Your prediction - ease of booking AKV at 7-month when Kidani is done

[peacefrogdog]

Just looking at the number of eventual AKV rooms 458 according to DVCnews.com), how difficult do you think it will be booking into AKV at the 7-month mark or sooner? I would have thought that, judging by room #'s (~820 for SSW , 531 for OKW) that it wouldn't be as easy, but not as hard as the BWV. But I know it's not just about numbers of rooms, and the water park area they're building at Kidani looks like it could draw travellers with kids.

Your thoughts?

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Getting a room will be easy.
Getting the category you want.. ie: Club Level, Value, Grand Villa, Savanna View, and so forth, will be difficult.

MG

 

[Perdita&Pongo]

Is the 458 number = Kidani + Jambo ???

How many rooms at Kidani and how many at Jambo?

Will Kidani and Jambo each be separate booking categories once Kidani opens?

 

[JaxFLBear]

It's 458 with a max of 708 rooms as a combined total. Jambo has 134 units and Kidani will have 324.

Yes, once Kidani opens you will know when you book which you are staying in and you will checkin at that location.

 

[peacefrogdog]

as per DVCnews.com

Units per building: 134 Jambo House; 324 Kidani Village (scheduled opening Spring 2009)

 

[ADP]

I don't think it will be too tough once Kidani Village is done. Unless the water/play complex is so good DVC members decide they want to stay their once a year.

 

[JaxFLBear]

Once completed, AKV will be the third largest DVC resort at WDW. It will be a little smaller than OKW.

SSR Rooms: 828 (max 1260)
OKW Rooms: 531 (761 max)
AKV Rooms: 458 (708 max)

 

[starbox]

Getting a room will be easy.
Getting the category you want.. ie: Club Level, Value, Grand Villa, Savanna View, and so forth, will be difficult.

MG

ITA. And, for us at least, AKV will be a resort that we only want to stay in if we can get a specific type of room. (We'll want SV Kidani One-Bedrooms with the two bathrooms and will reserve every year at 11 months).

 

[CarolMN]

I think it will be relatively easy to get AKV at 7 months - with the exception of the Grand Villas, and the concierge and value categories. Most of the AKV units will be savanna view. Of course, I am excluding the peak Holiday periods from my 7 month availability predictions, LOL.

For every member who thinks AKV is the best ever, there will be at least one other member who thinks it is isolated and too far from MK, EPCOT & DHS. There was/is a reason that Disney had to seriously discount AKL rooms to keep occupancy levels up. I think that is the major reason DVC was allowed to convert a portion of the Lodge to villas. JMHO. YMMV.

Starbox - I understand why you plan to reserve at 11 months, but IMHO, there will be plenty of SV 1 bedroom units at Kidani available at the 7 month mark. We'll see - I'd like one of those exact same units myself sometime and I don't own there, so maybe it is just wishful thinking on my part.

 

[Dean]

Comparing to the other resorts, I think AKV will ultimately be about the same as BWV though they may diverge a little during food and wine. It will be somewhat easy to get a room at 7 months out but getting anything other than the standard view will be more difficult, think BWV preferred rooms. A 1 BR is likely to be somewhat more difficult than at some of the others including BWV to a degree. AKV will likely be MUCH more difficult to get a room than OKW or SSR. Only time will tell for certain. If, likely when IMO, DVC starts to more strictly enforce the occupancy for the other resorts, that will further impact availability, esp for the 1 BR units.

 

[peacefrogdog]

Only time will tell for certain. If, likely when IMO, DVC starts to more strictly enforce the occupancy for the other resorts, that will further impact availability, esp for the 1 BR units.

Can you clarify what you mean by enforcing occupancy? Do you mean that they will limit booking at someplace other than your home resort? Or will they limit the # of villas available for cash purchase?

 

[CarolMN]

Can you clarify what you mean by enforcing occupancy? Do you mean that they will limit booking at someplace other than your home resort? Or will they limit the # of villas available for cash purchase?

I'm pretty sure he means enforcing the maximum number of guests allowed in the DVC 1 bedroom units per the POS (Position Offering Statement). For a 1 bedroom (all DVC resorts except AKV), the POS says it's a maximum of 4 people. (The POS does not include the commonly accepted "4 plus an infant" maximum either. It's just says 4 guests).

Currently MS is allowing 5 guests (of any age) in a 1 bedroom, but reminds the member that there is no bed or extra bedding for the 5th person. That is a departure from the POS and could certainly change at any time.

Since all but the value category 1 bedrooms at the AKV have a sleep chair in the living room, the POS says 5 persons are the max there. Most here think MS will allow 5 plus an infant under the age of 3 to officially register in an AKV 1 bedroom unit.

 

[AKV707]

I think, as others have said, that concierge and value villas will be tough at 7 months. Because of the size of the resort, there should be accommodations available at AKV at 7 months.

As an AKV owner, I am one of those who think that it will be a popular destination. The water play area will be a draw for families, the restaurants will be outstanding, the resort is unlike any other, and of course, the animals! But I also think that the extra bath in the one br or larger will be a real plus for many guest, driving them to make AKV their first choice. Time will tell.

 

[LIFERBABE]

ITA. And, for us at least, AKV will be a resort that we only want to stay in if we can get a specific type of room. (We'll want SV Kidani One-Bedrooms with the two bathrooms and will reserve every year at 11 months).

Completely agree with MG and Starbox. That is exactly what we will book. I have no interest in the value/std view villas or the 1 beds at Jambo because they dont have the 2nd bath or the separate shower/tub. I also dont want anything other than a Savannah view unless it is concierge. If I cant get a concierge studio for the duration of our stay without having to move, I dont want concierge at all.

I think AKV is the only "do or die" resort where if we dont get what we want exactly, we will stay somewhere else. We really love SSR and BCV so there is really no need to compromise or settle.

I think there will be plenty of availability if you just want a villa. The categories is what will fill.