The Saga Continues! WL and Riviera

[Girlstar30]

I also experience a difference between the two, but it is based on vibe. GF always strikes me as "We're staying at the flagship, we know it, and we want you to know it too." For whatever reason, that rubs me the wrong way. RIV on the other hand is "We are under the radar; IYKYK" which fits my vibe better.

The fact that RIV is the red-headed stepchild of DVC is a point in its favor for me, in the same way that I get along much better with other people in recovery than I do with my fancy-degree-having colleagues at work.

Exactly!! You're the first person that points this out, I thought we were the only ones that felt this way. The vibe is just different. It felt pretentious. I felt like large tips were expected, people dressed and had an air about them that was unapproachable, I dont know how else to describe it

I tried to give some Mary poppins penguin balloons to some children that we had leftover from my birthday party because they were super cute and people look at you like why are you talking to us Or men dressed snazzy that walk in the elevator and dont say hi and just turn their back Little stuff like that i noticed. Riv is beautiful, but humble in her attitude, she let's her beauty speak for herself. Vgf is screaming im more beautiful than all of you!!

 

[Brian Noble]

To be fair, I am 100% sure this is more about the lens I carry with me to the resort than any objective reality. But that doesn't change my experience. I could be curious about that, and perhaps unwind it, but not today.

It's also worth being curious about the fact that I am a fancy-degree-having person, but don't like spending time with fancy-degree-having people. Grist for the mill, as it were.

 

[Girlstar30]

To be fair, I am 100% sure this is more about the lens I carry with me to the resort than any objective reality. But that doesn't change my experience. I could be curious about that, and perhaps unwind it, but not today.

It's also worth being curious about the fact that I am a fancy-degree-having person, but don't like spending time with fancy-degree-having people. Grist for the mill, as it were.

I do admit that I have had to Google some things you say sometimes, including grist of the mill

 

[mgarbowski]

Exactly!! You're the first person that points this out, I thought we were the only ones that felt this way. The vibe is just different. It felt pretentious. I felt like large tips were expected, people dressed and had an air about them that was unapproachable, I dont know how else to describe it

I tried to give some Mary poppins penguin balloons to some children that we had leftover from my birthday party because they were super cute and people look at you like why are you talking to us Or men dressed snazzy that walk in the elevator and dont say hi and just turn their back Little stuff like that i noticed. Riv is beautiful, but humble in her attitude, she let's her beauty speak for herself. Vgf is screaming im more beautiful than all of you!!

I feel like I have found my people. Add me to the bad GF vibes club. What follows is a copy/paste from a trip report I wrote on a DVC forum last year:

This sort of ties in to something I realized this trip, which is I really don't like the vibe at Grand Floridian because, well I'm not really sure why. Specifically it's the grounds that do this. I like the big lobby room at the GF main building. It's not my favorite but I like it. The grounds feel different to me, with a sort of "fancy relaxed patrician" something something that turns me off. You are right that Riviera is kind of similar, and it would make sense for them to generate similar responses, but I love one and not the other. We went to Narcoosee's for dinner and I could not wait to get off the grounds. I certainly have nothing against upscale especially when I can get it lol. My wife and daughters love GF. It was a big disappointment when our planned summer 2020 stay was lost due to Covid. But something about the specific design of the grounds and what they evoke is not for me at all.​

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That just seems remarkably similar to the reaction that GF provokes in you and Brian.

 

[Girlstar30]

I feel like I have found my people. Add me to the bad GF vibes club. What follows is a copy/paste from a trip report I wrote on a DVC forum last year:

This sort of ties in to something I realized this trip, which is I really don't like the vibe at Grand Floridian because, well I'm not really sure why. Specifically it's the grounds that do this. I like the big lobby room at the GF main building. It's not my favorite but I like it. The grounds feel different to me, with a sort of "fancy relaxed patrician" something something that turns me off. You are right that Riviera is kind of similar, and it would make sense for them to generate similar responses, but I love one and not the other. We went to Narcoosee's for dinner and I could not wait to get off the grounds. I certainly have nothing against upscale especially when I can get it lol. My wife and daughters love GF. It was a big disappointment when our planned summer 2020 stay was lost due to Covid. But something about the specific design of the grounds and what they evoke is not for me at all.​

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That just seems remarkably similar to the reaction that GF provokes in you and Brian.

Yesss I love fine dining and the fancy merchandise and everything, its just the stuck up vibe that was a turn off to me! We didnt feel welcomed, more like a number, which bothered me because we paid more to stay at this hotel than any other hotel.

Our bellman at the other hotels were super nice and helpful, at this one they were too busy to help and would tell us things like "well im not going to be seeing you after this and your stuff will be passed on to the next cast member if youd like to tip" just blatantly asking for a tip that I was ofc going to give! Another one offered me his venmo for additional tipping and waiting there like whattt. Just seemed really thirsty and uncomfortable.

I've avoided writing my trip report on vgf because I really dont have anything nice to say about our stay there except the building is beautiful and I know people get defensive of their home resort and/or want to dig for an excuse as to why we were treated and/or felt this way. And really there is none.

I wanted to like this resort more than anyone, I chose it to celebrate my 40th birthday out of all the other ones, i was most excited for it, and I was sure before staying here that we would end up being owners here.

Every other hotel we visited which was 7 of them, was a very positive experience, even the ones we didnt prefer as our home resort. I think im going to wait until I stay again in the villas and not bpk and write a report so I can see if this is always how it is or it was just an off weekend. We have no desire to stay in BPK ever again and I really hope thats not the case for the villas because the rooms look gorgeous!