AKV concierge open Dec 1!

[Inkmahm]

My DH just called and said we got a letter from DVC saying construction schedule changes make concierge and value villas available December 1. The booking window for owners is June 13 to 26 to modify an existing reservation or June 27th for non-owners.

 

[DVC Grammy]

 

[kimberh]

You can make a new reservation, too.

 

[Pennyguy23]

No kidding

 

[Inkmahm]

You two are bad. Besides, I found a thread started a couple days ago on the planning board about his topic so it wasn't even a scoop! I should have known, I NEVER get mail earlier than other people.

Now I need to decide if we really want to change or not next March. Savanna view is important to us and not guaranteed in concierge.

 

[wdw1972]

I'm in the same boat - have a savannah view AKV booked for mid January, and it'll be my boyfriend's first stay there. I'd love to do concierge, but I think I'm not willing to give up the guarantee of savannah view! Although, realisitically - he's probably more likely to be watching ESPN than watching the animals when we're in the room

 

[kimberh]

OK, Savanna view is not a guarantee? Where have I been.... I thought here. I asked MS and she said I would get Savanna so, what is the real story? We love Savanna.

 

[tjkraz]

OK, Savanna view is not a guarantee? Where have I been.... I thought here. I asked MS and she said I would get Savanna so, what is the real story? We love Savanna.

It's true. No guarantee.

I believe 3 of the units overlook the Sunset Savanna while the other 2 face the pool.

And, for what it's worth, we had a really poor experience with the Sunset Savanna. We paid cash to stay at the AKL earlier this year. In 3d/2n, we saw one ostrich and one other bird of some sort. The kids made the most of the public viewing areas, but I was really disappointed after these romantic visions the give you in the resort videos and brochures. I felt like a sucker for paying extra for a savanna view.

I even told the CM at the front desk that my main priority was getting a room with a good savanna view. After he spent 5 minutes checking many different options, that's what we got.

 

[mouseclick1]

I am also torn! I have a savanna view booked for Easter week, and we are taking my teenage boys and some of their friends. It would be nice to have the concierge available for the boys, but I don't want to give up my savanna view!

 

[ADP]

I am also torn! I have a savanna view booked for Easter week, and we are taking my teenage boys and some of their friends. It would be nice to have the concierge available for the boys, but I don't want to give up my savanna view!

Look at it this way, if you switch to Conierge you can always take the Sunrise Safari. More money, but as many will tell you it is worth it.

You still might get a Savanna view room staying concierge. Make sure to request it if you change your reservation through member services.

 

[wdwstar]

MS told me yesterday to watch for "The letter" in the mail about this subject. i came home from work and there it was i will be marking my calendar for june 13th.

 

[jdg345]

OK, Savanna view is not a guarantee? Where have I been.... I thought here. I asked MS and she said I would get Savanna so, what is the real story? We love Savanna.

Just to be clear, a room booked 'Savannah View' is guaranteed Savannah View. However, a room book as 'Concierge' is not a guaranteed Savannah view, though it can be requested.

 

[jarestel]

And, for what it's worth, we had a really poor experience with the Sunset Savanna. We paid cash to stay at the AKL earlier this year. In 3d/2n, we saw one ostrich and one other bird of some sort.

It is luck of the draw sometimes when it comes to seeing animals. If you look at a map of the savanna, it is basically one large area and the animals are free to roam from section to section as they choose. However, it's been my experience that, like DVC members, the animals do favor certain sections of the savanna over others and tend to spend most of their time where they "most want to stay". I've had a view of the Sunset Savanna before and it does seem that this area is not as popular with our 4-footed friends.

Feeding times tend to draw the animals from their comfort zones but if you miss those times, it can be very random. I can understand your disappointment since the main draw of staying at AKL is to see the animals. But give it another shot. You may be luckier next time!

 

[LisaS]

It is luck of the draw sometimes when it comes to seeing animals. If you look at a map of the savanna, it is basically one large area and the animals are free to roam from section to section as they choose. However, it's been my experience that, like DVC members, the animals do favor certain sections of the savanna over others and tend to spend most of their time where they "most want to stay". I've had a view of the Sunset Savanna before and it does seem that this area is not as popular with our 4-footed friends.

