The DVC board official Animal Kingdom Villas discussion thread

[BeccaG]

We leave Saturday for OKW and I promise to take as many pictures as I can and ask a LOT of questions and report back when we return on the 28th.

Any specific questions that anyone wants to know that wouldn't be comvered by the general obvious ones such as estimated price, room point totals, MF's, when presales will begin, when reservations will start being accepted, if models are open, etc?

I'll be happy to make a list and try to get them answered while we're there.

First I must say this is a really nice offer on your part, so THANKS!!!! You are super cool! I would want to know if you could you ask about the rumors regarding room occupation being 9 for a two bed room and 15 for a Grand Villa at AKV. That would be interesting info!!!

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

Haven't read the whole thread - we're at Boardwalk villa's right now on our 'first trip home' and were talking to a DVC person at WL last Thursday and she was telling us the room occupancy will be 'bigger' at AKLV - Studio's are apparently going to sleep 5 instead of the 4.

Going to try and hit Welcome home Wednesdays this week to ask some Q's!

 

[vascubaguy]

Going to try and hit Welcome home Wednesdays this week to ask some Q's!

We went to the Welcome Home Wednesday's last Wednesday and it wasn't a Q&A type of "event"... it's more of a "here's some perks and reasons for owning now buy more" type of thing where they give away a few door prizes at the end...

However, if you visit SSR they might be able to do some Q&A's....

 

[erikthewise]

i hope due to the size of this project they do build a pool like SAB but I will believe that when I see it.

I was told many times that the theme pool at SSR would be similar to SAB. I love the pool there but it is not SAB.

I have also been told many times by Recreation management that another SAB will never be built due to cost of water park trained lifeguards, upkeep and insurance.

It will be interesting to see what their idea of another SAB type pool truly is. It will also be interesting to see now that AKL will be DVC will pool hopping be allowed, or if not, will this be when they finally do away with pool hopping all together.

I do know that the seperate check in was due to complaints at BCV and WLV, which is good that they listened. A counter service in addition to Mara would be nice also.

Let's not forget that Uzima pool is already the largest single pool in all of WDW at 11000 sq ft (1/4 acre), and is considered desirable enough to be excluded from pool-hopping. Of course the largest deluxe resort *should* have the largest pool, but I think that with anything more than a hole-in-the-ground at the new DVC building, AKL will remain well-served in the pool department. Ditto for fitness centers. But a problem with AKL is that these are the ONLY recreation options, and clearly that is not going to change.

I don't doubt that others have had checkin problems at BCV and WLV, but after four checkins at BCV and one at WLV, we've yet to have anything resembling a problem. Nothing but short lines and smiling faces!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Count us among those who will be there next week...6 days to go...wa-hoo! We are staying at SSR (and I request the buildings right across from the old theatre), so I should be walking past that area several times a day...I will get whatever glimpses I can...camera in hand, of course!

Now that it is farily well-established that the 1BRs at AKV will accommodate 5...do you think this means that DVC will no longer continue to allow 5 in a 1BR at the other DVC resorts? For people calling to book 5 in a 1-BR, they can now easily say, "Well, if you want 5 in a 1 BR, your only option is AKV..." Hmmm...food for thought for those who are on the occupancy thread....

 

[KristiKelly]

Now that it is farily well-established that the 1BRs at AKV will accommodate 5...do you think this means that DVC will no longer continue to allow 5 in a 1BR at the other DVC resorts? For people calling to book 5 in a 1-BR, they can now easily say, "Well, if you want 5 in a 1 BR, your only option is AKV..." Hmmm...food for thought for those who are on the occupancy thread....

I doubt it, I think they're just trying to be more accomodating for those families with 3 kids.

Either that or they're just trying to end the on going accomodation debate thread here on the DIS, I'm sure they've read it.

 

[missymouse]

I think it is great if they will allow 5 in a one bedroom. That was the only thing that I found discouraging trying to plan our first trip. I definitely felt like WDW is a place for a family of 4. All the contests, accomodations, deals, etc. are for that number in a family. We had the choice of the Jr. Suite at WL or AKL or booking 2 rooms at a moderate. We chose the 2 rooms so we would have 2 bathrooms and 4 beds instead of one bathroom and 3 beds. None of the kids are too keen on sharing a bed, and DH and I don't do well in a full or queen bed together anymore.

 

[patsal]

Boy oh boy, the power goes out here on Thursday and finally resumes late last night and this is what I get to learn! I am so excited. Last week when I was at Epcot I stopped and chatted with the DVC rep. He had said that the next announcement might be made in time for me to find AKV under the Christmas Tree! Now to see a points chart so I can decide how many I'll need!

 

[erikthewise]

I think it is great if they will allow 5 in a one bedroom.

I agree totally. Though our family has 4, it is easy to understand the position families of 5 find themselves in -- they often have to pay a disproportionate surcharge to accommodate that 3rd child.

