Guaranteed Week Purchase if buying Riviera/Direct

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

I purchased 250 pts at RIV to take advantage of the Disney Visa extra incentives. I split it into two contracts, one with 120 points for guaranteed week 48 (starting the Sunday right after Thanksgiving). Our GW reservation will start 2021. Looking at the 2021 point chart, that week would normally cost 115, which is 7 points more than than 2020! (also only a 4% premium for us). It seems that Disney might be in the process of redistributing point charts to match DVC member high season (October to early January). So, my point is: if I'm right, it would behoove anyone considering buying direct this year to get a GW so you can lock in the lower point chart, even if you would only use that week sometimes.

 

[ehh]

I purchased 250 pts at RIV to take advantage of the Disney Visa extra incentives. I split it into two contracts, one with 120 points for guaranteed week 48 (starting the Sunday right after Thanksgiving). Our GW reservation will start 2021. Looking at the 2021 point chart, that week would normally cost 115, which is 7 points more than than 2020! (also only a 4% premium for us). It seems that Disney might be in the process of redistributing point charts to match DVC member high season (October to early January). So, my point is: if I'm right, it would behoove anyone considering buying direct this year to get a GW so you can lock in the lower point chart, even if you would only use that week sometimes.

This is a really good suggestion for anyone considering it. But I will point out that not every part of the year is getting an increase in points in the 2021 point chart. The points increase in week 48 (and many other weeks) is offset by point decreases elsewhere.

The parts of the year that are most likely to find a GW valuable are a good use, though!

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

This is a really good suggestion for anyone considering it. But I will point out that not every part of the year is getting an increase in points in the 2021 point chart. The points increase in week 48 (and many other weeks) is offset by point decreases elsewhere.

The parts of the year that are most likely to find a GW valuable are a good use, though!

Exactly, they can't raise points everywhere, it has to be distributed.

My point is that the one negative of GW is the premium you pay on that week, but it seems like that would be offset, and you might even come out ahead, in just a couple of years! (if, as you say, one plans to travel during the time of year that's seeing increases, the busier DVC times, which I think would be a lot of prospective buyers)

 

[Acup313]

I purchased 250 pts at RIV to take advantage of the Disney Visa extra incentives. I split it into two contracts, one with 120 points for guaranteed week 48 (starting the Sunday right after Thanksgiving). Our GW reservation will start 2021. Looking at the 2021 point chart, that week would normally cost 115, which is 7 points more than than 2020! (also only a 4% premium for us). It seems that Disney might be in the process of redistributing point charts to match DVC member high season (October to early January). So, my point is: if I'm right, it would behoove anyone considering buying direct this year to get a GW so you can lock in the lower point chart, even if you would only use that week sometimes.

What are the extra incentives provided by the Disney Visa?

 

[Royal Consort]

We bought a GW last year and our 10% is shaved down when looking at the 2021 point charts. If they raise the points again when we go in the fall in 2022 it will be negligible.

We also wanted to ensure we had a guaranteed standard view.

I think a GW at Riviera is generally a smart choice. Especially if they ever do reduce the booking window for resale owners.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

What are the extra incentives provided by the Disney Visa?

Starting at 250 points, on top of the regular incentives ($5000 developer credit for new members/$5250 for existing), if you are a Disney Visa cardholder you also get $1500 off. Thanks to this, my GW contract came to $169 per point, and my loose 130 point contract came to $168 per point. I think these incentives are valid for a few more days.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

We bought a GW last year and our 10% is shaved down when looking at the 2021 point charts. If they raise the points again when we go in the fall in 2022 it will be negligible.

We also wanted to ensure we had a guaranteed standard view.

I think a GW at Riviera is generally a smart choice. Especially if they ever do reduce the booking window for resale owners.

They might reduce the booking window for resale?! Wow

 

[TexasChick123]

They might reduce the booking window for resale?! Wow

They haven’t said they’re going to do it. It just in the documents that they can do it. There are many things in the documents to all resorts which state they can do this or that, and they can take away this or that. Most haven’t happened, but a few have like some of the restrictions.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

They haven’t said they’re going to do it. It just in the documents that they can do it. There are many things in the documents to all resorts which state they can do this or that, and they can take away this or that. Most haven’t happened, but a few have like some of the restrictions.

