If you like AKV, do you like BLT

[El&Asmom]

I'm trying to talk myself into staying at BLT on the next trip I schedule, but we just loved Kidani when we stayed there in January. I love the theme, warm colors, and of course the animals. We also loved the bigger living room and extra bathroom for a 1bd. We have not stayed at BLT yet, and I'm having a hard time talking myself into it even though the location would be great.

So if you like the warm colors and theming of AKV, do you like BLT. Also how does the living room size compare to AKV which feels so large compared to all the other DVCs, (besides OKW).

 

[BlakeNJ]

In November, we stayed at BLT for a night then moved over to AKV for the remainder of our stay. BLT is very modern--totally different in style to AKV. I found it very sterile so-to-speak. I won't say I didn't like BLT but I will say I enjoyed my stay more at AKV. There was no comparison to being on the balcony overlooking a parking lot, to looking out over the savanah at the animals. I can not comment on the size of the rooms since we were in a studio at BLT and a 1br at AKV (Kidani).

IMHO, these are two very different resorts.

 

[shellybaxter]

We were at Kidani in January and LOVED it - so intricate - so beautiful - so many "little touches" and the savanna view was wonderful. After a week at AKV we moved to BLT for a week and LOVED it. It was fun, we loved hearing the sounds of the MK when we opened the balcony door. It was so light and airy. Both resort were awesome - but for very different reasons. Take a chance and book BLT -I think you will have a great stay

 

[bobbiwoz]

I'm partial to AKV, but we stayed in a dedicated 2 bedroom at BLT and all 8 of us, adults and children had a great time. We stayed at BLT for the convenience of watching marathon runners, but in the end, that didn't come to play because of an injury.

DSis slept on the sleeper chair and I think DS was on the pullout sofa with DGS for a night. We did put the beds away during the day. Everyone enjoyed the stay, we did walk to MK, we did use the monorail to go to Epcot, we ate breakfast at Kona at the Poly...we had more fun at BLT than we envisioned, and we would stay there again.

Bobbi

 

[dizfan]

We have stayed at AKL SV, AKV Kidani SV, and BLT LV.

We love watching the animals at Jambo and Kidani. Also love talking to the CMs and learning about their culture.
We love the location and watching lake activity and monorails at BLT.

 

[Tara]

Most like one or the other - some like both. (I guess some people like neither, but what's wrong with those people? j/k)

I just stayed in a 2BR SV at Kidani 3 weeks ago - it is a lovely resort with very rich themeing. However, it is not my style. It is so dark - everything is brown and dark and the furniture is clunky and thick. I will say that the master bathroom was huge, but again, it was dark. I liked it more than I thought I would (you might say I had low expectations ) but not enough that I am breaking down the doors to stay there again. I'm sure we will stay there again, though - I know my son would love to see the animals (I visited with my girlfriends, so my family hasn't stayed at AKV, just me).

On the other hand, I adore BLT. It's light, airy, modern - things I love. It has lots of great touches, including lots of Disney artwork and Mickeys. I loved it from the moment I saw the first promotional pictures, but I know lots of people said they didn't like it in the pictures but thought it was much better (much warmer is what I think some say) in person.

The space compares pretty well - the living rooms seem about the same size to me. But the best part about BLT is the open kitchen - it is much more accessible and there is way more storage space than other units I've been in (AKV, SSR, VWL, BWV). I did a split stay starting in a 2BR at SSR and moving to a 2BR at BLT and the difference in the living area was striking - everyone in our group commented on it without me bringing it up.

 

[ToddyLu]

Our home is much in the colors and decor of AKV, so we were completely comfortable there. I am one of those who do not like the modern theming of BLT. I would like to stay at VWL--again I like the dark theming.

I will probably never get to stay anywhere but AKV....DH will not hear of staying at another resort....he loves staying at AKV and watching his "pets".

 

[Silly Little Pixie]

Same here! After our first day at AKV, my DH looked at me and said, "And why would we ever stay anywhere else???" This from the guy I spent months begging to agree to DVC! He has zero desire to try out BLT.

Also, we really are not fans of modern style decor. MK is our least favorite park at WDW, so the only reason we'd stay there is for the monorail to Epcot... and it would be a lot easier and less points to stay at BWV!!

