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

[Anna114]

Wow, I was already really looking forward to the trip. Now even more so. Thanks everyone.

Sent from my awesome iPad using DISBoards

 

[delilah]

If you like taking pictures, avoid a room on Pembe savannah. I have owned at AKV ever since they opened back in 2008, and have stayed in a Pembe room twice. They take the animals in from Pembe beginning about 6:30-7am, and they don't come back out until after 9 am. It is mildly entertaining to watch them do this. The particular animals on that savannah like to hide in woods. So, if you are in a 4th or 5th floor room, like we were, you can't see them at all. You can't really take good pictures from up there throught the thick vegetation. Mainly, I got a good view of Florida scrub and the buildings beyond Disney. I haven't stayed on a lower floor, so, I don't know what that is like. I have stayed at AKL/AKV often enough that my favorite thing to do on vacation is to sit on the balcony with my coffee and breakfast, and watch and take pictures of animals. I have taken more good pictures of the animals from the balcony than on the Safari. Whether it is worth it to take the good camera with several lenses on the plane is a personal decision. Usually if I am staying at AKV and/or planning to go somewhere else in addition to Disneyworld, I take it. Otherwise, I take a nice point and shoot. My camera bag takes up nearly my entire carry on, though. I put it in a slightly larger bag, and am able to get some of my other essentials, like my lap top, Ipad, wallet, etc in there.

Anyway, I brought my big camera the trip we stayed on Pembe, and I was so disappointed. A waste of carry on space, for sure. I can totally deal with the hotels that don't have views from the balconies, as long as they aren't charging a premium of points for the view.

 

[nighttowll]

We didn't even have a savana view, and we still saw plenty of animals. They aren't hard to seek out. There are multiple animal overlooks, some inside, some outside. You can see them from the lobby and even while you walk down the halls. There are windows to look out throughout the hallways at least at Kidani there were. I feel like we saw more animals walking up and down the hallways than anything. We would be in a hurry to get to the bus stop or something and then get distracted watching animals out the hall windows, although the hall views are more limited, because the windows are smaller, or sides of buildings might get in the way, then the official viewing areas are.

 

[delilah]

We didn't even have a savana view, and we still saw plenty of animals. They aren't hard to seek out. There are multiple animal overlooks, some inside, some outside. You can see them from the lobby and even while you walk down the halls. There are windows to look out throughout the hallways at least at Kidani there were. I feel like we saw more animals walking up and down the hallways than anything. We would be in a hurry to get to the bus stop or something and then get distracted watching animals out the hall windows, although the hall views are more limited, because the windows are smaller, or sides of buildings might get in the way, then the official viewing areas are.

This is true; however, if a person paid for a savanna view, they might want to be able to see animals from their room balcony, don't you think? Savanna view costs more money than standard view. If I don't pay extra for savanna I am happy to see animals from the common areas and hallways. If I weren't going to book a savanna room, I probably wouldn't stay at AKV. Too far from parks, and one of our favorite restaurants is Boma. So, normally, even if I don't stay at AKV, I get to see animals. But, on those trips, I wouldn't devote my entire carry on to bringing the DSLR and lenses, and having to check all of my other belongings. Like I said, bringing the big camera if not staying where there is something to photograph is a waste of a carry on, puts excessive wear and tear on an expensive piece of equipment. Getting charged for a savanna view when all you can see is tree tops, drive ways, and Florida scrub is a waste of points.

 

[nighttowll]

This is true; however, if a person paid for a savanna view, they might want to be able to see animals from their room balcony, don't you think? Savanna view costs more money than standard view. If I don't pay extra for savanna I am happy to see animals from the common areas and hallways. If I weren't going to book a savanna room, I probably wouldn't stay at AKV. Too far from parks, and one of our favorite restaurants is Boma. So, normally, even if I don't stay at AKV, I get to see animals. But, on those trips, I wouldn't devote my entire carry on to bringing the DSLR and lenses, and having to check all of my other belongings. Like I said, bringing the big camera if not staying where there is something to photograph is a waste of a carry on, puts excessive wear and tear on an expensive piece of equipment. Getting charged for a savanna view when all you can see is tree tops, drive ways, and Florida scrub is a waste of points.

Sorry if it sounded like I was suggesting to just forget the Savanna view. I just wanted to point out that there are a variety of different areas to see the animals besides the room balcony. Even if you have great views of the animals on the savanna, you only see the animals in your area, not all the other types, so some people might be interested to know there are other great spots to see and photograph all the other types of animals as well.

I'm not sure about trees and scrub, but you shouldn't see any roads, pools, tennis courts, etc, as those all run along one side of the resort, and the Savanna runs along the other.

 

[twinklebug]

I'm not sure about trees and scrub, but you shouldn't see any roads, pools, tennis courts, etc, as those all run along one side of the resort, and the Savanna runs along the other.

I think Delilah was referring to the Pembe Savanna view rooms, those are on the north, "outside" loop, and their viewing is different than the Sunset Savanna. The animals on Pembe are unique and seem to hide more than those on Sunset, and the view is looking outward, not toward other Kidani rooms across the way so you will see lots of tree tops and a few non-Disney buildings off in the distance.

