Attention Riviera Haters

[jarestel]

I've commented on other threads that I think all of the DVC resorts have a certain amount of charm and appeal. That's what I like about DVC. I certainly have some preferences but I'd never be disappointed to stay at any of them and I don't think most posters actually hate a resort. But given the hyperbolic nature of the internet in general and discussion boards in particular, it's easy to blow tiny criticisms into major flaws.

I do have to say, if I had followed the general perception of what things make for a desirable resort experience according to vocal posters on these boards, I would have purchased a resort that didn't fit my style and preference. So I've learned over the years that it comes in handy to have a good supply of grains of salt when perusing the various opinions.

 

[Wakey]

I've commented on other threads that I think all of the DVC resorts have a certain amount of charm and appeal. That's what I like about DVC. I certainly have some preferences but I'd never be disappointed to stay at any of them and I don't think most posters actually hate a resort. But given the hyperbolic nature of the internet in general and discussion boards in particular, it's easy to blow tiny criticisms into major flaws.

I do have to say, if I had followed the general perception of what things make for a desirable resort experience according to vocal posters on these boards, I would have purchased a resort that didn't fit my style and preference. So I've learned over the years that it comes in handy to have a good supply of grains of salt when perusing the various opinions.

The only way to select a resort is visit it and preferably stay, as perceptions can certainly change with a stay, something I personally accept with Riviera, but the points are likely too high and my negative perception from visiting too strong to overcome and stay to try it out- I may miss out as a result if I perceive it to be fantastic after a stay. Maybe I will one day.
My wife for some reason disliked Boardwalk after visiting, but following a stay, it’s likely now her favourite hotel from any she has stayed in all over the World believe it or not, and it’s now a challenge to get her to stay in different hotels at WDW. On the opposite end of the spectrum we loved AKL when visiting and I very nearly bought points there, but on a stay hated the inability to walk or run anywhere which put us off, albeit it is an impressive property.

 

[DVCsince2001]

Seems an overly defensive post? We have had to put up with SSR, AKL etc ‘haters’ for years.
Riviera is a divisive resort with many loving it, it seems, and many not liking it and being disappointed. So you are bound to see more critical posts on Riviera than, say, Beach Club Or Copper Creek. This will continue as there has not been such an opinion dividing resort since Saratoga.

Not trying to be defensive or offensive. I realize there are people who like and those who dislike pretty much anything. I just tried to make a light-hearted comment about freeing up rooms at the new resort and some folks took it as a personal mission to attack me directly as a troll. I thought Disney and DVC folks were supposed to be a friendly group. There’s at least one in this one that isn’t. They simply want to try to impress others with their knowledge and be jerk while doing it.

 

[cruisin5]

So the fewer people booking rooms there do not affect my ability to get a room? That’s the way it worked for me for the last 19 years.

What evidence do you have that fewer people are booking at RR? Your ability to get a room in April? I booked a standard 1-bedroom a couple of weeks ago for May at BWV, it doesn't make me think fewer people are booking there.

It's amazing that after owning for 19 years you just discovered these boards!

 

[zavandor]

I don't understand why some RIV owners take it so personally.
My home resort is SSR and it has been accused over the years of:
- causing booking problems at all resorts at 7 months
- not being a deluxe, but a moderate in a value location
- not having a theme
- rooms being always dirty
- maintenance being poor
- not feeling Disney at all
- feeling like a cheap condo
- restaurants being terrible
- transportation being a nightmare
- CM do not being as good as other resorts
- responsible for Climate change

Ok, not the last one, but everything else is recurrent in many threads. Never taken it personally and I instead like SSR and find all of those points not being actually true.

 

[DVCsince2001]

I don't understand why some RIV owners take it so personally.
My home resort is SSR and it has been accused over the years of:
- causing booking problems at all resorts at 7 months
- not being a deluxe, but a moderate in a value location
- not having a theme
- rooms being always dirty
- maintenance being poor
- not feeling Disney at all
- feeling like a cheap condo
- restaurants being terrible
- transportation being a nightmare
- CM do not being as good as other resorts
- responsible for Climate change

Ok, not the last one, but everything else is recurrent in many threads. Never taken it personally and I instead like SSR and find all of those points not being actually true.

I like SSR. It’s convenient and easy to get a room at. Great spa there too. Maybe the belching horses cause the climate change.

 

[DVCsince2001]

What evidence do you have that fewer people are booking at RR? Your ability to get a room in April? I booked a standard 1-bedroom a couple of weeks ago for May at BWV, it doesn't make me think fewer people are booking there.

