News Disney Riviera Resort announced

mousekedoc

mousekedoc

Well-Known Member
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

No Name

Well-Known Member
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.
 
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UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
egg said:
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.
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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

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
Derrit said:
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!
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The issue isn’t theming. It’s a Vegas casino tower, and all that that implies.
 
the.dreamfinder

the.dreamfinder

Well-Known Member
lazyboy97o said:
You can’t fix things like bad massing with applied ornament.
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In animation, Disney especially, there’s a lot of talk about the importance of appeal. In themed entertainment, harmony could be its equivalent.

Personal taste aside, the problem with the two Chapek era towers is how they break the harmony of the space they inhabit. They’re just dropped down into these preexisting areas that had strong thematic identities.

Disney resorts need to be themed environments that are a continuation of what guests experience in the parks. You can’t charge what they want to charge long term with a branded hotel, think Hilton, Marriott.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
the.dreamfinder said:
In animation, Disney especially, there’s a lot of talk about the importance of appeal. In themed entertainment, harmony could be its equivalent.

Personal taste aside, the problem with the two Chapek era towers is how they break the harmony of the space they inhabit. They’re just dropped down into these preexisting areas that had strong thematic identities.

Disney resorts need to be themed environments that are a continuation of what guests experience in the parks. You can’t charge what they want to charge long term with a branded hotel, think Hilton, Marriott.
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It’s not just these towers, most Disney projects for too long now are just things dropped down. The Skyliner just cuts through with no concern. Ratatouille and TRON plopped down. The Toy Story Lands. Expansions to Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Studios Park and Tokyo DisneySEA. Most of Shanghai Disneyland is a loose collection of things dropped down along a perimeter. The new “Egg” festival center in Epcot. Everything is just dropped down. There is no crafting and carving of space to tell a spatial story the way tiny New Orleans Square feels like an old city.
 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
lazyboy97o said:
It’s not just these towers, most Disney projects for too long now are just things dropped down. The Skyliner just cuts through with no concern. Ratatouille and TRON plopped down. The Toy Story Lands. Expansions to Hong Kong Disneyland, Walt Disney Studios Park and Tokyo DisneySEA. Most of Shanghai Disneyland is a loose collection of things dropped down along a perimeter. The new “Egg” festival center in Epcot. Everything is just dropped down. There is no crafting and carving of space to tell a spatial story the way tiny New Orleans Square feels like an old city.
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The "Skyliner cutting through" is a complaint my wife had when they were still building them, and then again after they opened (and after riding all three lines in March, I completely agree with it). Because they had to clear a path along the Skyliner route, it opens up sightlines to things that used to be hidden. For example, you can see a hotel building walking out of the Studios now that you couldn't before. Ruins some of the magic.
 
nickys

nickys

Premium Member
the.dreamfinder said:
Disney resorts need to be themed environments that are a continuation of what guests experience in the parks. You can’t charge what they want to charge long term with a branded hotel, think Hilton, Marriott.
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The thing is, they can. People will pay to stay onsite. So where’s their incentive to spend more?

Both towers serve a purpose. The Gran Destino is aimed at conventioneers, and suits the bill from what I see. A step up from the rest of the rooms at CSR and more “appropriate” for more senior people.

Riviera is a wholly DVC property. Those who have bought there, and those who will over the next couple of years, will in the main be able to pick from all the other DVC resorts if they want a change, dependent on availability obviously. There’s a broad range of options and there are many, many members who love SSR and stay there often. Not much in way of theming there at first glance. DVC is meant to be a “home from home” for a few days. Of course some people would prefer something like AKL or WL or the Poly, but every resort is a favourite of someone. My “boys” in their twenties would choose Bay Lake first every time, they love the modern decor there. So BLT and somewhere else is what we do. They also loved Kidani and BCV, but BLT remains their #1 choice.

And back to your quote above, to me the look of Riviera is infinitely preferable than that of any of the tower condos around Orlando. Theming doesn’t have to be “in your face”; I love the videos of the rooms at Riviera, marble bathrooms, the artwork, the light fittings, the mirror, the stable door feature, the metalwork on the balcony.
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
nickys said:
Theming doesn’t have to be “in your face”
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This in no way addresses many of the complaints regarding both towers that go beyond theme to more foundational issues of composition. Making big, bare exit stairs a focus point of the design, random railing placement or obviously fake Mansard roofs habe nothing to do with theming thats not “in your face.” Even then, the inspiration for the Riviera is highly ornate and if that is somehow inappropriate then a different subject shold have been chosen.
 
GoofGoof

GoofGoof

Premium Member
Flynnwriter

Flynnwriter

Well-Known Member
Theme? Art work? The Riviera is a joke. The hospital-like, zero Disney storytelling is like saying Olive Garden reminds you of Rome. Disney built a huge, generic, on the cheap tower then slapped on a minimum level of “theming” as an afterthought. And for anyone’s who has been to the real Riviera, it’s an insult.
 
Flynnwriter

Flynnwriter

Well-Known Member
nickys said:
The thing is, they can. People will pay to stay onsite. So where’s their incentive to spend more?

Both towers serve a purpose. The Gran Destino is aimed at conventioneers, and suits the bill from what I see. A step up from the rest of the rooms at CSR and more “appropriate” for more senior people.

Riviera is a wholly DVC property. Those who have bought there, and those who will over the next couple of years, will in the main be able to pick from all the other DVC resorts if they want a change, dependent on availability obviously. There’s a broad range of options and there are many, many members who love SSR and stay there often. Not much in way of theming there at first glance. DVC is meant to be a “home from home” for a few days. Of course some people would prefer something like AKL or WL or the Poly, but every resort is a favourite of someone. My “boys” in their twenties would choose Bay Lake first every time, they love the modern decor there. So BLT and somewhere else is what we do. They also loved Kidani and BCV, but BLT remains their #1 choice.

And back to your quote above, to me the look of Riviera is infinitely preferable than that of any of the tower condos around Orlando. Theming doesn’t have to be “in your face”; I love the videos of the rooms at Riviera, marble bathrooms, the artwork, the light fittings, the mirror, the stable door feature, the metalwork on the balcony.
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Saying it’s better than the theming of any “tower condos around Orlando” is a pathetic bar to aim for - and that shouldn’t be enough for Disney.
 
WeWantsTheRedHead

WeWantsTheRedHead

New Member
It's too bad that Disney didn't stick with separate resort properties for DVC such as OKW and SSR. Barring that they could've gone with the concierge concept and turned floors of existing buildings into DVC wings. At least Boardwalk Villas kept with the theming of the main resort. When they razed a large beach to stuff DVC into GF, ruined the sight lines at the Polynesian to build a handful of units on the water, and demolished the garden wing of the Contemporary to build BLT, the writing was on the wall. The Walt Disney Company originally had 30,000 acres to play with, DVC resorts could've easily been kept as separate entities and not disturbed existing resort properties. Riviera could've been sited in the southwest corner of CBR where the Skyliner station is or in the woods between CBR and the DHS parking lot. It would not have required the demolition of Barbados and what were very nice boardwalks through the woods. In the undeveloped corner of CBR, Riviera could've had a lengthy beachfront opposite Trinidad and been in its own spot instead of being dropped on the property. The Skyliner could have gone through it (ala the monorail at the Contemporary) and the gondolas could be stored inside during inclement weather. And it would have had excellent views of the fireworks.

I wonder how the architects at Fugleberg Koch would feel about their design getting partially demolished for a tower that doesn't fit into the theme they created.
 

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