Riv, booking at 11 months

[intamin]

We 100% knew staying in that 1br at SSR was a mistake. My finances will never recover with all the points we need now lol

My first exposure to DVC was 8 nights gifted to me in a SSR 1BR in Congress Park. My wallet was screwed from the beginning.

 

[RuntheMouse]

We 100% knew staying in that 1br at SSR was a mistake. My finances will never recover with all the points we need now lol

We just did our first SSR 1br stay in May. It was a last minute find after some serious stalking and we are now ruined. We have a baby 75 points contract in a different UY for the occasional trip which I had to strip to make that trip happen. DH wants to do the 1br every year now! Shopping for more points.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

We 100% knew staying in that 1br at SSR was a mistake. My finances will never recover with all the points we need now lol

Exactly!!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

We own at RR and I have had some issues getting a standard studio at 11 months at 8am sharp. Example - May 1-4, 2025. I had my reservation ready to hit “book” for May 1-4 on June 1 at 8am sharp. I could not get it. Totally booked out. I booked the preferred and put the standard on waitlist. Every day I went in to see the availability. On June 6, mid afternoon, the days suddenly became available and modified my reservation and got it. Waitlist was useless for this. One room was available and it didn’t grab it. I did it manually. Since then (I’ve been looking daily out of curiosity) the first 14 days of May (less points during that timeframe) have been booked out, not available. Bottom line, is yes you can get your standard studio at 11 months, but it may take a bit more effort during lesser point timeframes.

I had a similar experience this year booking early May. Originally wanted 5-6 nights in a tower studio, couldn’t do it at 8a/11mos since it was being walked but I was able to grab 3 days as people moved on but nothing ever since. I was also a watching for the standard studio and that also was gone immediately. I’m very much contemplating a fixed week for that first week of May. I think the great point chart, good weather and May the Fourth will prove to be a very popular time and a reliable fixed week.

 

[SL6827]

How many standard studios are there vs. preferred studios?

 

[intamin]

How many standard studios are there vs. preferred studios?

67 standard, 119 preferred.

 

[intamin]

I had a similar experience this year booking early May. Originally wanted 5-6 nights in a tower studio, couldn’t do it at 8a/11mos since it was being walked but I was able to grab 3 days as people moved on but nothing ever since. I was also a watching for the standard studio and that also was gone immediately. I’m very much contemplating a fixed week for that first week of May. I think the great point chart, good weather and May the Fourth will prove to be a very popular time and a reliable fixed week.

Can confirm, going in May is fantastic. It's after Spring Break, before school gets out and point charts are cheap and summer isn't in full swing yet. It's the entire reason why we switched from a June UY to April.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Can confirm, going in May is fantastic. It's after Spring Break, before school gets out and point charts are cheap and summer isn't in full swing yet. It's the entire reason why we switched from a June UY to April.

Yeah we don’t have the best UY for a May trip (Aug) but we’ve gone twice now at the end of April/early May and really love it. We had a few nights booked during that time this year and had to cancel, but luckily I knew we needed to cancel about a month and half out and that was just at the tail end of our banking period so it worked out this time but it’s risky business.

I wonder if I did eventually get a fixed week for the first week of May, if it makes sense to get a second UY or not

 

[SL6827]

67 standard, 119 preferred.

Wow, almost double the preferred.

 

[SugarSweetLee]

Wow, almost double the preferred.

No wonder they're harder to snag, cheaper and half as much inventory.

 

[mistysue]

No wonder they're harder to snag, cheaper and half as much inventory.

Plus the better view.

Anyone thinking about 1bdrm at Riv will not be disappointed and will not want to go back.

That said, we've stayed for a 5 or 7 nights in standard studios at the Riv twice without owning there. We spent 4 nights in a 1 bedroom, came home and started shopping for more points.

 

[SugarSweetLee]

I’m actually afraid to stay in a RIV 1-bedroom - I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to a studio afterwards

I really want to do it but we don't have enough points to reasonably move up to 1BR AND be able to take the number of trips in a year that we like We'd need more than double what we have

 

[DVCsloth]

Can confirm, going in May is fantastic. It's after Spring Break, before school gets out and point charts are cheap and summer isn't in full swing yet. It's the entire reason why we switched from a June UY to April.

May is usually nicer weather in central Florida as well, not quite as hot and cooler evenings. June already has no full week availability for SV studios. We've actually started to book 1 br. SV Sun-Thursday now for most of our trips and avoid the weekend points and crowds. We'll probably start going back at the beginning of December next year which is my favorite time of the year at Disney.

 

[marmentrout85]

67 standard, 119 preferred.

And out of that total of 186 it looks like 145 have currently been declared as of June, but I can't seem to find how many have been declared from each booking category. I'm just curious but basing it around similar percentages of each my best guess would have to be around 52 standard and 93 preferred are currently part of DVC inventory. Does anyone know if this is at least in the ballpark of the current mix of standard vs. preferred?

