Beach club or riviera

[Srj3]

We are trying to decide to buy at Beach club or riviera. We've stayed at riviera and loved it and the math is better on a riviera contract. We would split our points between the two only to have beach club as home resort. How hard is Beach club to book if it's not your home resort? We are a family of 5 so looking for the bigger 2 bedroom at Beach club. Not the studio or one bedroom

 

[thanxfornoticin]

It probably depends on the time of year you're looking at staying at Beach Club. It's one of the smaller DVC resorts, so not as many rooms to choose from, so it can be difficult at times to book 7 months out, especially during Food&Wine at Epcot, and most of the holidays. While wanting a 2BR might sound a little better, keep in mind that many of the 2BRs are a combined 1BR and studio, and the studios will go more quickly. Good luck with your decision!

 

[RoseGold]

2BR BC is not impossible off-season. I've booked it often, at least for a few days. It is walkable at 7 months if you want a longer booking, because it doesn't seem so popular with BC owners. It's wide open right now for 8, 9, 10, 11 months.

If you are traveling peak, much harder.

 

[kdm31091]

Economically, RIV is the better buy due to the much longer life and lower cost per point, but you should buy where you want to stay. If that is BC and you're okay with 20 year length, go for it. You do need to own there to get in at peak times in many cases.

 

[Wedgeout]

Pulled out the Apple or the Orange choice. Hard when you brought up RIV. Sure wouldn’t buy BCV direct. If you like RIV go for it. Nice part about BCV there are not multiple booking categories for location. Only Studio, One Bedroom, Two Bedroom and Two Bedroom Lock Off. Will be difficult at 7 but not impossible with not all Two Bedrooms being lock offs when Studios disappear.

 

[gisele2]

If you buy BCV resale and RIV direct , you will not be able to combine the points at RIV. I would buy the points at one resort if I were you. BCV direct is way too expensive.

 

[RoseGold]

If you buy BCV resale and RIV direct , you will not be able to combine the points at RIV. I would buy the points at one resort if I were you. BCV direct is way too expensive.

Good point. They don't play together nicely. If your plan is to always split stay, or to do separate trips: RIV in the winter, BC in summer, that works too.

 

[Sandisw]

I would probably get a direct at RIV and go from there as it can be used at both.

BCV gives you 20 years of use and that is it, Resale cant be used at RIV either and BCV direct is way too much for a 20 year contract IMO.

And, many of us think in 20 years, BCV will become a new resort and excluded from resale points bought today so if you decide you still want DVC beyond 2042, those direct points today can still be used there.

And, if you don’t, at least you can sell RIV in 2042 when a BCV current contract will be worth $0…and get something more than that back!

 

[paults]

With resale restrictions on RR no way for me. Beach Club Villas yes, walk to 2 parks

 

[havoc315]

We are trying to decide to buy at Beach club or riviera. We've stayed at riviera and loved it and the math is better on a riviera contract. We would split our points between the two only to have beach club as home resort. How hard is Beach club to book if it's not your home resort? We are a family of 5 so looking for the bigger 2 bedroom at Beach club. Not the studio or one bedroom

Simply because of the math, I can no longer recommend anyone buy Beach Club. Pricing isn't rational. With only 19 full years left on the contract, it is unlikely you'll ever get much value back in re-sale.
At the current direct pricing -- You would be MUCH better off simply renting points or even sometimes doing cash rooms.
At re-sale pricing -- It's a closer call. But you still aren't going to meaningfully save any more compared to just renting points.

In fact, if you put the purchase price of Beach Club into an average investment, you could pay for annual Beach Club trips mostly on just the interest you earn.

 

[havoc315]

Quick math, which doesn't even take into account opportunity cost, time value of money, etc...
Beach Club is about $160 per point re-sale. If you get a use year sometime in 2022, you'll get 19 use years. You'll pay dues of $7.50 per point, not even accounting for inflation.
So, total cash outlay without time value of money, without inflation --
You'll pay $302 per point, to use over 19 years. Add in closing costs, probably more like $305-$310 per point. Paying $16-17 per point, per year. Considering you can rent point at $15-$20.... I wouldn't see much point in buying at that price.

When you add in the time value of money -- You could invest that $160 per point, and use the $7-10 of annual return towards vacation.....

 

[DVCsloth]

I think BCV is probably one of the most difficult resorts to book as a non-owner. Probably need to own there for any success booking there. Most of the time that I see BCV contracts for sale it seems like the points are pretty well stripped.

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

I own at Riviera and have been pleasantly surprised at Beach Club availability at 7 months out. Granted, I am not looking F&W, but I scored April vacation week days I wanted, which was nice, and it looked pretty available May-August when I poked around. I don’t think you should count on dragging your feet and finding availability like SS, but it’s not bad.

 

[davidl81]

I think BCV is a much much better location than RIV, but the 2042 expiration is a killer. As others have said direct does not pay for itself anymore and resale is break even compared to renting. If you absolutely love BCV and its not a financially driven decision then by all means buy there, its a great resort. If you are looking at value for your purchase than just buy RIV or something else and hope to get BCV at 7 months from time to time.

 

[DVCsloth]

I own at Riviera and have been pleasantly surprised at Beach Club availability at 7 months out. Granted, I am not looking F&W, but I scored April vacation week days I wanted, which was nice, and it looked pretty available May-August when I poked around. I don’t think you should count on dragging your feet and finding availability like SS, but it’s not bad.

I think some of the availability that has shown up is because of Covid, we were able to book Standard Studios and 1BR at Riviera the past year at 7 months. I think there will be some tightening up at a lot of availability as we start opening more.

 

[sethschroeder]

Buy Riviera

The years you want to stay at BCV find an owner who will do a point transfer, buy those points, rent out your RIV points to cover the cost, and then stay at BCV.

 

[bakerworld]

BC is hard to book from October to January. I do have to wonder how serious DVC will be about maintaining the older resorts when the resort enters the last 10 years of their contracts.

 

[Nabas]

BC is hard to book from October to January. I do have to wonder how serious DVC will be about maintaining the older resorts when the resort enters the last 10 years of their contracts.

Actually, I expect the older resorts will be in great condition in 2041.

DVC members will be paying for maintenance up till then. This means that Disney can take back ownership of a fully restored DVC beginning in 2042.

 

[kboo]

Buy Riviera

The years you want to stay at BCV find an owner who will do a point transfer, buy those points, rent out your RIV points to cover the cost, and then stay at BCV.

We loved BCV and had even made some unsuccessful offers on it back before 2019 when you could get it for under $120po with some diligence. But when we did end up adding on, we chose RIV direct because our main love for BCV was because of the pool (SAB). And we travel, with some regularity, in late August when it's crazy hot and less crowded, and there F&W and Halloween events.* So ultimately we decided that if we could book BCV using waitlist, stalking, etc once every few years during pool weather but not necessarily F&W, we'd be happy with it, we decided to take our chances with RIV points. So far, we have stayed at BCV twice in the last 5 years, once on rented points and once at 7mo over spring break. Granted it was covid spring break, but we haven't felt a need to stay there more than a few days every couple of years.

*don't tell anyone, but it's the best time to go if you can drape enough cooling towels on you... hehe

 

[Dobermanns]

Another vote for RIV direct. Split the total points into two contracts with one being 150 points and their other can be whatever the remaining points are. Later if you find you still want to own at BCV or want to buy into the new “BCV” at 2042, sell one of the RIV contracts to buy.