Trying to help a friend decide on first resort for DVC purchase

[🍀TwinsMom]

From what you said, resale isn't planned as an option. Yes, things can change, but with five kids and planning to pass it to one of them as they age, it doesn't seem to be a big deal. Riviera resale restrictions, IMO, aren't the big deal everyone freaks out about. Points are going for $145-$150ish, and considering we bought in at $170pp two years ago, I don't think that's bad depreciation in that time. Just using our scenario as an example, not trying to go all confirmation bias on you.

I WILL show my bias in my love for Riviera. The rooms are massive and spacious and comfortable, very well laid out, tons of storage, very soundproof walls for our four trips, and the two-bedroom is as large as our house. Plenty of room for strollers in the foyer and a pack and play in the bathroom for napping kids. Our kids love the Murphy and trundle bed, and mom and dad love privacy in a king bed with a door. While they don't HAVE to use RIV points at RIV, it's no slouch! The Sil vous plait splash pad is darling, and the hot tub is conveniently facing the splash pad AND slide in the main pool. I think it's very family friendly for littles, which I know isn't a common opinion since it seems like a more posh resort.

We love the small, fenced-in footprint, with all the necessities inside the building. I mobile order Mickey waffles and send the kids down to Primo Piatto to grab it while we suck down coffee in our bathrobe in the room. (They're 8 and 9 and know Riviera like our own home/yard.). I like that it's not a sprawling resort with identical buildings and walkways that they could get confused. Not that he's having five kids wander alone, but my point being that our kids have been four times and are ready to conduct tours for DVC any day now.

Also, our kids and hubby and I love EP and HS, and the Skyliner can't be beat. It's like it's own ride! The convenience of wheeling a stroller into the Skyliner and being so close to the two parks is great. Fireworks views from your balcony don't suck. Nice dinner options for mom and dad to maybe get a date night one floor up from the kiddos if they can find a babysitter doesn't suck. It's nice to grab a drink at Bar Riva and still see the splash pad and pool in your line of sight.

 

[hglenn]

From what you said, resale isn't planned as an option. Yes, things can change, but with five kids and planning to pass it to one of them as they age, it doesn't seem to be a big deal. Riviera resale restrictions, IMO, aren't the big deal everyone freaks out about. Points are going for $145-$150ish, and considering we bought in at $170pp two years ago, I don't think that's bad depreciation in that time. Just using our scenario as an example, not trying to go all confirmation bias on you.

I WILL show my bias in my love for Riviera. The rooms are massive and spacious and comfortable, very well laid out, tons of storage, very soundproof walls for our four trips, and the two-bedroom is as large as our house. Plenty of room for strollers in the foyer and a pack and play in the bathroom for napping kids. Our kids love the Murphy and trundle bed, and mom and dad love privacy in a king bed with a door. While they don't HAVE to use RIV points at RIV, it's no slouch! The Sil vous plait splash pad is darling, and the hot tub is conveniently facing the splash pad AND slide in the main pool. I think it's very family friendly for littles, which I know isn't a common opinion since it seems like a more posh resort.

We love the small, fenced-in footprint, with all the necessities inside the building. I mobile order Mickey waffles and send the kids down to Primo Piatto to grab it while we suck down coffee in our bathrobe in the room. (They're 8 and 9 and know Riviera like our own home/yard.). I like that it's not a sprawling resort with identical buildings and walkways that they could get confused. Not that he's having five kids wander alone, but my point being that our kids have been four times and are ready to conduct tours for DVC any day now.

Also, our kids and hubby and I love EP and HS, and the Skyliner can't be beat. It's like it's own ride! The convenience of wheeling a stroller into the Skyliner and being so close to the two parks is great. Fireworks views from your balcony don't suck. Nice dinner options for mom and dad to maybe get a date night one floor up from the kiddos if they can find a babysitter doesn't suck. It's nice to grab a drink at Bar Riva and still see the splash pad and pool in your line of sight.

You are selling me even more. We haven't even visited it yet but are 99% sure we are going to buy direct here. I know that most are saying VGF is a better "investment" for direct right now but we are much more attracted to RIV for the reasons you mention - skyliner, EP/HS proximity - and the coffee shop really tops it off for me!

