Are requests really necessary?

[Lauriebz]

This will be our first trip to AKV - we have been to AKL before, but not the Villas. We have a Value Studio booked for a slow time (very end of April to very beginning of May; we just now booked and they still had availability) and were wondering if it is really necessary to make a request if we'd like to have a Savanna View. In the past, we have made requests, but they have never worked out.

I am assuming the only way a request would really ever be beneficial would be for pre-assigning rooms, but it seems like I remember reading they now assign rooms when you get there.

So, my questions are:

1) Is it necessary to make a request for a Savanna View in a Value Studio during a very slow time?

2) Do they pre-assign rooms?

3) Is it likely that we would get the room just by requesting it when we check in?

4) Is the Sunset Savanna impacted by the ongoing construction of Kidani Village?

Also, one last thing - I have the page bookmarked (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1651379) where LisaS details in pictures the way the villas are organized. Unfortunately the picture is not showing up because they are moving the servers. So, LisaS if you are viewing this, do you have those pictures saved so that we could view them while the others are down?

Thanks so much!

 

[Alexander]

There is no savanna view in a value studio. There are savanna view studios available for more points. So I don't think you're going to get a savanna view if you've booked a value studio.

Different resorts have different room assignment policies. We have had pre-assigned rooms at times, and other times I've been given a map and shown where rooms were available, which would I like.

I have always, always, always had the best luck getting a room better than I could have hoped for at BCV. I can not stress how hard the front desk staff has always worked to get me a fantastic room. They go waaaay out of their way to find us a room. OKW comes in second for getting us in the general vicinity that we want to be in (Turtle Pond, etc.). SSR and VWL tie for third. SSR is huge so it's usually pretty easy to get the area you want. We like the Grandstand, and have never had a problem getting in there. VWL we got two villas together when requested, and nearer to the elevator also when requested. They even moved someone else for us. BWV far last for meeting requests--not happening. You get the room the computer says you get or you get a bunch of attitude from the front desk clerk. I honestly can't say how it will be at AKV--haven't been there.

 

[Merylj]

I don`t know whether they pre-assign rooms, however we returned a couple of weeks ago from our 4 DVC resort 19 day trip. We had all our requests met at three resorts the forth I`d made no requests at all.
I would request savanna view for the value studio, it can`t hurt! I would guess those value studios will be full all the time.
According to Lisa`s analysis with a dedicated value studio you are guarenteed a savanna view.
You can see the contruction from the sunset savanna, I don`t think it impacts too much though.

 

[Lauriebz]

There is no savanna view in a value studio. There are savanna view studios available for more points. So I don't think you're going to get a savanna view if you've booked a value studio.

Different resorts have different room assignment policies. We have had pre-assigned rooms at times, and other times I've been given a map and shown where rooms were available, which would I like.

I have always, always, always had the best luck getting a room better than I could have hoped for at BCV. I can not stress how hard the front desk staff has always worked to get me a fantastic room. They go waaaay out of their way to find us a room. OKW comes in second for getting us in the general vicinity that we want to be in (Turtle Pond, etc.). SSR and VWL tie for third. SSR is huge so it's usually pretty easy to get the area you want. We like the Grandstand, and have never had a problem getting in there. VWL we got two villas together when requested, and nearer to the elevator also when requested. They even moved someone else for us. BWV far last for meeting requests--not happening. You get the room the computer says you get or you get a bunch of attitude from the front desk clerk. I honestly can't say how it will be at AKV--haven't been there.

They have really got people confused with the whole booking categories thing.

There are actually Savanna views in value studios. I think (stress that word) that the difference between the two is that the Savanna booking category is an Arusha Savanna view Standard room. A Value Booking category with a savanna view is a value room with a savanna view. I think, so someone please correct me if I am wrong. According to AllEarsNet:

Value rooms are smaller accommodations. As an example, the value studio is 316 sq.ft. while the standard studio is 365 sq.ft. The value rooms are being converted from the former "standard rooms" of the AKL (think floors 1-4). There are also some value two-bedroom villas. About half of the value rooms will have a savanna view.

We were confused about this as well and I have read some other things around here saying that even MS is confused. I can completely understand.

Then again, AllEarsNet could be wrong, but I have read the same thing from other posters here.

Maybe someone could shed some light on this?

I don`t know whether they pre-assign rooms, however we returned a couple of weeks ago from our 4 DVC resort 19 day trip. We had all our requests met at three resorts the forth I`d made no requests at all.
I would request savanna view for the value studio, it can`t hurt! I would guess those value studios will be full all the time.
According to Lisa`s analysis with a dedicated value studio you are guarenteed a savanna view.
You can see the contruction from the sunset savanna, I don`t think it impacts too much though.

When I went back to her thread, she said that Value studios have a view of the savanna, pool, or parking lot. Honestly, pool or savanna is fine but I would like to avoid parking lot if possible.

