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

[maggiegirl]

Were staying savannah view in Dec and would like to do the Sunrise Safari. We would have to upgrade to club, is it worth it? We are staying DVC so its about $50 more a night, We only have extra towels and stuff after 4 days or something like that, so how does the turn down service work at night? What else can you tell me about it? Any pictures of the snacks in the lounge?

Yes can someone please describe what is concierge level at AKV and what does it include?

 

[maggiegirl]

Were staying savannah view in Dec and would like to do the Sunrise Safari. We would have to upgrade to club, is it worth it? We are staying DVC so its about $50 more a night, We only have extra towels and stuff after 4 days or something like that, so how does the turn down service work at night? What else can you tell me about it? Any pictures of the snacks in the lounge?

I would like to know what the concierge level is at AKV and what does it include?

 

[psac]

Were staying savannah view in Dec and would like to do the Sunrise Safari. We would have to upgrade to club, is it worth it? We are staying DVC so its about $50 more a night, We only have extra towels and stuff after 4 days or something like that, so how does the turn down service work at night? What else can you tell me about it? Any pictures of the snacks in the lounge?

Yes can someone please describe what is concierge level at AKV and what does it include?

My guess is that you don't get the turndown service that you normally get with cash Club level stays. What you do get is access to the Club lounge where they have continental breakfast every morning, snacks in the afternoon (chips, nuts, etc), appetizers in the evening, and desserts/cordials at night. Plus unlimited soda, beer, juice, wine in the evening, etc. Plus you can book the Sunrise Safari (extra cost).

Have you actually checked for availability in Dec? From what I've seen, the club rooms generally go right at 11 months, there are only a handful of them.

The club level DVC rooms at AKL do NOT include a guaranteed savannah view, which is the case for cash-booked club room at AKL. For the DVC ones, some are pool view, the others are supposedly a not very good side savannah view.

 

[mum of two pirates]

Thanks for the info,
I didn't realize that we weren't guaranteed a savannah room. I thought we would get savannah and then you pay the extra for the club. It doesn't matter anyway as there isn't any club levels left, we just wanted to do the sunrise. I asked if we could be put on a wait list, we'll just wait and see. I don't see why that couldn't just leave us in the room we are in and charge us more, we will be gone to the parks all day and not sitting in the lounge. Were only there 4 nights until we transfer over to boardwalk for 7 more nights. And the DVC points chart I saw doesn't even list club lever for boardwalk DVC. Even if it does it doesn't include the sunrise safari so I'm not sure we would do it anyway. Does anyone know if we can do club at Boardwalk we have a standard room booked through DVC. Thanks for the info.

 

[DisneyDiana]

AKV is the only concierge you can book with DVC points.

 

[pharm55]

Just wondering about check in at 60 days out? Is there an advantage to doing this? Are you more likely to get room requests fulfilled?
We are staying at Kidani savannah view.

 

[Kidanifan08]

My guess is that you don't get the turndown service that you normally get with cash Club level stays. What you do get is access to the Club lounge where they have continental breakfast every morning, snacks in the afternoon (chips, nuts, etc), appetizers in the evening, and desserts/cordials at night. Plus unlimited soda, beer, juice, wine in the evening, etc. Plus you can book the Sunrise Safari (extra cost). Have you actually checked for availability in Dec? From what I've seen, the club rooms generally go right at 11 months, there are only a handful of them. The club level DVC rooms at AKL do NOT include a guaranteed savannah view, which is the case for cash-booked club room at AKL. For the DVC ones, some are pool view, the others are supposedly a not very good side savannah view.

Actually, the DVC club rooms get turn-down service and daily mousekeeping.

There are five 2BR lock-offs. Three are savanna view and two are pool view. We had a savanna view a few years ago, and it is a pretty bad view. The main reason to do AKV concierge is to book the sunrise safari. With that said, we have a 3-night stay in a concierge studio before our DCL and do not plan to do the safari. We are planning on just spending the early part of the day in a park and take advantage of the concierge offerings in the evening. I hope we get one of the pool view studios, to see what the view is like.

 

[psac]

Actually, the DVC club rooms get turn-down service and daily mousekeeping.

There are five 2BR lock-offs. I believe three are savanna view and two are pool view, but I may have that reversed. We had a savanna view a few years ago, and it is a pretty bad view. The main reason to do AKV concierge is to book the sunrise safari. With that said, we have a 3-night stay in a concierge studio before our DCL and do not plan to do the safari. We are planning on just spending the early part of the day in a park and take advantage of the concierge offerings in the evening. I hope we get one of the pool view studios, to see what the view is like.

Good info, thanks! Hope you get a good room!

 

[Jane1967]

We are BLT owners, but are going to do a split stay end of May into June. This will be our first stay at AK Jambo. We have requested a 1 bedroom savannah view. Can any of you AK owners please suggest a couple good room numbers that I could request? Any help is greatly appreciated! Me, DH, DS18, DS13, and DD8.

