Ok, so the extended family is taking a summer vacation to Disney World. My wife and I love French Quarter but my brothers family has 5 so they had to book at Riverside. We decided to also book at Riverside to be close to them. Spending time at Disney with family is going to be awesome! Tell me some things you love about Riverside to help get me excited about the resort stay!
I love Riverside, going all the way back to when it was Dixie Landings. At this point in time, I think Riverside gives myself and my family the best bang for our buck. The Value resorts are a bit too large and tacky for me and I can no longer justify the price of the Deluxe resorts, considering how little time we spend in the hotel room. Of the 10 times I've been to WDW, including the upcoming one in Dec 2019, we've stayed at Riverside 5 of those times [For your context, I've also stayed at the Poly, Y&B, Swan&Dolphin, All Star Sports, and Offsite-Universal Hard Rock]
So back to your question on why I like Riverside.... it's on the larger side for the moderate resorts but it honestly has never felt all that large to me. It's spread out enough that there isn't that feeling of overcrowding you get in the All Star Resorts. The whole resort design gives me a really comfy and homey vibe. The standard rooms are nicely decorated. The Princess Rooms are very cute. I really love the 'river' and the bridges and the plants everywhere. It's most conveniently located to DHS, Epcot, and AK but MK isn't far off [talking a 5 minute difference here]. The little ferry that takes you to Disney Springs is a really lovely ride and I'd encourage you to do it at least once. The main pool is also really great and is a good solid size as well. The large food court [by any resort standard] provides a lot of options and the bar area is also nice. The night time entertainment is generally enjoyable, if you're around for it.
I know people complain about the bus system in general and Riverside is no exception, but I've never had a problem. Sometimes we'll request to room near the West Depot but we've been in the Mansions as well and used the South Depot with no problems. Honestly, I think it's more a function of when people choose to go to the parks. We're rope drop people a lot of the time and so get up early, or we'll go after the morning rush.
I hope you have a great time! I always do.
