dvc resort
Disney's Riviera Resort
The short answer
The Riviera is the newest Walt Disney World resort, opened in 2019, and the only deluxe with its own Skyliner station — direct gondolas to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with no transfer. Deluxe Studios start around $801 a night in 2026. It is a Disney Vacation Club property, so most rooms are villas.
How you get to the parks
- Skylinerto EPCOT and Hollywood Studios
- Busto every park, from every resort
- Wheelchair or ECVhow each bus, monorail, Skyliner and boat boards
Routes as Disney publishes them, read Sep 2026.
How long it really takes to get to each park
We haven’t timed this resort yet. A door-to-gate time goes here once we have walked the route with a stopwatch at least five times — a single reading hides the variation that actually makes people miss a breakfast reservation. How we measure.
What it costs
$149cheapest$558median$816dearest
Rack rate for a standard room in the cheapest 2026 season, tax included, from Disney’s published rate calendar. Read Sep 6, 2026.
Who it’s right for
Trips weighted toward Hollywood Studios, where the direct Skyliner beats every alternative. Also anyone who wants the newest rooms on property, and Disney Vacation Club members using points where the cash comparison does not apply.
Who it’s wrong for
Anyone comparing purely on EPCOT access, where the Beach Club and BoardWalk walk there for less money. It is also the wrong resort for Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom trips — both are buses from here — and the villa-heavy room mix makes it awkward for a party of exactly four wanting two beds.
Is it worth the money?
If your trip is EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the direct Skyliner is worth real money — no transfer, no bus, and you can see the queue from the resort. Topolino's Terrace is good.
Against that, $801 for a studio is more than the Beach Club at $638, and the Beach Club walks to EPCOT in five minutes, not riding to it. The Riviera wins on newness and Hollywood Studios; the Beach Club wins on EPCOT and price.
Where to eat here
Every restaurant here with its own page on this site, with the typical spend a head from that page.
- Bar Riva · Lounge, about $20
- Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera · Character dining, about $54
- Primo Piatto · Counter service, about $18
What the rooms are actually like
Deluxe Studios are about 371 square feet sleeping five, including a pull-down bed and — unusually — a pull-down single hidden under the television. This is a Disney Vacation Club resort, so the room mix is villas, not hotel rooms: Tower Studios sleep two, Deluxe Studios five, and the one- and two-bedroom villas have kitchens and are priced separately.
Sleeps up to 5, not counting infants — the table below says which room that takes.
Every room type, and who fits in it
Straight from Disney’s own booking data, checked 2026-09-19. Occupancy excludes infants — Disney counts a baby in a cot separately, which is why a room that “sleeps 5” here can appear as 6 on their site.
| Room | Sleeps (excl. infants) | Adults | Beds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tower Studio - Resort View Views of Landscaping or Parking Area | 2 | 2 | 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed |
| 1 Bedroom Villa - Preferred View Views of Courtyard, Lake, Landscaping, Pool or Disney Skyliner | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| Deluxe Studio - Preferred View Views of Courtyard, Lake, Landscaping, Pool or Disney Skyliner | 5 | 5 | 1 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 1 Bedroom Villa - Resort View Views of Parking Areas | 5 | 5 | 1 King Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| Deluxe Studio - Resort View Views of Parking Areas | 5 | 5 | 1 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 2 Bedroom Villa - Resort View Views of Parking Areas | 9 | 9 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 2 Bedroom Villa - Preferred View Views of Courtyard, Lake, Landscaping, Pool or Disney Skyliner | 9 | 9 | 1 King Bed + 2 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Pull Down Bed + 1 Single Pull Down Bed |
| 3 Bedroom Grand Villa Views of Lake | 12 | 12 | 1 King Bed + 4 Queen Bed + 1 Queen-Size Sleeper Sofa |
Which room should you request?
Compact and modern, arranged around a single central pool, with its own Skyliner station at the door. The gondola lines run direct to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios — no transfer at Caribbean Beach, which is what separates this from Pop Century and Art of Animation.
What are the pools like?
- Riviera Pool — has a slide
- Beau Soleil quiet pool — quiet pool
Disney’s own recreation page accounts for 2 pools. Named by Disney: At the Riviera Pool, Beau Soleil Pool. Disney’s pool page, read 2026-09-19.
What has changed recently?
Opened in December 2019 and still the newest Walt Disney World resort. Nothing significant has changed since, which at six years old is exactly what you want.
Working from here
excellent
The newest rooms on property, with proper desks and the best wifi of any Disney resort. Le Petit Café in the lobby is a genuine café rather than a food court, which makes it the best resort work spot outside the Grand Floridian.
Common questions
- Does the Riviera have its own Skyliner station?
- Yes, and it is the only deluxe resort that does. The gondolas run direct to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with no transfer at Caribbean Beach, which is what separates it from Pop Century and Art of Animation, where a change is required for one of the two parks.
- How much is the Riviera per night?
- Deluxe Studios run from about $801 in the cheapest 2026 season to $1,161 at peak, rack rate including 12.5% tax. One- and two-bedroom villas are priced separately and considerably higher; Tower Studios sleep two and are cheaper.
- Riviera or Beach Club?
- The Beach Club walks to EPCOT in five minutes and starts $160 a night cheaper, plus Stormalong Bay. The Riviera has newer rooms, a direct Skyliner to Hollywood Studios and Topolino's Terrace. For an EPCOT-weighted trip the Beach Club; for Hollywood Studios or if newness matters, the Riviera.
- Is Topolino's Terrace worth it?
- The rooftop character breakfast is among the better ones on property and the dinner is good, not merely convenient, with a view taking in fireworks from two parks. It is the strongest single reason to eat at the Riviera whether or not you stay there.
What it looks like
Illustration, not a photograph of this resort — a real one is on our shot list.
Sources
- MouseSavers — Riviera 2026 rates — reported by · checked
- MouseSavers — 2026 Walt Disney World room rates and season dates — reported by · checked
- Walt Disney World — Disney's Riviera Resort: room types and rates (official booking data: 8 room types, sleeping 2–12 excluding infants) — Disney official · checked