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

[twinklebug]

I looked back to see if I took a picture of the room but I didn't. Room 5129. Probably not a fair judge because it was Dec. 2020. Opening right after Covid reopenings. I think we saw 3 other guests the whole trip so we loved it. Felt like we had the whole place to ourselves and it was decorated for Christmas.
As far as I recall, we looked out and saw mostly trees. Definitely not a good view but great use of points and a great trip so good memories for us.

(I did remember thinking I was surprised at the view because it didn't seem like anyone else was there. I know other floors were completely closed (couldn't even get to them in the elevator) but it didn't seem like the 5th floor could have been full given the lack of people. Just thought it might have been a time we got an upgrade.)

Thank you! I've often been worried about getting the equivalent of the dumpster view at AKV, but I don't think we have one. Seems all the views are reasonably nice.

 

[Lorana]

Here you go!
View attachment 647784

Thank you!

 

[kmorlock]

We lucked into a 1 bedroom Value. I understand some of the limitations and have watched several walk thru videos. We have only been to Kidani. We have myself, DH, DS15 and a LO DD3. Has anyone had luck with adding a toddler bed/mattress anywhere? There just doesn’t seem to be any good space judging by video but, I’m looking for any tips from Value room veterans-Lol!

 

[twinklebug]

We lucked into a 1 bedroom Value. I understand some of the limitations and have watched several walk thru videos. We have only been to Kidani. We have myself, DH, DS15 and a LO DD3. Has anyone had luck with adding a toddler bed/mattress anywhere? There just doesn’t seem to be any good space judging by video but, I’m looking for any tips from Value room veterans-Lol!

That's an excellent question. I've only experienced the Value Studios, and ended up moving the table into the kitchenette/bathroom area (it was awkward, but worked). Maybe something similar?

.. or... the connecting door area to the studio next door, that's always a bit of open space.

 

[kmorlock]

I’m canceling 1 bdrm Value right now July 15-23 if anyone wants to grab it.

 

[Kcasey02]

I saw the 1 bedroom value is available for a trip we’re planning and I’m curious about it. My husband would rather do a Savannah studio at Kidani though to guarantee a better view. What do you mean by limitations? I’d be most afraid of just looking at a parking lot curious about the video too if you have a link!

[/QUOTE]

We lucked into a 1 bedroom Value. I understand some of the limitations and have watched several walk thru videos. We have only been to Kidani. We have myself, DH, DS15 and a LO DD3. Has anyone had luck with adding a toddler bed/mattress anywhere? There just doesn’t seem to be any good space judging by video but, I’m looking for any tips from Value room veterans-Lol!

 

[kmorlock]

I saw the 1 bedroom value is available for a trip we’re planning and I’m curious about it. My husband would rather do a Savannah studio at Kidani though to guarantee a better view. What do you mean by limitations? I’d be most afraid of just looking at a parking lot curious about the video too if you have a link!

[/QUOTE]
The 1 bedroom value at Jambo is more narrow less square footage than Kidani. No second bathroom, no sleeper chair. View is a toss up. You could get Savanna, pool, or parking lot. I have never stayed in a Kidani studio so, cannot give you a good comparison. The 1 bdrm value is a great use of points if view and space are not high priorities.

 

[twinklebug]

The 1 bedroom value at Jambo is more narrow less square footage than Kidani. No second bathroom, no sleeper chair. View is a toss up. You could get Savanna, pool, or parking lot. I have never stayed in a Kidani studio so, cannot give you a good comparison. The 1 bdrm value is a great use of points if view and space are not high priorities.

This! 3' of space may not seem like that much, until it does. I've read people complaining about how the door to the bedroom will hit the bed and they seem shocked that it's not as roomy as the Kidani rooms.

Kidani has some of the best rooms on property and it's not fair to judge the values against them... and yet people do.

 

[sndral]

I saw the 1 bedroom value is available for a trip we’re planning and I’m curious about it. My husband would rather do a Savannah studio at Kidani though to guarantee a better view. What do you mean by limitations? I’d be most afraid of just looking at a parking lot curious about the video too if you have a link!

