Considering adding on at Riviera

[bimmertt]

I’m currently a direct owner at VGF and have 200 points there. I recently stayed at RIV and loved it. When I was initially looking at purchasing DVC, this resort was an absolute no for me due to the resale restrictions. However, our recent stay has me reconsidering and I’m now contemplating a small add-on of ~100 points at RIV for split stays or longer stays with banking/borrowing. I’m looking at direct vs resale and wanted to get some different thoughts and opinions about the two.

I’m not really in a rush to make a decision, but the cost of these resale contracts are quite tempting. If I did go resale, I can imagine it being frustrating that I cannot combine the points with my direct points for stays elsewhere. I also understand that competition for bookings at this resort might increase as more resale contracts are sold. A direct contract would help mitigate these issues. If we see similar incentives that got me to bite at VGF last year, I think RIV direct would be more tolerable, but who knows if that will happen.

 

[mistysue]

I’m currently a direct owner at VGF and have 200 points there. I recently stayed at RIV and loved it. When I was initially looking at purchasing DVC, this resort was an absolute no for me due to the resale restrictions. However, our recent stay has me reconsidering and I’m now contemplating a small add-on of ~100 points at RIV for split stays or longer stays with banking/borrowing. I’m looking at direct vs resale and wanted to get some different thoughts and opinions about the two.

I’m not really in a rush to make a decision, but the cost of these resale contracts are quite tempting. If I did go resale, I can imagine it being frustrating that I cannot combine the points with my direct points for stays elsewhere. I also understand that competition for bookings at this resort might increase as more resale contracts are sold. A direct contract would help mitigate these issues. If we see similar incentives that got me to bite at VGF last year, I think RIV direct would be more tolerable, but who knows if that will happen.

We just went through this same thing.

At most resorts, it's really easy to say "if I already have DVC-Y status there's no point to direct" but this one is tough.
The incentives for RIV if you get up to about 300 points are good - at that point it's around $168/pt direct if you do all the incentives and sell back the first year of points for the extra savings. Currently you can probably get resale around $115-$120.

We concluded that staying at Riv isn't ever going to feel like a punishment for us seeing as how my 13 year old tried to demand we move in or remodel our home to match it, and if it does we can either rent it out or sell and buy something else. With that strategy, if you wait a few years resale will probably go up as they all seem to, so it will mean we basically stayed for the cost of dues for however many years. But if you think you might ever sell it, you have to make up something like $50-$100/point on the resale market for the finances to work out the same. If you never want to sell it - Direct can make more sense as you're free to use it and the difference is like $1-2 per point per year. Are you still going to be staying at Disney 50 years from now?

After a few months of agonizing, we're in ROFR for 190 points right now, and will see how it goes.

ETA- oh yeah - part of the end of our discussions was my realizing that we could buy resale AND a car for my 15 year old for less than we could buy the same points direct. Seriously, a whole car with the difference which is the world to a teenager. I like my kids enough for that to be compelling.

 

[intamin]

ETA- oh yeah - part of the end of our discussions was my realizing that we could buy resale AND a car for my 15 year old for less than we could buy the same points direct. Seriously, a whole car with the difference which is the world to a teenager. I like my kids enough for that to be compelling.

You're a good parent. As for me, sorry kids dad needs some direct points

I’m currently a direct owner at VGF and have 200 points there. I recently stayed at RIV and loved it. When I was initially looking at purchasing DVC, this resort was an absolute no for me due to the resale restrictions. However, our recent stay has me reconsidering and I’m now contemplating a small add-on of ~100 points at RIV for split stays or longer stays with banking/borrowing. I’m looking at direct vs resale and wanted to get some different thoughts and opinions about the two.

I’m not really in a rush to make a decision, but the cost of these resale contracts are quite tempting. If I did go resale, I can imagine it being frustrating that I cannot combine the points with my direct points for stays elsewhere. I also understand that competition for bookings at this resort might increase as more resale contracts are sold. A direct contract would help mitigate these issues. If we see similar incentives that got me to bite at VGF last year, I think RIV direct would be more tolerable, but who knows if that will happen.

You could always do a combination of RIV direct and resale like with the strategy I've proposed multiple times on here which is where you buy like a 100-200 point RIV direct and supplement that with a 50 point RIV resale. This way right before you go on your RIV trip, you bank/borrow to fully utilize the entire 150 points from the RIV resale which isn't hard to do because of RIV's charts and then you modify your current reservation so that it picks up those points. After that point you basically just have RIV direct points and you minimize the amount of times you MUST stay at RIV and overall it feels like an unrestricted membership.

 

[BamaGuy44]

I think split stays at a monorail resort and RIV are awesome. Easy park access the whole trip (except AK of course)

So VGF and RIV are a great combo IMO. we already have RIV and AKL, now weighing our options for either Poly or BLT.

 

[intamin]

I think split stays at a monorail resort and RIV are awesome. Easy park access the whole trip (except AK of course)

So VGF and RIV are a great combo IMO. we already have RIV and AKL, now weighing our options for either Poly or BLT.

