Disney Riviera Resort

[lockedoutlogic]

Agreed and for James Bond casino reference.

I'm definitely interested to see how this shapes up...

...have to admit...I like that one

 

[Planogirl]

This has the potential to get ugly. I can see DVC owners thinking they don't get enough while regular resort visitors think that the DVC people get too much. Disney had better mix up a real strong batch of pixie dust just in case.

 

[Lesverts]

I think the era of "'moderate" is officially over.

The average American consumer isn't in a positions to spend $300 a night minimum for the hotels that will be on the gondola line....and that's the minimum bottomline here.

If you think Disney could get away with charging 300 dollars for the shoe-boxes that are Pop Century rooms, you're crazy. There is NOTHING at AoA or POP that justifies that price point for their rooms (I said rooms, not suites). And nothing in the rumors/planning would begin to tackle that gap. No restaurant announcements, the new rooms at POP look better but certainly aren't deluxe/moderate in level of finishes (look at new Coronado rooms as comparison).

 

[Andrew015]

Sure! Why not? BLT folks go over the Contemporary for food all the time. No uproar that I am aware of, though I may have missed this one DIS uproar... ...

One difference to highlight: BLT was built with zero restaurant offerings, so it was planned from the onset as a sharing of resources with CR. Also, amenities of the two resorts are both very similar (deluxe/top end). As a previous poster stated, Disney is now plunking a Hyatt tower on the grounds of a Holiday Inn. I'm with LockedOut: this is new, uncharted territory.

 

[Madonna3]

You've articulated my point in an earlier thread much better than I could. There's such a huge laundry lists of "ifs" that need to be met, I'm not sure it'll work. Remind me, if you stay at the Contemporary, you're not allowed to use the Bay Lake pool, correct? I wonder if they'd do that at CBR as well. Just to make the DVC side seem more "exclusive" for the DVC member but still somewhat accessible restaurants/lounges for the non-members.

Correct, but DVC can use the Contemporary pools. I cannot imagine anyone actually wanting to hop over to CBR as a reason to wanting to purchase Riviera points.

 

[Madonna3]

The way the've introduced this project, there is no way that I would expect CBR guests to have access to DRR's pool. The branding seems very different. Not at all like BLT or WL to me -- making this a distinctly separate resort in my mind. And even as you say at BLT, pool access is only for those guests.

Yeah, but the BLT pool sucks. So unless DRR's pool is inline with Stormalong Bay, then who cares?

 

[preemiemama]

Having been to the BRV (Wilderness Lodge) new DVC pool as it opened a couple weeks ago, I agree that a stand-alone deluxe needs to have a better pool. This pool was nice, but VERY generic and not very exciting. No slide or kids play area- and not sure just sticking one on it would have helped. This is not a pool to attract guests to the new resort, but with the WL main pool available, it doesn't have to be.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

If you think Disney could get away with charging 300 dollars for the shoe-boxes that are Pop Century rooms, you're crazy. There is NOTHING at AoA or POP that justifies that price point for their rooms (I said rooms, not suites). And nothing in the rumors/planning would begin to tackle that gap. No restaurant announcements, the new rooms at POP look better but certainly aren't deluxe/moderate in level of finishes (look at new Coronado rooms as comparison).

The difference there is those aren't technically moderates.

I don't know about $300 in their cases...but the "straight shot" car to mgm with Star Wars just shot those into the $200 range.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

One difference to highlight: BLT was built with zero restaurant offerings, so it was planned from the onset as a sharing of resources with CR. Also, amenities of the two resorts are both very similar (deluxe/top end). As a previous poster stated, Disney is now plunking a Hyatt tower on the grounds of a Holiday Inn. I'm with LockedOut: this is new, uncharted territory.

One restaurant isn't gonna cut it...even with the holy grail 9 minute "fireworks view"...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This has the potential to get ugly. I can see DVC owners thinking they don't get enough while regular resort visitors think that the DVC people get too much. Disney had better mix up a real strong batch of pixie dust just in case.

Honestly...that was the first thought in my mind at the start of the 67 page thread...

