Riviera?

[klcts]

My wife and 3 kids took the members tour of the Riviera. Pleasantly surprised in how much we liked the resort. Would like to hear from anyone that has stayed there, to hear there pro's and con's. Thanks in advance...

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Haven't stayed, but a few known cons:

Resale restrictions. If you need to sell this is not going to ever be a resort you get most of the capital outlay back when selling.

Limited number of Standard View. If you count on SV you may be short points.

Likelihood of decor getting dumbed down in 7 years. Has happened at most DVC resorts. The decor is always nicest at launch.

I would also add the pools seem too small for resort capacity but time will tell. December is not a great time to judge that.

 

[jarestel]

There are several youTube videos documenting first person accounts of the rooms and resort, including Pete's grand villa tour. I haven't heard any of the folks who visited the resort say anything remotely negative. I'll be there in a few weeks and will be happy to chime in with my personal impressions when I return.

 

[€lairebear]

We took a tour. We own at copper creek. Wasn’t keen on buying when we saw pics and videos however when we saw the resort, room, and rode the skyliner my husband who is not a Disney fan gave a nod to add points we added a day before the dec 16 incentives expired 125 points. Since we are still within the 10 days we changed our add on points to 175. You read more negative than any positives about riviera and most of the folks that trash riviera have not seen it in person, or justify the whole resale restrictions and because their points won’t allow them to book at that resort they are ok. For me I reserved my judgement until I saw the product first. If you’ve seen the rooms and the property and find it a good fit, I would say go ahead. But it’s purely your choice. That’s the beauty about dvc that it has many resorts to pick from that caters to different folks. Just wanted to put it out there of many that hate riviera without even seeing it in person or just want to justify how they’re ok with not being able to stay there with their points due to restrictions so they will find everything they can to make themselves “feel good” about their decision. That’s what I noticed when I was following riviera post prior to purchasing. You will hear the point charts are too high but I thought about it and it seems like that is something that is going to be the trend going forward. You also hear the resort is not Disney enough. To each their own I saw it in person I loved it felt the pictures don’t do it justice. There maybe some folks that love hardcore Disney theming not for us we love how subtle it is. Only you can decide if riviera is right for you after laying out the good and bad for you.

 

[sethschroeder]

I would say with any DVC ignore others thoughts and just stay there if the location and theme are your thing. No one knows how it will work for you or how you will view certain things.

December is not a great time to judge that.

Or the skyliner either. I really liked the skyliner honestly but have interest on how it is in June-August.

You read more negative than any positives about riviera and most of the folks that trash riviera have not seen it in person, or justify the whole resale restrictions and because their points won’t allow them to book at that resort they are ok.

I think it comes down people correcting facts or responding to overwhelming praise.

I mean people try to state its a better location than resorts next door to Epcot. People try to state its cheaper even though other resorts are less/point. People try to state the nightly point requirement is similar but compare Standard views to another resorts premium view.

On top of that going in to a resale restriction thread will also end up with comparisons to honestly from many peoples views better resorts that have better location, theming, and points charts. The reason being why people would prefer being locked in to 14 resorts than paying extra to buy RIV direct.

 

[Soap_1984]

We took a tour. We own at copper creek. Wasn’t keen on buying when we saw pics and videos however when we saw the resort, room, and rode the skyliner my husband who is not a Disney fan gave a nod to add points we added a day before the dec 16 incentives expired 125 points. Since we are still within the 10 days we changed our add on points to 175. You read more negative than any positives about riviera and most of the folks that trash riviera have not seen it in person, or justify the whole resale restrictions and because their points won’t allow them to book at that resort they are ok. For me I reserved my judgement until I saw the product first. If you’ve seen the rooms and the property and find it a good fit, I would say go ahead. But it’s purely your choice. That’s the beauty about dvc that it has many resorts to pick from that caters to different folks. Just wanted to put it out there of many that hate riviera without even seeing it in person or just want to justify how they’re ok with not being able to stay there with their points due to restrictions so they will find everything they can to make themselves “feel good” about their decision. That’s what I noticed when I was following riviera post prior to purchasing. You will hear the point charts are too high but I thought about it and it seems like that is something that is going to be the trend going forward. You also hear the resort is not Disney enough. To each their own I saw it in person I loved it felt the pictures don’t do it justice. There maybe some folks that love hardcore Disney theming not for us we love how subtle it is. Only you can decide if riviera is right for you after laying out the good and bad for you.

