I'm all in!

[Mike9865]

We purchased 250 pts at Riviera direct yesterday. Super excited! Just wanted to say thank you to all for the information you have compiled here. It was an invaluable resource for us as we evaluated our options.

First trip scheduled for December 17-24 for a 1 BR preferred. Can't wait to go

 

[Rm4OneMore]

Congrats!

 

[KateInWonderland]

Yay! I hope y'all have a great time!

 

[kanerf]

I like Riviera very much and own a small contract there. I may add-on resale since I am not concerned with the restrictions.

 

[MBTigger]

Welcome home! We toured RIV in March and thought it a beautiful resort. As always, my comment is the point chart feels on the high side for what you get. Someday we will perform the legerdemain that us lowly resale owners need in order to stay there. We may change our minds.

 

[Mike9865]

Welcome home! We toured RIV in March and thought it a beautiful resort. As always, my comment is the point chart feels on the high side for what you get. Someday we will perform the legerdemain that us lowly resale owners need in order to stay there. We may change our minds.

Thanks! RIV is divisive for sure. But we like the 2070 expiration and the overall quality of the resort. That justifies the inflated point chart

 

[DVCsloth]

Congratulations! Beautiful resort. We will be there in September for 7 nights! Still considering a small add on there, waiting to see what the new VGF is all about first.

 

[macman123]

Well done. I got 200 last week

 

[Heather07438]

Enjoy! Sounds like a great trip to break in your points.

 

[scoobdoo]

First trip scheduled for December 17-24 for a 1 BR preferred. Can't wait to go

was it easy to find availability within the dates you wanted?

 

[Sandisw]

Woohoo! It is my favorite! Have a great trip!

 

[BGparadise]

Congrats on the purchase and the many future family vacations

 

[DebLovesPooh]

Yay! Congrats and enjoy!

 

[Mike9865]

was it easy to find availability within the dates you wanted?

Not at all. The resort is pretty much booked solid for the dates we wanted. When they told me there was limited to no availability I said then I would just delay my purchase. They then informed me that they have an allotment of "welcome home" rooms that are reserved for new DVC members. I got one of the rooms in that block. They aren't customer facing so you won't see them when you search in the DVC portal.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

Not at all. The resort is pretty much booked solid for the dates we wanted. When they told me there was limited to no availability I said then I would just delay my purchase. They then informed me that they have an allotment of "welcome home" rooms that are reserved for new DVC members. I got one of the rooms in that block. They aren't customer facing so you won't see them when you search in the DVC portal.

This is VERY interesting. Didn't know DVC/DVD was contractually allowed to provide this feature. I seem to recall several new DVC'ers on this board - just recently - lamenting the lack of availability for their 'Welcome Home' stay - and them being powerless to do anything about it.

 

[disneyfan123]

Not at all. The resort is pretty much booked solid for the dates we wanted. When they told me there was limited to no availability I said then I would just delay my purchase. They then informed me that they have an allotment of "welcome home" rooms that are reserved for new DVC members. I got one of the rooms in that block. They aren't customer facing so you won't see them when you search in the DVC portal.

I wonder if this is for direct purchase only, or for first time resale purchasers as well?

 

[Mike9865]

I wonder if this is for direct purchase only, or for first time resale purchasers as well?

I'm almost positive it's for direct only but I can't say so definitively.

 

[Mike9865]

This is VERY interesting. Didn't know DVC/DVD was contractually allowed to provide this feature. I seem to recall several new DVC'ers on this board - just recently - lamenting the lack of availability for their 'Welcome Home' stay - and them being powerless to do anything about it.

You have leverage before you give them your money, not after.

 

[MBTigger]

I am given to understand that Direct sales tend to be very accomodating when it comes to scheduling a Welcome Home visit. A small percentage of a resorts points must be remanded by Disney so they can perform maintenance, and there is breakage from the lock off premium, so there is potential for Disney to release a room that would otherwise be blocked off.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

You have leverage before you give them your money, not after.

This has nothing to do with leverage. Contractually, whatever booking benefit DVC/DVD extends to you - they must extend to all blue card members. Maybe DVD would claim this 'benefit' is available to all new blue card members - but based on the recent complaining I heard, that didn't seem to be the case.

See, they gave you not just some random week, but one of most highly desirable weeks of the year - a week that many others, even at their 11 month booking window were not able to book this year because of overwhelming demand. And you 'booked' it with essentially 5 and a half months of lead time. Impossible under any other circumstance.

I gotta wonder if DVD is routinely keeping some rooms out of DVC inventory during certain times of the year for direct sales of a certain point size and up. There definitely was some funny business going on this year with booking certain resorts during the 50th and Christmas.

Then again, maybe this scenario is only possible because much of RIV is still unsold.