AKL Club or DVC AK Club

[CoachT]

Ive read that if you want the Arusha view the best rooms are on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor. However DVC Club at AK is on the 5th and 6th I believe. Being that high from the animals would it be worth it to pay alot extra and stay less at WDW to have a better view of the animals? Or is the view on the 6th floor still awesome enough to save a huge junk of change and maybe stay 3 extra nights. This is for my honeymoon and AKL, with having animals right outside your balcony is one of the main reason were thinking about WDW.

[chabs]

The last time we stayed club at the AKL, they did not have any rooms available on the club floor, so they put us on the 4th. You could put in a request for the 4th floor with the IPO. Not guaranteed, but worth a try.

[Itinkso]

If I am reading this correctly, it is less expensive to stay DVC club? If so, request a Sunset Savanna view and you will see all of the same animals as at the Arusha view. We were in AKL Jambo on Kudu Trail with an amazing Sunset Savanna view and our view also included Kidani. We were on the fourth floor and were able to get a number of great pics!

[lovesdumbo]

I think there are only 6 DVC CL rooms at AKL so if you don't own DVC at AKL you will unlikely be able to book it.

Views from 4th floor standard CL rooms are fine. Before I stayed there I was thinking it would be a pain to be on the 4th floor and the lounge on another floor but it really wasn't a big deal. LOVED doing the Sunrise Safari!

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by CoachT

Ive read that if you want the Arusha view the best rooms are on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floor. However DVC Club at AK is on the 5th and 6th I believe. Being that high from the animals would it be worth it to pay alot extra and stay less at WDW to have a better view of the animals? Or is the view on the 6th floor still awesome enough to save a huge junk of change and maybe stay 3 extra nights. This is for my honeymoon and AKL, with having animals right outside your balcony is one of the main reason were thinking about WDW.

DVC villas are on the fifth and sixth floors at Jambo House. The fifth floor are all savanna and standard villas. The sixth floor are the Concierge villas (five two bedroom lockoffs with three savanna and two pool views). It is very difficult to get one of the five two bedroom lockoffs or any combination of them (a lockoff is a combination of a studio and a one bedroom villa). So if a one bedroom is booked, that may only leave four two bedroom lockoffs. The savanna view is somewhat blocked on the sixth floor villas (roof overhang). You don't book the DVC Concierge villas for the view. You book them for the lounge access and other perks like daily full cleaning, ability to book the sunrise safari, evening turn down service.

The concierge villas usually get booked at 11 months out by members who own at AKV. So they seldom come available for cash reservations through Disney Reservation Center.

You cannot request a view for the concierge villas. You get what you get.

[moopdog]

Originally Posted by Itinkso

If I am reading this correctly, it is less expensive to stay DVC club? If so, request a Sunset Savanna view and you will see all of the same animals as at the Arusha view. We were in AKL Jambo on Kudu Trail with an amazing Sunset Savanna view and our view also included Kidani. We were on the fourth floor and were able to get a number of great pics!

Can someone explain to me why 'Arusha View' was an option for me when I did on-line check in last week? We are only getting a standard pool view room in Jambo? I could only pick two options, so I chose 'highest possible floor' and 'close to bus/lobby'.

If I had chosen Arushka View..... I wouldn't have actually seen the Savannah, right ? So why is it even a choice? I was a little confused by it.

[moopdog]

Originally Posted by moopdog

Can someone explain to me why 'Arusha View' was an option for me when I did on-line check in last week? We are only getting a standard pool view room in Jambo? I could only pick two options, so I chose 'highest possible floor' and 'close to bus/lobby'.

If I had chosen Arushka View..... I wouldn't have actually seen the Savannah, right ? So why is it even a choice? I was a little confused by it.

I'm so sorry I just realized I posted in the wrong area.

[momof2disprincesses]

We are DVC members who own at AKV. We stayed for 4 nights right before New Year's in a studio club level room. We were on the 6th floor (where the lounge is) and did have a savanna view.

Here is a photo of our view.



We did see 1 giraffe hiding amongst the trees once for a brief time. We also saw 2 zebras and a lot of what the animal in the picture is, but there were many times when there were NO animals in this area.

We LOVED the club level and all the wonderful amenities but I would not count on 6th floor DVC rooms for a savanna view.

If you want to see more of the club level offerings and a million photos of the sunrise safari, I'm finishing up my trip report here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3041567

[LisaS]

Originally Posted by momof2disprincesses

We did see 1 giraffe hiding amongst the trees once for a brief time. We also saw 2 zebras and a lot of what the animal in the picture is, but there were many times when there were NO animals in this area.

We LOVED the club level and all the wonderful amenities but I would not count on 6th floor DVC rooms for a savanna view.

A lot of people mention the roof overhang but your photo illustrates what I have always thought is the issue with the view from the 6th floor -- the tree tops obscure a lot of the savanna view. In addition, those rooms face a small alcove of the Sunset Savanna and not too many animals wander into that area. You will see some animals but not like you see from other locations around the resort and especially from lower floors.

OP: Stay AKV Concierge for the service and access to the Sunrise Safari. If your view is the most important thing then book a Savanna View room. If you want both then book AKL Concierge so that you will be on the 4th floor with better views of the animals.

As already mentioned, AKV consists of only five 2BR lockoffs. If every one of those is locked off and rented as a 1BR and a studio, there are at most five studios available. The owner you rent from will need to try to book it the instant the 11-month window opens and even then may not be successful.

[pghsteelerfan]

Originally Posted by LisaS

A lot of people mention the roof overhang but your photo illustrates what I have always thought is the issue with the view from the 6th floor -- the tree tops obscure a lot of the savanna view. In addition, those rooms face a small alcove of the Sunset Savanna and not too many animals wander into that area. You will see some animals but not like you see from other locations around the resort and especially from lower floors.

OP: Stay AKV Concierge for the service and access to the Sunrise Safari. If your view is the most important thing then book a Savanna View room. If you want both then book AKL Concierge so that you will be on the 4th floor with better views of the animals.

As already mentioned, AKV consists of only five 2BR lockoffs. If every one of those is locked off and rented as a 1BR and a studio, there are at most five studios available. The owner you rent from will need to try to book it the instant the 11-month window opens and even then may not be successful.

We were just confirmed a 2 bedroom lock off at Jambo savanna view. (We're renting points using David's) Does that mean we are CL?

[LisaS]

Originally Posted by pghsteelerfan

We were just confirmed a 2 bedroom lock off at Jambo savanna view. (We're renting points using David's) Does that mean we are CL?

It sounds like you have a Savanna View room. There are four booking categories in AKV/Jambo House: Value, Standard View, Savanna View and Club Level. There are two booking categories in AKV/Kidani Village: Standard View and Savanna View.

Value rooms are smaller and can have a view of the Sunset Savanna, the pool or the parking lot.

Standard View rooms in Jambo House face the pool or have an obstructed view of a savanna. In Kidani they face the pool, parking areas or have a limited savanna view.

Savanna View rooms face a savanna.

Club Level rooms are on the 6th floor of Jambo House and include access to the Concierge Lounge. They face the pool or an alcove of the Sunset Savanna.

[Deb & Bill]

Originally Posted by pghsteelerfan

We were just confirmed a 2 bedroom lock off at Jambo savanna view. (We're renting points using David's) Does that mean we are CL?

You are on the fifth floor.

[pghsteelerfan]

Originally Posted by Deb & Bill

You are on the fifth floor.

Thanks!