Tell me about Animal Kingdom Lodge please!!!!

[Lynn5700]

Ok so I was thinking about staying at the Boardwalk for our anniversary trip next May...but I noticed that August 10 you can book Kidani Village for trips starting May 1....so I'm thinking about trying it there because it is our home resort and DH loved the TVs at the POLY lol so he will be thrilled to have a flat screen tv in the room lol.

So we want to get a studio and want to stay for 9 nights.... May 3rd to the 12th.

What studio do you recommend...is concierge worth the extra points? Should we just get a SV room...what is standard view at AKL..do you look into the parking lot or the pool or something. We really could care less I mean as long as we have a balcony..were only going to be in the room to sleep.

How is the transportation there? Does it take forever to get to places?

Any tips or anything I should know?

Thank you!!

Lynn

 

[dgaston]

SV is savanna view, S is standard -- at Kidani that could include garden, parking lot or pool. At Jambo, it's pool view. Some complain about AKL buses, but I've had good luck. If you're going to stay in a studio, I'm not sure there's much difference between Jambo and Kidani. The biggest difference is the extra bathroom in the 1 and 2 br.

 

[nhdisnut]

Maybe my AKV Concierge trip report (and pics) will help you:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1856772

We love AKV....you will enjoy it! Happy planning!

 

[Lynn5700]

Maybe my AKV Concierge trip report (and pics) will help you:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1856772

We love AKV....you will enjoy it! Happy planning!

OOOH thank you so much!!! I'm going to read it now....


Do you guys think I should wait till Aug to book Kidani or just put the request in now and stay at Jambo house?

I would still be able to go and check out Kidani even though we won't be staying there right???

 

[DebbieB]

I stayed at AKV a couple of weeks ago and one thing we noticed is there are 2 standard rooms literally right next to the bus stop on ground level. They aren't DVC, but can you imagine getting one of those? I would be so disappointed, I imagine it's noisy. At least one was occupied.

 

[luminous]

If you like views of chain link fences go ahead and book a savanna view room. I personally like the standard view of the pool area, and it is less points! Either way , you will love this resort. Make sure to try Boma.

 

[Lynn5700]

So standard view is the pool???

OMG I'm so confused...should I book concierge??? AHHH I don't know what to do....

 

[LisaS]

So standard view is the pool???

OMG I'm so confused...should I book concierge??? AHHH I don't know what to do....

In Jambo House a Standard View room will face the pool area. In Kidani, a Standard View room will face the pool, a garden or the parking lot.

All of the Concierge rooms are in Jambo House. There are five 2BR lockoffs, but most of those get "locked off" and rented as a 1BR and a Studio. A typical room allocation might be: one 2BR, four 1BRs and four Studios or two 2BRs, three 1BRs and three Studios. Needless to say, these rooms book up VERY quickly, sometimes within minutes after MS opens in the morning.

 

[drusba]

Even if you want BWV (which you cannot reserve until 7 months) or Kidani (August), I would still call now and get AKV Jambo -- you want something confirmed so you are assured of having a reservation for the time period and then you can try to switch later if desired.

Kidani, when done, will be about 30% standard view -- basically road, front entrance, garden or pool view and 70% savanna. The Kidani studios are actually supposed to be a hair larger than the Jambo studios (366 Sg ft as opposed to 365). Jambo is more than 80% savanna view point cost rooms. Its "standard" view rooms are only around the pool. Its "value" point rooms can be either front (parking lot) or savanna view. The concierge rooms (possible 10 rooms total) are all above the lobby of Jambo and three of the 2BR lock-offs face the sunset savanna and the other two 2BR lock-offs face the pool (front doors of all of them overlook lobby). All Jambo DVC rooms are on the fifth floor except that concierge is 6th floor (and that lobby area is the only area of the building where there is a sixth floor). Kidani will not have concierge or value rooms. One of the Jambo concierge 2BRs (sunset savanna side) is handicap accessible and you can get that even if you do not request it. Many believe having concierge service is nirvanna, personally I have no need for it. I would suggest you go for savanna view and request Arusha savanna view (the savannaa that is within the U of the large U-shaped building). If you go standard no other special request is required to get pool view.

Bus service at AKV is fine (better than at many of the other resorts; as with anywhere a problem--long delay--may prop up once in awhile). Note, if you are not ruling out BWV by trying to get it at 7 months, that is also a fine resort and for two adults on anniversary ideal -- you can walk to two parks and over 20 restaurants and there is nightlife available. We own at both BWV and AKV and lean toward BWV as our favorite.

If you stay at AKV, you must try dinner at Boma's, which in my view is the best buffet restaurant at WDW. Jiko's is also very good but more upscale and more expensive (and an enormous wine list that takes 15 minutes just read through).

 

[Lynn5700]

Ok I just called and I got a SV studio..concierge was all booked..oh well. It would have been nice but it's not like we will be in the resort all day and we come in late at night so not like we could take advantage of the lounge.

 

[hardingk]

When Kidani opens, will the bus stop at both AKL and Kidani or will we have to trek from Kidani over to AKL?

 

[LisaS]

Its "value" point rooms can be either front (parking lot) or savanna view.

You can also get a pool view with a Value room.

When Kidani opens, will the bus stop at both AKL and Kidani or will we have to trek from Kidani over to AKL?

There will be a bus stop at Kidani.

 

[pilferk]

Ok so I was thinking about staying at the Boardwalk for our anniversary trip next May...but I noticed that August 10 you can book Kidani Village for trips starting May 1....so I'm thinking about trying it there because it is our home resort and DH loved the TVs at the POLY lol so he will be thrilled to have a flat screen tv in the room lol.

So we want to get a studio and want to stay for 9 nights.... May 3rd to the 12th.

What studio do you recommend...is concierge worth the extra points? Should we just get a SV room...what is standard view at AKL..do you look into the parking lot or the pool or something. We really could care less I mean as long as we have a balcony..were only going to be in the room to sleep.

How is the transportation there? Does it take forever to get to places?

Any tips or anything I should know?

Thank you!!

Lynn

If you're just looking from some general lodge "stuff" my trippie has a bunch of pics in it as well as some other "stuff".

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1698876

We do a 1BR, so I'm not much use on the studio side of things....

 

[Lynn5700]

Thank you so much for the link