As I was chatting with a new client this morning, I realized I hadn’t ever written up my review of Disney’s Riveria resort…my new favorite Deluxe resort (Disney’s Boardwalk will always have a special place in my heart though)! Without further ado…and well overdue…the seven reasons I fell in love with Disney’s Riviera Resort!
#1 I will admit it…I’ve never been to Europe (bucket list trip for sure)! When Disney shared that their newest resort would be inspired by Walt’s trips to Europe with Lilian I was sold! The Riviera resort feels like a small boutique hotel on the Riviera, complete with a waterfront lined with palm trees. I’ve always been a HUGE proponent of staying at a moderate level or higher due to the inviting and often calming ambiance of the resort grounds…and Riviera is no exception! This resort is elegant without being stuffy!
#2 Location, Location, Location!!
This resort is in such a great location! Conveniently located near EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, this resort is in the perfect location for guests who want to see and do it all!
#3 Transportation!
Disney’s Riviera Resort is located right on the Skyliner, making travel to and from the parks a breeze! You can head directly to EPCOT or head to the transfer station at Caribbean Beach and switch to the Hollywood Studios line.
#4 Le Petit Cafe!
I keep starting sentences with I love….but seriously I LOVE the little coffee shop located just in the lobby. I’m a Starbucks girl but the coffee here was really good and there were quite a few options. Plus they offer sweet pastries in the morning and then dessert in the afternoon. It was a great spot to sit and relax for a bit. Plus located right off the coffee shop is a great little library that, during non-Covid times, has board games to enjoy!
I’ve previously stayed in both a Studio and 1-Bedroom and the room sizes are not only generous but they offer some special amenities for families! Let’s start with the Studio!
While at first glance it appears to be just a bed and living area, there is so much more to this room!!
First there is a murphy bed where the couch is located, and it’s a QUEEN!
There is also a bonus bed for the kiddo’s that comes in the form of a twin murphy bed under the television.
Besides bedding, there is also a great kitchenette area.Another HUGE bonus is the studios have TWO showers! One is a shower only and one is with a tub.
Moving over the 1-Bedroom you’ll now have a full kitchen and dining area!
You’ll also still have the queen murphy bed and the twin murphy, but your bedroom will have a king-size bed! You’ll enjoy a split bath with a shower, toilet, and sink on one side, and a sink and standalone soaker tub on the other! Overall you can’t go wrong with either option…and they both sleep, five people!
#6
Pools!
Disney’s Riviera resort offers two amazing pools! One is a quiet pool while the other is a feature pool complete with a water slide AND splash pad!
The feature pool also has zero-entry! P.S. Don’t miss out on the Gelato cart!! Vivoli il Gelato is also located in Disney Springs and they make their Gelato locally!
And finally #7…the food! You didn’t think I’d forget about the food, did you? Disney’s Riviera Resort has some of the tastiest food! From Toppolino’s, high above the resort which offers an amazing character breakfast and delicious dinner, to the quick service location Primo Piatto…there is so much to taste here!
I would hands down choose this resort over and over!! Feel free to reach out to me with questions, pricing or to share your own experience at Disney’s newest Deluxe Villa Resort!
Book online beginning October 26 to secure your spot for this limited-time experience. Advance reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 60 days prior to your visit.
Important Information
Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are only offered during the holiday season.
Alcohol will only be served to Guests ages 21 and older.
Reservations require a credit card guarantee.
Guests will receive Candlelight Seating badges at the restaurant after their meal. The badge will specify the date and show time they have reserved.
Guests with the Dining Package will enter America Gardens Theatre in a separate queue and will be seated on a first-come, first served basis. Seating is guaranteed.
Guests who have not reserved a Candlelight Processional Dining Package will be seated at the Candlelight Processional on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is based on availability due to limited capacity.
To enter EPCOT, both a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission are required. EPCOT admission is not included in the price of the dining package.
There will be 2 ways to purchase and book arrival windows for our new Lightning Lane entrances, and each option offers a different set of experiences to choose from!
How It Works
Starting October 19, our new Lightning Lane entrances will be introduced at a wide variety of attractions and entertainment experiences, available through 2 options, which can be combined.
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections
When you take your day to the next level by purchasing Disney Genie+ service, you can select arrival windows for Lightning Lane entrances that are available at more than 40 attractions and entertainment across all 4 theme parks, one at a time throughout the day.
