POLL: VGF or Riviera - Home Resort Priority

Is it more helpful to have home resort priority at VGF or Riviera?

  • VGF

    Votes: 40 62.5%
  • Riviera

    Votes: 24 37.5%

  • Total voters
    64
Poly may be the first (and possibly only) resort where they have non-restricted and restricted for the same resort. Those who like Poly (and are grandfathered) or purchased directly have benefit if Tower is separate association.
I mean.. if it’s a separate association Poly owners with unrestricted points will be able to book at 7 months just like everyone else with unrestricted points. I’m not sure if I would consider that a benefit but at least not being locked out.
 
Poly may be the first (and possibly only) resort where they have non-restricted and restricted for the same resort. Those who like Poly (and are grandfathered) or purchased directly have benefit if Tower is separate association.

Unless tower has significantly fewer 1BR than past resorts, the Tower may follow historical pattern of studios book first, 2BR second, and 1BR last.
PVB for studios.

Many pointed out similar issues (but reverse) would have happened if VGF BPK had been restricted.
The emoticon was puzzlement that you made two contradictory statements in the one post.
 
Something else to consider that I didn’t mention in my original post - what are your feelings about the polynesian tower? Is that somewhere you could see yourself staying? Do you like it more than VGF? My ideology behind buying my resorts is to diversify location, I have Aulani- Hawai’i, AKL- AK, RIV- HS/Epcot. I know I’ll be interested in Poly tower and depending on the association will determine if I buy direct vs. resale but because of me knowing I like Poly so much I opted to forego VGF. After I obtain poly down the road I’ll likely end up buying VGC for my California home resort and call it a day. Doing this essentially lets me have 11 month booking priority near any resort I please within reason. Is it necessary? Definitely not. But that diversification is something I took into account when choosing my resorts.
If I could afford it, this is my preferred strategy, too -- home base resorts at each set of parks for 11-month booking. Plus we're more Epcot people, so Riviera works great.
We're holding out for Poly 2.0, too.

To OP: Both are beautiful. I can see Riviera becoming harder to book for F&W as it sells out and BW/BC get closer to 2042, but GF will always be top demand during holidays. Depends when you want to travel and room categories.
 
I'd want RIV to have the proximity to Epcot / skyliner but the restrictions if I ever decided to sell make me leery.
As long as you could rent your points for something more than MFs, you wouldn't be losing money to keep that contract, and *you* the owner would have access to all DVC resorts.
VGF is a no for use because we want the Poly Tower eventually.
? Because you'd want 11 mo availability at Poly Tower? (I am the person who bought BLT and then months later bought VGF (resale, but unrestricted) when I *thought* I was going to buy BCV/BWV... so maybe I'm not the best person to comment on this! 😁 )
Considering changing our 50 pt CCV direct over to 150 at RIV because we would get so many more points for our money.
Not that I could have gotten VGC direct, but even VGC resale (stripped, little choice for # of points, UY) is 2x the cost of unrestricted direct points. I thought for sure I was going to get VGC next....
To OP: Both are beautiful. I can see Riviera becoming harder to book for F&W as it sells out and BW/BC get closer to 2042, but GF will always be top demand during holidays. Depends when you want to travel and room categories.
We often go at the end of August to fit in some birthdays, F&W and Halloween party, but end of August has such low crowds that so long as we go then and not necessarily Labor Day weekend, it's not been a problem getting the rooms we want. Winter holidays at VGF, OTOH - is like that scene at the cornucopia during the Hunger Games.
 


I mean.. if it’s a separate association Poly owners with unrestricted points will be able to book at 7 months just like everyone else with unrestricted points. I’m not sure if I would consider that a benefit but at least not being locked out.
Agree, benefit is for everyone with unrestricted points having a better chance at 1BR and 2BR in tower (assuming separate association). Similarly, VGF studios have become easier at 7 months since BPK became part of the same VGF association.

We would happily use SSR points for the tower 1BRs and 2BRs.

Of course, all my plans go in the trash if tower ends up being part of PVB. Just like VGF since BPK addition, anyone wanting 1BRs and 2BRs will need to own at a combined PVB (again, if it's a single association).
 
The emoticon was puzzlement that you made two contradictory statements in the one post.

Understand. In my original post, my mind thought one thing but my written words didn't describe it very well.

It will be interesting to see what happens at Poly if they do opt for 2 associations at a single resort.
 


My ideology behind buying my resorts is to diversify location, I have Aulani- Hawai’i, AKL- AK, RIV- HS/Epcot. I know I’ll be interested in Poly tower and depending on the association will determine if I buy direct vs. resale but because of me knowing I like Poly so much I opted to forego VGF. After I obtain poly down the road I’ll likely end up buying VGC for my California home resort and call it a day. Doing this essentially lets me have 11 month booking priority near any resort I please within reason. Is it necessary? Definitely not. But that diversification is something I took into account when choosing my resorts.
We just purchased our first contracts (direct) and location diversification helped us decide on 100 RIV points and 50 VDH points. While we couldn’t take advantage of incentives or MB, we will be more likely to have the budget to add on 50 direct points at Poly2 and/or Fort Wilderness or a resale Poly1 contact for our MK area resort. For now we will forgo the home resort booking advantage at AKV and AUL (and use our RIV points) since they have shorter contracts and 7 month availability is ok at those resorts.
 
For now we will forgo the home resort booking advantage at AKV and AUL (and use our RIV points) since they have shorter contracts and 7 month availability is ok at those resorts.
Yep of them AKV and Aulani’s home booking is probably the least valuable although having access to the value 2BRs and even having a chance at value studios is nice but for me it was more about being able to secure Jambo house during the Christmas time as I love the lobby during that time. For Aulani, I use it as SAP since my contract is subsidized but I also do get some value out of the home resort priority because I find myself booking the hotel room to get 2 queen beds. I’m currently up to 475 in total but will probably add another 200 Riviera direct early next year and then after a few years buy another 300 at Poly tower either resale or direct depending on association.

Edit: changed my mind :P
 
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Yep of them AKV and Aulani’s home booking is probably the least valuable although having access to the value 2BRs and even having a chance at value studios is nice but for me it was more about being able to secure Jambo house during the Christmas time as I love the lobby during that time.
Christmas lobby at AKV and value studios were reasons we made a few unsuccessful lowball offers on small resale contracts there.
For Aulani, I use it as SAP since my contract is subsidized but I also do get some value out of the home resort priority because I find myself booking the hotel room to get 2 queen beds.
We almost purchased an AUL subsidized resale but ended up backing out due to it being stripped, delayed closing, and a less than ideal UY for our travel habits. Maybe on our wishlist resale contracts in the future since our cash stay this spring is what sold us on joining DVC.
I’m currently up to 475 in total but will probably add another 200 Riviera direct early next year and then after a few years buy another 300 at Poly tower either resale or direct depending on association.

Edit: changed my mind :P
You obviously need to increase one of those future purchases By 25 points to get to the 1000 point club 😜
 

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