Riv or poly tower where would you buy direct

Where do you like staying most? PVB now has the new IT which will probably be harder to get certain room types so owning there could be a bonus. If you are looking at regular studios and don't mind a longhouse vs an IT room, you'll be fine to do 7 months usually. PVB will have higher resale if that is a consideration. If you want duo studios then both have them and you'd have to pick which you like better.

Transportation is a deciding factor for me. The skyline is hit or miss with weather so not always dependable. The lines back from Epcot at night are pretty long even an hour prior to closing. We *love* Epcot so reliable transportation or walking there is a must for us. Our next favorite is MK and again good transportation is a must there. Buses and the security just outside of MK from the buses is honestly the worst I've been through as a whole. I try to avoid it. PVB wins to me because you can walk to the TTC and take the monorail to Epcot. The resort line isn't my favorite to take and so I try to avoid it. The time it takes to get from Epcot from TTC is not very long. The skyline isn't super long either but it can stop more and not as comfortable in extreme temps and will not run entirely in some weather where the monorail can. Being able to walk, boat, monorail or even ferry to MK is a massive bonus. The TTC is not as hard to get through from the resort as they let you in on a lane even if a tram has left off.

Both have the ability to walk to another resort. PVB gives you GF and Riviera gives you Caribbean Beach. I will say we were pretty disappointed with CBR options and really love the options at GF. So that's a win for us. The monorail and ability to hop to WL & Ft Wilderness is a good bonus. Riviera allows you to get to AoA and Pop. Dining at PVB is good. I'd say the QS at Riviera is way better at this time, but not knowing exactly what Wailulu will offer, it's hard to say for sure if it will surpass Riviera or not. But the ability to walk to GF makes it a clear winner for me even not knowing what Wailulu will offer. Riviera food itself is good, but limited in locations so if you don't want QS it will be really hard to get into Topolinos and what is offered at CBR is really not good (we have authentic Caribbean food we make at home which means we're picky about it elsewhere)

The rooms are totally different but from what I've seen of the videos and what I've been in on the longhouses and the bungalows, they're both great. I like the layout of the studio for PVB above all other studios. The rooms will be slightly bigger at Riviera and well appointed but PVB longhouses have that extra half bath. The 1 bedrooms are larger again at Rivier and beautiful but they lack the 2nd bathroom which for us, is a negative. The longhouse and bungalow rooms are darker which is my only negative but have great pops of color. The bungalows are beautiful but again a bit darker, though the master bath is way brighter feeling to me. Views are exceptional. For the Islant Tower it's a bit more of a beachy chic vibe. Both are polarizing I think. Some feel Riviera is a bit too much like VGF is and others find PVB to be either bland or to kitschy.

All this to say? I'd obviously pick PVB myself. Even if not a fan of the theme, the location and what it offers is more for me. I do not like DHS at all and the skyline is a pain. While resort monorail is a pain as well, it's easy to avoid at PVB. So it wins.

But buy wherever you might want to stay most.

Well....We own Riviera, but not Poly.

Pros-Cons for us at each resort.

Riviera
Pro
Skyliner
Quiet pool, family pool, kid pool
Restaurants - Topolino's is a top 5 in WDW, Bar Riva, Coffee Bar and Prima Piatta.
Very nice Community Hall
Has that air of elegance similar to Grand Floridian

Con
Restrictions of resale, lowers it value
Point hog vs older resorts

Poly
Pro
The Tower...Gives you almost a full DVC resort experience
Mostly quick transportation to MK
Lots of walkable dining choices
The Vibe....either you get it or you don't, there doesn't seem to be much in between
Legacy Resort....no restrictions on resales
Large Studio rooms in phase 1.

Cons
Point Hog, especially the "special" rooms/categories
Phase 1 only has studios, which will probably make booking The Tower difficult even in home resort booking periods.
The Horns (at least for me)

Since you are a seasoned DVCer and owner at several properties, which concept appeals more to you? The last few posters have provided a great list of pros and cons and more opinions are likely not helpful as you will never get a consensus on this. It really comes down to what your gut says.

For us, this would be the biggest reason to purchase. Staying at SSR in a preferred villa is not hard to do at all within a few months of arrival. The year we were stuck with a ton of distressed point, bookable only at 60 days, we were able to stay in a SSR preferred over July 4th.

After a Poly stay I miss it and want to get back ASAP. That's why I'd buy there over Riviera.