Trying To Plan Trip to AKL

[niknak310]

Hello All,

So happy I was introduced to this site a couple weeks ago. I am trying to plan a trip for my family for Aug 2010 and considering AKV. My family consists of my husband and I, and three kids 18, 15, 4. The oldest is not 100% sure she can go, so I am trying to only rent points for AKV studio room. We plan on being in the room to only sleep as we are planning to visit all the parks....so the room space for the five of us is not an issue.


My questions:
1. Would anyone at the resort or during reservation process prevent us from fitting 5 ppl in a AKV studio?

2. If we did take a one bedroom, do all come with two baths or just some?

3. What are the main differences between Kidani and Jambo? Is either recommended over the other?

4. Do you really see animals if you are facing the habitat area?

5. Finally, does it matter where a renter's "home" resort is to the person renting?

Thank you for any responses anyone is able to send along.

Nicole

 

[ToddyLu]

For a first trip with kids I would probably choose Jambo over Kidani. Jambo is a bustling noisy lobby with lots of activity, Food is very close by and the pool is lovely. The DVC rooms are only on the 5th and 6th floors there. We have only stayed at a Kidani studio (just DH and I) with savannak view. We stayed on the second floor off the lobby and yes there were animals around just off the balcony. It is best to see animals from the second or third floors (only available at Kidani, where the whole resort is DVC). Of course you could pay cash and stay on the lower floors at Jamo. Just to make sure the tree canopy does not obscure the view. Many of the animals at Kidani are down a bit closer to the lobby where they are feed but yes they are right out of the room, too. WE loved it. Kidani is very quiet with a much maller more intimate lobby. If you are going back, I would pick Kidani since the kids would have there barrings by then. If it is just you and your husband I would go with Kidani. My DH and I have talked about staying at Jambo and we may sometime if we want a value room since they are at Jambo only.

I think Kidani has the 2 bathrooms only.

It matters where the home resort is if you are reserving 11 months out. It matters where the home resort is if you are already a member and someone is trasferring their points to you. Transferred points retain their UY and home resort. I own at AKV...if someone transfers points to me from SSR. I can only use those points to book something at 7 months. I cannot book AND travel in the last 4 months of my use year. I would have needed to book in advance then I could travel at anytime. Does that make sense?

Lu

 

[hopare]

They will not allow 5 in a studio, you must get a 1 bedroom standard view or sav view. 1 bdrm values only allow 4 also. I am not sure of the differences between Jambo and Kidani, but there is a lot of info about that on here.

 

[niknak310]

Toddy Lu - great information, thanks for all the details. It would be wild to see safari animals outside our window....You mentioned owning points at AKV - is it better to just buy the points if we're planning on coming back in future years? Do you find yourself having to sell them most the time?

Hopare - thanks for the details...the only reason I thought we might get away with 5ppl is that I read somewhere that they allow 4 plus a pack-n-play for a 3 year old....I could talk my 4 year old into the pack-n-play and he would fit..but didn't want to jeopardize getting kicked out..I would rather not spend the $$ on the one bedroom if we weren't hanging around the resort a lot...

Thank you both for replying to my rookie questions...

 

[Disneycouple99]

Only Kidani has the extra bathrooms in the 1 bedroom and bigger. Kidani has more sq. footage than Jambo. Kidani does not have a counter service restraunt. Std. view at Jambo is of the pool. At Kidani, it is pool or parking lot. Buses stop at Kidani first then go to Jambo execpt for DTD buses.

 

[rlovew]

If you are not spending much time in the room- I recommend Kindani- as the buses are much better there- you almost always get a seat, they come there first.

You will only get 2 bedrooms in a Kindani 1 bedroom.

If I was renting points to someone I would not be willing to jepradize things to rent them a studio for 5 people. You will not get a room key for the person who is not listed on the reservation, they cannot use magical express, if you opt for the dining plan- they are not included and you will have to pay oop for their measls all the time (you can't oder more meals than the number of people in the room.

 

[niknak310]

Disneycouple99 - good information...no counter service restaurants? What is the least expensive place to eat there? Do they still do the refill mugs even if a counter service restaurant isn't on site? Thanks for your time!!

rlovew - I would not be concerned about the room key since the fifth person is a 4 year old. I read somewhere that 4 ppl plus toddler sleeping in a pack-n-play could fit "according to rules" into a studio at AKV. If I gave that information at the time of booking, wouldn't they normally list the child on the Magical Express? I would of course pay for 5 ppl's tickets and dining package to coincide with the room reservation.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge on this topic!! I would normally ask these question directly to DVC customer service person..but since I don't own I doubt they would answer my questions...

Nicole

 

[rlovew]

rlovew - I would not be concerned about the room key since the fifth person is a 4 year old. I read somewhere that 4 ppl plus toddler sleeping in a pack-n-play could fit "according to rules" into a studio at AKV. If I gave that information at the time of booking, wouldn't they normally list the child on the Magical Express? I would of course pay for 5 ppl's tickets and dining package to coincide with the room reservation.

Nicole

The rule for the last person is that they must be under 2- you couldn't have them put a dining reservation in for this as they wouldn't be eligible for dining. If you have questions about the occupancy at a DVC resort I suggest you check the occupancy thread found here: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=901569

 

[Disneycouple99]

Disneycouple99 - good information...no counter service restaurants? What is the least expensive place to eat there? Do they still do the refill mugs even if a counter service restaurant isn't on site? Thanks for your time!!

Sanaa is a TS reastraunt at Kidani and the have Maji Pool Bar which serves some food. Mara is about a 15 walk to Jambo House to get food. The pool bar has a refill statioin as well as in the gift shop of Kidani.

 

[niknak310]

rlovew - thanks for that thread and for your time answering my questions!!

Disneycouple99 - Good to know....Thank you.


I will get this planned sooner or later....after the 5 inches of snow yesterday - Disney keeps sounding better and better

 

[hockey6]

I run into this same issue as I have a teenager whose schedule prevents the rest of us from planning anything! However, we stayed last spring break @ AKV savannah view (we had the 3BR villa, the view of the animals was amazing!) at the Jambo house as Kildani was not yet open. Everyone in your room can get a key, likely your 4yr old won't be running around alone using a key so your 18yr old could use that one if they end up going. Your reservation will already have the other 4 of you. If you add dining plan, it's difficult to eat that much food so you will luck out by not purchasing one for the 18y! Normally at restaurants, walk ups you hand them one card (usually mom or dads as you can add credit card number to any cards for charging purposes) which all the meals come out of a pool of the total number of meals that your group has. I have never been asked to show my room key for the magical express. The only issue is if you add park tickets on to your room key at check in (keeps you from having 2 cards to carry around), it is cheaper to order park tix at undercover tourist website anyway.

So the 18yr old would not be on the reservation of room in other words. This happens to us a lot as if we don't get the multi bedroom suites we often have 2/3 rooms if G'rents come along & the kids seem to end up in different rooms!

If you do not get the savannah view there are walkways & chairs along the hotel to watch the animals.

Have a great time!

 

[amybethchristiansen]

We are staying at Jambo House in a few weeks. They would NOT let me book 5 people in a studio, even though one of them is under 2! They said absolutely no to 5 people in a studio.