The new DVC Riviera Resort??

[_auroraborealis_]

People don't book the Polynesian or GF for the monorail

You have clearly read the wrong threads if you are saying that! People absolutely book them for "the monorail!" and "not folding the stroller!!!" And a lot of people are in denial about the safety record of the monorails.

The monorail has been a major sales point for the three DVC connected to it, as well. Almost a primary pitch.

 

[Bing Showei]

People don't book the Polynesian or GF for the monorail, or at least I hope they don't consider its issues. They stay there for the resort itself.

The Poly's value is absolutely tied to the monorail, and if Disney were introducing the monorail for the first time and concurrently opening the Poly, the same questions would arise of its reliability.

Riviera and Gondola go hand in hand. The Skyliner was introduced in parallel to the Riviera and touted as a selling point; direct access to two theme parks. There will be either severely limited, or, more likely, zero bus service. Whether we like it or not, the success of the Riviera is tied to the success of the gondolas. So when someone asks, "What do you think of the new Riviera?" How do you have that conversation without some consideration of the Skyliner?

 

[Ben E N]

You have clearly read the wrong threads if you are saying that! People absolutely book them for "the monorail!" and "not folding the stroller!!!" And a lot of people are in denial about the safety record of the monorails.

The monorail has been a major sales point for the three DVC connected to it, as well. Almost a primary pitch.

Ha. I personally liked the little boat better myself. Seeing a line of people stretching from the O'Hana check in desk to the monorail when I went to the main house made me realize how little the appeal of taking it can be. To each their own, though. I loved it for the pool, location on water, and the large rooms myself.

 

[Frederic Civish]

Yes. Same "no AC!" panic across multiple threads. Wasn't this one supposed to be about how cool the actual resort seemed? People don't book the Polynesian or GF for the monorail, or at least I hope they don't consider its issues. They stay there for the resort itself. I am curious if Riviera will have the same sort of draw, and concerns about the gondolas are secondary.

I honestly think that the Riviera is going to be a very very nice resort. I can’t say if it is going to have the best restaurants. I can’t say if it is going to have the best decor. I can’t say if it will be the best at any one thing, but I believe the overall quality will be very impressive. I think people will want to stay at the Riviera for a lot of reasons and I honestly think it may become one of the most popular resorts.

In addition, assuming the gondola works as it is supposed to, and I think it will, then The Riviera will have the best access to Hollywood studios of any of the DVC resorts. Better than the Crescent Lake resorts which have access through the boat. Or a long walk. The gondola will get you to Hollywood studios in half the time. Or less. And get you to Epcot even faster than walking from the Beach Club. I think the access that Riviera will have to those two parks, through the gondola, will be even more impressive and important once we have Star Wars land open and Epcot gets its expansion. Riviera will be the best positioned overall, for half of Disney World!

 

[Ben E N]

The Poly's value is absolutely tied to the monorail, and if Disney were introducing the monorail for the first time and concurrently opening the Poly, the same questions would arise of its reliability.

Riviera and Gondola go hand in hand. The Skyliner was introduced in parallel to the Riviera and touted as a selling point; direct access to two theme parks. There will be either severely limited, or, more likely, zero bus service. Whether we like it or not, the success of the Riviera is tied to the success of the gondolas. So when someone asks, "What do you think of the new Riviera?" How do you have that conversation without some consideration of the Skyliner?

Consideration is fair. There has just been a lot of speculation and fear mongering. I have heard the "oh my, there won't be AC!" comment many, many times. As I pointed out, there is also no AC on the boats, and nobody has complained. There's been a ton of focus on the negative, which is fine, but without much discussion on what the appeal of the resort could be. It has a waterfront location, potentially new room categories, could have nice amenities, and will include access to those parks, regardless if the ride is a premium experience or not.

 

[BillPA]

That line was most likely due to the security check. But when you get off at MK there is no security line to wait in. I guess it balances out. Unless you just want to ride to the VF, CR/BLT or TTC...

It's too bad the Skyliner doesn't connect to the monorail somewhere along the way.

 

[Ben E N]

That line was most likely due to the security check. But when you get off at MK there is no security line to wait in. I guess it balances out. Unless you just want to ride to the VF, CR/BLT or TTC...

It was due to the monorail being full. I know because we took it from the TTC, did a full loop around the lake, and then got off at the Poly.
I'm not saying that the monorail is bad, just that it's not the sole reason for booking at those resorts. They also have large DVC rooms, lake views, great pools, and lush landscaping, as well as great views of the Magic Kingdom. They aren't just Pop Century slapped into a good location, there's a lot more appeal to them. I didn't leave BLT in my comparison because the location of that resort really is the main draw for it.

 

[Bing Showei]

Consideration is fair. There has just been a lot of speculation and fear mongering. I have heard the "oh my, there won't be AC!" comment many, many times. As I pointed out, there is also no AC on the boats, and nobody has complained. There's been a ton of focus on the negative, which is fine, but without much discussion on what the appeal of the resort could be. It has a waterfront location, potentially new room categories, could have nice amenities, and will include access to those parks, regardless if the ride is a premium experience or not.

