***The Official AKV Owners And Lovers Thread***. Come And Chat

[karen4546]

WOOHOO my wishlist came through! Jambo House it is Dec 5th-11th

Congrats on your "wishlist" ! they need to change the wait list to Wish list, I like that name better.

 

[Somnia]

Congrats on your "wishlist" ! they need to change the wait list to Wish list, I like that name better.

Lol! 100% a typo on my end, but I'll stick with it

 

[E2ME2]

I just recently joined the AKV Family (added on via Resale for 160 AKV Points).
The resale process yields significant savings, but takes a very long time to complete.
Two weeks before the AKV points hit my account, the AKV-Value Studios were available for my desired 2022 dates, but they were gone by the time my contract points had been loaded.


Has anyone in this group been successful in getting the Value Studio OR Value 1BR, for January or February ??
I'm already getting my hopes up for 2023

 

[drusba]

I just recently joined the AKV Family (added on via Resale for 160 AKV Points).
The resale process yields significant savings, but takes a very long time to complete.
Two weeks before the AKV points hit my account, the AKV-Value Studios were available for my desired 2022 dates, but they were gone by the time my contract points had been loaded.


Has anyone in this group been successful in getting the Value Studio OR Value 1BR, for January or February ??
I'm already getting my hopes up for 2023

The value rooms are fairly small in number and have very high demand to the point that nearly year round studios (and thus 2BRs since all value 2BRs are lock-offs) often fill within nanoseconds after 8 a.m. at 11-months out from any arrival date, and often are gone even before 11-months out because the start date you may want has already been booked full by members booking multiple days a few days before you go online to book at 11-months out from your desired starting date. Being able to get the studio or 2BR often depends on being on a waitlist and constantly stalking the site to see if anything has opened for the time you want. The 1BRs are not as difficult but they too disappear many times right 8 a.m, at 11 months out.

For Jan and Feb, studios will likely disappear at 8 a.m.,11-months out (or before) for all times except some chance (although not great) for time during Feb 1 to the Thurs before Presidents's Day, which is DVC's lowest demand time of the year at WDW. That period should also give you your best chance for a 1BR and you may be able to find a 1BR at some other times during those months except for Jan 1 through marathon weekend, and time around Presidents' Day, and the Princess half-marathon weekend.

 

[igrsod]

I just recently joined the AKV Family (added on via Resale for 160 AKV Points).
The resale process yields significant savings, but takes a very long time to complete.
Two weeks before the AKV points hit my account, the AKV-Value Studios were available for my desired 2022 dates, but they were gone by the time my contract points had been loaded.


Has anyone in this group been successful in getting the Value Studio OR Value 1BR, for January or February ??
I'm already getting my hopes up for 2023

I have a value studio booked for 7 nights Feb 2022. It is doable. I did have to stalk the DVC website each morning. I ended up picking up days that people were dropping while they were walking a reservation forward. When you can get it, it's awesome... low use of points for a full week vacation. We have stayed in the value studios many times, and I can't tell the difference in the size. And I love where they are located, close to everything, less walking through those very long hallways.
Welcome to the AKV family.

 

[E2ME2]

The value rooms are fairly small in number and have very high demand to the point that nearly year round studios (and thus 2BRs since all value 2BRs are lock-offs) often fill within nanoseconds after 8 a.m. at 11-months out from any arrival date, and often are gone even before 11-months out because the start date you may want has already been booked full by members booking multiple days a few days before you go online to book at 11-months out from your desired starting date. Being able to get the studio or 2BR often depends on being on a waitlist and constantly stalking the site to see if anything has opened for the time you want. The 1BRs are not as difficult but they too disappear many times right 8 a.m, at 11 months out.

For Jan and Feb, studios will likely disappear at 8 a.m.,11-months out (or before) for all times except some chance (although not great) for time during Feb 1 to the Thurs before Presidents's Day, which is DVC's lowest demand time of the year at WDW. That period should also give you your best chance for a 1BR and you may be able to find a 1BR at some other times during those months except for Jan 1 through marathon weekend, and time around Presidents' Day, and the Princess half-marathon weekend.

That's actually the time-frame we were looking for!
Next year I'll have the full 11-month window for 2023 bookings.
If only the resale process had been a 2 weeks shorter !

 

[DisneyMountainWoman]

Forgot to post here I got 1 bed room concierge in Feb 25-28th, I am soooo hoping concierge will be open. It will be my welcome home stay. ( Also hope princess run will be happening, that is why I booked that weekend.)

 

[twinklebug]

Forgot to post here I got 1 bed room concierge in Feb 25-28th, I am soooo hoping concierge will be open. It will be my welcome home stay. ( Also hope princess run will be happening, that is why I booked that weekend.)

