Riviera or Saratoga Springs Studio

Walt Disney World Accommodations
1

Need your expertise, please and thank you.

I currently have a reservation at Saratoga Springs starting on a Tuesday checking out on a Friday morning. I’ve decided to go a little early to get some more days in the parks prior to my Disney Cruise. I was able to find availability for one night either a preferred location for Saratoga Springs or a standard view Riviera studio for $100 more. Is it worth staying at the Riviera for one night or should I just add a night to my current Saratoga Springs reservation?

3 Likes
2

I love Riviera but moving after one night is annoying to me.

4 Likes
3

If you’re going to move, I prefer to do 2 nights minimum at each location. It seems like in your situation sticking to SSR the whole time may be preferable.

Example: One year I did a split stay with one night in a theme park view at BLT. We hardly had a chance to make use of our room or its view, let alone any of the resort amenities. We basically slept in the room and that’s it. That said it was nice being close to our last park on departure day.

Ever since then I try to have 2 nights at each location at a bare minimum. But 5-7 is preferable. Overall if cost wasn’t a significant factor I would prefer Riviera over SSR though.

5 Likes
4

I wouldn’t pay the extra for just one night personally, especially if the resort I’m staying my full trip at was available.

7 Likes
5

That’s what I would do, but one night stays don’t bother me as much as they bother others. :woman_shrugging:

3 Likes
6

I guess it probably depends on how easily your family can pack up. If everyone is self sufficient or you don’t have a lot of junk, it can be fairly straightforward. But for a family with little kids or for people who are disorganized it can be an ordeal.

4 Likes
7

But also being without a room for a chunk of time can be annoying. And DVC is notorious for not being ready by 4.

4 Likes
8

True. I usually plan a park day for my homeless day.

3 Likes
9

That’s a good point. Probably wouldn’t do that with little ones.

3 Likes
10

While I agree doing 1 night isn’t generally preferable, I might consider in this case because…

  1. If you are arriving, and it is the first night, you don’t even have to unpack really. Just pack one bag with what you need for that one night so that it is easy to transfer the next morning.
  2. With the free water park on arrival day, you actually have an arrival day on your day 2, because it is arrival day for SSR…which means you COULD actually dedicate a full day at the water park between resorts for free.
  3. Riviera would be awesome to experience, and get to have Skyliner rides to check out the attached resorts, etc.

We did a single night on our arrival day at BLT in 2020, which was enough to get to experience the room and spend time on the monorail loop. It was fun…and while we moved the next day, it was an easy move since we just didn’t really unpack.

5 Likes
11

This! I forgot to mention. My one-nighters are almost always the first night.

3 Likes
12

The water park offer is a reason to consider it.

5 Likes
13

All good points!

1 Like
14

Agree 100% … in fact after doing years of split stays I now lean towards 3 night minimums unless there is a unique experience of some kind and I can only get 2 nights there.

EDIT: OK, after reading the remainder of the posts, I will do a one night stay if I can only get late arriving flights.

5 Likes
15

Thank you everybody!! Have decided to go with Saratoga Springs as this would be in the middle of my trip so instead of going from one resort to the next one for one night then to Saratoga Springs, it was just easier to add another day to Saratoga

2 Likes