Just Back - 10 Days at AKV - Probably Won't Return

[wen-tom]

Is this true? How do you know this? (I hadn't understood your earlier post about "tour" people using the pool, but I didn't ask). I've been on the tour at SSR and never heard any such thing, nor was anything like that offered to us. I've never heard about anyone on the DVC tour being able to use the pool, but maybe I just never heard about it.

Again, the pool was pretty uncrowded on the days I was there, so I didn't see any families with coolers camping out for the day!

well we actually saw people with their tour name badges on coming to sit around the pool with coolers! we wouldn't have known otherwise as it was never explained to us and we were certainly not offered this when we did our tour in 2006!

maybe they weren't "allowed" but they were certainly doing it

 

[Ksp]

the rooms are fairly dark. there is the usual lighting with many different lamps around the room but it can seem dark if you have the curtains drawn or if it is actually dark outside. we used the bathroom for getting dressed etc as it was the brightest part of the room. I think the decor does make it a little dark but personally i like that. i guess its personal choice.

if you have problems with low light it may be an issue for you.

i hope this helps.

Yes, it does help - thanks! We will still try to find time to stay there, but maybe I won't book a long stay for our first visit, just a night or two. I don't want to miss out on staying there - up till now we have made sure to stay at each DVC at least once and I refuse to break the chain!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have a question for those of you who have already stayed at AKL
- just how dark are the rooms?

I visited the "sample" room over at SSR at the DVC center, and while I personally like the way the darker color scheme looks, my concern stems from some vision problems that I have in low lighting.

I've heard some people express how dark the rooms seem - is it just that the furniture is dark, or is the lighting an issue in the rooms, as well??

I had issues with the light level in the bathroom. It was VERY difficult for these aging eyes to see to put on that makeup that is all important at this age! The lights have an amber colored "shade" or plastic thingamabob in front of them, making the light strange in the bathroom. I didn't have any real issues with the lighting elsewhere in the unit.

 

[snowwhitemom]

We really did not have that DVC feeling there either, we stayed one week in a 1 bedroom. I will stay again, i just know not to expect "welcome Home" feeling at each turn. The only thing that I found truely unacceptable was we had bell service bring us up a blender I think.. .something of that nature....when I asked for change for a twenty....he said he only had 2 tens, Hummmmmmmm, so in your job.....you get tips and you only have 2 tens. I am normally a big big tipper, but come on.....10 bucks for a blender that was suppose to be there any way. We also found clothes from previous guest all over the villa, under bed , in closet etc. My DH and I for some reason just laughed each time we discovered pieces of clothes. I will be doing a long weekend there in September but I could not resist the killer rate we got with the everest challange. I really think it will improve with the DVC completion.

 

[dianeschlicht]

We really did not have that DVC feeling there either, we stayed one week in a 1 bedroom. I will stay again, i just know not to expect "welcome Home" feeling at each turn. The only thing that I found truely unacceptable was we had bell service bring us up a blender I think.. .something of that nature....when I asked for change for a twenty....he said he only had 2 tens, Hummmmmmmm, so in your job.....you get tips and you only have 2 tens. I am normally a big big tipper, but come on.....10 bucks for a blender that was suppose to be there any way. We also found clothes from previous guest all over the villa, under bed , in closet etc. My DH and I for some reason just laughed each time we discovered pieces of clothes. I will be doing a long weekend there in September but I could not resist the killer rate we got with the everest challange. I really think it will improve with the DVC completion.

I would have told him I'd get back to him later with the tip!!! Nope, not going to tip for something that was supposed to bve in the room anyway. Besides, why was bell services bringing it up???? When we have asked for anything of that nature, we have called mousekeeping, and THEY have brought it, not bell people.

 

[LisaS]

Is there supposed to be a blender in the kitchen? I thought that was one of those things that was available on request but was not normally provided.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our stay at AKV in March didn't necessarily have that "DVC" feeling, but I chalked that up to it being in the main hotel itself. I have always kind of felt that way about BW and BC too. I figure once Kidani is open, the accommodations there will feel much more true to DVC.

My complaints were like the OP's with the other guests. While we were sitting out in the concierge lounge one morning at 6:30 AM, there were several quite young guests running around down in the lobby area and accross the "rope" bridge playing "pirate". They were shooting toy rifles and yelling from one floor to another and were running up and down the hallways that open onto the main lobby area. They were using 1-4 floors, so thank heavens they couldn't get up to our floor, but it was annoying to say the least anyway. I have NEVER had issues like that at OKW.

