Villas at AKL - Any model info, photos?

[nderh2o]

Are models of the rooms at AKL available to tour? If not, does anyone know when? Also, if they are available, has anyone toured them? Does anyone have any photos?
I am really considering buying into DVC but am torn between SSR and AKL but the decor in the AKL artist's renderings does not thrill me or DW.

 

[bradisgoofy]

They have models at the old theater next door to the sales offices. We took the tour with friends who then bought into AKV. I liked the rooms, they are a little bigger then the current SSR or BWV rooms. The decor is definitely African types. But the layout is unlike any of the other DVC resorts. I know they have virtual tours of the other DVC rooms, so maybe these too, soon.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

Saw them last week.

Loved the layout.

Decor is just not our taste. It is very nicely done for the theme but it is simply not our cup of tea. Just a personal preference. I think AKL has always been a "love it or hate it" kind of place anyway.

Plusses are the 2nd bath, sleeper chair, flat screen tvs & master bath in 1br & 2br units. There was a thread with photos... maybe try the search feature.

For me, I need palm trees.

 

[mikeandkarla]

Lisas has image links of AKV in her signature.

 

[spiceycat]

I am really considering buying into DVC but am torn between SSR and AKL but the decor in the AKL artist's renderings does not thrill me or DW.

go by SSR and ask to see both SSR and AKV.

 

[LisaS]

Lisas has image links of AKV in her signature.

And, I just finished updating them with some photos we took on our trip earlier this month. They changed several pieces of furniture since my DH took the original set of photos in mid April. I like the new furnishings much better. They removed some of those very dark pieces and replaced them with lighter woods and things that look more "African" in style. Very nice!

I left in the old photos so people could see how things are evolving.

 

[wintergreen]

Thanks, Lisa! Great pictures.

 

[wildernessDad]

And, I just finished updating them with some photos we took on our trip earlier this month. They changed several pieces of furniture since my DH took the original set of photos in mid April. I like the new furnishings much better. They removed some of those very dark pieces and replaced them with lighter woods and things that look more "African" in style. Very nice!

I left in the old photos so people could see how things are evolving.

Excellent! It was great to see the contrast between the old and new versions of the furnishings!

 

[Dreamfinder2]

We saw them this week. We love AKL, and this was just jaw-dropping for us. I saw them by myself on a walk to the Carriage House, and was so pleased I went back and got DW and DD and friend to take a look the next day. They had changed a light fixture in the kitchen to one that hugged the ceiling a bit more from the day before. So I'm guessing it's all very much a work in progress.

It is a SIGNIFICANT change from the usual, non-OKW fare. The new master bath, in particular, was unique, with the totally enclosed shower butted up against the tub. And that third bathroom which will go in the new builidings is a plus.

Loved it, loved it. But the theming is what appeals to me, and as another poster said, it's a love it or hate it proposition.

That plot of ground by the Contemporary is scalped clean. One of the DVC guides grinned when I asked and said, "This is a conversation I need to walk away from!"

 

[spiceycat]

Lisa love the new seat cushion - now the chair has something else red besides itself....

 

[dianeschlicht]

We were just blown away by the decor, and the pictures truly do not do it justice. We took several photos too, but they just don't show how truly spectacular the rooms are. I especially liked the tiles in the bathroom! I also think the second bathroom in the 1 bedroom units will be a BIG plus!

 

[Granny]

LisaS...wow, that's a lot of photos with a ton of detail! Are you a crime scene photographer by any chance?

Tremendous job and thanks for sharing them.

It looks like a wonderful improvement in the decor with the lighter, more ornate furnishings. Great to see them bring some "Disney" into the bath tiles and bed headboard too. Overall it looks stunning!

 

[LisaS]

LisaS...wow, that's a lot of photos with a ton of detail! Are you a crime scene photographer by any chance?

DH took most of them during a business trip to Orlando in mid April. At that time, DVCConvert and others had already posted photos of the furnishings so I asked DH to take photos of things we hadn't seen yet. I wanted to see how much storage space there was in the cupboards for groceries, how much room there would be for clothes in the closets and drawers, and whether or not there was a second nightstand in the studio (as shown on the floor plan).

A co-worker tagged along and stood by while DH proceeded to photograph the inside of every cupboard, drawer and closet. One of the DVC guides pulled the co-worker aside and quietly asked him if DH worked for Disney. I guess they thought only someone inside the company would want to see the models in such detail. Don't these people know about the obsessed folks here on the DISboards?!?!

During our trip earlier this month we photographed the things that had changed since mid April and filled in a few gaps, such as detailed photos of the light fixtures (which have apparently already changed since we were there!) And somehow I'm still missing a photo of the bathtub in the second bathroom of the 1BR villa. sigh... I guess an obsessed DVC member's work is never done.

 

[LisaS]

We saw them this week. We love AKL, and this was just jaw-dropping for us. I saw them by myself on a walk to the Carriage House, and was so pleased I went back and got DW and DD and friend to take a look the next day. They had changed a light fixture in the kitchen to one that hugged the ceiling a bit more from the day before. So I'm guessing it's all very much a work in progress.

I loved the fixture in the kitchen with the elephants all around the base and the one in the bathroom with the turtles. Is the new kitchen fixture similar? Does it still have elephants on it?

 

[DVC Grammy]

LisaS,
Thanks so much for these. We had seen the "old" version models; these new pieces are lovely (though we didn't have any problem with the old stuff ).
I appreciate all the effort you put in to share these and your knowledge with the rest of us! ,

 

[dis-happy]

Toured them day before yesterday and all I could say was "WOW!". I had no interest in adding on there prior to that, but those models (and the extra full bathroom in the 1 b/r) are really tempting. I could not get over all the storage they sqeezed into the studio either---full closet, tall armoire, plus the tv stand with 6 drawers---you could stay there for 10 days or more and never feel cramped for space.

I agree with Diane, the bathroom tiles were gorgeous.

It was also interesting that the shower in the mbr was flush with the floor (no step where the door closes), as well as the open storage at the sink area---it seems that all the rooms at AKV will have now have some HA features. Maybe it is a trend for the future of WDW, and keep down the big differences in HA vs. non HA.

 

[JimC]

Received a package from DVC with a resort guide containing floor plans as well as a DVD. Have not gotten to look at it all yet.