What Are the Booking Options at the Disney’s Riviera Resort?

You cannot go wrong with any Disney Vacation Club resort. They’re all among the most immersive hotels on the planet, with each new one seemingly competing for the title of the best of the best. 

We learned this fact in 2019, when Disney’s Riviera Resort first opened to the public. It immediately established a new standard for what’s possible during a DVC visit. The laid-back vibe and tributes to Disney family vacations foster such a welcoming environment.

So, you should want to stay at this hotel. What are the booking options at the Riviera? Let’s discuss them all. 

Let’s Talk about the Preferred Room Type

Generally, when DVC members book a Preferred Room, there isn’t much complexity to the decision. Owners know that they’ll spend more DVC Points in exchange for a better view/location. While that statement applies at the Riviera, it’s not as cut-and-dried. 

When you reserve a Preferred Room, you guarantee a view overlooking the hotel’s pools, lake, or garden. However, unlike at many other DVC resorts with Preferred Rooms, the standard ones tend to reserve more quickly.

This behavior occurs due to an unusual room declaration. The Preferred Rooms don’t face the fireworks, preventing guests from watching the nighttime exhibitions from their rooms. Conversely, some (but not all) the standard rooms offer a fireworks view. 

Historically, Disney charges guests more for such views, which explains why the booking behavior at the Riviera is somewhat atypical. You can save a few DVC Points by booking standard and still possibly watch the fireworks at night. It’s a risk, though. With Preferred Rooms, you guarantee a lovely view of one of Disney’s most picturesque resorts. 

Let’s Talk about the Tower Studio

The headline-grabbing Room Type at the Riviera is the Tower Studio, the first of its kind. This Room Type is ideal for solo travelers or couples with complete confidence in their relationships. 

I say this because the rooms are among the smallest in the DVC inventory, covering only 255 square feet of space. Disney has chosen the unique design aesthetic of removing the bed from the floor. Instead, you’ll discover a pull-down over the loveseat in the center of the room. 

The efficiency of the Tower Studio is remarkable, as you’ll enter what looks like a living room but secretly hides a sleeping area. You’ll still find kitchenette features like a microwave and mini-fridge.

The vibe of these rooms is very much “college dorm,” but it’s also quite romantic when you’re in the “can’t get enough of each other” stage of your relationship. For solo travelers who won’t spend much time in the room, the Tower Studio presents an ideal solution to saving your precious DVC Points. 

The Tower Studio isn’t for everyone, but it definitely fills a unique niche. Here are our cohorts at DVC Fan performing a detailed review of this Room Type: 

Let’s Talk about the Deluxe Studio

The Riviera offers one of the best Deluxe Studios throughout the DVC library. This spacious room covers 423 square feet of space and accommodates up to five guests as opposed to just two in the Tower Studio.

More importantly, the room itself exemplifies the luxury of the Spanish and Italian Riviera. It would feel right at home in a Hitchcock film, only with 101 Dalmatians images and possibly a view of the Disney Skyliner. 

The Studio includes a queen-sized bed plus a pull-down Murphy bed as well. Under the HDTV, there’s also a pull-down bed that’s great for kids, too. I should mention that the Riviera was the first DVC property to offer interactive TV amenities, an essential amenity for today’s vacationers. 

Due to the clever layout and design of this Studio, you’ll enjoy a clear divide between the hangout section in one corner and the bedroom portion in the other. Also, you’ll enjoy all the standard kitchenette benefits and a walk-in shower with a rainfall shower faucet. Something you’ll enjoy about the kitchenette is that it’s right beside the television area, again enhancing efficiency. 

Let’s Talk about the Villas

Finally, the Riviera offers three different Villas, depending on your family’s needs. The One-Bedroom covers 823 square feet of space and sleeps five, making it ideal for traveling parties who like to stretch out and maybe even cook a meal. 

All the Villas host full-sized kitchens, complete with refrigerators, ovens, and stoves. The nearby seating area creates a convivial backdrop for everyone to hang out and talk while cooking a family meal. 

In the living room area, you’ll discover two pulldowns, one above the sectional and the other hidden under the HDTV. So, there’s a king-sized bed, a queen-sized murphy bed, and a pull-down. 

The Two-Bedroom Villas expand to 1,246 square feet of space, and some of them are lock-offs. These rooms include the standard features from the One-Bedrooms, but there’s a second bedroom consisting of two queen-sized beds. So, these rooms comfortably sleep up to nine. 

You and your friends will fight over who gets the master bedroom, though, as the master bath is immaculate. The signature element is a standalone porcelain bathtub more elegant than anything in your home. 

Finally, the Three-Bedroom Grand Villas are absolutely decadent bucket list hotel suites. They’re 2,530 square feet each, making them ideal gathering spots for large traveling parties. In fact, if you want to invite all your Disney friends back to your Villa, you’ll have plenty of space. 

You’ll find two different bedrooms consisting of two queen-sized beds, a decadent master bedroom, a dining room area that hosts up to ten dinner guests, and a living room capable of entertaining another ten. Technically, this suite only sleeps 12, but the facility can hold a lot more guests for entertainment purposes. 

This is a Las Vegas baller suite nestled by the Disney Skyliner. If you have the DVC Points to stay here, you owe it to yourself to try the Grand Villa at least once.