel has a decent view, because you either get the pool and lake side, or a nice view of the Epcot ball and the fireworks from the lagoon. Unfortunately, the GotG building is a legitimate eyesore, and probably justifies the lower price for that side of the hotel more than the parking lot. At night, it remains present with two bright white lights on the top of the building, are those permanent? But overall, the only location I would recommend against is a low room on the parking lot side.

The Skyliner access is everything that’s advertised and more. It’s fast and relaxing. Me and my gf woke up at 7:20 and got into DHS before it opened. The murals on the way to the Skyliner are nice, yes.

Finally, Topollinos. A bit too expensive of course. The bread was a weird variety, and the portions were decent (unlike Be Our Guest), but the view from the terrace was where the value really lies. We got to see all three fireworks shows at once. And you can’t see ugly things like the GotG building, but you can see things beautiful things like Everest and a floating mountain. It’s wonderful.

Overall, I can see why it’s apparently selling like hot cakes.

I absolutely believe the Riviera is a nice hotel on the inside and a fine place to stay. The only issue I've ever had with it is that, from the outside, it could easily be the Hilton Bonnet Creek (I know there's already a Hilton, but just any relatively upscale hotel chain). It has no real theme or anything remotely interesting visually or architecturally on the exterior.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Wish that Disney could of modified the hotel to fit in with Epcot's theme a bit more...

Theme it to the World showcase, call it the "International Hotel and Resort", add a little more interesting and varied architecture/walkways, some diverse food selections, and it'd be perfect with the Skyliner running through it!

The issue isn’t theming. It’s a Vegas casino tower, and all that that implies.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I differ in opinion. The hotel looks great, it just is soulless. I argue that it would be a lot more justified if it was better themed and touched up a bit and given some character.

It's still quite salvageable...

You can’t fix things like bad massing with applied ornament.