Would you buy riviera since sold out resorts direct prices are increasing?

[€lairebear]

I am considering buying grand Californian resale. However I noticed the last month or so dvc has been buying back gcv resale contracts. I’m assuming they are prepping for the rumored price increase. With GCV going up to $280 per point direct it’s going to push resale GCV price per point close to direct pricing. I already own direct points but wanted to add on maybe not GCV anymore the price per point both resale and direct makes me nauseated. Would you buy riviera direct between (130-160 points) and combine what I currently have 225 points making my total points ownership to 355-385 points to book GCV at one bedroom at 7 month window? I know it’s hard to get rooms at GCV but with flexibility and booking exactly at 7 months and aiming for one bedroom I may have some luck? Least with riviera points and what I currently own I can still stay at Disney future resorts and I assume the point charts to stay at future dvc will just keep increasing. Thoughts?

 

[eMoneyBug]

I think Disney wants exactly your line of thinking. But everyone will eventually formulate their exact way of DVC'ing.

 

[Bing Showei]

I am considering buying grand Californian resale. However I noticed the last month or so dvc has been buying back gcv resale contracts. I’m assuming they are prepping for the rumored price increase. With GCV going up to $280 per point direct it’s going to push resale GCV price per point close to direct pricing. I already own direct points but wanted to add on maybe not GCV anymore the price per point both resale and direct makes me nauseated. Would you buy riviera direct between (130-160 points) and combine what I currently have 225 points making my total points ownership to 355-385 points to book GCV at one bedroom at 7 month window? I know it’s hard to get rooms at GCV but with flexibility and booking exactly at 7 months and aiming for one bedroom I may have some luck? Least with riviera points and what I currently own I can still stay at Disney future resorts and I assume the point charts to stay at future dvc will just keep increasing. Thoughts?

This line of thinking is what Disney executives fantasize about when they come up with their little schemes to drive direct sales.

If your plan is to mix points to try to do VGC at 7 months, buy the most dirt cheap resale you can find. At 7 months, for VGC, a $95 SSR resale point has the exact same booking power as a $188 Riviera point, with 25% less annual dues cost and nearly half the buy in cost. Not advocating this; just pointing out the economic reality.

If looking to future proof new resorts, buy direct where you would not mind staying in case Disney makes another change that impacts your ability to trade into the system effectively.

Or better yet, wait until a new resort opens that you love and buy there.

If you don’t like Riviera enough to buy it at $188/point, and was prepared to pay $260/point to maybe stay at a future resort, that tells me you really don’t like Riviera. $20/point should not change that.

 

[Jenniebee]

No matter what, buying VGC resale will always be cheaper than buying VGC direct. So if owning at VGC is your objective, buy it resale.

But even buying VGC resale will always be more expensive than other resales that are less desirable. VGC is at a premium because of basic supply and demand putting it at a higher price. If you just want more points and do not care where, then buy SSR or OKW extended.

There really is no compelling reason to buy direct at all, especially if you already own direct.

 

[anomamatt]

If your plan is to mix points to try to do VGC at 7 months, buy the most dirt cheap resale you can find.

I agree in principle (for booking any resort at 7 months). But personally, I have never been successful with VGC 1 BRs @ 7 months. Maybe it's when we want to go to DL (mostly summer), but I have always had to resort to point transfers (from a VGC owner) to get 11 month priority. Perhaps there are times when 7 month @ VGC is doable...

My general opinion is that if you are booking 7 months out exclusively, DVC just isn't a great fit for that. And it doesn't save enough to be worth the hassle if one is "stuck" at 7 months and VGC. I would rent points and pray (at least you won't be on the hook for the big initial payout). Or pay cash... forking all that money over for a "maybe I'll get a room" isn't what I'd do.

EDIT - And to be clear, I would *never* buy direct points to exclusively book @ 7 months. Especially at one of the expensive resorts, like $188/point Riviera. There just isn't a point in wasting that much money.

 

[CarolMN]

Don't think you will be very successful for VGC at 7 months, even for one bedrooms - here's skier_pete's predictions based on the historical data he collected:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...tember-2019-2-bd-added.3689931/#post-59393366
Competition will only get worse as more points come into the system.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Direct benefits mean nearly nothing when visiting DLR. If you want to stay at VGC, buy VGC. Resale.

Disney won't even sell you VGC direct. The price on it now is ornamental. They file only a handful of deeds per month with Disney as seller.

 

[Bing Showei]

I agree in principle (for booking any resort at 7 months). But personally, I have never been successful with VGC 1 BRs @ 7 months. Maybe it's when we want to go to DL (mostly summer), but I have always had to resort to point transfers (from a VGC owner) to get 11 month priority. Perhaps there are times when 7 month @ VGC is doable...

