Spin-off- Convince me not to buy AK.

[808blessing]

Hey! Help me cure my add-on itis, please.

It’s a spinoff of the Saratoga Devil’s Advocate thread.

Closing on 3rd contract this year this week.Maybe I should put it on the Not-Purchasing DVC forum. Hehe, maybe the opinions will somehow lower the pp for resales. Oh yah, that’s counterproductive to my situation.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Do you live in Hawaii? Flights are expensive to Florida.

You already have 3 contracts from this year. You haven't gotten the January dues bill yet.

AK is usually available at 7 months.

The supply and demand balance currently substantially favors sellers.

 

[robinb]

We own 100 points at AKV. Are you looking for negatives only? Sorry, I’m not familiar with the SSR thread.

Two out of the four “views” are impossible to get without “walking” your reservation.

The rooms at Jambo are really high and away from the animals.

The “aroma d’Boma” is really only good the first day or two.

Kidani has no CS restaurant.

AKV is literally in the middle of nowhere and it takes forever to get to anywhere except AK.

All that being said, we love AKV.

 

[gharter]

We own Kidani.
Love the resort. The 1 BR is HUGE! Like Jambo, love the Savannah.
My one negative, its a long way from EVERYTHING.
The only short bus ride is to AK.
All the other buses seem to run sporadically. Can you say 40 minute wait to or from a park? Consistently.
Sanaa is awesome and Jambo is only a 5 minute walk.
can't talk you out of it, as we love it.
Breakfast on the balcony, looking at the Savannah, need you say more?

 

[808blessing]

You haven't gotten the January dues bill yet.

But I budgeted for it!

aroma d’Boma

= hilarious

Savannah, need you say more?

Bottom line

 

[zavandor]

AKV is a really terrible resort. First of all, since everyone can watch giraffes and zebras our of the windows of their rooms at home why would they want to do the same on vacation?
Value rooms are so small and it's the only resort on property with club level rooms, if they've never done it again they must be terrible.
2 feature pools, one with a splash area? Your kids will become spoilt (for choice).
Some of the best restaurants and counter service on property? Who has time to eat while at WDW.
And the resort itself, with the cultural representative and all the art objects from Africa, it's like a museum, who wants to sleep in a museum?
Terrible, really terrible.

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

AKV is literally in the middle of nowhere and it takes forever to get to anywhere except AK.

Came here to say this. Currently at JH as I type. I have had to wait at least 40 min for the bus I needed. Glad I tried it but won't stay here again for that reason.

 

[Sandisw]

I am not a fan at all of AK so for me, that is reason alone. Not an animal person, isolated from any other resort..I love being able to walk around to others.. and only buses to/from parks,

However, if you asking for a reason not to add on, then all that doesn’t matter. If you like the resort...it’s beautiful..then I have no advice because I am currently trying to stop myself from getting more RIV!

 

[robinb]

Came here to say this. Currently at JH as I type. I have had to wait at least 40 min for the bus I needed. Glad I tried it but won't stay here again for that reason.

TBH, the remoteness is ALSO an advantage IMO. Once you get there you are really in another world away from everything else and surrounded by the African theming. It creates a kind of dual vacation.

I've heard bus lines are miserable everywhere because of distancing and staffing .

 

[M:SpilotISTC12]

I've heard bus lines are miserable everywhere because of distancing and staffing .

We haven't had a crowding problem at all. Most of the busses were fairly empty. But the timing of the busses is a real no go for us. I do agree about it feeling other worldly. It's a great resort only resort when everything is open. Nothing is open at JH.

 

[PackPride]

I know people say that AKV is a long distance for riding to parks; and yes, I agree with that statement in comparison to other resorts. But, I've never minded that I have to ride on the bus for a longer period of time anywhere, because it's not like it's a Greyhound trip from one end of the country to the other. If AKV has the better deals for direct/resale, I'd say go with it and just know that you'll be on the bus for a little while going to anywhere except Animal Kingdom. Also, it needs to be said, that I enjoy the isolation of certain resorts like AKV and SSR: It's quieter, tends to have more room to roam around, and it's less expensive going through DVC. Plus, the food at AKV and Animal Kingdom park are some of the best in Disney World. I'd buy AKV just to be closer to the bread sampler at Sanaa.

 

[808blessing]

it's like a museum, who wants to sleep in a museum?

All of your comments are lol. I’ve slept in a museum. It was not fun. Terrifying actually. AK is not that. Lol

Glad I tried it but won't stay here again for that reason.

I had a shark tank moment, •and I’m out!

I am currently trying to stop myself from getting more RIV!

