AKV Kidani - Reservations

[WolfpackFan]

Okay, we have heard that Kidani will begin opening in 2009. When do you think they will begin taking reservations for 2009 stays? I wonder if it will be opening early or late 2009? If early, I would think they would start taking 11 month ressies in the next month or so. I am hoping to do a stay there sometime in 2009, but just have not decided when yet.

 

[drusba]

They cannot start taking ressies until they are virtually certain of the opening date. For past construction such as SSR and AKV Jambo that was usually a few months before opening, meaning we should not expect to be able to do so until sometime in the Fall at the earliest unless the resort opens before 2009 which is a possiblity.

 

[WolfpackFan]

Wow, that sure makes planning difficult. I wonder what happens to the 11 month booking advantage in that case?

 

[jbrowna]

As I recall, when they first started taking reservations for DVC rooms in Jambo, they gave a head start to those who owned at AKV, something on the order of 2 to 4 weeks. And I think it was around May, when they first started taking reservations? I remember calling the first day they began to book for AKV, and the hold time was awful, but we did manage to get a room for the first week in December.

So I suspect that, while there won't be an 11 month window for the initial booking for Kidani, they most likely will give people who have points at AKV a head start for making reservations at their home resort.

 

[dvcdisney]

I was under the impression that you could book your choice of room and then just request the location (whether you wanted Kidani or Jambo) and as all requests go, they cannot be guaranteed.

I am interested in this also.

 

[LisaS]

I was under the impression that you could book your choice of room and then just request the location (whether you wanted Kidani or Jambo) and as all requests go, they cannot be guaranteed.

I am interested in this also.

According to the information on the public DVC website, you will know which building you will be staying in at the time you book. Kidani will have its own check-in desk so you will need to know which building to go to check in when you arrive for your stay.

 

[eva]

This is a concern that I have as well. We are planning to reserve a GV for the first week of May 2009. We really prefer Kidani Village. I love the two-story type GV, like at OKW. It would be great if we can reserve for Kidani this May. But I'm not holding my breath. I will probably have to reserve at Jambo House day by day in May. And then hope that I can get through to transfer to Kidani when reservations open up later.

 

[rwcmath]

I want to plan another girlfriends' visit in March 2009. It would be great if Kidani were open and we could get a dedicated 2 bedroom there with 3 bathrooms!
If not, then we'll go to OKW.

rwc

 

[Disney Kim]

..I just finsihed my day to day reservations for dec 08, and the MS lady on the last day I was booking told me to call back this fall, and I could maybe switch to the new building if it is open.

so who knows....

 

[dvcdisney]

Thanks LisaS. That is great to know!

So if you can choose the location (Kidani or Jambo), do you think they'll modify the points eventually so the points required for the rooms in Kidani will be different than those needed for Jambo? If so, why wouldn't they do that from the beginning so they don't need to change it as they did with BWV preferred vs standard?

 

[eva]

Thanks LisaS. That is great to know!

So if you can choose the location (Kidani or Jambo), do you think they'll modify the points eventually so the points required for the rooms in Kidani will be different than those needed for Jambo? If so, why wouldn't they do that from the beginning so they don't need to change it as they did with BWV preferred vs standard?

I've been wondering the same thing. I keep having this weird feeling that everyone has been buying interest in Jambo House up till now, so maybe the charts we have been seeing all along only reflect Jambo House. Maybe there is an entirely different point allotment at Kidani Village. Could that be true?

 

[dianeschlicht]

I've been wondering the same thing. I keep having this weird feeling that everyone has been buying interest in Jambo House up till now, so maybe the charts we have been seeing all along only reflect Jambo House. Maybe there is an entirely different point allotment at Kidani Village. Could that be true?

The points have already been published. The point differences are for Value and Club level. Standard points will be the same in both buildings, but value and CC will only be available in Jambo (unless they add CC at Kidani).

 

[pilferk]

I was under the impression that you could book your choice of room and then just request the location (whether you wanted Kidani or Jambo) and as all requests go, they cannot be guaranteed.

I am interested in this also.

A few things:

First, the building is a booking category. In other words, you will book Jambo or Kidani when you make your reservations, and that location will be guarenteed, just like room type (savannah, standard, value, etc) is.

Second, we (like Disney Kim) just finished up our booking for December of '08. We, too, were told there is a possibility that Kidani will have it's first phase open by then, and that we MIGHT be able to switch our ressie over this fall.

Third, I doubt, highly, they'll change the points charts to be different for the 2 buildings. There's already a large amount (comparably to other resorts) of booking categories. I don't think they'd want to complicate matters by adding more...and I'm not sure what the overall benefit of doing so would be. Both buildings have their plusses and minuses.......

 

[dallasdisneymommy]

We will be there in December 2008 as well, I hadn't even given thought to whether Kidani might be an option. Would I switch if it were open? I'm not sure -- I think that if it were partially open, they might not have worked the kinks out yet, and construction noise might be an issue. I think I would likely stay put in Jambo House and do Kidani when it was fully completed and functional. Can't wait for that!

 

[Disney Kim]

We will be there in December 2008 as well, I hadn't even given thought to whether Kidani might be an option. Would I switch if it were open? I'm not sure -- I think that if it were partially open, they might not have worked the kinks out yet, and construction noise might be an issue. I think I would likely stay put in Jambo House and do Kidani when it was fully completed and functional. Can't wait for that!

I agree, I was kind of caught of guard when MS told me to call back in the fall and we might we able to swtich to the new building, I asked her what the benefit would be to being there? we said becuase it is newer, and we would be closer to the new pool.
I guss in a 2 bedroom we would have an extra bathroom too.
But.. I thought the same as your said, If only the 1 phase is open, I think we would stay put at Jambo..

Does anyone know how far the new area is from Jambo, as in could we walk to the new pool area??