Question for anyone who has stayed at Animal Kingdom Villas

[rutgers1]

I have been reading this board religiously since I bought into DVC in April. When I first logged in here, I fully expected there to be an OVERWHELMING amount of talk about the Animal Kingdom Villas, as they seemed like the resort with the most unique theme (Where else can you wake up and look out at a giraffe?). Yet that doesn't seem to be the case.

When I toured the rooms prior to buying into DVC (I bought at SSR because it was the cheapest), I will admit that I felt that they were too dark. In theory, I liked the theming, but my idea accommodation is a bit lighter and cheerier.

So, with that said, I would love to hear THREE things that you like about AKV and 3 things that might contribute to it not being THE hottest DVC around.

Also, is it easy to get at the 7 month mark?

 

[cobbler]

Well I own at SSR as well and I bought there because it was the newest at the time with the longest contract. With that said we were able to get into AKV during Flower and Garden this past April/May without any problem. We got a one bedroom in the Jambo house obviously.

What I liked was the theme, it was kind of neat and being able to look at the animals - we had a Savannah view. I also liked being able to stay at the lodge for the first time.

One reason we would never own there is because to us it feels like it is out in left field, now that isn't bad because apparantly SSR is too (or so I hear) but it doesn't feel that way like AKV does. Also it has much higher dues, something hubby says he doesn't want to pay for the animals unless he can ride them - lol. For us personally I would use AKV as a far more relaxing non-park vacation.

What was funny to us is that we were on the 5th floor and in the distance we could see a Cracker Barrel. We joked that we didn't know they had made their way over to Africa.

Overall we enjoyed our time there, liked the resort but it isn't just our cup of tea to want to own there. We will stay there again someday I am sure and have no problems taking our chances with the 7 month window.

 

[CarolA]

I can't tell you why it's not "hot" except maybe folks are scared of the location. However, since AKL does NOT share buses unlike all of the other villas attached to "deluxe" resorts IMHO Transporation is BETTER! (Yes folks at a Disney Deluxe prepare to take LONGER to get to your park then at a Disney value in some instances)LOL!

As for why I think it's great

1. Unique. Where else in North America is there a giraffe outside your room
2. Theme. Disney did this one right. The theme in the hotel is great with the artwork etc.
3. Decor. The decor does seem Disney "authentic" to me and I like it.

As for 7 months...time will tell. For me it was not worth the risk since I only want to stay there IF I can have a Savannah view. Otherwise I would find it depressing!

This was the ONLY "deluxe" I would consider paying for before. I felt it had that unique feature that might make it worth Disney's pricing. Now I don't have to pay Disney's hotel pricing.

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed there last summer for the first time and really liked it. I booked a room in Kidani for next June at 7 months. As Carol said, the only downside I see is location. The thing I love about BWV is being able to walk to Epcot and boat to DHS. I also wish there was a counter service in Kidani.

 

[rutgers1]

I get the impression that it is more of a distance/access issue. That makes sense. Even if it doesn't save time, I think a lot of people like to be at resorts where you have several methods to get from one place to another (boat, monorail, bus, walk), and I guess this one only offers one.

A major reason why I would like to give it a shot is to be part of the sunrise safari. I have read conflicting reports regarding who is eligible. Is it all guests or just concierge?

 

[kristenrice]

Three GREAT things about AKV:

1) Theme: You'd have to look pretty hard to find a resort like this anywhere else in the world.
2) Boma, Jiko and Mara: IMO, some of the BEST dining (and Boma is a great value) on all of Disney property
3) Variety: As DVC members, you have 2 buildings and 4 categories of rooms to choose from. No other WDW-DVC property offers so many ways to use your points

I know I'm only allowed 3 but I have to add a fourth..
4) Activities: There is so much to do around the resort, you might find it hard to pull yourself away from it. Kids and adults can participate in all kinds of free (and not so free) experiences. The whole resort can be a vacation unto itself.

Three "Not-So-Great" things about AKV: (I had to really think to come up with these, and I don't think that they are negatives, myself)
1) It's a long walk to those savanna view rooms! (I've heard the hallways at the BWV are long too, though)
2) It's dark. Personally, I love that. It's such a nice contrast to the Florida sun. A lot of people don't care for it, but it is part of the theming. I can't really see them pulling off an African-themed hotel using pastels .
3) Transportation options. Yes, it is bus only, but the bus service is usually very good. The only downside is that if you are without a car, your only (free) option is to take the bus.