Hm, thanks. I hope they don't do that, but if they do then the GW contracts become even more attractive if you ever had to sell it.

 

[TexasChick123]

I just wanted to tell you why GWs don’t work for everyone. I thought about a GW contract, but we go at different times every year, so it doesn’t work for us. This year we went or will be going at the beginning of January, end of April, end of June, and mid-October.

Next year, the only trips planned are president’s day in February and the beginning of June.

Also, we aren’t studio people, so to get a guaranteed week in a 1BR or 2BR is super expensive. I just plan to stay at RIV every other year and bank points like I do with VGF, so the GW would be really expensive AND too many points for us. We don’t ever go for a full week either. We are 4 or 5 night people because we sometimes tack on a day at Universal and stay over there.

Congrats on your purchase! If you know there is a week that works for you most years, and you prefer studios, then I agree that a GW is the way to go especially if it’s a hard to book time.

 

[CarolMN]

I just wanted to tell you why GWs don’t work for everyone. I thought about a GW contract, but we go at different times every year, so it doesn’t work for us. This year we went or will be going at the beginning of January, end of April, end of June, and mid-October.

Next year, the only trips planned are president’s day in February and the beginning of June.

Also, we aren’t studio people, so to get a guaranteed week in a 1BR or 2BR is super expensive. I just plan to stay at RIV every other year and bank points like I do with VGF, so the GW would be really expensive AND too many points for us. We don’t ever go for a full week either. We are 4 or 5 night people because we sometimes tack in a day at Universal and stay over there.

Congrats on your purchase! If you know there is a week that works for you most years, and you prefer studios, then I agree that a GW is the way to go especially if it’s a hard to book time.

Also, fixed weeks don't work for those of us who want to go about the same time every year but still get two trips within the year of an annual pass. In other words, if we visit during week 49 of one year, the next we will go week 47 or 48. so that both trips use the same annual pass.

 

[RoseGold]

If you're really tied to RIV and buying direct, GW sounds like a smart move.

You're going to be up against a third class of DVC who can only book RIV in a few years.

 

[AvidDisReader]

To me the only reason to consider a GW is if you are really really concerned about the resale restrictions as a direct buyer. It seems to me a resale buyer would be willing to pay a premium to buy resale points at RIV is they knew they had their guaranteed booking dates and not have to worry about getting shut out due to a fight on booking dates and not being able to use at other Resorts.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

To me the only reason to consider a GW is if you are really really concerned about the resale restrictions as a direct buyer. It seems to me a resale buyer would be willing to pay a premium to buy resale points at RIV is they knew they had their guaranteed booking dates and not have to worry about getting shut out due to a fight on booking dates and not being able to use at other Resorts.

I think beyond this reason is the point I was trying to make with my posting. If you're going to Disney on the same week and that week is in the Fall, since the points are rising for the Fall you're better off with a GW. In 2021 it will only cost me a 5 point premium. I bet in years after the week will be more expensive than the GW points that I locked in for that contract.

To me this made sense because even if I wasn't going to use the GW reservation, I can cancel it and use the points however I want, together with my loose 130 pts. So say I had an annual pass one year like CarolMN and wanted to go back a week early to use the the last week of the pass, I would book normally that year. I could alternate using the GW and annual pass (hope that makes sense).

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Also, fixed weeks don't work for those of us who want to go about the same time every year but still get two trips within the year of an annual pass. In other words, if we visit during week 49 of one year, the next we will go week 47 or 48. so that both trips use the same annual pass.

The guaranteed week has an upcharge in two ways - they usually don't apply discounts to the purchase (although at times they have) and then there's the upcharge in points for the years you do use it. However what you describe still works fine for someone who wanted to lock in a difficult to book time such as December and one that is finally seeing some point requirement changes. Because DVC gives you all points that the GW purchase required you can cancel that week and book a different stay with the points. I'd not recommend a GW for a slow time nor for a large villa but a studio in early December might make sense for the right situation. What you describe I see as being a possible scenario for a guaranteed week because of the studio situation during that timeframe.