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

You are selling me even more. We haven't even visited it yet but are 99% sure we are going to buy direct here. I know that most are saying VGF is a better "investment" for direct right now but we are much more attracted to RIV for the reasons you mention - skyliner, EP/HS proximity - and the coffee shop really tops it off for me!

We bought in RIV before it was opened. I had been tracking it online on blogs and wanted it as soon as it was announced. We love it. My husband seriously never wants to try any other DVC (except for AUL for our anniversary,) and the kids think Riviera is our second home, in a good way.

Our Welcome Home was in December, and while the lobby isn't majestic like AK and WL, it's very classy and warm with their holiday decorations. GF and WL are amazing at Christmas, and we'd love to stay there during that time sometime if we can ever score a room at 7 months. But, those amazing lobbies draw a ton of foot traffic and hubbub. I kind of appreciate NOT having a ton of looky-loos at Christmas/December.

We missed it during our Covid trips, but the Fab Five have been making appearances on the balcony overlooking the front of the resort pretty regularly, and Topolinos character breakfast is consistently rated No. 1 in all of WDW. With kids, having Topolinos RIGHT THERE for a swanky drink or dinner at night for mom and dad or for character breakfast hustling the kids just up an elevator ride, I think that's a major perk.

La Petite Cafe has awesome coffee, spiked at night, too, if you wanted. La Boutique is jammed with treasures! We got the robes to use the hot tubs on our December trip and use them/pack them for every winter trip. Bar Riva is great with wide open sight lines. The beautiful outdoor access bathrooms are RIGHT near the Bar Riva/Sil Vous Plait splash pad area/life jacket stand for potty runs with the littles. There's a convenient shelf on the entry gate by the hot tub to put down your drinks from Bar Riva, LOL. They thought of everything! Primo Piatto has great lunch options and yummy breakfasts, too.

Poolside, the covered little blue sofas/huts are wonderful for kids to nap out of the sun. The pool itself has a SWAT team of lifeguards. We asked why there were so many lifeguards, and they said the design of the pool with all the right angles makes for a lot of blind spots, so they needed more lifeguards to cover every angle for safety. It's crazy how many people are watching the kids.

Get the deluxe s'mores at the firepit. They're sooo good. It's a sugar cookie/blondie Mickey base cookie with lavender marshmallows and iridescent sugar candy pearls. Sooo delicious and worth the upcharge.

Riviera has the tower studios, which you have to own to stay there. We're looking forward to a couples trip in a few years for F&W. It's also a nice option to host in-laws that you'd like to maybe have on the trip but not necessarily in the room with you.

Being on the Skyliner with Pop/AofA/Caribbean Beach is a nice perk if you're meeting up with family or friends that perhaps can't afford DVC but still want to be conveniently close and do things together on vacation. My sister is doing Pop the week overlapping us in April, so that's cool to do a dinner together.

Lastly, this is just MY speculation, but I definitely feel that the Skyliner will be expanded. It's incredibly efficient and popular and uses less staff and resources than the buses. Disney announced they're shooting to go all solar in X number of years, and the Skyliner running to Disney Springs/SS/OKW and meeting up with the future Brightliner stop makes a ton of sense. Or, convert a portion of Grand Destino Tower to DVC and run the Skyliner in that direction to BB/GD/AK area and finally give the poor folks out over there another means of accessing the parks. They could also connect All Star Sports/Music on the Skyliner in that direction and then cut down immensely on those very crowded resorts with the buses.

If and when the Skyliner is expanded, Riviera having direct access and its own station will increase its value immensely. I think that's the plan all along and why they are pushing the new resale restrictions. They know this will be an ace in the hole in the future, so the restrictions as the new business model going forward will be more palatable.

Or, maybe DVC will ditch the resale restrictions since they seem more interested in flipping existing properties and adding on (GF, Poly, BLT2?). If that's the case, Riviera wins again ditching restrictions.

I still don't think it's as big a deal as folks made it out to be (resale.) I'm not worried.

