So Confused About AKL!

[ArwenMarie]

Ok, so there is Jambo, the main hotel and Kidani, the DVC villas. I got that part down. I have a lot of questions, but I think my questions basically boil down to one...

Is it possible to book a 2 br villa in either Kidani or Jambo, paying cash (not DVC or renting points) where you will be guaranteed to be on a savannah that has giraffes on it?

TIA!

 

[helenk]

Ok, so there is Jambo, the main hotel and Kidani, the DVC villas. I got that part down. I have a lot of questions, but I think my questions basically boils down to one...

Is it possible to book a 2 br villa in either Kidani or Jambo, paying cash (not DVC or renting points) where you will be guaranteed to be on a savannah that has giraffes on it?

TIA!

You can make a request but there are no guarantees

 

[ArwenMarie]

You can make a request but there are no guarantees

Bummer.

Thanks for your reply

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you book Jambo House, all two bedroom villas will be lockoffs, meaning a combination of a studio and a one bedroom villa. So you'll have one king bed, one queen sleeper sofa, one queen bed, one double sleeper sofa and a twin sized sleeper chair (as long as you don't get a value villa, but they should only be available for points stays).

Specific savannas are just requests and not guaranteed.

 

[figment_jii]

Giraffes are generally located on the Sunset Savanna (between Kidani and Jambo House) and Arusha Savanna (middle savanna). There is no way to guarantee that giraffes will be out; I know that if it's very cold they may not be out. I'm sure there are other reasons that would keep them in their barns as well.

You can increase your odds by paying for the Savanna view at Kidani, but it didn't look like there was a way to select a specific savanna (Sunset or Pembe). I'm not sure, but I don't recall seeing giraffes on Pembe.

I would say pretty much the only way to "guarantee" giraffes (weather permitting) is to pay for the Arusha savanna view. However, I don't know what kind of DVC offering they have at Jambo house for the Arusha savanna.

 

[bugzy]

All 4 giraffes have been spending the last week in the Arusha Savannah. They are fun to watch

 

[hakepb]

Pembe has the Giraffes only "relative" Okapi. (Look like it the legs of a zebra, body of a horse and the head of a giraffe, but not as long of a neck...darn I need to upload some pictures ). Its a beautiful creature in its own right, nobody knew it officially existed until 1901. After 2 stays on Sunset, I was glad to get Pembe (for varieties sake) last week...but yes I understand the desire to see giraffes on a first stay, they are the most majestic creatures on the savanna.

Most of Kidani is on Sunset, so you have a great chance at that.
The 1&2BR villas at Kidani are much better. They are bigger, the master bath is en-suite (instead of being across a hall like Jambo), has a seperate shower ( Jambo's shower is a step into the Jacuzzi tub) and Kidani would get you a 3rd full bathroom. Kidani has a better pool slide and splash area. But Jambo has a much more impressive lobby and more dining options. DVc savanna view rooms at Jambo are all 5th floor, (Kidani has villas on floors 2-5) there are many on Arusha, but DVC started at Jambo before Arusha was a premium option, so its not available for more points...but why not cash?

 

[ArwenMarie]

Thanks everyone!

At the Villas at Jambo, you can only book 1 Bedrooms with a Savanna View, not 2brs. But it says "View of One of the Savannas." But I guess both Savannas at Jambo have giraffes? But then that is only a 1 Bedroom which I am not sure will work for us.

Then at AKL, you can book an Arusha view, which definitely has giraffes, but they only offer regular hotel rooms.

So it seems Jambo is out for us.

At Kidani, it seems you can book a 2 Bedroom Savanna room, but then again, it says "View of One of the Savannas" so it doesn't mean you would get Sunset, which is where the giraffes are. I wish the savanna rooms there were broken out into Sunset and Pembe I think that would be the answer to my dilemma.

Thanks you again everyone for your help, it was very helpful. I wasn't sure if I just wasn't getting it, but I think I got it now!

 

[ArwenMarie]

If you book Jambo House, all two bedroom villas will be lockoffs, meaning a combination of a studio and a one bedroom villa. So you'll have one king bed, one queen sleeper sofa, one queen bed, one double sleeper sofa and a twin sized sleeper chair (as long as you don't get a value villa, but they should only be available for points stays).

Specific savannas are just requests and not guaranteed.

Thanks!

Giraffes are generally located on the Sunset Savanna (between Kidani and Jambo House) and Arusha Savanna (middle savanna). There is no way to guarantee that giraffes will be out; I know that if it's very cold they may not be out. I'm sure there are other reasons that would keep them in their barns as well.

You can increase your odds by paying for the Savanna view at Kidani, but it didn't look like there was a way to select a specific savanna (Sunset or Pembe). I'm not sure, but I don't recall seeing giraffes on Pembe.

I would say pretty much the only way to "guarantee" giraffes (weather permitting) is to pay for the Arusha savanna view. However, I don't know what kind of DVC offering they have at Jambo house for the Arusha savanna.

Yeah, that's what it seems like from what I see too, you can't choose Sunset or Pembe within the Savanna room grouping. And I don't think Jambo will work either, because you can only book regular rooms under the Arusha class.

All 4 giraffes have been spending the last week in the Arusha Savannah. They are fun to watch

Aw, fun!

Pembe has the Giraffes only "relative" Okapi. (Look like it the legs of a zebra, body of a horse and the head of a giraffe, but not as long of a neck...darn I need to upload some pictures ). Its a beautiful creature in its own right, nobody knew it officially existed until 1901. After 2 stays on Sunset, I was glad to get Pembe (for varieties sake) last week...but yes I understand the desire to see giraffes on a first stay, they are the most majestic creatures on the savanna.

Most of Kidani is on Sunset, so you have a great chance at that.
The 1&2BR villas at Kidani are much better. They are bigger, the master bath is en-suite (instead of being across a hall like Jambo), has a seperate shower ( Jambo's shower is a step into the Jacuzzi tub) and Kidani would get you a 3rd full bathroom. Kidani has a better pool slide and splash area. But Jambo has a much more impressive lobby and more dining options. DVc savanna view rooms at Jambo are all 5th floor, (Kidani has villas on floors 2-5) there are many on Arusha, but DVC started at Jambo before Arusha was a premium option, so its not available for more points...but why not cash?

The okapi look awesome. I know my husband though, if we book savanna there, and we don't see giraffes from the villa, he will be disappointed, probably more than the kids!

Kidani looks great to me personally. I don't know why they don't break out the "Savanna view" there into Sunset and Pembe. It seems to be two different enough products in my view. Oh well.

Thanks again everyone