(I know...negative Nancy...but the reality is Nancy is right a lot more that Debbie Pom poms)

 

[Andrew015]

One restaurant isn't gonna cut it...even with the holy grail 9 minute "fireworks view"...

Don't disagree with that. Just pointing out that the CR guests can't get mad at the BLT guests who are in line for Mickey Waffles... Because the only other option is making a PBJ in your room.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Don't disagree with that. Just pointing out that the CR guests can't get mad at the BLT guests who are in line for Mickey Waffles... Because the only other option is making a PBJ in your room.

But when you pay $600 a night for a tower room...as Blonde Ambition points out...your mentality is not to give a guano about it...

 

[Andrew015]

If you think Disney could get away with charging 300 dollars for the shoe-boxes that are Pop Century rooms, you're crazy. There is NOTHING at AoA or POP that justifies that price point for their rooms...

$300 might not be the exact number, but point being, the rates will be rising. Just saw this posted by Tikiman as it relates to the Poly. I'd expect similar trends at the other resorts as well:

 

[AnnaKat]

this had to be in a good location. It's not. It's surrounded by moderate and value resorts. It's surrounded exactly by the crowd that DVC owners hope to avoid. That's not to say that people who stay at Values or Moderates are bad people, but those are people who are on budget and time crunches. They tend to be a little more fast paced commandos vs the DVC demographic that's here for extended or larger vacations that take their time. If you've ever spent the night at All-Star and then hopped over to a deluxe for the rest of your vacation then you know exactly what I am talking about. The Riviera will have the BEST dining options out of its surrounding resorts. It will be full all the time from those on the DDP staying at the All-Stars. I am shying away from this one mostly because I am concerned with crowd levels at the resort itself.

There is that piece of land not owned by Disney that has
the Wyndham Bonnet Creek Timeshare
(UP to 4 bedrooms),
the Waldorf Astoria , the Hilton Bonnet Creek, the Wyndham Grand...
We are NOT talking value-type resorts,
AND they are very near to CBR.

Maybe families that normally stay @ CBR will start booking 2-Bedrooms @ the Wyndham Bonnet Creek for LESS than the inflated post-construction CBR room prices!
$250 or less for the 2-bedroom would be cheaper than 1 CBR room, YET alone 2.

 

[dlavender]

We've been arguing this since the beginning that we started speculating this was DVC. I was the crowd that to be DVC, certain conditions HAD to be met. That lead to a very lengthy boat and location argument, just to have the gondola rumor pop up a few weeks after we had argued the fact that you couldn't enlarge the canals to accommodate the Friendships for 67 pages. None of us expected Disney to go airborne, but they solved the problem we had said had to be solved to make it DVC: they had to connect it to a park.

The second problem we saw to be DVC, it had to be separate from CBR. It seems they're attempting to do that by putting up a fence, giving it a new transportation option, and calling it something else besides CBR 2.0, but it's the equivalent to Bay Lake being Contemporary 2.0. It's the exact thing. I am sure there will be a "bridge" from Riviera over to CBR, just as there is one from BLT to CR. I am sure it will end up sharing buses with CBR, just as BLT shares the bus and monorail station with CR. I do believe Riviera will get it's own bus station and gondola station, however. I am sure Riviera will rely on the QS options over at CBR (hence the revamp of CBR's food court) just as they do at CR. This is BLT all over again. BLT is an extension of the contemporary and Riviera is an extension of CBR. So, imo, they haven't done enough to separate Riviera from CBR unless they address these issues.

The third thing that made the argument that to be DVC, this had to be in a good location. It's not. It's surrounded by moderate and value resorts. It's surrounded exactly by the crowd that DVC owners hope to avoid. That's not to say that people who stay at Values or Moderates are bad people, but those are people who are on budget and time crunches. They tend to be a little more fast paced commandos vs the DVC demographic that's here for extended or larger vacations that take their time. If you've ever spent the night at All-Star and then hopped over to a deluxe for the rest of your vacation then you know exactly what I am talking about. The Riviera will have the BEST dining options out of its surrounding resorts. It will be full all the time from those on the DDP staying at the All-Stars. I am shying away from this one mostly because I am concerned with crowd levels at the resort itself.

