Requests at Both AKL-Kidani and VGF...Need Some Advice

[Little E]

Hi all!

We are DVC newbies, and we will be taking our welcome home trip at the end of March. We fly in on 3/22 and will arrive at AKL-Kidani around supper time. We will then transfer to VGF on 3/23 for the remainder of our trip.

We have never stayed at AKL-Kidani. We have a 1 bedroom standard room booked. We are staying just one night. We'd like to explore AKL while we're there as it will be brand new for us. What room request(s) would you recommend for myself, DH, DS18, and DS's 17 year old buddy? (Our older son will join us at GF later in the week.) We plan to eat at whatever QS is at AKL for dinner that night, and we'd like to just explore the resort, and then get a good night's rest so that we're ready for our vacation to start the next day. Any advice about requests would be terrific!

I also need help with any request(s) at VGF. We bought DVC direct at VGF back in April this year, and we have never stayed DVC at GF. DH and I stayed in a regular hotel room for a long weekend without kids several years ago, so the DVC piece is new to us, and the whole GF experience will be new to our kids. DH, DS18, DS's buddy (17), and I will transfer from AKL-Kidani to a 2 bedroom standard view at VGF on 3/23. Our other DS (21) will be flying in to join us at the GF on Friday, 3/24. Any advice on requests we should make at VGF?

For both places, we're not particularly picky; we just want an overall good experience at both AKL and GF. I don't usually make room requests, so this is new territory for me. I want to have a really good experience for our first time as DVC owners.

In advance, thanks so much!!

 

[CarolynFH]

For a one-night standard view at Kidani, I wouldn't put in any requests. However, if you want the shortest walk to the lobby (Kidani's hallways are notoriously long), request to be "near the Rafiki or Timon elevators." See Kidani map HERE.

There are many savanna viewing areas along the hallways and via the lobby, not to mention the viewing areas at Jambo, so enjoying the savanna is easy. Note that the animals on the Pembe savanna are different from those on the Sunset savanna - again, see the map linked above! From Jambo house there are views of different savannas as well.

Kidani doesn't have a QS other than the breakfast options at Sanaa, so you can walk (10 minutes or so) or take the continuously-running shuttle from the lobby door to the Jambo lobby to eat dinner at Mara. Be sure to walk around the lobby at Jambo as well as at Kidani - there are some very interesting pieces of African art and cultural items at both.

At VGF I'd request high floor and/or view of monorail. The building is relatively small (at least the hallways are way shorter than at Kidani!) so we don't feel it's as crucial to ask for anything more. Many times we don't make any requests anywhere, but maybe we're easier to please than others!

BTW you need to submit your requests to MS. I prefer to chat or send an email via the member website, but you can call if you wish. I like having the chat transcript or the email response as a record, more for myself than for anything else, since requests aren't guaranteed to be fulfilled.

 

[Little E]

Oh thank you @CarolynFH! This exactly the kind of intel I was looking for, especially at AKL! We've never been there at all...even to eat or just do a resort walk through, so I had NO idea what to expect. Thanks also for the tips for the GF. I like the idea of having the chat transcript. Do you just take a screen shot before you log off or is there another way to get the chat transcript?

 

[CarolynFH]

I like the idea of having the chat transcript. Do you just take a screen shot before you log off or is there another way to get the chat transcript?

It's been a little while, but IIRC there's a button to click to save or print the chat transcript. I haven't needed to do screen shots.