Which should I buy? AKV vs Riviera

[Gizmo74]

I already own 200 Direct Poly points, Oct use year. I am thinking of adding on additional 75-100 points. This is so basically both my contracts will be direct and I will be able to pass direct contracts to my kids later down the road.

For this purpose, lets say that I love each resort equally and would be happy being owners at each. Which one makes better sense to purchase?

Animal Kingdom -
$176/point
I will be able to get 2018 points
Contract expires 2057
Dues $7.43/point
If I had to sell, Animal Kingdom contract would be able to book the legacy DVC resorts.

Riviera -
$188/point
Longer Contract
Dues $8.31/point

Am I missing anything.

 

[AdmrlAwesome]

Can you get 2018 points with Riviera? Also, Riviera ppp will probably be pretty close to AK with incentives early on.

 

[Gizmo74]

Can you get 2018 points with Riviera? Also, Riviera ppp will probably be pretty close to AK with incentives early on.

I don’t think I could get 2018 points for Riviera. Also, since I am only purchasing less 100 points there are no Riviera incentives.

 

[Drewferin]

I think you must have streamed my exact thinking... I am also trying to decide if AKV direct is better or worse than RVA direct. I will only be getting 50 -60 additional points so I will have 75 (direct) for full benefits for APs.

I currently have 205 AKV points. This will allow me to get a 1brd room villa for 7 nights so the add on would be for a second annual trip every 3rd year. Ive got a family of 5 so studios at Riviera would work every 3 years 55x3=165. Home resort booking might also allow for xmas at RVA, wine and dine or even race weekends.

I hate to say it but 50 extra points at AKV would not help me with home resort booking since I already own there. RVA would give me a second home resort to book ever 3 years unless i grab some cheaper RVA resale points in a couple years.

When considering annual dues AKV (2019) 7.44 vs RVA (2020) 8.31 are basically almost a wash. AKV did go up 10% this last year so another 10% raise would put AKV at $8.18 vs $8.31.

RVA resale restrictions also make me lean toward AKV. The contract life is also another factor which helps RVA. I'm just torn like the original poster.

 

[wnielsen1]

If it's me, between the 2 choices you laid out above, I'm buying AKV direct. I'm indifferent about The Riv and the resale debacle will keep me away from buying there direct, ever.

 

[Littlelulu01]

the mf will likely be a non issue. Rivera has the gondolas that can keep the mf’s high and akv has the animals.

The point charts are more favorable for akv so less total needed. As we saw with the initial 2020 point charts, dvc can certainly change point charts in the future but that goes for both resorts. Only a guarantee week can help with that but not available at akv and more points than you are willing to spend at Rivera.

Rivera has 12 additional use years. while nice to speculate about the additional 12 use years, idk how realistic it is to plan that far off for vacations.

2018 points is a nice bonus that Rivera doesn’t have.

Biggest concern I have is looking at availability for newer resorts. Akv is very easy to get everything in home window except value and concierge.

Newer resorts it’s a commitment at 11 months for standard categories and even then availability is not great. Rivera standards seems likely to be as competitive as ccv. Spending that amount of money to pretty much HAVE to book at 11 months AND not necessarily get the days you want seems no fun to me.

The 5 in a room is your biggest sticking point. Akv you need a one bedroom. Akv value one bedroom is only 4 so can’t even compare the relatively easy to get akv value one bedroom. Rivera 5 can fit in a studio. If I was looking at 5 in a room and wanted least expensive I’d likely opt for Rivera guaranteed week standard studio. If I was more interested in a comfortable five in one unit (Kidani standard one bedroom) I’d go for akv.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

AKV will be easier for a child to sell in the event they don't want to own a timeshare at such time as they inherit.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

Can you get 2018 points with Riviera? Also, Riviera ppp will probably be pretty close to AK with incentives early on.

You get 2019 points for every use year except February.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Akv

 

[rob5589]

I would go AKV just because of the unknown with the Riviera resale situation. You could always sell down the road and buy Riviera direct once you see how everything plays out.

 

[aleh021]

I already own 200 Direct Poly points, Oct use year. I am thinking of adding on additional 75-100 points. This is so basically both my contracts will be direct and I will be able to pass direct contracts to my kids later down the road.

For this purpose, lets say that I love each resort equally and would be happy being owners at each. Which one makes better sense to purchase?

Animal Kingdom -
$176/point
I will be able to get 2018 points
Contract expires 2057
Dues $7.43/point
If I had to sell, Animal Kingdom contract would be able to book the legacy DVC resorts.

Riviera -
$188/point
Longer Contract
Dues $8.31/point

Am I missing anything.

Point chart wise I think AKV could get you more trips in.

Riviera is beautiful and the newness of it is appealing. But long term I think AKV will have more value to it.

 

[huey578]

AKV

 

[kniquy]

I think the big unknown with the resale value of Rivera. You are buying and planning on owning for a number of years. I don't think DVC will allow the price of Riviera resale to dip too low, but it will likely be lower than most other newer resorts. So if you need to sell in the first few years of ownership you might be selling at the low hundreds.

Worst case if you decide that you don't want your Riviera contract then your options would be to sell for a possible loss of money or you keep it and just rent it out for a little profit. This might be the situation that some people will be faced with.


The sticky situation for brand new DVC buyers getting into Riviera would be those who buy and finance and then have to get out of their contract. Those will be the ones with sticker shock when they will have to sell for a lot less then they bought.

It sounds like Riviera would be a benefit to have another resort to access and the cost difference really isn't that much when you are comparing direct to direct purchases. You have been a DVC owner so are not likely buying and have to sell in a few years.

 

[Princess Merida]

AKV...love that resort! Too many unknowns with Riviera as of yet plus resale restrictions.

 

[mustinjourney]

I'll be the outlier -- I'd go Riviera -- but mostly b/c I think that resort will be more difficult to get into at 7 months (which means your Poly and AKV points wouldn't let you stay there). I also love the location of Riviera vis-a-vis AKV since you have non-bus access to two great parks.

Regarding resale value -- even if it's around $100 for Riviera -- that isn't that much different than AKV is right now...so it's basically a wash.

Points will go further at AKV as compared to Riviera -- but that only matters if you're going to be booking AKV each time...and it's not clear if that is your goal.

Not getting 2018 points definitely sucks though.

 

[AdmrlAwesome]

Not getting 2018 points definitely sucks though.

It definitely stinks. I was hoping for that too. Probably going to buy Riviera on Monday.

 

[TexasChick123]

It definitely stinks. I was hoping for that too. Probably going to buy Riviera on Monday.

I’d buy Riviera, but I’m biased. We already purchased Riviera.

You will get the 2019 points for Riviera (unless you purchase a Feb UY) and only have to pay 2 weeks worth of dues on them for a total of less than $100. That’s pretty nice.

 

[Drewferin]

Gizmo74 did you come to a decision or conclusion yet?

 

[Gizmo74]

Gizmo74 did you come to a decision or conclusion yet?

I appreciate all the feedback. We will be in WDW the first week of June and I plan on touring Riviera. If it was up to me, I would buy AKV today but I am going to wait and take the tour. I am sure my husband will want to buy Riviera after touring. I feel AKV is better value for us especially since we would get 2018 points and we absolutely loved the resort when we stayed there this past November. Actually, we have enjoyed all of our DVC stays and I would be a happy owner at any of them. So not decision yet, but hoping to purchase when we are there.

 

[rg35]

Just curious why you're buying AKV direct if you already own direct points?