AKV and busses

[Alderbrook]

We are renting DVC points next aug for AKL. My gf went to Boma to eat at their Last visit and when they went to leave she said the line up for the bus stop was insane. They ended up calling an Uber instead. Is there only one stop for everyone? She said they were going to try staying there next visit but not after she saw the busses and they’ve booked BWV again. Is it really this horrid? We’ve stayed POR, CBR and Pop and haven’t really had issues before. We are Jambo house. We will have our car but have never parked at the parks before and always bussed it. Is it nuts trying to get out of the parking lots at night back to the hotel?

also what is the best way to request a room? We are in a standard studio. Just use the online check in?

Thanks!

 

[clayfolks]

For me, the buses at AKV are the best on property. They pick up at Kidani first, except for the DS bus. We have had much better service, in terms of frequency and wait times,than we have at any other DVC property at WDW.

When renting points, the best way to get a room request in is to have the member call it in for you.

 

[SleepyV]

For me, the buses at AKV are the best on property. They pick up at Kidani first, except for the DS bus. We have had much better service, in terms of frequency and wait times,than we have at any other DVC property at WDW.

When renting points, the best way to get a room request in is to have the member call it in for you.

Totally agree. We're just back from a split stay at Kidani and the Poly. Buses at the Poly were shocking whilst at Kidani they were frequent and at Kidani there was a cast member chasing them up if they were getting towards the 20 min mark.

 

[gharter]

We rarely have had any issues with buses to and from AKL

 

[Frederic Civish]

Since the buses load first at Kidani, and then go to Jambo, and since there is a shuttle van that runs back and forth between the two resorts about every 10 minutes, if there is a long line at Jambo, you might grab the van and take it over to Kidani, and board there.

Jambo has Boma, an excellent restaurant and Mara, the Quick service restaurant, and Jiko, also excellent but expensive.
Kidani has Sanaa, another excellent restaurant and Sanaa functions as a Quick Service restaurant for breakfast.

If you are in a standard room at Jambo, you might request along the Kudu trail to try to get a Partial Savannah View.

If you are in a standard room at Jambo, you can request near the Timon Elevator, and your view will be to the west, out over the road and 'forest.' Or you can request near the Pembe Savannah, which will put you way up towards the NORTH end of the north wing, but you might get a partial savannah view, or you can request a view overlooking the pool, which is half way between the lobby and the Pembe savannah.

 

[Alderbrook]

Thanks for everyone’s response! We rented thru David’s DVC rental so I would have to contact them I guess to contact the owner and then hope the owner puts in the request? Seems crazy that even tho our names are on the reservation I can’t just fax them within the 10 day window. If it is still a 10 day window? It will be 5 years since we’ve been to Disney by the time we go. Do they still do faxes?

 

[Debbie Jean]

Thanks for everyone’s response! We rented thru David’s DVC rental so I would have to contact them I guess to contact the owner and then hope the owner puts in the request? Seems crazy that even tho our names are on the reservation I can’t just fax them within the 10 day window. If it is still a 10 day window? It will be 5 years since we’ve been to Disney by the time we go. Do they still do faxes?

You don't own the reservation. You never will. You are renting that reservation from the owner. Since you are not the owner, DVC will not communicate with you. This isn't Disney... this is DVC.

Simply get in touch with David's and request that the owner send the request to Member Services. Not a big deal. I'm sure they do it all the time as part of their service.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Thanks for everyone’s response! We rented thru David’s DVC rental so I would have to contact them I guess to contact the owner and then hope the owner puts in the request? Seems crazy that even tho our names are on the reservation I can’t just fax them within the 10 day window. If it is still a 10 day window? It will be 5 years since we’ve been to Disney by the time we go. Do they still do faxes?

DVC has asked guests not to bother faxing. They say they just toss the faxes out.

 

[drusba]

A little more than 50% of the Jambo standard rooms actually have savanna view, the rest pool view. If you want chance for savanna view, best request to make through owner is for room on the Kudo Trail side of the building (all standard rooms on that side have savanna view). Mentioned above is a request for near the Timon elevator or on the Pembe savanna -- those requests cannot be made for Jambo since they relate only to Kidani.

As to busses, we have found the AKV busses to be better than other resorts, including because they have only two internal stops (Kidani and Jambo) and do not share with any other resort. Nevertheless, as with any bus system at WDW, there can sometimes be problems and a long wait with long lines. You mention your gf went to Boma to eat and busses were overfilled. You do not mention time of day or to where she was to take a return bus. If you are talking about having dinner and leaving for a park some time near the start of its nightly event, then you can have huge numbers making that trip at that time. As noted the park busses usually run Kidani to Jambo to the park, and you can sometimes have too many load on Kidani, making Jambo mostly standing room. However, during rush times like going to a park in early morning, they often run separate buses from each building.

 

[Alderbrook]

I understand we don’t own the reservation. We own timeshare although not DVC. We are allowed to rent out our unit and the resort would not allow them to make changes or cancel but I’m sure that if the renters contacted the resort to make a room location request they would note it on the reservation and not need it to come from me. I just don’t want to be a bother to the person we rented from just for a room request.

Good to know about the busses. My gf was there for dinner. Not sure if the time but def a normal dinner time. They go to Disney often so they are aware of the transportation systems there but just said she was shocked at the line up for the bus and it turned them off of ever staying there. We’ve had lineups and waits but nothing like she described.

 

[drusba]

I understand we don’t own the reservation. We own timeshare although not DVC. We are allowed to rent out our unit and the resort would not allow them to make changes or cancel but I’m sure that if the renters contacted the resort to make a room location request they would note it on the reservation and not need it to come from me. I just don’t want to be a bother to the person we rented from just for a room request.

Good to know about the busses. My gf was there for dinner. Not sure if the time but def a normal dinner time. They go to Disney often so they are aware of the transportation systems there but just said she was shocked at the line up for the bus and it turned them off of ever staying there. We’ve had lineups and waits but nothing like she described.

That is not DVC's method. A location request needs to be made through the owner. Most owners who rent are perfectly willing to put in a request -- they can just call or send an email to Member Services. Moreover, what you suggest doing creates a particular problem for Jambo, which is 75% Disney hotel and 25% DVC. The hotel classifies standard room locations different from how they are classified for DVC, and the location requests you can make through the hotel system are fewer and less specific than those you can make through DVC.

 

[Frederic Civish]

An easy way to make requests is through the 'Chat feature' on the DVC Member's Website

 

[clayfolks]

When we rent out our points through David’s, we know that we will potentially have to make room requests, buy dining plans, and make Magical Express reservations for the renters. That is part of the deal. We are fairly compensated and expect to do it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

An easy way to make requests is through the 'Chat feature' on the DVC Member's Website

If you are a member. OP is not a DVC member, but is renting points.