Please help me decide: AKV or SSR?

[sasha]

So DH & I are very close to buying into DVC and all along we've talked about AKV...... until I saw the SSR model on Monday at DL.

The thing we like about AKV is the fact that you see animals right off of your balcony. DDs would LOVE this. They are animal lovers and I know they would really enjoy this perk. Also, the Kidani Village water play area will be awesome! I know my girls will love this and want to spend a lot of time there. The thing I don't like about it is the decor. And I mean I REALLY don't care for it at all. I hope I didn't offend anyone. I know it has a beautiful African theme and I appreciate the artistic part of it, but it's just not my thing. I'm more of a shabby chic kind of gal and I much prefer lighter colors.

I don't know much about SSR, but I do love the way it's decorated. And I mean LOVE IT! Plus I like the fact that the MFs are lower, although I'm not sure how much lower. Does anyone know the answer?

How important is it to love the decor at your home resort? I plan on spending time in the room, but we'll most likely spend most of our time out of the room. As I said, I know my girls will love the animals at AKV, but will that get old for them? I mean should I pick SSR and then stay at AKV for one of our vacations? Or is it crazy NOT to pick AKV? I've heard wonderful things about it and I like all the perks it will have.

Any advice on making my decision? TIA!

 

[Sammie]

Well it is not foolish to pick anything based on personal preference. You could not give me AKV but we love SSR.

I agree that AKL is extremely well done and I can appreciate the attention to detail but as with you, the rooms just completely depress me.

I think the decor at SSR, is the most likeable of any DVC unit and I have stayed in all of them. I have not stayed at AKV but have AKL and wanted to leave the next day and did.

Also I really want grounds that are beautifully landscaped with blooming flowers and shrubs. I want grounds that I can walk around and experience fountains and lakes and such and I can't do that at AKV. I am sure the pool at AKV will be fantastic but the pools at SSR are very nice too.

So it is very hard to say and only you can truly decide. For there will be plenty to come along shortly and tell you how much the like AKV and why.

 

[LIFERBABE]

We own at both, and I agree with Sammie, that AKV is very well done.

We really liked our stay there last month, but SSR feels like home to us. My family chooses SSR hands down every time.

If I could only choose 1, I would choose SSR. AKV will be gorgeous and I am happy we have points there, but SSR is our mainstay and we miss it when we stay at our other DVC homes. I too like the brighter colors and sun and SSR gives us plenty of both without being beachy. We like the beach, but for short trips. We could stay at SSR for weeks and have.
The only onsite DVC we do not own is VWL because I found that to be too dark for my tastes. I definitely prefer AKV over VWL.

AKV will give you many point structures, SSR will give you 1.

Either is a great choice, but it is OK to like SSR and what it has to offer. It is not crazy to pick SSR over AKV if that is what you choose.

 

[kikiq]

Aren't those models beautiful and I can tell you that the real thing looks just like that. I saw the DL models before we spent a week in wdw. We spent a lot of time checking out each resort.

We finally bought SSR. One "silly" reason is I like the SSR kitchen setup better If you're in the kitchen working you are looking out the patio door...it's a little thing but I might be working in the kitchen. Except for the 3 bdrm villa, AKV kitchen setup is a galley type and you face the wall or door to the studio portion of the 2 bdrm. Not the deciding factor but one for SSR. Actually we picked SSR because as our home resort we want to like where we may be most of the time. SSR has more in terms of outdoor exercise choices. My family jogs and bikes. So they can jog around one of the lakes or along the river. They can rent bicycles or surreys. And there's more places for a person to go if they want to escape within the resort not just your patio, but the pool areas, along the paths,around the lake, the area around Artist Palette and for my DDs, DTD!

