This is lengthy feedback, and I apologize in advance. I just want to offer a sort of different perspective. When I was growing up, my family spent 12 days at the Polynesian every year. Since our parents passed, those vacations sort of fell by the wayside, I moved out west, and I haven’t been to Disney World since 2015 as Disneyland is much closer to me. But Disneyland just isn’t Disney World, so I’m planning a Disney World vacation in 2020, and I’ve kind of had it in my mind that I am going to go all out because it might be another five years before I get back there again. Initially, my thought was that I would book our family’s go-to Polynesian. Then I started looking into the Riviera. My initial reaction to the pricing was the same as yours. Then I let it digest a bit. When I was a kid, the Polynesian was fun because it was close to the Magic Kingdom, and it was a very family oriented resort. As a grownup with no children, I still go to the Magic Kingdom, but EPCOT is by far my favorite park. I’ll spend days wandering the World Showcase. Even having said that, I’m not a sun up to sun down park person. I’ve been there, done that, just not my deal. I’ll go in for a few hours every day, do what I want to do, and leave. So the idea of a resort that offers me a way to just relax and enjoy being at a resort really appeals to me as does the proximity to EPCOT rather than the Magic Kingdom. I also like the fact that everything about this resort seems very grown up. There is an adult oriented pool separate from the family geared pool, and when you are an adult with no children, you don’t want to be around children running around like banshees all of the time. No disrespect to them or their parents, I realize they’re on vacation (at Disney World of all places) and that they’re just letting loose and that’s cool, but I am on vacation too. Disney resort pools tend to be swarming with children running around like banshees. So a separate more adult oriented pool totally appeals to me. The Riviera restaurants seem to cater a bit to the foodie crowd rather than focusing on Disney centric gimmicky stuff. Overall, it seems to me that Riviera caters to my demographic, the person who enjoys a good Disney vacation but isn’t necessarily looking to have an in your face Disney experience 24/7. So I’m heavily leaning toward booking the Riviera for my vacation. As I said, my first reaction to the studio room was the same as yours. It seems really small for the price, and I wasn’t thrilled about the thought of pulling down my own bed every night. Then it occurred to me that I could just pull it down and leave it down. I also thought about how much time I actually spend in my room, which is typically when I’m sleeping, showering or getting ready to go somewhere. As well, I thought about the fact that I’ve paid every bit as much money for a room of similar size in Manhattan, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and even Chicago for a wedding this past October, and the price suddenly didn’t seem that off putting anymore. This is just the perspective that I have taken on regarding the Riviera from someone who is not just looking at dollar signs when booking a trip but how those dollar signs might contribute to an overall vacation experience. If it provides me with that little something extra that makes this vacation seem more like a way to appreciate Disney in a grown up way, then it’s money well spent.

We bought into DVC specifically for this resort. My husband and I love the design of the hotel and the upscale atmosphere. We get all the Disney Magic from the parks so we’d rather have a super nice, less thematic, resort on property that is enjoyable on its own.

Love being a DVC member. We paid off our membership. Just being a factory worker and auto mechanic we feel like royalty when stay on Disney property

We joined the DVC quite recently and have actually decided to make the riviera our home resort. It’s just beautiful!

I think you hit the nail on the head AJ when you said this resort is like a vacation within a vacation. I know a few people who are DVC members and they go to WDW and don't even go to the parks! (Mr is a golfer, Mrs is a reading by the pool person. They hop over to Epcot for dinner and Disney Springs, but hardly ever set foot in MK or HS.) To me, Riviera is set up for those DVC members who really want a luxury resort with all the Disney benefits, but who are panning on spending more time at the resort than at the parks.

the Riviera is my DVC home, we love it!! I have noticed a ton of vloggers are only showing the tower studio and saying how small it is..... Riviera also has a deluxe studio option that sleeps 5 fyi. that is the studio my family chooses to stay in. we still enjoy using our points at other deluxe resorts, but are super excited for the Riviera to finally be open!

Character breakfast at Topolino is all you care to enjoy, they just don’t advertise it that way! You can order more than one entree 👍

Summary: - the food is really good (french and Italian), they have a character breakfast but it’s expensive and not buffet, but better than chef micky’s, they have the best pool Bar, they offer monte cristos, it’s perfect for people who would rather stay at the hotel because they have a lot of activities (bocci, table sports, food, pool, etc), skylines goes to Hollywood, Epcot, Caribbean, and pop century, beautiful, luxurious, no spa, but had a gym, super expensive

Just seems like they want to keep most of the rooms available for vacation club members. Really high prices are meant to discourage non members from filling the place up. I do agree there should be a spa.