There's a good reason why there has been so little discussion about the resort, Disney has furnished us with zero information on it. On the other hand the Skyliner is now starting to have substantial points for discussion. I agree that there is a lot of unnecessary consternation over the Skyliner, but I will readily admit that I have concerns about the lightening policy, and interestingly, I base them on the example you bring up, the Friendship boats.

Friendship boats do have A/C and people do complain about them. For me, they are still insufferably unpleasant to use even when standing right under the vent. They are a frustrating way to travel when staying at an Epcot resort. And like the Riviera/Skyliner, they are the only way to go from resort to DHS from BWV/BCV. My fear is if the Disney lightening policy mirrors that of the friendship boat, the constant disruptions will devalue the resort.

Until Disney gives us details on the resort, there's nothing to speak to aside from the location (how many people celebrate CBR's location?) and some construction photos of what look to be a couple of pools. So of course we're going to lean on the other big part of the Riviera, the Skyliner.

 

[10CJ]

I have a family member interested in Riviera. They called their DVC guide to try and get more info and was basically told info/materials on the new resort would not be out until 2019.

I have not really paid attention when other new resorts have put out information. What is the typically time frame for new marketing materials/details?

 

[Ben E N]

Friendship boats do have A/C and people do complain about them. For me, they are still insufferably unpleasant to use even when standing right under the vent. They are a frustrating way to travel when staying at an Epcot resort. And like the Riviera/Skyliner, they are the only way to go from resort to DHS from BWV/BCV. My fear is if the Disney lightening policy mirrors that of the friendship boat, the constant disruptions will devalue the resort.

The boats I was referring to were the Magic Kingdom resort boats. The point you make about the friendship boats supports why I feel better about an active airflow system than an AC. AC tries to cool down the trapped air in the canopy, which is constantly being heated by the greenhouse effect. Active airflow is more like being on an open boat. It replaces stale, warm air with moving (still warm, but at least moving) air. Not like dipping into an ice bath, but it should be enough to allow sweat to evaporate, letting you stay comfortable even in hot weather.
Weather disruptions will be an issue, but if they have bus backups in case of them, people may be more forgiving as long as disruptions aren't too frequent or for too long.

Until Disney gives us details on the resort, there's nothing to speak to aside from the location (how many people celebrate CBR's location?) and some construction photos of what look to be a couple of pools. So of course we're going to lean on the other big part of the Riviera, the Skyliner.

I agree there. Perhaps this thread took off too early, considering there isn't much to talk about in terms of the resort, so it just turned into another skyliner gripe session. I for one am excited about the resort in terms of its location. CBR is my favorite moderate resort, it has a centralized location, and a rooftop restaurant that can view the fireworks will be neat. I have a feeling they will have to add some bells and whistles to this resort in order to fight any fears about the gondolas, but they may be banking on its location alone.
I am almost certain that their price per point will completely drive me away, though, so until we know what that will be it will be hard to gauge interest as well.

 

[Bruin_mouse]

The boats I was referring to were the Magic Kingdom resort boats. The point you make about the friendship boats supports why I feel better about an active airflow system than an AC. AC tries to cool down the trapped air in the canopy, which is constantly being heated by the greenhouse effect. Active airflow is more like being on an open boat. It replaces stale, warm air with moving (still warm, but at least moving) air. Not like dipping into an ice bath, but it should be enough to allow sweat to evaporate, letting you stay comfortable even in hot weather.
Weather disruptions will be an issue, but if they have bus backups in case of them, people may be more forgiving as long as disruptions aren't too frequent or for too long.



I agree there. Perhaps this thread took off too early, considering there isn't much to talk about in terms of the resort, so it just turned into another skyliner gripe session. I for one am excited about the resort in terms of its location. CBR is my favorite moderate resort, it has a centralized location, and a rooftop restaurant that can view the fireworks will be neat. I have a feeling they will have to add some bells and whistles to this resort in order to fight any fears about the gondolas, but they may be banking on its location alone.
I am almost certain that their price per point will completely drive me away, though, so until we know what that will be it will be hard to gauge interest as well.

AC also removes humidity. Anyone that thinks that AC doesn't matter in the South in an enclosed space during summer clearly has never lived there. Add in 10-15 people in a close proximity for a 10-15 minute ride and then think about paying $220+/point, a probable brutal point chart and conservativeish lightening policy. Disney has a lot of smart people, and it will probably turn out like @Dean suggests, but I agree with @Bing Showei, it'd be silly to ignore the potential pitfalls.

 

[Mumof4mice]

I honestly think that the Riviera is going to be a very very nice resort. I can’t say if it is going to have the best restaurants. I can’t say if it is going to have the best decor. I can’t say if it will be the best at any one thing, but I believe the overall quality will be very impressive. I think people will want to stay at the Riviera for a lot of reasons and I honestly think it may become one of the most popular resorts.