The one thing I would agree with in this is to go see it yourself before deciding. Keep in mind many who are "bashing" do not own there; there is no need to justify not buying something. I would argue it is much more likely that those who own are justifying and overlooking several of the downsides to the resort to justify their purchase. I can stay there with my points and could easily add on there and choose not to for many reasons some of which are (some of these are personal opinion):

Highest price to buy in and most expensive dues;
Resale restrictions;
Pool is not top 5;
Lobby is not top 5;
Location is not top 5;
Views are not top 5;
No spa;
Point charts are top 2-3 most expensive;
Dining is unknown;
No walking access to anything;
Not a theme that appeals to me (on the interior or exterior).

Reasons I would buy would be that it has relatively quick access to epcot and dhs, and the rooms look to be the nicest I have seen.

Most people who have bought appear to be blown away with the rooms and enjoyed the skyliner. If those are your priorities then it might be the right place; for the price they are charging I personally would expect it to be top 3-4 in every major category I listed above. Disney does not do "luxury". Disney luxury is priced that way for other reasons besides nice rooms; in my opinion in those other categories is where this resort falls short of commanding the price they charge.

They will probably sell it out and it will do great, i just think at that price it is not good enough.

 

[€lairebear]

I think it comes down people correcting facts or responding to overwhelming praise.

I mean people try to state its a better location than resorts next door to Epcot. People try to state its cheaper even though other resorts are less/point. People try to state the nightly point requirement is similar but compare Standard views to another resorts premium view.

On top of that going in to a resale restriction thread will also end up with comparisons to honestly from many peoples views better resorts that have better location, theming, and points charts. The reason being why people would prefer being locked in to 14 resorts than paying extra to buy RIV direct.

True however I hear more bashing than providing a fair judgement especially for those that have yet to see the resort in person and assume based on pictures and videos. I wasn’t impressed by pictures or videos. Those that are locked in to the 14 resorts may be contented for now but I think that will change 10 years from now when Disney builds newer resorts and when the the legacy resorts such as beach club/boardwalk expires and their options becomes limited.

 

[Belle53]

The one thing I would agree with in this is to go see it yourself before deciding. Keep in mind many who are "bashing" do not own there; there is no need to justify not buying something. I would argue it is much more likely that those who own are justifying and overlooking several of the downsides to the resort to justify their purchase. I can stay there with my points and could easily add on there and choose not to for many reasons some of which are (some of these are personal opinion):

Highest price to buy in and most expensive dues;
Resale restrictions;
Pool is not top 5;
Lobby is not top 5;
Location is not top 5;
Views are not top 5;
No spa;
Point charts are top 2-3 most expensive;
Dining is unknown;
No walking access to anything;
Not a theme that appeals to me (on the interior or exterior).

Reasons I would buy would be that it has relatively quick access to epcot and dhs, and the rooms look to be the nicest I have seen.

Most people who have bought appear to be blown away with the rooms and enjoyed the skyliner. If those are your priorities then it might be the right place; for the price they are charging I personally would expect it to be top 3-4 in every major category I listed above. Disney does not do "luxury". Disney luxury is priced that way for other reasons besides nice rooms; in my opinion in those other categories is where this resort falls short of commanding the price they charge.

They will probably sell it out and it will do great, i just think at that price it is not good enough.

From what I've seen on youtube and blogs, Riviera is a beautiful resort but with a lot of cons. It doesn't seem like theres much to do at the resort compared to other DVC resorts. I am holding off on buying there until I see it in person in March. I would have liked to see a DVC lounge area at Topolino's. Any guest, even those who aren't staying at Riviera can bring their receipt back the day of to view fireworks on the outdoor terrace and seating is a first come basis which isn't really fair to Riviera owners paying mf's. Another issue the resort will have is crowding from people dropping in from other nearby skyliner resorts.