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections
When you take your day to the next level by purchasing Disney Genie+ service, you can select arrival windows for Lightning Lane entrances that are available at more than 40 attractions and entertainment across all 4 theme parks, one at a time throughout the day.
Price Disney Genie+ service will be available for $15 per Guest per day.
How to Purchase
Before Your Visit: Available as an add-on to a ticket or vacation package for the duration of visit. Purchase via Disneyworld.com or authorized travel professionals.
Same Day of Visit: Available for single-day use for existing ticket holders or Annual Passholders. Purchase via Disney Genie service in the My Disney Experience app.
When to Select Attractions Once you have Disney Genie+ service, you can book the next available arrival window for your first experience via the My Disney Experience app beginning at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit.
Once you’ve redeemed your initial selection (or the arrival window has passed), you can make another selection using the app, up to park closing.
Individual Lightning Lane Selections
For some of our most highly demanded attractions, Lightning Lane entry will be available for purchase individually. Guests may purchase and select an arrival window one at a time for up to 2 attractions a day. This option will be available for all Guests—with or without Disney Genie+ service.
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections
When you take your day to the next level by purchasing Disney Genie+ service, you can select arrival windows for Lightning Lane entrances that are available at more than 40 attractions and entertainment across all 4 theme parks, one at a time throughout the day.
Price Disney Genie+ service will be available for $15 per Guest per day.
How to Purchase
Before Your Visit: Available as an add-on to a ticket or vacation package for the duration of visit. Purchase via Disneyworld.com or authorized travel professionals.
Same Day of Visit: Available for single-day use for existing ticket holders or Annual Passholders. Purchase via Disney Genie service in the My Disney Experience app.
When to Select Attractions Once you have Disney Genie+ service, you can book the next available arrival window for your first experience via the My Disney Experience app beginning at 7:00 AM on the day of your visit.
Once you’ve redeemed your initial selection (or the arrival window has passed), you can make another selection using the app, up to park closing.
Magic Kingdom Park
Individual Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Haunted Mansion
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Splash Mountain
The Barnstormer
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid
EPCOT
Individual Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Frozen Ever After
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: SPACE – Green
Mission: SPACE – Orange
Soarin’
Spaceship Earth
Test Track
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Turtle Talk with Crush
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Individual Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along
Disney Jr. Dance Party
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Returning December 19, 2021
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Muppet*Vision 3D
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Slinky Dog Dash
Star Tours
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
Individual Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Avatar Flight of Passage
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Disney Genie+ Lightning Lane Selections Attractions include*:
Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King
DINOSAUR
Feathered Friends in Flight!
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Naʻvi River Journey
The Animation Experience
What is the pricing for individual, “á la carte” Lightning Lane selections?
Prices will vary by date, attraction and park. For example, the Lightning Lane entrance to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be $9 per person on October 19 and $11 per person on October 23. As another example, on both those dates, Lightning Lane entrance to Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will be $7 per person, while Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will be $15 per person. Throughout the year, prices may be lower on some days and higher on other days. This option may be purchased at up to 2 different attractions each day.
We’ve seen a lot of changes this year at the Walt Disney World Resort! Today’s news includes FOOD…a favorite topic here at Living With The Magic! While many of us really loved the Wave, we are hopeful that we’ll love Steakhouse 71 even more!! What will you be ordering?
From Disney Parks:
Steakhouse 71, located on the first floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, will open its doors on Oct. 1 for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we are excited to share a first look at all the menus.
The chefs created a terrific dinner menu with all the hallmarks of a family-friendly steakhouse, and offerings at breakfast and lunch are unique and delicious. They even give a nod to Walt Disney with contemporary spins on some of his favorite foods.
And kids get to be creative with their meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They can choose an entrée, select two sides, and a drink from a menu that includes oatmeal with dried cranberries and Mickey-shaped waffles for breakfast and PBJ wings and cheeseburgers for lunch and dinner. They can even create their own ice cream sundae!
Our talented mixologists and sommeliers have crafted fabulous alcoholic and nonalcoholic libations offered in the Steakhouse 71 Lounge or to enjoy while dining.
Check out all the new menus! Reservations for Steakhouse 71 are available beginning Sept. 16.
We are so excited that the Disney Parks Blog just announced the official opening date of Space 220!! Reservations have not yet opened but we’ll keep you posted as soon as we have that information!