As far as the 7-month window goes, I don't foresee it being a problem for a while after Kidani opens. I believe a majority of the rooms will be in the savanna view category so they should be the easiest to get. Now, concierge is virtually impossible at 7 months. Value is possible, but have a back up.

 

[danielle782001]

Also, is it easy to get at the 7 month mark?

I just booked a two-bedroom savanna view for six nights in July the 7 month mark...We own at AKL and SSR...We had a boat load of SSR points we had to use this year, so I had to wait to book with SSR at 7 months...I am sure that it may be more difficult at other more "busy" times of year for DVC...But the place is so big that I am thinking it will be "easier" there at 7 months than other resorts that are much smaller.

 

[rutgers1]

We are going for two weeks in August. One week will be at our home resort, SSR, and the other will hopefully be somewhere else. I just sat down with my family and looked through the book and had them make a priority list.

Here is what my sons (ages 9 and 7) came up with:

choice #1: Boardwalk. They liked the slide and the boardwalk theme. My wife nudged them in that direction, too, as she liked the location....I wasn't overly excited about it, as there have been some reports of "tired" rooms there. But overall I like it and would be happy if there is 7 month availability.

choice #2: Beach Club. I am not so sure why they chose this, but once again my wife was pushing the location.

choice #3: Animal Kingdom. The animals were the big draw. I actually thought it would be a big enough draw to push it to #1, but I was wrong. For some reason, even a 9 year old sides with proximity over animals when looking at a map.

 

[Cyndibear]

We enjoyed our 1st AKV stay in Jan 08. We are owners at SSR and AKV. We have our next 3 trips booked at AKV. Sure the hallways are long, BWV's hallways are long too. Sure the place is dark, but once your eyes are adjusted, the place is just beautiful. We did not have any problems with the bus service and the place being "too far away". We stayed at BWV's this past Sept. and felt it took forever on the buss/boat because of the stops at BC/YC & Swan/Dolphin. I think it is a unique experience because of the animals. We enjoyed waking up and having breakfast on our balcony with the animals. Where else can you do that in the US?

Each resort will have its own appeal to each person/family. That is why there is so many to choose from. Try them all, you may be suprised at what you like.

Cyndi

 

[podsnel]

One of the reasons we chose to buy our points at AKV over SSR last year was the sleeper chair- as a family of 5, we can all stay in a 1 bedroom and all have a bed, PLUS at Kidani there's an extra full bathroom in that 1 bdrm villa. And the dedicated bus service is a big thing, too. I know everyone obsesses over how far out AKV is, but the bus ride is 12 minutes to the Magic Kingdom. When we were staying at BC, the bus took alot longer than that because we had to stop at the swan, and the dolphin, and the yacht club and sometimes the boardwalk. I do miss walking to/from Epcot- but I can always fix that with adding on in the future!

 

[TinkGirl]

We got AKV for last June at 7 months (to the day and were told that was the last one available). We are hoping to try all the resorts and had been hoping to stay at AKL since it was built.

1. The resort is absolutely beautiful! The theming is amazing.
2. The animals! We had Savannah view on the Kudu Trail. Wow! Even my
cool teenagers sat on the balcony for long periods of time to watch and
take pictures.
3. LOTS to do! After this trip, we decided to try to not be so commando on
our next trips so we can enjoy all the things at the resorts. We always
meant to do the night vision goggles, but were always at a park, etc.


I can't think of any negatives about the resort itself. I think all the resorts have different things going for them--that's why we want to try them all. BCV is our next stop.

 

[LisaS]

We love the unique atmosphere of the resort. As others have said, stepping out on your balcony and watching giraffes saunter by or witnessing the turf wars between the zebras and the wildebeests is amazing. On our last trip we watched an ostrich lay an egg! If you like animals, staying at AKV is a wonderful experience. The remoteness adds to that atmosphere. You can forget that you're actually in Florida when you stay at AKV and imagine that you really have been transported to Africa.

The biggest negative for us is the lack of walking paths in the resort. We love to take a long walk after dinner (especially after eating at Boma!) and you just can't do that at AKV. The savannas fill the interior of the resort so the only place to take a long brisk walk would be to make a few loops around the parking lot.

