Just Back from 2 Weeks at AKV

[izzy]

Just got back last night from a two wonderful weeks at AKV Jambo! I had booked a value studio at 11 months out, thinking that this was going to be a solo trip. It ended up that my best friend was able to join me for the first 8 days, and my mother joined us the next week and then stayed with me when my friend flew home.

We actually flew down on Friday evening and stayed off-site that first night. The next morning we went to AKV to drop off our big suitcases around 9 a.m. when I received my first bit of pixie dust - our room was ready, and it was a savanna view room! I told my best friend that she must be my good luck charm. We saw lots of animals during the week, and the room was fairly close to the lobby - room 5120. The room was in great shape.

Trash and towel was a little spotty, but in a good way. We received a full cleaning on the first Tuesday, T&T on Thursday and Saturday and Monday, and a full cleaning again on Wednesday. I'm not complaining about the extra services, but it was a little hard to figure out their schedule.

My only complaint was the people who checked into the room next to ours about 4 days before we left. I don't know if they thought they were still at home, but the screaming, cursing and anger displayed by the woman in that room was unbelievable. I felt really sorry for whoever she was directing that anger towards. The first night, the front desk called me to see if everything was OK in my room. I was confused and said that we were fine. Then I realized that someone had called the front desk thinking that the screaming was coming from my room. I was mortifed. When she got into her second fit of the evening, I called the front desk and told them exactly which room the ruckus was coming from. I ended up having to call the front desk again the next night when she started up with the screaming and cursing again. Both times the front desk said that they were going to send security up there, but I don't know if they did. Let's just say that the next day I noticed that they had the "privacy please" card on the door, and I was very tempted to do something that would disturb their quiet time, although I didn't.

Weather was beautiful the first week (low 80's with a breeze), and very hot the second week (high 80's to low 90's). I think Orlando broke their high temp record three days in a row. We only had a brief shower one day. The parks were more crowded than I was expecting, but still manageable, especially when we used the fast passes.

I spent much more time at the resort than I usually do, and I really enjoyed it. I went to the pool most afternoons (I wish that I could have a pina colava now!), and even tried the pool at Kidani. They had a pool party going on the afternoon we were over there and that was a lot of fun.

Anyway, we all had lots of fun and really enjoyed the trip. My best friend said that she's ready to go back already.

 

[lisaviolet]

Just got back last night from a two wonderful weeks at AKV Jambo! I had booked a value studio at 11 months out, thinking that this was going to be a solo trip. It ended up that my best friend was able to join me for the first 8 days, and my mother joined us the next week and then stayed with me when my friend flew home.

We actually flew down on Friday evening and stayed off-site that first night. The next morning we went to AKV to drop off our big suitcases around 9 a.m. when I received my first bit of pixie dust - our room was ready, and it was a savanna view room! I told my best friend that she must be my good luck charm. We saw lots of animals during the week, and the room was fairly close to the lobby - room 5120. The room was in great shape.

Trash and towel was a little spotty, but in a good way. We received a full cleaning on the first Tuesday, T&T on Thursday and Saturday and Monday, and a full cleaning again on Wednesday. I'm not complaining about the extra services, but it was a little hard to figure out their schedule.

My only complaint was the people who checked into the room next to ours about 4 days before we left. I don't know if they thought they were still at home, but the screaming, cursing and anger displayed by the woman in that room was unbelievable. I felt really sorry for whoever she was directing that anger towards. The first night, the front desk called me to see if everything was OK in my room. I was confused and said that we were fine. Then I realized that someone had called the front desk thinking that the screaming was coming from my room. I was mortifed. When she got into her second fit of the evening, I called the front desk and told them exactly which room the ruckus was coming from. I ended up having to call the front desk again the next night when she started up with the screaming and cursing again. Both times the front desk said that they were going to send security up there, but I don't know if they did. Let's just say that the next day I noticed that they had the "privacy please" card on the door, and I was very tempted to do something that would disturb their quiet time, although I didn't.

Weather was beautiful the first week (low 80's with a breeze), and very hot the second week (high 80's to low 90's). I think Orlando broke their high temp record three days in a row. We only had a brief shower one day. The parks were more crowded than I was expecting, but still manageable, especially when we used the fast passes.

