GF direct over Riviera direct is a no brainer

[JoeDisney247365]

Yep! Love the resort enough to buy 500 points. The restrictions suck. LIkely don’t care much as I hope to never sell them or sell them so long from now that I’ve have way recovered my investment by a multiple and with typical inflation the points are likely worth way more than I paid in future (and hopefully) actual dollars. Benefit of having a pool of points that are good at future resorts was also part of the net benefit.

We bought 300 direct points at Riviera broken into 2 - 150 point contracts. My plan was/is to be able to pass on a "blue card" contract to each of my 2 daughters someday. This will (hopefully) be after 20 years or so of enjoying making those memories with them as they grow up. If they choose to sell it, no matter what the value, it will be a 100% gain for them. If I am forced to sell beforehand than the value is what it is. Either way the memories are worth more than the contract value to me.

I thought I would share this little bit of magic with the thread to spread some love as we argue over the internet about silly things….. We have been trying to work with our family to see who would want to join us on our welcome home stay next year at WDW. Sister in law and her family were able to make it work and they will be joining us. Got a 2BR villa for their family (8 of them) and had a good chat last night about the plans.

During this call I learned that it would be her first trip to Disney in about 20 years and most of her kids have never been and the two oldest were very very young on that trip a long time ago so they likely have little or no memory of it. One comment really struck me hard, that at least some of the kids are still young enough to believe in some of the magic……

This DVC stuff we purchased to share with the family seems to be doing what we expected, allowing us to share in fun things that help bring family and friends together. Looking back at my life, we grew up with very little and I only got to experience many fun things due to the kindness of my “crazy” aunts and uncles who shared their timeshares, boats, trips, etc.

I guess it’s our turn to be the crazy aunt and uncle

So be happy, if you own at VGF or RVA (or both), you are in a great spot.

I get this. I was able to put my brother and his family in a Theme Park View BLT 1 Bedroom Villa for a few nights in November later this year. My 2 nephews, 5 and 2, can't stop talking about how excited they are to watch the fireworks from their balcony. Literally the best feeling in the world is to be able to help them create those memories. Worth every penny.

 

[hglenn]

My plan was/is to be able to pass on a "blue card" contract to each of my 2 daughters someday.

Oh, that's interesting. So, how did you do that? Did you put their names on the contract/membership?

 

[JoeDisney247365]

Oh, that's interesting. So, how did you do that? Did you put their names on the contract/membership?

No not yet. They are 9 and 5 currently. As far as I understand it I can do it one of 2 ways. I can add them both to the deeds at some point when they are older and they can share the contracts together under my current membership after we pass. Or I can do a gratuitous transfer and give them each a contract which would create new membership numbers for them but would retain the original blue card status since they both meet the 150 point minimum for blue cards perks when originally purchased. I'm sure this is subject to change but I believe this is the case right now as I have googled the crap out of those scenarios haha.

 

[J-Dog]

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 !

Its not objective to say that the resale restrictions have devalued the whole product. I love the Riviera as a resort but its a totally different thing that to purchase it as a DVC resort with so many better options (meaning restriction free). My whole point is not to troll but to rebell against DVC for applying these restrictions. THATS IT !

So you are rebelling against resale restrictions by comparing things that have nothing to do with the resale restrictions? What do the views at VGF, and lower dues, and the skyliner have to do with resale restrictions?

I call B.S. that restrictions were the only reason you started this thread.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

%

Several resorts are also already 'self-restricted'. People pay a premium for BCV for instance. You'd better hope they're not using their points at SSR! I don't like the restrictions at all and want them gone. However, i don't believe it will be the catastrophe the boards make out. VGC, BCV, VGF, and BWV (even BLT) are already self-restricted by current buyers on resale. People *want* to own at these resorts. People aren't using their premium points at other resorts. The market is shifting and its already underway. 'This is the way'.

You are correct that people pay premiums for some other resorts, but if push comes to shove they can use those points elsewhere. This is the problem with RIV and future home resort resale restrictions. I use most of my points at the home resort, but if I am forced to is elsewhere or if have to make a last minute change which means a change in resort I can do that. I think resale will be affected. I have said before RIV is beautiful and I will wait to buy a small contract resale within a price point I have in my mind. If I don't get one, no big deal, if I do great. The 2041 example is not a great example - in 2041, I would wait for the bcv or bwv to be sold in 2042

 

[J-Dog]

You are correct that people pay premiums for some other resorts, but if pushncomes to shove they can use those points elsewhere. This is the problem with RIV and future home resort resale restrictions. I use most of my points at the home resort, but if I am forced to is elsewhere or if have to make a last minute change which means a change in resort I can do that. I think resale will be affected. I jave said before RIV is beautiful and I will wait to buy a small contract resale within a price point I have in my mind. If I don't get one, no big deal, if I do great. The 2041 example is not a great example - in 2041, I would wait for the bcv or bwv to be sold in 2042

Logically, that makes sense. But at this point there is no data to support that.

So I guess we will just have to continue to argue about it for the next 1,076,998 threads about RIV until it either pans out or doesn't.