 

[kathyell]

Can't comment on the room size differences, as I've only stayed in a 1BR at BLT and a studio at AKV. I did love AKV and the savanna view. I also loved being able to walk to the Magic Kingdom. No monorail, tram, boat, car, or magic carpets required. If you love the Magic Kingdom, that's a really great perk.

And yes, of course it's true that the theming is more understated at BLT, and that it's hard to beat having a SV room of any kind at AKV, but I love just taking my little stroll over to the MK.

 

[DVC Mike]

Kidani Village and BLT offer completely different experiences - and I enjoy both.

AKV has heavy theming and a feeling of remoteness, while BLT offers great views of the MK and Bay Lake, walking to the MK, and the monorail.

While I enjoy my stays at AKV, I think I prefer BLT.

 

[rhonimouse]

I am having the same feelings as the original poster...We spent Christmas 2009 at AKV Kidani in a 1 bedroom SV (with 2 FULL baths!) and LOVED it!! I love the intimate feel of the lobby. Our kids wanted to be in the community hall every single day. We loved the animals, the CM and their knowledge of the animals and African culture....BUT, we own at BLT...and we have gone to WDW 3 times in less than 3 years- so hubby said this will be our last visit for a year or two....I DO want to try BLT and have lake view studios reserved for a family Thanksgiving trip...but I do not want to miss AKV so much that I regret this trip....I love BLT location, want to enjoy walking to the Magic Kingdom, want to ride the monorail to EPCOT, use the monorail and boat service to the other "deluxe" resorts on the loop to enjoy some dining experiences that we usually overlook, want to enjoy the awesome pool lakeside....I know BLT and AKV are two completely different resorts, and I tell myself that there is no bad decision, after all we spending time in "the world"...right??? Do you know if BLT have the evening movies, any type of "campfire" program, any organized activities for kids? AKV always had so much going on...

 

[podsnel]

I am one of those who loves both. I have stayed at AKV in both Jambo & Kidani, even in concierge, and I have loved it every time- the remoteness, that feeling you are in a place far, far away, that is so exotic. The CMs are so friendly there, and the animals and art are gorgeous. It is such a unique vacation. But we all loved BLT, and my kids say it is their favorite. What are the top 3 rules in real estate? Location, location, location. BLT has a FABULOUS location. And it is SOOOO much fun to be on that monorail- it, to me, felt like we were staying at GF & Poly as well, we could get there so fast. And walking home from MK or to it? WOW. That's the best. No one else gets to do that. Only from the Contemporary. The villa did feel a little smaller to me, kind of like I was in NYC in a hotel. But our 1 bdrm had a seperate laundry room, and THAT was AWESOME!!! we threw all the suitcases in there, our dirty laundry and then clean laundry had it's own place, not on our bed or the couch- it was a great feature (and one not all of BLT's villas have). I did prefer the kitchen layout at BLT, too- it felt very open and had a better flow. The kitchen at AKV was cabinet challenged- we couldn't figure out where to put our food, and we don't have a lot of food with us on vacation. ANd one other thing- the TOWL. Spectacular!

I think you should try BLT- we're hoping to spend our November 2011 vacation there, really looking forward to (hopefully) going back! Good luck with your decision!!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We haven't stayed at BLT yet, but we have toured in more than once. We own at AKV, and have stayed in both Jambo and Kidani. Certainly there are pros and cons to both resorts (just as there are to all DVC properties), but I don't really envision myself "wanting" to stay at BLT. First, I'm not in love with the decor, and the spaces seem cramped to me. Most importantly, I don't see it is much more than a typical high rise hotel in just about Any City, America. I thought the lake views were nice, and I especailly liked the views of the end of the building where you see both lake and park, but I really don't ever see having a "desire" to stay there. I'm sure part of that has to do with us not really being Magic Kingdom type folks. We don't usually visit the MK more than one day in a 10 day trip except to maybe go back to see Wishes. That means the ability to walk to MK has no real meaning to us.

BLT looks to me to be just a place to sleep, while AKV seems like a total resort to play at.