If you join me at Poly we can be full neighbors . I think BLT is a great value but I think the home resort priority will matter at Poly for the tower more than it does for BLT for times when it's not July 4th or NYE but lake view otherwise should be pretty open.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We have 150 RIV direct and are currently in ROFR for a 50 point resale there. We didn’t want restricted points BUT love it so much we needed a couple more for a Flower & Garden festival weekend trip. Buying resale there has some definite risks so I would plan on smaller contracts if that is the way you go.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I’m currently a direct owner at VGF and have 200 points there. I recently stayed at RIV and loved it. When I was initially looking at purchasing DVC, this resort was an absolute no for me due to the resale restrictions. However, our recent stay has me reconsidering and I’m now contemplating a small add-on of ~100 points at RIV for split stays or longer stays with banking/borrowing. I’m looking at direct vs resale and wanted to get some different thoughts and opinions about the two.

I’m not really in a rush to make a decision, but the cost of these resale contracts are quite tempting. If I did go resale, I can imagine it being frustrating that I cannot combine the points with my direct points for stays elsewhere. I also understand that competition for bookings at this resort might increase as more resale contracts are sold. A direct contract would help mitigate these issues. If we see similar incentives that got me to bite at VGF last year, I think RIV direct would be more tolerable, but who knows if that will happen.

We bought direct RIV for the reasons listed. I don't want to deal with that headache. I would probably not buy resale for RIV. Other resorts, maybe. RIV incentives were really good when we bought in 2023 and 2022, not sure what they are now.

 

[Sandisw]

Riv is our top resort and we stay there each and every trip, along with a split to VGF. Because it is our top choice, we did purchase additional resale points, to go along with our direct ones. We also have plenty of VGF and SSR points as well, all good at RIV so we will never have an issue using the restricted ones we own.

Resale can be a great value, as along as you want to stay there a lot, like regulary. I am not sure I would go that route if I was going to relay on banking/borrowing as a plan...if that is the case, I'd spend the extra to go direct....

 

[atthebeachclub]

I don’t recommend it for most people, but if your heart is set on it, I strongly recommend you consider a fixed week for improved resale value if needed in the future.

 

[J-Dog]

You could always do a combination of RIV direct and resale like with the strategy I've proposed multiple times on here which is where you buy like a 100-200 point RIV direct and supplement that with a 50 point RIV resale. This way right before you go on your RIV trip, you bank/borrow to fully utilize the entire 150 points from the RIV resale which isn't hard to do because of RIV's charts and then you modify your current reservation so that it picks up those points. After that point you basically just have RIV direct points and you minimize the amount of times you MUST stay at RIV and overall it feels like an unrestricted membership.

Yes. This.

We've taken to doing a strategy where we stay at RIV every other year (we go for about 8-9 days once a year), and then some other resort on the other years by banking our smaller restricted resale contract points, and borrowing some direct points. That way, we always have our full complement of points, even though some of those points are technically "restricted", and still can do a different resort every other year.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I just closed on Riv direct and like many others have said - I would ONLY consider buying a small Riv resale if it would complement a direct Riv contract - it's just feels too risky/problematic otherwise.

 

[kanerf]

You're a good parent. As for me, sorry kids dad needs some direct points



You could always do a combination of RIV direct and resale like with the strategy I've proposed multiple times on here which is where you buy like a 100-200 point RIV direct and supplement that with a 50 point RIV resale. This way right before you go on your RIV trip, you bank/borrow to fully utilize the entire 150 points from the RIV resale which isn't hard to do because of RIV's charts and then you modify your current reservation so that it picks up those points. After that point you basically just have RIV direct points and you minimize the amount of times you MUST stay at RIV and overall it feels like an unrestricted membership.

I own exactly that, 100 points direct and 50 points resale at RIV.

 

[ShaneDJ]

I strongly recommend you consider a fixed week for improved resale value if needed in the future.

Shhhh! That is the secret for owning RIV (the fixed week).

 

[ShaneDJ]

On the "Best Economical Resort" thread, @CastAStone said this:

"Riviera is a better deal direct than some resorts are resale!"

https://www.disboards.com/threads/best-economical-resort.3949261/post-65591635

 

[CastAStone]

I also understand that competition for bookings at this resort might increase as more resale contracts are sold.

I think the net impact of this will be trivial. And the same is true about new resale owners of other resorts - they can’t trade into Riviera. The number of people not trading out and not trading in should remain relatively in balance IMO.

 

[atthebeachclub]

On the "Best Economical Resort" thread, @CastAStone said this:

"Riviera is a better deal direct than some resorts are resale!"

https://www.disboards.com/threads/best-economical-resort.3949261/post-65591635

I suspect this holds true if you never sell. If you do sell, you will realize a potentially large loss. But that is true for many direct point purchases, and you can insulate a bit with the fixed week purchase.

 

[odouglass]

Does someone have a list of all of the current Riviera direct discounts?

 

[ShaneDJ]

Does someone have a list of all of the current Riviera direct discounts?

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program-menu/financial/pricing-a-promotions

 

[odouglass]

https://dvcnews.com/dvc-program-menu/financial/pricing-a-promotions

Thanks!!!

 

[Cfabar1]

I just can't get over the great deal/savings that RIV offers under a resale environment.... Yeah it is restricted, but it is a great property and you can still bank/borrow to ensure you're using the points....

Ironically enough the resale restrictions actually push me towards resale given the haircut direct owners have to take... I've always thought the restrictions were silly for DVC to do given the limited versatility that DVC points actually have compared to other timeshare providers....