 

[hglenn]

No not yet. They are 9 and 5 currently. As far as I understand it I can do it one of 2 ways. I can add them both to the deeds at some point when they are older and they can share the contracts together under my current membership after we pass. Or I can do a gratuitous transfer and give them each a contract which would create new membership numbers for them but would retain the original blue card status since they both meet the 150 point minimum for blue cards perks when originally purchased. I'm sure this is subject to change but I believe this is the case right now as I have googled the crap out of those scenarios haha.

Awesome. Thanks for that. My girls are a little older but still not of age. I would like to do the same thing on a longer resort (we own BWV). And we know those "blue card perk" requirements will only go up.

 

[NVDISFamily]

All of these rumors about the Skyliner expansion have made my wife and I go on a chase through the Disney/DVC rumor/news sites. To add some fun to the conversation this is how I feel as a Riviera owner if it all comes true (plus some fun)

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

All of these rumors about the Skyliner expansion have made my wife and I go on a chase through the Disney/DVC rumor/news sites. To add some fun to the conversation this is how I feel as a Riviera owner if it all comes true (plus some fun)


View attachment 686691

I LOVE YOU, MAN!

 

[Hoppy-tn]

I think a skyline expansion to old key and Saratoga would Not be hard for them to do. I also think a walking path from riviera to An entrance to Epcot around The Germany area would be easy and then if the expansion to old key and Saratoga happened those people could walk right into Epcot without needing the current skyliner. If they did make a walking path riviera would probably sell out a lot quicker.
another ideal that I have always thought would be cool is if they had a train that took people from animal kindgom lodge to animal kingdom and had animals to view as you traveled there, kinda like the safari ride but with a train instead of the truck buses. Sure none of this will probably never happen but would be a nice addition

 

[Royal Consort]

I also think a walking path from riviera to An entrance to Epcot around The Germany area would be easy and then if the expansion to old key and Saratoga happened those people could walk right into Epcot without needing the current skyliner. If they did make a walking path riviera would probably sell out a lot quicker.

WDW is so opposed to guests walking when it could be a cheaper option for the company. It's crazy. You see Riviera from World Showcase and be like

 

[NVDISFamily]

Walking path to EPCOT……. Yes please! Next time I talk to my guide I’m bother him with the idea. I know he likely can’t help, but might as well get in on his radar

I do think they should/would take it down just a bit more to go in at Italy and not Germany, just to sort of keep the theme?

 

[TraderStitch]

I dream of a walking path to Epcot from Riviera. I think that could happen if the skyliner is extended...using the path as a way to alleviate crowding.

 

[EYL]

I think a skyline expansion to old key and Saratoga would Not be hard for them to do.

I think the hard part would be deciding who would pay for building the respective Skyliner stations and the maintenance. Transportation and grounds are typically paid by member annual dues. Riviera dues cover the maintenance of the Skyliner station that stops there. The cost of a new Skyliner station at OKW and SSR plus the maintenance could be pushed to the respective memberships. It may not look so attractive after that...

 

[UofMGuy423]

I'd love a walkway to Epcot, but if you look at the aerial view, there is a lot of backstage stuff guests would have to walk through.

 

[Bjaiken77]

I think the hard part would be deciding who would pay for building the respective Skyliner stations and the maintenance. Transportation and grounds are typically paid by member annual dues. Riviera dues cover the maintenance of the Skyliner station that stops there. The cost of a new Skyliner station at OKW and SSR plus the maintenance could be pushed to the respective memberships. It may not look so attractive after that...

I know some may not like it, but as an SSR owner, I’d pay it. Low point chart, access to DS, refurbed rooms, AND a skyliner to the parks. Yes please! Plus, it’d be split up amongst a lot of owners (SSR is huge), so I’d think the impact would be relatively minimal.

 

[havoc315]

I dream of a walking path to Epcot from Riviera. I think that could happen if the skyliner is extended...using the path as a way to alleviate crowding.

If you look at a map, you see that a walkway to Epcot would require cutting through significant backstage areas AND building a walkway over a 6-lane highway. If walking wall the way to International Gateway, it would be a very long walk. Realistically, you'd need to create another entrance behind Germany.

A walkway to DHS is possibly more feasible, you could simply do a sidewalk along Buena Vista Drive, which would make for about a 1 kilometer walk.

 

[TraderStitch]

.... I was tacking on to a previous post above that one which mentioned the same thing....

 

[RoseGold]

I doubt Skyliner will expand to SSR/OKW/DS. People parking for free at DS and using the transport is already an issue, and it's complete pain right now.

The obvious expansion is Coronado/Blizzard Beach/All Stars. These are massive resorts full of cash guests, and Coronado has a huge convention center.

I can see AK/AKL eventually, with Coronado as a hub, but for now I think getting those huge resorts online for two parks would do more for what Disney cares about, which is bus footprint/$$. I mean, I love the Skyliner, but lets see how it goes when it gets that many more people on it.

 

[Nursemanit]

If you look on Google maps a Canal could have connected RR with the maintenance inlet for the friendship boats near Germany- a boat could have dropped you at the international gateway via the Lagoon