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

[twinklebug]

Depending on how early you arrive, you may have luck just holding out for a room to open up located where you want it. We checked in early morning, so I knew the room wouldn't be ready yet. I told them at checkin we were happy to wait all day for a room in the section we wanted to open up if needed. I know sometimes if no one is checking out you can't do that, but sometimes you can. I would never just accept the first room offered to me if it's not where I want to be. We turned down 3 or 4 rooms before one opened up in the section I wanted.

I thought it was funny. The CM kept offering me rooms nowhere near where I had requested to be. Then she'd tell me there was absolutely nothing else available. I'd say that's fine we will wait a few hours for something to open. She would immediately look back down at her screen and magically something a little closer would appear. We kept this charade up until she finally gave me a room in the section I wanted to begin with. Amazing how it wasn't available 5 minutes earlier. I swear I think they are trained to try to push off "bad" rooms onto unsuspecting guests who don't know enough to refuse them.

It would have saved her a lot of time and frustration if she had just given me the request I made to begin with. I mean I submitted it in writing way in advance, followed up two weeks out, called again to verify, and then arrived early and told her we had no plans and were willing to wait until the afternoon if needed to get a room in the section we wanted. I only had one request, not a long list or anything. Is it really that hard to honor it, when obviously it was available all along?

So, I guess the lesson is don't let them push you around, fight for the room you want.

In all fairness, I have been told that the front desk CMs do not have access to view the rooms pending availability. The assigners, who are at a desk in another location do, and so the front desk CMs will typically offer to call to find out what can be done. If you check in online it's much harder for them to move your room than if you wait and check in at the front.

As for "fighting" for the room you want, I'm sorry to say, this approach only makes you come off badly. They are not playing charades with anyone, and do try their best. Your room is initially assigned by the the assigner up to two weeks out. When making requests they make sure to ask that you understand that requests are just that: "requests". There is no guarantee you will get what you are asking for. I am proud to be an AKV owner, and know the AKV assigners do the very best they can to fulfill requests, it's a complex shuffle puzzle game trying to fit everyone in where they want to be as others are checking out, all for varying lengths of stay. If I am assigned a room I'd rather not have, I do give a disappointed "oh" and if they don't offer, I ask nicely if they can call the assigner. My luck is about 50/50 with them finding a room location I'd like to have opening up that day.

Eventually all DVC owners will end up with the rooms they specifically didn't want (dumpster view at VWL comes to mind LOL) but we all take our turn, and the knowledge that there are more wonderful stays to come in years ahead eases the situation.

 

[nighttowll]

In all fairness, I have been told that the front desk CMs do not have access to view the rooms pending availability. The assigners, who are at a desk in another location do, and so the front desk CMs will typically offer to call to find out what can be done. If you check in online it's much harder for them to move your room than if you wait and check in at the front. As for "fighting" for the room you want, I'm sorry to say, this approach only makes you come off badly. They are not playing charades with anyone, and do try their best. Your room is initially assigned by the the assigner up to two weeks out. When making requests they make sure to ask that you understand that requests are just that: "requests". There is no guarantee you will get what you are asking for. I am proud to be an AKV owner, and know the AKV assigners do the very best they can to fulfill requests, it's a complex shuffle puzzle game trying to fit everyone in where they want to be as others are checking out, all for varying lengths of stay. If I am assigned a room I'd rather not have, I do give a disappointed "oh" and if they don't offer, I ask nicely if they can call the assigner. My luck is about 50/50 with them finding a room location I'd like to have opening up that day. Eventually all DVC owners will end up with the rooms they specifically didn't want (dumpster view at VWL comes to mind LOL) but we all take our turn, and the knowledge that there are more wonderful stays to come in years ahead eases the situation.

I wasn't assigned a room ahead of time. I didn't do the online checkin because I had already read you were better off to checkin at the desk. All they did was tell me if I wanted to checkin now the only room available to me was room X which she voluntarily showed me the location of on a map and asked if I wanted. I then politely told her we would wait until that afternoon for something else. If nothing closer to where I wanted to be opened up by then that was fine. Maybe her computer doesn't show her all the options at once. I don't know. I just know I kept telling her we would wait, and she kept showing me new rooms that weren't there before. I was never rude to her or anything. I just made it clear I would prefer to wait to see if something opened up and not just take a room that was already clean but in a location far from where I wanted to be. We were there well before check out time, so I knew new rooms would become available as other guests checked out.

