Have to say I was a little disappointed with AKL Kidani

[StitchandPooh'sMom]

I've never understood people that post something, and then get mad when everyone doesn't agree with them.

You were one of hundreds of guests with requests, and they did the best they could. From the perspective of a room assigner, your requests are no more important than another guest's requests. Sorry you weren't happy with the results, but in a system where the goal is to meet the requests of as many people as possible, someone is going to be unhappy. I'm sorry that this time it was you.

Our co-travelers had standard view requested- we had savanna view. We were told they would "most likely be" parking lot view across the hall from us and we'd be savannah view across the hall from them. Trust me- I asked many questions as I have never stayed here before. If they kept my friend's ORIGINAL room request and moved us to a room across the hall rather than upgrade them, then our requests would have been met. It just didn't make any sense to me.

There probably was not a room available across the hall from your friend's original room. I expect savannah rooms in good locations are always occupied.

You both got the room you paid for - for you, you asked to be moved to a better view room and got it. Your friends actually got a BETTER room than they paid for.

Most people who have stayed at Kidani (or AKL in general) or even just researched the resort know that the hallways are very long. As such, they also request close to transportation or close to the lobby - I know I have made that request. Many people travel with friends and family and request to be nearby. Sometimes you get the requests, sometime you don't. We have sometimes gotten connecting rooms and sometimes been at the other end of the resort. It happens.

I haven't seen anyone saying you should expect less than you paid for. I see people saying you shouldn't expect MORE than you paid for. You should expect to get the room you paid for, and you did. I'm always happy when my requests are met, but not disappointed when they are not, provided I am in the room I paid for and everything works and is clean.

Hope your next trip better meets your expectations. Maybe your friends can transfer their points to you next time so you can all be in a 2BR and be together.

 

[luvdzny]

I don't think staying at Jambo will necessarily change anything. I returned home from AKL Jambo house last week. I booked 3 DVC rooms 11 months out on the first day possible to book the rooms. I requested that they be close together and close to the elevator if possible. We were spread out across the resort and non of the rooms were near an elevator. My daughter has a neurological disorder and long distance walking isn't always easy for her either. In addition to that she was 3 months in to a high risk pregnancy. We did not get our requests, oh well we had a great vacation and I realize that they were just REQUESTS. For all I know, there could have been 10 other families visiting at the same time with similar requests.

When I make requests I consider them just that, requests. If I get them great, if not no worries. I also know that a vacation to WDW is going to involve a lot of walking so a room close to an elevator may save a few steps but in the long run you still have to do a lot of walking.

 

[Sparkly]

I did use online check-in and that was the "Third" place the request was noted. As for "how can two categories be accommodated? I asked specifically.
Our co-travelers had standard view requested- we had savanna view. We were told they would "most likely be" parking lot view across the hall from us and we'd be savannah view across the hall from them. Trust me- I asked many questions as I have never stayed here before. If they kept my friend's ORIGINAL room request and moved us to a room across the hall rather than upgrade them, then our requests would have been met. It just didn't make any sense to me.

I'm not mad that everyone doesn't agree with me, I just don't like assumptions being made based on a post. While I understand it's difficult to glean an entire situation from reading someone's post, it is just that- a post. I felt posting MY disappointment was a.) warranted as it is a community to express both positive and negative experiences to benefit others and I was originally asking if anyone had a similar situation that could have been handled differently to avoid the disappointment (perhaps my post wasn't clear enough), and b.) my experience could be helpful to someone that may be in a similar situation down the road considering Kidani for their EXTENDED family wanting to stay there.

It doesn't mean everyone needs to tell me to lower my expectations. I have no intention of doing so. THAT is the part that I don't like. Don't tell me how I SHOULD act, what I SHOULD expect. It's judgmental. I didn't ask you to judge ME or my expectations - just your take on the SITUATION. Too many people here have difficulty separating the person from the person's problem. People telling me they felt Disney did the best they could do - Thank you. People telling me that I'm asking too much. I don't think so. If you do, sorry for that, and you can continue to think so, but don't judge ME based on who YOU are and what YOUR situation in life is because you only walk in your shoes.

Calm down, for goodness sake. Nothing's worth getting so flared up about! You had your bad stay. It's over.

I agree that Kidani has the longest halls which take FOREVER to walk down. I thought I was never going to get to the lobby!

