Buying AKV now - would I be committing to Jambo House?

[peacefrogdog]

After my fourth trip to Disney, but first taking my kids, we're debating buying into DVC, looking at the Animal Kingdom Villas because we loved AK Lodge so much.

If we were to purchase now, when only units at Jambo House sound to be available, does that mean that in the future we would only be able to stay in Jambo House (and not Kidani Village)? Or, does buying in now mean we would have the option (in the future) to stay at either Jambo House or Kidani village (provided we have enough points for each type of room and duration/time of stay)?

Thanks in advance.
Rene

 

[StormTigger]

Buying now means you'll have the option to stay at either. You'll just get to book whichever at the 11th month window. When you buy in you are buying into the whole resort.

 

[DVC Mater]

I don't think you would be limited to Jambo. I'm thinking when Kidani goes online yourroom would be wherever they decide to put you. You would probably be able to request Kidani or Jambo, but as with all requests, their only requests. I know if I was getting a GV I would request Jambo. Man they look sweet

 

[LisaS]

As an AKV owner you will be able to book a stay in either building 11 months out regardless of whether the Unit you purchase is in Jambo House or Kidani Village. When you book, I expect you will be able to request which building you would prefer. Only Jambo House has Value and Concierge villas and only Kidani Village will have dedicated 2BRs so in those cases you will not have a choice of buildings.

Each building will have it's own check-in area. When you book a stay, you will be told into which building you are booked so that you will know where to go to check in.

 

[peacefrogdog]

But, once KV is completed, are different points required for KV vs Jambo House? I had thought that value rooms were Jambo house (because they will be smaller rooms) and standard would be rooms in KV?

Or am I completely misunderstanding AKV standard vs value rooms?

 

[LisaS]

But, once KV is completed, are different points required for KV vs Jambo House? I had thought that value rooms were Jambo house (because they will be smaller rooms) and standard would be rooms in KV?

Or am I completely misunderstanding AKV standard vs value rooms?

The existing point chart should apply to both buildings. Jambo House has Value, Standard View, Savanna View and Concierge villas. Kidani Village will have Standard View and Savanna View villas. So a Standard View villa should be the same number of points whether it is in Jambo House or Kidani Village. A Savanna View villa should be the same for both buildings as well.

You are correct that the Value villas are smaller. The 1BRs and 2BRs come in three sizes. In order from smallest to largest are:

1. Value 1BRs and 2BRs (Jambo House only)
2. Jambo House Standard View, Savanna View and Concierge 1BRs and 2BRs
3. Kidani Village Standard View and Savanna View 1BRs and 2BRs

For the Studios, the Values are smaller but the Jambo House and Kidani Village Studios are pretty close in size.

For Grand Villas, the Jambo House GVs are larger than the Kidani Village GVs.

A good website to check out for this kind of information is the public DVC website: www.disneyvacationclub.com Select AKV and then look at both the Accommodations page and also the FAQs page. The size of each room type for each building is listed on those pages.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Thanks - will there be concierge at Kidani Village?

 

[LisaS]

Thanks - will there be concierge at Kidani Village?

No. The only concierge villas are the 5 2BR lockoffs on the 6th floor of Jambo House.

 

[MaryD73]

Hey Lisa! I am a big fan and am in awe of your sluething skils!!!!

Anyway, we just got our reservation for next October and it states:

"Ded Stuidio Sav View Jambo"

And I did ask about Kildani (just in case it would be open earlier and we wanted to change) and they told me yes, we could request it once/if new opening dates are announced and our reservation would be updated and confirmed.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Thanks for everyone's help.

So it sounds like Jambo house's 2-BR villas are a 1-BR connected to a studio, but the JH value 2-BR villas are smaller than its standard 2-BR villas.

Is it because there are some small variations in some of the 1-BR's such that when combined with the studio, the end result is smaller than others? Just trying to understand how values could be smaller than standards if both sound to be two rooms connected to each other.

Thanks in advance,
Rene

 

[Claire L]

Thanks for everyone's help.

So it sounds like Jambo house's 2-BR villas are a 1-BR connected to a studio, but the JH value 2-BR villas are smaller than its standard 2-BR villas.

Is it because there are some small variations in some of the 1-BR's such that when combined with the studio, the end result is smaller than others? Just trying to understand how values could be smaller than standards if both sound to be two rooms connected to each other.

Thanks in advance,
Rene

The value villas (studio, 1 bed and 2 beds) are smaller because they are made from the original standard rooms at AKL, but the standard/savanna view villas are made from the original deluxe rooms hence the difference in size.

Claire

 

[LisaS]

So it sounds like Jambo house's 2-BR villas are a 1-BR connected to a studio, but the JH value 2-BR villas are smaller than its standard 2-BR villas.

Is it because there are some small variations in some of the 1-BR's such that when combined with the studio, the end result is smaller than others? Just trying to understand how values could be smaller than standards if both sound to be two rooms connected to each other.

