News New Polynesian Resort DVC villas building to open 2024

[nickys]

Wait so Rivera is not only no point movement elsewhere but fundamentally shorter contracts?

No.

Riviera points bought direct can be used anywhere. Riviera pounts bought resale can only be used at Riviera. And the contract is 50 years.

I think @CaptainAmerica was saying he believes that they will either make it a new resort with restrictions or just add it onto the existing resort. Some were suggesting they might make it stand-alone but drop the extrications.

 

[flynnibus]

That's not really unusual for golf courses. It's easier to let a management company with expertise run them then try to do it yourself.

Disney did it after running them with their own people for 40+ years... and after shrinking and removing courses from the property. And generally reducing recreation options across the property. Read the tea leaves man

WDW is no longer the vacation kingdom - It's theme parks + hotels.

 

[correcaminos]

No.

Riviera points bought direct can be used anywhere. Riviera pounts bought resale can only be used at Riviera. And the contract is 50 years.

I think @CaptainAmerica was saying he believes that they will either make it a new resort with restrictions or just add it onto the existing resort. Some were suggesting they might make it stand-alone but drop the extrications.

Probably due to Riviera's very slow start and even now sales. Some are wondering if they will remove in the future because it hurts sales it seems. They'd rather sell contracts. We also have, again, new management looking at numbers.

I have no idea though. Just know those are arguments.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

This pleases me. Hopefully they will stay out of The Fort!

P.S. Now bring back Mickey's Back Yard BBQ.

 

[matt9112]

Probably due to Riviera's very slow start and even now sales. Some are wondering if they will remove in the future because it hurts sales it seems. They'd rather sell contracts. We also have, again, new management looking at numbers.

I have no idea though. Just know those are arguments.

Do you think Rivera might just not stand well? Regardless of resale restrictions ? It's on its own...has been panned heavily and although the skyliner is deff cool it's also not a monorail resort. I feel like it's kind of out of the way not part of a park area.

 

[matt9112]

No.

Riviera points bought direct can be used anywhere. Riviera pounts bought resale can only be used at Riviera. And the contract is 50 years.

I think @CaptainAmerica was saying he believes that they will either make it a new resort with restrictions or just add it onto the existing resort. Some were suggesting they might make it stand-alone but drop the extrications.

Thanks for clarification.

 

[correcaminos]

Do you think Rivera might just not stand well? Regardless of resale restrictions ? It's on its own...has been panned heavily and although the skyliner is deff cool it's also not a monorail resort. I feel like it's kind of out of the way not part of a park area.

I honestly am unsure how I feel. I know so many who love love love it. Like those who don't need the points, want points there because they love it that much. Some adore the skyliner. One of my friends, no joke, will get on and ride for hours never stepping foot in a park. I'm not in love with it for a few reasons but I realize my dislike is no different than my dislike of BLT which many love. I think for some it is awful. They think it lacks theme (which I actually disagree, I just am indifferent to the theme), they think it's too remote, they think it's too much in terms of points etc.

I am not sure what it is about Riviera that caused the slow sales even before pandemic took hold. There are a lot of old timer DVC people who hate the idea that if they resell they'll take a bigger hit due to restrictions. Riviera is selling pretty low compared to CCV (next newest DVC at WDW) in resales and that does bother some.

In short, I don't know. Maybe for some it's the resale. Maybe for some it's the resort itself. I just think it is telling that VGF comes along and nopes on out of it. Then we have Polynesian announced like right after. Reflections was dropped off (maybe forever) and that's also telling. Granted some say sink hole some day they are pausing due to Riviera issues. We also have DLT being built but mum on the restrictions so far. Though there it's honestly not as big of a deal IMO as DLR is different than WDW for DVC.

Long and drawn out for saying I am clueless but I do think something is going on with DVC.

 

[Ayla]

Adjusted a bit so it lines up better:
View attachment 633034

Is that the wedding pavilion right at the top of the picture? So this building will be looming over the wedding pavilion?

 

[correcaminos]

Is that the wedding pavilion right at the top of the picture? So this building will be looming over the wedding pavilion?

No, that's Francks if I got it right. The pavilion will not be overshadowed. This isn't that tall.

 

[nickys]

Reflections was dropped off (maybe forever) and that's also telling. Granted some say sink hole some day they are pausing due to Riviera issues.

Another reason. Riviera was going to be a hybrid resort, part DVC, part non-DVC. Since they were apparently having difficulty filling Deluxe rooms elsewhere, witness the transformation of some GF rooms into DVC studios, then maybe they felt now was not the right time to be creating new deluxe resort rooms.

 

[Patcheslee]

Yep! This third pool is needed IMO. Part of why they restricted use like 7+ years ago too. It's tight there. Though definitely livable. I do prefer the Oasis pool for more relaxing swims.

When we rented points DD10 preferred Oasis to the main pool because it wasn't as chaotic. Usually went to the main for a few slide runs then back to Oasis.

 

[Patcheslee]

Well, the good news is that you won't need sunscreen while laying out by the pool; that massive building will block any light filtering down to the pool.

