The Official Riviera Owners & Info Thread

[sethschroeder]

Basing it on the clear demand of DVC bookings. The cheapest categories always book up fastest. Always easier to get a 1BR than a studio. Always easier to a preferred view than a standard view.

I would just point out though that cheaper categories are normally less prevalent. I would want to see the booking data to really say cheaper categories are most sought after.

Its the same concept that 2BR books faster than 1BR. Well it fills faster but its not a fair comparison because you have more of one category than the other.

I agree though the cheaper booking group will fill faster at most resorts.

 

[havoc315]

I would just point out though that cheaper categories are normally less prevalent. I would want to see the booking data to really say cheaper categories are most sought after.

Its the same concept that 2BR books faster than 1BR. Well it fills faster but its not a fair comparison because you have more of one category than the other.

I agree though the cheaper booking group will fill faster at most resorts.

Part of the reason 2BR’s book faster is because of the speed of studio booking: lock-offs.

Anytime the studio half of a 2BR-lock off is booked, it creates a vacant 1BR.

So it’s not that 2BR’s book faster, it’s that many of them disappear when studios are booked.

On the flip side, grand villas, Cabins and Bungalows tend to book slowly, despite their limited inventory.

There definitely are owners who book preferred 1 BRs often. But more owners seek to maximize their nights.

 

[mster425]

can anyone who is there now please post the June entertainment/ movie schedule? Thank you!

 

[mster425]

editing to answer my own question

 

[Bjaiken77]

It doesn’t matter to me whether my view is preferred or standard, and we really aren’t focused on getting a week’s stay. However, if I’m going to pay more points than Studio SV, i might just consider bumping up to one bedroom SV. At least with one bedroom, I actually feel like I’m getting more for my points.

 

[havoc315]

It doesn’t matter to me whether my view is preferred or standard, and we really aren’t focused on getting a week’s stay. However, if I’m going to pay more points than Studio SV, i might just consider bumping up to one bedroom SV. At least with one bedroom, I actually feel like I’m getting more for my points.

IMO, RIviera needs to add another view category, especially when Epcot fireworks return. Some of the standard view rooms are really "theme park view" rooms, just like Bay Lake Tower, especially with Epcot fireworks happening. I can imagine many families preferring an Epcot view of fireworks OVER a pool view. On the other hand, some of the standard view rooms are truly just parking lot.
So going from an Epcot-view Standard to a Preferred view: I think many would agree with you, not worth paying the difference.
But I think a greater number of people would see the value of going from the parking lot view to the Epcot or Pool view.

Saw this on facebook, someone's standard view as they were testing fireworks at Epcot:



At BLT... That's the preferred view!

 

[kboo]

There definitely are owners who book preferred 1 BRs often. But more owners seek to maximize their nights.

We'd had a 2br LO standard booked for this summer (when we were hoping that another family could join us) and I forgot to modify down to a 1br standard before 7mo. The site kept reminding me that although I couldn't get a 1br standard for all my requested dates, I could save 30 points by going down to a 1br preferred.

Waitlist came through, saved 75 points or so going down to a 1br standard.

 

[sethschroeder]

Some of the standard view rooms are really "theme park view" rooms, just like Bay Lake Tower

My thoughts as well. I am not sure if its plausible but really there is 4 views if you want to really break it up: Theme Park, Skyliner, Lake, Standard

I am not sure what impact it has though breaking up room categories to 2 or 3 or 4 with trying to get a solid stay in a single room type.

From BLT to Castle: 798 Meters
From RIV to Lagoon: 711 Meters

 

[havoc315]

My thoughts as well. I am not sure if its plausible but really there is 4 views if you want to really break it up: Theme Park, Skyliner, Lake, Standard

I am not sure what impact it has though breaking up room categories to 2 or 3 or 4 with trying to get a solid stay in a single room type.

From BLT to Castle: 798 Meters
From RIV to Lagoon: 711 Meters

BLT has 3 categories in a similar sized resort. I suspect Riviera could handle 3 categories as well. I'd probably still group together Pool with Skyliner. While individual preferences may vary, it's hard to rate 1 over the other. (Though a similar argument can be made about the Epcot view, I think most people would prefer the pool/skyliner over the partial Epcot view).

 

[Netrix]

An odd thing I noticed on our trip to Riviera (June1st-8th). There was a bus picking up and dropping off from Hollywood Studios in the middle of the afternoon with the Skyliner running. There wasn't a assigned space on the bus directory sign at HS for the Riviera (when we were there anyway) and the digital sign at the resort said: Use Skyliner. While I and a growing group waited nearly an hour for a Disney Springs bus, I saw the same bus come and go 3 times once I noticed it (could've been more). Empty both ways every time. I was curious so I asked the driver where they were going as I've seen them forget to change the destination on the bus. They said "They're paying me to go back and forth to HS now, so that's what I'm doing". I saw the bus several times that week when I was at the bus stop, picking no one up and dropping no one off.

Annoyed me that we're paying a driver to do empty runs when the Skyliner was running. No one even knew about the bus route, since it wasn't posted. Wish they'd have them do routes that were in more demand.

 

[sethschroeder]

Annoyed me that we're paying a driver to do empty runs when the Skyliner was running. No one even knew about the bus route, since it wasn't posted. Wish they'd have them do routes that were in more demand.

I think its helpful to have the bus ready and going back and forth already. That being said the big thing for me with busses is I wish they would provide more ondemand busses. It seems so simple to add an option in the app to say where you are going and for it to make sure a bus is coming within 15-20 mins.

Its part of why I own at BWV and RIV is to avoid the busses as much as possible though.

I am not sure how much money that adds to dues but I can't imagine it would be more than maybe $0.05 per point? So we are paying maybe $15 for the year to have the extra bus already running if the Skyliner goes down or if someone wants to skip the Skyliner for some reason.