 

[Sandisw]

You are selling me even more. We haven't even visited it yet but are 99% sure we are going to buy direct here. I know that most are saying VGF is a better "investment" for direct right now but we are much more attracted to RIV for the reasons you mention - skyliner, EP/HS proximity - and the coffee shop really tops it off for me!

Hands down RIV is tops for me. I did add on VGF because I enjoy split stays and to be in each area. But I always do more nights at RIV than I do VGF!!

And, we have visited HS more since staying there since it’s so nice and easy via Skyliner!!!

It is why I agree that the resale restrictions are overblown in terms with their impact. For me, it’s about me and when I own it, and not for the potentially new owner.

Plus people enjoy and love the resort and I think owning there when it’s at the top of your list is a smart move!!

 

[hglenn]

Hands down RIV is tops for me. I did add on VGF because I enjoy split stays and to be in each area. But I always do more nights at RIV than I do VGF!!

And, we have visited HS more since staying there since it’s so nice and easy via Skyliner!!!

It is why I agree that the resale restrictions are overblown in terms with their impact. For me, it’s about me and when I own it, and not for the potentially new owner.

Plus people enjoy and love the resort and I think owning there when it’s at the top of your list is a smart move!!

That's what we are thinking. As our kids get older, their interests have shifted from princesses and signatures to food and photo ops.....(***sniff, sniff****). The RIV also excites them so I suspect we will stay there the majority of the time. DH is not at all impressed with GF so that might be a girls-only stay for us!

 

[Unclelude]

If he likes Old Key West and wants to stay there almost always, Old Key West. I don't really understand the rest of the debate.

I keep coming back to this. OKW goes till 2057. Fits the bill.

Could probably even wait till June to see if incentives flip... But then again, you said the guy doesn't care so much about the $$.

 

[theMoreDisneytheBetter]

The idea that he doesn’t care about location says to me he doesn’t know Disney well enough to be making this decision. He may want to consider going down, spending a couple of nights in different locations, and then deciding. if OWK really his his top choice so be it, but it just seems strange to say that location/resort doesn’t matter.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

For a direct purchase I am torn between riv and gf. Riv has the aweful resale restrictions which will impact the sale when and if he goes to sell. Gf has a high point chart and 150 points will not go far there for a two bedroom

 

[CaptainAmerica]

it just seems strange to say that location/resort doesn’t matter.

I've been to Walt Disney World at least 20 times for full week-long vacations, and hundreds of times for single nights here and there. I've been a cast member, a passholder, and a DVC member at various points. I've stayed at every US resort except for Paradise Pier and Vero Beach. Others have been more than I have, but I'm no rookie by any stretch of the imagination.

Location doesn't matter to me in the slightest. Saving two minutes on my trip to Hollywood Studios by walking from the Boardwalk versus taking the bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment of my trip.

I don't really understand what you mean when you say "location/resort" like they're the same thing. Resort matters. Where that resort is physically located on property matters much less.

 

[hglenn]

We bought in RIV before it was opened. I had been tracking it online on blogs and wanted it as soon as it was announced. We love it. My husband seriously never wants to try any other DVC (except for AUL for our anniversary,) and the kids think Riviera is our second home, in a good way.

Our Welcome Home was in December, and while the lobby isn't majestic like AK and WL, it's very classy and warm with their holiday decorations. GF and WL are amazing at Christmas, and we'd love to stay there during that time sometime if we can ever score a room at 7 months. But, those amazing lobbies draw a ton of foot traffic and hubbub. I kind of appreciate NOT having a ton of looky-loos at Christmas/December.

We missed it during our Covid trips, but the Fab Five have been making appearances on the balcony overlooking the front of the resort pretty regularly, and Topolinos character breakfast is consistently rated No. 1 in all of WDW. With kids, having Topolinos RIGHT THERE for a swanky drink or dinner at night for mom and dad or for character breakfast hustling the kids just up an elevator ride, I think that's a major perk.