We will be updating this article as more information is made available! If you would like assistance with your next Disney vacation, our travel planners are standing by!!
There will be no cost for using Disney Genie as it will be available to all guests within the My Disney Experience app. With this new feature, you’ll be able to…
Get Itinerary Updates from Morning to Night: Disney Genie will continue to update your suggested itinerary throughout your day, so you can be more spontaneous and go with the flow.
Find Your Favorites at a Glance: Create your very own personal tip board to instantly see your favorites. It will display current AND forecasted future wait times, helping you predict when you might experience quicker entry to attractions.
Enjoy More Flexibility and Fun: Disney Genie brings existing planning features together in one place. Join a virtual queue at certain attractions, make dining and experience reservations, mobile order food at many locations, get help from a virtual assistant and more.
You will have the opportunity to upgrade to Disney Genie+ and/or individual rides will be available to purchase to access additional Lightning Lane Entrances with these new add-on features:
Disney Genie+ Service (available for purchase): For the price of $15 per ticket per day at Walt Disney World Resort and $20 per ticket per day at Disneyland Resort, you will be able to choose the next available time to arrive at a variety of attractions and experiences using the Lightning Lane Entrance. You will be able to make one selection at a time from the convenience of your electronic device throughout the day – from classics like Haunted Mansion to thrill rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (attractions subject to limited availability). This convenient option is the next evolution of the fan-favorite Disney MaxPass service from Disneyland Resort.
Note: Lightning Lane Entrances will be replacing Fastpass+ (Walt Disney World) and MaxPass (Disneyland). Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks – perfect for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions will continue to offer a traditional Standby Queue or a Virtual Queue at certain attractions (i.e. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) to maximize flexibility.
Disney Genie+ will also include Disney parks-themed audio experiences and photo features to capture your memories. Walt Disney World Resort guests will have access to augmented reality lenses within the My Disney Experience app, while guests at Disneyland Resort will have unlimited Disney PhotoPass downloads from your day. (Note: Memory Maker will still be sold separately at Walt Disney World Resort).
Individual Attraction Selections (available for purchase): Schedule a time to arrive at up to two highly demanded attractions each day using the Lightning Lane entrance – like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom Park and Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure park (subject to limited availability; attractions not included with Disney Genie+). Pricing for this option will vary by date, attraction and park and will be announced closer to launch. Guests staying at an on-site Walt Disney World Resort Hotel will be able to purchase and select these attractions at 7am each day. Guests staying off-site will be able to purchase and select their attractions upon entry to the park each day.
Do I need to purchase Disney Genie+ if I’m just interested in Individual Attraction Selections?
No, you do not need to purchase Disney Genie+ in order to be able to purchase Individual Attractions Selections. If you would prefer to utilize the Standby and Virtual Queues but would like to purchase up to 2 Individual Attractions Selections on any of the days of your vacation, you can do just that! This option will be available for purchase within the Disney Genie in your My Disney Experience app each day at 7am for Walt Disney World Resort guests staying on-site, and upon park entry for guests staying off-site, regardless of whether or not you’ve added Disney Genie+ to your vacation package.
What are Lightning Lanes?
Lightning Lanes will be replacing Fastpass+ (Walt Disney World) and MaxPass (Disneyland). Lightning Lane selections will be made on the same day of your visit and can be used across multiple theme parks – perfect for those who love the Park Hopper option. Attractions will continue to offer a traditional standby queue or a virtual queue at certain attractions (i.e. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) to maximize flexibility.
Am I required to pay for Disney Genie+?
Absolutely not! Standby Lines will still be available as they are now and you can use the itinerary function of the Disney Genie to help plan out your best Disney day. We are anticipating that Genie+ will operate a lot like the recently retired MaxPass system at Disneyland; you may be able to purchase Genie+ for your entire stay, or for just a select number of days, allowing you the flexibility to utilize this new perk for the days and/or parks you find would be most beneficial for your group.
When can I add this service? Disney will be releasing this new service sometime this Fall, but an official date has not yet been released.
What we do know… If you’re planning to utilize Genie+ for all of your park days, you will be able to add it to your vacation package before you even leave for vacation! If you’re planning to utilize Disney Genie+ for select days of your vacation, you can purchase Genie+ at midnight of your Genie+ park day via Disney Genie within your My Disney Experience app.
More info: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=38&v=ra8xZr9fMog&feature=emb_logo