I think it would be a big selling point for AKV, bigger than the savannahs. And frankly I think they will need another selling point. The savannahs can IMO at most negate the negative location factor. And there is a big difference between a suite that is actually designed to accommodate 5 and one where you're allowed to bring a sleeping bag.

 

[BCV23]

We were a family of 5 for whom the bedding issue was a huge factor in our not puchasing back in the 90s.

I suspect that talk about another SAB is just a salesman's spin.

 

[jdg345]

And I think for this Disney would have a valid reason to increase the point per stay cost.....

HOpe it has studios!

Not to mention maintenance fees ...

I hope the DVC fees aren't going to be made to 'subsidize' the AKL costs.

 

[jdg345]

Wow ... okay ... I just read everything from Page 15 on (The pages before that were from merged threads it looks like I had already read seeing as I saw my own posts).

Anyways ... the latest information does sound pretty grand ... I'm looking forward to point schedules but I spoke with my guide on Friday and there was nothing new being released. In fact, there's more information here I think.

Here's to hoping point costs and maintenance fees aren't astronomical.

 

[CarolA]

Thanks for all the updates. I am at Disney, but my guide is on the Magic. I left him a message telling him to mark me down for some points!

The funniest thing about this thread is the fact that the DIS board has more people who spend more time worrying about things that (A) haven't happened and (B) they have no control over. (Maintenance fees to pay for the savannah are an example (A) we don't know and (B) if you think they are too high you don't have to buy but under Disney's management which we agree to when we buy we have little to no control. Buses are another... the place hasn't had one bit of construction done and folks are worried about the bus system!)

 

[vascubaguy]

Thanks for all the updates. I am at Disney, but my guide is on the Magic. I left him a message telling him to mark me down for some points!

The funniest thing about this thread is the fact that the DIS board has more people who spend more time worrying about things that (A) haven't happened and (B) they have no control over. (Maintenance fees to pay for the savannah are an example (A) we don't know and (B) if you think they are too high you don't have to buy but under Disney's management which we agree to when we buy we have little to no control. Buses are another... the place hasn't had one bit of construction done and folks are worried about the bus system!)

Maybe not so much "worry" (since I'm not obligated - yet - to have to pay any of those MFs or use those buses) but curiosity. I think many of us want to know how much per point, point allocations, MFs, available views, rooms sizes, etc, etc etc...

 

[makelab]

Thanks for all the updates. I am at Disney, but my guide is on the Magic. I left him a message telling him to mark me down for some points!

The funniest thing about this thread is the fact that the DIS board has more people who spend more time worrying about things that (A) haven't happened and (B) they have no control over. (Maintenance fees to pay for the savannah are an example (A) we don't know and (B) if you think they are too high you don't have to buy but under Disney's management which we agree to when we buy we have little to no control. Buses are another... the place hasn't had one bit of construction done and folks are worried about the bus system!)

bravo to you, ma'am.
i don't think there will be anything excessive about fees or points.
did anyone expect huge fees and points for BCV because of SAB or its stellar location? what about VWL? - it has an excellent location.
i would GUESS that points will be similar to BCV, and fees right around alll the others (~$4 per point). if points were much higher, or fees were outrageous, people wouldn't stay there, or look for a resale.

 

[jennz]

Just curiosity on my part too.

I talked to my guide today, kind of funny...I told her we had family coming over to the states next October and would love to stay in the new AK DVC...did she know when "fall" was? She started to say something then said "oh wait - let me look at my notes...no, no I don't have anything to say." Kind of funny! She also said that if I hear anything to let her know...

 

[jennz]

Check out post #5255...AKL thread

I didn't copy and paste it here because I wasn't sure if that was poor manners so I'm being cautious...

 

[gmboy95]

Once again...I am more then happy with my 300 points at under 80$....and my 100 point add on at under $80 a point...paying what they are going to charge for a "view of the zoo" is IMO crazy....guess what, i will give it a shot for a week, and stay there with points I paid $25 a point less for....sometimes i just dont get it with DVC, unless you travel christmas week or april vacation why does the seven week window not work.....i have never stayed at disney in a resort i did not want to be in.....IMO I just dont get the fascination with a Zoo that is closer to 192 then epcot????

 

[WDWguru]

I'll say what I always do on those threads where people don't understand why we would want to go to WDW over and over again...

For those who understand, no explanation is necessary; for those that don't, no explanation will do.

 

[KristiKelly]

Once again...I am more then happy with my 300 points at under 80$....and my 100 point add on at under $80 a point...paying what they are going to charge for a "view of the zoo" is IMO crazy....guess what, i will give it a shot for a week, and stay there with points I paid $25 a point less for....sometimes i just dont get it with DVC, unless you travel christmas week or april vacation why does the seven week window not work.....i have never stayed at disney in a resort i did not want to be in.....IMO I just dont get the fascination with a Zoo that is closer to 192 then epcot????

I think we get it, you made yourself clear in your previous post -you won't be buying at the "zoo". Fine, it's not for you, if you don't like it - don't stay there. Enough said .