When our Spring Break Disney World vacation was canceled March 13, 2020, due to the shutdowns related to COVID-19, and it was just one day shy of when we were supposed to leave, we were pretty devastated. I know, I know, it’s just a vacation, and there is a lot more serious stuff in the world, especially now. But as I have said in my blog and our YouTube channel, our family craves times like these together. We thrive and bond in such a special way that any trip we take is a life-line for us. We had been planning that trip for at least nine months and were very disappointed not to see it come to fruition. But we moved forward and took a different trip together to the beach. The beach is also a very special place for us too. We bonded and relaxed together, and prepared ourselves to face this new pandemic-world together. That wonderful Plan-B trip will show up on our blog and channel later on, so stay tuned!

After working with Disney through our wonderful travel planner (susan@mainstreettravelco.com), we kept our reservations and just pushed them six months out, not having any idea that it would take almost that long for the parks to reopen. We lost our park hoppers, fast passes, dining reservations (twice), free dining, two special behind-the-scenes tours, a virtual reality game (which is now permanently closed), our first-choice hotel and pool, and all the specific plans we had made for that trip. But I am truly not complaining! We still have our health, home, jobs, and family. We were blessed to be able to do this for our family and to have the opportunity to go at all.

We waited it out, along with our planner, made more reservations, and waited some more. The park finally reopened, and we watched every video we could get our hands on to prepare for our next Disney adventure! That’s part of how our channel started. We wanted to reach people who wanted to see what Disney is like now with all of the COVID precautions in place. We also realized how much we love to visit Disney vicariously through others’ videos, so we are hoping to provide that same joy to others as well through our videos.

One great thing that came from the deferred trip was that we got a huge refund due to the different time of year we were going, no park hoppers, no dining plan, and different flights, etc., and we ended up saving about half the amount from our previous trip! The second hidden blessing was because our beloved Beach Club Resort was not open yet, Disney gave us the opportunity to stay at the Riviera Resort for basically the same price we were paying before. There were many things about this delayed trip that I think made it even more special than it would have been in March.

Riviera is a beautiful representation of a European-inspired, Walt-dreamed, aesthetically pleasing balm-to-your-soul. Enjoy some pictures below of our favorite things about this resort.

Lush greenery
Bay Lake
Nighttime pool view
Fountains at Riviera Resort Entrance
Fountains near the Skyliner Entrance
Peter Pan-themed mural
Tangled-themed mural
Our first Hidden Mickey of the whole trip at the entrance
Hidden Mickey on our Balcony
Hidden Mickey in the iron work (directly over the end of this word)
Epcot View from our balcony
Disney Springs View from our balcony
There are two nice pools. This one is zero-entry and has a waterslide. Not pictured is the quiet pool, but check out our video below to see it.
Water slide and awesome lifeguards
Plenty of seating around the lake by the pool
Beautiful decor at Topolino’s (one of our new favorite restaurants!) It is also STILL a character meal at breakfast, one of the few in the parks right now. Click on the picture of Topolino’s or Mickey to see our video about the adorable characters at breakfast.
Artist Mickey and Friends
Outstanding view from Topolino’s Terrace

And an awesome Art Scavenger Hunt to do with your family, and it has a prize at the end!

Would we stay at Riviera again, even though it wasn’t our first choice this trip? Absolutely! We really enjoyed the hotel, the European atmosphere, the Skyliner, the art, the murphy-beds, the cast members, the food, the pool, and the water slide. There is really nothing at all negative that we can say about our stay there, except what you always say about a Disney vacation… “it was too short!” The only other thing we can say is about the pool, and it is not negative at all, only a comparison to another pool. We absolutely love Stormalong Bay at Beach Club, and this pool is definitely not as big or as extravagant, but there is nothing wrong with it at all. It is still really nice, has a calming effect, has a fun waterslide, a water play area, great cabanas, and hot tubs. The lifeguard cast members are also wonderful! Because we saw them every night, we made friends with them, and they even contributed commentary and frivolity to our family’s pool games.

Even though it wasn’t our first choice (it even sounds crazy to say that now), it was an incredible place to stay, and we would definitely stay there again if given the opportunity.

Watch our Riviera Resort YouTube videos below for room, food and amenity tours!