I hope LisaS can throw in some input here!

Thanks!

 

[LisaS]

This will be our first trip to AKV - we have been to AKL before, but not the Villas. We have a Value Studio booked for a slow time (very end of April to very beginning of May; we just now booked and they still had availability) and were wondering if it is really necessary to make a request if we'd like to have a Savanna View. In the past, we have made requests, but they have never worked out.

If MS will allow you to make a request then I would go ahead and make one just so you have something on the record. I imagine 99% of those booking a Value villa request a savanna view so I wouldn't want my reservation to be the only one without a request. There have been reports that MS would not allow people to make view requests when booking a Value villa, perhaps because everyone was requesting a savanna view and MS was concerned that some people might not take the disappointment gracefully when checking in... I don't really know, I'm just speculating here!

I am assuming the only way a request would really ever be beneficial would be for pre-assigning rooms, but it seems like I remember reading they now assign rooms when you get there.

That could vary from resort to resort. Every time I've been to BWV, the room has been pre-assigned. I don't know whether AKV is pre-assigning or using "room ready".

So, my questions are:

1) Is it necessary to make a request for a Savanna View in a Value Studio during a very slow time?

There is nothing to lose by requesting what you want.

2) Do they pre-assign rooms?

Good question! I don't know but I hope some of the folks who have stayed at AKV can answer this one.

3) Is it likely that we would get the room just by requesting it when we check in?

The problem is there are so few Value studios that there won't be much flexibility. There are 8 dedicated studios and up to 10 lockoff studios (if all 10 of the Value 2BR lockoffs were split into 1BRs and Studios). They breakdown by view as follows:

Value Studios by View

• Savanna View: 4 dedicated studios, up to 4 lockoff studios
  
• Standard View/Pool: 4 dedicated studios, up to 4 lockoff studios
  
• Standard View/Parking Lot: up to 2 lockoff studios

4) Is the Sunset Savanna impacted by the ongoing construction of Kidani Village?

MS has been warning people who book AKV that there will be construction noise. We've heard rumors that Kidani Village construction will be going on round the clock. I would expect that the people most affected will be those whose rooms face the Sunset Savanna.

Also, one last thing - I have the page bookmarked (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1651379) where LisaS details in pictures the way the villas are organized. Unfortunately the picture is not showing up because they are moving the servers. So, LisaS if you are viewing this, do you have those pictures saved so that we could view them while the others are down?

Thanks so much!

I just checked that thread and the images are displaying properly now.

 

[LisaS]

There are actually Savanna views in value studios. I think (stress that word) that the difference between the two is that the Savanna booking category is an Arusha Savanna view Standard room. A Value Booking category with a savanna view is a value room with a savanna view. I think, so someone please correct me if I am wrong.

The Value villas face the Sunset Savanna, the pool and the parking lot. They are smaller than the non-Value villas (Standard View, Savanna View and Concierge). The Savanna View villas face the Sunset, Arusha and Uzima savannas. So the difference between a Value villa with a savanna view and a Savanna View villa is that the Savanna View villa is larger than the Value villa and could face any of the three savannas, not just the Sunset Savanna.

As Merylj posted, if you are booked into a dedicated Value studio rather than a lockoff you will get either a pool or savanna view, not a parking lot view. This assumes that the dedicated studio listed on your confirmation is guaranteed and that the front desk at AKL will hold it for you and not give it away to someone who complains about their parking lot view!

 

[Lauriebz]

The Value villas face the Sunset Savanna, the pool and the parking lot. They are smaller than the non-Value villas (Standard View, Savanna View and Concierge). The Savanna View villas face the Sunset, Arusha and Uzima savannas. So the difference between a Value villa with a savanna view and a Savanna View villa is that the Savanna View villa is larger than the Value villa and could face any of the three savannas, not just the Sunset Savanna.

As Merylj posted, if you are booked into a dedicated Value studio rather than a lockoff you will get either a pool or savanna view, not a parking lot view. This assumes that the dedicated studio listed on your confirmation is guaranteed and that the front desk at AKL will hold it for you and not give it away to someone who complains about their parking lot view!

Thanks so much for all your help Lisa!

So, if I understand the last portion of your post correctly, it should say whether or not we have a dedicated studio on our confirmation letter?

Thanks again!

 

[LisaS]

Thanks so much for all your help Lisa!

So, if I understand the last portion of your post correctly, it should say whether or not we have a dedicated studio on our confirmation letter?

You're welcome! Yes, your confirmation will state whether or not you have a dedicated studio. They abbreviate it is as "Ded" so your confirmation would list it as "Ded Studio Value Jambo".

 

[Alexander]

I stand corrected! Thank you for all of your help! I was totally confused, and just logged on to find out what the difference was between a value and std. villa. Geesh! Is this going to get more confusing with each new DVC resort! Thanks again!