AKL Kidani Savannah View or Beach Club Villas - renting points - a few ??? Please

[LovesTimone]

DH and I need a break... we are thinking about doing a staycation at either one of these resorts.... for 4 or 5 nights...
We are AP holders as well as Florida Residents... It just the 2 of us so we are looking at a studio...

We are looking for some much needed down time... so relaxing is the priority ,lots of pool time and pool drinks, and heading into the parks later in the day, some nice meals, lots on fireworks and such...

Here are some questions...

What are our chances for May 2019?

This would be our first time renting points or staying in a DVC.. We are looking at using David's DVC for this trip... Thoughts, since we first timers I want to make sure that we are in good hands, and everything that I have read is really good... Thoughts?

Can you get a studio with a king bed.. this is a necessity for us... can you book it... not just a request... this would be a deal breaker for us... Either resort thoughts?

I would want to stay if we choose AK Kidani so that we can see the giraffe's can you request this?, and how do you think we will fare on the request? Room number suggestions.

If we stay at Beach Club Villas, I prefer a water or garden view, any suggestion or room number would be great....

Using bus service... is there a separate bus for DVC... or just the main resort ones... Honestly I have never paid attention...

Pool - is there a separate pool for the DVC? and if so and if you want to can you use the main pools?

Please explain - housekeeping, we like daily housekeeping can you get this, or at least daily towels exchange? or is there a towel exchange area that you can do it your self?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

What are our chances for May 2019?

Bad. There are only a handful of stray, unconnected days in AKV Kidani studios, and one day all month in a BCV studio. 1BR availability is somewhat better, but much more expensive.

That almost makes all of your other questions moot, because DVC is really a long-term planning product, and inside of 4 months is not going to work for a multi-day stay in a studio for most of the year, especially at a high demand resort like BCV. Even Saratoga Springs is hard until late in the month.

But.

This would be our first time renting points or staying in a DVC.. We are looking at using David's DVC for this trip... Thoughts, since we first timers I want to make sure that we are in good hands, and everything that I have read is really good... Thoughts?

David's is fine.

Can you get a studio with a king bed.. this is a necessity for us... can you book it... not just a request.

No. No studios with King beds. To get a King requires a 1BR. This is true at every DVC resort.

I would want to stay if we choose AK Kidani so that we can see the giraffe's can you request this?

Yes.

If we stay at Beach Club Villas, I prefer a water or garden view

Most of BCV has a view of trees. Views are not a selling point for BCV.

Using bus service... is there a separate bus for DVC... or just the main resort ones

Same buses.

Pool - is there a separate pool for the DVC? and if so and if you want to can you use the main pools?

Same pools.

Please explain - housekeeping, we like daily housekeeping can you get this, or at least daily towels exchange? or is there a towel exchange area that you can do it your self?

You can pay extra for daily housekeeping (like $30/day for a studio, more for a 1BR), or pay $6/day (I think) for fresh towels. Both are a charge.

 

[drusba]

Highly doubtful for a studio, some possible chance for 1BR at AKV, which is more likely than BCV, if trip time is flexible. Owners of any given resort can reserve that resort beginning 11 months out from date of arrival. Owners of any resort can reserve at any other resort beginning 7 months out from date of arrival. Once you are past that 7 month window, availability becomes spotty, particularly at a near park resort like BCV, although 1BRs often last longer than studios. AKV for May tends to last a little longer but now that you are 3 months away even it will have issues except possibly for 1BRs if timing is flexible.

 

[LovesTimone]

Bad. There are only a handful of stray, unconnected days in AKV Kidani studios, and one day all month in a BCV studio. 1BR availability is somewhat better, but much more expensive.

That almost makes all of your other questions moot, because DVC is really a long-term planning product, and inside of 4 months is not going to work for a multi-day stay in a studio for most of the year, especially at a high demand resort like BCV. Even Saratoga Springs is hard until late in the month.

But.



David's is fine.



No. No studios with King beds. To get a King requires a 1BR. This is true at every DVC resort.


Yes.


Most of BCV has a view of trees. Views are not a selling point for BCV.


Same buses.


Same pools.



You can pay extra for daily housekeeping (like $30/day for a studio, more for a 1BR), or pay $6/day (I think) for fresh towels. Both are a charge.