At the SSR models, you can also see the AKV models...omg, beautiful...but a little on the dark side for me, but I think with natural light it's probably not as dark. Kidani will have an awesome pool/rec area. It will be a 2 mile walk from the Kidani lobby to the Jambo House lobby. While my DDs and dh love the animals, they love their exercise, prefer to do it outside and not looking at the parking lot. (They're spoiled, we live in a planned community so we can jog/walk in the park or in the wilderness park behind us)

MF for SSR $4.12/pt, AKV $4.62/pt

My DDs said that they would like to visit AKV but would like to spend TIME at SSR. We choose SSR and are looking forward to many fun visits

 

[disneymania10]

It is definately a personal preference, and a important decision.
It has been said here many times "Buy at the resort you will want to stay at most of the time".
For us it is Animal kingdom lodge. we stayed there twice and we were lucky to have been upgraded from standard view to savanah both times. we absolutely loved it. Since our two vacations there it has been our favorite WDW resort. This year we decided not to stay there thinkin our luck of being upgraded can't possibly continue. We did have dinner at Jiko one night. When we walked into the AKL lobby both my wife and I said how much we miss being there and how it felt like home. It was at that moment I decided that the time for us to become DVC members was now. We bought enough points so that our small family of 3 can stay for 10 nights every year in a savanah view studio.
We are very secure in knowing that out DVC home resort choice was perfect for us, and thats how I feel it should be. No second guessing that it was the right decision.
We will of coarse try to stay at other DVC resorts through the years, but I love the fact that if we aren't able to get a ressie at another resort at the 7 month mark we will always be happy to stay at our AKV.

Which ever resort makes you feel like we do about AKV IS your home resort.

Good luck, and have fun deciding !!

 

[eporter66]

We own at SSR and love it. But, do some research on the boards. The rules most people go by is :

1. Location - Depending on what you like to do, and where you spend your time at WDW. BWV & BCV are close to Epcot and MGM, VWL are close to MK etc...

My take on this is that you are in WDW, nothing is really that far away. We rent a car, so I do not have to rely on Disney Transportation, and I know during the busy times that you may have some waits. But for us - with the car we are at the parks quick.

2. The fact that you love the Decor and Layout of SSR is something you should think about too. You really want to enjoy your resort, especially if you plan on spending some time there. I am a golfer, so having LBV Golf Course on site is huge. Plus, Downtown Disney is right across the way - a lot of dining options just a walk away.

We also spend time at the resort, so we want to enjoy where we are staying. All the resorts are very nice with a lot to offer.

I have not seen AKV yet, but I am sure WDW will do a great job. Read the boards and think about things a bit, but I just dont see how you can go wrong with either choice. You will be staying in Deluxe accomadations in WDW - does it really get much better than that?

 

[vandy]

We viewed the AKV model in Chicago, and I will have to admit that they didn't look as bad as I thought. I would not mind staying there, but I would have to agree that I prefer the decor at SSR much better. Since it is obvious by your post you prefer SSR by far, buy there. Besides, if you purchase SSR with a Sept, Oct, Nov or Dec use year, you will receive the 2006 points, then receive the 2007 points when these months come around this year. Then if you take the double developer incentive, you have even more points to use. However, if you take the $$ discount, you will still have two years worth of points to use in 2008 if you bought SSR.

 

[Ratpack]

We went back and forth on which one to buy as well. Liked the decor in both for what they represented. We are WL fans, so the darkness of AKV didn't hinder our decision at all. SSR had some benefits over AKV and vice versa which made them sort of equal to us except for one thing and this is why we chose AKV-----3 more years of use. We get 50 years at AKV and would have only gotten 47 at SSR. But as others have mentioned, you need to be weigh them out on your personel preferences.

 

[AKV707]

We own at AKV. We looked at both SSR and AKV on the tour and we realy liked the look and feel of the AKV rooms more. We realy could see ourselves loving staying there. It sounds like you can really see your family staying at SSR. It is a great resort that many are happy to call home.

 

[sssteele]

My wife and I own at BCV and VWL. We stayed at AKL 5 years ago (a few months before we bought DVC) and absolutely loved it. We don't need more points, but are thinking about a AKV add-on, even if it means selling some BCV points. (Can you imagine?) We don't regret our VWL add-on 2 years ago, but we covet AKV. I can only imagine how disappointed we'll be if we can't make AKV reservations. We'll both be retired in 15 months, so we'll probably wait to see how things "wash out" with 7 month reservations. SSR held no appeal for us (location and size), but many people prefer the "stand-alone" resorts as pure DVC. To each his own!