By far boardwalk is my favorite. We could see the fireworks from our balcony, we walked to Hollywood studios from our room and there's a lot to do on the boardwalk after a day at the park. For the price you won't find me staying at the Riviera

Not to mention the DVC resale restriction. If anyone buys this resort resale they can only stay at Riviera. This will impact resale value. I know people say they’ll never sell. If that was true for everybody there wouldn’t be a resale market, and there are Riviera contracts on the resale market already. Consider the fact that all those resale owners can only book at Riviera which will limit capacity at some point in the future for direct owners 🤔. If you don’t have the option of going anywhere else then you know you will book at your 11 month window as a resale owner. I think there are many things about this that will change over the years. Though we’re gonna have to wait and see. 😎🌴 One thing about Disney if you got the money they’ve got the price tag 👍.

This is a DVC resort and not intended for cash reservations. This is always an option but it will be very expensive vs. Points.

We’re dvc members so we’d only stay on points, but we can stay 2 nights at Saratoga springs or old key west for 1 night at riviera. I can’t see it happening when push comes to shove. We’d never choose a vacation half the length given the option

This resort is mainly a DVC resort. It’s beautiful but I agree , it could be a little expensive for non DVC guests. My husband and I checked out 5 hotels with DVC villas , and we both agreed that the Riviera Resort is what we want as our home resort. We checked out The Grand Floridian, The Polynesian, The Animal Kingdom lodge , Contemporary and this is the only hotel which is very easy to access everything all in the same building.

I went to the Riviera as a non DVC member and adored it. We got a great deal on it from Costco (priced around the same as a standard view AKL room) For a deluxe room with two queens and a twin pull out bed. 10/10 recommend!

Those room prices are absurd. I was interested in staying here at some point, but when you started comparing the room sizes/prices to other high-end Disney resorts, I changed my mind. Looks beautiful, but not worth those prices.

Another Great AJ video with loads of helpful info! Thanks for your honest report on the facts, both pros & cons of Riviera Resort.

Thanks for going over the prices and compare with other options. Very helpful. Love your channel.

Having stayed there for a friend's birthday recently I have to say it was a truly perfect experience food-, design- and amenities-wise, not to mention skyliner location. Being "far away" from things it was calm and relaxing, and as far as the cost/value it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a trip to the European Riviera! So AJ is correct that you should only stay here if you are planning several resort days to take advantage of it, like a staycation. Gelato cart, anyone?

It looks like a nice resort, but I agree with you on the pricing, especially when you start comparing it to other resorts. It also reminds me of a vacation within a vacation resort, similar to Aulani and Vero Beach where the resort is the destination.

What a gorgeous resort this is!!!

Such a beautiful resort! The grand opening day was so much fun! TOPOLINO’s Terrace was amazing!!

The price is so high because they only want DVC to stay there really

We all knew it was going to be a high price. It is high-end, it deserves it. We are staying fours over New Years. Thanks for all you do!

I priced out 2 bedroom villas for our 2021 summer vacation and Riviera was cheaper than both BC and BLT. Our package includes park tickets and was a couple thousand cheaper than BC and $4000 cheaper than the 2 bd at BLT. I for one am excited to stay at the Riviera and their quick service looks much much better than the QS offerings at both the Contemporary and BC.

We had already planned the last night of our honeymoon to have a ‘no park day’ (staying at Coronado). When we saw the pictures we were disappointed that, yes it was too expensive to switch over. My fiancé surprised me and change the reservations that on our last day the ‘no park day’, we’d move to Riviera. Which won’t totally break the bank

They likely want to sell DVC memberships, hence the high prices and they don’t want people paying rack rate. The points start quite low at 12 points a night (studio, low season).

Thanks great informative video 👍

The riviera is our home resort can’t wait to be there this tuesday !

Awesome!!!

I’m staying in March vary excited

Seems like a nice resort but that price for that location kills it for me. Pricing would have to go below Yacht & Beach Club, Boardwalk, etc before I would consider it.

I’m staying in July and I can’t wait!

