To buy Riviera or not?!

To buy riviera or not


  • Total voters
    34
  • Poll closed .

Can_Dannn

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 18, 2019
Hopefully purchasing direct DVC contract in coming months. I keep struggling with which resort. I have my 3 favorite resorts, but keep going back to Riviera. Here's why:
1) It's brand spanking new and will be enjoyable to stay in.
2) Gondola system - duh!
3) Will be easy to rent out points and likely the price to rent out will be higher


Here's why I keep backing away:
1) Annual Dues are high (my hope is that they won't increase as much as the other resorts - maybe their plan was to start high, with smaller increases)
2) Points needed for each stay are high. I am a planner, and will be online at 8am at the 11 month mark with each of our vacations, so I'm hoping to get those studios. Is that realistic?

(resale restrictions don't scare me too much because I'm not buying into DVC to make a profit - yes it will be nice when we sell, but I don't want that to be my motivation for choosing another resort instead of RRV).

Other thoughts on why/why not to purchase?
 
So, the long video they released yesterday makes this place look awesome.

To be honest, it's not the dues keeping me away. It's your 2nd point: point charts. They are basically as much and at times more than the Grand Floridian which is soon to be walkable to Magic Kingdom and is the premiere DVC resort on property.

And while Riviera looks awesome and I am sure the Skyliner will be a success, it still feels isolated/remote like OKW/SSR. I like the walkability and access that BLT/PVB/VGF and BWV/BCV offer. Skyliner just feels like it will be a faster bus.

But it's mostly the point charts. They are ridiculous. We own at BWV and I can stay a week for 76 points...I need 109 points at Riviera.

So in terms of cost per night (initial cost aside). BWV comes out to $78/night in dues and Riviera comes out to $129/night in dues. Big difference.
 
(snip)
3) Will be easy to rent out points and likely the price to rent out will be higher
(snip)
I do not know that this will be true at all, its is a big resort

Maybe it will be the case, but I myself would not factor this into the equation.

Also, If I were buying, due to the resale restrictions, I would break my points up to a bunch of contracts no more than 50 points, as I think this will mitigate the risk with the resale issues. It wont add much to your cost. (It is my belief that people looking for small contracts will not care about the resale restrictions nearly as much, and therefore they will fetch a large premium on the resale market).

I understand your
'(resale restrictions don't scare me too much because I'm not buying into DVC to make a profit - yes it will be nice when we sell, but I don't want that to be my motivation for choosing another resort instead of RRV). '

but that doesn't mean you should not do something to protect the value of your asset.

I am also very curious about the Gondola system in the summer. And by curious I mean skeptical. I'd want to at least ride it on a hot day to see if its tolerable - it might very well be, but I myself am not willing to assume that.
 
The reasons we decided to purchase Riviera:
1) about double the contract life of our currents resorts (BWV, BCV, SSR)
2) transportation to Epcot/DHS
3) incentives (in April) brought purchase price down to less than $170pp, making it competitive with older resorts resale
4) gorgeous resort ❤

While Riviera dues initially appear high, it seems unlikely that they will increase in 2020 (just 2 weeks after opening), whereas it can be expected that dues will rise for all the other DVC resorts. I expect that that big difference in dues will become more negligible next year.

The only thing that gave me pause is that the points per night are so high.
 


While Riviera dues initially appear high, it seems unlikely that they will increase in 2020 (just 2 weeks after opening), whereas it can be expected that dues will rise for all the other DVC resorts. I expect that that big difference in dues will become more negligible next year.

The only thing that gave me pause is that the points per night are so high.


What is the date that the new dues will be announced?
 
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3) Will be easy to rent out points and likely the price to rent out will be higher

Most renters like low point cost rooms. Personally I don't think that the RRR should have the same point cost as the VGF, it should have been more at the BLT level.

As a rental its main competition will be BWV and BCV and should rent out for a similar price per point.
 
