The DVC board official Animal Kingdom Villas discussion thread

[lisareniff]

Reports I'm hearing from the resort board is that no construction of rooms will begin until the first of the year, with the exception of the model rooms.

 

[vascubaguy]

Reports I'm hearing from the resort board is that no construction of rooms will begin until the first of the year, with the exception of the model rooms.

We'd see a notice of commencement posted on the comptrollers website too if they were starting (or going to be starting soon). So far the only thing out there is the notice about the model rooms, which are supposed to be completed by the end of this year (at least that is when the permit notice expires).

 

[spiceycat]

I think it was mainly to limit traffic for the animals, I too don't see it changing.

that is what I heard too.

You know I think that is why I don't like AKL. when someone says they don't want you there - it isn't very welcoming...

once it is a DVC resort - we should get valet parking for free here too!!! Now I do love to eat at Boma's.

 

[TwingleMum]

I didn't see anywhere that your question got answered. The rules you refer to are the rules for DVC. They would be no different for ANY DVC resort or new purchase. As for the add-on....you do NOT have to limit that to 149 points. You can add on ANY number of points as long as it is at least 25 as a minimum and over 50 if you want to finance.

Thanks Diane! I was hoping to Add on around 100 pts at AKV and my friend was thinking 50 - 75 and someone told her add ons were a minimum of 100 pts from Disney. I didn't think that was right.

 

[CarolA]

I didn't see anywhere that your question got answered. The rules you refer to are the rules for DVC. They would be no different for ANY DVC resort or new purchase. As for the add-on....you do NOT have to limit that to 149 points. You can add on ANY number of points as long as it is at least 25 as a minimum and over 50 if you want to finance.

Why couldn't they be different for a new resort? I am hestiant to say that this is the rule for VAKL until we SEE the rules. I don't expect a change but my mind reading skills are fairly weak.

 

[BCV23]

A pool hopping exclusion because of the animals seems unlikely to me. Parking is not by the savannahs and there is only one small part of the pool that is near animals. They can easily avoid it if they wish just as they can avoid Arusha Rock.

I can imagine someone at DVC giving that as a misleading excuse though.

 

[dvc_john]

Thanks Diane! I was hoping to Add on around 100 pts at AKV and my friend was thinking 50 - 75 and someone told her add ons were a minimum of 100 pts from Disney. I didn't think that was right.

Diane is correct on the current add-on minimums. But in the past, they frequently required 100 points (or more) add-on to get the incentives that were being offered.

 

[CarolA]

A pool hopping exclusion because of the animals seems unlikely to me. Parking is not by the savannahs and there is only one small part of the pool that is near animals. They can easily avoid it if they wish just as they can avoid Arusha Rock.

I can imagine someone at DVC giving that as a misleading excuse though.

I actually think it may have been partially true. When AKL first opend you could NOT visit at all unless you had a dinner reservation. No "dropping in" to see the animals. That has been relaxed, but...

The other thing is that I think that should Disney open a new "Deluxe" resort at any time expect pool hopping to be banned there. This whole "pool hopping" benefit is a can of worms I bet Disney wishes it could kill......

 

[keishashadow]

Indications are that they will start selling phase I in Feb/Mar timeframe next year (2007). DVC internal expectations is that they will sellout very, very quickly. You may want to look into buying next year. Not sure if there will still be points available in 2008/2009.

So, if they would start pre-sales in Feb 07, do they announce it ahead of time in order to get your ducks in a row.

Anyone want to venture the per point cost/number per night required? Assume the cost will rise once SSR is sold out but, wonder if the original converted studio point requirement will be in line w/ existing resorts (WL/BC/BW) or much higher?

 

[BCV23]

I actually think it may have been partially true. When AKL first opend you could NOT visit at all unless you had a dinner reservation. No "dropping in" to see the animals. That has been relaxed, but...

The other thing is that I think that should Disney open a new "Deluxe" resort at any time expect pool hopping to be banned there. This whole "pool hopping" benefit is a can of worms I bet Disney wishes it could kill......

I remember reading that you couldn't visit unless you were staying or dining there but we dined at Jikos not too many months after AKL opened and weren't even asked if we had a reservation so I've always wondered if that was even true.

I do agree that the pool hopping benefit seems like a can of worms but it was not banned at SSR so maybe it is not the issue that we make it to be on the boards??

 

[Dean]

A pool hopping exclusion because of the animals seems unlikely to me. Parking is not by the savannahs and there is only one small part of the pool that is near animals. They can easily avoid it if they wish just as they can avoid Arusha Rock.

