GF direct over Riviera direct is a no brainer

[Nabas]

Hate to say but this happened twice at our last visit to WDW. Once trying to bus back to RIV from MK and once from EPCOT to SSR. On one of the times a bus showed up but the driver said he wasn't allowed to drive us as he was almost at the end of his shift and was waiting for a backup driver. He sat there for 10 min with about a few hundred pairs of eyes staring at him and then drove off empty. In both occurrences the issue wasn't fixed until someone in the crowd went and complained to someone who appeared to be the bus wrangler (I was guilty of doing this at MK). It was fun to see multiple busses to other resorts make the trip during our long wait at the bus stops.

I guess in general, WDW transport is just something to deal with and can have it's downsides. I didn't hate it so much. I'm not planning on getting a car for the whole time this next trip and will gamble with busses, boats, and the Skyliner.

We got back to the RIV and stopped by the front desk to let them know. Spoke with the front desk manager.

She said that Disney transportation had not been notified that the Skyliner was down. Consequently, it was over an hour before they were even made aware that people were waiting for busses back to the RIV.

 

[NVDISFamily]

We got back to the RIV and stopped by the front desk to let them know. Spoke with the front desk manager.

She said that Disney transportation had not been notified that the Skyliner was down. Consequently, it was over an hour before they were even made aware that people were waiting for busses back to the RIV.

I guess we should spread the word. Don't assume they know. If you happen to be in the front of the line go ask someone (I'll keep calling them the bus wrangler until I find a better name) if they have corrected the issue.

 

[BamaGuy44]

Right!?! But hey, I bit and signed up for the debate. What does that say about me?

Hey, who doesn't love taking a few swings at the dead horse? Pass the stick,..

 

[BamaGuy44]

Buying Riviera over GFV direct is a foolish decision. There are too many advantages in buying GFV over Riviera.
No resale restrictions which means that if you have to sell at some point GFV will probably be twice the value of Riviera.
GFV dues are about $1.30 per point less.
Rooms are comparable / almost identical.
Views are much better at GFV.
GFV is walking distance to a park and a valuable Monorail resort.
Dining options and Shopping options far overtake Riviera.
You can always use your Direct points to stay at Riviera if you want.

Can anyone come up with a reason to buy Riviera over GFV ? Please dont say its on the skyliner .

I have stayed at the Riviera and its nice . But Im not giving DVC any money to condone the ridiculous and unnecessary restrictions they have put on that resort. If they are successful with selling out that resort quickly then whats to stop them from doing this to every resort in the future. It just devalues the whole product to current owners.

I hope it takes them 20 years to sell that resort out !

Sure if those are your criteria for judging a resort, you would be foolish to buy RIV. Others have different things they value more

 

[Sandisw]

This is True . But if the Monorail shuts down the busses are right there at Epcot .

But doesn’t that assume that one is already at the monorail station? And, in the past, they have sent buses to BWV and BCV for Skyliner guests…

Of course, the Skyliner is at a higher risk to shut down to thunderstorms, and that may mean that guests have to take a bus.

But, again, anyone at the back of the park staying at any other resort will be in the same position of the Skyliner guests if it shuts down at close.

We got soaked going back to BWV one year because it poured when leaving..no boat either…only option was to walk or wait it out in a crowded overhang at Soarin..after 30 minutes waiting, we got wet.

The point is getting wet heading to your transportation isn’t a unique thing that only applies to guests staying at RIV.

 

[Kingdome8]

I bought Riviera and had my first stay 2 weeks ago. It was fantastic. I’m not worried about selling it, I’m keeping it. We did stay a night in GF new studios the night before our week at RIV. GF was vey cool and loved looking at stores and pool. Was worried RIV would be a let down. I’ll be honest I like Riviera way better.
The grounds and hotel is incredible. Absolutely loved the front of the resort at night gorgeous.

 

[Sandisw]

I bought Riviera and had my first stay 2 weeks ago. It was fantastic. I’m not worried about selling it, I’m keeping it. We did stay a night in GF new studios the night before our week at RIV. GF was vey cool and loved looking at stores and pool. Was worried RIV would be a let down. I’ll be honest I like Riviera way better.
The grounds and hotel is incredible. Absolutely loved the front of the resort at night gorgeous.

Glad you enjoyed your stay. The VGF to RIV is what I do every trip and it just never disappoints when I get to RIV.

We do SV rooms and so far, had fireworks views every time! I go this week and can’t wait,

 

[Stargazer65]

Hey, who doesn't love taking a few swings at the dead horse? Pass the stick,..

IKR, that's half the fun!
I'm waiting for:

"VGF is the best."
""NO! Riviera is the best!"
"Riviera is stupid!!"
"You're stupid!!!"
"I know you are, but what am I!!!!"

 

[GoingSince1990]

I've loved GF ever since my first stay there in 1994, and I was amazed at what a good deal VGF2 is when they started selling it, and to me, for anyone interested in purchasing DVC this is an amazing opportunity, with the fewer resale restrictions the icing on the cake. Having said that I know some people seem to love RIV and I understand not everyone feels as I do.

