Riviera Pricing and Point charts

[seascape]

You can’t use your points to book another DVC resort that’s not your home resort at the seven month window like other DVC owners. That’s a fact. Yes, you can still trade your points into RCI. Trading through RCI is a crap shoot. Generally speaking the majority of availability is at SSR and mostly 1 BR units. It’s possible, but rare to trade in and get another resort or a studio or 2 bedroom unit. It’s one of the reasons I ended up buying into DVC. If it was easy to trade through RCI and get whatever Disney DVC resort I wanted I would have probably stuck with trading in through RCI. After 2 trips in a row getting shut out and staying at a place next to Sea World instead I mostly gave up. Maybe it’s different now. It’s been a while since I even tried to trade in.

I would advise anyone who plans to buy Riviera points resale thinking they can just trade in for other DVC resorts through RCI and pay the transfer fee to do some research on availability first. Like I said, maybe it’s gotten better but in the past those trade ins were exceedingly hard to find unless you were shooting for SSR.

I know trading into WDW via RCO is a crapshoot but since Disney controls the trading I can see them setting things up that give priority to Riviera owners over other RCI trades. That said I still think it's a terrible trade that will cost Riviera resale owners. I am still interested in buying into Riviera directly. I could not care less about losing money on a possible resale. I am 60 and will die before the points run out.

 

[correcaminos]

I know trading into WDW via RCO is a crapshoot but since Disney controls the trading I can see them setting things up that give priority to Riviera owners over other RCI trades. That said I still think it's a terrible trade that will cost Riviera resale owners. I am still interested in buying into Riviera directly. I could not care less about losing money on a possible resale. I am 60 and will die before the points run out.

I personally wouldn't see that happening. First they would rather get the money directly and take in a "buy in" to allow for trade ins to DVC more than giving preference to a person who gives them only MFs.

 

[GoofGoof]

I know trading into WDW via RCO is a crapshoot but since Disney controls the trading I can see them setting things up that give priority to Riviera owners over other RCI trades. That said I still think it's a terrible trade that will cost Riviera resale owners. I am still interested in buying into Riviera directly. I could not care less about losing money on a possible resale. I am 60 and will die before the points run out.

Disney has no incentive to give Riviera owners priority if they even can. The whole point of this plan is to make direct purchases have more value than resale. Facilitating a “back door” to allow trade ins would defeat the purpose. We will see once resale’s start but I wouldn’t hold out much hope that Disney would structure it that way.

 

[nickys]

Actually, Disney did not say you cant trade into the other resorts. They actually said you would still be able to trade using RCI. The difference is that any reservation made with RCI has a 199 resort fee to Disney. They don't charge a trading fee and since all trades are made by Disney, they would get priority over outside RCI trades. It's a bad deal but still possible.

I don’t think you can trade from DVC into another DVC resort via RCI.

You are correct in that resale buyers can still trade into RCI. But there is an exclusion zone around Orlando that prohibits you from using your points from any other timeshare into another in the Orlando area. You can however theoretically use your owned RCI points to trade into DVC (usually SSR).

 

[nickys]

I would love to see that survey result. What is one doing with that empty space? Yoga? I highly doubt anyone said they wanted a Murphy bed over a traditional bed. More likely the question was if you want a Murphy bed vs a fold out couch.

I believe people said they wanted a type of studio room without both a bed and a sofa. Not sure if they were specifically asked about the style of bed or such like.

 

[Phonedave]

I think the Murphy bed is there because the surveys found that couples looking for a getaway at WDW wanted a room without a bed and a sofa.

They liked the idea of it not being a “studio” room in the traditional sense. The extra bed / sofa just cluttered up the space when it wasn’t needed. This way, by day you just have a small lounge area, even the kitchenette is hidden away.

I honestly think I would like the Murphy bed (as long as it is comfortable). So there goes that one data point that messes things up.

Part of the reason I like 1BR units is that the non-bedroom park does not look like a bedroom. When I am at home, I do not hang out in my bedroom. When there is a visible bed in the room it makes me feel like I am in a hotel room - or like I am 12 when a bedroom was "my room". I like the idea of in a studio being able to hide the bed and have it look like a non-bedroom.

