jerseygal
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2008
We booked a one night resort only stay at Riviera Preferred View Studio as a default as we had originally booked BCV at 7 months exactly..we love Stormalong Bay, but when we started hearing closure of SAB and all the NBA rumors, we cancelled that and looked for an alternative for a 1 night studio resort only stay to relax and celebrate our "37th". I was able to book a Tower Studio and have always wanted to stay at the Riviera, so I thought that it would be ok or the two of us as we would be out and about much of the stay. A few days after booking the Tower, I pleasantly found availability for a Preferred View Studio, so I immediately grabbed that.
We decided that this would only be a resort only stay, our objective was to relax and enjoy the pools, do some walking, celebrate with a nice dinner and enjoy 2 full days with one nights points.
We were blown away with the beauty and cleanliness of Riviera! Wow! We arrived around 9am, it was a gorgeous sunny day so wanted to make the most of it. We did not do on line check in as our plan was an early arrival, so didn't think that it would be busy in the lobby at that time, which it wasn't. A 7th floor room was ready, but we were "hoping" to celebrate on the top floor. The CM at check in could not be more helpful and pleasant, she asked us if we were celebrating something special and we told her. She asked us if we could wait awhile for a room,
we were in no rush at all, since our plans were to hang out at the resort pools. We agreed to wait for a higher floor and were texted at about 1:30 that our room was ready. We were blown away as it was top floor, full balcony with 2 chairs and a small table, overlooking the lap quiet pool, with a gorgeous view of the Lake , the entire resort! The two showers in the studio, one toilet, one sink was so convenient, very similar to the Poly and GFV, both which we have stayed in and love the two bathrooms! The rain shower in the main bath is always a fav of ours!
The studio did not feel cramped in any way! We felt it was so luxurious! We did not pull down the bed from the wall or pull out the trundle bed underneath the large television.
Here were our thoughts.
1. The cleanliness and social distancing were second to none. The resort, pool areas, and our studio were IMMACULATE! I truly felt safer here than in our local Publix, CVS, Walmart anywhere where you are wearing a mask indoors. The only place where masks are not required are inside the pool gates, on a lounge chair or in the water. I observed as soon as a family got up from a lounge chair or table with umbrella, the staff was sanitizing everything. The procedure is when you leave the chair, you put the seat back up as a signal you have vacated and it is ready for sanitizing. FABULOUS!
2. The lifeguard staff was attentive and very friendly. The main pool has lifeguard staff, where we spent most of our time. A great choice of loungers with umbrellas. The slide is fabulous and fun for big kids like us, lol! Such a pleasant experience with many areas of the pool to "hang" and relax, casually chat with members. We spoke with many nice members. Another plus for parents of young children is the younger kids area, fully gated with their own slide and water playscape area, the younger kids seem to have a blast. Kids seem to be well supervised.
3. Dinner at Topolino Terrace was excellent with the fabulous rooftop view of Bay Lake! Social distancing of tables was very good, our server was very attentive as he recognized our Anniversary with gratis champagne! HOW NICE! All the servers and bartenders and food runners wore face shields and masks, which was very impressive, no paper menus, contactless menus on the app. I had the pasta entree, DS had the shrimp scampi entree, the caesar salad was incredibly delic, very unique, the bread basket was ever so good with olive oil(Our server gladly brought home made butter for me). The meal was delicious. We were looking forward to dessert, but were so stuffed that we decided to wait until we rode the Skyliner for the first time, walk around the Boardwalk, and get a ice cream waffle cone at Ample Hills(but to our surprise was closed) so we chose a delic cupcake to bring back from Boardwalk Bakery instead. Our criticism of Topolino Terrace is the VERY limited menu, think like 5 or 6 entrees which for us is not enough for a signature experience. We had made a reservation at Il Mulino at the Swan on Open Table, but decided on Topolino Terrace, mostly for the view and patio. Il Mulino seemed to have a full menu. We have never been to Il Mulino, but hear very good reviews. We wold not return to Topolino due to the limited nature of the entree choices, although the service and food was excellent! Seven months prior to our July reservation, we were anticipating eating at either Yachtsman or Narcoosees...
again why are these great signatures CLOSED? We had a vehicle and considered taking our money elsewhere off property to a choice of many great Orlando restaurants nearby!
