AKV Jambo Value Villas: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know

[justbishop]

Welcome to the unofficial AKV "value" villas info thread! This is a work in progress, with info gleaned from various sources that I have come across in researching my own stay, as well as my personal observations and opinions from actual experience in the units.

I cannot confirm that absolutely ALL of my info is correct, so if you notice something that I've misstated, please let me know so that I can change it in this first post! I also invite everyone to add their own info and experiences, as well as ask questions

Basic Info

The "value" villas at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge are a small group of Disney Vacation Club units that were converted from AKL's "standard" class of hotel rooms, and therefore ended up approximately 3 ft. shorter (measured from front door to balcony door) than all of the other AKL DVC villas. All of the other studio and 1 bedroom villas at AKV - Jambo were converted from the "deluxe" sized hotel rooms.

All of the "value" villas are located in the Giraffe and Ostrich trails of AKL - Jambo House (the main AKL lodge building, map HERE), which DVC units share with AKL's normal hotel rooms. All of the "value" villas are on the 5th floor.


Views

When booking a "value" category villa, guests are not able to choose a view or room location. There are idenitcal numbers of Sunset Savanna and Uzima Pool area view villas, and a smaller number of parking lot view units, but those booking this villa category are still rolling the dice and it IS possible to end up with one of the parking lot views. AKL/V will not only not accept requests for the savanna view, but they will not accept ANY requests on "value" villa reservations (i.e. requesting adjoining units, or Giraffe Trail or "close to lobby").

Here are the specifics on villa numbers and the views they have (All room numbers listed from closest to furthest from lobby)

Sunset Savanna (Ostrich Trail):

4 dedicated studios (#s 5120, 5122, 5124, 5126)
4 adjoining* studios (#s 5112, 5114, 5132, 5134)
4 adjoining* 1 bedrooms (#s 5110, 5116, 5130, 5136)
4 2 bedrooms* (#s 5110+5112, 5116+5114, 5130+5132, 5136+5134)

Parking Lot (Ostrich Trail):

2 adjoining* studios (#s 5131, 5133)
2 adjoining* 1 bedrooms (#s 5129, 5135)
2 2 bedrooms* (#s 5129+5131, 5135+5133)

Uzima Springs Pool Area, Jiko stream, and Boma roof (Giraffe Trail):

4 dedicated studios (#s 5014, 5016, 5018, 5020)
4 adjoining* studios (#s 5006, 5012, 5026, 5028)
4 adjoining* 1 bedrooms (#s 5004, 5010**, 5024, 5030)
4 2 bedrooms* (#s 5004+5006, 5010**+5012, 5024+5026, 5030+5028)

* 2 bedroom "value" villas are ALL lockoffs, or 1br units with adjoining doors to studio units. In this case, the studio is the second bedroom, which means that it will have a kitchenette and it's own door to the public hallway (useful info if you plan on keeping children in the second bedroom). There are no studio/studio adjoining units.

** Handicap accessible, but no roll in shower (jetted tub/shower combo).


Video Walk Throughs

Value studio, rm 5012:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/justbishop/video-2011-09-16-08-29-46.mp4

Value 1br, rm 5010:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v84/justbishop/video-2011-09-16-09-40-53.mp4

 

[supersuperwendy]

Thanks for posting! They are sideways

We have a value 2 bedroom booked for our next two trips and I've been dying to see some video of it! It's not nearly as small as I imagined. I can't wait!!

 

[justbishop]

Thanks for posting! They are sideways

We have a value 2 bedroom booked for our next two trips and I've been dying to see some video of it! It's not nearly as small as I imagined. I can't wait!!

Yeah, sorry about that! I took them with my phone and didn't realize they'd upload that way. I will try to fix them now that I am HOME home and can get back on my desktop

And we didn't find them too small at all! In fact, we thought they were pretty luxurious, but that may just be because we live in a teeny house, lol!

 

[ems_mom]

Thank you so much for the videos! I have a value studio reservation and found scant information about them. They look pretty close to the standard. Thanks for the visuals.

 

[justbishop]

No problem, happy to have helped

I looked on Photobucket, but there's nothing there that is allowing me to spin the vids right side up. Sorry about that

 

[Deb & Bill]

It would be very rare to get an AKV Value villa for cash through Disney Reservation Center. You could probably have found the info on the DVC boards. You might ask to move this post over to the DVC Boards.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I don't mind watching sideways!

I'm about to watch your videos again this morning! I think it's by far the best use of points for our family and I so happy to own at AKV!

Update....I just watched on my phone so it was upright! Thanks again!

 

[justbishop]

It would be very rare to get an AKV Value villa for cash through Disney Reservation Center. You could probably have found the info on the DVC boards. You might ask to move this post over to the DVC Boards.

I actually did a TON of research on them and never found any photos/video that gave me a solid idea of what to expect. Lots on the standard sized villas, but having to speculate about what that missing 3ft does just isn't the same.

And feel free to move it wherever, I just figured that renting points is becoming lots more popular, so I put it here so that non-owners would be more likely to find it

 

[dzorn]

FYI 5010 is not the typical value 1 bedroom it is HA, though does not have a roll in shower.

Denise in MI

 

[justbishop]

FYI 5010 is not the typical value 1 bedroom it is HA, though does not have a roll in shower.

Denise in MI

That's the unit we were in (and I can confirm that it had a jetted tub, rather than a roll in shower). Is that why the balcony door in the bedroom wasn't a normal slider?

 

[dzorn]

That's the unit we were in (and I can confirm that it had a jetted tub, rather than a roll in shower). Is that why the balcony door in the bedroom wasn't a normal slider?

Yes also why you had no island, roll under sinks, lower counters etc.

Denise in MI

 

[justbishop]

Yes also why you had no island, roll under sinks, lower counters etc.

Denise in MI

Ahhh, good to know!

 

[candielips]

Just thought I would bump this very information thread!

 

[supersuperwendy]

Bump great info!

 

[daryle330]

I know this is kind of of a ward question. But when you get off the elevator for a value studio room do you over look the lobby? My wife's is not crazy about heights.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I know this is kind of of a ward question. But when you get off the elevator for a value studio room do you over look the lobby? My wife's is not crazy about heights.

The lobby is open all the way to the top ceiling. So if you are on the fifth floor, you will walk along a walkway to your room from the elevator. You can look over the railing to the lobby below.

 

[daryle330]

The lobby is open all the way to the top ceiling. So if you are on the fifth floor, you will walk along a walkway to your room from the elevator. You can look over the railing to the lobby below.

Is there stairs that you can use to by pass over looking the lobby?

 

[Cinderella1122]

Great Thread! I have my first value studio booked for December. I had decided to extend my trip by booking a value on my points vs a standard studio. I"m excited by the odds of getting a pool or savanna view.

 

[Sugarglider]

Really happy to have found this thread! I reserved a 1 Bd value villa as a cash reservation in 1st week dec through the current public discount offer.
Was looking for more info on how it might be different from the others and the options!

 

[rznhal]

Great Thread!

this may be a dumb question....

We have a Value Studio at AKL booked for January, are the dedicated studios you list the same thing?

Thanks for the info!!!!!