Now, I am not exactly sold on the price (points). I do like space, and I'[m not sure how I would like these studios. However I am not writing them off as of yet.

 

[The Mom]

gotta disagree with you again Captain. lol even as close as I am to the Poconos, if you don't ski you won't be on a gondola. In the summer around here?? you are at the Shore not in the mountains.

Many people from the Northeast prefer going to the mountains in the summer, rather than the shore. Especially now that we know how bad too much beach time can be for your skin.

 

[correcaminos]

I don’t think you can trade from DVC into another DVC resort via RCI.

You are correct in that resale buyers can still trade into RCI. But there is an exclusion zone around Orlando that prohibits you from using your points from any other timeshare into another in the Orlando area. You can however theoretically use your owned RCI points to trade into DVC (usually SSR).

I wasn't able to look it up earlier to confirm this, but that was my thinking. If it was possible it's still convoluted in thought.

I did look up just now and yep, there is a bubble over Orlando. Closest is Mulberry FL. Otherwise you have Coco Beach and Tampa/Clearwater area.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Many people from the Northeast prefer going to the mountains in the summer, rather than the shore. Especially now that we know how bad too much beach time can be for your skin.

You're right, l do know tons of folks who go to the poconos, they never talk about the ski lifts though, lol usually they talk about the same thing I do at the shore, swim.
Aaah the joys of having an abundance of natural sunscreen. (Yes I know black folks can get skin cancer too)

 

[Club Cooloholic]

You're right, l do know tons of folks who go to the poconos, they never talk about the ski lifts though, lol usually they talk about the same thing I do at the shore, swim.
Aaah the joys of having an abundance of natural sunscreen. (Yes I know black folks can get skin cancer too)

There are no gondolas in the poconos. Gotta get to at least the Adirondacks for that.

 

[Phonedave]

You're right, l do know tons of folks who go to the poconos, they never talk about the ski lifts though, lol usually they talk about the same thing I do at the shore, swim.
Aaah the joys of having an abundance of natural sunscreen. (Yes I know black folks can get skin cancer too)

As somebody who has lived in the NE for their entire live (Northern NJ) and has relatives in VT and NH, and who's family used to have a cabin in Canada on the VT border, and who used to ski, and who as a kid went on family vacations all over the NE. I can say, as a single data point, I have been on a mountain gondola exactly one time. That was at Attatash.

I have been on other gondolas (non mountain) Namely at Magic Kingdom, and at Six Flags Great Adventure.

As far as monorails are concerned, between Newark and Orlando airports, I have been on a monorail more than I can count - no great thrill.

(I do also enjoy the Jersey Shore - especially LBI )

 

[ryguy]

I for one have no interest in staying at Riviera or buying points there. The hotel just looks too blah to me and doesn't seem to offer the theme-styles that the other deluxes offer. I'm glad I bought where I did though. And for whoever said that this place looked to be more upscale than GF, you couldn't be more wrong. Have you seen the inside lobby at GF? The DVC rooms there are the fanciest out of all the DVC properties at the moment. A lot of people have been complaining that these new rooms at Riviera lack a good bit compared to the other resorts and that they don't seem to be worth the money DVC is asking for. And I agree--these rooms look like something that belong at a moderate resort. Yeah they do seem to have a nice restaurant and lounge but so does the other deluxe resorts. Even the pool areas are blah. It still doesn't even compare to the pools at Beach/Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness or Polynesian. Don't know where people are getting the idea that this is the new "flagship" resort for Disney. All info I've seen is stating that it is just the newest DVC property and the newest deluxe resort, nothing more. And if Disney is calling this their new "flagship" then somebody at corporate doesn't know good style and also doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Another thing is that all these restrictions being placed on resale has me concerned--it's not just buying at Riviera and having those restrictions--it's about that DVC seems to be trying to get people to keep their contracts instead of selling. I think that's the thing they're aiming for--they're trying to make it just as hard for somebody to be able to sell of their contract if needed to. That's the bottom line and what everybody that owns at the moment needs to be aware of. As I said earlier, I am glad I bought where I want to stay at and hopefully will never have to sell--my husband and I definitely want to keep ours for the entire 50 years--but to have this new restriction for Riviera on resale is not good and might be a sign of things to come in the future. And Riviera, from the looks of it, just plain blows in my opinion. I think they dropped the ball and could have come up with a better design. I'm even willing to bet they might lose money on this because a lot of people have said they have no interest in buying points, whether they're a newbie or adding on, and it's because of ALL of the things I pointed out earlier. I'll give it a try just to eat at the restaurants/lounges but to stay there? Heck no, especially with the location. Disney dropped the ball on this one...

