Can you specify which savanna when booking AKV?

[ranthony]

As the development of Kidani Village continues at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas, crews are completing the new savanna and acclimating the animals to their new habitat. To accommodate this important, exciting process, the Resort will not be placing animals on the Sunset Savanna until April 15, 2009. Members and Guests who reserve a Sunset Savanna View room before that date will be advised of this process, and confirmations for those bookings will include a notation to that effect. Approximately 30 days prior to Member arrival, the Resort will determine, based on occupancy and booking date order, which Members will be assigned to a Sunset Savanna View room. Member Services will notify affected Members, who will receive a Vacation Point credit after their stay reflecting the difference between a Sunset Savanna View and Standard View. Please note that animals on the other savannas will still be visible from multiple public locations at the Resort.

I'm a bit confused by this statement taken off of the DVCnews.com site. It leads me to believe that you can actually book which savanna you would like. Is this actually the case?

We're planning a trip in mid-March 09 and I would like to stay at AKV since it will be our first trip home. However, I would be very disappointed to be placed on a savanna with no animals (even if we were refunded points). Grandma will be coming along and I really don't know when she'd be able to get back to WDW again so I was hoping to book a 2 BR day by day and be placed on the Arusha savanna. Can I do this, or am I misunderstanding the statement above?

 

[DVC Mike]

You can request a particular savanna, but it cannot be guarnteed.

 

[ranthony]

It does say that booking date would be considered when assigning rooms so should I feel confident that if I'm booking day by day I would not be placed on the sunset savanna?

The only reason this is an isssue is the "grandma factor". I know we have many more years to enjoy AKV to it's fullest. Sadly however, I cannot say that will be the case for grandma.

 

[Inkmahm]

It does say that booking date would be considered when assigning rooms so should I feel confident that if I'm booking day by day I would not be placed on the sunset savanna?

The only reason this is an isssue is the "grandma factor". I know we have many more years to enjoy AKV to it's fullest. Sadly however, I cannot say that will be the case for grandma.

Wrong assumption. I stayed at AKV March 15-21 in a 2 bedroom savanna view villa. I booked that villa at the very first opportunity to do so- last June or whenever it was that they opened up reservations. I asked for Arusha and got Sunset. When I mentioned how long ago I had booked the room, I was told at checkin that the resort doesn't see the room requests until 3 to 5 days before you get there. In other words, you're treating the same no matter when you reserve the room.

 

[ranthony]

Wrong assumption. I stayed at AKV March 15-21 in a 2 bedroom savanna view villa. I booked that villa at the very first opportunity to do so- last June or whenever it was that they opened up reservations. I asked for Arusha and got Sunset. When I mentioned how long ago I had booked the room, I was told at checkin that the resort doesn't see the room requests until 3 to 5 days before you get there. In other words, you're treating the same no matter when you reserve the room.

Disney has officially stated that they would consider booking date in this case because the sunset savanna will be closed. I think we're in different situations.

Sorry you didn't get your request.