AKV Crowded when completed?

[JoJostar]

Does anyone think that after Kidani Village is finished AKV might seem more crowded at the restaurants, pools and buses than other resorts?

 

[ADP]

I would definately say there will be more crowded amenities; restaurants, pools, fitness center, etc. The buses will also be more crowded as they will make stops at Kidani and Jambo House.

Will they be overly crowded at various times? That is the real question.

 

[tjkraz]

Buses...probably not. In theory, Disney should adjust the bus frequency to respond to the added guests. Kidani + Jambo will be around 1400 rooms. That's still fewer than many Disney resorts (values, Caribbean Beach.) The BoardWalk bus loop alone (which also stops at the Dolphin and Swan) is probably larger right now.

As for the other amenities, I'd say that depends a lot on how much use they really get and how many people make their way over from Jambo. If that water play area at Kidani is incentive enough to motivate Jambo guests to head over, it could get really crowded. If not, it's probably a reasonable size for the 350 or so rooms at Kidani.

And the restaurant is a total unknown. Some WDW resort restaurants draw guests from all corners of the property to dine there. I'd say it's pretty tough to guess how well received this new location will be before it even opens.

 

[LisaS]

And the restaurant is a total unknown. Some WDW resort restaurants draw guests from all corners of the property to dine there. I'd say it's pretty tough to guess how well received this new location will be before it even opens.

I agree. Boma is one of the more popular resorts in WDW and draws guests from everywhere (including locals) even though it's not easy to get there from other WDW resorts without a car. If the new restaurant is as good as it sounds, it could also become quite popular. I can't wait to try it!

 

[ADP]

I guess I'm trying to use simple logic...With the large number of additional guests Kidani Village will bring to the AKL/AKV resort one would assume some of those additional guests will use the resorts amenities. That should increase crowds. But as tjkraz & LisaS pointed out, by how much is anyone's guess at this point.

It will be interesting to see how the bus situation shakes out. AKL has always had dedicated bus service (not sharing with another resort). I hope they do add additional buses to acommodate the additional guests and stop(s) at Kidani Village.

 

[Iggipolka]

It's going to be very crowded. Kidani is absolutely huge, at least 3x as big as Jambo. What really bothers and surprises me is that Kidani does not have a counter service restaurant. The Maya at Jambo is going to be even more crowded than it already is!

 

[Chuck S]

I don't know, both SSR and OKW are larger resorts than AKV Kidani & Jambo combined. OKW has one table service restaurant, one counter service, and one seasonal pre-packaged counter service (Turtle Shack).

OKW never seems particulary crowded to me, I don;t know why Kidani would be different, or different from any other fully sold DVC resort.

 

[fishermouse]

I don't know, both SSR and OKW are larger resorts than AKV Kidani & Jambo combined. OKW has one table service restaurant, one counter service, and one seasonal pre-packaged counter service (Turtle Shack).

OKW never seems particulary crowded to me, I don;t know why Kidani would be different, or different from any other fully sold DVC resort.

I was thinking the same thing even in the summer you can use the theme pools at SSR and the other pools are practically empty most days. Plus you never really wait long at the CS, even at lunch. AKV will have a new pool and returant and it's own bus stop

 

[Iggipolka]

. AKV will have a new pool and returant and it's own bus stop

Kidani will have a pool and a TS restaurant. However, it will share its bus stop(s) with Jambo. So, one bus will be stopping at Jambo and then onto probably three stops at Kidani. Kidani will not have a dedicated Kidani only bus from the parks.

 

[Disney_Villain]

I would not want to try to eat at The Maya once Kidani's open! That place is bad enough as it is.

 

[hakepb]

I was thinking the same thing even in the summer you can use the theme pools at SSR and the other pools are practically empty most days. Plus you never really wait long at the CS, even at lunch. AKV will have a new pool and returant and it's own bus stop

SSR's "tiny" cs AP has problems because it is too small. When I was there last month, the resort TV channel suggested avoiding breakfast at AP between the hours of 8-10am (instead eat 7-8 or 10-11)

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I don't know, both SSR and OKW are larger resorts than AKV Kidani & Jambo combined. OKW has one table service restaurant, one counter service, and one seasonal pre-packaged counter service (Turtle Shack).