I think you make some valid points. I will reserve judgement till I see for myself. I was critical when I saw Copper Creek in photos but when I stayed there I kinda liked it. So I am hoping this looks better in person. I feel like if I was going to add points I would probably wait to see what the new DVC looks like by the camp ground. I like that locale better.

 

[correcaminos]

I for one have no interest in staying at Riviera or buying points there. The hotel just looks too blah to me and doesn't seem to offer the theme-styles that the other deluxes offer. I'm glad I bought where I did though. And for whoever said that this place looked to be more upscale than GF, you couldn't be more wrong. Have you seen the inside lobby at GF? The DVC rooms there are the fanciest out of all the DVC properties at the moment. A lot of people have been complaining that these new rooms at Riviera lack a good bit compared to the other resorts and that they don't seem to be worth the money DVC is asking for. And I agree--these rooms look like something that belong at a moderate resort. Yeah they do seem to have a nice restaurant and lounge but so does the other deluxe resorts. Even the pool areas are blah. It still doesn't even compare to the pools at Beach/Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness or Polynesian. Don't know where people are getting the idea that this is the new "flagship" resort for Disney. All info I've seen is stating that it is just the newest DVC property and the newest deluxe resort, nothing more. And if Disney is calling this their new "flagship" then somebody at corporate doesn't know good style and also doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Another thing is that all these restrictions being placed on resale has me concerned--it's not just buying at Riviera and having those restrictions--it's about that DVC seems to be trying to get people to keep their contracts instead of selling. I think that's the thing they're aiming for--they're trying to make it just as hard for somebody to be able to sell of their contract if needed to. That's the bottom line and what everybody that owns at the moment needs to be aware of. As I said earlier, I am glad I bought where I want to stay at and hopefully will never have to sell--my husband and I definitely want to keep ours for the entire 50 years--but to have this new restriction for Riviera on resale is not good and might be a sign of things to come in the future. And Riviera, from the looks of it, just plain blows in my opinion. I think they dropped the ball and could have come up with a better design. I'm even willing to bet they might lose money on this because a lot of people have said they have no interest in buying points, whether they're a newbie or adding on, and it's because of ALL of the things I pointed out earlier. I'll give it a try just to eat at the restaurants/lounges but to stay there? Heck no, especially with the location. Disney dropped the ball on this one...

It is a matter of opinion of certain tastes. I hate GF. Too fru fru and too cluttery with all the frills. Not,my taste at all. As I said in my opinion. You are welcome to yours as I am with mine. No need to act like I'm nuts or never been. I just don't like it. RR actually looks upscale to me. More than most DVC. And no I am not buying, but do like the look

 

[eliza61nyc]

I for one have no interest in staying at Riviera or buying points there. The hotel just looks too blah to me and doesn't seem to offer the theme-styles that the other deluxes offer. I'm glad I bought where I did though. And for whoever said that this place looked to be more upscale than GF, you couldn't be more wrong. Have you seen the inside lobby at GF? The DVC rooms there are the fanciest out of all the DVC properties at the moment. A lot of people have been complaining that these new rooms at Riviera lack a good bit compared to the other resorts and that they don't seem to be worth the money DVC is asking for. And I agree--these rooms look like something that belong at a moderate resort. Yeah they do seem to have a nice restaurant and lounge but so does the other deluxe resorts. Even the pool areas are blah. It still doesn't even compare to the pools at Beach/Yacht Club, Animal Kingdom, Wilderness or Polynesian. Don't know where people are getting the idea that this is the new "flagship" resort for Disney. All info I've seen is stating that it is just the newest DVC property and the newest deluxe resort, nothing more. And if Disney is calling this their new "flagship" then somebody at corporate doesn't know good style and also doesn't seem to know what they're doing. Another thing is that all these restrictions being placed on resale has me concerned--it's not just buying at Riviera and having those restrictions--it's about that DVC seems to be trying to get people to keep their contracts instead of selling. I think that's the thing they're aiming for--they're trying to make it just as hard for somebody to be able to sell of their contract if needed to. That's the bottom line and what everybody that owns at the moment needs to be aware of. As I said earlier, I am glad I bought where I want to stay at and hopefully will never have to sell--my husband and I definitely want to keep ours for the entire 50 years--but to have this new restriction for Riviera on resale is not good and might be a sign of things to come in the future. And Riviera, from the looks of it, just plain blows in my opinion. I think they dropped the ball and could have come up with a better design. I'm even willing to bet they might lose money on this because a lot of people have said they have no interest in buying points, whether they're a newbie or adding on, and it's because of ALL of the things I pointed out earlier. I'll give it a try just to eat at the restaurants/lounges but to stay there? Heck no, especially with the location. Disney dropped the ball on this one...