 

[RenaissanceBabe]

I've been researching Kidani and the DVC in Jambo in hopes of renting points for my June 2015 Disneymoon. I've stayed at Jambo before and love that entrance and the whole connectedness of the resort. I've never been to Kidani but I don't want to feel separate from the rest of the resort. Does Jambo have many studio Savannah views? Also are there any that have a King Bed instead of the queen and pull out couch? We just don't need the extra sleeping area unless the queen bed is like a Pop Century small.

I realize that was a lot of questions. Any help is super appreciated.

 

[drusba]

I've been researching Kidani and the DVC in Jambo in hopes of renting points for my June 2015 Disneymoon. I've stayed at Jambo before and love that entrance and the whole connectedness of the resort. I've never been to Kidani but I don't want to feel separate from the rest of the resort. Does Jambo have many studio Savannah views? Also are there any that have a King Bed instead of the queen and pull out couch? We just don't need the extra sleeping area unless the queen bed is like a Pop Century small.

I realize that was a lot of questions. Any help is super appreciated.

Most rooms at Jambo are 2BR lock-offs, meaning adjoining 1BRs and studios which can be reserved as a 2BR, 1BR, or studio; there are also a small number of "dedicated" studios, which do not adjoin 1BRs. Thus you can get a savanna view studio on the fifth floor of Jambo (the DVC floor) virtually anywhere at Jambo. None of the studios at any DVC resort have a king bed. At AKV you get the queen bed and pull-out couch double (the Pop Century beds are doubles not queens). You should easily be able to get a studio at Jambo (or Kidani) for next June as long as you reserve no less than 7 months out.

If studio, our preference is Jambo, which has three restaurants (including a counter service), the larger pool with more places to find shade, and bigger lobby and store. The studios at Jambo are about the same size as those at Kidani. If you decide on 1BR or 2BR, that is when you must seriously consider Kidani because those rooms are 100 sq ft larger than the ones at Jambo, have an extra bathroom, and just somewhat nicer overall. Kidani has only one restarant, Sanaa, but it is one the best, and Kidani has ideal under building parking.

Also if you go for a studio at Jambo, you may want to request Arusha savanna view (the savanna in the middle of the U-shaped building) along Zebra Trail (the right side of the U). We find that area ideal both for savanna view and because the rooms face mainly west and thus you avoid bright sun bursting into the room in the morning and see pleasant sunsets.

 

[drusba]

Just wondering about check in at 60 days out? Is there an advantage to doing this? Are you more likely to get room requests fulfilled?
We are staying at Kidani savannah view.

On-line check-in is designed to allow you to check in a little faster because they will have your check-in package available when you arrive (and it does not even always provide a faster check-in). Otherwise, it does not creat an advantage such as getting room early or having room requests granted. Moreover any DVC room requests should be made through Member Services rather than via the section for doing so in the on-line check. Those requests in the online check-in section were created for cash guests and do not contain all the types of requests you can make through MS.

 

[psac]

I've been researching Kidani and the DVC in Jambo in hopes of renting points for my June 2015 Disneymoon. I've stayed at Jambo before and love that entrance and the whole connectedness of the resort. I've never been to Kidani but I don't want to feel separate from the rest of the resort. Does Jambo have many studio Savannah views? Also are there any that have a King Bed instead of the queen and pull out couch? We just don't need the extra sleeping area unless the queen bed is like a Pop Century small.

I realize that was a lot of questions. Any help is super appreciated.

We just got back from a Kidani stay last week, and I 100% agree with DRUSBA.

1BR and above and need/want the extra bathroom? - Kidani
Renting a car or driving and want convenient parking? - Kidani
Jambo all sold out? - Kidani

Otherwise, go with Jambo.

 

[tdashgirl]

Renting a car or driving and want convenient parking? - Kidani
Jambo all sold out? - Kidani

These 2 apply to me, so yay!

 

[AliceandAriel]

Hey all!

I just secured my first trip to AKV- Kidani for October! It came down to either a few days at Boardwalk, or a long, beautiful trip at Kidani. Of course, I went for the long trip to make the most of my leisure time through WDW.

So, can I fire off a few Q's for owners or those who have gone to Kidani?

I'm staying in a Deluxe Studio Villa, sleeps 4.

What's the typical 'view' for these rooms? I'm not much of a view person, but if I end up with something nice, it's like icing on the cake, KWIM?

I know room service only comes so many days, otherwise I have to pay. That's fine (I turn down service my entire stays at the other resorts in the past, just not big on having someone come into the room while I'm gone and all), but can anyone tell me how many towels I will receive between my arrival and scheduled clean-up time? I take nightly showers, so towels are kind of a thing.

