AKL Villas question

[Tinkermom3]

Does anyone know what types of rooms will be available this fall at AK Villas? Are they converting the current rooms to be able to offer all of the different types of rooms listed? Or are they just creating basic studios and 1& 2 bedrooms (no Savannah views)? I do not know if DVC has even announced what types of rooms are available as I cannot seem to find this info anywhere.I tried calling Member Services but they did not have any info either.

For our February '08 trip I am specifically wanting either a 2 bedroom Savannah view or preferably 2 bedroom Concierge. What are my chances? Thanks for any info!!

 

[LisaS]

This map shows the construction phases: http://advc.disney.go.com/media/dvc/languagespecific/eng/resorts/animalKingdomVillas/DAKVMap.pdf By this fall, the villas on the Zebra trail will be open (the area outlined with white dots plus the area outlined in blue dots). So there will be savanna view and standard/pool view villas available. There will be 2BR lockoffs and dedicated studios.

By your trip dates in Feb '08, the villas on the Kudu trail should be open. That is the area outlined in white dashes. All of those villas will all be savanna view.

The Concierge villas are on the 6th floor on either side of the lobby so they are in the area outlined in red dashes, with an estimated opening date of May '08, so they will not be available for your Feb '08 trip. There will be a total of 5 2BR lockoffs on the 6th floor, for a maximum of 10 concierge rooms so they are going to be extremely difficult to book.

 

[poohmomof5]

I was able to book a 2bdrm SV at AKV for this Sept, so that is an option for you. I just don't know how many will be available. Good luck!

Poohmom

 

[eva]

Hmm, I wonder how many GVs will be available in the main lodge. We are planning on getting one in May of 2009. And I doubt if much of the new construction will be open by that time. Anyone know how many GVs are supposed to be in each?

 

[LisaS]

Hmm, I wonder how many GVs will be available in the main lodge. We are planning on getting one in May of 2009. And I doubt if much of the new construction will be open by that time. Anyone know how many GVs are supposed to be in each?

There will be 6 GVs in Jambo House (AKL building). They will be at the end of each hallway. I don't know how many are planned for Kidani Village (the new building) but it is supposed to open in 2009.

 

[Tinkermom3]

Thanks LisaS! I am bummed that they are only having 5 concierge rooms (or 10 if your split them out). I imagine the chances of getting one without being an AKV owner is just about zero.

Oh well, I may still try for a 2 bedroom Savannah view at 7 months out. Our next choice is to stay at the Contemporary Concierge. It is a splurge but we have always wanted to stay there and we have some extra points. It is a special trip as we will be staying just before going on our first Disney Cruise! Our 3 kids do not know about the cruise and we are going to tell them about it the night before at dinner while at WDW.

 

[LisaS]

Thanks LisaS! I am bummed that they are only having 5 concierge rooms (or 10 if your split them out). I imagine the chances of getting one without being an AKV owner is just about zero.

I think the chances of getting one even if you are an AKV owner are not great either! I would like to try it sometime but I am not looking forward to the booking frenzy. I just don't understand why they are limiting it to so few villas. Everyone will be booking it day by day and it will be unlikely that anyone will be lucky enough to get it for every night of their stay.

Oh well, I may still try for a 2 bedroom Savannah view at 7 months out. Our next choice is to stay at the Contemporary Concierge. It is a splurge but we have always wanted to stay there and we have some extra points. It is a special trip as we will be staying just before going on our first Disney Cruise! Our 3 kids do not know about the cruise and we are going to tell them about it the night before at dinner while at WDW.

I hope things work out for you. Good luck!

 

[rigsby25]

Does anyone have a layout of the 1BR's in Jambo House? We are going Dec. 2 and have reserved a 1 BR. Our confirmation says pool view, which I didn't request, but all the layouts I have seen are for Kidani.

 

[pilferk]

There will be 6 GVs in Jambo House (AKL building). They will be at the end of each hallway. I don't know how many are planned for Kidani Village (the new building) but it is supposed to open in 2009.