We have always had Sunset views while at Kidani, with exception to one night on Pembe. I did not care for it as the only animal we saw all evening over the course of 3 hours was a rabbit. I paid the room-change fee to move over to a Sunset room for the remaining nights. I wouldn't have been upset with our room if there had been any small group of Savanna animals out there to see other than Mr Bunny (he was cute but a bit hard to watch from the third floor looking almost straight down. )

 

[Anna114]

Sorry if it sounded like I was suggesting to just forget the Savanna view. I just wanted to point out that there are a variety of different areas to see the animals besides the room balcony. Even if you have great views of the animals on the savanna, you only see the animals in your area, not all the other types, so some people might be interested to know there are other great spots to see and photograph all the other types of animals as well.

I'm not sure about trees and scrub, but you shouldn't see any roads, pools, tennis courts, etc, as those all run along one side of the resort, and the Savanna runs along the other.

Savanna view in Kidani was our only DVC option for a studio. So any other thought was off the table lol.

 

[dwelty]

Anyone know if luggage will fit under a studio bed at Kidani? luggage is standard size.

 

[Anna114]

Not to be a skootch but reading other reviews and my DH's opinion... are there ground floor rooms? Can you walk within the resort from one end of Kidani to the other or is it an outside adventure? My assumption is that the Savannah view is only from a balcony. How awesome would that be if you left your sliding door ajar and wake with a giraffe poking his head in Lord, that humors me.

Also, sorry, I know there is a shop in Kidani but am I right that Jambo House has a greater selection of food for purchase? I have been known to use Garden Grocer but we are only two in a studio... english muffins and k cups it is. We fly South West so I will be the mule to bring down much of the dry goods but butter, half and half and milk.. not so much.

If at any point I get annoying, just throw a pot or pan and me and I will get the point This is new for me and I truly dislike not being in the know and being prepared.

 

[nighttowll]

Not to be a skootch but reading other reviews and my DH's opinion... are there ground floor rooms? Can you walk within the resort from one end of Kidani to the other or is it an outside adventure? My assumption is that the Savannah view is only from a balcony. How awesome would that be if you left your sliding door ajar and wake with a giraffe poking his head in Lord, that humors me.

Also, sorry, I know there is a shop in Kidani but am I right that Jambo House has a greater selection of food for purchase? I have been known to use Garden Grocer but we are only two in a studio... english muffins and k cups it is. We fly South West so I will be the mule to bring down much of the dry goods but butter, half and half and milk.. not so much.

If at any point I get annoying, just throw a pot or pan and me and I will get the point This is new for me and I truly dislike not being in the know and being prepared.

There aren't any ground floor rooms as parking is the ground floor under the hotel. Yes, you can walk all the way from one end of the hotel to the other inside. We didn't walk outside very much at all since it rained almost the whole week we were there.

I thought there was a decent selection of food both frozen and pantry items at the Kidani store. I can't remember if Jambo's store had more food or not. My overall impression was that it had more souvenirs than anything. Kidani store is about half souvenirs, half household items and food. Jambo is about 75% souvenirs, 25% food if that much, but whether that 25% is still bigger than Kidani's selection, I'm not sure. Kidani's selection wasn't enough I'd want to depend on it for a whole week, but I could have gotten by fine for a few days. It was about like shopping at a Walgreens with a little less selection, or at a gas station that has a small grocery section. It would just depend on how brand picky you are and what types of food you are looking for. Also it is all typical resort overpriced goods, so I was very happy we ordered from a grocery service just because it saved us so much money.

I also don't think it would be a big deal to make a grocery trip to Jambo and back, just hop on the bus, or take the free shuttle. Get everything in one trip.

 

[psac]

Anyone know if luggage will fit under a studio bed at Kidani? luggage is standard size.

Haven't stayed in Kidani yet, but generally, no, the luggage doesn't fit under any of the WDW beds.

Not to be a skootch but reading other reviews and my DH's opinion... are there ground floor rooms? Can you walk within the resort from one end of Kidani to the other or is it an outside adventure? My assumption is that the Savannah view is only from a balcony. How awesome would that be if you left your sliding door ajar and wake with a giraffe poking his head in Lord, that humors me.

Also, sorry, I know there is a shop in Kidani but am I right that Jambo House has a greater selection of food for purchase? I have been known to use Garden Grocer but we are only two in a studio... english muffins and k cups it is. We fly South West so I will be the mule to bring down much of the dry goods but butter, half and half and milk.. not so much.

If at any point I get annoying, just throw a pot or pan and me and I will get the point This is new for me and I truly dislike not being in the know and being prepared.

Unless you bring your own Keurig, the studios don't use K-cups. All DVC rooms have a 12 cup basket filter Mr. Coffee.

 

[twinklebug]

Most older luggage will fit under the AKV beds, they are very high. Not sure if the newer hard sided/4 wheeled ones will fit as they seem to be a bit boxier.