 

[carrie1626]

I appreciate posts such as yours because I think we can all learn from them.

I am truly sorry the events that occurred happened to you.

What I learned fro your post was: do not take a room that doesn't come close to what you asked/requested for at 10:00 am and make sure to explain to the CM that you are willing to wait until the stated check-in time to assure to get exactly or very closely to what you requested for.

 

[OurBigTrip]

I appreciate posts such as yours because I think we can all learn from them.

I am truly sorry the events that occurred happened to you.

What I learned fro your post was: do not take a room that doesn't come close to what you asked/requested for at 10:00 am and make sure to explain to the CM that you are willing to wait until the stated check-in time to assure to get exactly or very closely to what you requested for.

What she paid for or what she requested? If what she paid for, I agree. If what she requested, well she might wait there all day with no room, because it could be (and most likely was) a case of them just not having what she requested.

 

[dmccarty]

We have had a few trips to AKL and AKV with multiple rooms and requests which we were given. Some of these trips were during Spring Break so AKL and AKV should have been fully booked. One trip, we requested the room the farthest from the lobby as possible. For some odd reason, we were NOT the last room before the suites. You would think that our request would be easy to honor but I suppose other people want to be as far from the lobby as we did. We only did this once though since it was a 1/4 mile from the room to the bus stop which was fine with me. Not so much with the family.

On at least three AKV/AKL trips, we had multiple rooms with both Savannah view and cheaper rooms. The rooms were not always next to each other but they were within a 4-5 rooms away at most.

Our latest room request has been a compromise that puts us about half way from the lobby on the pool side of AKV. Easier to get to the pool yet farther away from the lobby to reduce noise from people in the hall.

We do miss Mara for CS, but after the last few trips we have been so ticked off at food prices and quality we just found it easier, faster, and cheaper to just nuke frozen food in the microwave.

Can't wait to get back to AKV but I don't think it will happen until 2015. Next trip will be back to VBR in 2014.

Later,
Dan

 

[Mike Mouse]

wow!

 

[Mike Mouse]

Shouldnt this thread be under the category "Disney Trip Reports"?

 

[Dannek]

I guess my disappointment stems from the fact that when I called and asked "is it possible for the rooms to be linked so we are put close together" we were told "no problem" not only during the original call, but then again when I called a few days before arrival. Saying the words "we'll get it taken care of" to me means actually taken care of.

I think you are mistaking what you asked and what they answered you...
You asked "is it possible for the rooms to be linked so we are put close together" and they said "no problem" (For the reservations to be linked together). You called again, "we'll get it taken care of" (as to getting the reservations linked together) which they most likely did. They never promised you adjoining rooms and you seem to have misinterpreted their response. That's why they do not promise adjoining rooms and will take "requests" only. Linking reservations, sure no problem, but that doesn't mean that there will be availability for your requests when you arrive.

If, as you stated hypothetically, you needed your mother to be in an adjoining room, then that is entirely possible. You book a two bedroom suite. That guarantees that arrangement. Anything less will be a request. You can't say I don't want to pay for a two bedroom suite but I want guaranteed adjoining rooms. They state clearly that they will only take requests, and you shoot the dice if you go that route.

 

[samnbilly]

I think you are mistaking what you asked and what they answered you...
You asked "is it possible for the rooms to be linked so we are put close together" and they said "no problem" (For the reservations to be linked together). You called again, "we'll get it taken care of" (as to getting the reservations linked together) which they most likely did. They never promised you adjoining rooms and you seem to have misinterpreted their response. That's why they do not promise adjoining rooms and will take "requests" only. Linking reservations, sure no problem, but that doesn't mean that there will be availability for your requests when you arrive.

If, as you stated hypothetically, you needed your mother to be in an adjoining room, then that is entirely possible. You book a two bedroom suite. That guarantees that arrangement. Anything less will be a request. You can't say I don't want to pay for a two bedroom suite but I want guaranteed adjoining rooms. They state clearly that they will only take requests, and you shoot the dice if you go that route.