OP here;

I do need a King bed... DH is tall almost 6'5 and I am 5'9 which is taller for a woman... we both have back problems so this is important... I guess I will have to rethink a studio and lean toward a 1 bed room... which is a whole different plan...

Another question is there a regular kitchen in a one bedroom?

 

[CarolMN]

OP here;

I do need a King bed... DH is tall almost 6'5 and I am 5'9 which is taller for a woman... we both have back problems so this is important... I guess I will have to rethink a studio and lean toward a 1 bed room... which is a whole different plan...

Another question is there a regular kitchen in a one bedroom?

Yes, full kitchen in the 1 bedrooms, including dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, microwave toaster & coffeemaker. Also equipped with dishes, pots & pans if you want to cook. All also have a washer & dryer right in the unit, two TVs. Some have two full bathrooms. Great choice for a staycation.

You can find a full list of amenities and floor plans for each DVC resort in the DVC Resource Center. (Starting with post #3).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I just double-checked - daily housekeeping for a 1BR villa is $45/day.

 

[LovesTimone]

I just double-checked - daily housekeeping for a 1BR villa is $45/day.

OP here

For a 4 or 5 night stay, can you just add on mousekeeping maybe for just one day... like midweek to freshen everything up... ?

 

[LovesTimone]

Yes, full kitchen in the 1 bedrooms, including dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, microwave toaster & coffeemaker. Also equipped with dishes, pots & pans if you want to cook. All also have a washer & dryer right in the unit, two TVs. Some have two full bathrooms. Great choice for a staycation.

You can find a full list of amenities and floor plans for each DVC resort in the DVC Resource Center. (Starting with post #3).

I really like the idea of a stove to make breakfast, so that we can eat in room easily, I can make something in my PJ's and have coffee on the balcony... as well I did not realize that there was a washer and dryer which is nice.

 

[a1tinkfans]

If u do stay KIDANI .. consider the nighttime safari
It was a Great Experience and very UP close
Animal interactions.. night vision goggles, we were amazed at animals literally up to our vehicle. Just awesome
Enjoy ur Staycation!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

OP here

For a 4 or 5 night stay, can you just add on mousekeeping maybe for just one day... like midweek to freshen everything up... ?

If you are staying 4-5 nights, you do get trash & towel (not full housekeeping) on Day 4. It's easy enough to upgrade that, or, since that's later in the stay, do a housekeeping on day 2-3.

A towel pack alone is like $6.

 

[LovesTimone]

If you are staying 4-5 nights, you do get trash & towel (not full housekeeping) on Day 4. It's easy enough to upgrade that, or, since that's later in the stay, do a housekeeping on day 2-3.

A towel pack alone is like $6.

Thanks for all the info... can I go down the morning of to request full mousekeeping, or do I have to request when we check-in... ?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Thanks for all the info... can I go down the morning of to request full mousekeeping, or do I have to request when we check-in... ?

Requesting well in advance is advised.

 

[starry_solo]

A 1 bd would cost 2x the price of a studio, so you might want to look at whether there are hotel rooms at Beach Club or Yacht Club to accommodate you...they would have flexible cancellation policies, versus DVC

 

[Simba's Mom]

Maybe your experience re housekeeping will be different, but when we first joined DVC, we were sure we'd pay for the daily housekeeping. Yet, on our first visit, we forgot to request it and just decided to take what we got. Turned out we loved it. Now, with these daily room checks (due to safety, they say), it feel very intrusive to have housekeeping come into our rooms every day.

And I much prefer BCV over Kidani. Every stay at Kidani, I've requested near lobby. The first time, I got the furthest "pod" out, so the second time I double-checked at the front desk. "Oh, yes-you're near the lobby", I was assured. Well, their idea of "Near" isn't the same as mine, since this time I was "only" in the 5th pod out.
BCV just seems more restful to me.

 

[LovesTimone]

A 1 bd would cost 2x the price of a studio, so you might want to look at whether there are hotel rooms at Beach Club or Yacht Club to accommodate you...they would have flexible cancellation policies, versus DVC

That's something that I have thought about... Still haven't made up our minds... Hopefully will nail it down this week...