Animal Kingdom News

[spiceycat]

these are the new Kidani villas which aren't even in the system right now - plus a small part of the sunset savannah - it is really small.

so unless you are going between Jan 15,2009 and april 15, 2009 - you don't have a problem.

if you are going then - you might have a problem.

no one has mention - these will include the value SV villa.

 

[Inkmahm]

So it seems that the only members who may be affected are AKV owners who booked 11 months out for dates between Jan 15 '09 and whenever DVC realized they'd be closing the savanna (approx. mid-Feb?). Those guaranteed SV reservations are the only ones that need a point credit, right? Anyone making a reservation now (and near future) for next March & April. will occupy the affected villas as a Standard View booking right from the start?

Glad everyone can breathe a sigh of relief!

No, it won't work that way. You know you have a reservation for a guaranteed Savanna view but the announcement said they would know 30 days in advance if you were to be placed in a room on the affected savannah or not.

I'd say the REAL effect is that those who made their reservations day by day at 11 month are probably safely going to get a savannah view with animals. Anyone who makes the reserations later will be farther down on the list and will be more likely to get a room on the savannah without animals on it. Still, they won't know that until 30 days before their trip.

 

[marvali]

When I saw this thread I thought my problems had been solved.

I have a reservation for January 1-4, 2009. I started with a Standard View One-bedroom, but after thinking it through, with the smaller rooms and only one bathroom in Jambo House, I decided to make it a 2-bedroom. By the time I called back, I could only get a Savanna View 2-Bedroom for the length of my stay. I asked to be put on the wait list for a 2-bedroom Value or Standard View.

This news was going to be great for me because I could just see all the rooms opening up that would allow me to save those extra points when my wait list came through , or just having Disney redesignate my 2-BR SV ressie to a standard view.

Now I guess I'm just going to have to wait and hope my waitlist comes through.

 

[wildernessDad]

They've changed the news on the DVC member's website. It now reads

Animal Acclimation Affects Sunset Savanna View

As the development of Kidani Village continues at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, crews are preparing to complete the new savanna and acclimate the animals to their new habitat. To accommodate this important process, animals are not scheduled to be on Sunset Savanna from January 15, 2009 through April 15, 2009. Members and Guests who reserve a savanna-view room during this time will be advised of this process, and confirmations for those bookings will include a notation to that affect. Approximately 30 days prior to arrival, the resort will determine, based on occupancy and booking date order, which Members will be assigned to a Sunset Savanna view room. Affected Members will be notified, and after their stay, will receive a Vacation Point credit reflecting the difference between a savanna view and standard view. As a reminder, animals on the other savannas can be viewed from multiple public locations at the resort.

 

[CarolA]

My wife just talked to Member Services and Marty, the MS rep my wife talked to, said the email THEY received this morning said the savanna would ONLY be closed from Jan 15th, 2009 through April 15th of 2009, NOT immediately. The closing was to be in preparation for the opening of Kidani.

I'm not sure that info is accurate or not, but it's what Marty insisted the email she got today said. She actually ASKED my wife to have me post this on the boards, so I'm obliging.

This is actually the dates that were read to me over the phone last week when I booked for around those dates!!!

 

[jenkh]

Of course we're going from Jan 24-31 2009. It sucks there doing it in such a weird "you'll know 30 days before" way. You'd think they'd give some home resort advantage and as long as rooms are available say that we are guranteed the room we book. Then after they reach a certain quoata start giving people the warning.

Oh well, the view is worth the stress. Were booking exactly 11 months from check out so we should be high enough on the list to be safe. Still sucks though

 

[tidefan]

We are planning a trip for a week in March 09. Do you suppose that we could actually request and get one of these "empty SV rooms" for a standard point cost at the 7-month mark?

Looking to maximize points on a 2 Bdr. We'd save 33 points over SSR, but it would still be slightly more than OKW...

 

[CarrianneB]

This is frustrating. I just booked a 2 bdr savannah view for MLK weekend. I hope that as I reserved Jambo house I won't be out of luck. But this seems just a bit odd. It may push me somewhere else.