4. Lunch options at Primo Piatto, the Quick Service. Contactless ordering on the app, MUST be done in advance. We didn't realize this, went in to order and the CM holding an IPAD told us that ALL ordering whether take out to the pool area or eat in at the Primo must be done before hand on App. Ok..why is Disney employing any CM just to stand there and hold an IPAD? I witnessed a man having trouble ordering on his phone and the CM was not very helpful..ridiculous, just put the order in on your IPAD! We also found the same thing the next day for lunch as we walked over to Carribean Beach Resort to explore lunch options there. Great cleanliness in place, sanitizing machines in the quick services, social distancing signs, but a poor system in our opinion! What about an elderly couple or group of elderly ladies who dont use apps to order food. There has to be an option for those folks! Again, VERY LIMITED food choices at both Primo Piatto and Centertown Market, quick service at Carribean Beach. Not pleased at all! We had a grilled chicken sandwich at Primo with very tasty fries, didn't want to go back for lunch the next day, hoping for a more expanded menu. I ordered a salad with grilled chicken at Centertown Market, again on the App...Don't bother, about $12 or $13 wasted...horrible...yucky grilled chicken in a little cup to put on the salad...A total waste of money!
Here's our general comment. If Disney is going to open the resorts, then operate both your signature restaurants and quick serve with a varied entree choice. Food at Disney has always been on the high side, but the price is even more of an issue when you receive sub par food choices and in the case of my grilled chicken salad at Centertown, a maybe a 3 on a scale of 10...Dont waste your time eating there! In our opinion, high price for very sub par quality food! This salad cannot "hold a candle" to the delicious freshly tossed salad at Gasparilla Island Grill..so delicious, great price, large and SO FRESH, a 10!
5. Bar Riva, right outside pool..Come on, $15 or $16 for a VERY LIMITED drink menu...How about Frozen Daquiris or nice refreshing frozen drink? How about like in Aruba or a Caribbean Island Destination, certain hours like 3 to 5 for Happy Hour Drink Prices??? In lieu of not having a varied alcoholic drink menu, we settled on a $6 virgin drink which was ALL ICE, small size, we drank it in one gulp in the 100 degree heat index!
6. Skyliner was SO FUN and so convenient to Epcot, we rode it after dinner in the evening..First time riding the Skyliner..not a fan of heights, got past our fear and we loved it. Each party has their own cabin for social distancing which is great! Although it was a very warm evening, the air slots were pleasant and we did not feel hot(I am a little paranoid, so we brought water bottles just in case we stopped). We wanted to get some exercise and walk around the Boardwalk as we always do on our trips. To our surprise, it was EMPTY! Very few people walking or mulling about. ESPN Zone was closed as was Ample Hills Ice Cream, so we opted for a delic cupcake at Boardwalk Bakery to bring back to our studio balcony. We walked toward BC, there was no one around, pretty deserted. We were dismayed at not being able to do a full walk around the entire Boardwalk with a closure of the Boardwalk starting at SAB because of the NBA staying at the Yacht Club.
7. I am an early riser and enjoy having coffee on the balcony in the mornings. I pleasantly viewed very early in the morning, the pool maintenance staff spraying down ALL areas of the pool areas with a sanitizing spray, pool chairs, cement around the pools, tables, etc.
The pool areas were sparkling clean! We felt VERY SAFE especially after seeing that, WOW!
8. We watched some folks come off Skyliner to check out the resort, mull around the lobby and take a look at the pools. The gorgeous sparkling clean pool areas with the gorgeous slides really are attractive to non Riviera guests. Personally, I see it as a problem with potential "gate hanging", similar to the Poly. Why not post a lifeguard at the gate entrance to check MB's of all guests? It is done at SAB, why not here, or other highly desirable pools on property. It can easily be done at Riviera as there is only ONE entrance in the pool for social distancing.
9. For safety of those using rest rooms by both pools, since they are a bit remotely located, there is a magic band access on the bathroom doors, but they were open. I chose to use the family rest room instead, which I could lock.
10. No showers available at rest rooms to shower after using pool due to Covid. Don't know what folks do who have to get on planes. Not pleasant to have to jump on a plane with suntan lotion on after spending some time in the pools on the last day of the stay. There appeared to be showers built in the rest rooms, but signs say Not Available.
11. Gift shop. How nice is that DVC members 30 percent off! That was a pleasant surprise! The CM said “for a limited time”!
Would we return to Riviera, a fabulous Anniversary trip!
