AKV - Why no community hall?

[SpoonfulofSugar]

The new AKV is not going to have a community hall (from what I have seen), but there is one planned for BLT? Anyone know why that is? I feel they are a really nice addition to the DVCs we have stayed at that had one.

 

[JaxFLBear]

According to the member website, AKV will have a community hall at Kidani Village.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

According to the member website, AKV will have a community hall at Kidani Village.

Oh, I was looking at the compare general resort features page and no community hall was listed, movie library yes. I hope it is wrong and they were just refering to Jambo not having one.

 

[JaxFLBear]

There's more information on what is and will be available if you select AKV under view resorts. The community hall is under Recreation.

 

[TSMIII]

Oh, I was looking at the compare general resort features page and no community hall was listed, movie library yes. I hope it is wrong and they were just refering to Jambo not having one.

Right, Jambo does not have one. But not to worry , the drawings released when they began declaring Kidani show the Community Hall just off the lobby on the 2nd floor.

Unit 66 is the first segment south of the lobby and the Community Hall will face the Sunset Savanna.

This is in the part of Kidani scheduled to open in May 2009!

 

[starbox]

And, FWIW, AKV Jambo has our favorite on-site recreation/community-hall style activities in spite of the lack of a community hall. The savanna is really used for activities. Kids can do a full day's worth of free activities that are educational and fun - earning a special African bead for each one. My kids got so much attention at both the lodge and AK park wearing their completed bead lanyards. There are also storytelling, night vision animal viewing, cookie decorating and educational cultural programs throughout the resort. The pool offers both games and crafts (DD made a princess crown and beaded animal). IMHO, the options are as good or better than community hall activities.

 

[SpoonfulofSugar]

TSMIII --- thanks for the drawing!!!
Starbox--- those activities sound great, we can't wait to stay there in June 09!!!!

 

[tamclan]

And, FWIW, AKV Jambo has our favorite on-site recreation/community-hall style activities in spite of the lack of a community hall. The savanna is really used for activities. Kids can do a full day's worth of free activities that are educational and fun - earning a special African bead for each one. My kids got so much attention at both the lodge and AK park wearing their completed bead lanyards. There are also storytelling, night vision animal viewing, cookie decorating and educational cultural programs throughout the resort. The pool offers both games and crafts (DD made a princess crown and beaded animal). IMHO, the options are as good or better than community hall activities.

Was thinking about staying at AKV next trip. Can you provide some examples of the activitites.

 

[starbox]

Was thinking about staying at AKV next trip. Can you provide some examples of the activitites.

Here's the part of my trip report that has info/photos of activities.
Every day, there are five educational activities that kids can participate in to earn glass African beads. If they complete all the activities, they get a special totem bead. All the activities are run by cultural representatives from different areas of Africa, and they were all so friendly and eager to share the culture with guests. Our kids did the morning activities one day and afternoon activities on a second day. Each activity took between 30-45 minutes and older kids did not need parental supervision.

Additionally, there were numerous other opportunities to meet and interact with cultural representatives and attend learning activities. There's even a food tasting opportunity in the afternoon at the Jiko podium. We did African storytelling at the firepit one night, and the kids also participated in an African music parade through the lobby one evening. The kids also made beaded keychains at the pool one day. From 9:30-11:30, there is a station where you can view the animals on the svanna with night vision goggles, and that was awesome.

Activities:

Completed Bead Necklace (we took a cue from the safari guides and attached ours to a conservation button like a lanyard)

Animal Tracking Activity (this was the kids' favorite)

Cultural Representative

African Folktales:

Primal Parade and Dance Circle:

 

[TSMIII]

starbox - I couldn't agree more with regard to the activities. Our daughter loved doing the bead activities and visiting with the cultural reps. DW, DD and I chatted with a rep from South Africa for 45 minutes to an hour one night and learned much about her daily life back in South Africa and what she had experienced thus far in the U.S. It was quite interesting to hear her compare and contrast the two cultures.

IMHO, The great thing about all of the activities provided at AKL/AKV-Jambo is that should you take a day off, or half day in our case, from the parks, there is still plenty to do for the kids, as well as the adults, at the hotel. DD was so intent on getting her bead necklace completed, that she kept reminding us in the parks that we had to make it back in time for the evening activities on several nights when we were there in early November.