My general opinion is that if you are booking 7 months out exclusively, DVC just isn't a great fit for that. And it doesn't save enough to be worth the hassle if one is "stuck" at 7 months and VGC. I would rent points and pray (at least you won't be on the hook for the big initial payout). Or pay cash... forking all that money over for a "maybe I'll get a room" isn't what I'd do.

EDIT - And to be clear, I would *never* buy direct points to exclusively book @ 7 months. Especially at one of the expensive resorts, like $188/point Riviera. There just isn't a point in wasting that much money.

Agree completely.

I was just speaking to the notion that an increase in direct (and subsequently resale) pricing might motivate one to buy the current resort that Disney is selling when the desire to buy there did not initially exist.

 

[minorthr]

No I'm still not buying Riveria. I am considering buying 25 more points at CCV after the new year direct.

 

[Gary Carter]

I wouldn't buy Riviera on principle unless the resale restriction was backed out.

 

[pineapplepalms]

I still think that 1BRs At VGC are doable with a little more work, some luck, flexibility, and a good amount of points to play with. I know they’re hard to book, but I’ve had great luck with using our non home points to book there at 7 months. Sometimes the availability is still sitting there hours after booking opens. We have 6 nights coming up next month that I booked all at once by watching it and getting it when it was available since our trip timing was flexible. We have 4 nights in the spring booked through stalking and waitlist. If you check the availability now, there are multiple nights here and there that you could pick up if your timing is flexible and try to stalk/waitlist your way to more nights if needed. I notice a lot of movement within a few weeks, since I’ve had waitlists fill less than 2 weeks out.

If you want to just book VGC easily whenever you want, then owning there is necessary. I would say this is especially true if you’re coming from further away and it’s more of a hassle to arrange airfare and change it if you don’t get your dates. It also matters more if you have to stay at VGC. We don’t mind staying at an offsite hotel if our waitlist doesn’t come through. Otherwise it can be possible with 7 month points, and in that case I’d just buy the best deal resale rather than more expensive direct points.

 

[Philsfan77]

Nope...would just push me to buy resale even more

 

[Marionnette]

Were you interested in RIV before you learned of the rumored price hike for direct points at the other resorts? If not, then no. RIV is still the same thing it was before DVC decided to raise prices. If RIV was a consideration before and only the price was holding you back, then it might be worth a second look.

 

[BillPA]

No, with the games DVD and Disney are playing I would never buy in now. I just waiting for the $50 increase to go in to sell all my contracts.

 

[KStash]

No, I'm going the resale route, because it makes better economic sense and the direct benefits don't mean that much to me. I'm fine with not being able to stay at the newer resorts that come out (and if I decide I really want to stay there, I'll rent my points and make a cash booking for Riv or Reflections).

Now, if I hadn't just purchased resale and the resale prices went up so that there wasn't much of a difference between RIV and resale, then I would have considered RIV, because I want to own DVC. But as it stands now, direct makes no sense to me.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I am considering buying grand Californian resale. However I noticed the last month or so dvc has been buying back gcv resale contracts. I’m assuming they are prepping for the rumored price increase. With GCV going up to $280 per point direct it’s going to push resale GCV price per point close to direct pricing. I already own direct points but wanted to add on maybe not GCV anymore the price per point both resale and direct makes me nauseated. Would you buy riviera direct between (130-160 points) and combine what I currently have 225 points making my total points ownership to 355-385 points to book GCV at one bedroom at 7 month window? I know it’s hard to get rooms at GCV but with flexibility and booking exactly at 7 months and aiming for one bedroom I may have some luck? Least with riviera points and what I currently own I can still stay at Disney future resorts and I assume the point charts to stay at future dvc will just keep increasing. Thoughts?

Nope on Riviera.

I'd buy VGC resale if the purpose is to book there. If you are willing to be flexible and take a chance on the 7 month window then SSR resale is still less expensive than Riviera for that purpose. I agree that Disney is hoping to accomplish the reconsideration of Riviera with people who are looking at buying and currently saying no thanks to that resort.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

Nope on Rivera.
I would also not add any more points direct through Disney if they continue to put restrictions on their new resorts and raise their prices.
I also don't know if I would recommend DVC to people if their prices keep going up. Resale I might recommend to people who are interested in the disney parks only but not direct through disney.

 

[jerseyduke]

Buy where you want to stay.

VGC at 7 months - good luck!

No on Riviera, but currently I am not interested in staying there regularly. Based on what you say, Id keep looking for the right VGC contract, even if a few get ROFR'ed.

But perhaps the biggest reason I say VGC is because that's the ONLY option at DLR. if I have a WDW DVC contract and want 7 months, there is usually SOMETHING.

 

[Minniesgal]

I wouldn't buy Riviera on principle unless the resale restriction was backed out.

This

 

[MinnieInVA]

I wouldn't sweat Disney's recent grab of a bunch of VGC contracts. I had one taken last month, but then just had my second attempt pass this week. Give it (resale) a go.