Riviera availability at 7 months?

[vwlfan]

Just had breakfast at Topolinos. We are very impressed with the hotel. Wary of buying points though, would prefer booking with ecidtong points we have at BRV and CV.

whst is the availability likelihood of booking there if you’re not an owner there? TIA

 

[Marionnette]

Just had breakfast at Topolinos. We are very impressed with the hotel. Wary of buying points though, would prefer booking with ecidtong points we have at BRV and CV.

whst is the availability likelihood of booking there if you’re not an owner there? TIA

It depends on what you're trying to book. Standard studios book quickly inside the 11-7 month window and Tower Studios are right behind. Preferred view studios are around a bit longer but will still book up before 7 months much of the year with only scattered nights being available. The larger villas with preferred views might be available longer but competition with members using their SAPs right at 7 months can be fierce.

Your best chances of success will be now. There are more rooms declared into DVC inventory than there are points that have been sold to members. Once the resort sells out, it will become much more difficult to book with non-home resort points. And the resale restrictions will force the resale owners to book early in order to use their points.

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Somehow autocorrect decided “ecidtong” points was a thing.

 

[Nabas]

Just had breakfast at Topolinos. We are very impressed with the hotel. Wary of buying points though, would prefer booking with ecidtong points we have at BRV and CV.

whst is the availability likelihood of booking there if you’re not an owner there? TIA

As the newest resort, RIV will remain relatively difficult to book for a few years. New RIV owners will want to stay at their resort, while other DVC members will want to try it out.

Eventually, this settles down and booking generally becomes a function of resort size. Smaller resorts remain more difficult to book. RIV is somewhere in the middle, so it eventually should settle somewhere in the middle of difficulty to book.

Either now or later, RIV will see the same booking pattern as other DVC resorts. Standard view Studios will be the hardest to get, while preferred view one-bedrooms will be the easiest. And it will follow the same seasonal pattern. For example, early December will be difficult. August will be easiest.

We have already stayed at RIV 3 times, including twice in a standard view studio, but this was due to COVID. It probably will be a while before we’ll be able to next stay in a standard view studio for more than a couple of nights.

 

[Her Dotness]

Nabas (and anyone else who cares to chime in), do you think the fact that the first two weeks in May will be 2nd cheapest in '23 will have much impact on those weeks in December? Or will being there for holiday season decorations and events mean December still wears the hardest-to-get crown?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

...competition with members using their SAPs right at 7 months can be fierce.

This is interesting to me. My impression has always been that a huge chunk of SAPs are Saratoga resale contracts, which wouldn't be eligible for Riviera in the first place.

Once the resort sells out, it will become much more difficult to book with non-home resort points. And the resale restrictions will force the resale owners to book early in order to use their points.

But it will also lock out the non-Riviera resale owners. Every time a Direct contract is sold on the secondary market, that's another chunk of points that can't compete for Riviera at 7 months. I expect difficulty to ramp up slowly until the resort sells out, and then gradually become easier and easier over time, as the population of Direct points shrinks and the population of Resale points increases.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

This is interesting to me. My impression has always been that a huge chunk of SAPs are Saratoga resale contracts, which wouldn't be eligible for Riviera in the first place.

I'd imagine a big chunk of Saratoga resale owners are still eligible to book Riviera so long as they purchased prior to 1/19/19. Same goes for re-sale owners at any other resorts.

 

[Marionnette]

This is interesting to me. My impression has always been that a huge chunk of SAPs are Saratoga resale contracts, which wouldn't be eligible for Riviera in the first place.


But it will also lock out the non-Riviera resale owners. Every time a Direct contract is sold on the secondary market, that's another chunk of points that can't compete for Riviera at 7 months. I expect difficulty to ramp up slowly until the resort sells out, and then gradually become easier and easier over time, as the population of Direct points shrinks and the population of Resale points increases.

I was actually referring to RIV resale owners when I said that resale owners will have to book early. I should have been more clear.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Because of cancelling reservations in 2020, 2021, we have never stayed at RIV, although we had booked a few nights at different times in 2021.

Right now, I have a two night stay in SV studio for one of the MM nights in AK. I’ve not been able to book more nights than 2 at 7 months.

 

[vwlfan]

Somehow autocorrect decided “ecidtong” points was a thing.

Existing ,, can’t figure out how to edit

 

[UrsulaWantsYourSoul]

Existing ,, can’t figure out how to edit

Totally knew what you meant. I just love typos especially when I make them.

 

[vwlfan]

Smiling, my fingers are too thick for my phone!

 

[Anal Annie]

We've been able to book RIV at 7 months 3 times. I was able to book a std. studio for a week for this past April and I booked 2 long weekends in preferred studios for this upcoming May - I waitlisted the std. view and one of those came thru for us so far. It definitely books up right on the dot though. You can't diddle around to book. We really enjoy the resort and briefly talked about should we buy a few points there but the reality is that we don't really NEED more points and we don't like the resale restrictions and thought it may make them harder to sell. Those restrictions are also why we wouldn't buy there on a resale either.

 

[Princess Merida]

We booked 4 nights there in a standard studio, but had to cancel. The following year we booked 2 or 3 nights in a preferred studio. We are BWV owners and booked these 4 and 7 months out.

 

[brazzledazzler]

As a RIV owner, I’ve seen competition increase for SV Studios. Booking any dates in the first 2 weeks of December was pandemonium!

We just had our welcome home stay this week and I see what the fuss is about. Relaxing resort, but I think unless you’re an owner, SV Studios and Tower Studios will be almost impossible most of the year.

But, that’s not surprising. I can’t usually get SV Studios at BWV or BLT at 7 months.

 

[Sandisw]

As long as you know more often than not it will be PV, I think if you are staying outside fall frenzy into the holidays, you should be able to get at least a few nights if not more.

 

[DebbieB]

I booked a preferred view studio the past 3 years at 7 months for April. 2020 was of course cancelled. 2021 I broke my foot right before, didn’t go (my friend took the room). This year April 2 to 8. Hopefully third time is a charm!

 

[Nabas]

Nabas (and anyone else who cares to chime in), do you think the fact that the first two weeks in May will be 2nd cheapest in '23 will have much impact on those weeks in December? Or will being there for holiday season decorations and events mean December still wears the hardest-to-get crown?

Historically, the first 2 weeks of May are in the middle of DVC demand - not the easiest but also not the hardest.

I don't think the point change will have much effect. If you want to go during the first 2 weeks in December for Christmas decorations, you're still going to want to go. Let's recall that in 2020, a RIV Standard View Studio for the first 2 weeks in December cost 15 points during the week and 17 points on the weekend. In 2023, those are 17 and 19 points, respectively.

IMO, a 2-point per night difference (14 for an entire week) isn't going to change a lot of people's plans.