 

[LisaDKG]

You guys have me all wrong . Im not saying the Riviera sucks. Im just saying that the resale restrictions suck. There was no need for DVD to do it and us as educated DVC consumers we should not stand for it. I have stayed at the Riviera . Its one of my top 6 DVC resorts.

I really wish all posters would keep in mind that this is the heart of OP's issue along with other PP's and it is my issue with Riviera as well.
There is just no denying that from an economic standpoint, the resale restrictions takes ONE of the absolutely top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to an efficient mode of Disney transport into a sub-par category when compared with OTHER top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to efficient modes of Disney transport IF or WHEN someone finds themselves in a situation in which they have to sell their direct contract.
Of course the way in which OP said this was possibly with a pot-stirring intention, but everyone on their personal bandwagons to convince others of the reasons for their devotion to their chosen home resort could probably save their breath.

 

[Royal Consort]

I really wish all posters would keep in mind that this is the heart of OP's issue along with other PP's and it is my issue with Riviera as well.

Of course the way in which OP said this was possibly with a pot-stirring intention, but everyone on their personal bandwagons to convince others of the reasons for their devotion to their chosen home resort could probably save their breath.

I think the issue is less to do with content, more to do with tone. Most posters have responded considerately!

The whole point of the OP was to jump on a bandwagon and convince others they were right.

 

[pianomanzano]

I really wish all posters would keep in mind that this is the heart of OP's issue along with other PP's and it is my issue with Riviera as well.
There is just no denying that from an economic standpoint, the resale restrictions takes ONE of the absolutely top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to an efficient mode of Disney transport into a sub-par category when compared with OTHER top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to efficient modes of Disney transport IF or WHEN someone finds themselves in a situation in which they have to sell their direct contract.
Of course the way in which OP said this was possibly with a pot-stirring intention, but everyone on their personal bandwagons to convince others of the reasons for their devotion to their chosen home resort could probably save their breath.

Was it though? Not sure if we’re reading the same posts from OP, he pretty much listed everything about the resort that he hates from dues to restaurants and shops to the skyliner and called people fools in the process, and even takes pleasure in seeing the Skyliner go down in the rain.

And his tone certainly wasn’t helpful. I’m all for having a healthy discussion and debate as I know RIV’s not everyone’s favorite and I’m open to hearing others’ concerns because in the end I’ll learn more, but not if I’m going to be disparaged in the process. If OP can dish it out then he can take it as well.

 

[Sandisw]

I really wish all posters would keep in mind that this is the heart of OP's issue along with other PP's and it is my issue with Riviera as well.
There is just no denying that from an economic standpoint, the resale restrictions takes ONE of the absolutely top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to an efficient mode of Disney transport into a sub-par category when compared with OTHER top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to efficient modes of Disney transport IF or WHEN someone finds themselves in a situation in which they have to sell their direct contract.
Of course the way in which OP said this was possibly with a pot-stirring intention, but everyone on their personal bandwagons to convince others of the reasons for their devotion to their chosen home resort could probably save their breath.

Of course, people don’t have to like the restrictions. The issue though is that sometimes it does come across that those of us who just don’t care should or that somehow we aren’t an educated consumer to realize we bought what they perceive as an inferior product.

So far, there is no concrete evidence that the restrictions have made a difference in resale value.

One, not enough sales have happened, and two, all resorts in active sales that are new take an immediate 30% or more reduction until it’s sold out.

If DVD continues with restrictions, this won’t be the only resort and therefore, it may not tank like many of us thought it would when first announced, Only time will tell. Give it 5 years and then we will know how much the impact is.

Do I think there is a good chance it will settle lower? Yes but it’s just way too earlier. Heck I thought it would never go for more than $100/pt when announced and said I wouldn’t pay more than $50/pt until I fell in love with it and bam..paid $152/pt for restricted points resale last summer!!!

What we do know is that the average selling price, so far, is pretty decent for a resort that is restricted. People are paying as much, if not more, than those who pick up SSR, OKW, and AKV which can trade.

I mean look at what people are paying for BCV with 19 years left. Can we really say people buying there will get their money back if they try to sell in 10 years? But they buy because it’s what they want and where they want to stay even though resale value is sure to drop quickly as it approaches its expiration.

No one should buy RIV if they don’t like the resort.

But, many of us simply decided that it was more important to be an owner there because our enjoyment outweighs any random unknown potential loss when and if we have to sell.

And just like others can not understand why we would buy something that most definitely will appeal to fewer buyers on the resale market, I have a hard time understanding anyone who says that they love the resort and want to buy it but didn’t simply because of restrictions

 

[Cyberc1978]

I don’t see how DVC can keep the restrictions in the long run.