 

[iheartglaciers]

No spa;

I wonder if they'll put a spa at Reflections... I'm really surprised that Disney doesn't have a good spa. Granted I haven't been to the one at SSR, only the one at GF, but I was disappointed at the GF spa facilities (considering Spa is in the resort name!).

 

[€lairebear]

The one thing I would agree with in this is to go see it yourself before deciding. Keep in mind many who are "bashing" do not own there; there is no need to justify not buying something. I would argue it is much more likely that those who own are justifying and overlooking several of the downsides to the resort to justify their purchase. I can stay there with my points and could easily add on there and choose not to for many reasons some of which are (some of these are personal opinion):

Highest price to buy in and most expensive dues;
Resale restrictions;
Pool is not top 5;
Lobby is not top 5;
Location is not top 5;
Views are not top 5;
No spa;
Point charts are top 2-3 most expensive;
Dining is unknown;
No walking access to anything;
Not a theme that appeals to me (on the interior or exterior).

Reasons I would buy would be that it has relatively quick access to epcot and dhs, and the rooms look to be the nicest I have seen.

Most people who have bought appear to be blown away with the rooms and enjoyed the skyliner. If those are your priorities then it might be the right place; for the price they are charging I personally would expect it to be top 3-4 in every major category I listed above. Disney does not do "luxury". Disney luxury is priced that way for other reasons besides nice rooms; in my opinion in those other categories is where this resort falls short of commanding the price they charge.

They will probably sell it out and it will do great, i just think at that price it is not good enough.

As mentioned it’s because of the skyliner and wanting easy access to epcot and hs are the reasons. I didn’t buy in sight unseen (except for ccv I have no regrets love the rustic theming) I wasn’t even planning to buy in until I experience it first hand. I already knew about all the bashing of riviera. I know location is not the prime Versus bcv or bw but personally I’m comfortable with that resort as it is. Again some dvc resorts are not meant for some that’s ok and that’s the beauty of dvc. I don’t care for ssr and have not stayed there but I don’t trash sar. i reserve my opinions until I’ve stayed there myself. Point charts are high compared to existing resorts however I believe that’s how the point charts for new dvc resorts going forward.

 

[sethschroeder]

but I think that will change 10 years from now when Disney builds newer resorts and when the the legacy resorts such as beach club/boardwalk expires and their options becomes limited.

Except the legacy resorts are 23 years from now. Take the extra money you would have spent on Rivera, invest it, then sell your legacy resort contract and cash in that investment to purchase then if you choose. Plus be happy you are paying less on MFs all along the way as well with less points required plus lesser MFs/point.

As far as new resorts? Its a complete gamble they come out with another resort in any premium location. Rivera, Reflections, and Disneyland DVC are all in non-premium locations. Contemporary conference center location? In between MK/VGF? Main gate of Epcot? Attached to new park gate? Maybe but have to see it before I believe it.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Some of what an be judged can be done without a visit. The points charts and the resale restrictions are not going to change with a visit. The visit may make you say the resort is worth dealing with those, but certainly won't erase those issues.

 

[€lairebear]

Some of what an be judged can be done without a visit. The points charts and the resale restrictions are not going to change with a visit. The visit may make you say the resort is worth dealing with those, but certainly won't erase those issues.

No it won’t but that has been mentioned so many times and won’t change dvc product or how dvc product is going forward. Right now having the 14 resorts to stay in with resale points those purchased after Jan 2019 may be sufficient but that may not be the case in the future and to resale value in the future may not be the same as it is now since resale only has the option to stay at legacy resorts which the options will decrease after 2042. Point charts it is right now with the new resorts will be the thing of new dvc resorts and I anticipate for it to be higher going forward and let’s say if dvc resells beach club and boardwalk I believe the point charts will be higher than rivieras

 

[€lairebear]

Except the legacy resorts are 23 years from now. Take the extra money you would have spent on Rivera, invest it, then sell your legacy resort contract and cash in that investment to purchase then if you choose. Plus be happy you are paying less on MFs all along the way as well with less points required plus lesser MFs/point.

