On December 16, 2019, Disney’s newest resort, the Riviera Resort, will open for guests. We’re here to fill you in on everything you can find at this amazing new DVC resort. We’ll talk about the rooms, recreation, and the dining you can find at this Mediterranean inspired hotel!
Happy listening!
This September I was lucky enough to stay in a recently refurbished one bedroom villa at Disney’s Beach Club Villas. If you’ve followed any of my room reviews before, my family tends to like their space in hotel rooms, meaning we seek rooms that are different from the standard 2 queen beds. From the family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation to the cottage suites at Disney’s Boardwalk we’ve tried some amazing alternative rooms at different Disney resorts and have loved them all. But Beach Club was something truly special!
The bathroom in this one bedroom consisted of 3 separate areas: a toilet behind a door, an area that held the tub and a sink/mirror combination, then the third area where the glass door shower and a second sink/mirror set was. I loved this area, so several people could be getting ready for the day at once. And that tub was perfect for the little one’s bath! If we’d had more time in this room I may have just taken a bath in here myself too.
Another great thing about these one bedroom villas is how they truly feel like home. The sitting area has a comfy couch, chairs and large screen TV and a table and chairs for meals just like at home.
From a full size fridge to a stove, dishwasher and all the cooking utensils and silverware you might need, these kitchens are perfect for those who’d like to eat some meals at “home” while on vacation.
Some other major benefits to staying at the Beach Club were the super comfy queen bed in the bedroom (plus more than enough room for the pack and play we used for my daughter), the location (all that entertainment on the boardwalk!) and access to the amazing Stormalong Bay pool shared by the Beach and Yacht Clubs. That pool is worth the price of admission alone, friends!
I really enjoyed this exercise on the podcast so if you missed it you can check it out here: https://dolewhipped.com/2015/03/16/podcast-episode-43-how-far-does-your-money-go-at-disney/
My budget was pretty great, you can take a fantastic vacation for this price. I have four options that all come in under budget. All are for a family of 2 adults, 2 children under 9. One other thing to note is that these prices are rack rate, so there is no promotion or discounts applied.
In the Deluxe category we have two choices!
6 night stay at Wilderness Lodge (standard view) with 7 day Park Hopper tickets for $3,984.76.
Photo via Disney.com
4 night stay at Beach Club Villas in a Deluxe Studio 5 day base park tickets, Disney Dining Plan and Memory Maker for $3,980.40.
Photo via Disney.com
For Moderates you have what is a pretty typical Disney vacation for many families. This is the kind of trip you might take every 3-4 years and really go all out.
6 nights at Port Orleans Riverside with 7 day Park Hopper and Disney Dining Plan at $3,944.20.
I wanted to get a bit silly with the Value Resort and see how far I could take the extras while still getting a full week at the resort. I went with Pop Century as it is the most popular of the Values.
5 nights at Pop Century, Pool View, 6 day Park Hopper with Water Parks Fun and More, Deluxe Dining Plan for $3,985.44.
Of all these trips the one I would be most likely to take would be the Port Orleans Riverside stay, mostly because it is the longest but still has a great dining plan and park hoppers. The thing I learned most from this was that there really is something at Disney for every budget level and yes you can even go for a couple days and stay under $1,500.
Which of these options is most appealing to you?
Dole Whipped 