 

[delilah]

Sorry if it sounded like I was suggesting to just forget the Savanna view. I just wanted to point out that there are a variety of different areas to see the animals besides the room balcony. Even if you have great views of the animals on the savanna, you only see the animals in your area, not all the other types, so some people might be interested to know there are other great spots to see and photograph all the other types of animals as well.

I'm not sure about trees and scrub, but you shouldn't see any roads, pools, tennis courts, etc, as those all run along one side of the resort, and the Savanna runs along the other.

We saw the service road really well from our balcony, along with the chain link fence that surrounds the Pembe savanna. The Pembe savanna has a desolate look to it. We have stayed at AKL and AKV probably 20 times over the past 12 years or so. I am well aware that there are other, common areas to observe animals. However, I can't do that in my pajamas. My only point is that I wouldn't choose to bring my good camera if I weren't staying in a savanna room at AKV, and that I was disappointed with the Pembe savanna, not only in terms of the animals that were visible, but in the timing of the servicing of the animals. Like I said, watching the staff mow the lawn is somewhat interesting, but, not necessarily something that I would pay a premium amount of money or DVC points to see.

 

[Anna114]

Haven't stayed in Kidani yet, but generally, no, the luggage doesn't fit under any of the WDW beds.



Unless you bring your own Keurig, the studios don't use K-cups. All DVC rooms have a 12 cup basket filter Mr. Coffee.

Sorry, I do have one in my owners locker. I don't like microwaved water for tea

 

[AlohaAnnie]

Hi

We have been DVC owners at AKV since 2010.

We originally bought in because the points were very low. We didn't even want to stay at the resort.

Our first DVC stay ended up being at AKV Kidani and we feel in love. It was a 10 day stay in June.

Our second stay was in a 1 bedroom at Kidani during Christmas week for 8 nights and once again loved it!

We have stayed at other DVC resorts but we have decided AKV is our favorite. Funny Huh!?! We didn't even want to stay here at first.

Our next trip is for 9day/8nights in a Deluxe Studio Club level March 28-April 5th. We are so excited to return.

.

 

[psac]

Hi

We have been DVC owners at AKV since 2010.

We originally bought in because the points were very low. We didn't even want to stay at the resort.

Our first DVC stay ended up being at AKV Kidani and we feel in love. It was a 10 day stay in June.

Our second stay was in a 1 bedroom at Kidani during Christmas week for 8 nights and once again loved it!

We have stayed at other DVC resorts but we have decided AKV is our favorite. Funny Huh!?! We didn't even want to stay here at first.

Our next trip is for 9day/8nights in a Deluxe Studio Club level March 28-April 5th. We are so excited to return.

.

It's funny how that works. We avoided AKL for a long time, thinking the location (lack of monorail/boats) would be a major problem. We finally tried a cash Jambo stay and were blown away. We bought a resale AKL contract to add on and are doing our first Kidani stay at the end of March. Can't wait to try there!!!

 

[AKVFamily]

There is sooo much to love about AKV, but we primarily bought here for the unique experience of waking up to a Savannah view of the animals. That was as good as advertised. Less obvious was the great chance to learn from the wonderful African cast members about their homeland. Very sincerely passionate people and a great cultural exchange.

 

[mrsgoose8]

I'm new to this thread and a relatively new owner

We bought here because it's where we got the best deal from Disney (yes we bought direct, oops!) . We figured our kids would like it and we could always try out elsewhere.

We bought a few months after our last visit to Disney; and then we didn't have a trip planned for the next 6 months. We are sooooo happy with our purchase!!

We just stayed in a value studio (just hubby and I) at Jambo. We lucked out with a savannah view (not a great one but we aren't complaining!)

We can't wait to go back in June and try out a kidani with our kids!

Just wanted to join in on the thread!

 

[jerseygal]

WELCOME HOME!

Our home is also Animal Kingdom...From joining fall, 2008, we have stayed at..
Grand California Resort(First stay with Animal Kingdom "Developer" Points..
2 Connecting Rooms, 4 night stay...Was AWESOME..Aug.2009, right before Villas at Grand Californian opened)...
Animal Kingdom Kidani
Vero Beach
Saratoga Springs Resort
Beach Club Resort(Was supposed to stay at Beach Club Villas, but was offered a beautiful upgraded room at Beach club Resort...Was only for 1 night, so we tried it)

This spring, we are staying in a 2 BR lockoff villa at AULANI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CANNOT WAIT!!! LOOKS AWESOME!

This coming December, have Animal Kingdom, Jambo booked for a 4 night, childless in a studio to see WDW during the Holiday Season! At 7 months,
will try for a lakeview studio at VGF! CANNOT WAIT...LOOKS AWESOME!

So happy with our DVC purchase! Love the fact that a new addition to DVC will be at the Polyesian! Very pleased with DVC!!!

Hope you are as pleased and hope that you have MANY WONDERFUL VACATIONS WITH YOUR FAMILY! ENJOY!

 

[AlohaAnnie]

I have a question, does anyone know where the DVC laundry facility is located at Jambo?


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