unfortunately M&M every thing you just said is pretty subjective. I'm not sure it's supposed to "compare" to the pool at the Beach/yacht club and I personally hate the pool at Animal Kingdom.

LOL Disney is not a 501C much as folks like to think it is. why would you want people to start selling their contracts? isn't that counter-intuitive? I don't think Disney set up DVC with resale in mind. now I highly doubt they will lose money on this, they still have a brisk market from what I've understood and they still have right of first refusal.

Now whether or not they dropped the ball on the design, I can't say. I'm not an architect. I either like some thing or I don't.

 

[GoofGoof]

unfortunately M&M every thing you just said is pretty subjective. I'm not sure it's supposed to "compare" to the pool at the Beach/yacht club and I personally hate the pool at Animal Kingdom.

LOL Disney is not a 501C much as folks like to think it is. why would you want people to start selling their contracts? isn't that counter-intuitive? I don't think Disney set up DVC with resale in mind. now I highly doubt they will lose money on this, they still have a brisk market from what I've understood and they still have right of first refusal.

Now whether or not they dropped the ball on the design, I can't say. I'm not an architect. I either like some thing or I don't.

As far as the resale market goes (from Disney’s perspective as a business) they would only care if they thought the resale market would cannibalize direct sales (which it does in some cases). They got paid for the points up front so it makes no difference to Disney whether I use the points or I sell them to you and you use the points. The resale market also helps to differentiate DVC from many traditional timeshare programs. If you get into financial trouble there is no reason to walk away from the points when you can sell them resale or back to Disney through ROFR. You don’t see foreclosure sales of DVC points. That’s a big benefit for Disney when they try to sell new points to prospective buyers. “Timeshare” is almost a dirty word these days with a bad reputation but Disney has been able to avoid those pitfalls by developing a good program that works. It is too early to say what if anything the impact will be from the current changes.

 

[slappy magoo]

Are people really asking for smaller rooms that are the same amount of points as larger rooms?

Haha! They are however wanting studios for just two people. Which is exactly what they have delivered. The points charts for them is high, but the market for these is likely those who have been members for a long time, with a lot of points, who often take their children and grandchildren, but also like short breaks on their own. For those short trips, with some laid back activities, those studios will be great for them. My guess is that they will be all but impossible to book except right at the 11 month window.

Which in turn is why this will sell. Not just new members, but those who can afford to drop a few thousand on maybe 50 or 100 points to add on. And use them for a Riviera stay as one of several over a couple of years. Not the once a year family trip, the 4 day off peak getaway.

I'm thinking that there's some research indicating a lot of DVC owners/potential DVC owners who are in a relationship but either
a: don't have kids (yet) or
b: occasionally take trips to WDW without their kids

...were asked about their travel preferences and a good chunk of them said when they travel, room size isn't as important as location, not as much time as spent in the room versus in the parks or elsewhere in the hotel. How many people have we seen defend their preference of value resorts because "it's a place for me to shower and sleep while I hit the parks from dawn to dusk?" So as inconvenient as a small room might be to some of us, I'm sure there's a market. Whether it's the same market that would stay at a value I don't know, especially if kids are in the future. But hey, there's no law that says one parent can't bunk with one kid in a studio while another parent bunks with a kid in another.