Here's a question I've not seen asked directly:

Do you all know if the GV's will get concierge access too? Sorta like the AKL suites get it?

Just wondering...

 

[LisaS]

Does anyone have a layout of the 1BR's in Jambo House? We are going Dec. 2 and have reserved a 1 BR. Our confirmation says pool view, which I didn't request, but all the layouts I have seen are for Kidani.

Did you book a standard view? For your trip dates, the only standard view rooms are around the pool area. Once Jambo House is complete, there will be some standard view rooms along the front that face the parking lot.

The floor plan for the villas in Jambo House will be quite different because they are the result of converting existing hotel rooms so they had to work within the existing space. We haven't yet seen a floor plan for a Value villa but floor plans for Savanna view and Standard view villas have appeared in the legal documents Disney has filed. They are not as detailed as the floor plans on the Disney website because they don't show any furniture but you can get some idea of the layout.

Here is the floor plan for Unit 29 that I copied from one of those legal documents. It contains 2 2BR lockoffs.

Looking at the "bays" from left to right, bays 1 and 2 are a 1BR villa, bay 3 is a connecting studio, completing one 2BR lockoff. The three bays on the right form another 2BR lockoff: bay 4 is a studio that can connect to the 1BR villa in bays 5 and 6. For some reason the drawing of the kitchen in the leftmost 1BR villa is incomplete, but if you look at the kitchen in the rightmost 1BR villa, you can see it's an L-shaped kitchen. There is no separate shower either -- there is a combined tub and shower unit in the master bath. There is no closet in the master bath so I expect there will be an armoire in the master bedroom. And of course you do not get the 2nd bathroom in the Lodge 1BR villas - those will only be included in the Kidani Village 1BRs.

Another interesting thing is that you can see they had to work around some structural issues (the areas of the drawing that look like an X inside a rectangle) so the vanity in the master bath on the left has 2 sinks and the one on the right has only 1 sink. In some units the connecting door to the studio is in the living area (as in the villa on the left) and in other cases it's in the entry way into the villa (as in the villa on the right). So not every villa in Jambo House is laid out exactly like this plan but it won't be drastically different either.

 

[LisaS]

Here's a question I've not seen asked directly:

Do you all know if the GV's will get concierge access too? Sorta like the AKL suites get it?

Just wondering...

According to the legal docs, only the 5 2BR lockoffs on the 6th floor will have concierge access. I remember someone called DVC to ask that very question and reported here that the answer was "no". I'm actually relieved about that because if the number of "slots" for DVC is going to be so limited, letting just one GV have access to concierge could take up all of those slots. If that became the route to concierge access, those of us without enough points (or a large enough group) to book/need a GV would never have the chance to experience concierge level.

 

[rlduvall]

LisaS: As usual, you are a wealth of wonderful information. Just yesterday, I had AKV points transferred to my account and was able to book a standard view studio for 12/9 to 12/15. I was really surprised anything was available. So, from your interpretation and your earlier comments, is it reasonable safe to assume that no parking lot views would be completed by then for standard studios - only pool views? My concern is that the map indicates portions of the renovations will be completed in December of 2007 and it looks like these rooms will overlook all the construction for the new building. Something I definitely do not want. What do you think?????

 

[LisaS]

LisaS: As usual, you are a wealth of wonderful information.

This is my first time owning "new construction" at DVC, so I'm finding it interesting to track the progress of the resort!

Just yesterday, I had AKV points transferred to my account and was able to book a standard view studio for 12/9 to 12/15. I was really surprised anything was available. So, from your interpretation and your earlier comments, is it reasonable safe to assume that no parking lot views would be completed by then for standard studios - only pool views?

Based on that map showing the construction phases, the parking lot view rooms will be in the last phase (May '08). Also, I expect those parking lot view rooms to be classified as "value" rooms because they will be smaller units (created by converting the smaller "standard" size AKL rooms rather than the larger "deluxe" size AKL rooms). So I believe that the standard view rooms in Jambo House will be pool view and maybe "almost savannah" view if they have any rooms like that (you know, the type of room that claims to have a view of something but in reality you have to lean over the balcony, look to your left, stand on tip toe and you can just make out a giraffe).