If it’s just the two of you & you like studios, then Kidani savanna view might be better.
The 1 br.s are nice for folks who like a little more privacy, kids in the living room & parents in the separate master bedroom, & the value studios cost fewer points. I personally like Jambo’s lobby, gift shop, & quick service better than Kidani’s, but at Kidani you aren’t stuck on the 5th floor like at Jambo, and the Kidani villas are more spacious than even the standard/savanna view villas at Jambo.
I’ve never gotten a value villa, so can’t comment re: specifics there.

 

[kmorlock]

The 1 bedroom value at Jambo is more narrow less square footage than Kidani. No second bathroom, no sleeper chair. View is a toss up. You could get Savanna, pool, or parking lot. I have never stayed in a Kidani studio so, cannot give you a good comparison. The 1 bdrm value is a great use of points if view and space are not high priorities.

This! 3' of space may not seem like that much, until it does. I've read people complaining about how the door to the bedroom will hit the bed and they seem shocked that it's not as roomy as the Kidani rooms.

Kidani has some of the best rooms on property and it's not fair to judge the values against them... and yet people do.
[/QUOTE]
I’d stay in the value any day if it was just 2-3 of us or 2 couples. If they had all the amenities of a standard, they would cost the same points. It’s a fantastic value IMO. However, I do love Kidani and having the extra bathroom and sleeper chair with a teen and toddler are priceless. We have done 1 bdrm and 2 bdrm Dedicated at Kidani and both were great. We have stayed at most DVC resorts and have found things that work for us and things that don’t.

 

[kmg1107]

We are staying at SSR (our home resort) but have breakfast reservations at Boma one morning and are thinking about staying for a bit afterwards. Are DVC members still table to use the pools at Jambo or Kidani resorts? The last post I found on this did not list them as restricted. If so, do we need to check in with anyone or just go and enjoy?

 

[drusba]

We are staying at SSR (our home resort) but have breakfast reservations at Boma one morning and are thinking about staying for a bit afterwards. Are DVC members still table to use the pools at Jambo or Kidani resorts? The last post I found on this did not list them as restricted. If so, do we need to check in with anyone or just go and enjoy?

Unless something has changed that I did not hear about, DVC pool hopping is still suspended for all resorts as part of the pandemic rules. About four years ago, DVC dropped AKV as a restricted pool resort to allow pool hopping to AKV. When and if it becomes allowed again, you will likely need to go to the front desk to use it because the Jambo pool now has fencing blocking the entrance and you need an AKV room key (magic band, other) to get in the locked gate (fencing and gates have always existed at Kidani)

 

[Steveburnsred]

Staying in a Jambo house savanna view studio for one night in June. Having a hard time trying to figure out which room to stay in. I read that the rooms at the very end of the hallways can take awhile to walk to, is this exaggerated or is this going to be some 20 minute hike just to get to the main lobby? Are the best views generally in the center of each building or is it better being by the lobby?

 

[drusba]

Staying in a Jambo house savanna view studio for one night in June. Having a hard time trying to figure out which room to stay in. I read that the rooms at the very end of the hallways can take awhile to walk to, is this exaggerated or is this going to be some 20 minute hike just to get to the main lobby? Are the best views generally in the center of each building or is it better being by the lobby?

If you are in Jambo, the walk from lobby to an end room on either of the two wings can be quite long, longer than the often-mentioned long walk that can happen at BWV. Nevertheless, that Jambo walk is just an easy stroll in the park in comparison to the walk you get from lobby to an end room at Kidani, which rooms on the north wing are a little more than 1/3 mile from the lobby (comparable to walking from the base of World Showcase, after you come over from EPCOT’s Future World , to Germany); the Kidani south wing is a tad shorter.

As to a request at Jambo, you could request close to lobby or close to the.bus station If avoiding the walk is important. Personally, I would not request either, because rooms in those areas do not have the best savanna views, I.e., it is better to be away from the lobby. My usual request at Jambo is for a room on the Zebra Trail side of Jambo, overlooking the Arusha savanna (in the the center of the u-shaped building), and away from the lobby. If granted that request gets you a room with a very good savanna view that faces west so you avoid getting blinding sun on the balcony and in the room in the morning, the balcony stays shaded until afternoon, and you get to see a pleasant sunset. That also puts on the side of the resort where the restaurants and pool are.