Eventually original owners wants to sell and new owners will be hit by the restrictions. That means new owners NEED to book before the 7 months window as they don’t have the possibility of changing resort at 7 months. This also means that’s new direct owners at newer or other resorts eventually can’t book Riviera as the resort is fully booked. You could argue that in the long run that the restrictions are shutting out new direct owners due to lack of availability.

 

[Sandisw]

I don’t see how DVC can keep the restrictions in the long run.

Eventually original owners wants to sell and new owners will be hit by the restrictions. That means new owners NEED to book before the 7 months window as they don’t have the possibility of changing resort at 7 months. This also means that’s new direct owners at newer or other resorts eventually can’t book Riviera as the resort is fully booked. You could argue that in the long run that the restrictions are shutting out new direct owners due to lack of availability.

If the resale market takes the hit for restricted resorts,
like many predict, it’s very possible that owners at those resorts won’t sell at the same rate that current owners do and it takes that much longer to have enough resale owners to make any noticeable difference.

If we assume Poly tower is new, and that in 2042, those resorts become new, plus any other new resorts between now and then, there would still be plenty of options for trading amongst direct owners.

But, if that did happen, DVD could simply decide to implement a change to allow owners with restricted points a chance to exchange into other resorts by paying a fee each time, or by allowing someone to upgrade resale points by buying an equal amount of direct points, all the while leaving points restricted when sold on the resale market.

And, the biggest piece? They gave themselves the right to simply reverse course at any time.

 

[tjkraz]

I don’t see how DVC can keep the restrictions in the long run.

Eventually original owners wants to sell and new owners will be hit by the restrictions. That means new owners NEED to book before the 7 months window as they don’t have the possibility of changing resort at 7 months. This also means that’s new direct owners at newer or other resorts eventually can’t book Riviera as the resort is fully booked. You could argue that in the long run that the restrictions are shutting out new direct owners due to lack of availability.

Nothing is ever guaranteed at 7 months. Take BCV for example. It's very difficult to book as a non-owner. If all of the BCV owners--direct or resale--are booking their home before 7 months, that's their prerogative.

In reality, there will always be some 7 month availability at all resorts. Even if a large portion of owners are restricted to a single location, some won't immediately book inside of the home resort priority window. If owners of restricted points lose out because they don't book early enough, that's on them. I bet we'd be surprised to learn how many DVC points expire unused every year.

 

[Kingdome8]

Glad you enjoyed your stay. The VGF to RIV is what I do every trip and it just never disappoints when I get to RIV.

We do SV rooms and so far, had fireworks views every time! I go this week and can’t wait,

Yup. I standard view too and requested close to skyliner. Got good views of harmonious. Next time gotta watch from Topolinos

 

[tjkraz]

There is just no denying that from an economic standpoint, the resale restrictions takes ONE of the absolutely top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to an efficient mode of Disney transport into a sub-par category when compared with OTHER top-notch DVC resorts with amazing amenities/restos/shops and fabulous access to efficient modes of Disney transport IF or WHEN someone finds themselves in a situation in which they have to sell their direct contract.

I own DVC points at 4 resorts. They were purchased over a span of 15+ years at various price points. And today they all have different resale values. Some have appreciated more than others.

But you know what I've never done? I've never said "gosh, I really enjoy using my ___ points but I still regret buying because they didn't increase in 'value' as much as ___ resort."

I don't understand the logic of bypassing a preferred product over some perceived fear of diminished value should I someday decide to sell. Yes, the existence of a resale marketplace provides some comfort in any purchase. But it's not like I'm going to spend the next 30 years obsessing about how the resale value compares to Copper Creek or Grand Floridian. The points are for personal enjoyment, not an investment. And in the unlikely event that the value declines sharply, I'll happily keep the points and rent them for $20+ each with booking access to all resorts.

 

[DonMacGregor]

I own DVC points at 4 resorts. They were purchased over a span of 15+ years at various price points. And today they all have different resale values. Some have appreciated more than others.

But you know what I've never done? I've never said "gosh, I really enjoy using my ___ points but I still regret buying because they didn't increase in 'value' as much as ___ resort."

I don't understand the logic of bypassing a preferred product over some perceived fear of diminished value should I someday decide to sell. Yes, the existence of a resale marketplace provides some comfort in any purchase. But it's not like I'm going to send the next 30 years obsessing about how the resale value compares to Copper Creek or Grand Floridian. The points are for personal enjoyment, not an investment. And in the unlikely event that the value declines sharply, I'll happily keep the points and rent them for $20+ each with booking access to all resorts.

Exactly why I just added 70 more points at BRV. A 2042 resort!!!! Grab the straightjacket! Lock me up and throw away the key!

 

[RoseGold]

I think the ghost of the APs is haunting both of these resorts. I'm sure the restrictions don't help RIV, but no APs and no APs even in sight might also. And that's not really DVC's fault.

I know I wouldn't have even looked at DVC in general without APs as an option. I think there's a lot of uncertainty about tickets right now, and it's a big issue. Of course no APs is impacting DVC, at RIV and VGF.