 

[snowwhitemom]

I would have told him I'd get back to him later with the tip!!! Nope, not going to tip for something that was supposed to bve in the room anyway. Besides, why was bell services bringing it up???? When we have asked for anything of that nature, we have called mousekeeping, and THEY have brought it, not bell people.

beats me but it was....... I was planning to tip the person but not ten bucks...hadn't been in the room 10 minutes...... I am sure it was a blender after rethinking this, I am quick to a frozen drink on the balcony after flying over 700 miles getting a rent a car, grocery shopping.....yeah it was a blender, lol.

 

[LisaS]

I logged in to the member's website and some resorts list a blender as standard equipment in the kitchen but AKV does not. The list for AKV is much less specific than what's listed for OKW or VWL (I couldn't even get the Accommodation pages to load for BWV or BCV). Here is the list for AKV:

Full kitchen includes: coffee maker, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, pots and pans, microwave, toaster, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and more

There is also a note on the OKW page that the items in the kitchen are subject to change.

I took a look at the detailed photos my DH took of the contents of the kitchen cabinets in the AKV model rooms and do not see a blender.

 

[snowwhitemom]

I logged in to the member's website and some resorts list a blender as standard equipment in the kitchen but AKV does not. The list for AKV is much less specific than what's listed for OKW or VWL (I couldn't even get the Accommodation pages to load for BWV or BCV). Here is the list for AKV:

Full kitchen includes: coffee maker, dinnerware, glassware, flatware, pots and pans, microwave, toaster, stove, refrigerator, dishwasher and more

There is also a note on the OKW page that the items in the kitchen are subject to change.

I took a look at the detailed photos my DH took of the contents of the kitchen cabinets in the AKV model rooms and do not see a blender.

Well, that could be why it wasnt there, it has always been prior to this villa..oh well live and learn, still wasnt gonna tip 10 for it.....5 to 7......not 10. thanks for the info.

 

[LisaS]

Well, that could be why it wasnt there, it has always been prior to this villa..oh well live and learn, still wasnt gonna tip 10 for it.....5 to 7......not 10. thanks for the info.

Completely agree with you re: the tip!

 

[DVC-LEROY]

Have to say that for both our stays at AKV we had poor housekeeping & CM experiences - housekeeping has been a constant complaint of mine at other DVC resorts so it didn't surprise me. Our last visit was on Memorial Day weekend and lacked some basics like extra TP and a hairdryer....when we asked for them - received snippy comments like - "well it should be there" --- ya think? Did they think we walked into the room and immediately took the stuff? "The hairdryer should be in the top drawer in the bathroom" Strange - no drawers in the bathroom - just shelves/cubbies - wondered if they knew their facility. Loved staying there just for the view and theming - looking out onto the savanna every morning made me forget about the stupidity. Management's lack of attention to detail is starting to wear on us though- I don't think its limited to AKL. I wish they'd buy all DVC housekeepers a steamcleaner!

Bus service was usually 45 minutes - sometimes longer.

To all of you who get a survey card in the mail after your visits - keep sending in your comments!

 

[WolfpackFan]

Man, folks are coming out of the wood work to complain about AKV. Well, we stayed there back in March and loved the resort and have no second thoughts about purchasing points there. I guess with all the complaints we won't have to worry so much about competition to get reservations.

 

[LisaS]

"The hairdryer should be in the top drawer in the bathroom" Strange - no drawers in the bathroom - just shelves/cubbies - wondered if they knew their facility.

We stayed in a studio and the hair dryer was on the shelf in the wardrobe. I wonder why they didn't install the usual wall units?

 

[LIFERBABE]

We stayed in a studio and the hair dryer was on the shelf in the wardrobe. I wonder why they didn't install the usual wall units?

That's where ours was. I wondered the same thing probably a space issue or wiring cost issue. Maybe with the retrofit, they couldnt support another GFCI installation.

I also found the lighting low. We were on the 6th floor so we had even less light coming into the room. I had to stand directly under the spotlight in the vanity to curl my hair.

Also they have CFL lights so they take a second to come on and the shades are all amber colored so it was hard for me to tell if the light was on or not.

