DVC’s 15th Resort Announced: Disney’s Riviera Resort

Disney's Riviera Resort

At the D23 Expo on July 15th, 2017 it was announced that Disney’s Riviera Resort would be the 15th Disney Vacation Club Resort.  The approximately 300 unit resort will be near Epcot and will be linked on the new Disney Skyliner gondola system.  Additionally, the new gondola system is to connect Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century and the Caribbean Beach resorts to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot.  Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, stated at the D23 expo, “Our Vacation Club Members are among our most loyal fans, and we think that they will love what we have planned, especially the rooftop restaurant that will offer unbelievable views of nighttime spectaculars at both Epcot and Hollywood Studios.”

Disney World's Gondola System

Admittingly, when rumors were starting about a new DVC Resort that might be a part of a moderate resort (Caribbean Beach), excitement was tempered as in recent years DVC has only been going to premium resorts including the famed three monorail resorts (i.e., Bay Lake Tower, Grand Floridian and Polynesian).  So almost anything that would be next would be a let down, right?  However, with the announcement of a gondola system and a rooftop restaurant with views of the spectacular shows from Epcot and Hollywood studios, excitement is back on the rise!

The resort is to have a variety of accommodations and is expected to open in the Fall of 2019. Given we are more than two years away from opening it could be another year and a half or longer until we know details such as point charts, price, booking dates and date sales will start.  The timing seems right as Polynesian is nearing a final sell-out, and Copper Creek will become the primary DVC resort on sale for WDW.  This timeline should provide Copper Creek the main WDW spotlight for almost the next two years, and this is roughly the same amount of time Polynesian has experienced since the Grand Floridian sell-out in May of 2015.

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Comments

  • Ron Covington
    August 27, 2017

    Wow, if someone is looking at diminishing our stakes.. look at the resale market at how little or costs for several of the older resorts..
    I wouldn’t have a bit of problem sharing the dvc family with a moderate resort.. I might even buy into it for the right price if the rooms are moderately priced for dvc points especially with the rooftop restaurant.. I might be visiting it on the new Gandulla from Boardwalk..

  • Rebecca Davis
    August 10, 2017

    I hate to be the nay-sayer here but I think a more moderate resort would be nice. My home resort is Boardwalk and we love it for many reasons, one of which is the lower number of points per night. We can spend a week at Boardwalk or Old Key West for what a kind weekend costs at these premium resorts. I think it would be a great option for people who can’t afford to buy a huge amount of points but still want to be members.

  • Dr. Jason Swain
    July 19, 2017

    I am with you, Ed. I really don’t care what amenities are offered, so long as it is a Deluxe resort with Deluxe pricing. Offering an entry level difference in product would dilute the value and prestige of the entire program, in my opinion. Then would come the loyalty factor. If my stake were diluted in any way or if others could have access to my accommodations for a different value level or if booking rooms becomes harder due to a number of non-home-bookers from the Riviera, then my loyalty would diminish, I would likely sell my contract, and I would book value season with free meal plan deals while paying cash per stay. All of a sudden, my number of stays would be reduced significantly, and the thousands of extra dollars I spend per trip on Disney food, services, and gear would also be gone. I look forward to hearing more about how this system would work if a non-Deluxe facility is brought into the mix. Perhaps buying into a moderate DVC would be okay if greater restrictions were placed on the booking rights of those members (I.e., can only book non-home at 5-months out, for example versus 7). Anyway, I am interested to remain informed. I am sure Nick and his team will do just that as info becomes available.

  • Gerry Nesser
    July 18, 2017

    Just visited over July Fourth weekend. We own at the Floridaian and took a bass fishing trip at the Caribbean. They have the whole North end knocked down and under full construction. My bet is that is the location. With the gondola system, this will tie in the resort. It is separated from the rest of the property by the lake and close to Epcot.

  • Dr. Ed Gunther
    July 16, 2017

    Sounds exciting, provided they keep standards up. It would be a huge mistake to gear a DVC resort to the less premium (budget) resorts. Near EPCOT is fine, and so is linked by gondola, but It would need to be equally upscale & comparable to the other DVC resorts. Otherwise you’d have people buying into a lesser resort but never staying there & using their points to book at the Poly or Grand Floridian, etc.

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