Thank you for an honest review ..especially with pricing. I often travel alone, so I am fine with a small room, even a studio which is really no more than a closet, BUT I don't want to be paying Contemporary Resort prices for it. It looks to me like the prices are to encourage people to buy in the DVC to make it appear the DVC is a good value.

Keep in mind that they plan to sell this resort to DVC members (new and current). They don't need to price it for the general public; they can ask extortionate prices because they will only sell a fraction of the rooms to cash customers.

I priced out a DVC rental for their Deluxe Studio (which sleeps 5) for an upcoming trip in summer 2021 and it appears to be fewer points than equivalent rooms at the Contemporary and Poly. IMO, that's probably the only way to make the pricing work at this resort. Still, I'd rather stay at CBR and walk or skyliner over there for the food and ambiance as needed. Having said that, my preference is to have good food and a better (more intimate) atmosphere for a character breakfast, so Topolinos is definitely on our list for our next trip. We can always pop over to Garden Grove at the Swan for dinner one night and catch Goofy and Pluto.

I always TIP 25% and 50% for Christmas!!!! spread the joy! spread the love! spread the wealth! whatever you give comes back to you!

I was super excited seeing the hype about it over the last year. But wasn’t too impressed in person. Granted there are some awesome spots in the Riveria Resort, but Beach Club still has my heart!

I'm actually staying here next week. I honestly wanted to stay at the boardwalk resort but I booked late and all their king rooms were gone. I got a good deal as a Florida resident so I wasn't too hurt on the price but I'm interested to see it. The whole thing looks gorgeous

The price is maybe because of it being new? I don't know. I keep staying at my favorite, Saratoga Springs. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it. The studios are larger than these.

I can’t wait to try the Monte cristo! Strawberry jam is the authentic way to eat it btw😋. We are staying here in April and specifically picked it for the high end offerings. It’s a once in a life time trip with all my kids and grandkid. I may be more excited than any of them though🥰

I completely agree that the price for this resort doesn't appear to be worth what you get.

I heard that the quick service food court options were great! Primo Piatto

I think you are right about that hotel

Regarding the pricing: I have to imagine with Riviera being a relatively small resort (300-ish rooms), and it being a DVC centric property, the rack rate is meant to ensure DVC members have first go with their points. Otherwise, if the Mouse hasn't gotten his cash up front, i.e. DVC buy-in, you're going to pay the premium. Full disclosure, I'm a DVC member. 😉

Staying here in first week of feb 2020! Ended up getting the studio room for 290 flat a night

I managed to get a reservation for a deluxe studio for 2 adults and 4 nights with deluxe dining plan and 2 days parks tickets for $3400 in January. So for me the price is pretty reasonable! I am going next week !

Staying here in February but it was a huge price tag even with a discount (Disney Chase card). Great video to help prep for the stay

I tried to look and see if someone already mentioned it, but there are 2 types of studio rooms. You only mentioned the Tower Studio which sleeps 2. There is also the Deluxe Studio which sleeps 5.

disney 💙

I paid $2514 for 3 nights w/ 5 guests. It is pricey. The breakfast price is crazy. Thanks for the good information.

Beautiful resort - bonkers price. I might visit for Topolino's Terrace.

This is really for the DVC owner. Or it’s to get you to buy in to DVC if you love this resort. Giving them more options maybe will open up availability for the cash payer other places at the resort??

I totally agree about the pricing. I'm in the weeds on these rooms a lot, both looking at cash reservations and on points, and I've been shocked at how they compare against other DVC rooms with better proximity to parks. Even nice, newer or renovated rooms. I understand the fold-down Murphy bed is a big plus, but the All-Stars have them too (and presumably the DVC properties will be updated with them at some point in time)-- they're not worth THAT much. MAYBE if Riveira was the Skyliner hub it would make a bit more sense? But as it is it is baffling to me. There are just too many aspects where it doesn't quite measure up to other spots, and yet the rooms are outpricing just about everything except the Poly and the GF.

I love the look of the rooms but the price is unbelievably insane!

Monte Cristo=TURKEY, ham and cheese. I absolutely love the Disneyland version!! I'm looking forward to trying this, but the picture shows it's definitely not the same. I still gotta try it cuz I'm a Monte Cristo lover!

Because of Covid, our trip for next weekend was upgraded to a deluxe studio preferred room at Riviera for $157/night!! I thought our deal for a standard tower room at Coronado was a good deal for $207/night was a good deal! We are seriously considering taking the deal and making a weekend out of it with the pool, restaurants and Disney springs being open.

