JAMBO! The UN-official AKL Thread ~ UPDATED(short film/pg 8 & slideshow/pg 12) Part 2

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for your help on the 'wiggle thread'...for everyone's enjoyment:

5 days until my wedding:

6 days until we leave for the hotel before our 7:00 am flight to Disney:

7 days until we arrive at AKL!

Congratulations on your upcomming wedding. I hope you have a fantastic day and truly magic honeymoon of course. My sister is getting married on the same day as you, so I hope it will be a lucky day to get married!

 

[Cass]

Right now, I have mixed feelings about AKL... but, that may have to do with the fact that I don't think we stayed long enough! I'll have to sort it all out in the trip report, I guess.

Hi TiggerAllie, I'm looking forward to your trip report.

Did anyone read 'Dusted's thread last night, they had checked into AKL but were really feeling unsettled and not happy there. I hope today went better for them

 

[disneytraveler]

Staying at the Akl actually one should spend some time at the lodge itself.
With all the activities and animal viewings , i was glad i set aside a day or 2
for the lodge.

 

[lisareniff]

Here's the scoop:
They are beginning with renovating the 5th and 6th floors of the Kudo trail. (I think this may include the Ostrich Trail as well.) These villas should be ready by late 2007. Then, they will build a new building (with a second pool) on that side of the hotel/savannah. (I wonder what will happen to all the people pens on that side?) This will come in two phases, one to be completed by the end of 2008 and completely done by the end of 2009. I also learned that Saratoga Springs is 80+% full already.

Thanks for the info TiggerAllie. Did you get an idea if they were going to be studios, or a mixture of units in the 5 &6 floor renovation? OR... did they think that only the Kudo trail was to be renovated into DVC units?

 

[dogsmom]

Have a beautiful wedding and take time to enjoy your day!!

 

[TiggerAllie]

Thanks for the info TiggerAllie. Did you get an idea if they were going to be studios, or a mixture of units in the 5 &6 floor renovation? OR... did they think that only the Kudo trail was to be renovated into DVC units?

Based on what they said, it sounded like the only changes to the main lodge would be that the deluxe rooms on the 5th and 6th floors of the Kudu (and maybe Ostrich?) trail would be renovated and converted into a range of different villa sizes. Apparently, they are going to have some really spectacular (huge) villas, but I think those might more in the new building. I didn't get specific room dimensions, but I'm sure that info will appear soon. They must be starting construction ASAP (whenever they decided to add the Standard Kilamanjaro Club rooms?) in order to be finished by late 2007 (1 yr). I can't wait to hear the presentation when we go back in Dec.

 

[kimmar067]

HOT off the "Presses":

A very reliable source has told me "that the DVC sales team was told that the new villas will be set up differently. The one bedrooms will sleep 5 (instead of the current 4) and the two bedrooms will sleep 9 (instead of the current 8)... So here is the dish that everyone has been asking about. He told me that the DVC villas that are going to be in the main Lodge building (the current Lodge) are going to be smaller than the standard DVC rooms because they have to fit within the space they have to work with but here is the kicker... They will have CONCIERGE access because they are not anticipating moving the concierge lounge, the rooms that are not being affected on the floor, as well as the new DVC rooms will all have the access to concierge...."

...film at eleven.....

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks for the scoop Kimmar! So it sounds like DVC will be sharing the 5th floor with concierge rooms. I was hoping concierge wasn't being run out of town. I wonder what exactly a DVC concierge will be? Before concierge was limited to 55 rooms, I wonder how this will work.

 

[floridafam]

I don't like the fact that the DVC villas will have concierge access. I'm not sure but I think it will be a huge burden on the concierge lounge and will not go well at all.

I'm a DVCer, too.

Thanks for the info.

 

[brookelizabeth]

Congratulations on your upcomming wedding. I hope you have a fantastic day and truly magic honeymoon of course. My sister is getting married on the same day as you, so I hope it will be a lucky day to get married!

Thank you! Congratulations to your sister as well! Here in Minnesota it looks like it will be a sunny day in the mid-40's. Not ideal, but MUCH better than the snow we had last week!

Have a beautiful wedding and take time to enjoy your day!!

Thank you!

 

[Cass]

I don't like the fact that the DVC villas will have concierge access. I'm not sure but I think it will be a huge burden on the concierge lounge and will not go well at all.

Why would it be a burden? if they were regular concierge rooms they would have lounge access? You can put 5 in a deluxe room and I am assuming they are combining 2 rooms to make the 1 bedrooms - so they would sleep 9 instead of up to 10 if it was 2 deluxe rooms?