As far as new resorts? Its a complete gamble they come out with another resort in any premium location. Rivera, Reflections, and Disneyland DVC are all in non-premium locations. Contemporary conference center location? In between MK/VGF? Main gate of Epcot? Attached to new park gate? Maybe but have to see it before I believe it.

True but I don’t consider dvc as an investment to make money out of it, if I do great if I get back something I had paid for I’m happy but I don’t buy in to expect getting everything back. With future resorts I anticipate the point charts be in par with riviera or higher. Again the point charts of boardwalk/okw/bcv/brv are all of the past.

 

[sethschroeder]

True but I don’t consider dvc as an investment to make money out of it, if I do great if I get back something I had paid for I’m happy but I don’t buy in to expect getting everything back. With future resorts I anticipate the point charts be in par with riviera or higher. Again the point charts of boardwalk/okw/bcv/brv are all of the past.

Where did I say DVC is an investment? I said invest the savings you had not buying RIV and then use that money in the future to help offset the cost of a new contract in 25-30 years time.

 

[Sandisw]

We bought unseen but I had an opportunity last week to at least walk around the resort, Took the Skyliner from Epcot as I was staying at BCV. Easy and smooth ride and the wait to get back was pretty quick, but it wasn’t crowded,

I enjoyed the resort and what I saw. It is an hotel style resort and the theme is definitely subtle... my personal style. I liked that there is a walking path along the lake and that if I wanted additional QS options, I can make the walk to CBR.

For me, buying at RIV requires one to be okay with the differences of the other resorts one might consider. Studios are a bit bigger, have the split bathing area and do sleep 5. It has tower studios that might work for one or two people, for short trips, It has a 50 year contract and gives you pretty quick access to Epcot and HS if using transportation is something you want or need.

Now, RIV has a points chart closer to Poly and VGF and if one has to book using preferred views, it will cost more than other resorts, If one can book some of the SV rooms, then there is a chance to stay there for points that are much closer to the rooms at other near park resorts, Only you can decide if that is worth it,

The biggest drawback with RIV is the resale restriction which is not the same as any other resort, If you went to sell, you will be looking at a smaller pool of buyers since those that buy can only use at RIV. While I don’t think one should use resale value as a point for buying, many do and if you had to sell in a few years, you are looking at s big loss...although, thst is true with any resort bought dir3ct. Buying resale at other resorts is what will cushion you from a huge loss..depending on what happens with market.

Good luck!

 

[crvetter]

I would also add the pools seem too small for resort capacity but time will tell. December is not a great time to judge that.

The pool capacity to rooms seems pretty standard across the board of the other DVC hotels (when you lump in hotel room counts). In fact the pool capacity here seems better than AKV, PVB, CCV/BRV, BWV (maybe more but that was a quick glance), based on the capacity information contained in the multi site POS (doesn’t have the BWI leisure pool or Jambo pool but even factoring those in by best guess it still seems average). In person the pools seemed much larger mostly because the hotel is much larger than the phots really perceived it to me.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

No it won’t but that has been mentioned so many times and won’t change dvc product or how dvc product is going forward.

OP asked for specific cons of Riviera. Even if this is the new normal for cost/charts/resale, that simply means it is a con for each new property, not that it is irrelevant to the question in this thread.

 

[Minniesgal]

Only 1 important fact imo resale restrictions.

 

[Spark65]

Except the legacy resorts are 23 years from now. Take the extra money you would have spent on Rivera, invest it, then sell your legacy resort contract and cash in that investment to purchase then if you choose. Plus be happy you are paying less on MFs all along the way as well with less points required plus lesser MFs/point.

As far as new resorts? Its a complete gamble they come out with another resort in any premium location. Rivera, Reflections, and Disneyland DVC are all in non-premium locations. Contemporary conference center location? In between MK/VGF? Main gate of Epcot? Attached to new park gate? Maybe but have to see it before I believe it.

Come on Seth is it all about the money? Did you buy to make a profit or buy to stay at Disney?