I think the O.P. gets EVERYONE's points, which all of you have made LOUD & CLEAR that it was just a request..yada yada!
This is a personal, subjective review of her stay & the things that happened!
Why everyone is like some sort of Disney police, enforcing the rules on request only, and what should/shouldn't be Savannah view is ridiculous.
If people would like to suggest something to her/him that would help their next trip be more "Magical" wouldn't that be better than this constant berating O.P. with rules/regulations/entitlements/lack of entitlements?
The best was the suggestion that this person stay in a 2 Bdrm suite!
Maybe they didn't want to stay in a 2 Bdrm suite, couldn't afford it or it wasn't available?
We don't know!
This used to be such a wonderful forum to share information & people were appreciative of any trip reports & remember that everyone's experience at Disney is different!
I've had amazing stays & I've also had a stay where I was put in a room that was wet, moldy & had a fan blowing to try & dry it! Yuck!
Maybe she/he felt confident from the info given, that rooms would be very close to each other, across the hall, who knows? I've been told this myself when I was going to book 2 rooms for my kids & my DH & myself, but after reading a few posts on this forum, I've heard that adjoining, or connecting (whichever you call it) wasn't an absolute?
I think everyone needs to take a step back, & appreciate the info that was given to us, & we can all use it to learn from instead of quoting rules and basically making this person feel attacked!
Remember what we teach our kids!
"Do onto others as we would want others to do onto us"

 

[tink2007]

I think the O.P. gets EVERYONE's points, which all of you have made LOUD & CLEAR that it was just a request..yada yada!
This is a personal, subjective review of her stay & the things that happened!
Why everyone is like some sort of Disney police, enforcing the rules on request only, and what should/shouldn't be Savannah view is ridiculous.
If people would like to suggest something to her/him that would help their next trip be more "Magical" wouldn't that be better than this constant berating O.P. with rules/regulations/entitlements/lack of entitlements?
The best was the suggestion that this person stay in a 2 Bdrm suite!
Maybe they didn't want to stay in a 2 Bdrm suite, couldn't afford it or it wasn't available?
We don't know!
This used to be such a wonderful forum to share information & people were appreciative of any trip reports & remember that everyone's experience at Disney is different!
I've had amazing stays & I've also had a stay where I was put in a room that was wet, moldy & had a fan blowing to try & dry it! Yuck!
Maybe she/he felt confident from the info given, that rooms would be very close to each other, across the hall, who knows? I've been told this myself when I was going to book 2 rooms for my kids & my DH & myself, but after reading a few posts on this forum, I've heard that adjoining, or connecting (whichever you call it) wasn't an absolute?
I think everyone needs to take a step back, & appreciate the info that was given to us, & we can all use it to learn from instead of quoting rules and basically making this person feel attacked!
Remember what we teach our kids!
"Do onto others as we would want others to do onto us"

Agreed !!!

 

[andreadoiron]

Both.
I shouldn't be "attacked" for being disappointed. As I said, the resort was beautiful. I do understand a request is a request. But I do think that when families travel together, rooms should be able to be placed closer together than buildings away, especially when the reservations are made 7 months ahead of time. I don't necessarily mean next to each other. But not 10 minutes away.
And no, the view had no savannah - it was a fence and a road, and then the land BEYOND the savannah-The woods around the property. I had to hang over the balcony and look left to see the savannah. I don't consider this a savannah view that cost hundreds of points. You may have your expectation but I have mine and I expect what I paid for. I work hard for my money. I have a standard. You think I may need to lower it. Believe me, I don't. It's not that high in other area's of my life but when I scrape nickel and dime for years to be able to fly all of us and afford all else that one needs to pay for in Disney (because our DVC only covers our room) then yes, I have certain expectations of that room and that hotel. It's called customer service. I am a paying customer. I paid THOUSANDS. I expect service. As a customer we provide their best advertisement. Unhappy customers- unhappy advertisement.
I think anyone who thinks "I have paid thousands so I'm going to lower my expectations" just tossed money out the window and said "oh well" or you just have money to burn. I don't. I have to work and work hard for every dime of it.

i know this is months later but i wanted to sympathize with you. i had a similar experience at blt 2 years ago and people on this board vilify anyone that dares complain about dvc. you are right, why was it so hard to put both parties close to each other and transportation? it is a huge complex with tons of rooms. are you telling me every room in between you and your party were booked? it seems unlikely. and we paid alot for our dvc ownership and i am not so sure we really get any special treatment which is what we were sold on, that whole dvc members are special, etc.
don't let the disney wackos get to you. you were right to complain and you were not being unreasonable!