Guaranteed week at Riviera

[abiksr]

I am working on buying 150 direct in Riviera. With the incentives and MB, it comes to around $176/pp. Though I don’t plan on selling it anytime soon, I want to be prepared. With the resale restriction, I am thinking having a guaranteed week at RIV will have an edge. Which week would be good to have guaranteed week? thanksgiving and Christmas are out of question since it needs more than 160 points. I am thinking the following :

Feb 1 or 2 week for Marathon
December 1 or 2 week for cheap points week
September for the cheapest point week.

Your suggestions are really appreciated. Thanks in advance !!

EDIT: To add more confusion, friend of mine suggested going with November first week (Week 44) for Wine and Dine. So here are the point charts for these weeks:

44 (Nov 1st week) - 153
6 (Feb 9) - 138
7 (Feb 16) - 153

 

[dvc lover 1970]

I think Marathon week is a good one and one you should be able to rent or sell. The first couple weeks of december, while the weekends full up, I do not know about the full week because kids are still in school. I know my cousins take time out of work for Marathon week

 

[atthebeachclub]

I think Marathon week is a good one and one you should be able to rent or sell. The first couple weeks of december, while the weekends full up, I do not know about the full week because kids are still in school. I know my cousins take time out of work for Marathon week

Can you still get a designated RunDisney week? I know that was offered at one time.

 

[abiksr]

I think Marathon week is a good one and one you should be able to rent or sell. The first couple weeks of december, while the weekends full up, I do not know about the full week because kids are still in school. I know my cousins take time out of work for Marathon week

Thank you, makes sense. We would personally never travel in first week of December due to kids being at the school. I assume that would be the case for most family.

 

[abiksr]

Can you still get a designated RunDisney week? I know that was offered at one time.

Oh, I never knew that was an option. I will ask my guide.

 

[Sandisw]

Can you still get a designated RunDisney week? I know that was offered at one time.

They don’t offer that for RiV. It was only for CCV where it was flexible.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I own Week 44 - I bought it with the intention to eventually use every year vs. being a hedge for resale. If I didn't plan to use regularly, I probably would have gone with Week 7 - when they redid the point charts a few years back, Week 7 came out ahead as it's now fewer points (whereas Week 44 is now more).

Also, have you given any thought to Use Year? If you already have a contract and want to keep all in the same UY, that could impact your choice.

 

[WeIcomeHome]

If you aren't interested in more that 150 then October and November are your best bet at 153 for a standard studio favorite week.

If your OK at 164 points, you could go standard studio week 39 + a second 50 point deed. Week 39 falls on the September/October transition but in 2023 when they updated favorite week charts it was fully in September and only costs 114 points. It's points positive over 50% of the remaining contract even after accounting for the 10 percent premium.

Here is a breakdown of the points differential between FW and a points booking:

 

[abiksr]

I own Week 44 - I bought it with the intention to eventually use every year vs. being a hedge for resale. If I didn't plan to use regularly, I probably would have gone with Week 7 - when they redid the point charts a few years back, Week 7 came out ahead as it's now fewer points (whereas Week 44 is now more).

Also, have you given any thought to Use Year? If you already have a contract and want to keep all in the same UY, that could impact your choice.

My resale contract is Feb use year. So, I was planning on going with Feb use year with direct as well

 

[abiksr]

If you aren't interested in more that 150 then October and November are your best bet at 153 for a standard studio favorite week.

If your OK at 164 points, you could go standard studio week 39 + a second 50 point deed. Week 39 falls on the September/October transition but in 2023 when they updated favorite week charts it was fully in September and only costs 114 points. It's points positive over 50% of the remaining contract even after accounting for the 10 percent premium.

Here is a breakdown of the points differential between FW and a points booking:
View attachment 883036

Thank you, I really don't want to get 14 more points. Feel like the additional $2500 might not be worth it. Looks like for my case, 153 points would be safe bet.

 

[WeIcomeHome]

I wouldn't do a October or November FW with a February UY. You could go with a May PV studio for 158 otherwise there aren't a lot of good fits at 150 points.

If you don't want multiple UY I'd just spend $250 for two smaller deeds (100 and 50). You should get a premium for the smaller deeds should you ever sell.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I wouldn't do a October or November FW with a February UY. You could go with a May PV studio for 158 otherwise there aren't a lot of good fits at 150 points.

If you don't want multiple UY I'd just spend $250 for two smaller deeds (100 and 50). You should get a premium for the smaller deeds should you ever sell.

Agreed. If you want to keep Feb UY than I would definitely go with Week 7.

