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Disney's Riviera Resort

While acknowledging my own poor grasp of Florida's geography around WDW, I had no idea that it was that close to EPCOT. How far away will the hotel be from Epcot?
Scroll up a few posts above and you can see an aerial that compares it to Epcot.
 
Scroll up a few posts above and you can see an aerial that compares it to Epcot.

Dang it, sorry about that. While on Bio's twitter feed, he has a couple pictures further down that he took from the top of the Contemporary (or maybe 8 floors up). He took a distant shot of Epcot and the hotels really loom in the distance. Unless those other off-property hotels.
 
New concept art was buried in the flood of other news this morning. It is... fairly unremarkable to be kind. Being honest, it looks like a Marriott. The concept art does give a projected Fall 2019 opening date, however. Notice the Gondolas in the upper left:

Image_WDW_Riviera-Resort.jpg
 
The resort looks like a real snooze with this concept art. I wish they would've gone with an angle that would show the larger pool. Hopefully that one has some stand out features compared to this bland quiet pool. It doesn't look so family friendly. Everyone keeps commenting the hotel looks huge for just 300 rooms so with a good amount of 2 bedroom accommodations there has to be some sort of element to attract larger families.
Or maybe it won't, and I'm sure that would bring a lot of praise from couples looking for a more intimate experience.
 
The cheapest studio (still over 300$ per night) has a pull out couch for the bed...
That's how all DVC studios are. One queen and then a pull out plus a pull down bed below the TV to sleep 5. The only studio rooms that have two queens instead of a pullout is Old Key West.
 
And most of my hope for this resort has deflated. The rooms definitely look nice, especially the deluxe studio but with no touches of Disney and the most boring looking lobby...it looks like they're trying to rip off Four Seasons...but for the die-hard fans of the brand? What a weird marketing position for a DVC resort.
 
And most of my hope for this resort has deflated. The rooms definitely look nice, especially the deluxe studio but with no touches of Disney and the most boring looking lobby...it looks like they're trying to rip off Four Seasons...but for the die-hard fans of the brand? What a weird marketing position for a DVC resort.
I've heard that Disney is trying to make this the "Grand Floridian of the DVCs", which is ironic since GF has DVC villas.

I can see the comparison since the resort that is going to have an attached transportation method (Skyliner), the rooms are "classier" (I guess) and a rooftop restaurant that will be a hot reservation for Epcot fireworks viewing, similar to California Grill over at the Contemporary. But I just stayed in a Grand Villa at DAK for two nights and all the little thematic touches are really welcomed. I feel at this hotel, there is no theme. It's just sort of generic modern DVC. The photos of these rooms leave me feeling extremely empty.
 
Forgot to post one more thing announced... Topolina's Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera (Rooftop Dinning) and a Character Breakfast. The character breakfeast will be prix-fixe and Topolino’s Terrace is "designed to delight all the senses—and will offer stunning vistas and regional dishes of the Italian and French Riviera served straight from the expo kitchen".

Topolina's Terrace concept art:
1e52409d-8fd7-4826-8c25-e28f27c8bcb6-58929-00000bae44154392.png

Topolino’s Terrace – Rooftop Dining and Character Breakfast Announced for Disney's Riviera Resort - Blog Mickey
 
Actually, it's a Murphy bed and only sleeps two. But yeah, it better be cheap in points.
According to Len Testa, the room is being priced rack rate at $545/night.... I would expect this to be the cost of what a studio normally would in points, sadly.

Those murphy beds are the new "thing" that are being installed across all DVCs though for space-saving and extra comfort. They've already changed it at Saratoga Springs so that the pullout coach is now a coach that has a pull down murphy (of course that room has a queen bed, too). These Inova pull downs are much more comfortable (and larger) than sleeping on a pull out couch.

But the price Disney is likely to charge for just a 2-person murphy room boggles the mind.
 
The pool looks nice, other than that, it’s another terribly generic looking hotel from a company that used to make incredible ones.
Of course Star Wars and Space hotels could change that.
 
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