What I don't like is the cascading effect of the GW's upon other owners who purchased points vs a week. It immediately removes availability for point owners for popular times - pretty much early December and means even lower inventory available to book unless the GW owners are cancelling their weeks for that time.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

Riviera GW owner here as well. I bought a GW for early December in a standard studio. So far I’m happy I did, one disadvantage that’s so obvious it’s easy to overlook though is that you’re locked into seven nights at that resort Sunday to Sunday. You cannot modify the reservation at all. So for my trip in December I’m flying in Saturday and staying at BLT for one night, then going to Riviera, and then back to BLT for three nights. It’s not a huge deal for me since I don’t have kids, but it’s something to think about.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Riviera GW owner here as well. I bought a GW for early December in a standard studio. So far I’m happy I did, one disadvantage that’s so obvious it’s easy to overlook though is that you’re locked into seven nights at that resort Sunday to Sunday. You cannot modify the reservation at all. So for my trip in December I’m flying in Saturday and staying at BLT for one night, then going to Riviera, and then back to BLT for three nights. It’s not a huge deal for me since I don’t have kids, but it’s something to think about.

Or you can get a GW plus an additional small contract outside of it if you're looking at stays longer than 7 nights to add on a day or two ahead of or following the week. And if availability turns out to be ok you could cancel the week and use the points to book the Sat-Sat stay or whatever you wanted instead. In some years that would make sense for some GW's because the points required can be a lot less than you bought with the GW. And I've looked at a couple scenarios where the individual point requirements would be more so you'd probably want to leave the week if the time worked to use it. Some weeks/units do show that there can be a strategy to owning/using the GW.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

The guaranteed week has an upcharge in two ways - they usually don't apply discounts to the purchase (although at times they have) and then there's the upcharge in points for the years you do use it. However what you describe still works fine for someone who wanted to lock in a difficult to book time such as December and one that is finally seeing some point requirement changes. Because DVC gives you all points that the GW purchase required you can cancel that week and book a different stay with the points. I'd not recommend a GW for a slow time nor for a large villa but a studio in early December might make sense for the right situation. What you describe I see as being a possible scenario for a guaranteed week because of the studio situation during that timeframe.

What I don't like is the cascading effect of the GW's upon other owners who purchased points vs a week. It immediately removes availability for point owners for popular times - pretty much early December and means even lower inventory available to book unless the GW owners are cancelling their weeks for that time.

Didn't know it was unusual to get discounts on GW purchases. We got all the incentives, maybe we were lucky! Or maybe it's okay now.

I do wish they would do Saturday to Saturday, but it's okay with us, we're pretty flexible. We might just stay elsewhere Saturday night depending on what's available.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Didn't know it was unusual to get discounts on GW purchases. We got all the incentives, maybe we were lucky! Or maybe it's okay now.

I do wish they would do Saturday to Saturday, but it's okay with us, we're pretty flexible. We might just stay elsewhere Saturday night depending on what's available.

I'm not 100% positive but I think it's only with Riviera that they've allowed the discounts on the GW purchases and when Riviera first went on sale it may not have been done then either but then there started being reports they were offering the incentives on the weeks. Perhaps CCV had some incentives but I don't think so. All other resorts there weren't discounts on the weeks. CCV had one unique GW offering with the weeks associated with races that allow the start date to be modified to something other than Sunday otherwise all weeks sold are Sun-Sun.

 

[Royal Consort]

Didn't know it was unusual to get discounts on GW purchases. We got all the incentives, maybe we were lucky! Or maybe it's okay now.

GW never qualified for incentives previously. It was full price plus 10% premium. This included Riviera up until August last year when they began to offer it. Many guides aren't aware of it and I had to point this out to mine when I purchased. It's a pretty good deal though currently as a result.

We cancelled our GW this year and are coming the week beforehand so we can save on the gold annual pass. We will keep the GW next year and then just alternate it.