La Petite Cafe has awesome coffee, spiked at night, too, if you wanted. La Boutique is jammed with treasures! We got the robes to use the hot tubs on our December trip and use them/pack them for every winter trip. Bar Riva is great with wide open sight lines. The beautiful outdoor access bathrooms are RIGHT near the Bar Riva/Sil Vous Plait splash pad area/life jacket stand for potty runs with the littles. There's a convenient shelf on the entry gate by the hot tub to put down your drinks from Bar Riva, LOL. They thought of everything! Primo Piatto has great lunch options and yummy breakfasts, too.

Poolside, the covered little blue sofas/huts are wonderful for kids to nap out of the sun. The pool itself has a SWAT team of lifeguards. We asked why there were so many lifeguards, and they said the design of the pool with all the right angles makes for a lot of blind spots, so they needed more lifeguards to cover every angle for safety. It's crazy how many people are watching the kids.

Get the deluxe s'mores at the firepit. They're sooo good. It's a sugar cookie/blondie Mickey base cookie with lavender marshmallows and iridescent sugar candy pearls. Sooo delicious and worth the upcharge.

Riviera has the tower studios, which you have to own to stay there. We're looking forward to a couples trip in a few years for F&W. It's also a nice option to host in-laws that you'd like to maybe have on the trip but not necessarily in the room with you.

Being on the Skyliner with Pop/AofA/Caribbean Beach is a nice perk if you're meeting up with family or friends that perhaps can't afford DVC but still want to be conveniently close and do things together on vacation. My sister is doing Pop the week overlapping us in April, so that's cool to do a dinner together.

Lastly, this is just MY speculation, but I definitely feel that the Skyliner will be expanded. It's incredibly efficient and popular and uses less staff and resources than the buses. Disney announced they're shooting to go all solar in X number of years, and the Skyliner running to Disney Springs/SS/OKW and meeting up with the future Brightliner stop makes a ton of sense. Or, convert a portion of Grand Destino Tower to DVC and run the Skyliner in that direction to BB/GD/AK area and finally give the poor folks out over there another means of accessing the parks. They could also connect All Star Sports/Music on the Skyliner in that direction and then cut down immensely on those very crowded resorts with the buses.

If and when the Skyliner is expanded, Riviera having direct access and its own station will increase its value immensely. I think that's the plan all along and why they are pushing the new resale restrictions. They know this will be an ace in the hole in the future, so the restrictions as the new business model going forward will be more palatable.

Or, maybe DVC will ditch the resale restrictions since they seem more interested in flipping existing properties and adding on (GF, Poly, BLT2?). If that's the case, Riviera wins again ditching restrictions.

I still don't think it's as big a deal as folks made it out to be (resale.) I'm not worried.

Oh my goodness... We currently have a contract for BWV in ROFR review... I'm almost hoping it gets taken (pretty sure it will) just so we can go direct. Although, the price is so low on BWV that it'll actually be a Christmas miracle if it passes so I'll be happy with that too. I'll just add RIV on later! . I'm having add-on-itis before I even have anything to add-on to!

 

[Sandisw]

I've been to Walt Disney World at least 20 times for full week-long vacations, and hundreds of times for single nights here and there. I've been a cast member, a passholder, and a DVC member at various points. I've stayed at every US resort except for Paradise Pier and Vero Beach. Others have been more than I have, but I'm no rookie by any stretch of the imagination.

Location doesn't matter to me in the slightest. Saving two minutes on my trip to Hollywood Studios by walking from the Boardwalk versus taking the bus from Animal Kingdom Lodge is entirely irrelevant to my enjoyment of my trip.

I don't really understand what you mean when you say "location/resort" like they're the same thing. Resort matters. Where that resort is physically located on property matters much less.

But there are a lot of us who do think where a resort is located is a big deal and what the options for transportation are there for getting to the parks. I am simply not a fan of having to take the buses, just like people who are not a fan of the Skyliner.

So, if I have to stay somewhere in which my only way to parks using Disney is buses, I am not going to opt to own or stay there. It is why we split stay every trip. We stay MK area to walk/use monorail. We stay RIV for Epcot/HS. If we are visiting AK or DS, we Uber.

If we are not doing parks at all, then I might add in SSR because DS is a big part of the trip. Again, one of the best aspects of DVC is so many different options and for some, they really do not have a preference for any of it and why some simply own only SAP's!

