Take a break from World Showcase for lunch and head to the Skyliner. It’s time to go to Bar Riva!
This is the main pool bar for Disney’s Riviera Resort, which sits about one-third into the Skyliner trip between Caribbean Beach and Epcot. By bus or by sky, Bar Riva can be a bit of a walk, but in terms of pool bars Disney has really rolled it out for their Vacation Club members. Never fear though, the bar and bathrooms are open to whoever shows up – no vacation club needed!
Location
If you take the long walk from Caribbean Beach Resort, you can’t miss it. However, the location of the bar is a bit hidden when coming at it from the front entrance, which can be perplexing to those unfamiliar with the layout since that’s where both the buses and the Skyliner drop off. Be warned: while Bar Riva will serve drinks to anyone over the age of 21, the resort itself is still a bit exclusive. You may be hindered if you try to get through to the bar by means of the inside of the Resort, either by a hotel concierge or a key-carded door. As long as the weather is nice, the safest bet is to take the footpath along the north edge of Barefoot Bay and avoid the building entirely.
Aesthetics
The layout of this bar is beautiful. Sticking with the Italian and French themes of the northern Mediterranean, the tile and stone that make up the bar land right on-flavor for the vibe. It exists as a pool bar but the utility is much closer to a cafe or lunch bistro. While there is a walk-up counter for those coming from the pool – two of which sit right outside the bar – the bar itself is long enough to accommodate fluctuating crowds and hardly ever feels too crowded. Bar Riva sets itself apart by also having a delightful team of in-house servers that take orders from the tables and run food and drinks. There was a great deal of forethought put into the seating as well, as the bar and table seating sit far enough into the base of the building that even on a rainy day you can still enjoy food and drinks here without getting wet.
Food & Drink
On the topic of food, Bar Riva is one of the best. The menu is unique to this bar only and has some wonderful Mediterranean options. Portions sizes are among some of the best on property. The panzanella salad was big enough for the two of us to share and their burger is almost too tall to hold! If you’re just stopping by for a snack, you can order just a side of fries – and they are plentiful and delicious – even though it is not technically on the menu.
The drinks here are also completely unique to the Riviera, at least as far as we have experienced. They lean hard into the theme with their Italian and French mixers and liquors which can create a more bitter overall flavor profile that tends more toward mixology than bartending. They also have red and white sangrias and a few frozen cocktails that really hit the spot on hot days. The Riviera Spiked Iced Tea from their menu is less of an actual iced tea and more of a Long Island made with some higher-shelf ingredients, but it hits just as hard.
However, Bar Riva costs a bit extra than the other pool bars on the Skyliner, so if your palette is more focused on just getting a buzz rather than enjoying nuanced flavors, it would be a better deal to take the Skyliner south to someplace like Petals or The Drop Off for similar mixes at lower prices.
Related Read: Petals Pool Bar Review
Related Read: The Drop Off Pool Bar Review
Adulting WDW Take
Bar Riva remains a hidden gem along the Skyliner. If you are fearless enough to brave the exclusive nature of a Vacation Club resort and blend in with the patrons, it is well worth the trip. This place is a great midday getaway from either Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, and also makes a great go-to when you are waiting to get back to the airport at the end of a trip. In terms of service and originality, Bar Riva delivers on both.
Related Read: Skyliner Bar Crawl Guide
Adulting WDW Style 
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