 

[nickys]

The main concern for me is the restrictions that are popping up for resales. I feel that this new rule with the Riviera resales could one day be applied to the other resorts. Now I know we, the DVC members, can fight that but still I feel Disney is trying to push it in that direction and will at least try--to see if they get away with it, like they thought they were going to be able to do with the points allocation that got turned back around to the original plan--after everybody complained and some threatened to sue. I feel like this is going to hurt resales of Riviera--why would people want to buy a resale of that when they find out they can't use the points at the other resorts? Then this turns into the people who bought Riviera and have to sell for whatever reason...it doesn't look good for them. At this point nobody would want to buy resale on Riviera so then what's the point? In other words, I do want to add on points in the future but you think I'm gonna want to buy Riviera, knowing that fact? Because what if I have to sell in the future? And I just feel like it's heading this way with any other new resort--there seems to be a feeling that any newer properties are going to be done the same way Riviera is and the same rule will apply--and I just can't help but feel like they're testing this to see if they can get away with doing this with ALL resales in the next few years--like somebody wants to buy a resale contract at Poly and they find out they can only use their points at Poly, Riviera and what "new" resorts there are, but not at the original DVC resorts. I can't help but feel like they're testing this out and they plan to roll out a new rule on resales, thinking they can get away with it. Which then, in turn, affects people trying to sell their contracts when needing to. It's as if, Disney is wanting to keep people from putting their contracts up for sale, by putting all these new restrictions on a resale contract that makes it not as attractive to buy as it used to be. They're definitely making sure you buy direct...

They cannot do this for the “legacy 14 resorts”. They can’t re-write the POS for existing resorts, timeshare laws prevent this being an option.

They can restrict resale buyers at those from using their points at new resorts, and vice versa, in the POS for those new resorts. Which they have done. And I’m sure they will do the same for every future resort.

 

[Phonedave]

I'm thinking that there's some research indicating a lot of DVC owners/potential DVC owners who are in a relationship but either
a: don't have kids (yet) or
b: occasionally take trips to WDW without their kids

...were asked about their travel preferences and a good chunk of them said when they travel, room size isn't as important as location, not as much time as spent in the room versus in the parks or elsewhere in the hotel. How many people have we seen defend their preference of value resorts because "it's a place for me to shower and sleep while I hit the parks from dawn to dusk?" So as inconvenient as a small room might be to some of us, I'm sure there's a market. Whether it's the same market that would stay at a value I don't know, especially if kids are in the future. But hey, there's no law that says one parent can't bunk with one kid in a studio while another parent bunks with a kid in another.

Again, one data point does not prove anything, but ......

This is me to a T

We have 3 kids, when we go on a family vacation we get either a 1 or 2 BR unit. We like the space and so do the kids. We also use the room a lot. We eat breakfast in the unit, we come back in the afternoon to swim, etc.

However

My wife and I also go to Food and Wine for a long weekend - alone. When we do we get a studio. About the only thing we make in the unit is coffee. We are there for F&W. We book seminars, we do tastings and lunch, and we are out most of the day.

I am booked at SSR in a studio for F&W this year. Of course I am going to waitlist EPCOT area resorts at 7 months (yeah, I know, good luck). But a small studio at RR would fit the bill nicely. Especially with presumably easy transport to F&W.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Also to Helena Bear and whoever else I might have offended, I was not trying to do that. Yes everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I just couldn't help but state my opinion on GF. My beef is with Disney--that if they think that Riviera and the style and theme is "flagship level" then as I said in my earlier post somebody in charge doesn't know what they're talking about. There's nothing in Riviera that looks so grand or fancy. I've seen a good deal of photos of the lobby and rooms and the lobby looks no different to me than what you can find at Beach Club or Contemporary/BLT but also in the new, redone lobbies that will be at Coronado and Caribbbean Beach. The GF still takes the cake in what I call "grand" or total opulence, even though it is an old style that's looks more aged as the decades go by. I was just finding fault in that Disney dares to compare this to GF when in my opinion, it doesn't come close. Yes the bathrooms look fancy with that marble tile on the floor but GF's villas have a very nice bathroom as well, and of course that neat little mirror TV, which just adds to it. Didn't see anything like that at Riviera. Then the bathroom is the only thing that looks fancy. The rest of the room doesn't even compare the majority of the rooms at GF, Poly, or even the redone rooms at BC. As I said in my earlier post, it's like they tried to go with a similar style that GF has but something fell short. The design doesn't even say anything about Europe. I've seen quite a few travel shows of European hotels and there are so many styles, depending on if you're staying at an old place or some new modern hotel that could be anywhere in the U.S., that there is no "European look" to go by when doing hotel rooms. Buildings maybe, but not the rooms itself. All in all, this place just does not have the fanciness that GF or other deluxe hotels have, in my opinion, and I'm just questioning why they are having a high number of points to stay in a room that just doesn't match the overall quality. But I was not trying to call out anybody specifically and I don't want to come across that way. I'm just stating my opinion like everybody else.

