RIV, CC, or GF2

[🍀TwinsMom]

So we own 300 direct Riviera and love it, but our new preferred week to go is February vacation (from MA,) and we usually do one-bedrooms and anticipate needing two-bedrooms in another 5-6 years, so we’re chronically running 40-100 points short. We prefer standard view, but sometimes I have had to do preferred. I am 49, husband is 55, son is 9, daughter is 8.

We love CC for early December (3/4 birthdays that week) and would want 2-bedrooms there since they don’t have the Murphy and trundle, and our boy/girl are freakishly tall now and will need space/privacy anyway.

We’re fine doing a split stay RR/CC that time of year and figured 150-200 points would work banking and borrowing. We don’t love the transportation options of CC though because my husband probably will be a scooter senior (55 now, needs knee replacement) and loves the Skyliner.

We both like GF for walking path (me)/monorail (him,) amenities under cover from rain, and great dining options. Ideally, we’d like a MK base. However, it’s going to be pricey at VGF, and we’ll need 200 points I figure to do a split stay of one-bedrooms with RR. We don’t like studios, so the new ones at Big Pine Key look beautiful for an adults trip in 10 years, but for now we need a kitchen.

Should we now add to Riviera to have a huge pool of points to have room to grow into? I don’t mind resale.

Should we do CC to enjoy Christmas and birthdays in a super themed resort, but be annoyed trying to do the boat or bus at the end of the night? We’re fine resale.

Should we do GF resale, assuming they don’t throw in some weird restrictions next month when it goes on sale?

Please don’t suggest BLT. We absolutely agree that’s not at all our aesthetic. The extra bathroom isn’t a big deal to us because we wake staggered times and don’t have traffic jams in there.

We have two blue card contracts for the kids to each inherit, one 200 and one 100, so probably whoever gets the 100 would get the other resale contract. Trying to be as equitable as possible.

We are open to doing direct 100 points if the spread between direct and resale isn’t that great and we got the extra year’s points (September use year.)

Thoughts?

 

[DeeBee3]

Hmmm...well, I am biased toward CC, but I understand the scooter situation. We have used a scooters on boats and buses and it is something you have to account for. It is doable, but if you want the absolute easiest situation Grand Floridian would be easier due to monorail or path. However, you would definitely need to plan for the other parks or places you want to go if you want to avoid scooter hassles. (sure you already thought of that)

CC just has such a great vibe. My kids are similar in age and love it. Not sure when they are teenagers!

I will say that when my mom was using a scooter, although it was challenging to "navigate" on a bus, we didn't wait long at all at Wilderness Lodge. The boat was much easier for the scooter because it was a level plane and they give you a ramp to make sure not crazy bumps. That was before covid, but most recently we used a scooter while at the Boardwalk and used boat there too.

Easiest is GF.
My preference is CC.

 

[Sandisw]

I think if you want to stay at CCV in December, I would own there. Even the 2 bedrooms will be tough at 7 months. In terms of pricing resale, VGF and CCV are not that far apart if one is really calling to you over the other.

The drawback of VGF is that 2 bedrooms may be a little harder once you add all those studios...but, that is a big unknown right now. I am also waiting to find out if they will have connecting rooms like Poly, because if they do, that will be a huge factor for us when traveling in a small group.

IMO, I would wait to see what the pricing is for the new VGF...it may be worth it so that you have unrestricted points and all you own can be used at RIV and future resorts. We love RIV and I bought BLT points in 2020 thinking not being able to use at RIV with my other points would be no big deal. For us, it was. We sold less than a year later. We did end up with resale RIV which is fine because I plan to stay there at least a few nights every trip.

We will be adding on at VGF...hopefully...this year if the price is close to RIV...and only doing direct because we want that flexibility!

 

[DVCsloth]

It's always nice to have enough points at you home resort with the same use year. You can always make sure you get your room booked and then modify at 7 months if you want to split stay. Of course, you would need to be careful if you bought Riviera resale. You could use your direct points to modify at another resort. We have 2 home resorts, but we are flexible with room types since there is only 3 of us.

 

[Imkarlawithak2005]

The boat with the scooter was something we didn’t take into account and it was not ideal. You can only take one of the boats and there isn’t a ramp so if too many people get off the boat you have to drop down. If too many people are on it, you can’t get over the ledge. My dad has an electric wheelchair and actually fell getting off the boat. In addition, people don’t listen to the captain who is trying to manage this situation.