Your answer depends on a number of metrics. I own both for different reasons.
Advantages VGF: I like to stay in the original building and you need the 11 month booking window to access rooms here. The introduction of the resort studios has taken a boutique exclusive resort and made it more widely available at the 7 month mark. If you want 1 bedrooms + though, you will also need to own here. If you do want larger rooms the home resort priority will be more important here than RVA. If you are happy with the resort studios then I don't think owning here is essential unless you travel in Fall Frenzy.
Advantages of RVA: The resort is better balanced between room types. If you want any standard view category here though, owning is essential. The discrepancy between standard view and preferred view in points is significant. Compared with all other resorts, the "preferred view" isn't remarkable and in my opinion a waste of points. I like that Riviera is mid way to everywhere and as a result I view Riviera as a more convenient location than VGF.
With the introduction of the resort studios my answer has now flipped somewhat. I think it's better to have the 11 month home resort advantage at RVA for standard rooms with the proviso that you aren't wedded to 1-2 bedrooms/original building at VGF.
Me? I own VGF for the original building (bought resale before the introduction of resort studios). And I own RVA for mid way access to everything non-magic kingdom with a fixed week standard view during Fall Frenzy.
We bought in this order: BLT, VGF, RIV and now likely adding on at VGF. That said, given your responses, I voted RIV for you.
Also to piggy back on your comment at Riv, Standard and Tower are the best luck at getting an Epcot Fireworks View. Most Preferred look at Caribbean beach. I book standard view because of this.
I do too. At each of our RIV stays we've managed to get MK and EP fireworks views from our standard room. While the preferred views are beautiful and peaceful, I still prefer the fireworks view.
Based on you already owning Polynesian, why buy VGF next door then? Go buy Riviera and diversify your stay/portfolio. When we split between VGF and Riviera they feel like two entirely separate trips.
We do this as well. We split between one of our MK resorts and RIV. When we want to go crazy, we use some BLT points for AKV. I know OP said they don't do split stays, but sometimes, on a long trip, it is fun.
I understand the points-savings of a standard-view, but I don't get the attraction otherwise. You basically get a boring view of the parking lot or the dumpsters, maybe the Epcot ball in the background if you're lucky, and once a day you get some far-away fireworks that everyone has seen a hundred times and are much better seen from the park anyway.
I may be jinxing myself but our standard view rooms have always been pretty spectacular. Take this with a grain of salt, because I also book BLT standard rooms for fireworks views, but the parking lot and lower stuff is much better at Riviera, so that may be why I am happy to book standard rooms.
These are some of the big questions you should ask yourself
1. Resale restrictions - do you care about them? If you have any concern about selling this in the future then you should buy VGF, are you okay with the drop in value of RIV when resold?
2. Do you really want another MK resort since you already own Poly?
3. Do you care about the shorter duration of VGF?
4. For split stays are you more likely to do poly/vgf or poly/riv? IMO its a wash between their booking priorities both have pros and are desirable resorts to own at
5. Again with poly tower on the horizon do you really want to add VGF and then find out later it’s the same association and realize you need more poly points and have all of your points invested in MK?
6. Could you see yourself buying BWV/BCV as an Epcot resort instead of RIV? If not, do not plan on buying an Epcot area resort for awhile
7. Is there a reason you wouldn’t consider resale VGF in the future?
1. Yes, I don’t like resale restrictions but I like direct points so for Epcot area that is a conundrum.
2. No, but VGF has good pricing in direct, unrestricted points right now. (Fomo)
3. No. Duration is still good at VGF.
4. No. This is the big question. If I knew what the Poly association would be then I wouldn’t have all this uncertainty.
5. No
6. Yes, I prefer direct points going forward so if I were ever going to buy VGF this would be the time. If Poly is one association I would not consider VGF because I already have MK. But with the unknown of the Poly tower association those $161.10 direct, unrestricted VGF points are very tempting even though I probably really only want another 100 pts. But at that price, it’s worth considering 150… and Riviera had good prices too.
I am going to be talking to my guide shortly, but ... I *think* RIV is only about $5 per point more than VGF and not too much more in dues. If they were the same price I'd be adding on at RIV for several reasons, and even at $5 pp more I still have a hard time picking VGF.
Here's why we chose VGF:
Riviera is the adults' favorite resort, while VGF is the kids' (school age) favorite. I think we are adding on to VGF because we want to spend more time there over Christmas break in 2br units with my dad (mom died in 2021). We prefer RIV for New Years, but if we split stay, we spend more time at VGF and our family of 4 can still make a studio (or even a 1br) work if my dad doesn't join us at Riviera. For that reason, we think more VGF points is better for us since it will be hard to get the larger units. Also I think Christmas will continue to be harder to get at VGF for the foreseeable future. Getting rooms at 11 mo, 8am for Christmastime at VGF is REALLY hard - any room size or view. I have had to book days/rooms when I could and waitlist and hope for the best. All of that process is less fraught with more points at VGF. Since we usually book smaller rooms for shorter stays at Riviera, the points we have there are generally enough. Although we did take that GV tour at Riviera and it was spectacular....
Here's why I voted RIV for you:
You don't own either one yet, but you do own Poly. VGF is so close to Poly in location, room size, point costs. If you think you need or want to buy more Poly, you could consider that later.
Given the later expiration date of RIV, the price differential is probably negligible.
As others upthread have said, diversification of location! and also better room size balance! (we bought thinking we'd stick with studios - now 6-7 years later we are mostly in 2 bedrooms. But even without my dad joining us, we'd be in 1br for many of our trips; when my sister's family comes, we'll need 2br + a studio)
The same # of points will go farther at Riviera, regardless of the room category/view. VGF standard rooms cost about the same as RIV preferred rooms. (Riviera standard costs around BLT lake view rooms) So for the same amount of money, you could get a better view and/or stay more nights at Riviera.
I stayed away from the more subjective things like theming, dining, etc. Those are going to be up to your own tastes, but the rooms feel similarly sized and are similarly appointed. We can't even pick a family favorite. For example, our 3 favorite restaurants at WDW are Victoria and Albert's (but we don't go every trip or every year) and California Grill / Topolino's (tie) (we try to visit each trip in order to break the tie... )
