The Pools at Disney's Riviera Resort

April 21, 2020 ↔ no comments

The Pools at Disney’s Riviera Resort

Dave

(For the first page of this review of Disney’s Riviera Resort, click here.)

REVIEW: THE POOLS AT DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

Disney’s Riviera Resort has two pools, the Beau Soleil Pool aimed at adults, and the Riviera Pool that families will like best.

Separating them is an activity lawn with games, and both are close to the quick service Primo Piatto and a poolside bar, Bar Riva. Other amenities are just outside the Rivera Pool, including a movie lawn that adds games during daylight, a fire pit, and a beach.

Among them you’ll find pretty much any pool-related amenity you are looking for, but you won’t find much theming, which is my only complaint. This set of pools and amenities could have been at any high-end hotel. Surely with a Riviera theme something more beachy could have been designed at the family Riviera Pool?

THE RIVIERA POOL AT DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

The Riviera Pool is the larger and more fun of the two pools at Rivera.

Join me on a walking around the Riviera Pool. It includes a zero entry area. (There’s much more pool to the left of this image than the angles suggest.)

A lift chair–the tower in the background incorporates the pool slide, which we will get to.

The zero entry area from the other side of the pool.

The long side of the pool.

The pool slide.

A closer view of the slide.

The long side of the pool from the slide side.

The area between the tower and the zero-entry part of the pool, looking towards the Skyliner and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

There’s also a hot tub here (another one is at the Beau Soleil pool).

Back behind the tower is a separate space with a great kid’s water play area. Themed to Hannibal’s Crossing of the Alps, it includes a spilling water bucket at the top, and in the center right of the image, a water cannon.

Here from the other side you can see the two slides in this area, plus play fountains.

Other play opportunities are both inside and near the Riviera Pool. This cornhole set up is inside the pool fences. I’ll get to some other play opportunities down the page.

A Gelato cart was available during both of my stays at Riviera, but was not always open.

There’s a lot of varied seating options at the Riviera Pool. Note the couches and shaded tables.

Plenty of standard pool chairs are available too.

Here’s the Riviera Pool at night.

THE BEAU SOLEIL POOL AT DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

The Beau Soleil pool at Disney’s Riviera Resort is much less interesting than the Riviera Pool. This is intentional, as it makes it operate a bit more like a quieter adult pool.

On the other hand, its typically longer hours–during my stays, the Beau Soleil pool was open from 7a to 11p, while the Riviera Pool was open from 10a-8p–mean that it may be filled with kids in the evening.

The Beau Soleil pool is essentially a featureless near-rectangle surrounded by seating.

It does have a hot tub…

…and some nice seating options besides lounge chairs.

THE ACTIVITY LAWN AND OTHER NEARBY AMENITIES AT DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

Between the two pools are an “Activity Lawn” and a bocce ball court. These are in the red oval above.

The Activity Lawn is sometimes set up for games…

…and has a permanent outdoor chessboard.

The bocce ball court saw much action during my stay.

Between the Riviera Pool and the water are a fire pit for s’mores and a Movie Lawn–both circled in gold above.

Movies are shown in the evening at the Movie Lawn–check your activity guide for shows and times.

During the daytime, various play events happen here, also on a schedule. Above is “Foot Snooker.”

Both pools are very close to the counter service offering, Primo Piatto, and the pool bar, Bar Riva (above). A refillable mug station is outside and to the right of Bar Riva.

Poolside service is also available. The poolside menu from my visit is above. The Primo Piatto menu is here, and the Bar Riva menu is here.

Finally, although it is not on the resort map, it is worth noting that there is a beach along Barefoot Bay. Walk past Riviera Pool on the kid’s water play area side to find it. You cannot swim in or even enter the water, but you can play in the sand or lounge on the beach chairs.

PAGES IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

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