AKL 7 months out

[carmie3377]

DH and recently bought in at Saratoga Springs. However, for our first stay, we really want to stay at AKL Savannah View. Has anyone been able to book AKL at the 7 month mark? We plan on going late Sept/early Oct, which I have heard isn't very busy.

I know that if we really want to be able to stay at AKL we should have bought there. However, we want to experience all the DVC resorts sooner or later, so at the time of purchase, that is what I was thinking, that most of the time, we wouldn't be staying at our home. Since we do want to experience all of them, we could go ahead and book SSR and just wait until the new section opens. However, MIL is going with us and her heart is set at staying at AKL. She has never been to WDW and we have hyped it up so much. I don't think we would let her down no matter where we stay, but I just want to make it extra special for her.

So, has anyone had luck at the 7 month mark?

TIA, Carmen

 

[daisyduck123]

We were able to get Christmas (Dec. 20-26) at AKV. No problem.
SSR is our home resort.

We were in a studio with a beautiful view of the pool. Loved it!!

 

[DVC Jen]

We got a savannah view studio for early/mid June at the 7 month window with no issues.

 

[mikesmom]

Try to lean it toward the late September. Early October is Food & Wine Fest time, and while the Epcot resorts fill up fastest, all the DVC resorts will fill earlier than they would in September.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Just remember that any experience folks have had in this first year of AKV will not be accurate for this year or next. There is going to be new inventory added occationally, so that availability will change. My guess is that you will probably be fine at 7 months, but it all depends on how much inventory is added between now and then.

 

[I'mNoPrince]

Remember most Not Busy Times for Disney = High DVC usage most of the times.

I booked a SAv View Studio at the 7month mark for the week after July4th and just booked another one at the 6 month mark for DM..

I have not had a problem getting into anything we want so far but we also are just trying to move around and try all the resorts and are flexable with where we stay.

 

[carmie3377]

Thanks for all the info. I was hoping to go after 9/27 since that is when free dining ends. However, that appears to be the first weekend of the Food and Wine Festival. What I'll probably do then is at the 7 month mark go ahead and book 9/21-9/27 just to have the ressies. Then, if available, I'll move to 9/28-10/4, and then again to 10/5-10/11 since that is the week we ultimately want (our Anniversary is 10/5 and we'll have a sitter in MIL!)

Can I do all those changes w/o penalty as long as it's done 7 months out. I think I can, but would just like the advice of some DVC veterans .

TIA, Carmen

 

[Shelly S]

I just booked a studio at AKL at 6 months out Savannah view. All the DVC resorts had studio availability for the last week of July. Other years, I have tried to book a studio at the seven month window for any DVC resort at the beginning of food and wine and there was limited availability.

 

[GAN]

I would call every day, booking each night individually. I just booked a 2BR this way @ AKV.

 

[Debs Hill]

We are looking for a 1 bed at the end of August/start of Sept at the 7 month mark.........fingers crossed! Has any one been able to get conceirge at this stage?!! What's the latest on when Kidani Village will open!?
Debsx

 

[pilferk]

DH and recently bought in at Saratoga Springs. However, for our first stay, we really want to stay at AKL Savannah View. Has anyone been able to book AKL at the 7 month mark? We plan on going late Sept/early Oct, which I have heard isn't very busy.

I know that if we really want to be able to stay at AKL we should have bought there. However, we want to experience all the DVC resorts sooner or later, so at the time of purchase, that is what I was thinking, that most of the time, we wouldn't be staying at our home. Since we do want to experience all of them, we could go ahead and book SSR and just wait until the new section opens. However, MIL is going with us and her heart is set at staying at AKL. She has never been to WDW and we have hyped it up so much. I don't think we would let her down no matter where we stay, but I just want to make it extra special for her.

So, has anyone had luck at the 7 month mark?

TIA, Carmen

As long as you're not looking to book value or concierge level villas, you'll likely be fine. ESPECIALLY with savannah level, because inventory is pretty plentiful, by the looks of things.

I'd echo another poster's suggestion: Try for late September over early October, as Food and Wine packs in the DVC members!

 

[pilferk]

We are looking for a 1 bed at the end of August/start of Sept at the 7 month mark.........fingers crossed! Has any one been able to get conceirge at this stage?!! What's the latest on when Kidani Village will open!?
Debsx

The official word is still "spring 2009".

However, there's 3 things that are interesting:

1) They are 5 months ahead of schedule for the Jambo conversions. They originally were slated to be complete in May, but now look like they'll be done in about a week or so.