AKV is just a total experience, as far as I'm concerned. It's more of a destination in itself, and while we do visit the parks from there, we find we are very content to just sit in on our balcony watching the animals and enjoying the other amenities of the resort. That's the biggest "pro" of AKV. The "con" is the long hallways that seem to go on forever. I always hated that about BWV, and I'm not fond of the fact that AKV has them also. I do like the decor at AKV, but I'm not in love with the dark bathrooms and the high vanity that prevents me from getting close enough to a mirror to do my makeup. There is no doubt though, that given a free choice, I would choose AKV over BLT.

 

[Tara]

But our 1 bdrm had a seperate laundry room, and THAT was AWESOME!!! we threw all the suitcases in there, our dirty laundry and then clean laundry had it's own place, not on our bed or the couch- it was a great feature (and one not all of BLT's villas have).

This is a great feature - you had one of the rooms on the inside of the "C", correct? It's my understanding that these rooms are ever so slightly smaller in the living area because of the curvature of the building, but they do have the laundry room and I think the other difference is there's no ledge on the island with bar stools.

 

[Inkmahm]

I'm trying to talk myself into staying at BLT on the next trip I schedule, but we just loved Kidani when we stayed there in January. I love the theme, warm colors, and of course the animals. We also loved the bigger living room and extra bathroom for a 1bd. We have not stayed at BLT yet, and I'm having a hard time talking myself into it even though the location would be great.

So if you like the warm colors and theming of AKV, do you like BLT. Also how does the living room size compare to AKV which feels so large compared to all the other DVCs, (besides OKW).

We own at AKV and love both Jambo and Kidani. We stayed at BLT one night last December after a cruise and much to my surprise, loved it there, too. We are staying there again in a couple weeks for 3 nights after our next cruise. In December, we had a one bedroom and thought it was huge. This time we are staying in a studio so we'll see if we like it as much.

I'd say that you should give it a try. You'll never know if you like the place if you don't try it yourself.

 

[dizfan]

Do you know if BLT have the evening movies, any type of "campfire" program, any organized activities for kids?

BLT/CR does have an evening movie. It's located between BLT and CR, you can even watch it from the sky bridge. I believe it's one of the air screens that they inflate at night. They had several rows of chairs and a good turnout the night we watched.

I have heard BLT/CR also has a campfire area. I'm not sure if it was built when we were there last year. Hopefully someone else knows where it's located.

 

[TagsMissy]

blt is our home; we obviously bought there because we like it however I really enjoyed Kidani as well and would not hesitate to return there. So yes you can like both.

 

[SFD998]

We have stayed at AK - Jambo, Kidani and BLT. We are not really fans of the modern style and weren't sure what we would think of BLT. However, after staying there we really enjoyed it. You can't beat the location and using info obtained from these boards we had a great view of the MK even though we had a LV room. We are already booked to be there 2 more times this year. With all of this in mind we also really love AKV. In fact while I am typing this I am watching a live streaming video from Kidani.

It is difficult to put the two resorts in the same category. They are completely different and we love both for different reasons.

 

[El&Asmom]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. You don't know if you'll like something until you try it is right. We may try to book it for our Oct '11 trip. It would be really nice for MNSSHP, and to get to F&W, although I'm sure many others will feel this way, so it may be hard to get into for Oct. I'm sure that even if we don't love the decor, we will love it for location. Maybe we'll try to visit next week. Does anyone know if you can walk around the resort? I read some reports of needing key access to get in to BLT. Could we walk in the ground floor and out to the pool area? I like visiting resorts before staying there, so maybe this will get me excited about it.
Thanks again.

 

[RLRDA]

We did a split stay last August between AKV and BLT. We have pts. at AKV and love it there but we really enjoyed our stay at BLT. We had an MK view 1BR toward the CR side so it was convenient to the elevators near the sky bridge/monorail. We also had a nice view of the monorails to and from the CR which was nice. The 1BRs at BLT have the extra bathrooms just as Kidani does. I would definitely stay at BLT again but not sure we'd shell out the extra points for the MK view - I'm glad we got to experience it though. We're not too concerned with whether or not we like a resorts theming so the ultra contemporary furnishings didn't deter us from staying there. I'd say give it a chance! It might become a new favorite.

I think it's still keycard access - you won't be able to walk around the resort/pool area (unless they've changed that policy).