AKV 2 Bedroom Availability

[1momof3boys3]

Are the value 2 bedrooms difficult to get during fall/winter frenzy (looking at second week of December 2019) Also, are these value 2 bedrooms only located in Jambo House?

 

[1momof3boys3]

Adding to that.... are 2 bedroom suites difficult to get during that time of year, whether or not it's value.

 

[BillPA]

Value only at Jambo, and that is among the busiest time for DVC.

 

[1momof3boys3]

Value only at Jambo, and that is among the busiest time for DVC.

So, probably one of those times when you should be at the computer at 11 months, 8am on the dot, huh? Are 2 bedroom standard views easier to get? Are 2Bstandard views also in the Kidani area?

 

[BillPA]

2 BR standard view units are at both Jambo and Kadani, but only Kadani has dedicated 2 BR. All Jambo units are lock offs. I would be on line early. Good luck.

 

[1momof3boys3]

2 BR standard view units are at both Jambo and Kadani, but only Kadani has dedicated 2 BR. All Jambo units are lock offs. I would be on line early. Good luck.

Thanks for the information!

 

[bobbiwoz]

Also, the dedicated 2 bedrooms at Kidani have 3 full baths, very nice!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

For December, booking Standard or Savannah at 11 months is still best practice, but it's not shiv-worthy 8AM shenanigans like Club or Value.

 

[drusba]

The Jambo value 2BRs are lock-offs (combined studio and 1BR) and thus studio reservations diminish 2BR availability. Late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is DVC's high demand time at WDW and the second week of Dec is one of the extremely high demand weeks of the year. If you are talking about getting a 2BR value for that time at 7 months out, your chances are zero. The value studuios (and thus also 2BRs) actually fill for that time before or within nano-seconds after the 11 month window opens for owners of AKV.

Standard and savanna view do not disappear immediately at 11 months out for that time and you actually have some time to reserve those beyond 11 months out. However, at 7 months out those can still be a problem. For second week of Dec 2017, Jambo standard and savanna view 2BRs were each missing 4 nights at seven months out. The Kidani lock-off 2BRs, both standard and savanna view were missing three nights, the dedicated standard view 2BR four nights, and the dedicated savanna view 2Br only one night.

 

[1momof3boys3]

The Jambo value 2BRs are lock-offs (combined studio and 1BR) and thus studio reservations diminish 2BR availability. Late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan is DVC's high demand time at WDW and the second week of Dec is one of the extremely high demand weeks of the year. If you are talking about getting a 2BR value for that time at 7 months out, your chances are zero. The value studuios (and thus also 2BRs) actually fill for that time before or within nano-seconds after the 11 month window opens for owners of AKV.

Standard and savanna view do not disappear immediately at 11 months out for that time and you actually have some time to reserve those beyond 11 months out. However, at 7 months out those can still be a problem. For second week of Dec 2017, Jambo standard and savanna view 2BRs were each missing 4 nights at seven months out. The Kidani lock-off 2BRs, both standard and savanna view were missing three nights, the dedicated standard view 2BR four nights, and the dedicated savanna view 2Br only one night.

Thank you for this explanation! We're going through closing on a AKV contract right now (just waiting for one document from the seller!) and I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect when we go to book this January.

 

[drusba]

Thank you for this explanation! We're going through closing on a AKV contract right now (just waiting for one document from the seller!) and I'm trying to get an idea of what to expect when we go to book this January.

When I checked in February 2017 at 10 months out there was still availability for standard or savanna view 2BRs at both buildings for that time in Dec. As has been mentioned, many are partial to the 2BRs at Kidani because as rooms they are better than Jambo -- 100 sq ft larger, three rather than two bathrooms, much more closet space, a shower separate from the jacuzzti tub in the master bath (the Jambo master baths have a combined shower and tub and it is a very high step-over to get into the tub area), and if you get a dedicated room, you get a second queen rather than a pull-out couch in the second bedroom and a balcony that runs all the way across the two bedrooms and living room (the lock-offs have a barrier wall between the balcony of the studio and 1BR).

