DVC Madness. 12/6. Part 3 -- Artist’s Point. 12/7 -- Departure Day

[wbl2745]

Just a pointer to our trip report in the Trip Report Forum on our DVC trip from 12/1 to 12/7 at AKV. 7 days, 6 nights, and 8 room reservations! Illuminations Cruise, Hoop-Dee-Do Review, Candlelight Processional, Le Cellier, and more!

DVC reservations gone very wrong...

 

[Deb & Bill]

Just a pointer to our trip report in the Trip Report Forum on our DVC trip from 12/1 to 12/7 at AKV. 7 days, 6 nights, and 8 room reservations! Illuminations Cruise, Hoop-Dee-Do Review, Candlelight Processional, Le Cellier, and more!

DVC reservations gone very wrong...

I read your trip report so far and don't see the DVC reservations gone very wrong - unless you are talking about not getting what you really wanted for the entire length of the trip.

But I think you have learned about early December.

 

[wbl2745]

I read your trip report so far and don't see the DVC reservations gone very wrong - unless you are talking about not getting what you really wanted for the entire length of the trip.

But I think you have learned about early December.

You're right, the reservations themselves didn't go wrong, just that it was moving around more than any trip report I've ever seen.

 

[wbl2745]

Just updated the trip report with day 1: The joy of arriving at WDW; 5 hours to check-in at AKV; views of room 5010 in Jambo House, and thoughts about the value 2 bedroom unit.

More images in the trip report itself!

 

[wbl2745]

Update on our AKV trip for 12/2 when we visited the Animal Kingdom, had lunch at the Flame Tree BBQ, froze on Kali River Rapids, and had dinner at Boma. Check it out here.

 

[wbl2745]

The trip report is here.

It was really cold on the IllumiNations Cruise!

 

[wbl2745]

The trip report is here.

Click through to see my debut at the Hoop-Dee-Do Review.

 

[wbl2745]

There's an update here. Some pictures of a 2-bedroom at Kidani and comparisons to a 2-bedroom value at Jambo.

 

[wbl2745]

I'm on a roll! Here's 12/2 revisited with some pictures that DSIL1 provided including the baby elephant. The thread is here.

 

[supersuperwendy]

I subscribed to your TR! AKV is my home resort and we've only stayed at Kidani. I've thought about the value 2 bedroom to save points..thanks for posting pics of it!

 

[wbl2745]

OK, I think this is the last episode for today. We started out moving back from Kidani to Jambo. Spend the morning and afternoon at the Studios and then returned to Epcot for dinner at the Rose and Crown. Lastly the Candlelight Processional. The link is here.

 

[kid-at-heart]

Great report. Thanks for sharing.

 

[wbl2745]

The latest report from our trip in December is here. This time we're in a value studio at Jambo House, along with some hidden Mickeys.

 

[alicat07]

Read through your trip report so far...we were there at the same time! Although I will say, we had a MAJOR issue with the computer systems and the keys, and dining plans (I have a thread floating around here about it from a few weeks ago). It was such a mess for us, I only WISH they had given us some compensation while we were there. We had to write a 5 page letter when we got home about the hassles at the front desk, and DVC called us a few days after submitting our letter and finally offered compensation. We also have a letter to Disney World itself, still waiting to hear on that.

The computer systems and problems at AKV were TERRIBLE. I thought it was just us, and we spent hours upon hours at that front desk (both Kidani and Jambo) and no one could get it right. We were there from 11/28 to 12/4, and had 9-11 people with us (we had more family join us at the end of the vacation). Love your trip report so far though! Very thorough!

 

[wbl2745]

Here's the first part for the latest installment. On 12/6 we took the Keys to the Kingdom tour. It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it.

 

[csharpwv]

We were there around the same time you were - and our photos from our Illuminations Cruise look JUST like yours ---- BLANKETS!!!!
We did our Illuminations Cruise the night before you guys did and it was SOOOOO cold!

We made the booking way back in the summer and then found another family to share with - so DW, DW's cousin that works at WDW and I were all at the back of the boat all cuddled up under one blanket!

Our captain was great! She was SO much better than the one on our last Illuminations Cruise.

So it looks like you guys were in and out of different rooms during your entire stay! Did I miss the story of that somewhere?

 

[wbl2745]

So it looks like you guys were in and out of different rooms during your entire stay! Did I miss the story of that somewhere?

I think I covered why we were bouncing around at the beginning of the trip report found here.

Ultimately, the problem was that I wasn't flexible in making our arrangements. There were three couples, my brothers and our wives, and I didn't have enough points for a grand villa, so I was looking at a studio and a two bedroom. That wouldn't have been hard, I don't think, if I hadn't been totally focused on the AKV. I started at seven months, since VGC is our home resort, and I think that if I had taken a studio and two-bedroom where ever it was available, we wouldn't have had any troubles. As it was, I was getting bits and pieces of our reservation all along the way. I was calling daily, to the point that some CMs were recognizing me and I, them. I didn't realize, when I started that early December was so popular with DVC. Makes sense since the decorations are up and the points are down.

Ultimately, I enjoyed seeing all of the different types of rooms at AKV and it wasn't that much trouble. We had a great time!

Thanks for reading!

 

[wbl2745]

Finally I'm getting the rest of the trip report done. The latest version can be found here.

Chess pieces on the roof of the Haunted Mansion.

 

[lumpydj]

The trip report is here.

Click through to see my debut at the Hoop-Dee-Do Review.

OMG! I'm in your picture! We're sitting at the table on the right side of the pic. I'm in the black sweatshirt facing the camera to the left of the wreath and DD and DH have their backs to you. Too funny!!!! That was our first day there. We did a sleigh ride right before HDDR. We stayed at AKV Kidani.

 

[wbl2745]

OMG! I'm in your picture! We're sitting at the table on the right side of the pic. I'm in the black sweatshirt facing the camera to the left of the wreath and DD and DH have their backs to you. Too funny!!!! That was our first day there. We did a sleigh ride right before HDDR. We stayed at AKV Kidani.

Amazing! I always enjoy the Hoop-Dee-Do Review, well, at least as long as I'm not in it. This was my brother's first time there and he really like the food and the show.