Let's just hope this is not like DDP, where everything is dumbed down after awhile. Let us hope the concept of luxury is not changed

 

[correcaminos]

Again, one data point does not prove anything, but ......

This is me to a T

We have 3 kids, when we go on a family vacation we get either a 1 or 2 BR unit. We like the space and so do the kids. We also use the room a lot. We eat breakfast in the unit, we come back in the afternoon to swim, etc.

However

My wife and I also go to Food and Wine for a long weekend - alone. When we do we get a studio. About the only thing we make in the unit is coffee. We are there for F&W. We book seminars, we do tastings and lunch, and we are out most of the day.

I am booked at SSR in a studio for F&W this year. Of course I am going to waitlist EPCOT area resorts at 7 months (yeah, I know, good luck). But a small studio at RR would fit the bill nicely. Especially with presumably easy transport to F&W.

Good luck to you

They cannot do this for the “legacy 14 resorts”. They can’t re-write the POS for existing resorts, timeshare laws prevent this being an option.

They can restrict resale buyers at those from using their points at new resorts, and vice versa, in the POS for those new resorts. Which they have done. And I’m sure they will do the same for every future resort.

From what I understand they could but it wouldn't be easy. I cannot find the wording at this time but essentially they'd have to prove certain things to make changes. I'll try to find it later, I'm just lacking sleep (my new kitten is as bad as having a 6 month old lol)

Also to Helena Bear and whoever else I might have offended, I was not trying to do that. Yes everybody is entitled to their own opinion, I just couldn't help but state my opinion on GF. My beef is with Disney--that if they think that Riviera and the style and theme is "flagship level" then as I said in my earlier post somebody in charge doesn't know what they're talking about. There's nothing in Riviera that looks so grand or fancy. I've seen a good deal of photos of the lobby and rooms and the lobby looks no different to me than what you can find at Beach Club or Contemporary/BLT but also in the new, redone lobbies that will be at Coronado and Caribbbean Beach. The GF still takes the cake in what I call "grand" or total opulence, even though it is an old style that's looks more aged as the decades go by. I was just finding fault in that Disney dares to compare this to GF when in my opinion, it doesn't come close. Yes the bathrooms look fancy with that marble tile on the floor but GF's villas have a very nice bathroom as well, and of course that neat little mirror TV, which just adds to it. Didn't see anything like that at Riviera. Then the bathroom is the only thing that looks fancy. The rest of the room doesn't even compare the majority of the rooms at GF, Poly, or even the redone rooms at BC. As I said in my earlier post, it's like they tried to go with a similar style that GF has but something fell short. The design doesn't even say anything about Europe. I've seen quite a few travel shows of European hotels and there are so many styles, depending on if you're staying at an old place or some new modern hotel that could be anywhere in the U.S., that there is no "European look" to go by when doing hotel rooms. Buildings maybe, but not the rooms itself. All in all, this place just does not have the fanciness that GF or other deluxe hotels have, in my opinion, and I'm just questioning why they are having a high number of points to stay in a room that just doesn't match the overall quality. But I was not trying to call out anybody specifically and I don't want to come across that way. I'm just stating my opinion like everybody else.

Don't worry too much about it here. Text can be hard to read right in terms of tone and such. But let's be honest, many considered Polynesian and/or Contemporary to be the flagship resorts long before GF was even thought of. What is flagship material changes with Disney. It's all quite personal. I do see more refined touches, but another may not see it the same way.

We can agree to disagree on looks. I see quality European (based on my time there) but others don't. I'm more than cool with that.