That's why I only used the word "bath" not "bathroom", I guess no one noticed that distinction.
As Sandi noted it is a solid and useful upgrade to have 2 areas for bathing and using the sinks. But apparently some hate Riviera so much, they can not even acknowledge the many actual physical differences in the studios that most would consider significant upgrades.
I think you are taking this personally. This thread is titled BCV availability. And RIV came up as a possibility that it will move demand from the BCV. I've been watching this for 20 years. A split bathroom and some extra space and a skyliner will not move demand away from a walk to Epcot and SAB. Especially not given the number of points you pay over BCV to get a split bath and a little extra space and a ride on the Skyliner (which you can take if you want anyway). Most owners are trying to get the most nights out of their points as possible.
That isn't a personal hit on RIV owners. And it isn't saying that RIV is a lousy resort. Its saying that the chances that its attractions are significant enough to overcome its point structure AND the lure of BCV and SAB are low - and not enough to actually pull enough demand for it to be noticable.
As I've said, I've been watching this for 20 years. I became a member shortly before BCV opened, and I've seen a lot of the talk on new resorts. Each new resort is going to be the best and pull demand away from the Epcot area. It was going to be impossible to stay at the Poly, with all the pent up demand. Treehouse Villas would be impossible to get unless you owned there. Everyone would want to stay out at VAKL and see the zebras from their balcony - and its a huge resort capable (perhaps) of moving demand. The only resorts where the hype has proven close to true and its nearly impossible to stay there unless you own are GFV and VGC - and that is in part because both of them are tiny - too tiny for their appeal to have any impact on availability on any other resort. When BCV opened, it would pull demand away from the difficult to get BWV - it did for a bit - now both are pretty difficult to get at seven months for studios. And at this point there are so many rooms in the system that no resort is likely to have an impact on availability anywhere else. We are playing a game of musical chairs - adding 300 chairs and 300 players to a game that already has 6500 players just isn't going to change things (approximate total potential rooms within DVC).
Now, I personally wouldn't stay over at Riviera. There isn't anything there that has appeal TO ME. Split bath - my husband saw me deliver a baby - he can watch me poop if nature calls when he's in the shower. More space -we are hardly in the room at WDW. We never stay in studios anyway, so we always have a split bath in our unit and we always have enough room. I own BWV, so I can book there at eleven months. And we only have a 150 point contract, I'm not spending my extra precious points just in case I want some bathroom privacy. I do stay other places - not often, but I have, but there has to be a draw that's better than a split bath and more space - giraffes out the window. SAB. Hilton Head. That doesn't mean RIV is a horrible resort, it just means I have bad taste.