 

[Netrix]

I think its helpful to have the bus ready and going back and forth already. That being said the big thing for me with busses is I wish they would provide more ondemand busses. It seems so simple to add an option in the app to say where you are going and for it to make sure a bus is coming within 15-20 mins.

Its part of why I own at BWV and RIV is to avoid the busses as much as possible though.

I am not sure how much money that adds to dues but I can't imagine it would be more than maybe $0.05 per point? So we are paying maybe $15 for the year to have the extra bus already running if the Skyliner goes down or if someone wants to skip the Skyliner for some reason.

I'd like to see an demand based bus feature. Where you check in where you want to go on the app and it'll prioritize that based on availability/demand. Example if only 2 people are checked in for destination A and 20 people are checked in for destination B. It'll look at when the next bus for each destination is coming and adjust accordingly.

As we were waiting for the Disney Springs bus, the arrival time kept coming and then going on the Digital Sign with no bus. The Animal Kingdom bus came multiple times. By the time the Disney Springs bus arrived, it couldn't hold everyone. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Studios bus was empty.

We ended up taking Lyft more often this trip vs prior trips for anything Disney Springs related.

 

[bigAWL]

I'd like to see an demand based bus feature. Where you check in where you want to go on the app and it'll prioritize that based on availability/demand. Example if only 2 people are checked in for destination A and 20 people are checked in for destination B. It'll look at when the next bus for each destination is coming and adjust accordingly.

As we were waiting for the Disney Springs bus, the arrival time kept coming and then going on the Digital Sign with no bus. The Animal Kingdom bus came multiple times. By the time the Disney Springs bus arrived, it couldn't hold everyone. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Studios bus was empty.

We ended up taking Lyft more often this trip vs prior trips for anything Disney Springs related.

It seems to me that asking guests to put bus trips into an app is useful, but not capturing nearly enough of the actual demand, as most people just won't. With their Magic Bands (and now phone-based tracking) it seems to me that Disney has invested enough into knowing where people are, where people are staying, and where people are going (based on park passes and restaurant ressies), that they should be able to predict demand for busses pretty much in real time. Maybe they need to invest more in some AI analysis software, but I think they have the data they need to provide pretty optimized bus services as it is.

 

[MomOTwins]

Oh sorry I just meant more long term like once they sell out only a smaller subset of owners will have under the 150 points so it possibly helps some of the availability.

Fair point, I just figure that at the rate RIV is selling, and with VGF2 competing next year, going to be a while before we get a meaningfully higher declared inventory.

 

[mickey10171]

Anybody here have the Riviera luggage? Was curious to see a picture of what the inside looks like

 

[havoc315]

I'd like to see an demand based bus feature. Where you check in where you want to go on the app and it'll prioritize that based on availability/demand. Example if only 2 people are checked in for destination A and 20 people are checked in for destination B. It'll look at when the next bus for each destination is coming and adjust accordingly.

As we were waiting for the Disney Springs bus, the arrival time kept coming and then going on the Digital Sign with no bus. The Animal Kingdom bus came multiple times. By the time the Disney Springs bus arrived, it couldn't hold everyone. Meanwhile, the Hollywood Studios bus was empty.

We ended up taking Lyft more often this trip vs prior trips for anything Disney Springs related.

A bus isn’t an Uber. If 1 person requests a bus at the Riviera stop…is a bus going to change routes and strand 20 people waiting at the Beach Club?

All Disney can and should do, is study the demand patterns and plan schedules and routes accordingly. Holding back a couple buses for last minute surge demand (like when a thunderstorm puts the Skyliner out of service).

But you can’t possibly build buses around an individual person’s demand.

As to weighing how many people are requesting, etc—- Disney does that by studying the demand and use patterns.

But for example… Riviera is a small resort. Beach Club/Yacht Club is huge.

So imagine: 8am: 50 people waiting at BC/YC, 3 people waiting at RIV. Redeploy the RIV bus to BC/YC!

8:30– now 7 people waiting at RIV.. 3 of which have been there since 8, 4 new people. At BC/YC, the bus picked up the first 50… but now another 30 waiting. OK, redeploy the next RIV bus to BC/YC!
Now 9am… 15 people at RIV, some waiting over an hour. About 20 people who recently arrived at BC/YC…

See the problem?

Just because only 2 people are waiting at a bus stop doesn’t mean they should have to wait 2 hours while the buses deal with more crowded stops.

 

[Dicentras]

Hey friends! We arrive this weekend and I’m bringing my parents. My dad is a smoker (ugh, I know…) - I’m wondering if anyone here might know where I can direct him to when he needs to do that. I keep reading there is a apparently a spot he can go, but I haven’t been able to nail down specifics. I am aware that he can *not* use the balcony. Thanks!

 

[CarolynFH]

Hey friends! We arrive this weekend and I’m bringing my parents. My dad is a smoker (ugh, I know…) - I’m wondering if anyone here might know where I can direct him to when he needs to do that. I keep reading there is a apparently a spot he can go, but I haven’t been able to nail down specifics. I am aware that he can *not* use the balcony. Thanks!

You can open MDE app and Search for smoking, which will pull up a map showing the Designated Smoking Areas for all of WDW. Then just focus down on your resort or wherever you happen to be.

 

[Bjaiken77]

Wow…May has been tough for the studio SV and tower availability. I don’t need either one this year, but that’s good to know going forward.

 

[TinkB278]

Wow…May has been tough for the studio SV and tower availability. I don’t need either one this year, but that’s good to know going forward.

Yes it has! I’m trying to book a studio for the first week and I just need 5/2. I’ve been stalking but it looks like I’m going to need to put in a waitlist. Can’t really believe I need to waitlist a night this far out!