 

[mprewitt]

We prefer the DVC resorts that are attached to the deluxe resorts, rather than the standalone DVC resorts. SSR just didn't appeal to me.

 

[LisaS]

It will be a 2 mile walk from the Kidani lobby to the Jambo House lobby.

According to the AKV FAQs page on the public DVC website, it will be just under 1/2 mile between the main entrance of Kidani to the main entrance of Jambo House.

Will the two buildings be in walking distance from each other?

Yes, there is an outdoor walking path between the two buildings. (It is an approximately 2,500-foot walk from the porte cochere of one building to the other.)

 

[ebenmax]

As everyone else has stated, your preference should be the deciding factor, but our family LOVES SSR. We have stayed once as a family of five and once for our anniversary. In both situations SSR did not let us down. We were quite impressed! DH and I REALLY enjoyed DTD and the transportation center being just a short walk away. It gave us the freedom to not go into the parks but still have lots to do.

The MF for SSR are $4.12 and AKV - $4.62 (I believe)

Good luck with your decision - you can't go wrong!

 

[wildernessDad]

Buy where you want to stay. Buy where your heart leads you as you will have it, hopefully, for many many years to come.

 

[mikeandkarla]

If you plan to stay at your home resort all the time, buy where you want to stay the most. That being said, there are some reasons to consider both:

1. AKV concierge and value rooms. If you plan to use these, you will probaly need to own there, as they should be popular to members and only be available at 11 month booking window.

2. SSR will give you an extra UY worth of points. Since SSR had points available for 2006, if you purchase with a UY after Sept., you will recieve current UY points. Since AKV did not have 2006 UY available, you will not recieve these points if purchasing at AKV.

3. SSR provides more nearby activities with DTD so close.

If the only reason you want to own at AKV is for a savanna room to see the animals, You should be able to reserve that with no problem at 7 months out. I think I read that when Kidani is complete, 80% of all rooms at AKV will have a savanna view, so it should be very accessable. Wherever you choose, you will be very happy to be a DVC owner and have the flexability to stay at any of the resorts. Good luck.

 

[Mtnman44]

There is much less of a need to own at SSR for an 11 month booking advantage. There are lots of rooms and no "specialty", high-demand categories.

So,

If I were buying now, I'd likely go with AKV simply because my 11th month window would be more useful (value rooms, conceirge, special view, etc). I could still book at SSR with almost 100% chance of finding availability at 7 months.

Of course, if you will never stay at AKV, then don't buy there. Also, assuming AKV dues are always approx .50 per point more that SSR, that equates to $100 a year more for AKV on a 200 poiont contract (about $8 per month). Frankly, I find the difference in maint fees to be essentially a non-issue.

Now that being said, my resort of preference is SSR and/or OKW. I like the location and the style. There is nothing wrong with owning there. However, as I mentioned, due to the large number of rooms with no special categories, there isn't as much of an 11th month booking advantage as you see at other DVC locations. For this reason (and now that prices are essentially the same for SSR and AKV) I would choose AKV if I were buying today.

 

[crisi]

Only you know how important the decor is. I happen to like the decor of VWL best (we own BWV, which isn't bad), hate SSR's decor passionately, and think AKL are "well themed" but "not my taste." Decor IS important to me in that I don't think I would stay out at SSR because of the decor.

But decor is one attribute and for most people, probably not the most important. Location, price, number of years let, dues cost, room layout, view availability, pool, condo vs. hotel, memories of past trips, perceived availability at 7 months out, the fact that your favorite WDW bar is within walking distance - dues cost may be the most important thing in the world to me, another poster may think "who cares about dues, I want that being able to walk from Epcot."

Note that there is the resale market to consider and you can get the "sold out" resorts from Disney (it may involve a wait list and a little pushing of your guide) just to complicate things.