AKL - Would you rather...

[MelaBella]

I'm trying to decide between these two options:

1.) AKL Arusha Savanna view with a discount for about $850. (Request for the Zebra trail, 3rd or 4th floor, halfway down.)

or

2.) Rent DVC points for a Jambo House Studio Savanna view for about $500 - $550.


I'd love to hear from anyone who has stayed in both the regular rooms and DVC. I'm afraid the DVC rooms won't have as good a view because they are higher.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm trying to decide between these two options:

1.) AKL Arusha Savanna view with a discount for about $850. (Request for the Zebra trail, 3rd or 4th floor, halfway down.)

or

2.) Rent DVC points for a Jambo House Studio Savanna view for about $500 - $550.


I'd love to hear from anyone who has stayed in both the regular rooms and DVC. I'm afraid the DVC rooms won't have as good a view because they are higher.

A studio will have one queen bed and one double sleeper sofa. A hotel room will have at least two queen beds or one queen bed and a set of bunks. Or maybe even a king sized bed and a day bed (but I'm not sure on that configuration).

So depending on the size of your family, you might want a studio or a standard hotel room. All the studios at Jambo House are on the fifth floor (except for five concierge studios that go really fast at 11 months out on the sixth floor). The fifth floor villas used to be the standard concierge rooms until they were converted.

 

[MelaBella]

Thanks for your reply. Two queen beds or a bed and pull-out sofa will work for us. I'm really just concerned about the view. Basically, is it worth an extra $300 to be on the 3rd or 4th floor as opposed to the 5th floor? Opinions, anyone?

 

[jujube]

We stayed in a 1 bd room villa in the Jambo section and the view was fantastic!

 

[MelaBella]

Shameless bump. I'm still debating my options. Anyone else want to give their thoughts/opinion?

 

[Deb & Bill]

We have stayed on the fifth floor and fourth floor, though many years ago. Both gave us a good view of the savanna.

 

[mara61]

Hi,
We have stayed concierge (way back in 01), and have stayed on the 4th, 3rd with savanna view, and have had pool view room to. While we enjoyed having views of the savanna from our room, deep down we were just happy to be at the AKL. There are many places you can view the animals from, you don't "have" to see them from your room. It's nice, but if you want to save some money you could and still see animals. Do you have children? My kids are 9 and 7, and they love animals and they are great about looking for oh, maybe 10-20 minutes and then they want to do other things like visit the park, hit the pool or all the other cool things there are to do at the lodge. This year, we are doing a split stay between PORS and AKL DVC Kidani. It's our first time staying at Kidani and when I asked my husband if it were a deal breaker on wether we had savanna view or not (those rooms were gone at the DVC for our dates), he was amazed I would ask. The AKL is so much more than the view of the savanna from some of the rooms. That's just a little bit of the experience.

Not sure if I helped you or not, but if saving a few hundred dollars lets you do something else and you could still see the animals, with maybe not a great view from your room but from one of the many viewing spots in the hotel, why not give it a try?

 

[MelaBella]

Thanks Deb & Bill and mara61 for your thoughts. We are doing a split stay. AKL is for my husband as it is his "dream" Disney resort and BC for the girls. The AKL part of the trip is a surprise for my DH - he won't know we are staying there until we get there.

I think the animals are neat, but I'm not an animal lover by any means. My husband, on the other hand, is. He is also one who won't go to a concert or broadway show unless he has the good seats, front and center. I am frugal, though, and hesitate to spend an extra $300 if I'm not getting something significantly better for my investment. KWIM? Do I have the $300 to spend on the room? Yes. But, I could defintiely use it elsewhere if the difference in view is not significant.

On top of this, I am completely confused about the 4th floor. I have read that there are DVC rooms on the 4th floor, but everything DVC has officially put out shows rooms only on the 5th floor. I've also read that 4th floor is club level. Then, my copy of the UG recommends you request a 4th floor room as though it is just a regular savannah view room. I am so confused!!!

 

[DebbieB]

There are no DVC rooms on the 4th floor. AKL Club level rooms used to be on the 5th floor but are now on the 4th floor. Some guides are out of date.

 

[MelaBella]

There are no DVC rooms on the 4th floor. AKL Club level rooms used to be on the 5th floor but are now on the 4th floor. Some guides are out of date.

Thanks for the clarification, Debbie. So, is the 4th floor club only or a mix of club and regular rooms?

 

[mjaclyn]

You'll be able to see the animals with any Savannah view room. IMO I would go with renting DVC points because it will save you money. We've stayed in both a regular room and DVC rooms. Both are great but if you're fine with the pullout couch in the studio, I'd say go for the studio. For my family on the other hand, a studio is too small if all four of us will be in it. We just have too much stuff with two young children. So, for us it would have to be either a standard room with two queens or a one bedroom with DVC. Also remember that the resort itself offers different overlooks where you can go and see the animals without having to be in a savannah view room.

 

[wdwgreg]

imo the best viewing locaions are actualyl the public areas, the room balocny is great for those individual moments, waking up and drinking coffee while a giraffe wanders by, and to be honest the floor height realyl doesnt make that much diffrence to that. the important thing is to keep your eye out no matter where you are in the hotel as you never know what you might see,

 

[DebbieB]

Thanks for the clarification, Debbie. So, is the 4th floor club only or a mix of club and regular rooms?

I'm not sure. I know the AKL club rooms are all savannah view.

 

[JennSaint]

We've stayed twice in a Savannah view bunkbed room and once renting points for a studio.
I'd save the money and go with the studio!