ABSOLUTELY, we plan to return, loved it!! Would we eat off property or Disney Springs until a more varied menu is implemented, ABSOLUTELY! Getting in a car from the pool area, driving to Disney Springs, finding a spot for parking at Disney Springs for lunch is highly inconvenient though.
We decided that this would only be a resort only stay, our objective was to relax and enjoy the pools, do some walking, celebrate with a nice dinner and enjoy 2 full days with one nights points.
We were blown away with the beauty and cleanliness of Riviera! Wow! We arrived around 9am, it was a gorgeous sunny day so wanted to make the most of it. We did not do on line check in as our plan was an early arrival, so didn't think that it would be busy in the lobby at that time, which it wasn't. A 7th floor room was ready, but we were "hoping" to celebrate on the top floor. The CM at check in could not be more helpful and pleasant, she asked us if we were celebrating something special and we told her. She asked us if we could wait awhile for a room,
we were in no rush at all, since our plans were to hang out at the resort pools. We agreed to wait for a higher floor and were texted at about 1:30 that our room was ready. We were blown away as it was top floor, full balcony with 2 chairs and a small table, overlooking the lap quiet pool, with a gorgeous view of the Lake , the entire resort! The two showers in the studio, one toilet, one sink was so convenient, very similar to the Poly and GFV, both which we have stayed in and love the two bathrooms! The rain shower in the main bath is always a fav of ours!
The studio did not feel cramped in any way! We felt it was so luxurious! We did not pull down the bed from the wall or pull out the trundle bed underneath the large television.
Here were our thoughts.
1. The cleanliness and social distancing were second to none. The resort, pool areas, and our studio were IMMACULATE! I truly felt safer here than in our local Publix, CVS, Walmart anywhere where you are wearing a mask indoors. The only place where masks are not required are inside the pool gates, on a lounge chair or in the water. I observed as soon as a family got up from a lounge chair or table with umbrella, the staff was sanitizing everything. The procedure is when you leave the chair, you put the seat back up as a signal you have vacated and it is ready for sanitizing. FABULOUS!
2. The lifeguard staff was attentive and very friendly. The main pool has lifeguard staff, where we spent most of our time. A great choice of loungers with umbrellas. The slide is fabulous and fun for big kids like us, lol! Such a pleasant experience with many areas of the pool to "hang" and relax, casually chat with members. We spoke with many nice members. Another plus for parents of young children is the younger kids area, fully gated with their own slide and water playscape area, the younger kids seem to have a blast. Kids seem to be well supervised.
3. Dinner at Topolino Terrace was excellent with the fabulous rooftop view of Bay Lake! Social distancing of tables was very good, our server was very attentive as he recognized our Anniversary with gratis champagne! HOW NICE! All the servers and bartenders and food runners wore face shields and masks, which was very impressive, no paper menus, contactless menus on the app. I had the pasta entree, DS had the shrimp scampi entree, the caesar salad was incredibly delic, very unique, the bread basket was ever so good with olive oil(Our server gladly brought home made butter for me). The meal was delicious. We were looking forward to dessert, but were so stuffed that we decided to wait until we rode the Skyliner for the first time, walk around the Boardwalk, and get a ice cream waffle cone at Ample Hills(but to our surprise was closed) so we chose a delic cupcake to bring back from Boardwalk Bakery instead. Our criticism of Topolino Terrace is the VERY limited menu, think like 5 or 6 entrees which for us is not enough for a signature experience. We had made a reservation at Il Mulino at the Swan on Open Table, but decided on Topolino Terrace, mostly for the view and patio. Il Mulino seemed to have a full menu. We have never been to Il Mulino, but hear very good reviews. We wold not return to Topolino due to the limited nature of the entree choices, although the service and food was excellent! Seven months prior to our July reservation, we were anticipating eating at either Yachtsman or Narcoosees...
again why are these great signatures CLOSED? We had a vehicle and considered taking our money elsewhere off property to a choice of many great Orlando restaurants nearby!