 

[Straughn]

I have been following this thread with some interest as I will be staying at AKLV for two nights in mid-August. It will be my first stay there. I am an owner at VWL and generally alternate between there and BWV. I have to agree with those posters who have noticed a decline in the services and attitude of cast members over the years- not just at DVC, but all the properties and in the parks. I think this has to do with a couple of things-not necessarily primary causes, but certainly contributing factors. Disney, like many other businesses, is cutting back on employees. Fewer cast members behind the check-in desks, in the restaurants, staffing the attractions, etc means that there are fewer people to respond quickly to guest issues. I am sure that for some of the cast members, they think that all they ever hear is complaints and problems. Not necessarily so, but that is probably what they think. It doesn't matter how nice/polite/patient a guest is- after a while a problem is a problem.

Secondly, I suspect that in a lot of these positions, particularily ones staffed by the College Program, turnover is great. It takes a while to get someone trained and knowlegable. You just get a college kid to the point where he/she knows what they are doing and, gosh, they are gone and you get to train the new one. Add to that, as someone else mentioned, the cultural differences with the international cast members who approach their job and their life differently than a lot of Americans.

I agree with the poster who said that some of the issues at AKL are the growing pains with the addition of the DVC property, compounded by the ongoing construction. Each one on its on might have been somewhat manageable, but the two combined bring on a lot of problems. Again cast members are tired of hearing it. I am not justifying rude behavior, just trying to look at it from their point of view.

I, too, have experienced/witnessed rude behavior from cast members. Sometimes I thought, what did I, or someone else, do to deserve that response. Other times, after having seen the way a guest has treated a cast member, I had to agree with the cast memebr when he/she was less than responsive to a request for help. One of my favorite stories goes back to mid 90's at the GF. DH and I were waiting to check-in. A guest was raking a cast member over the coals about some problem with his room. The cast member couldn't get a word in, so she stood there and let this guy go on for 5- 6 minutes about the problem. When he finally stopped, she said, very politely, "Sir, I have another room for you". The guest said, nastily: "Why didn't you tell me that to begin with". The cast member's reply was " You wouldn't stop yelling long enough for me to tell you". The guest stopped, looked at her, and said, "I guess I owe you an apology. I should have given you a chance to fix the problem before I got mad. I am really sorry and I thank you for you help." DH and I happend to get this young woman when it was our turn to check-in. DH complimented her on her handling of the situation. Her response was that some people just want to yell and make a scene. There is nothing you can do to stop them, so just let them have it. They look like a fool to everyone around them which is more than pay back for whatever they have said to me.

Any time I am tempted to lose my temper at someone in a customer service position, I remember what that cast member said.

 

[tjkraz]

I agree with the poster who said that some of the issues at AKL are the growing pains with the addition of the DVC property...

This is the one issue that I actually DON'T understand.

Some drew a comparison to BCV. BC having issues when it first opened seems to make a little more sense. BCV was all new construction and added about 40% more rooms to the resort.

In the case of AKV, over a 6-month period the resort actually got SMALLER. Not smaller size-wise, but the number of guests should have been reduced. It took two guest rooms (total occupancy of 8-10) to make every one bedroom villa (occupancy of 5). It took three rooms (12-15) for every two bedroom villa (9).

So, the staff at Jambo house should actually be servicing fewer guests than they did two years ago.

I can understand some confusion regarding how DVC members are treated differently than cash guests (limited housekeeping, location of free laundry facilities, etc.) but for the most part it should be business as usual. And I have to say that even some of the DVC differences should have been easily dealt with in an afternoon training session if we're talking about reasonably-intelligent CMs.

 

[tjkraz]

I logged in to the member's website and some resorts list a blender as standard equipment in the kitchen but AKV does not.

I don't think it was standard for SSR either, but guests could supposedly call and have one delivered.

If that's the policy for two resorts, it wouldn't surprise me if the others are now handled similarly regardless of what the website says.

 

[hakepb]

This is the one issue that I actually DON'T understand.

Some drew a comparison to BCV. BC having issues when it first opened seems to make a little more sense. BCV was all new construction and added about 40% more rooms to the resort.

In the case of AKV, over a 6-month period the resort actually got SMALLER. Not smaller size-wise, but the number of guests should have been reduced. It took two guest rooms (total occupancy of 8-10) to make every one bedroom villa (occupancy of 5). It took three rooms (12-15) for every two bedroom villa (9).

So, the staff at Jambo house should actually be servicing fewer guests than they did two years ago.

I can understand some confusion regarding how DVC members are treated differently than cash guests (limited housekeeping, location of free laundry facilities, etc.) but for the most part it should be business as usual. And I have to say that even some of the DVC differences should have been easily dealt with in an afternoon training session if we're talking about reasonably-intelligent CMs.