 

[RoseGold]

The idea that he doesn’t care about location says to me he doesn’t know Disney well enough to be making this decision. He may want to consider going down, spending a couple of nights in different locations, and then deciding. if OWK really his his top choice so be it, but it just seems strange to say that location/resort doesn’t matter.

I agree, especially for a direct purchase. There's nothing wrong with renting points, or at least visiting the resorts. DVC isn't going anywhere. There is no rush.

 

[Sandisw]

The idea that he doesn’t care about location says to me he doesn’t know Disney well enough to be making this decision. He may want to consider going down, spending a couple of nights in different locations, and then deciding. if OWK really his his top choice so be it, but it just seems strange to say that location/resort doesn’t matter.

It sounds like he enjoys OKW....and has stayed there before so I think he has a location that he likes to stay at, but isn't married to which one to own...and thus the survey!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

But there are a lot of us who do think where a resort is located is a big deal and what the options for transportation are there for getting to the parks. I am simply not a fan of having to take the buses, just like people who are not a fan of the Skyliner.

So, if I have to stay somewhere in which my only way to parks using Disney is buses, I am not going to opt to own or stay there. It is why we split stay every trip. We stay MK area to walk/use monorail. We stay RIV for Epcot/HS. If we are visiting AK or DS, we Uber.

If we are not doing parks at all, then I might add in SSR because DS is a big part of the trip. Again, one of the best aspects of DVC is so many different options and for some, they really do not have a preference for any of it and why some simply own only SAP's!

Of course! Resort matters for some people. But I object to @theMoreDisneytheBetter's conclusion that if someone says location doesn't matter for them, they must be some kind of ignorant rube. His exact words:

"The idea that he doesn’t care about location says to me he doesn’t know Disney well enough to be making this decision."

I'm not saying that location must not not matter for everyone, but I hate the idea that if a family concludes that location doesn't matter to them it's because they "don't know Disney well enough to be making a decision."

 

[Sandisw]

Of course! Resort matters for some people. But I object to @theMoreDisneytheBetter's conclusion that if someone says location doesn't matter for them, they must be some kind of ignorant rube. His exact words:

"The idea that he doesn’t care about location says to me he doesn’t know Disney well enough to be making this decision."

Got it!!! I didn't read it that way, but yeah, I agree...you don't have to care about location in order to understand Disney! All you really need to know is that where you own is what you are guaranteed and trading out at 7 months is based on what is still there.

As you said, not everyone has to care about it in the same way....heck, my ownership has changed a lot over the years to where I am now and finally figuring out which resorts are tops for me!!!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

All you really need to know is that where you own is what you are guaranteed and trading out at 7 months is based on what is still there.

...unless you bought AKV hoping for somewhat reasonable access to Value rooms only to realize that you're only ever going to see the inside of one if you start walking 17 months prior to your trip.

 

[RoseGold]

I own a lot of SSR, and I've never even been there, except passing through on a horrible Mears ride.

But I bought resale SSR, so I could sell easily if I decide it isn't working for me. Direct is a much bigger commitment. I can't imagine buying direct a resort that I haven't even visited.

 

[Sandisw]

...unless you bought AKV hoping for somewhat reasonable access to Value rooms only to realize that you're only ever going to see the inside of one if you start walking 17 months prior to your trip.

Hahahahhaha!

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I own a lot of SSR, and I've never even been there, except passing through on a horrible Mears ride.

But I bought resale SSR, so I could sell easily if I decide it isn't working for me. Direct is a much bigger commitment. I can't imagine buying direct a resort that I haven't even visited.

Yeah I think people take "buy where you want to stay" a bit too extreme.

If you love Beach Club but you tend to stay in 1BR villas in July, there's no reason to buy Beach Club.

 

[karen4546]

IMO, Riviera 2 bedroom are beautiful, but points per night are above most other resort except VGF.

I own at AKV and have only used my points there twice. I am very flexible in my schedule and do not have littles that have school schedules. I love AKV and it gets a bad rep for being "so far away" when it is 20 minutes or less from all the parks.

My pick for this situation would be Copper Creek. But, if I ever buy resale, it will be BCV or BWV because we enjoy Epcot.