4:14 MONTE CRISTOS!!!!!!

This is a DVC resort. As a member we pay dues every year which are not cheap. So I guess I am glad they are not giving these rooms away for cheap. Having said that I agree that it’s location doesn’t warrant the price they are charging since it’s not within walking distance to parks. I do think that Disney is pushing folks to buy in as a DVC home resort which would offset the cost per night over time if you are a frequent visitor.

We will be staying here for a week in the next few months. Looking forward to it and while it was pricier than some of the other options, it was a good fit for our family. We have 2 seniors who will enjoy sitting by the adult pool, while my husband and I can play with our son over in the kid pool and on the splash pad. We are not DVC members and yes, it’s pricey. But we save in other ways and the hotel itself looks absolutely beautiful. Like all resorts, it’ll have the good, the bad and everything in between. Love the videos, although I do think I would have gotten hammered if I had taken a shot every time you mentioned the price 😂

We were going to stay at Boardwalk but because we had the Disney Cc we were able to get a one bedroom villa for the same price. Im not thrilled about the location but this is probably the only time we’d get to stay here at the price we received.

I totally agree with the price it is crazy expensive. I am staying at Caribbean Beach resort and I get access to the Skyliner private Jacuzzi really cool poor seven pools ECT. I can’t say a Caribbean beach for literally half the price!

As others have mentioned, this resort is catered to DVC members (not one, but thinking about it) and maybe overseas folks that have money (cough, Asia) coming out of their ears. This is a luxury resort, brand spanking new. I'm sure if y'all know your way around a discount, you can find one if you want to stay. This is high-rolling at it's best, (or worst however you think about it) remembering that the mouse is a conglomerate and out to make money like all big business.

And just stay at the four seasons! We went to visit the Rivera and could not believe how tight everything is.

Just watch all the resort prices jump to match the Riv... That is more likely than the price to drop...

We are staying there in Nov for a couple’s trip

And for the pull down trundles, if you look closely it doesn’t look like they’re installed correctly so that might’ve been a problem that they just didn’t notice at the time. But knowing Disney they’re probably gonna be fixing it as quickly as possible.

Stocker shock. 😳🙃🤓. Will have to get a second job just to save up for my DW vacation. - but worth it.

I will say when at Disney we will usually spend more than normal, although $41 for breakfast is totally crazy!!!

We'll be at WDW next week, Its on our "visit" "to do" list .. But certinly seems super pricy.. Just be there for the picture 😉👍🏻

Me and my mom are staying there in September in the studio tower for 5 days.

I visited last week. Very nice & elegant. Went to Le Petit Cafe, which was disappointing. I don't drink coffee, so the only options were Twinings Tea & the usual Disney hot chocolate. Twinings is my "usual" tea at home, and the hot chocolate always leaves something to be desired. One would think that a Riviera-themed resort would have something better in its themed cafe.

We will be staying the end of January. Paying for the stay with AMEX travel points. Booked a 2 bedroom unit, cash equivalent $1200 / night. Would I ever pay “real” money to stay ? Probably not. I have a hard time rationalizing $700/night for 2 beds at Contemporary. We generally stay off park in a rental house. For the same price we get 6-7 bedrooms with a private pool and a couple living spaces. We’re able to invite friends and family along. It’s big splurge to stay at anything on property that’s moderate and up.

What do you think about the pool? From the pictures it seems like a fairly uninspired one compared to many other options available.

Hi, which hotel would you recommend? Close to the parks, with transportation and not so expensive...Thanks!

We just got back from staying at the Riviera and it is a great resort. We had issues with cast members coming to our villa to do "room inspections" unannounced. The front desk manager said it is standard at all Disney resorts however I doubt that is standard that guests lying on bed look up to see a random person standing in their doorway. Not cool.

could also. be expensive cause its so new. everything is new and clean so its worth more

I love the review! I would like to know how to be at rope drop at MK from Riviera. The Skyliner won’t get you there early enough? I hear you can’t take an Uber too early because you would be turned away. So people ask to be dropped off at the gas station and walk?

Can you do a best places to dine 2020 video please?

DVC for this resort is also out of line. It costs more than any other DVC resort and the benefits package is much less if you sell. I am interested to hear how DVC sales go.