I'm curious about Riviera, and looking forward to a January stay. I'd love an Epcot/Studios area home resort, and don't want to purchase either BC or BW at this point. But I just can't bring myself to purchase even a small contract without staying there first. Will the gondolas be as great as they sound? (They sound great to me... I'm not a skeptic, but I still want to see them in action before committing.) How are the views and services? Is the resort generally quiet or noisy? Are there enough dining options, and do I even like them? A non-signature table service restaurant would be nice. I don't count the CBR table service as a good alternative, but others might love it.

So basically, I'd want to be 100% SURE that I like the resort, especially with the resale restrictions, and until Riviera opens and I stay there, I can't commit. Very excited to stay there, though!
 


I wouldn't buy Riviera the point chart is high and dues, I also have long term concerns with the restrictions. As more & more people buy resale & can only stay there it will be harder to get the reservation you want. As for rental income it's high points which may put some renters off as it will cost them more. Not sure about the gondolas with all the storms how much will they be out of use & I prefer to stay at a resort I can walk to the parks from.
 
We really don't know how the resale restrictions will affect the prices. For example, if tomorrow they added such restrictions to Beach Club Villas...would it make a big difference on the BCV resale market? My guess is very slightly.

If Riviera has Beach Club stature, the resale restrictions won't matter. Only my opinion of course :)

That being said, the restrictions are still scary to me re: purchase pre-open.
 
So, the long video they released yesterday makes this place look awesome.

To be honest, it's not the dues keeping me away. It's your 2nd point: point charts. They are basically as much and at times more than the Grand Floridian which is soon to be walkable to Magic Kingdom and is the premiere DVC resort on property.

And while Riviera looks awesome and I am sure the Skyliner will be a success, it still feels isolated/remote like OKW/SSR. I like the walkability and access that BLT/PVB/VGF and BWV/BCV offer. Skyliner just feels like it will be a faster bus.

But it's mostly the point charts. They are ridiculous. We own at BWV and I can stay a week for 76 points...I need 109 points at Riviera.

So in terms of cost per night (initial cost aside). BWV comes out to $78/night in dues and Riviera comes out to $129/night in dues. Big difference.
Can you tell me where the long video they released is? I‘d love to see more, we’re staying there in February in a 1 bed for 4 nights.
 
But it's mostly the point charts. They are ridiculous. We own at BWV and I can stay a week for 76 points...I need 109 points at Riviera.

I think it's all about perspective - we own at BLT and VGF, and just paid 196 points for 6 nights in a standard studio over Easter break. Or, looking at BLT, I think the point costs are somewhere between standard and lake view (BLT), and the resort looks to have a lot more theming than BLT. And the studios at RIV are more like the studios at VGF, much, much more comfortable for family of 4, and with split baths.


2) transportation to Epcot/DHS
3) incentives (in April) brought purchase price down to less than $170pp, making it competitive with older resorts resale
4) gorgeous resort ❤

While Riviera dues initially appear high, it seems unlikely that they will increase in 2020 (just 2 weeks after opening), whereas it can be expected that dues will rise for all the other DVC resorts. I expect that that big difference in dues will become more negligible next year.

This was pretty much our thoughts as well. If BWV or BCV had a longer end date, we would have bought there a few years ago, and not have bought RIV.
 
I think Riviera WILL be a high demand resort. However, as has been pointed out, it is also quite large, so maybe that demand will mostly be met.

The biggest problem I expect with Riviera is that the restrictions on people who purchase at Resale will mean more people locked into just Riviera. And I don't think it takes that high of a percentage of 'captive owners' to really drive availability off the charts.

I fully expect Tower Studios to be almost impossible to get, and Standard Studios to be similarly hard to get during at least half the year. Preferred Studios are likely to have better availability but the 'Captive Owners' could even push that out the window. People who buy at Resale and who are unable to go somewhere else will mostly go for Studios, and they will get in early. So you may find that the Norm will be to WALK ALL STUDIOS during most of the year.
 