Fingers crossed!
I have three nights booked in March right after you, I'm toying with just giving up hope and dropping the room for a savanna view. Disney is looking for the guest numbers to improve before opening the hotel side of Jambo, and until that happens we won't get Jiko/Boma or CL (which needs Boma's service) running.

While I understand even Disney cannot predict the future, I don't think it's right that Disney keeps us in the dark about these things.

 

[mickeymom629]

I see online that the Kidani pool is going to be refurbished. I was wondering when was the last time the villas were refurbished - was it recently?

 

[drusba]

I see online that the Kidani pool is going to be refurbished. I was wondering when was the last time the villas were refurbished - was it recently?

There was a "soft-goods" refurb in 2016. They will be due for a "hard-goods" refurb in 2023, which, if Disney's announcement at the Dec 2018 annual meeting remains true, will mean the pull-out couches will all be turned into the combination Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall over a couch like that which now exists at Riviera and SSR.

 

[J and R's mom]

The links I once used for resort activity calendars no longer work. Does anyone have a link to (or picture of) the June 2021 activity calendar? We arrive at Kindani in three days.

 

[mickeymom629]

There was a "soft-goods" refurb in 2016. They will be due for a "hard-goods" refurb in 2023, which, if Disney's announcement at the Dec 2018 annual meeting remains true, will mean the pull-out couches will all be turned into the combination Murphy bed that pulls down from the wall over a couch like that which now exists at Riviera and SSR.

Thanks!

 

[mickeymom629]

Trying to decide whether I want to try for standard or savannah view for Kidani GV. It would be 12 of us including my grandkids ages 5, 5, and 2. We will be staying 6 nights (all I can 'afford' with borrowing restrictions). If I get the standard view, I can also try to book a studio for DD and her husband so that we are not so crowded. With the savannah view, I will only be able to get them 3 nights standard studio (including buying OTU points) if it's available.

My question is - is the GV savannah view worth the extra points when you can walk to the lobby area and see all the animals? Are there any GV savannah views that really don't have a great view? I'm afraid of feeling like we weren't in the villa enough to appreciate the wonderful view if we are in the parks. Though we may not go to the parks each day of the trip, we are morning to night park people.

ETA - I think I'm going to try for standard view. We stayed in savannah view last time and, while it was cool, it wasn't necessary.

 

[Pluto1976]

I read allot about there being allot of open availability at AKL Villas at the 7-month mark. My question is is the "open availability" being referred too primarily at Kidani as it is larger, or does Jambo have SV studios and 1BRs open too at 7-months?

Thinking of adding-on and becoming owners at AKL for the advantage of home resort booking to enable us to get rooms at Jambo House as we prefer it over Kidani.

Thanks!

 

[ksromack]

I read allot about there being allot of open availability at AKL Villas at the 7-month mark. My question is is the "open availability" being referred too primarily at Kidani as it is larger, or does Jambo have SV studios and 1BRs open too at 7-months?

Thinking of adding-on and becoming owners at AKL for the advantage of home resort booking to enable us to get rooms at Jambo House as we prefer it over Kidani.

Thanks!

We have only stayed at Jambo once before but had no trouble booking at the 7month mark during the first or second week of December. We only booked 2 nights as we were resort hopping that trip. I will say we had quite the walk on that trip as I had no idea how to make a room request. We had a standard view studio room but actually had a partial savanna view. I can’t speak to availability for a whole week at the 7 month mark but I’m guessing it would depend on the time of year?

 

[karen4546]

Trying to decide whether I want to try for standard or savanna view for Kidani GV. It would be 12 of us including my grandkids ages 5, 5, and 2. We will be staying 6 nights (all I can 'afford' with borrowing restrictions). If I get the standard view, I can also try to book a studio for DD and her husband so that we are not so crowded. With the savanna view, I will only be able to get them 3 nights standard studio (including buying OTU points) if it's available.

My question is - is the GV savanna view worth the extra points when you can walk to the lobby area and see all the animals? Are there any GV savanna views that really don't have a great view? I'm afraid of feeling like we weren't in the villa enough to appreciate the wonderful view if we are in the parks. Though we may not go to the parks each day of the trip, we are morning to night park people.

You can get two 2-bedroom villas for the GV price. I love the layout of the GVs. But, pointwise I would just get the two 2-brs. You could book the GV and if @ Jambo try for a value studio to get the additional nights in the point range.

If you book two 2-bedroom villas @ Jambo standard view, you will have a better chance on getting a partial savannah view than you would at Kidani.

 

[mickeymom629]

You can get two 2-bedroom villas for the GV price. I love the layout of the GVs. But, pointwise I would just get the two 2-brs. You could book the GV and if @ Jambo try for a value studio to get the additional nights in the point range.

If you book two 2-bedroom villas @ Jambo standard view, you will have a better chance on getting a partial savannah view than you would at Kidani.

Thanks for that advice!
ETA - The only thing about the two bedroom villas is that the main area is not large enough for everyone to gather comfortably.