My brother has stayed at the contemporary resort a few times this year and he complained bitterly about how old the rooms felt, especially the garden ones - so if the age of the rooms is an issue and you are not super into Magic Kingdom (I prefer EPCOT) then the Contemporary loses a lot of value (excluding BLT that’s much newer). I have not stayed at either resort yet, although I have points at Riviera and I am staying at BLT this spring and on buying them my goal was to have access to the smaller tower rooms. Points-wise at 9 points per night during low season these are not that bad with the exception of some rooms at AKL and Old Key West that are higher value for similar points but with worse access to the parks than Riviera. Really my only point of contention is that Riviera should have had its station in the resort similar to the contemporary as opposed to slightly off to the side.

I think the rack rates are high because disney needs to see what the demand will be from DVC owners. Once this is established rack rates may be adjusted accordingly. How does this property compare with other DVC pricing and/or point requirements?

I’m staying here at the end of June and I cannot wait. THEY STAMP THE TOILET PAPER!!!

It seems that the non-DVC guests are being out-priced. Nothing wrong with that. We had a bird's eye veiw of the resort from the Skyliner and it looked so similar to Bonnet Creek Resort, which is a Wyndham property inside Disney. It's also a timeshare. Riviera certainly has a timeshare feel based on what you had said and presented in this video. I agree that it is expensive. But as seasoned Disney fanatics, still want experience it at least once.

Disney had 40% off Riviera as of time posting this. Great deal.

Idk about the pricing being right. That or I got a hell of a deal. We're going July 1st to the 5th and we got a 2 bed room suite for half the price it would have been at GF

Does anyone have a current situation for getting the Skyliner from the Riviera? I have heard it's very difficult and the wait times are long. I assume this is due to people loading at Caribbean Beach? we are staying there December, 2021. Thanks!

I have to wonder if the prices being charged aren't just because it's the newest property. Once the novelty wears off we'll see a reduction I hope

I’ve been watching your vids for several months and it seems like Disney is really getting to be exclusive.

When doing the prices and comparisons, you overlooked the delux studio category. That sleeps 5 (when the fix the Murphy beds), and is the direct comparison to the studios at the other resorts. I agree that the tower studio is overpriced, but I wonder what you think comparing delux studio there to delux studio at other places.

How much are those rooms worth in DVC points?

With those prices you would think they would not have had a problem with the small flip down beds that fell on a guest while sleeping in it. The place looks really nice, but I can't justify the price. I would rather stay at the Beach Club Resort/Villas and have nice restaurants on the Boardwalk for breakfast that are much cheaper.

we usually stay at the GF and are going to this resort this year on a whim as we want something a little different. Video is good however I would tone down on the camera movement. Just an opinion though.

Apparently Disney is setting people up with some ridiculous discounts - my family is going in March and the discount they offered to my parents through AAA made it less expensive than Art of Animation (our normal go to, since we've got two kiddos in tow).

We have a one bedroom reservation for March and for 40 percent off by using Disney visa. I was told it was cheaper than a studio at jambo house. I could change to a studio at boardwalk and I am not sure what to do. Skyway vs walking?

Stayed here this summer, 2 bed villa. Over $1K/night. Was great, but for that money, they should have cleaned the room every day, and I shouldn't have had to complain about the temperature seven of nine nights!

My family is going this winter (COVID) and we’re staying here because it is a lot cheaper with COVID and we probably wouldn’t stay here at the normal price :)) there’s four of us btw

This is, stylistically, a massive improvement to Grand Floridian which feels more and more outdated with each passing hour. The room sizes are what gets me. If they had larger rooms for those prices, even just standard two queen or 1 queen 1 full bed rooms I would be much more inclined to stay with the whole family. As it is, this is the kind or resort I'd go to with my best friend - we would eat up the luxury and access to foodie heaven. It's the kind of place I'd suggest someone propose to their beloved at. It isn't the kind of space where you drag all your kids. It isn't relaxed enough that my husband would be all "yeah I wanna hang out at that resort" and he's appreciates modern elegance, but this doesn't offer enough balance to enjoy a long stay for him.

How many DVC points do you need to stay there? Not all DVC resorts are the same # points. We have RCI Timeshare Points and Disney Resorts are part of the RCI network. Many of the 2 BR timeshares I've stayed at in the past are equivalent to about $350/night rooms. Still, for timeshare points, I'd rather stay at a resort within walking distance to the park (Polynesian Resort/Contemporary).

It’s funny how we thought they were going to be the prices of the Coronado Springs prices