2) I was just there about 2 weeks ago and construction on Kidani is ongoing at what I would call a BLISTERING pace. There's some batches of pictures around, on the Miscellaneous thread that show how far they've progressed. I'd be shocked if they had 18 months of construction left.

3) When we called to book our December, 2008 trip at AKV, we asked the MS rep about Kidani. She said to keep our ears open because they were hearing that some of Kidani might be open by late this year and that we may be able to call and switch our ressies over, for our trip, if we were interested. If Kidani is open, AKV owners will get first crack at booking there...much like they did with concierge and value villas. I'd take all the above as rumor, but it's the first quasi-official thing we've heard that indicates Kidani might be done before the currently given date.

 

[Maxwell]

Will Kidani Village have all of the same view types as Jambo House and will the points be the same?

Value
Standard
Savannah
Concierge

 

[DVC Mike]

Kidani is not going to have Value rooms, and supposedly will not include Concierge rooms.

There are four booking categories at AKV: Value, Standard View, Savanna View and Concierge.

(V) Value: (Jambo House only). Smaller rooms with either a Savanna view or a Standard View (which means pool, garden or parking lot) except that there are no "garden" views at Jambo House, just pool and parking lot. So a Value villa can have a view of the Sunset Savanna, the pool or the parking lot. A Value 1-BR only sleeps 4, versus 5 in all the other 1-BRs, as Value 1-BR do not have the Sleeper chair in the living room.

(S) Standard View: Larger than Value, with a Standard view (pool, garden or parking lot). At Jambo House only, all of the rooms in this booking category have a pool view. All of the Jambo House rooms facing the parking lot are smaller so they are classified as Value rooms. At Kidani Village, the Standard View villas will have a view of the pool, a garden area or a parking lot.

(SV) Savanna View: Larger than Value, with a view of a savanna (approximately 80% of all rooms have a Savanna View; All Grand Villas have a Savanna View)

(C) Killimanjaro Club Concierge: (Jambo House only). Larger than Value, with Concierge services and either a Savanna or Standard View (but no parking lot or garden views, just pool view). Only 5 Concierge units exist; they are all 2-BR lockoffs, for a maximum of 10 rooms if broken up into 1-BR and Studios. Unlike all other DVC accommodations, these rooms get daily housekeeping service and evening turndown with chocolates.

 

[pilferk]

DVC Mike answered the first part of your question.

I'll take a stab at the 2nd.

Best guess is that the points chart will be the same. AKV already has enough booking categories. I'm not sure they'd add a whole 2nd tier of ponts values for Kidani.

It's been debated, in both direction, whether Disney COULD change the points for Kidani. Nobody has ever presented anything definitive to prove whether they could or not. Either way, I'd be shocked if they actually DID.

In other words, I'd assume the points will be the same, but be aware there might be a possibility they won't.

 

[wildernessDad]

Will Kidani Village have all of the same view types as Jambo House and will the points be the same?

Value
Standard
Savannah
Concierge

I seriously doubt that the point breakdown for Kidani will be different than the points structure for Jambo house.

 

[AKV707]

DVC Mike answered the first part of your question.

I'll take a stab at the 2nd.

Best guess is that the points chart will be the same. AKV already has enough booking categories. I'm not sure they'd add a whole 2nd tier of points values for Kidani.

It's been debated, in both direction, whether Disney COULD change the points for Kidani. Nobody has ever presented anything definitive to prove whether they could or not. Either way, I'd be shocked if they actually DID.

In other words, I'd assume the points will be the same, but be aware there might be a possibility they won't.

I am on the side that the points will be the same. There just won't be value and concierge at Kidani. I agree that it appears that Kidani is well ahead of schedule. We are planning a 2 br stay in summer 2009. I was talking to my guide and asked when he thought that they be taking reservations for Kidani. He said that he thinks that I will be able to make that reservation at the 11 month window. That would be great!

 

[Debs Hill]

Just intersted to know.......................if you had the choice of making a booking for Kidani or for conceirge which would you do?!!
We have never stayed at the AKL or AKV and would like to try it for the first time! Would love to stay conceirge, but also liked the look of the Kidani rooms better and am curious about the new area!!! How is Kidani coming on? Debsx

 

[TDC Nala]

got value studios last weekend, and over Labor Day weekend, both booked at 7 month window.

 

[TinkGirl]

We got Savannah view 1 BR at exactly 7 months before check-out. The cm said it was their last one available for that week.