Feeding times tend to draw the animals from their comfort zones but if you miss those times, it can be very random. I can understand your disappointment since the main draw of staying at AKL is to see the animals. But give it another shot. You may be luckier next time!

This is very good advice. We've been lucky to have a room in one of the areas where the animals spent a lot of their time. We've also been in areas that were only visited during meal times (though some animals also spent the night in that area which was interesting). Fortunately the keepers come by several times a day with food so the key is to be out on your balcony during one or more of those times and you will see a lot of animals.

 

[tjkraz]

I've had a view of the Sunset Savanna before and it does seem that this area is not as popular with our 4-footed friends.

And that's my only point in posting since this IS a thread about the concierge rooms. With the concierge class, you will either have a Sunset Savanna view or a pool view. Not much chance for getting a room in a better location there.

With the Sunset Savannah, you're paying for a view of dirt. And it's not even like the rooms will be situated to face out toward the larger savanna. No, you'll be looking across the way at....more hotel rooms!

It was one of the most disappointing experiences in all of my Disney vacations, and this is coming from a person who normally doesn't give a flip about views.

Feeding times may draw animals, but I guess you need to luck into them, then. Over our 3 days, about the only time we weren't in the room was from 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 5pm. One ostrich and some other bird. The kids went racing to the balcony every time we entered the room and that's all we saw.

And this was after telling the check-in CM that the animal viewing was of paramount importance. I didn't care if we had the furthest walk. I didn't care if we were on the 5th floor. The kids had their cameras and binoculars and wanted to see some animals. I guess either the CM didn't give a crap about what we wanted, or he didn't know a darn thing about the hotel. Everything I've read about the Sunset Savanna since returning has indicated that it's the worst part of the resort from an animal viewing standpoint.

I only hope that the undulating design of the Kidani Village building will be much more condusive to animal viewing than Jambo House's spokes.

 

[gkrykewy]

I expect the sunset savanna views to become much better after the completion of Kidani. All of the western savanna sections will become part of what looks to be a much larger, integrated savanna (woo, I can't wait, love AKL).

Anyway, my understanding is that the value rooms, like the concierge, can be requested to be savanna view but not guaranteed. Is this correct? Anyone know the ratios?

 

[Inkmahm]

I've stayed at AKL enough times to have had rooms on all the savannas. The Sunset Savanna has the River hogs! Very cool animals not found on any of the other savannas.

The rooms I don't like are the ones that have the "people fences" right beneath them. Those rooms are too far from the animals. "People fences" are the outside enclosures where the people go in case of fire.

 

[jdg345]

I expect the sunset savanna views to become much better after the completion of Kidani. All of the western savanna sections will become part of what looks to be a much larger, integrated savanna (woo, I can't wait, love AKL).

Anyway, my understanding is that the value rooms, like the concierge, can be requested to be savanna view but not guaranteed. Is this correct? Anyone know the ratios?

That is my understanding as well ... no idea on the ratios, but I understand that concierge is very limited in general through these first few phases.

 

[gkrykewy]

I've stayed at AKL enough times to have had rooms on all the savannas. The Sunset Savanna has the River hogs! Very cool animals not found on any of the other savannas.

More accurately, Red River Hogs! We had four outside our latest room and loved them. They were in a temporary fenced enclosure though (illusion spoiled), due to construction in the middle distance (the animal barn photos posted elsewhere on this site). Every day in the morning and evening someone would open the gate to the enclosure, blow a whistle, and the pigs would line up and trot out of view, to be replaced by another set shortly afterward. We found out later that they were switching males and females daily.

The rooms I don't like are the ones that have the "people fences" right beneath them. Those rooms are too far from the animals. "People fences" are the outside enclosures where the people go in case of fire.

So THAT'S what those things are. You mean for guests, or staff?

 

[jarestel]

And that's my only point in posting since this IS a thread about the concierge rooms. With the concierge class, you will either have a Sunset Savanna view or a pool view. Not much chance for getting a room in a better location there.

Understood! Fair enough.

With the Sunset Savannah, you're paying for a view of dirt.

Well, it is Disney dirt!