Disney Riviera Resort

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't disagree with your overall premise re: amenities. I just wonder how much people care about the pools in particular -- how much the demand is there for something BIG AND UNIQUE -- if Disney isn't building wiz-bang-fantastic pools everywhere.

For pools alone? Not so much...

But a mundane pool combined with a single restaurant that people only want to book from 7:45-9:00?

That's a different story...for $25,000 up front?

Dvc people are CRANKY when it comes to this stuff...all our ancillary costs - most notable food and tickets - have lifted off like they were strapped to a rocket...

My scenario is that if they built bay lake and didn't have contemporary attached...and added a restaurant or quickserve...nobody Would go near the place for 20 points a night. It's just not enough.

 

[sachilles]

For me, it's the wild card of activity....more than the resort itself.
Saratoga has disney springs next door, the epcot resorts have the boardwalk, and epcot. Monorail resorts aren't quite as good in my opinion, but they have the semi direct access to MK which is a huge perk to some. Animal Kingdom has the animals, which is no doubt an expensive amenity budgetarily. I love animals, but I live in the country, so wild animals aren't a novelty(sure it's a giraffe, wow).
It's about having a center of mass big enough to support the restaurants and shops and have the hustle and bustle of activity. Basically I think it's about having something to do, when you are not in the parks. Since DVC buyers are frequent visitors I don't think they are as inclined to spend ever waking moment in the parks.

 

[jade1]

I paid $50/point for VWL resale back in 2010/11.

Same-loving it as well. Esp since we got new amenities on top of it.

In order to hawk the revamped "copper creek" at $176/point - which isn't much more than refreshed rooms, some newly-converted WL rooms and new over-the-swamp cabins (that 90% of people can't afford and will never stay in...much like the Poly bungalows)... Tell me how they would sell that if they didn't revamp the pool or add new ammenities? To say that they didn't "cheap out" is a bit of a stretch. They put a nice shade of lipstick on an existing property and rebrand it as if it's a brand new commodity. Don't get me wrong - WL is my favorite and I'm sure the upgrades are nice. Would I ever in my wildest dreams pay their current asking price? Only if someone roofied my Pina Colava at Trout Pass.

Ah so a "nice shade of lipstick" allowed $176/point. Interesting.

 

[AnnaKat]

If they sell out CBR Villas Rivierra, then why not?

Then move down the gondola line and get that Pop tower built......

Lol!!!!!

And this is the whole ball game

It does make you wonder.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I have little doubt that massive rack increases to pop, AoA, and Caribbean will be installed by or shortly after 2019...

...and if you doubt it...you haven't been watching close enough.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

For pools alone? Not so much...

But a mundane pool combined with a single restaurant that people only want to book from 7:45-9:00?

That's a different story...for $25,000 up front?

Dvc people are CRANKY when it comes to this stuff...all our ancillary costs - most notable food and tickets - have lifted off like they were strapped to a rocket...

My scenario is that if they built bay lake and didn't have contemporary attached...and added a restaurant or quickserve...nobody Would go near the place for 20 points a night. It's just not enough.

Agreed. Here's what I care about -- roughly in order of importance -- as an owner since 2006 with a lot of points:

1. Proximity to park -- walkability a MASSIVE plus
2. Views
3. Proximity to good dining options
4. Room category / layout options (2BR with occasional 3BR)
5. ... probably some other things I'm forgetting right now...
6. DVC perks:
   1. TIW card
   2. Ticket discounts
   3. Store discounts
   4. Some tour discounts

Pool doesn't even make the list. Neither does shopping -- there's plenty of that in the parks.

For us, DRR seems like it could tick enough boxes to try once at 7mos out using SSR points. Not to buy unless...

• Walking path to Epcot
• Gondola proves to be SUPER EFFICIENT AND AWESOME
• Decent dining options AT DRR ITSELF

 

[Roxyfire]

Seems it depends on the day, but the only one WL transportation seems to have down is MK! They really need to do something about it IMHO. It should not take an hour to get on a bus and stop at another resort before you ever head to the park. The gondolas may mitigate that for DRR, but I wonder how much will be shared with the other resorts, resulting in higher traffic and similar issues? Might be at the station as opposed to in the individual cars, but still could be issues. I guess time will tell.

I'm sorry you had bad experiences. We missed an AK or a HS bus (can't remember which now) because we were fiddling on our phones. 15-20 minutes later another one showed up. This was probably about 2 or 3 pm so it was an off time. Our total wait time that day was probably 30 minutes tops? Most of that was my fault for realizing the correct bus pulled up.