It's amazing that after owning for 19 years you just discovered these boards!

I’ve been too busy working Extra hours to pay off loans and pesky annual dues to be on the boards lol

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I don't understand why some RIV owners take it so personally.
My home resort is SSR and it has been accused over the years of:
- responsible for Climate change

If I were drinking when reading this, there would have been a spit take - Enjoy your levity, @zavandor! Just put downpayment on Riviera today - our first contract. Not hating those COVID deals. Went with 400 points to hopefully delay Addonitis. Totally get all the negatives discussed and considered other resorts but since I don't see us reselling and the rooms look spacious and gorgeous (and I *think* I would be ok with a Tower Studio on occasion on the cheap...or for adding a friend to the trip) - I'm feeling great about calling RIV home. All the artwork is so adorable and love the furnishings and don't get me started about the gorgeous looking bathrooms. And well... 49 more years of amazing trips (and MF - haha). OK - there's no way I'll be being wheeled around the parks when I'm 98 but it's nice to know my deed will last that long .

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Please keep up the good work convincing people Riviera is bad. It creates more opportunities for my family to get a room there.
We visited earlier this month and are returning in April. Has the feel of GF, but more family friendly.

Funny this is how I feel about my home resort BWV. I'm guessing you didn't get to take your April trip, hopefully you will be back soon.

Seems an overly defensive post? We have had to put up with SSR, AKL etc ‘haters’ for years.
Riviera is a divisive resort with many loving it, it seems, and many not liking it and being disappointed. So you are bound to see more critical posts on Riviera than, say, Beach Club Or Copper Creek. This will continue as there has not been such an opinion dividing resort since Saratoga.

Yes get used to it. There have been many, many posts comparing BWV to BCV. People like to complain about the LONG halls and the clown pool at BWV but fail to acknowledge the long walk from the BCVs to the main part of BC and the pool, seems to be about as long as the LONG halls at BWV... And now my poor BWV will have to now be compared to the new RR as well as BCV. So I guess your best course of action is to just get used to it.

I’ve been too busy working Extra hours to pay off loans and pesky annual dues to be on the boards lol

I love your reply here. I too am amazed at the amount of time some posters must spend posting on these boards. I really don't understand it myself.

 

[Grumpy by Birth]

Please keep up the good work convincing people Riviera is bad. It creates more opportunities for my family to get a room there.
We visited earlier this month and are returning in April. Has the feel of GF, but more family friendly.

I don't hate Riviera, but nothing in the videos/photos I've seen really speaks to me as a location that I would go out of my way to stay at. Just as well since my lowly resale points don't qualify me to book there anyway.

But I'm happy to badmouth the resort to help you out with availability...

Riviera is terrible! Don't stay there! I heard that the beds will collapse and kill you!

How's that?

Trolling trolling trolling

Keep those trollies trolling...

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

I don't hate Riviera, but nothing in the videos/photos I've seen really speaks to me as a location that I would go out of my way to stay at. Just as well since my lowly resale points don't qualify me to book there anyway.

But I'm happy to badmouth the resort to help you out with availability...

Riviera is terrible! Don't stay there! I heard that the beds will collapse and kill you!

How's that?


Keep those trollies trolling...

YAAAS! Keep the tongue-in-cheek badmouthing. Let us know if we can return the favor to steer people away from your resort . Welcome Home

 

[SL6827]

Some people love it, some don't. But I do have a feeling it is one of the least popular DVCs, if not the least popular one out there due to the restrictions, theme, location? I am sure it is nice, but it would be at the bottom of my list. But if Disney ever lifts the restrictions, that may be a game changer for some.

 

[ChipNdale8887]

Some people love it, some don't. But I do have a feeling it is one of the least popular DVCs, if not the least popular one out there due to the restrictions, theme, location? I am sure it is nice, but it would be at the bottom of my list. But if Disney ever lifts the restrictions, that may be a game changer for some.

We like Riviera a lot. But I will say, the Skyliner is a huge part of the value in Riviera. If you haven't rode it then its hard to see the appeal of Riviera. Especially if you love epcot.

 

[AdamsMum]

Please keep up the good work convincing people Riviera is bad. It creates more opportunities for my family to get a room there.

I kind of feel the same way about the folks that complain about BW's creepy clown slide and long hallways. I wish they would stay away during F&W in particular. You'll probably find that a hard time to book at Riviera too. Good luck and enjoy your resort.