Since you mentioned value rooms to begin with, you are probably thinking of going with lower point cost rooms if you can get them. Though the standards are more costly than value, they are a lot less than the savanna views and 2BRs at number of other resorts. Also, you can have a greater than 50% chance of actually getting a savanna view at Jambo if you reserve standard view. Several years back, Disney converted a number of savanna view rooms to standard because the views were not that great (but still actually had views of the savanna). At Jambo, that conversion resulted in more than 50% of the standard rooms having savanna views. You can have a decent chance of getting a savanna view with standard if you make a request through MS after reserving your room for a room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (which is the left side when facing the U-shaped building) because all the standards on the Kudo Trail side of the building are rooms converted from savanna view. There were also some conversions at Kidani, but most standards there still do not have savanna view and none face Sunset savanna (the largest and best savanna), but you have a chance of getting a Pembe savanna view with a standard view 2BR if you request a room near the Pumba elevator (but be prepared for long walks to lobby and bus stop if the request is met).

 

[1momof3boys3]

When I checked in February 2017 at 10 months out there was still availability for standard or savanna view 2BRs at both buildings for that time in Dec. As has been mentioned, many are partial to the 2BRs at Kidani because as rooms they are better than Jambo -- 100 sq ft larger, three rather than two bathrooms, much more closet space, a shower separate from the jacuzzti tub in the master bath (the Jambo master baths have a combined shower and tub and it is a very high step-over to get into the tub area), and if you get a dedicated room, you get a second queen rather than a pull-out couch in the second bedroom and a balcony that runs all the way across the two bedrooms and living room (the lock-offs have a barrier wall between the balcony of the studio and 1BR).

Since you mentioned value rooms to begin with, you are probably thinking of going with lower point cost rooms if you can get them. Though the standards are more costly than value, they are a lot less than the savanna views and 2BRs at number of other resorts. Also, you can have a greater than 50% chance of actually getting a savanna view at Jambo if you reserve standard view. Several years back, Disney converted a number of savanna view rooms to standard because the views were not that great (but still actually had views of the savanna). At Jambo, that conversion resulted in more than 50% of the standard rooms having savanna views. You can have a decent chance of getting a savanna view with standard if you make a request through MS after reserving your room for a room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (which is the left side when facing the U-shaped building) because all the standards on the Kudo Trail side of the building are rooms converted from savanna view. There were also some conversions at Kidani, but most standards there still do not have savanna view and none face Sunset savanna (the largest and best savanna), but you have a chance of getting a Pembe savanna view with a standard view 2BR if you request a room near the Pumba elevator (but be prepared for long walks to lobby and bus stop if the request is met).

If we want to stay in Kidani, but closer to the Jambo House side, is there an area to request? I like the Kidani 3 bedroom option (3 tween boys with us!) , but it can be a really long walk for my grandmother if we're on the other side of the building! I guess it could also be near the bus stop area, not necessarily the Jambo House.

I can't thank you enough for this information!

 

[1momof3boys3]

When I checked in February 2017 at 10 months out there was still availability for standard or savanna view 2BRs at both buildings for that time in Dec. As has been mentioned, many are partial to the 2BRs at Kidani because as rooms they are better than Jambo -- 100 sq ft larger, three rather than two bathrooms, much more closet space, a shower separate from the jacuzzti tub in the master bath (the Jambo master baths have a combined shower and tub and it is a very high step-over to get into the tub area), and if you get a dedicated room, you get a second queen rather than a pull-out couch in the second bedroom and a balcony that runs all the way across the two bedrooms and living room (the lock-offs have a barrier wall between the balcony of the studio and 1BR).