 

[twinklebug]

I wasn't assigned a room ahead of time. I didn't do the online checkin because I had already read you were better off to checkin at the desk. All they did was tell me if I wanted to checkin now the only room available to me was room X which she voluntarily showed me the location of on a map and asked if I wanted. I then politely told her we would wait until that afternoon for something else. If nothing closer to where I wanted to be opened up by then that was fine. Maybe her computer doesn't show her all the options at once. I don't know. I just know I kept telling her we would wait, and she kept showing me new rooms that weren't there before. I was never rude to her or anything. I just made it clear I would prefer to wait to see if something opened up and not just take a room that was already clean but in a location far from where I wanted to be. We were there well before check out time, so I knew new rooms would become available as other guests checked out.

Okay, she sounds new. Her approach was incorrect. Experienced front desk CMs will welcome you, go through the paperwork, and then show you where your room is. They then will tell you it should be ready before 4, if it's not already ready. They never ask straight up if you'd like the room as that opens a whole can of worms for them since they really don't have much control over it, and that makes it sound like they do.

It's when they show me on the map where my room is that I give the little sigh if I'm not particularly happy (or a smile if I can't believe my luck, LOL). Experienced CMs at AKV are excellent at picking up on these and will offer to call the assigner "to see if there is anything available".

You should know, that all Disney properties assign rooms to guests about 1-2 weeks before they arrive, even if they have not checked in. It's pretty much standard in the hotel industry to do so in order to know which rooms are open/occupied and out of rotation for service.

 

[Anna114]

Depending on how early you arrive, you may have luck just holding out for a room to open up located where you want it. We checked in early morning, so I knew the room wouldn't be ready yet. I told them at checkin we were happy to wait all day for a room in the section we wanted to open up if needed. I know sometimes if no one is checking out you can't do that, but sometimes you can. I would never just accept the first room offered to me if it's not where I want to be. We turned down 3 or 4 rooms before one opened up in the section I wanted.

So, I guess the lesson is don't let them push you around, fight for the room you want.

We have had great luck using this method. We are usually at VWL by 11am. They show us the rooms to be cleaned and we pick from there.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

... I swear I think they are trained to try to push off "bad" rooms onto unsuspecting guests who don't know enough to refuse them. ...

We are so excited for our first stay at AKV! Our home resort is BCV, but we've loved AKL before. So, I am one of those unsuspecting guests Note that we do not have strong opinions about which floor or anything else, except that we've used points for a savannah view so we expect to see some animals some time. We've always been happy with our BCV assignments - each has been different and we've liked something about each location, floor, wing, etc. In my don't-need-to-be-near-whatever situation, are there still bad rooms I have to worry about being assigned because I don't know better?

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Were staying savannah view in Dec and would like to do the Sunrise Safari. ...

Are you a DVC member? I had wanted Sunrise Safari also and found, in the last few weeks, that DVC members staying at AKV can now book Sunrise Safari too. We are going to try it in June and am so excited.
We've never stayed concierge so have no info there - just weighing in on Safari

 

[mum of two pirates]

Were renting points to stay DVC. I just read two days ago DVC could book now. Wish I could buy less then 100 points. Were on a wait list for club but the problem w that is were not going untill Dec and booking is like 180 days out or something like that and im sure if someone is canceling it wont be tell 30 days out and by then the safari will be filled up and sold out.

 

[princessap]

I am getting ready to book AKV 1 bedroom Kidani and am so torn on whether to book standard view or savannah view..I want to splurge on sv view but I keep reading on here that people saw no giraffes at all which would be what we want to see….what are good room requests for both of these options as well!
Thanks

 

[DeeCee735]

I suggest requesting close to elevators or above Sanaa for a savannah view. They feed the zebras and giraffes a couple of times a day just outside the Sanaa windows so diners get to see the animals....as well as people out in the viewing area.

 

[Niewoe]

I am getting ready to book AKV 1 bedroom Kidani and am so torn on whether to book standard view or savannah view..I want to splurge on sv view but I keep reading on here that people saw no giraffes at all which would be what we want to see….what are good room requests for both of these options as well!
Thanks

I just booked 2 SV studios. Do you know if the people who did not see giraffes saw other animals? It looks like there are different sections to the "savanna" and I'm sure everyone wants to see the giraffes. I'm so excited to wake up and see wildlife, so I'm going into it with an open mind for the other animals

 

[AKVFamily]

We stayed in a Savannah View last March and saw nearly every animal, including the giraffes. To me, you stay at AKL for that experience, so I say go for it! I am surprised to hear that people did not see animals.

 

[Anna114]

We are here at Kidani right now with a savannah view we saw 5 giraffes and they were out most if the day there's 5 Hee at Kidani and 4 at Jambo. If people aren't seeing giraffes my guess would be they are going commando. If you leave early and don't come back after dark you won't see much.

 

[twinklebug]

We stayed in a Savannah View last March and saw nearly every animal, including the giraffes. To me, you stay at AKL for that experience, so I say go for it! I am surprised to hear that people did not see animals.

