Thank you so much! A few things to start:
I’ve heard that the lobby has started to look ‘shabby’. Is this only noticeable if you’re examining carpets or has it taken a bit of a hit from all of the recent visitors? Is this something that will worsen until they have a refurbishment?
The roof top bar really appealed to me but I haven’t seen any views or reviews. Is it difficult to access or just too cold and windy for winter? Can you go just for a drink?
Did you get chance to go to Topolinos? We’ll be on the dining plan next time (I know, I know!). Is it worth 2 credits? Is the food good or is it just new?
What would you say the big thing was that would make someone want to stay here rather than anywhere else (in years to come)? I know that’s a vague one, just wondering!
I currently own at BCV and I’m hoping to outlive my contract! Plan A was to own enough points somewhere else that we could sell that before it lost all value but I’m not sure it’s going to happen now. The best thing I keep hearing about Riv is the skyliner, but I think BCV is only about 3 minutes further away from a station.
I'll jump in, having stayed in a 1br so far, with a 2br stay planned this summer:
1. I haven't noticed the lobby looking shabby, although that comment mainly seems to be about the staircase, which we rarely took.
2. While there is a seating area outdoors with what looks like a bar setup, it has never been staffed and serving drinks when we've been there. To be fair, given that the resort opened in December, I would not expect to see it staffed or full until the weather is reliably warmer. There is an inside bar that is walk-in and serves appetizers and drinks. The kids and I were ready for dinner before DH was, and I brought the up there intending to get a drink for myself (Mama has priorities!!) and a snack for them while waiting for our table. But by the time we found a spot, DH showed up and we went to our table. In the winter, the outside patio is a little cool and windy, and we were all standing along the railing (similar to TOTWL viewing, except closer and the railing makes it a little easier for kids to see qithout having to be boosted). We asked whether we could go to watch fireworks at any time (like Cali Grill where if you bring your check from earlier, you can go up and watch), and all we were told was since the restaurant closed at 9:30, to come up before close and just walk out to the patio. Which I did twice (?) - just walked up and said, I'm staying here, would like to go to the patio, and it was fine.
3. We used to make California Grill a must for dinner for every trip (it's my DH's favorite, after V&A), and Topolino's now takes the #2 spot. Service is a little slow, but I attribute that to working out the kinks. It's not like we have a big evening planned after a dinner like that - to us, a signature dinner IS the event. Have never done dining plan so we don't notice the 2 credit/1 credit difference, but we are happy to see that they are now taking TiW. The food is delicious - my kids devoured the herb pasta we ordered as an appetizer. It is French/Italian influenced and felt less fussy/staged than California Grill - it really depends on what you like - CG's entrees were their own and sometimes riffs on traditional dishes, like a variation on Peking duck that we enjoyed back in 2018. Topolino's felt more like they were the traditional dishes - DH had a sole meuniere that was delicious, and the preparation was (of course) simpler than the fish preparations that we've had at CG. I don't think one is better or worse; just different.
I agree with
@SPLzero, Topolino's is at least on a par with CG. To us it also felt much calmer/quieter than CG. We enjoyed the breakfast but probably would not travel from another resort for it. My kids really enjoyed it, though. It was a lot less frenetic than Chef Mickey's, the tables are well-spaced, and the character interactions were great.
4. The murphy beds are SO much more comfortable than pullout sofa beds. Minor layout and tech-savvy issues in the rooms - more outlets, ability to stream and screencast on the TVs, more storage... Of course this will be less of a difference as older resorts are refurbished, but for now, they are a big hit. Also - I feel like they were sort of quiet about the views - while most standard rooms will have a view of the parking lot, I felt like many had the potential to see fireworks and there are high-floor standard rooms. Our 7th floor room had an amazing, unobstructed view of Spaceship Earth and MK fireworks. They're at a distance, but the New Year's fireworks were still pretty phenomenal. That kept my eyes on the horizon rather than looking down at the parking lot and bus stops.
5. BCV: if I owned BWV or BCV, I would not be looking at adding on at RIV. Just my 2 cents. I may be a rarity, but having stayed at all 3, I think it's a tie between BCV, BWV and RIV. BCV and BWV to us have a better location because you can walk rather than depend on transportation to EP/HS. BCV has SAB. But RIV's skyliner is a fun ride for our family, and it's got other aspects of the resort, amenities and layout that make it a perfectly valid choice.
I think it's possible to take apart aspects of RIV and name another
DVC resort that beats it in that category. (eg: BCV wins on pool, no doubt; VGF wins on # of great restaurants, BWV wins because of BW, etc.) But if it checks most or all of the boxes for what's important to "you," then it works for you.
As for the title of the thread, I guess I had pretty high expectations for the resort, and I'll say it met them. So I'm definitely not "overwhelmed." But I wouldn't call myself "underwhelmed," either. Probably "satisfied" is the best descriptor; that works for me.