Maybe my expectations are so low for it being free that it doesn't even bother me. Maybe we're lucky? Who knows. I do think the WL buses are adequate. There's no comparison there with 2 stops (one at WL one at Contep or FW) vs the 7 that were at CBR, the 4-5 that PO:RS/FQ or 4 that CSR can experience. If you're going on a bus to Epcot around dinner time you will wait longer. But if you want to be somewhere fast, everyone knows the buses are not the way.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Agreed. Here's what I care about -- roughly in order of importance -- as an owner since 2006 with a lot of points:

1. Proximity to park -- walkability a MASSIVE plus
2. Views
3. Proximity to good dining options
4. Room category / layout options (2BR with occasional 3BR)
5. ... probably some other things I'm forgetting right now...
6. DVC perks:
   1. TIW card
   2. Ticket discounts
   3. Store discounts
   4. Some tour discounts

Pool doesn't even make the list. Neither does shopping -- there's plenty of that in the parks.

For us, DRR seems like it could tick enough boxes to try once at 7mos out using SSR points. Not to buy unless...

• Walking path to Epcot
• Gondola proves to be SUPER EFFICIENT AND AWESOME
• Decent dining options AT DRR ITSELF

I agree...I'd only swap "pools/bars" for "views"

Views are pointless and have jacked everyone's costs up immensely...

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I agree...I'd only swap "pools/bars" for "views"

Views are pointless and have jacked everyone's costs up immensely...

We LOVE the view at BLT. We always book 2BR MK views. It is worth its weight in gold TO US. Very subjective.

 

[Andrew015]

Ah so a "nice shade of lipstick" allowed $176/point. Interesting.

To the informed DVC buyer such as you or me, that's exactly what it is. In its entirety, a stay at Boulder Ridge/Copper Creek is hardly any different than pre-construction, sans refreshed rooms and the swamp-front restaurant/cabins. To the "target" DVC buyer - one that knows nothing of historical pricing, resale market, etc. and is blinded by the pixie dust sprinkled on them from the DVC salesman, it may as well be a brand new resort.

 

[jade1]

Now here's caribbean:
Food court and one very mundane dinner only restaurant.

I'm not saying it's impossible...but they need to put a lot more work in here than the gondolas...that's not cutting it onsite. And I think they are gonna build bay lake without the attached amenities...I really do. Just a hunch.

So what's your point?

Nobody will buy there? Nobody will stay there?

It's a choice, who cares?

Same with if they go over the top. It might sell quickly? It might be tough to get in? Again, who cares then either?

 

[jade1]

it may as well be a brand new resort.

And you've come full circle (Riviera).

 

[Andrew015]

And you've come full circle.

Only if I were adding on for $176/point....

 

[lockedoutlogic]

So what's your point?

Nobody will buy there? Nobody will stay there?

It's a choice, who cares?

Same with if they go over the top. It might sell quickly? It might be tough to get in? Again, who cares then either?

If they charge too much it's gonna ruin future potential sales...

And if nobody stays there it will flood the other places where people DO want to stay.

First day with this dvc thing? It's all tied together...sometimes is so tough around here...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Only if I were adding on for $176/point....

Right...but if you don't want to think with your feet on the ground and don't pay the bill...it's gonna fly past the tower...

 

[Roxyfire]

Curious what you want in a pool at a theme park that has two water parks? I keep hearing pools mentioned. We couldn't possibly care less about the uniqueness or size of the pool. If people cared so much about that, presumably they'd do more here.

I want somewhere nice to sit with an umbrella by my chair and in my drink, a hot tub for my achy feet, and a pool to occupy my kid for a couple hours in the afternoon. That's all I ask. It can be themed to whatever they want, as long as I have that place to relax for 2-3 hours midday.

 

[Andrew015]

Same-loving it as well. Esp since we got new amenities on top of it.

And I could say that you've come full circle as well

 

[lockedoutlogic]

We LOVE the view at BLT. We always book 2BR MK views. It is worth its weight in gold TO US. Very subjective.

Right...but when people started swallowing an extra $200 for one side of comtemporary main...and then swallowed 8 points more a night on one side of the dvc unit...it trickles down and affects everyone in a not positive way.

 

[jade1]

Only if I were adding on for $176/point....

I get that, but you just said the "Target DVC buyer", my whole point.

To the "target" DVC buyer - one that knows nothing of historical pricing, resale market, etc. and is blinded by the pixie dust sprinkled on them from the DVC salesman, it may as well be a brand new resort.

 

[dlavender]

We LOVE the view at BLT. We always book 2BR MK views. It is worth its weight in gold TO US. Very subjective.

That's the hook BLT also has that can't be replicated at CBR Villas Rivierra.

As a kid, I could think of nothing grander than staying at the Contemporary and having that view.

Will looking out at the back of EPCOT be anywhere comparable?

Maybe the kids of today are pining for that instead?