 

[HibernationTour]

We have our first ever stay at Kidani next September! My wife and I just got back from a stay at the Poly and decided to just go check AKL out for an afternoon. It looks so darn cool, and our son will almost be 3 when we go, so I hope that's a good age for enjoying the animals. We requested a Zazu room to try to get close-ish to Jambo and also see the Sunset Savanna.

 

[aleh021]

I’m canceling 1 bdrm Value right now July 15-23 if anyone wants to grab it.

I should really check these boards more often :')

 

[c0reyann]

Staying in a Jambo house savanna view studio for one night in June. Having a hard time trying to figure out which room to stay in. I read that the rooms at the very end of the hallways can take awhile to walk to, is this exaggerated or is this going to be some 20 minute hike just to get to the main lobby? Are the best views generally in the center of each building or is it better being by the lobby?

We were in room 4344 in Jambo (hotel room) in 2019. It was at the far end of the left side of Jambo in the last offshoot part facing Magic Kingdom. It was a haul from everything but worth the walk for the views, especially for a standard view rate.

I can't swear to how long it took but I'd say it was a 5-10 minute walk to the lobby/mara/pool/bus area depending on our energy levels and how many scooters were in the hallways as the ones around the lobby were narrow. We opted to do the stairs vs. the elevator based on how long they took. The stairs were to the right when walking in the lobby doors and by the marketplace.

Here's a few photos of the view:

https://imgur.com/a/jDeJYoc

This was a "standard" view and at first I didn't think we'd see much but it was actually a fun view that had something going on every time we were looking. My husband got very sick during this trip so we spent a lot of time in the room and hanging out on the balcony. We could see two different savannahs (sunset and arusha) and the giraffes hung in both ends and chatted to each other a lot. We had a view of the barn and laughed at whatever screamed every night when the vets did their checks. I think it was the ostriches? They are VERY dramatic lol. We also could see the fireworks through the trees/just at the top from Magic Kingdom which was a perk! I would imagine the 5th floor rooms (DVC) would actually have a view of most of the show.

Overall I'd HIGHLY recommend this room if you're willing to walk. We loved it.

 

[Deeleebaker]

We just stayed in 5116, a value 1br at Jambo. We had kudu, zebras, giraffes, waterbuck, ankole cattle, and a neurotic ostrich daily. The bedroom door was very close to the bed, but it was fine for me, BF and DD7. I definitely think we will do again and with less park days so we can enjoy the resort more.

 

[sndral]

We were in room 4344 in Jambo (hotel room) in 2019. It was at the far end of the left side of Jambo in the last offshoot part facing Magic Kingdom. It was a haul from everything but worth the walk for the views, especially for a standard view rate.

I can't swear to how long it took but I'd say it was a 5-10 minute walk to the lobby/mara/pool/bus area depending on our energy levels and how many scooters were in the hallways as the ones around the lobby were narrow. We opted to do the stairs vs. the elevator based on how long they took. The stairs were to the right when walking in the lobby doors and by the marketplace.

Here's a few photos of the view:

https://imgur.com/a/jDeJYoc

This was a "standard" view and at first I didn't think we'd see much but it was actually a fun view that had something going on every time we were looking. My husband got very sick during this trip so we spent a lot of time in the room and hanging out on the balcony. We could see two different savannahs (sunset and arusha) and the giraffes hung in both ends and chatted to each other a lot. We had a view of the barn and laughed at whatever screamed every night when the vets did their checks. I think it was the ostriches? They are VERY dramatic lol. We also could see the fireworks through the trees/just at the top from Magic Kingdom which was a perk! I would imagine the 5th floor rooms (DVC) would actually have a view of most of the show.

Overall I'd HIGHLY recommend this room if you're willing to walk. We loved it.

We were just above that room in 5344/5346 in Dec. in a standard view 2 br. - it took me less than 5 min.s to get to the lobby. The walk was worth it to me since we saw a lot of animals, including the giraffes who were there a lot!

 

[gregskellington]

Checking into Kidani today! Can't wait!