I do understand. At AKL, they took a resort that rarely operated at full capacity, then DVC came in and change everything.
First during the Jambo renovation, Disney had to close entire wings during construction (instead of just the 4th floor as plannes). Imagine all the angry cash customers AKL CM's faces 100% due to DVC.
Now that Jambo is open to DVC, they (CM's) are probably busier than before, it used to be a cushy job.
Also, due to the Kidani construction, think of all the cash customers that have complained about construction view from the Savannah view (that they paid a premium for) Owners (Management and DVC) can better understand the future benefit. Cash customers cannot.
On top of that AKL has to be less profitable right now (fewer Savannah view rooms then they will have after Sunset re-opens) and the stress of profitability has probably filtered down from management to the front line.
I can imagine circumstances where a few CM's may be less than pleased with DVC.

 

[poggs]

Tuesday 4 December to friday 7th December – Animal Kingdom villas.

We added on 50 points here earlier in the year to enable us to guarantee our stay here. We loved the promo videos and the view over the savannah from the balcony. So stumped up the points to get the savannah view.

Got to the Animal kingdom lodge at 3.30. At the door the medal floor design of animals and the wooden panels surrounding it were roped of, making the entry door seem really small. The lobby was also really cluttered with couches and other 'junk'. At least 10 people in line infront to check in. Only 2 people doing check in, but 5 or 6 at the concierge desk chatting and laughing with each other. Initial impressions were not good. Waited in line for about 30 minutes until we got seen. Really poor this. I had requested a room overlooking the central savannah, near to the lobby as possible. Never got this the Cm whom I would characterise as rude said 'I dont care what you requested. Thats your room and I cant change it) She wrote 5548 on the a bit of paper and sent us on our way. I asked for the welcome pack, but she told me they were too busy to build them up and to come back later.

So walked up to the room. Took 3 breaks and aged a bit, but eventually got to 5548. put the key in. red light. Tried all three. All red light. Then the door opened and another lady said that this was her room. ARRGH!!!!!!! After that hike, She's given me someone elses room.!!!

So back to the lobby. Waited another 20 mins in line to get dragon lady again. 'I never said 5548' says Ros (nice monsters inc link there) . 'Yes you did says I' whilst showing her the room layout card that she had written 5548 on. Tut tut goes it and says, its 5549 and sends us off with a flee in our ear. Sorry? Not a chance.

Repeat 1 mile walk to the far end of the hotel to the worst DVC room on property. Remember the number. Its Room 5549.

So we walk in and the lampshade falls of the ceiling and smashes on the floor. Oh. There's an omen. So straight to the balcony. Its a 5th floor room overlooking a circular fenced off mud pit! Totally shocking and utterly unacceptable. I just cant believe they call this a savannah view. Never saw so much as a bird the whole time we were there. DW burst into tears. This hotel was her dream. So back to the lobby and after a 15 minute wait (see getting better) got Ros to get us the floor manager. He hid in the back for 10 minutes before being very sorry but there was nothing else he could do. We got the AKV version of the dumpster view.

The room itself was also pants. No en-suite and a toilet in a cupboard. Whats that all about? But, but,wheres the tub? Someone has shrunk it! Tiny wee thing!

Ok says DW phone up members services and get a move. I am not staying here. So I phone up member service and shockerooni, nothing available apart from Saratoga springs. Here was a dilema. Do we leave the 'mud pit view' for the poor relation of DVC? She hummed and hawed and decided that SS was a step too far. So we stayed put and tried to go to a park. Waited 40 mins on a bus to epcot. Waited 30 mins ona bus at 730pm to get back. Eventually got back to the room and thought we would try out the HD tv. Guess what only one remote. So tried it on the living room tv. Worked fine. Pulled out the sofa and put the wee man to bed. Tried the bedroom tv. Nope. Only 2 channels working. So its channel 2 or 3. Everything else is choppy and unwatchable as if the cable is not properly tuned in. Wife looks out the balcony and cries again. Went to find the Mara food place. Walked around for a while. No signs anywhere. Asked a Cm to be met with a shocked look. 'Its near the pool sir' Oh of course it is. How stupid of me not to know this. Had I had a welcome pack...... Got a rotten burger on stale brown bun (what is it with the brown buns now?)

So in the morning we phoned up member services to take them up on SS offer. VAK was that bad. But no, that room has been filled. Bah. So we simply stayed put and tried to make the best of it. I would advise everyone to avoid the VAK until the new building is built. Its far too great a risk book a savannah room right now in case you get the rotten views. There really are a lot of them.