4. Lunch options at Primo Piatto, the Quick Service. Contactless ordering on the app, MUST be done in advance. We didn't realize this, went in to order and the CM holding an IPAD told us that ALL ordering whether take out to the pool area or eat in at the Primo must be done before hand on App. Ok..why is Disney employing any CM just to stand there and hold an IPAD? I witnessed a man having trouble ordering on his phone and the CM was not very helpful..ridiculous, just put the order in on your IPAD! We also found the same thing the next day for lunch as we walked over to Carribean Beach Resort to explore lunch options there. Great cleanliness in place, sanitizing machines in the quick services, social distancing signs, but a poor system in our opinion! What about an elderly couple or group of elderly ladies who dont use apps to order food. There has to be an option for those folks! Again, VERY LIMITED food choices at both Primo Piatto and Centertown Market, quick service at Carribean Beach. Not pleased at all! We had a grilled chicken sandwich at Primo with very tasty fries, didn't want to go back for lunch the next day, hoping for a more expanded menu. I ordered a salad with grilled chicken at Centertown Market, again on the App...Don't bother, about $12 or $13 wasted...horrible...yucky grilled chicken in a little cup to put on the salad...A total waste of money!
Here's our general comment. If Disney is going to open the resorts, then operate both your signature restaurants and quick serve with a varied entree choice. Food at Disney has always been on the high side, but the price is even more of an issue when you receive sub par food choices and in the case of my grilled chicken salad at Centertown, a maybe a 3 on a scale of 10...Dont waste your time eating there! In our opinion, high price for very sub par quality food! This salad cannot "hold a candle" to the delicious freshly tossed salad at Gasparilla Island Grill..so delicious, great price, large and SO FRESH, a 10!
5. Bar Riva, right outside pool..Come on, $15 or $16 for a VERY LIMITED drink menu...How about Frozen Daquiris or nice refreshing frozen drink? How about like in Aruba or a Caribbean Island Destination, certain hours like 3 to 5 for Happy Hour Drink Prices??? In lieu of not having a varied alcoholic drink menu, we settled on a $6 virgin drink which was ALL ICE, small size, we drank it in one gulp in the 100 degree heat index!
6. Skyliner was SO FUN and so convenient to Epcot, we rode it after dinner in the evening..First time riding the Skyliner..not a fan of heights, got past our fear and we loved it. Each party has their own cabin for social distancing which is great! Although it was a very warm evening, the air slots were pleasant and we did not feel hot(I am a little paranoid, so we brought water bottles just in case we stopped). We wanted to get some exercise and walk around the Boardwalk as we always do on our trips. To our surprise, it was EMPTY! Very few people walking or mulling about. ESPN Zone was closed as was Ample Hills Ice Cream, so we opted for a delic cupcake at Boardwalk Bakery to bring back to our studio balcony. We walked toward BC, there was no one around, pretty deserted. We were dismayed at not being able to do a full walk around the entire Boardwalk with a closure of the Boardwalk starting at SAB because of the NBA staying at the Yacht Club.
7. I am an early riser and enjoy having coffee on the balcony in the mornings. I pleasantly viewed very early in the morning, the pool maintenance staff spraying down ALL areas of the pool areas with a sanitizing spray, pool chairs, cement around the pools, tables, etc.
The pool areas were sparkling clean! We felt VERY SAFE especially after seeing that, WOW!
8. We watched some folks come off Skyliner to check out the resort, mull around the lobby and take a look at the pools. The gorgeous sparkling clean pool areas with the gorgeous slides really are attractive to non Riviera guests. Personally, I see it as a problem with potential "gate hanging", similar to the Poly. Why not post a lifeguard at the gate entrance to check MB's of all guests? It is done at SAB, why not here, or other highly desirable pools on property. It can easily be done at Riviera as there is only ONE entrance in the pool for social distancing.
9. For safety of those using rest rooms by both pools, since they are a bit remotely located, there is a magic band access on the bathroom doors, but they were open. I chose to use the family rest room instead, which I could lock.
10. No showers available at rest rooms to shower after using pool due to Covid. Don't know what folks do who have to get on planes. Not pleasant to have to jump on a plane with suntan lotion on after spending some time in the pools on the last day of the stay. There appeared to be showers built in the rest rooms, but signs say Not Available.
11. Gift shop. How nice is that DVC members 30 percent off! That was a pleasant surprise! The CM said “for a limited time”!
Would we return to Riviera, a fabulous Anniversary trip!
ABSOLUTELY, we plan to return, loved it!! Would we eat off property or Disney Springs until a more varied menu is implemented, ABSOLUTELY! Getting in a car from the pool area, driving to Disney Springs, finding a spot for parking at Disney Springs for lunch is highly inconvenient though.
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