I spent much more time at the resort than I usually do, and I really enjoyed it. I went to the pool most afternoons (I wish that I could have a pina colava now!), and even tried the pool at Kidani. They had a pool party going on the afternoon we were over there and that was a lot of fun.

Anyway, we all had lots of fun and really enjoyed the trip. My best friend said that she's ready to go back already.

I was one line into your TR and you know what I did - - RAN to the points chart.

Holy cow batman - 146 points for a two week vacation. HEL - LO.

So sorry about next door.
Okay back to the lovely at hand. I'm SO jealous and I want to know your view. We've had Value one bedroom twice and got Savanna view both times. Very lucky.

I'm curious about the other Value views

 

[AKLFan3]

Wow, I would love to stay at WDW for 2 weeks! That's great you had such a wonderful time, with the exception of the noisy neighbors. Some people just aren't curteous and don't know how to behave in public. Did you visit the parks every day during the trip? I'm also envious that you received a savanna view while using value view points! Who doesn't love an unexpected upgrade?

 

[Simba's Mom]

Just got back last night from a two wonderful weeks at AKV Jambo! I had booked a value studio at 11 months out, thinking that this was going to be a solo trip. It ended up that my best friend was able to join me for the first 8 days, and my mother joined us the next week and then stayed with me when my friend flew home.

We actually flew down on Friday evening and stayed off-site that first night. The next morning we went to AKV to drop off our big suitcases around 9 a.m. when I received my first bit of pixie dust - our room was ready, and it was a savanna view room! I told my best friend that she must be my good luck charm. We saw lots of animals during the week, and the room was fairly close to the lobby - room 5120. The room was in great shape.

I was in the value studio next to yours at the beginning of the month, #5122. Absolutely perfect view and location. Did you take part in any of the resort activities, most notably jewelry-making, ceramics painting, or the resturaunt tours? Next to the Butternut Squash soup at Mara, the activities at AKV-Jambo is what I love best.

 

[lisaviolet]

I was in the value studio next to yours at the beginning of the month, #5122. Absolutely perfect view and location. Did you take part in any of the resort activities, most notably jewelry-making, ceramics painting, or the resturaunt tours? Next to the Butternut Squash soup at Mara, the activities at AKV-Jambo is what I love best.

Simba's Mom - I know you love your Value studios. Do you have any pictures of the other views?

I know pool and parking lot. But I'm only asking b/c when I look across from the Standard pool view there are a lot of trees on what I think is the value pool view. So I"m curious. I guess I'm trying to ask if Value - pool and Standard Jambo (which is always pool) are much different? What rooms look out over the 4th floor roof/jut out - the ones that are set back in?

Thanks.

 

[izzy]

I've stayed in the value studios three times, and I've gotten the pool view once and the savanna view twice, so I feel very fortunate. I thought 146 points for a 2 week vacation was a great use of points for me, especially when you consider that I got one of the savanna view rooms. Everytime I think about getting a one BR unit, I do the math and realize that I can stay twice as long in a stuiod, which usually trumps it for me. I don't mind that the value studio is a little smaller than the standard, because the difference in size isn't that great. I think only two value studios have a parking lot view, so I was hoping that I'd get a pool view at a minimum.

Simba's Mom, you scared me to death when you said you were in the room next to mine because that's the room where all of the screaming was coming from. Then I went back and read that you were there earlier than me - whew! Glad it wasn't you - I'd hate to tattle on a DIS member! I didn't really do any of the resort activities other than play bingo at the Kidani pool one day. I know what you mean about the butternut squash soup - I got it the first night I was there, and it was yummy, as usual!

AKLFan3, I didn't visit the parks every day. I think I probably didn't go on 3 of the 14 days, and on some days we only stayed 3 or 4 hours because it was so hot. My mom is 81 and in great shape, but the heat was really getting to her. Plus, we had been at WDW last November and then in March, so it wasn't like we hadn't been to the parks lately. We went to some of the outlet malls and a few other places that we like to visit near Orlando. I also spent more time by the pool than usual.