 

[TCRAIG]

Don’t hate Riv - I actually like it a lot - just not a fan of the SkyWay or bloated point chart or high maintenance. After a 2 night studio stay (only time we ever stayed in a studio) at AK - I was in the AK haters group - then I stayed again in a 2 Br - now it’s a favorite. SSR was down on my list too - but now that it’s going thru a refurb and the grounds have become ‘lusher’ - I’m looking forward to my next stay there...so I guess my only Never Stay is Poly because of studio only...but then again - if I ever do a solo trip - I may just stay there - you just never know! That’s the beauty of the DVC system!

 

[SleeplessInTO]

The high points chart is the dealbreaker for me. The property itself seemed lovely. Love the convenience of Skyliner. QS was good.
But I’m a 5th class DVC resale peasant so the points charts are irrelevant since I can’t stay there anyways.

 

[SL6827]

We like Riviera a lot. But I will say, the Skyliner is a huge part of the value in Riviera. If you haven't rode it then its hard to see the appeal of Riviera. Especially if you love epcot.

That is a good point there, forgot about that. I have yet to ride that, so I will have to wait to see how I like it. But good point.

 

[SL6827]

I will say this, on my list of properties that I have had no desire to stay at is the Grand, Riviera, Contemporary, and BLT. But the other day I watched a video on You Tube on BLT and I was impressed. So may give that one a shot at some point in the future.

 

[Wakey]

I haven’t stayed, just visited so I caveat that there.

Plus points:

1. For me, the rooms are the number one draw for Riviera, best rooms on property in my opinion.
2. The Skyliner is sort of a plus. I love Skyliner, but I feel Riviera is too Skyliner dependent in terms of transportation options- no walking to any park places it well below Boardwalk and Beach Club.
3. Pool areas are nice, if generic.
4. Murals are fantastic, but that’s a limited benefit. Nice to see.
5. Lake to walk around- really nice.

Negative points are:

1. Overall the resort is underwhelming, like many a hotel in London to me in the lobby etc. Would be fine if it was attached to a feature property like BLT but it isn’t.
2. Points per night way too high.
3. Pool area is nice but underwhelming.
4. Architecture is poor in places- approaching it on a cloudy day and it looks like a huge grey box. Large swathes of blank stairwell/ lift shaft outer wall dominate front elevation. But then it has some lovely touches here and there, in particular the entrance on the car park side. Not sure what went wrong but you’ll see Disney publish few, if any, straight on full shot entire length photos of the lake side - as that sight shows the architectural weaknesses. I suppose Disney set their own high bar here with other properties so maybe I’m being too harsh.
5. Location in terms of setting is poor in that it’s on a small piece of moderate land, huge car park with no features is the view from standard rooms, with nearby road.
6. Theming is somewhat impacted by it basically being plonked in Caribbean Beach. You come out to the pool and are met with French music etc, and look at Caribbean Beach. Just didn’t work for me.
7. Resale restrictions.

If Riviera had been conceived as the first moderate DVC, as was first speculated, it would have worked perfectly. Lower points per night and a more moderate buy in. Perhaps even then the resale restrictions would have been easier to swallow. But they took what is in my opinion only a moderate product and tried to dress it up as Grand Floridian mark 2 by using some lusher more expensive materials in places.

I’d like to stay and see if I change my opinion but points are just too high for what’s on offer to try. I am 100% of the opinion you don’t truly know a resort until you stay there.

I’d also say this is a subjective opinion, people slag off SSR all the time and I love it there. There’s a DVC for everyone. Some Riviera owners seem quite defensive though- no need for defensiveness if you are confident in your purchase. Many people genuinely love it and that is great.

 

[manzanoj]

We just bought into Riviera this past February. Here are the things we liked and didn't like.

Like:
Skyliner is super convenient for trips to Epcot and HS. Also, rumor is it will expand throughout the property.
Gorgeous and spacious rooms. enough said.
Artwork is tastefully placed throughout the resort especially the mosaic outside is breathtaking.
Food options are plenty and tasty. Topolino's Terrace on the rooftop is an example.
Stand-alone resort with no need for main building like the other resorts. No need to walk to main "hotel" side building for some amenities. example valet, stores, etc.

Dislike:
Caribbean beach resort an eye-sore in some preferred view rooms.
Lobby is smaller and lacks wow factor I'm used to in other DVC resorts.
Expensive rooms (pts)
Resale restrictions are a bummer.

These are just some thoughts, but agree that every resort has it's positives and negatives. Luckily, with different DVC resorts, we all have the option of picking our favorites based on what we value/prefer.