I think it's all about perspective - we own at BLT and VGF, and just paid 196 points for 6 nights in a standard studio over Easter break. Or, looking at BLT, I think the point costs are somewhere between standard and lake view (BLT), and the resort looks to have a lot more theming than BLT. And the studios at RIV are more like the studios at VGF, much, much more comfortable for family of 4, and with split baths.
That's a fair point; especially when comparing to fairly new DVC additions. The 1992 point charts that we've come to love are long gone. But that is also certainly a factor in the resale prices for the 2042 resorts; you just don't need as many points.

Going forward, these are the charts we should expect. DVC as a whole isn't nearly as good of a deal as it was 25 years ago, so a shift in expectations is warranted.

As beautiful as Riviera looks, I still say BLT/VGF's proximity to MK make the point charts more warranted.
 
What is the date that the new dues will be announced?
Fees for the next year are usually announced at the Annual Member meeting the second week of December when they get approved by the Board.
 
I have the Riviera Bug again!
We just took a trip last week- stayed at Pop Century (don’t freak out- I know it’s value but we are staying at AKL in Feb).... anyway, we had access to skyline and OMG it’s amazing. We got from Tower of Terror to our resort (Pop) in 19 mins via Skyliner.

Now I want Riviera purely for Skyliner access.

We are between AKL and RIV direct... what to do? :(
 
Just an FYI, the prices for AKL are going up, I believe $10/point beginning on Halloween or November 1st if that changes anything.

i am in the process of adding on at RIV. But to be honest, just the excitement of your post, and previous ones, I think that RiV seems like the way to go. it lasts 13 years longer and once that new price kicks in, it will be similar to RIV.

In terms of MFs, if you are concerned about the difference from AKV vs RIV, just purchase 15 points less and that should make it closer to what AKV would cost you.

Good luck!
 
In terms of MFs, if you are concerned about the difference from AKV vs RIV, just purchase 15 points less and that should make it closer to what AKV would cost you.

I mean 15 points less at RIV than AKV is a large difference. Especially when you consider RIV is 25-30% more points for Studios and 1Bedrooms.

That being said everyone needs to weight the pros and cons themselves. I would say anyone not all in though should hold off just another 2 months to get back first hand feedback about the resort or even visit it themselves.
 
Hopefully purchasing direct DVC contract in coming months. I keep struggling with which resort. I have my 3 favorite resorts, but keep going back to Riviera. Here's why:
1) It's brand spanking new and will be enjoyable to stay in.
2) Gondola system - duh!
3) Will be easy to rent out points and likely the price to rent out will be higher


Here's why I keep backing away:
1) Annual Dues are high (my hope is that they won't increase as much as the other resorts - maybe their plan was to start high, with smaller increases)
2) Points needed for each stay are high. I am a planner, and will be online at 8am at the 11 month mark with each of our vacations, so I'm hoping to get those studios. Is that realistic?

(resale restrictions don't scare me too much because I'm not buying into DVC to make a profit - yes it will be nice when we sell, but I don't want that to be my motivation for choosing another resort instead of RRV).

Other thoughts on why/why not to purchase?

I would recommend that you BUY but not for the reasons you listed. There really is only ONE reason to buy and that is the BOLD words you posted "keep going back to Riviera" as you should buy where you want to stay most of the time

Brand new resorts will get old and once a new DVC is available that will grab all the attention
The Gondola system is cool, but is not a guarantee forever, but probably will be there forever
It will probably be easy to rent points at the 8-11 month window, BUT it will NOT rent for more $/point than others as the points/night are higher here
 
I mean 15 points less at RIV than AKV is a large difference. Especially when you consider RIV is 25-30% more points for Studios and 1Bedrooms.

That being said everyone needs to weight the pros and cons themselves. I would say anyone not all in though should hold off just another 2 months to get back first hand feedback about the resort or even visit it themselves.

Absolutely less points will get you less. But, once a home resort is chosen, you live with that decision for a long time. If, one is debating what to buy and the yearly cost of MFs if of concern, then I was just suggesting a way to compensate.

The cost to buy In is just too expensive to choose a resort that is not your first choice because of the MFs difference. Getting into RIV will be harder than AKV so while owning 15 points might mean you loose a night every other year, owning at the resort you love, to me, is worth the reduction.
 

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