The Value category of rooms consists of Studios, 1BRs and 2BR Lockoffs (which is a Value Studio connected to a Value 1BR). The Standard View category in Jambo House consists of Studios, 1BRs and 2BR Lockoffs (which is a Standard View Studio connected to a Standard View 1BR). Each of the Value rooms is smaller than the corresponding room in the Standard View (or Savanna View or Concierge) category.

Here are the AKV room sizes posted on the AKV Accommodations page of the public DVC website:

AKV Studios
JH Value: 316 sq ft
JH Standard View, Savanna View, Concierge: 365 sq ft
KV: 366 sq ft

AKV 1BRs
JH Value: 629 sq ft
JH Standard View, Savanna View, Concierge: 710 sq ft
KV: 807 sq ft

AKV 2BR Lockoffs
JH Value: 945 sq ft
JH Standard View, Savanna View, Concierge: 1,075 sq ft
KV: 1,173 sq ft

AKV Dedicated 2BRs
KV: 1,173 sq ft

AKV GVs
JH: 2,349 sq ft
KV: 2,201 sq ft

 

[podsnel]

"Is it because there are some small variations in some of the 1-BR's such that when combined with the studio, the end result is smaller than others? Just trying to understand how values could be smaller than standards if both sound to be two rooms connected to each other."

Hi! When we went on the tour, our guide explained that the value rooms are smaller because of the way Jambo is designed- where the curve meets the straight part, it just makes for a smaller space.

We just bought at AKV and I just booked our first trip home for HALLOWEEN!!!! WOO-HOO!!! We are so happy!!!!

 

[LisaS]

Claire's explanation is the correct one. The AKV villas in Jambo House (the Lodge building) were created by converting existing AKL hotel rooms on the 5th and 6th floors. There were two different sizes of hotel rooms on the 5th floor. The rooms along both sides of the Ostrich and Giraffe trails -- the two short trails on either side of the lobby at the front of the resort -- were "standard" size hotel rooms, approximately 340 sq ft in size. The rooms along the Zebra and Kudu trails (the horseshoe and side hallways off the horseshoe) were "deluxe" size hotel rooms, approximately 380 sq ft in size. The "standard" and "deluxe" rooms were the same width but the "deluxe" rooms were longer.

When they converted the hotel rooms into DVC villas, they used one hotel room to create a dedicated or lockoff studio. They used two hotel rooms to create a 1BR villa. So when they converted those smaller (standard size) hotel rooms into villas, those villas ended up being smaller than the villas they created by converting the large (deluxe size) hotel rooms.

Here are side-by-side floor plans for Jambo House villas showing the size difference between Value and non-Value studios and 1BRs. As you can see, the villas are the same width, but differ in length by maybe 3.5 feet or so.

Value vs. non-Value studio (Jambo House):

Value vs. non-Value 1BR living area (Jambo House):

Value vs. non-Value 1BR master bedroom area (Jambo House):

 

[AKV707]

Lisa, thanks for those floor plans. where do you find this stuff? You are the best. I see in the floor plans that there appear to be 2 sinks i the baths. True? Thanks.

 

[Claire L]

Lisa, thanks for those floor plans. where do you find this stuff? You are the best. I see in the floor plans that there appear to be 2 sinks i the baths. True? Thanks.

Yes I believe it would be as the old rooms always had two sinks at AKL.

Claire

 

[Dean]

While I think the info on this thread is accurate as announced and planned, I'll point out that DVC could make changes that would affect the answers. They could bail on the newer section and they could make the new section separate if they wanted. I don't think either are at all likely but technically things could happen that could limit the existing purchasers and owners to the lodge rooms only.

 

[LisaS]

Lisa, thanks for those floor plans. where do you find this stuff? You are the best. I see in the floor plans that there appear to be 2 sinks i the baths. True? Thanks.

The floor plans are from the Orange County records website. This link takes you right to their search page: http://officialrecords.occompt.com/wb_or1/or_sch_1.asp To find records for AKV, enter "Disney s Animal Kingdom Villas" in the Party Name box (without the double quotes and with a space rather than an apostrophe between "Disney" and "s"). Every time Disney declares more units into AKV, they file paperwork with the county and that paperwork includes floor plans for the new units.

Regarding the number of sinks, most of the studios and master baths have two sinks but some do not. In some floor plans there is something that looks like some sort of structural element that they had to work around when doing the conversion. If one of those is in the bathroom area, then there is only one sink. I think there is also only one sink in the HA rooms.

Here is an example. The 6th bay in this floor plan is a master bedroom and bathroom. The master bathroom has only one sink. The rectangle with the large "X" in it in the lower right corner of the master bath is that structural element I mentioned. There are two others in this floor plan, in bays 2 and 3, causing the connecting door between that 1BR and studio to be on the far side of the kitchenette rather than between the kitchenette and the entry door.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Lisa, it looks like the unit on the left side is larger than the unit on the right side. It doesn't appear to be just the sink that is different.

Lisa, I can't get the linked site to work using your parameters.

 

[LisaS]

Lisa, I can't get the linked site to work using your parameters.

What kind of problem are you having? Are you able to get to the search page? If so, then are you getting an error message when you try to do the search or does it complete the search but find no record matches?