OKW never seems particulary crowded to me, I don;t know why Kidani would be different, or different from any other fully sold DVC resort.

Is the size comparison only the DVC portion or also including the hotel units?

 

[hakepb]

I do believe that there are a (perhaps small) group of us DVC'ers that would use a larger, greater variety cs restaurant much more frequently. The small selection of AP at SSR and bakery at BWV convinced us to change the way we vacation (vs pre-DVC stays at the "lesser" resorts that had food courts) so we can avoid that small cs selection, and have moved our cs $ to the parks.

If DVC gets any % of the profit, they will get hurt more due to their lack of CS selection in crowded places, especially with the introduction of the CS DDP.

 

[dwelty]

It's going to be very crowded. Kidani is absolutely huge, at least 3x as big as Jambo. What really bothers and surprises me is that Kidani does not have a counter service restaurant. The Maya at Jambo is going to be even more crowded than it already is!

Comparing the (physcial) size of Kidani to Jambo is not a fair comparison, since Kidani Village is made up of larger accomodations and Jambo is crammed with small individual hotel rooms as well as 2 floors of Villas. The "guest load" at Jambo will still be much higher than Kidani. Even though the Kidani building seems physically larger.

 

[fishermouse]

Kidani will have a pool and a TS restaurant. However, it will share its bus stop(s) with Jambo. So, one bus will be stopping at Jambo and then onto probably three stops at Kidani. Kidani will not have a dedicated Kidani only bus from the parks.

That's correct, what I was pointing out was the new stops, at most it will be 4 that's fewer than SSR and I have only once hadto wait because a bus was full, and that was when they first started the new dispatch system. Having multiple stops keeps them from getting overly crowded. Plus if a bus is getting full before the last stop they notify dispatch and they divert somewhere not as busy. So far this seems to be working well, since they got bugs out. Any way I can't wait to visit again.

 

[tjkraz]

If DVC gets any % of the profit...

They don't.

...they will get hurt more due to their lack of CS selection in crowded places, especially with the introduction of the CS DDP.

Of course, there's been no announcement that DVC members will be able to book the CS DDP yet.

Discussing whether or not something is right-sized is a difficult conversation to have. The one thing we know for certain is that Disney isn't going to build amenities to a scale such that they are....comfortable....for guests 24/7, 365. It just doesn't make sense to do that.

Instead they build amenities to offer a positive experience the vast majority of the time, while knowing that restaurant lines will inevitably form during peak dining hours and pools will be crowded in the middle of the summer.

Not that I'm trying to pick on hakepb but as the quote above shows, many things just work themselves out in the end. Disney still got your dining dollars...it was just shifted from one location to another. At a restaurant like Artist's Palette, guests may have to wait in line for 5-10 minutes longer than they wish during the busy times, but Disney is still getting their money, too.

Certainly there is a risk of losing revenue by having inadequate facilities (people choose to eat in their room, off site, etc.), but Disney needs to determine whether the expense of building and operating another restaurant will generate enough new revenue to make it worthwhile.

 

[fishermouse]

They don't.

Certainly there is a risk of losing revenue by having inadequate facilities (people choose to eat in their room, off site, etc.), but Disney needs to determine whether the expense of building and operating another restaurant will generate enough new revenue to make it worthwhile.

Several things in Disney's favor, facilities are "adequate" the majority of the time, as you stated pools are crowded only in the middle of the summer. People will go to the water parks, more revenue, resturants are crowded at peak meal times people will change their schedule, spreading the work load. People will eat off site or in thier rooms, Magic Express keeps many visitors on site so you eat on site and buy your groceries at the General store for inflated prices. IMO none of this is bad, just good bussiness, WDW may be magical but it's magical to get you to spend money. This is not bad it's genius and I will keep going and giving them my money simply because it is Magical, and IMO well worth the price.