I agree, staying at AKV, to me, is about seeing the animals from my balcony.
Kidani's pretty easy to specifiy a room where you'll see animals. Sunset Savanna is the large one on the interior of the loops (or "mickey ears") It is home to many giraffe, zebra a few other animals too.

The other savanna is Pembe, which is on the outside of the northern loop, starting just past the pool area. This savanna is home to smaller animals including the red river hogs (who I hear are funny to watch) and the small gazelle like deer.... are they gazelles? I don't have my guide in front of me

I've had both savannas, as well as standard view and I will say when we stayed on the Pembe Savanna we didn't see any animals other than native Floridian rabbits. It was a huge let down (and certainly not worth the SV points) as we had a 16yo friend with us who had never been to Disney before and we had hoped to "wow" him. From now on I'll always request Sunset Savanna. I called the "front desk" via phone and they spoke with the assigner and got a room for us on Sunset for the following day.

 

[Niewoe]

I agree, staying at AKV, to me, is about seeing the animals from my balcony. Kidani's pretty easy to specifiy a room where you'll see animals. Sunset Savanna is the large one on the interior of the loops (or "mickey ears") It is home to many giraffe, zebra a few other animals too. The other savanna is Pembe, which is on the outside of the northern loop, starting just past the pool area. This savanna is home to smaller animals including the red river hogs (who I hear are funny to watch) and the small gazelle like deer.... are they gazelles? I don't have my guide in front of me I've had both savannas, as well as standard view and I will say when we stayed on the Pembe Savanna we didn't see any animals other than native Floridian rabbits. It was a huge let down (and certainly not worth the SV points) as we had a 16yo friend with us who had never been to Disney before and we had hoped to "wow" him. From now on I'll always request Sunset Savanna. I called the "front desk" via phone and they spoke with the assigner and got a room for us on Sunset for the following day.

Very helpful! When do you think it is a good time to request Sunset Savanna? Prior to arriving or when you check in?

 

[twinklebug]

Very helpful! When do you think it is a good time to request Sunset Savanna? Prior to arriving or when you check in?

You want to make your request through Member services prior to 2 weeks before arriving. Reason being: the assigners start filling in the slots two weeks out, and the closer you get, the harder it is for them to find a fit to your request & length of stay.

Sunset Savanna is the largest category of rooms and will be fairly easy to get. You may want to ask for a second request in addition to this. Some folk want to be close to the store/lobby, others want to be near the pool, or bus stops, some folk want to be on the end closest to Jambo to make it an easy walk for food service. For me, I prefer a low floor so I can see the faces on the animals a bit better. (Top floors have an impressive view though)

 

[actopp1017]

Has anybody stayed in a Standard view room they loved?

 

[Kimmy2Disney]

Has anybody stayed in a Standard view room they loved?

Yes, I loved ours at Jambo.. 5582, it was standard reclassified from savannah because of the people pen and back area where the 2 Savannah areas meet with a fence. Our first day when we were assigned I was so disappointed because the walk was so long (I had previously been spoiled on our last akl trip with a room 2 in from the lobby above Mara, and right around the corner from Victoria falls.. It was a cash stay not in dvc). But when we walked into the room and saw our view I was so happy!! You already walk a ton in WDW so what's a couple of extra steps, lol.. It helped that they had the windows overlooking the savannah to admire the different views as we walked the entire length of zebra trail!

 

[psac]

Very helpful! When do you think it is a good time to request Sunset Savanna? Prior to arriving or when you check in?

Definitely call member services (or have your member do it if you're renting) at least two weeks before check-in.

For Kidani you want to request Sunset Savanna, if you're in Jambo you want to request Arusha Savanna.

 

[princessap]

is there anything else someone would request other then sunset savannah?? I would love a good view of the animals so is lower floor better, or with all the talk about long hallways is something else better to request??

thanks

 

[twinklebug]

is there anything else someone would request other then sunset savannah?? I would love a good view of the animals so is lower floor better, or with all the talk about long hallways is something else better to request??

thanks

See the second paragraph below for other options folks typically choose to add. It really depends on your personality what or if you elect to add any requests. Also, keep in mind that requests are never guaranteed. The assigners do their best to fit them in. Make sure to add them more than 2 weeks out for the best chance.

You want to make your request through Member services prior to 2 weeks before arriving. Reason being: the assigners start filling in the slots two weeks out, and the closer you get, the harder it is for them to find a fit to your request & length of stay.

Sunset Savanna is the largest category of rooms and will be fairly easy to get. You may want to ask for a second request in addition to this. Some folk want to be close to the store/lobby, others want to be near the pool, or bus stops, some folk want to be on the end closest to Jambo to make it an easy walk for food service. For me, I prefer a low floor so I can see the faces on the animals a bit better. (Top floors have an impressive view though)