 

[Anal Annie]

We also own at SSR - partially because it was the only new resort for sale at the time that we purchased and partially for financial reasons. AKV had just been announced but was not for sale yet. Our guide assured us that if $ was at all a factor (which it WAS) that we'd never beat the Friends & Family promotion to buy at SSR ($15 off per point). We were torn on waiting but figured the promotion at SSR would allow us to buy at least 25 more points than we'd be able to buy if we waited. But we LOVE AKV. I am glad that it is fairly large resort as I think availability will at 7 months will be reasonable. Our plan is to bounce around between all of the DVC resorts so where we own did not affect our decision as much as it does some buyers.

I don't know what is not to love at AKV. The location that some complain about does not bother us in the least as the bus service is excellent there. Dedicated. LOVE that. Close to the AK park. Hello? Does that park not count when people complain about "how far it is"? Since we always vist the AK park at least a couple of times during our stay why would it bother us to be a hop away? I really don't get the complaints about the location.

The FOOD is OUTSTANDING at all 3 restaurants. We absolutely LOVE Boma. Jiko is OK (overpriced IMO) and even the Mara has decent choices, sometimes unusual. LOVE AKV for the food. Saves a schlep over from somewhere else to dine at Boma. Gotta love that as I MUST dine there at least once during our stay.

It is a BEAUTIFUL property. LOVE all the wood...the entire theme is simply the most unusual you will find anywhere. While I would not want my personal home to be decorated that dark, it does not bother me AT ALL to live with it in the lodge / villas for a week. I go back to the wonderful theming that makes it so tolerable. Seeing the animals outside the viewing areas 24/7 is an added bonus (we're not likely to splurge on a savannah view unit tho).

While the hallways are indeed a long walk, I think the only really negative comment I have about the current property is that while the pool is quite nice, and beautifully landscaped, the slide is pretty lame. I hope the new pool / splash area offers a little more pizzaz for the older kids. Our DS11 would prefer a little more action.

So while we own at SSR for financial reasons, our hearts are at AKV.

 

[bwvBound]

We've had one Lodge/Hotel visit (Sept 2005) and one Lodge/Villa visit (Jan 2008). Things we liked:

• The Savanna Views are amusing. Long hours of entertainment value w/out leaving your room.
• The Lodge itself is both inspiring and educational. Plenty of displays to explore once you manage to pull your eyes away from the architectural and artistic details.
• Jiko's!!

We thought our Lodge/Hotel stay in '05 would be a 'once in a lifetime' experience. We were thrilled by DVC's announcement of AKV and couldn't wait to book our visit. However ... we were hugely disappointed by our AKV stay (1BR, Concierge with Savanna View).

• Unit was dark, dark, dark ... my immediate impression, "I miss bright, cheery BWV unit we had left!"
• No closets! The mansrobe doesn't cut it for me. Adding to the problem, our unit was an HA unit w/ no jetted tub, no bathroom storage cabinets, no hooks for robes in the bathroom, etc. Basically the unit offered no place to store "stuff" in any organized fashion. It was horrible.
• Fewer animals of interest from our villa. We watched the same lonely ostrich for hours ... but missed the variety of animals we enjoyed from the hotel visit.
• Villa Concierge suffer with an extremely delayed check-in process compared to the (basic) hotel side. We sat in the lounge for nearly 45-minutes waiting for our "personalized" check-in ... when we could have flown through check-in downstairs.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I was very lucky early in December to get a last minute one night reservation in an AKV value studio room. I felt especially lucky because I love AKV for the animals, the atmosphere, the ability to talk to and learn from CMs from Africa and it's a resort that I can stay at and enjoy after check out without having to run to a park to think I have to have my Disney fix for the last few hours. It's like the VWL in that respect, there are nooks and crannies that you can use to sit, read or watch people, animals, nature.

On the AKL busses, I've chatted with quite a few people who were just visiting the lodge, and many expressed dismay with how "remote, far away" the lodge was. For me, the experience just trumps that, remoteness isn't an issue. I agree with LisaS regarding a place to walk, but I think that Kidani will provide a destination worth visiting and the other way as well.

I've enjoyed meals at Mara, Jiko's and Boma. I have grown to like the chicken at the Mara, and the fact that they have cooked veggies other than fried potatoes is great. I had to acquire the taste, I wasn't very happy the first time I went to eat at Mara.