The fourth argument was price point. They had to find a way to price this along the lines of BLT without devaluing other DVC points. Besides being the only DVC resort on the gondola line (so far) I am having a hard time with this. The gondola station will be accessible by Epcot DVC resorts pretty easily, so being directly on the line isn't as large of an edge.

I have to agree with @lockedoutlogic. I think we're seeing a new DVC model coming into play and we're all in for a bit of a rude awakening as DVC owners.

I can't see how they could justify selling the place at current rates when you are getting half your amenities from a moderate.

But it looks as if they may try.

Then if it works out, I think we'll be bidding adieu to Trinidad and the rest of the resort.

I think LOL is right on the money. Pay 20k and play the DVC game and get what they build, pay >$200 for a room next to the Ursula statue, or jump on 192.

I guess WDW might be figuring out that they are wasting their valuable space on $120-$180 rooms.

Someone must have shown them how to use google maps.

I mean, have you noticed how close POP is to the new Rat ride!!

 

[AnnaKat]

The way the've introduced this project, there is no way that I would expect CBR guests to have access to DRR's pool. The branding seems very different. Not at all like BLT or WL to me -- making this a distinctly separate resort in my mind. And even as you say at BLT, pool access is only for those guests.

DVC members cannot pool hop to
the Poly,
AKL, BCV or BLT pools.
SO if CBR guests are allowed to use Riviera's pool,
THAT would make a $25K Riviera sell problematic.

Yep, Riviera then may as " well " be promoted as the first
pool-LESS new DVC Resort,

AND buy/in for
the NEW " Perk " of sharing
Deluxe amenities
with your next door Moderate guests!!!

 

[nkosiek]

It is...

...but here's the problem: are you gonna have people from the new tower be directed to Caribbean for food?

Cause that is the Pandora's box...

"They are inline for Mickey waffles next to my room...but their pool is off limits?"

Perhaps I haven't personally conveyed my intimate knowledge of Caribbean beach customers in particular? Cause it's the home of Toms River, NJ rage...and they are more demanding than ANYONE on wdw property short of some of the corporate convention planners at the Grand...

Not kidding. This is a hornets nest...potentially.

This is brilliant. I have a friend who gets a house in Ocean Gate every summer with his folks and oh, TR people. Love it.

 

[AceVac]

I cant wait to purchase another 300 points (direct ) at this location. My wife and I already have the Poly as our MK home resort, would love another in the Epcot area. We bout into OKW when it was just dirt and a promise, I trust Disney. Its funny all the details folks have made up in their head based on sketch art. At the end of the day if you don't like it, just dont buy.

 

[HopperFan]

The way the've introduced this project, there is no way that I would expect CBR guests to have access to DRR's pool. The branding seems very different. Not at all like BLT or WL to me -- making this a distinctly separate resort in my mind. And even as you say at BLT, pool access is only for those guests.

AGREE. They are making no attempt to name it, design it etc to be part of CBR. I think it will be independent. Disney is building a SW boutique hotel so they are for sure venturing out. I don't see any reason they have to be associated with each other. We only got a small tidbit, am sure there is much more to it.

I don't think there will be any connect to CBR in terms of operations and amenities other than a lake view room looking at the same lake. The DVC can have it's entrance on Buena Vista Drive, it's own pool & amenities, has it's own sky bucket station etc. There is enough of a buffer they can even break off the sidewalk and not have any connected to CBR if they wish. CBR has it's new entrance on Victory Way where one exists, it works well since CBR is getting it's checkin moved to El Centro, and it will have all the amenities it has now.

This has some interesting thoughts ...

http://dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts/other-proposed-resorts/3829-what-is-disney-s-riviera-resort

 

[dlavender]

I cant wait to purchase another 300 points (direct ) at this location. My wife and I already have the Poly as our MK home resort, would love another in the Epcot area. We bout into OKW when it was just dirt and a promise, I trust Disney. Its funny all the details folks have made up in their head based on sketch art. At the end of the day if you don't like it, just dont buy.

Jade, is that you?