Please make a spin-off thread. This is fun!!! Also I love zoos. It’s screams child adventure. I don’t love it. I just LIKE it a lot and got a itchy while waiting for my true love points. This thread is scratching the itch while I wait for my points.

TBH, the remoteness is ALSO an advantage IMO. Once you get there you are really in another world away from everything else and surrounded by the African theming. It creates a kind of dual vacation.

Hey, you aren’t following the title. These are the things I love most.

I'd buy AKV just to be closer to the bread sampler at Sanaa.

Yes!!!!!!!!!!! It comes down to the bread!
Literal and figuratively


On the other hand, actually I’ve only been to AK with a car and I plan on renting a car only intermittently so if there was a promise of a stable car rental price (I foresee a new business venture) for the next 35 years then it might work.

 

[808blessing]

Oh and by the way. You all convinced me! Now it is purely a fun intellectual exercise although a few of those posts had me salivating again.
I welcome you to do another thread for another resort! Many obsess about why we want a resort and ours is the favorite for the entire contract. How about focusing on the road not taken being the right choice, if even just for a day?

 

[Stargazer65]

Bad choice for home resort! Have you seen the termite mounds? Think about it...everything is made of wood there. One of these days you're going to plan a trip, and when you get to AKV...there isn't going to be an AKV left.

 

[KPeterso]

Oh and by the way. You all convinced me! Now it is purely a fun intellectual exercise although a few of those posts had me salivating again.
I welcome you to do another thread for another resort! Many obsess about why we want a resort and ours is the favorite for the entire contract. How about focusing on the road not taken being the right choice, if even just for a day?

I love my AKV home! It was my favorite from my first stay. AK is my absolute favorite park and I love to stop and visit "my animals". It is so peaceful and so amazing to walk out on the balcony first thing in the morning and watch the animals. The buses may be longer rides, but all resorts have some close and some far parks, so really no different to me.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Came here to say this. Currently at JH as I type. I have had to wait at least 40 min for the bus I needed. Glad I tried it but won't stay here again for that reason.

And eventually you'll hit that long wait for a bus at every resort. Then where will you stay?

 

[Leight19]

I own at akv and one reason id say to avoid akv is historically you can book many of the options at 7mons with cheaper sleep around points since dues are relatively high at akv. I think math is actually close that booking regular 2br at kidani with Saratoga points is close to same effective cost as booking 2br value room at jambo with akv points. I love akv but honestly if I add on id strongly consider location with cheaper dues even if I wanted to stay at akv.

 

[808blessing]

And eventually you'll hit that long wait for a bus at every resort. Then where will you stay?

Yep

 

[808blessing]

I love my AKV home! It was my favorite from my first stay. AK is my absolute favorite park and I love to stop and visit "my animals". It is so peaceful and so amazing to walk out on the balcony first thing in the morning and watch the animals. The buses may be longer rides, but all resorts have some close and some far parks, so really no different to me.

That morning animal peace is truly the best! I’m going to try to include it in my next stay. No add-ons for me *today.* I’ll just hold steady. Closing and points in my account are a breath away.

 

[sndral]

I always find the bus conversations about AKL/AKV fascinating. There’s not a resort I’ve stayed at in WDW that I haven’t waited 40 minutes for a bus at. In normal times the buses at VGF arrive w/ Poly people on them, BC buses arrive with YC people on them, BWV people are now joined by interlopers from the Swolphin, SSR people have multiple stops and interlopers from DS, Poly/VGF people have to fight through TTC bound crowds to ride the resort monorail home at night, or now they can just walk, because who doesn’t want one final hike after spending hours walking/standing around MK. etc.. And the boats - who hasn’t watched those boats that stop at all the boardwalk resorts chugging by, too full to stop, as you forlornly wait on the dock for a boat to finally pull up. And do you know how long those boats take w/ their stops at all those resorts - I could walk faster...oh wait. Who hasn’t killed time in the VGF/Poly boat queue trying to guess which dock that incoming boat is going to dock at...is that one ours - no, wrong color flag, that one maybe-no too big. And the boat to CC/BRV, such a long ride once you finally get on & if the electric water parade is going by, yep you’ll find yourself idling in the water waiting for it to pass. And don’t get me started on the marathon bus rides/waits I’ve endured to/from DS just to grab a pastry or a bath bomb to use in my AKV spa tub.
But yeah, AKV is too remote, the bus service unbearable, so don’t stay there & especially don’t stay there in the value and club villas or the point friendly partial savanna views that are plentiful in Jambo’s standard view villas even if you managed to grab one w/ your SAP points - you’ll hate it there...so inconvenient!