 

[floridafam]

I'm not actually sure why I think that.

From my experience, DVCers tend to vacation differently than regular guests. Will there be kitchen appliances in the villas that are in the lodge? If not (if there are only studios) then maybe it will work. I can't put my finger on it, it just seems odd to me. I thought they would redo half the building and make that DVC and then have the other half of the 5th floor be concierge, move the lounge to the concierge are and then there would be 2 seperate parts of the 5th floor.

I guess if the villas are going to be scattered throughout the 5th and 6th floors then they would have to have concierge access because there would be no way to restrict access to the lounge.

We'll see.

 

[chris1gill]

Floridaflam, as a DVC'er myself, I feel completely the opposite of how you feel. I'd much rather have the larger full size villa with full kitchen/washer/dryer than access to the lounge. I'm certain that if they put in studio's, the concierge lounge will be much busier since people in studio's will need to eat outside of their unit, whereas people with a full kitchen would be less likely to spend so much time in the lounge... That's just sort of my thought on it.... Course, I just find it to be an odd idea to give DVC'ers any access to the lounge at all, why would they? There's something funny about that idea....

 

[mirlow]

For all of you who just can't get enough of animals on the Savannah

Enjoy!

 

[CoolDisneyCat]

HOT off the "Presses":

A very reliable source has told me "that the DVC sales team was told that the new villas will be set up differently. The one bedrooms will sleep 5 (instead of the current 4) and the two bedrooms will sleep 9 (instead of the current 8)... So here is the dish that everyone has been asking about. He told me that the DVC villas that are going to be in the main Lodge building (the current Lodge) are going to be smaller than the standard DVC rooms because they have to fit within the space they have to work with but here is the kicker... They will have CONCIERGE access because they are not anticipating moving the concierge lounge, the rooms that are not being affected on the floor, as well as the new DVC rooms will all have the access to concierge...."

...film at eleven.....

I wonder if the person who said this had it backwards about the size of the units. If you are going on what they have to work with, we're talking about a 381 sq.ft. deluxe room, right? To use BWV as an example, the studios are 359 sq ft. At OKW, they are 376 and at SSR, 355. So .. all of these are smaller than the deluxe room.

Over on the DVC board, we think they will put a hide a bed chair in the living room to bump the sleeping capacity up one.

This is just my 2 cents worth, but I'm thinking that not all the 134 DVC units in the main Lodge will be concierge. Any on the 6th floor would have to be, but the 5th could be key coded just like it works for regular guest. One reason for this conclusion is that the points for such a villa would have to be high and many DVCers would not think it's an economical use of points. But it makes sense to have some concierge .. then DVCers would have access to the Safaris. I, for one, would love it.

But .. people have said the IPO staff has indicated the lounge is moving .. so who knows? But, I'm having fun speculating!

 

[Dusted]

I'm loving that idea. I would be totally into a DVC membership if they offered Club level. That level of service can't be beat. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[Lostgirlz]

We are staying there in feb for our honeymoon. I was wondering will they be doing constuction during this time? Will it affect any of the lodge as in the views or looks as far as scafolding and all?

 

[kimmar067]

Thank you! Congratulations to your sister as well! Here in Minnesota it looks like it will be a sunny day in the mid-40's. Not ideal, but MUCH better than the snow we had last week!



Thank you!

...where are your wiggling monkeys, young lady??!?!?!

 

[kimmar067]

For all of you who just can't get enough of animals on the Savannah

Enjoy!

...thank you for sharing!

 

[luvfigment]

Wow! I have been MIA for a while (I am out of the AF now and started a new job so I have been busy) and I have missed so much. Thank you all for the updates on the DVC at AKL make me really think about joining again!

So DFi and I decided we are doing a Disneymoon next year and are 99% sure we will be staying at AKL. I am trying to decide if we should splurge and stay Concierge or not. What do you all think, is there a huge difference or advantage? I know about the sunrise/sunset safari's and the lounge but is that all worth the $$$$? All of the concierge rooms are deluxes right? Should we just get a deluxe room without concierge or do the normal standard. That is what I have done the past two trips (savannah view and obstructive pool view.) and have liked it.

It will all depend on money and how "worth" it is to stay concierge. DFi will be living in England by then and I have no idea how much airfare will be for him to come home for the wedding/honeymoon and to fly back. Then I will be heading to England with him for 2 yrs. (He is still Active Duty Air Force and will be stationed there.) Ok I am rambling so if anyone can help with the info I'd appreciate it!!!!