Can I bring a hot plate for the kitchenette? I think it's okay, but I want to double check.

From what I see, please correct me if wrong. Do the buses from Kidani stop at Jambo/AKL before going to the parks? Does anyone have an estimated time table of how long it takes from Kidani to each park, so I know how to plan for breakfasts and whatnot?

Do upgrades ever happen to those who rent through DVC? I know it's almost impossible, again, just thought I'd ask.

 

[Jane1967]

On-line check-in is designed to allow you to check in a little faster because they will have your check-in package available when you arrive (and it does not even always provide a faster check-in). Otherwise, it does not creat an advantage such as getting room early or having room requests granted. Moreover any DVC room requests should be made through Member Services rather than via the section for doing so in the on-line check. Those requests in the online check-in section were created for cash guests and do not contain all the types of requests you can make through MS.

Glad I read this as I thought I could make a request on my on line check-in. So I need to request with DVC Member Services? I am going to attempt to throw out a couple room numbers in hopes that we can get one of them (however I don't know which 1 bedroom to pick yet. Have been trying to do some reading and asking with other people that have stayed there.) Our home is BLT and we have never been to AK Villas Jambo and are SUPER excited!

 

[drusba]

Glad I read this as I thought I could make a request on my on line check-in. So I need to request with DVC Member Services? I am going to attempt to throw out a couple room numbers in hopes that we can get one of them (however I don't know which 1 bedroom to pick yet. Have been trying to do some reading and asking with other people that have stayed there.) Our home is BLT and we have never been to AK Villas Jambo and are SUPER excited!

All requests should go through MS, including because you can make a lot of different requests from those offerred at on-line check-in.

Nevertheless, the worst request to make is for specific room numbers since that is the least likely request to be met and if they cannot give you the requested room numbers, they will just put you anywhere in the building. The more general the area request the better the chances of getting it. For example, we consider an ideal request for a savanna view room at Jambo to be "Arusha savanna view" (the one in the middle of Jambo), "along Zebra Trail" (the right side of the u-shaped building) and both times we made that request, we got it.

 

[NikkiV72]

Puts noticed opinions on views at AKL, Jambo... How about Kidani? We will be heading home in August for our first DVC stay... We have a one bedroom savanna room. What area should I request? Thoughts? Thanks in advance!!

 

[drusba]

Hey all!

I just secured my first trip to AKV- Kidani for October! It came down to either a few days at Boardwalk, or a long, beautiful trip at Kidani. Of course, I went for the long trip to make the most of my leisure time through WDW.

So, can I fire off a few Q's for owners or those who have gone to Kidani?

I'm staying in a Deluxe Studio Villa, sleeps 4.

What's the typical 'view' for these rooms? I'm not much of a view person, but if I end up with something nice, it's like icing on the cake, KWIM?

I know room service only comes so many days, otherwise I have to pay. That's fine (I turn down service my entire stays at the other resorts in the past, just not big on having someone come into the room while I'm gone and all), but can anyone tell me how many towels I will receive between my arrival and scheduled clean-up time? I take nightly showers, so towels are kind of a thing.

Can I bring a hot plate for the kitchenette? I think it's okay, but I want to double check.

From what I see, please correct me if wrong. Do the buses from Kidani stop at Jambo/AKL before going to the parks? Does anyone have an estimated time table of how long it takes from Kidani to each park, so I know how to plan for breakfasts and whatnot?

Do upgrades ever happen to those who rent through DVC? I know it's almost impossible, again, just thought I'd ask.

It sounds like you are renting through an owner in which case the reservation had to be made for either standard view or savanna view. Thus, you should determine which you have.

Other requests need to be made through the owner to Member Services. Assuming the owner is willing to put in requests, then if you have standard view see some discussion of possible requests here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3242704&highlight=kidani+standard :and if you have savanna view, see discussions here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3221475&highlight=kidani

If you are staying 7 nights or less, they come on the fourth day (and count day of arrival as one to get to four) and empty trach and replace towels and bathroom items. If staying 8 nights or more, you get a full service cleaning on the fourth day and the trash and towel service on the eighth. If I recall correctly, the studios have four towel sets (consisting of bath towel, small towel, and wash cloth), you can request extra towel packages for $6. Things like portable grills, hot plates, and skillets are not permitted.The studio kitchenettes are not designed for cooking other than in the microwave. Buses to parks stop at Kidani first and then Jambo; ones to Downtown Disney stop at Jambo first and then Kidani. Trip to AKL, once the bus arrives, is about 10 minutes. Trips to other parks are about 25 to 30 from Kidani. Upgrades are rare but have happened and the usual reason is because they don't have your type of room avaialble because all ar full or a room has gone out of service. Requesting an upgrade at check-in won't get one.

 

[graychef]

I sent in my closing documents today. 200 point Animal Kingdom Villas contract. I just thought I'd check in.