Debating on where to purchase

[kaesa2442]

My family currently owns 200 points on a resale contract at AKV. We are looking at purchasing more points direct from Disney now. We want to have the full membership benefits. We are debating purchasing the additional points at AKV or Riviera. We like the option of staying at Riviera or other new resorts but it certainly wouldn't be where we would typically plan to stay. We really enjoy staying at AKV and that is the resort we typically plan to stay at. The reason we are leaning toward Riviera is that the current promotion makes the cost per point not too much more than AKV and you have an additional 13 years on the contract.

My concerns are:
Availability at 7 months for 1 bedroom at AKV
Confusion of dealing with contracts at different resorts

Any recommendations or thoughts? Thank you!

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

When do you typically travel? 7m availability for a 1BD at AKV is usually fairly reliable.

As long as you are in the same use year at 7 months different contracts go into the same general "pot" and there's no issue booking from different contracts.

How often do you expect to stay at RIV, and does it matter when you do it (eg. if you get locked out of 2023 are you ok waiting until 2024, or will you be upset)? Are you mostly viewing them as SAP? Is there somewhere else you reliably want to be able to get into that may be difficult at 7m? I think those are the key questions to consider.

 

[kaesa2442]

When do you typically travel? 7m availability for a 1BD at AKV is usually fairly reliable.

As long as you are in the same use year at 7 months different contracts go into the same general "pot" and there's no issue booking from different contracts.

How often do you expect to stay at RIV, and does it matter when you do it (eg. if you get locked out of 2023 are you ok waiting until 2024, or will you be upset)? Are you mostly viewing them as SAP? Is there somewhere else you reliably want to be able to get into that may be difficult at 7m? I think those are the key questions to consider.

We typically travel early April (busy spring break time...unfortunately) and Fall (flexible with timing sept-early nov depending on the year). I would view these points as SAP. Staying at RIV would probably be a handful of times during owning the contract and possibly only when my husband and I go just the two of us so we could stay in a less expensive studio.

Really the only reason we are considering RIV is the 2070 expiration and current promotion makes it close in price to AKV.

 

[koncra]

Where would you typically want to stay? Buy there. Whether or not you buy at Riviera you will still be able to use the points at any of the resorts current and future(7Month) so you might as well buy where you'll get the most use out of the 11 month window.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

We typically travel early April (busy spring break time...unfortunately) and Fall (flexible with timing sept-early nov depending on the year). I would view these points as SAP. Staying at RIV would probably be a handful of times during owning the contract and possibly only when my husband and I go just the two of us so we could stay in a less expensive studio.

Really the only reason we are considering RIV is the 2070 expiration and current promotion makes it close in price to AKV.

We went through that thinking about buying at VGF as well. We haven't stayed at RIV (we're a BC family) but the combination of resale restrictions (which will reduce the value of your points going forward) and reliance on the skyliner may make it less appealing vs something more walkable. Have you considered VGF instead? Are you young enough that 2070 vs. 2062 will make a difference?

 

[SleeplessInTO]

We bought VGF for sleep around points. Although the terrible news is that I just stayed there and liked it. Doh. Gonna need more points … that point chart, ouch. It’s just as bad as Riviera lol.

 

[Sandisw]

The big difference to consider is that being an owner at RIV does allow you to have a much better chance to get SV rooms which keeps the point cost down foe the times you do stay there.

Since you already own AKV points, you will be able to book nights at 11 months and then supplement the trip at 7 months at AKV with your RIV points.

 

[BeachClub2014]

We recently purchased RIV points directly. It's a beautiful resort, the price is very reasonable when compared to other offerings, the 2070 deed expiration, and the Skyliner to two parks. The restrictions on resale points aren't really a huge concern to us as the real impact would be on the resale buyer, not the direct buyer.

Deciding where to buy can be a difficult decision and you'll get lots of opinions here. Good luck in making your choice. At the end of the day, if you and your family are happy with your choice, then you've made the right one.