 

[Arguetafamily]

We purchased a guaranteed week for the second week of October, I wanted to always be around for food and wine, with some Fall decorations, but not too close to Christmas.
We have five children but decided this would be a good pre holiday crazy for my husband and I. It has worked out great so far and I never have trouble selling that week.

 

[abiksr]

I wouldn't do a October or November FW with a February UY. You could go with a May PV studio for 158 otherwise there aren't a lot of good fits at 150 points.

If you don't want multiple UY I'd just spend $250 for two smaller deeds (100 and 50). You should get a premium for the smaller deeds should you ever sell.

Hmmm, that’s a good idea. Never thought about splitting into small contracts. Thank you !!!

 

[abiksr]

We purchased a guaranteed week for the second week of October, I wanted to always be around for food and wine, with some Fall decorations, but not too close to Christmas.
We have five children but decided this would be a good pre holiday crazy for my husband and I. It has worked out great so far and I never have trouble selling that week.

Thank you !!!

 

[sethschroeder]

Oh, I never knew that was an option. I will ask my guide.

Update the thread in my signature with what you find. I try to keep it up to date and people provide good insight as things change.

 

[Mikey15]

I wouldn't do a October or November FW with a February UY. You could go with a May PV studio for 158 otherwise there aren't a lot of good fits at 150 points.

If you don't want multiple UY I'd just spend $250 for two smaller deeds (100 and 50). You should get a premium for the smaller deeds should you ever sell.

While I’m guessing this post and the use year issue likely changed the course of this thread, I kept this tab open because I wanted to write something in favour of week 44. My wife and I are frequent week 44 & week 45 travellers, and we feel it’s a great time of year to visit WDW.

Week 44:
Includes Halloween about half the time (Week 43 the other half)
Sometimes the week of the last Halloween parties at MK (or UO)
Food & Wine ongoing at Epcot, including concert series
“Florida fall” weather where the heat isn’t as bad, but you still don’t need to layer and can swim comfortably
This would usually be the week for the “Wine and Dine Half Marathon” (/ 5K, 10K) which end at Epcot
Last full week of Daylight Savings Time, so more daylight hours in parks
Usually less “busy” than week 45

Week 45:
“Jersey Week” when certain parts of the country have a fall break from school, but this might make WDW feel a little busier
First week of standard time (usually), so the sunset shifts to 5:30/5:45pm or so
Usually the first MK Christmas Party will be the Thursday of this week
The first Jollywood Nights may be the Saturday (last night) of this week
Last few days of Food & Wine and concert series at Epcot
Christmas decor starts to go up all around WDW, including at the resorts (gingerbread houses, etc, maybe not all trees)

Those two weeks are a great little microcosm of the DVC “fall frenzy,” and we love them. Paired together, you get Halloween and Christmas in one trip, which as a Nightmare Before Christmas fan I absolutely love. A lot shifts at Disney in this two week span, even time itself. I also think they’re always desirable as fixed weeks because of the unique timing.

 

[MissLiss279]

I just want to clarify something. Marathon Weekend is the first or second weekend of January (weekend before MLK Jr. Day).
Princess Half Marathon Weekend is the weekend (Thursday-Sunday, and sometimes Monday for Yoga) after Presidents’ Day, which would be part of Week 7 (Feb 16) that you mentioned. So - that could be a good week because it includes both Presidents’ Day and most of Princess Race Weekend.
I’m not sure that those things always fall during week 7, though, but they do in 2025. Some people for the race weekend would want to stay the following Sunday night too - which in my opinion is what makes it hard to do a Guaranteed Week for a race weekend. Those CCV weeks would be nice if I had the resources when they were offered to get one!

 

[Royal Consort]

Usually less “busy” than week 45

Week 45:
“Jersey Week” when certain parts of the country have a fall break from school, but this might make WDW feel a little busier

Week 45 isn't typically Jersey Week (it was in 2022 and 2023 but not 2024, 25, 26). Jersey week is usually the first full week of Nov (44) with week 45 just coming off that. We've been week 45'ers for a long time but seen crowds pick up 2nd week of Nov over the past ten years due to the change in entertainment offerings etc. Even so, week 45 is a really nice time to be at Wdw, agreed.

 

[Flash_Sloth]

If you buy a 150 pt contract for a fixed week that costs less, such as FW6 = 138 pts, if you ever use the FW, it will take all 150 points of your contract. It won't book your FW and leave behind the 12 extra points. Therefore, I'd recommend splitting into multiple contracts (minimum contract size at Riv is 50), or going with a FW that is slightly over 150 pts.

And as others mentioned, pay attention to UY. I wouldn't want a February UY for a FW that is in October - January.