There's a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow
Shining at the end of every Day
Just a Dream away!

Now you have my attention lol (I look like Sebastian if I'm in the sun much)

Not as much business as 400 more rooms, half of which have a theme park view!

The other side could be "monorail view" because it sounds better than parking lot

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

When we rented points DD10 preferred Oasis to the main pool because it wasn't as chaotic. Usually went to the main for a few slide runs then back to Oasis.

We put in a request to rent March 2023. The Poly was my husbands choice. I’m sure I’ll love it but seeing how crowded the main pool was turned me off a little. We have two kids who love to swim so I know they’ll be in the pool a lot.

 

[correcaminos]

Another reason. Riviera was going to be a hybrid resort, part DVC, part non-DVC. Since they were apparently having difficulty filling Deluxe rooms elsewhere, witness the transformation of some GF rooms into DVC studios, then maybe they felt now was not the right time to be creating new deluxe resort rooms.

Let's be real that is an easy fix.

When we rented points DD10 preferred Oasis to the main pool because it wasn't as chaotic. Usually went to the main for a few slide runs then back to Oasis.

Same! Though in 2015 the oasis was being redone and crazily lived with only the main pool open.

 

[JaxFLBear]

Wait so Rivera is not only no point movement elsewhere but fundamentally shorter contracts?

Riviera is a 50 year contract. I believe CaptainAmerica's comment about using the same condo association and 42 years was more a reference to how the addition at VGF was handled. DVC took over Big Pine Key (building 9) and is converting those rooms to Resort Studios which are adding to the existing VGF Condo Association that now has roughly 42 years left before it ends. DVC was very clear from the beginning that the expansion of VGF would be part of the existing condo association. Their wording about the new Poly DVC was very vague on if it will be a new condo association or part of the existing PVB condo association.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

From a sales perspective it made no sense to announce this tower till it was coming out of the ground. It muddies the "close" for their salespeople. More people will have indecision and hold off buying now than would have been the case before.

 

[pdude81]

Eh, it depends. The golf course itself likely doesn't make the profit a resort would, but offering golf as an amenity probably attracts extra guests. It's also another way to make money from people who aren't actually visiting Disney, because I'm sure Orlando locals play there.

Plus, at least one of the courses is a certified wildlife sanctuary. Not that that would stop them from closing it if they wanted to.

Also, would they have a theme park view? Seems like they'd be mostly blocked by the Grand Floridian, unless it was a huge tower and then it would ruin views from other locations (potentially even from inside the Magic Kingdom).



Which means it's even less likely they'd want to reroute again -- there's only so much you can take away from a golf course before it's ruined. And that's likely a much smaller change than building a whole resort would require.

Golf as an amenity is a way to keep open space with drainage and make money off of it. I think they should use up existing plots wherever possible before going across the street.

For theme park view, they certainly can do that if they choose. The castle view is more of a problem due to the islands in the middle than anything at Grand Floridian. I think for upper floors they could do theme park view if they like, with lake view lower. In Moorea building on the other side of the lagoon they have everything set as lake view, even the top floor where you can clearly see fireworks. They just don't pipe in the fireworks music like they do at the beach or in the bungalows.

It might be tough calling it a theme park view from that distance though regardless. You can kind of see the weenies but that's about it.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

For Wedding Pavilion purposes, I just did some comparisons using the specs and the map. The new building will be about as close as the Villas at Grand Floridian - so pretty close. The main GF building (excluding the little stair step offshoot) is 7.5 stories with the middle being closer to 8.5 (plus the little turret on top). From the renderings, the Poly building will be approximately 7 - 10 stories tall (based on the first floor looking like 1.5 stories and the various differences on the upper floors). So, this will certainly have an impact on the Wedding Pavilion area. The Wedding Pavilion will basically become the transition between GF and Poly, instead of the current extension of GF. The transition area between the two will be basically removed entirely.

NOTE: I'm talking actual stories. So, I'm approximating things like the higher pitch roofline at GF, the higher first floors, etc. in "stories". I realize the actual floors of the hotel will be lower than that.

 

[pdude81]

From a sales perspective it made no sense to announce this tower till it was coming out of the ground. It muddies the "close" for their salespeople. More people will have indecision and hold off buying now than would have been the case before.

That depends on what they are looking to do. There may be people clamoring for direct PVB points like there were for direct VGF points before. If so, then they can give those people something to look forward to rather than have to deal with the resale process. Sales of the new VGF have been brisk, and if they expect them to continue at that rate then they'll need something else "current" along with Riviera and DLT in a couple years.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

That depends on what they are looking to do. There may be people clamoring for direct PVB points like there were for direct VGF points before. If so, then they can give those people something to look forward to rather than have to deal with the resale process. Sales of the new VGF have been brisk, and if they expect them to continue at that rate then they'll need something else "current" along with Riviera and DLT in a couple years.

I am questioning the timing of the announcement , not the build or first sale. I would bet the sales team hated this timing.