 

[crisi]

My belief is that if you need the lowest point options to make it work for you, it isn't a good fit. The reason being we've owned BWV for going on 25 years. When we bought, getting a standard view studio wasn't a huge deal except for perhaps a few weeks in October and early December. You could even get them at seven months - not consistently, but lightening didn't need to strike. A lot of things have changed in 25 years, and getting a standard view studio at BWV now is a mad rush at eleven months - probably walking - pretty much year round. If you are booking at seven months - you have to be lucky (and I'd use that luck on lottery tickets )

If you are doing "make it work" math, plan for your stays to be either in a one bedroom or in a higher point option. Plan your purchase that way too, buying just enough points for a standard view studio that isn't available when you need it is a cause of addonitis, and doubling down on DVC. Maybe you'll never "need" those extra points and will get a few more days at Disney

 

[J-Dog]

Plus the better view.

Anyone thinking about 1bdrm at Riv will not be disappointed and will not want to go back.

That said, we've stayed for a 5 or 7 nights in standard studios at the Riv twice without owning there. We spent 4 nights in a 1 bedroom, came home and started shopping for more points.

SV might be the better view for 40 minutes a day when the fireworks at EPCOT are going. PV has a much better view for the remaining 1400 minutes per day.

 

[peder]

SV might be the better view for 40 minutes a day when the fireworks at EPCOT are going. PV has a much better view for the remaining 1400 minutes per day.

We've had a very disappointing standard view on the lower levels on the east side, so we'll never go back to that. Give me the pool or the skyliner every time. Of course, we've never had a room request granted, so I'm sure next time we'll be stuck with the "premium" view of the swamp.

I really wish Disney would let you pick your own room, even if for a fee. We do longer stays since we visit at most once per year, and I think it's very difficult for the staff to honor our room requests over a 6+ night stay. If you gave me control of the room selection, at least I could be the one that picks the room that best suits me. And maybe the simplest answer is that "Premium View" becomes "Pick Your Own Room At 30 Day Mark" and "Standard View" becomes more like a cruise ship "guaranty" category.

 

[mistysue]

SV might be the better view for 40 minutes a day when the fireworks at EPCOT are going. PV has a much better view for the remaining 1400 minutes per day.

But those are the 1400 mintues I'm not there... I do get it's a preference though, we were on a high floor but right above the entrance on our last trip- I'm sure for many this could have been a nightmare, but for people watchers, I was in heaven. Hiding out on my balcony making up fake conversations of the little people wandering by below us.

We've had a very disappointing standard view on the lower levels on the east side, so we'll never go back to that. Give me the pool or the skyliner every time. Of course, we've never had a room request granted, so I'm sure next time we'll be stuck with the "premium" view of the swamp.

I really wish Disney would let you pick your own room, even if for a fee. We do longer stays since we visit at most once per year, and I think it's very difficult for the staff to honor our room requests over a 6+ night stay. If you gave me control of the room selection, at least I could be the one that picks the room that best suits me. And maybe the simplest answer is that "Premium View" becomes "Pick Your Own Room At 30 Day Mark" and "Standard View" becomes more like a cruise ship "guaranty" category.

This would become messy REAL quick. It would usher in an era of room swapping within the resort because you couldn't get the exact room for all the days. Imagine doing a "split stay" at the same resort and room category or better yet the previous guest refusing to relocate because somehow they only got the room for 2 nights of a 7 day stay. It sounds ok when you imagine everyone would actually log in at 30 days and book, but there is a true art to puzzling all the stays together especially if you have to block out 80% of the rooms on randoms days.

 

[Sprinkles&Sprints]

I really want to do it but we don't have enough points to reasonably move up to 1BR AND be able to take the number of trips in a year that we like We'd need more than double what we have

I hear you. Most of the time we are a family of 2 so it is VERY hard to justify a one-bedroom once I factor in how often we go. But I did bank most of my 2024 RIV points for a larger family stay next summer. The 2BR Riv could be the turning point

 

[Sandisw]

We've had a very disappointing standard view on the lower levels on the east side, so we'll never go back to that. Give me the pool or the skyliner every time. Of course, we've never had a room request granted, so I'm sure next time we'll be stuck with the "premium" view of the swamp.

I really wish Disney would let you pick your own room, even if for a fee. We do longer stays since we visit at most once per year, and I think it's very difficult for the staff to honor our room requests over a 6+ night stay. If you gave me control of the room selection, at least I could be the one that picks the room that best suits me. And maybe the simplest answer is that "Premium View" becomes "Pick Your Own Room At 30 Day Mark" and "Standard View" becomes more like a cruise ship "guaranty" category.

Not possible because we all don’t check in and out the same day as you do with a cruise.

We book SV a lot because of the point savings but if we know there will be more resort time than park time, it will be PV as it’s much better for enjoying balcony.