I can imagine someone at DVC giving that as a misleading excuse though.

To be more specific, my understanding was that the PH ban was to cut down on traffic at the resort so as not to interfere with the experience of the guests there related to the animals, not for the benefit of the animals themselves.

 

[BCVOwner2002]

I'm jumping into this thread late so this may have been mentioned already. We stayed at AKL three years ago and were told this was one of the top resorts DVC owners requested. The CM added that plans to make a DVC here were "in the works". I didn't say anything back then because like so many other things it was just a rumor. Any way, we loved staying there and decided we would do so again. Now that DVC will be part of this location I feel an add-on coming soon! Annmarie

 

[spiceycat]

So, if they would start pre-sales in Feb 07, do they announce it ahead of time in order to get your ducks in a row.

Anyone want to venture the per point cost/number per night required? Assume the cost will rise once SSR is sold out but, wonder if the original converted studio point requirement will be in line w/ existing resorts (WL/BC/BW) or much higher?

maybe a week or two - but I think with SSR the sales began the next day after the announcement.

if they are adding concierge to the ones in the hotel - I would say higher.

but since they aren't for the new building - I don't see how they can charge the same rate (points).

despite what DVC say about BWV - I don't see a way around a 2-point system here.

unless they expect the owners at AKL to have the hotel rooms and us others to have the hotel room. but one day the whole place will be sold out. So they need to do something to make the ones without concierge feel that they aren't being cheated.

that is if concierge is included with the hotel part.

on price so far DVC has been very fair - only a couple of dollars more than SSR ends up beginning. would be my guess.

 

[BCV23]

To be more specific, my understanding was that the PH ban was to cut down on traffic at the resort so as not to interfere with the experience of the guests there related to the animals, not for the benefit of the animals themselves.

That makes a bit more sense but not enought to convince me that it was the true reason for excluding AKL.

It is still my guess that DVC and an enhanced pool were in the plans all along.

 

[jdg345]

That makes a bit more sense but not enought to convince me that it was the true reason for excluding AKL.

It is still my guess that DVC and an enhanced pool were in the plans all along.

But they could have just banned PH at the annoucement of the new facilities ... I dunno, I don't mind the folks that pool hop ... if the pool is empty, use it ... the thing that irks me is when they drive over from another resort and then use up the parking for the villas. It happens at OKW all the time in the lots across from checkin. I love to stay in those Villas, but sometimes finding parking can be a nightmare.

 

[MrShiny]

I don't see what the confusion is about concierge. It seems that there will be rooms of DVC AKL in the current building that will be concierge. There will be others in the new building that will be non-concierge.

Just as a preferred BWV view is more points per night than a standard, so too would concierge be more, I would think.

 

[spiceycat]

I don't see what the confusion is about concierge. It seems that there will be rooms of DVC AKL in the current building that will be concierge. There will be others in the new building that will be non-concierge.

Just as a preferred BWV view is more points per night than a standard, so too would concierge be more, I would think.

when asked to do it for VWL - the service shack view and BCV - the parking lot view - DVC say 'NO'

say that they would NEVER do another DVC with a 2-part point system.

but I don't see how they can give concierge to some and not to others without a 2-part point system - maybe I am missing something.

 

[DVCLiz]

If they don't have a two category point system, couldn't you just pay an extra cash fee for access to concierge services? It might be possible to restrict access with a key system, no??? So your room key would show whether you had concierge access or not, and you would have to show or use it bwefore you went into the concierge lounge???

 

[BCV23]

I don't see what the confusion is about concierge. It seems that there will be rooms of DVC AKL in the current building that will be concierge. There will be others in the new building that will be non-concierge.

Just as a preferred BWV view is more points per night than a standard, so too would concierge be more, I would think.

Do you think all DVC rooms in the AKL will have concierge acces?. The lounge couldn't possibly serve all the rooms....it is far too small.

The official announcement doesn't mention concierge service. I think all we have is someone's guide thinking so. And that person could have been confused because the current club level lounge will be part of the DVC levels.

 

[BCV23]

But they could have just banned PH at the annoucement of the new facilities ... I dunno, I don't mind the folks that pool hop ... if the pool is empty, use it ... the thing that irks me is when they drive over from another resort and then use up the parking for the villas. It happens at OKW all the time in the lots across from checkin. I love to stay in those Villas, but sometimes finding parking can be a nightmare.

Perhaps it could have been done that way but it is much harder to remove a privilege than never to offer it at all.