 

[drusba]

Trying to decide whether I want to try for standard or savannah view for Kidani GV. It would be 12 of us including my grandkids ages 5, 5, and 2. We will be staying 6 nights (all I can 'afford' with borrowing restrictions). If I get the standard view, I can also try to book a studio for DD and her husband so that we are not so crowded. With the savannah view, I will only be able to get them 3 nights standard studio (including buying OTU points) if it's available.

My question is - is the GV savannah view worth the extra points when you can walk to the lobby area and see all the animals? Are there any GV savannah views that really don't have a great view? I'm afraid of feeling like we weren't in the villa enough to appreciate the wonderful view if we are in the parks. Though we may not go to the parks each day of the trip, we are morning to night park people.

ETA - I think I'm going to try for standard view. We stayed in savannah view last time and, while it was cool, it wasn't necessary.

KIDANi has two standard view GVs. Despite the low number, they have in the past often been open at 7-months out, although that may be more difficult for 2022 because of the covid issue and all the extra banked points that so many members have accumulated and are now using for 2022 reservations.. See this map of Kidani https://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/Kindani_Village_Map.jpg. The lobby faces west. On the north wing you will see a red AED sign between the sixth and seventh building units from the lobby. The Pumbaa elevator is where that sign is. At the end of the 6th building unit from the lobby is a standard GV, and the second one is right at the beginning of the 7th building unit. Since they are both next to each other, there is no need to make any location request with a standard view GV.

Both the standard view GVs have full savanna view (not partial). They are the only GVs that overlook the Pembe savanna. Pembe is considered the weaker savanna because of its lack of giraffes and zebras. Also, in the area where the GVs are, the outer perimeter of the savanna comes fairly close to the building, narrowing the savanna. Nevertheless, if you get a standard view GV, you will have savanna view and will see animals. Go here for a walk-through, from a number of years ago, of one those two standard GVs: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iy38d42R_2o&t=227s

If you succeed in getting a standard view GV, and have a car, you will be able to park fairly close to the Pumbaa elevator in the under-building parking lot that runs almost throughout the entire building on the first floor. Nevertheless, be aware that, although the pool is somewhat within striking distance, walks to the rest of civilization -- the lobby and store, the bus station -- are very long (the entire Kidani building from end to end is about 2/3 mile long).

The savanna view GVs are all along the Sunset savanna, and distance to lobby ranges from fairly close to the lobby to walking forever from the end of a wing. Their views are better than the standards because the savanna is larger, there are more animals, and there are giraffes and zebras, but standard view is definitely worth it with the lower points.

The Kidani GVs are all two-story and are excellently designed. Each is on both the 4th and 5th floors (the highest two floors at Kidani), with the fourth floor as the main entrance but there is also an entry door on the fifth floor. There are four bathrooms, a master on the first floor, two on the second floor next to the upstairs bedrooms, and the fourth full bath just inside the main front door area. The laundry room is also located in that area. The living room's ceiling is the ceiling of the second floor, and besides doors to a balcony, there is also in that room almost floor to ceiling windows which provide very good views from inside. The dining room and each bedroom also has a balcony.There is a pull-out queen couch in the living room and also a second one, along with a TV and dresser, at the the alcove at the top of the stairs. The bedrooms are all good-size.

Also, be aware that all the rooms on the Pembe savanna side in those sixth and seventh building units are standard view rooms. Thus, for that extra studio you could reserve a standard view studio, request through MS that it be near the Pumbaa elevator, and thus possibly end up having that standard studio near the GV and the studio would also have a Pembe savanna view.

 

[mickeymom629]

KIDANi has two standard view GVs. ...

Also, be aware that all the rooms on the Pembe savanna side in those sixth and seventh building units are standard view rooms. Thus, for that extra studio you could reserve a standard view studio, request through MS that it be near the Pumbaa elevator, and thus possibly end up having that standard studio near the GV and the studio would also have a Pembe savanna view.

Thank you so much for the detailed information and great advice! I love watching that video!

I was wondering if there are savannah view studios across from/near the standard view GV (near the Pumbaa elevator).

 

[drusba]

Thank you so much for the detailed information and great advice! I love watching that video!

I was wondering if there are savannah view studios across from/near the standard view GV (near the Pumbaa elevator).

As to directly across I believe there are two savanna view GVs. As to same areas, the room breakdowns are similar throughout Kidani with lock-off 2BRs (which would have studios) interspaced with dedicated 2BRs. A floor without GVs will have three 2BRs on each side, and depending on floor of any particular building, it will be a dedicated -- lock-off --dedicated group or a lock-off -- dedicated --lock-off group on each side. On the floors with GVs there is a dedicated 2BR and a lock-off on each side. Thus, there will be either one or two studios on both sides of the building in building units 6 and 7 on each floor