In addition, assuming the gondola works as it is supposed to, and I think it will, then The Riviera will have the best access to Hollywood studios of any of the DVC resorts. Better than the Crescent Lake resorts which have access through the boat. Or a long walk. The gondola will get you to Hollywood studios in half the time. Or less. And get you to Epcot even faster than walking from the Beach Club. I think the access that Riviera will have to those two parks, through the gondola, will be even more impressive and important once we have Star Wars land open and Epcot gets its expansion. Riviera will be the best positioned overall, for half of Disney World!

@Frederic Civish Every time I read one of your Riviera posts I want to buy there!

 

[bigAWL]

Social experiment: go to the ABD forum, pick a random thread about hotels in Europe, and post: "How about the new gondolas at WDW?" See what happens....

Of course, the same would happen here if I asked a question about tipping.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

AC systems that currently exist for gondolas simply cannot keep up. Forced air is a more reliable solution. Gondolas have no external power source. All power has to come from batteries. Unlike cars and buses or boats, no fuel.

 

[kboo]

The Poly's value is absolutely tied to the monorail, and if Disney were introducing the monorail for the first time and concurrently opening the Poly, the same questions would arise of its reliability.

Riviera and Gondola go hand in hand. The Skyliner was introduced in parallel to the Riviera and touted as a selling point; direct access to two theme parks. There will be either severely limited, or, more likely, zero bus service. Whether we like it or not, the success of the Riviera is tied to the success of the gondolas. So when someone asks, "What do you think of the new Riviera?" How do you have that conversation without some consideration of the Skyliner?

The problem is that DHS has never been easy to get to, and so long as we are in stroller age or scooter age (traveling with grandparents), we are going to be moving slowly and the benefit of the monorail is that we can get to MK and EP without having to take the kids and old people out, and move all our gear. Fact is that even though the bus to AK is faster than the monorail to EP, when we are staying at a monorail resort, we don't go to AK or HS as often as we'd like. I can't wait for my kids to be out of the stroller so we can stay at BRV/CCV and AKV more easily.

The other point is that the monorail is iconic. So people are more willing to overlook its faults/problems because it's the monorail and it's iconic. I'm of the age that the Monorail Runs Through the Contemporary was the coolest thing ever when I was a kid. The rides started even before we got to the park.

Friendship boats do have A/C and people do complain about them. For me, they are still insufferably unpleasant to use even when standing right under the vent.

The only time I took a Friendship boat and enjoyed it was this last time in 98 degree heat from HS to the Swan (1st stop after HS). I didn't have to push the **** stroller. But as a general rule, when staying in the Epcot area, I avoid the Friendship boats at all costs. I have pushed the double stroller w rain cover in a poncho in the pouring rain rather than take the Frenemy boat. Seriously, those boats are all like, "I am here to help! I will take you to Epcot and DHS!" and then, 30+ minutes later when I'm like, why did I choose you again? the boat is like, "I never said I'd be fast about it..."

 

[kboo]

I am certainly curious about the Riviera, and will likely stay there on my BLT/VGF points and do a split stay with an MK resort. It would be so much easier to visit DHS, at least.

 

[pineapplepalms]

And like the Riviera/Skyliner, they are the only way to go from resort to DHS from BWV/BCV.

The key difference is that you can still walk to DHS from BWV/BCV but you won't be able to walk from the Riviera. We like to walk from BWV and it really isn't a bad walk at all, even this past July while quite pregnant and pushing a stroller (there's a reason we paid a premium for those BWV resale points even with the shorter contract length!). I am also a fan of the boats even if they take a while - it's part of the whole vacation experience and taking it easy when we can, especially if we're not trying to get to a FP or ADR. I prefer the boats to the monorail unless the monorail is pretty empty.

Personally I'm really looking forward to staying at the Riviera and checking out the gondolas. In general I'd like to stay at all DVC resorts over time and there isn't a single one that I would refuse to stay at. I'm interested to see what they'll do now with a completely new WDW DVC resort built from the ground up, since the last few have been conversions / add-ons to existing resorts.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I have seen a claim that this will totally devalue BCV because of the IG traffic.

 

[Frederic Civish]

I don’t see how I can devalue the beach club villas, because they will still have the same advantages that they have now. Not everyone will like Riviera. Not everyone will like the gondolas. Beach club will still be a good choice.

With the Riviera providing an alternate choice, beach club villas might not increase in price as much as we have beer, but I don’t see them actually being devalued

 

[js]

We picked up passengers on ME a couple of weeks ago at CBR when we left BWVs and I saw the massive Rivera. I think I would like to give it a try with my SSR points but wondering when I travel with my mom, who uses a scooter, will she be able to get on the Skyliner by rolling on with the scooter?