 

[RoseGold]

If you're staying 1BR at AKL, you can book that with any points. There's an argument that VGF2 points are a better mathematical value, just as SAP. Direct VGF2 would be my pick, if you plan to own long term. And IMO it has much better exit strategy. I'd much rather be renting out or selling VGF in 10 years than AKL or RIV.

Or, I would wait until VGF2 sells out in several months and see what they put on sale. The BLT sale (expired) also would have been an awesome pick IMO.

It's easy to deal with the contracts on the website, within one member number. It's one of the few things the website does well. But buying as a different set of people will give you a new member number, which isn't so easy.

 

[kaesa2442]

Thanks everyone! Lots of things to consider, just such a tough decision to make!

 

[kaesa2442]

If you're staying 1BR at AKL, you can book that with any points. There's an argument that VGF2 points are a better mathematical value, just as SAP. Direct VGF2 would be my pick, if you plan to own long term. And IMO it has much better exit strategy. I'd much rather be renting out or selling VGF in 10 years than AKL or RIV.

Or, I would wait until VGF2 sells out in several months and see what they put on sale. The BLT sale (expired) also would have been an awesome pick IMO.

It's easy to deal with the contracts on the website, within one member number. It's one of the few things the website does well. But buying as a different set of people will give you a new member number, which isn't so easy.

Will we get a new member number? Or can we use our same member number for our AKV points?

 

[RoseGold]

Will we get a new member number? Or can we use our same member number for our AKV points?

You will get the same member number if you buy the same UY with the same owners and the same names. No extra people, not in a trust, no new names, etc.

 

[sndral]

Will we get a new member number? Or can we use our same member number for our AKV points?

If you title it the same & have the same use year it’ll be the same member number & the contract will appear in your current membership online.
As a fellow AKV owner I am used to more expensive MF’s, but Riviera has the highest MFs of any WDW DVC resorts, fortunately my VGF MFs are the lowest which eases the sting for me.
Have you spent any time at Riviera? It appeals to many, but after a couple of visits to look around & dinner at Toppolinos a couple of times staying there is not for me - although I’ll return to Toppolinos & I had hoped to like it because of it’s location.
I’d hesitate to buy at a resort you don’t plan on staying at regularly especially w/ Riviera’s current MFs.

 

[kandlsutton]

Will we get a new member number? Or can we use our same member number for our AKV points?

Same owners and use year = same membership.
Different owners or use year = new membership.

We absolutely love RIV and bought intending to pass to our kids, so resell restrictions were not a huge factor in our decision. But if not using the points to stay standard view at RIV, I wouldn’t purchase for sleep around points because of the maintenance fees. Same logic applies to AKV with MF over $8 per point. VGF is around $7 per point and doesn't have resell restrictions.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Between the two you listed, I would do Riviera. 7 month availability at AKV is not hard for 1BR so it would be better to have the booking advantage at a different resort. Plus, the extra contract length.

 

[kaesa2442]

All very good points! I can see the benefits to VGF. We will have to really consider all the options.

 

[Zach197]

My family currently owns 200 points on a resale contract at AKV. We are looking at purchasing more points direct from Disney now. We want to have the full membership benefits. We are debating purchasing the additional points at AKV or Riviera. We like the option of staying at Riviera or other new resorts but it certainly wouldn't be where we would typically plan to stay. We really enjoy staying at AKV and that is the resort we typically plan to stay at. The reason we are leaning toward Riviera is that the current promotion makes the cost per point not too much more than AKV and you have an additional 13 years on the contract.

My concerns are:
Availability at 7 months for 1 bedroom at AKV
Confusion of dealing with contracts at different resorts

Any recommendations or thoughts? Thank you!

We were in the same boat last week, akv vs riv direct. We went with 125 direct riv points. There is usually more availability at 7 month window at akl, the 2070 expiration at riv and the riv promotion pushed us to go with riv over akl. We don't regret it knowing we will be able to still snag akl rooms at 7 months.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Best advice anyone ever gave me and I’ll gladly share it:

buy where you want to stay

have I been able to use SSR point at Beech club or BLT….yes
is it a lot easier to book BLT at 11 month omg YES