My concern is that the map indicates portions of the renovations will be completed in December of 2007 and it looks like these rooms will overlook all the construction for the new building. Something I definitely do not want. What do you think?????

You raise a very interesting question about those rooms along the outside of the Kudu trail. They face the Sunset Savannah so technically they are "savanna view" but they also face the construction area for the new building. So the question is, what is happening with that savannah while the work is in progress. I really don't know but it is a very interesting question!

 

[rigsby25]

There is no separate shower either -- there is a combined tub and shower unit in the master bath. There is no closet in the master bath so I expect there will be an armoire in the master bedroom.

We have 4 adults going. Does anyone have an opinion if I should waitlist for a 1BR at OKW instead? We are so excited to stay at AKV, but if the only tub and shower is in the master bedroom, that isn't very good for privacy, is it? And no closet? Does this seem smaller than say an SSR or BCV 1 BR?

 

[caracarn]

I just purchased a 100 point add-on at AKL yesterday, so I asked a LOT of questions this week.

The Jambo house rooms are all conversions and before the end of the year, I was told only Savanna view rooms are available (third point tier). There are no value rooms being built currently. We are going in October. The other tidbit is that you cannot book without being an owner until Monday, as they suggested strongly that as soon as my points hit the account if I want October to call today or Saturday because Monday, it's all open season!

 

[LisaS]

We have 4 adults going. Does anyone have an opinion if I should waitlist for a 1BR at OKW instead? We are so excited to stay at AKV, but if the only tub and shower is in the master bedroom, that isn't very good for privacy, is it? And no closet? Does this seem smaller than say an SSR or BCV 1 BR?

According to the public DVC website, the 1BRs in Jambo House are 710 sq. ft, SSR's 1BR is 714 sq ft, BCV's 1BR is 726 sq ft.

I believe they are putting an armoire in the master bedroom. There is also hanging space in the large closet in the kitchen area (according to the floor plan).

If you decide to waitlist for an OKW 1BR, you should request one that has a separate entrance to the bathroom through the laundry room area. Otherwise your guests would have to walk through a corner of the master bedroom to get into the bathroom. (To me that would be more of a privacy issue than the setup at Jambo House where the master bath and master bedroom are completely separate.) I can't remember which building numbers at OKW are set up like that but someone here will know (and I expect MS would know).

 

[LisaS]

I just purchased a 100 point add-on at AKL yesterday, so I asked a LOT of questions this week.

The Jambo house rooms are all conversions and before the end of the year, I was told only Savanna view rooms are available (third point tier). There are no value rooms being built currently. We are going in October. The other tidbit is that you cannot book without being an owner until Monday, as they suggested strongly that as soon as my points hit the account if I want October to call today or Saturday because Monday, it's all open season!

Welcome home! There are actually some standard view villas available also. They face the pool area. The Value villas should be available in May '08.

 

[Good Ol Gal]

I just purchased a 100 point add-on at AKL yesterday, so I asked a LOT of questions this week.

The Jambo house rooms are all conversions and before the end of the year, I was told only Savanna view rooms are available (third point tier). There are no value rooms being built currently. We are going in October. The other tidbit is that you cannot book without being an owner until Monday, as they suggested strongly that as soon as my points hit the account if I want October to call today or Saturday because Monday, it's all open season!

I thought it was Wed??

 

[Simba's Mom]

I thought it was Wed??

Yes, I'm panicking with you! I had Wednesday, June 6th written down on my wall calendar to remind me to call that morning.

 

[pilferk]

We have 4 adults going. Does anyone have an opinion if I should waitlist for a 1BR at OKW instead? We are so excited to stay at AKV, but if the only tub and shower is in the master bedroom, that isn't very good for privacy, is it? And no closet? Does this seem smaller than say an SSR or BCV 1 BR?

It's not really IN the MBR...there is a small hallway (with the laundry at the end) seperating the two. The bathroom has a pocket door that closes it off from the hallway.