I've surprised myself because we often just go for 3-5 day visits, and I'm very willing to move so that AKV is a place I stay at for at least one day. Over Memorial day weekend, in '09, our DGC will have their first stay there, savannah view 2 bedroom....I can't wait to see their reaction. If it's what I expect it to be, we may just find ourselves at the 1000 point level. It would be the only resort that I feel we don't have enough points at (140 at the moment).

 

[Laurabearz]

I think it's too early to ask this question.

Wait until the main buildings of AKV are open, then we will hear a lot more about AKV.

 

[TDC Nala]

1. Jiko.

2. Jiko.

3. Jiko.

I have no preference as to whether the rooms are dark or not - I'm not in the room much - and I like the African decor. I have not booked any savanna view rooms - I can see the critters outside if I want to see them. I don't own there and I'm not buying any more points anywhere. I've had three stays there, all booked after 7 months. The last one was booked two weeks out.

(I also don't want to pay dues for animals - unless I can eat them)

A major reason why I would like to give it a shot is to be part of the sunrise safari. I have read conflicting reports regarding who is eligible. Is it all guests or just concierge?

Sunrise safari - concierge only. Sunset safari - open to any AKL/AKV guest, but non-concierge guests are charged significantly more than concierge guests, and there is an age limit (8 and up only).

 

[bobrex]

AKV was the deciding factor is us becoming members. Personally, I don't have any issues with the darkness, to me it just means things are quieter.

1) The animals and the opportunity to talk to Afrikaners about the animals. You learn quite a bit if you talk to the guides.

2) The quiet - yes, even MARA is quiet.

3) The lobby and general decor - nothing else comes close.

 

[dianeschlicht]

...
I don't know what is not to love at AKV. The location that some complain about does not bother us in the least as the bus service is excellent there. Dedicated. LOVE that. Close to the AK park. Hello? Does that park not count when people complain about "how far it is"? Since we always vist the AK park at least a couple of times during our stay why would it bother us to be a hop away? I really don't get the complaints about the location.

The FOOD is OUTSTANDING at all 3 restaurants. We absolutely LOVE Boma. Jiko is OK (overpriced IMO) and even the Mara has decent choices, sometimes unusual. LOVE AKV for the food. Saves a schlep over from somewhere else to dine at Boma. Gotta love that as I MUST dine there at least once during our stay.

It is a BEAUTIFUL property. LOVE all the wood...the entire theme is simply the most unusual you will find anywhere. While I would not want my personal home to be decorated that dark, it does not bother me AT ALL to live with it in the lodge / villas for a week. I go back to the wonderful theming that makes it so tolerable. Seeing the animals outside the viewing areas 24/7 is an added bonus (we're not likely to splurge on a savannah view unit tho).

While the hallways are indeed a long walk, I think the only really negative comment I have about the current property is that while the pool is quite nice, and beautifully landscaped, the slide is pretty lame. I hope the new pool / splash area offers a little more pizzaz for the older kids. Our DS11 would prefer a little more action.

I could not have said it better! We too don't consider the location to be negative. We LOVE AK and the theme of AKL/V is not t o be outdone, even by WL/V. Sure, it's a bit dark for the decor, and I don't like that it's so dark in the bathroom (hard for an old lady to put on her makeup), but I can deal with that for all the wonderful things there are there!

 

[Granny]

My main reasons for liking what AKV has to offer?


1. Theming. From the beautiful lobby to the great African theming to the animals viewed from the rooms and common areas. Just awesome.

2. Accommodations. Room capacities with 5 in a 1BR, 9 in a 2BR and an extra full bathroom in each are huge advantages for this resort. Especially that extra bathroom in the 2BR!!

3. View categories. I think a resort with bookable view categories has a nice feature. People can book with confidence and get what they "pay" for. Likewise, a resort with Standard View similar to BWV provides all the benefits of a great resort at a very low point cost.


Downsides?

I can't really think of any unless the bus situation gets bad. As long as they run the buses every 20 minutes I don't think transportation is an issue.


I think AKV is a resort that will tend to polarize people, much like VWL or even OKW. Either you like the theming a lot or you probably can do without it. Either you love looking at the animals or that's not your cup of tea.

A great resort, and once Kidani is open it should have an excellent layout and amenties.