Since you mentioned value rooms to begin with, you are probably thinking of going with lower point cost rooms if you can get them. Though the standards are more costly than value, they are a lot less than the savanna views and 2BRs at number of other resorts. Also, you can have a greater than 50% chance of actually getting a savanna view at Jambo if you reserve standard view. Several years back, Disney converted a number of savanna view rooms to standard because the views were not that great (but still actually had views of the savanna). At Jambo, that conversion resulted in more than 50% of the standard rooms having savanna views. You can have a decent chance of getting a savanna view with standard if you make a request through MS after reserving your room for a room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (which is the left side when facing the U-shaped building) because all the standards on the Kudo Trail side of the building are rooms converted from savanna view. There were also some conversions at Kidani, but most standards there still do not have savanna view and none face Sunset savanna (the largest and best savanna), but you have a chance of getting a Pembe savanna view with a standard view 2BR if you request a room near the Pumba elevator (but be prepared for long walks to lobby and bus stop if the request is met).

Is there a way to tell if I am booking a 2 bedroom lock-off or a dedicated? Is it notated somehow when booking?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Is there a way to tell if I am booking a 2 bedroom lock-off or a dedicated? Is it notated somehow when booking?

Yes.

 

[drusba]

Is there a way to tell if I am booking a 2 bedroom lock-off or a dedicated? Is it notated somehow when booking?

When reserving DVC resorts online, dedicated 2BRs are shown as "2 Bedroom Villa"; lock-offs are shown as "2 Bedroom Lock-off Villa."

 

[drusba]

If we want to stay in Kidani, but closer to the Jambo House side, is there an area to request? I like the Kidani 3 bedroom option (3 tween boys with us!) , but it can be a really long walk for my grandmother if we're on the other side of the building! I guess it could also be near the bus stop area, not necessarily the Jambo House.

I can't thank you enough for this information!

The request that gives you shortest walk from Kidani to Jambo is to request room near the "Zazu elevator," the last elvator on the Kidani south wing which goes toward the front of Jambo (the Kidani front entrance faces west). That elvator to the ground floor, out to the sidewalk, and then over to Jambo, is about a 1/4 mile trip. For comparison, the walking distance from an end room on the north wing of Kidani, the furthest rooms from Jambo's front entrance, is about 5/6 mile. However, be aware that being near the Zazu elevator at Kidani gives you a quite a bit of a walk to the bus station and lobby at Kidani, and a very long walk to the pool at Kidani. Note that there is a shuttle (mini-bus) that runs continuously morning through evening between the front entrances of both buildings that you can take -- wait time just depends on where the shuttle is in the resort run at the time you arrive outside the front entrance of one of the buildings but usually fairly short and seldom more than 15 minutes.

Two of the best location requests you can make at Kidani are (a) "near the Rafiki elevator," which is on the north wing and provides shortest walk from the building to the pool and puts you within striking distance of the lobby and bus station, or (b) "near the Timon elevator," which puts you on the south wing and down that elevator to second floor gives short walk to the door that leads directly to the bus station and also puts you within striking distance of the lobby and pool.

 

[1momof3boys3]

The request that gives you shortest walk from Kidani to Jambo is to request room near the "Zazu elevator," the last elvator on the Kidani south wing which goes toward the front of Jambo (the Kidani front entrance faces west). That elvator to the ground floor, out to the sidewalk, and then over to Jambo, is about a 1/4 mile trip. For comparison, the walking distance from an end room on the north wing of Kidani, the furthest rooms from Jambo's front entrance, is about 5/6 mile. However, be aware that being near the Zazu elevator at Kidani gives you a quite a bit of a walk to the bus station and lobby at Kidani, and a very long walk to the pool at Kidani. Note that there is a shuttle (mini-bus) that runs continuously morning through evening between the front entrances of both buildings that you can take -- wait time just depends on where the shuttle is in the resort run at the time you arrive outside the front entrance of one of the buildings but usually fairly short and seldom more than 15 minutes.

Two of the best location requests you can make at Kidani are (a) "near the Rafiki elevator," which is on the north wing and provides shortest walk from the building to the pool and puts you within striking distance of the lobby and bus station, or (b) "near the Timon elevator," which puts you on the south wing and down that elevator to second floor gives short walk to the door that leads directly to the bus station and also puts you within striking distance of the lobby and pool.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!