"Live" from AKV

[AKV707]

Hi AKV707,

Thank you for compiling this thread it really is excellent,

I have a couple of questions if I may,

Is there much obvious intrusion on your vacation at AKV by the construction, can you hear it for example is it obviously apparent etc?

have you hired a car at all? I see you have had great experiences with Disney transportation, but i am nervous i will need a car for ADR's etc have you had to be very strategic in how you have dined etc dependant on transportation.

Is there anything that is specific to DVC within Jambo house that makes it a more or a shared DVC resort or is it just the same AKL with the DVC rooms on the upper floors?

This is going to sound strange but would you be able to photograph two items for me? One is the the owners locker so i can actually see the scale of the container in "real life" so to speak and also the inside of the fridge so ican see the kind of space available..is there a freezer compartment?

How was magical express in getting your luggage to you? again this could be an option if we do not rent a car

Thank you so very much,

Raz

In terms of construction, it has not impacted us at all. Our room faces the pool area, so we can't see Kidani. I can see how members could be unhappy with the Sunset Savanna, Kidani construction is plainly visible from there. It does not seem to be noisy, though. I have seen animals on Sunset including baby Kidani, the new zebra and his mom!

We have only used Disney transpiration and have had no trouble getting to our NK tour or any of our ADRS including Narcoossee's.

We definitely feel like we are at a DVC resort, but aside from the fact that there is a DVC sign outside our door, we are part of AKL. Which is great!

I am heading to the pool now, but I Will post the OL and fridge pic later today. I have a ton of photos to post! The refrigerator is a full apartment size withe freezer on top.

ME was easy and great on the trip from MCO. We will definitely use them again.

Hope that helps.

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

This is a great trip report. Sounds like you and your wife are having a wonderful time.

 

[DoOverDreams]

AKV707, some more questions for you. Thanks for being so helpful to all!

We were booked to stay in a one bedroom but got a little scared off by the negatives we've been hearing. I've changed our reservation over to SSR for now, but I'm wondering if I've made the wrong choice. So my questions are:

1. Is it true there is no separate bathtub and shower? That it's all together? That's a real bummer for short people like me! I have a hard time climbing into the jacuzzi tub for a relaxing soak, but having to do that every day (at least once) just to take a shower? Too much for this short old body to handle!

2. Is it true there is no bathroom door? That one to me is a real show stopper! We like our privacy!

TIA for your help! Any bathroom pictures?

I've gotta say, after reading your report I'm wondering if I should call MS back and try to change back to AKV instead of SSR. We love SSR, but wanted to try AKV too. We were thinking maybe after the rest of the place is open trying again.....

 

[LisaS]

I'm not AKV707 but I can answer some of your questions.

1. Is it true there is no separate bathtub and shower? That it's all together? That's a real bummer for short people like me! I have a hard time climbing into the jacuzzi tub for a relaxing soak, but having to do that every day (at least once) just to take a shower? Too much for this short old body to handle!

The master bath in the Jambo House 1BR/2BRs have a combined whirlpool tub and shower. People have reported that the tub is deep and that it can be difficult for shorter people to get in and out to take a shower.

2. Is it true there is no bathroom door? That one to me is a real show stopper! We like our privacy!

Absolutely not true. There is a door to the bathroom and a door to the bedroom but the two rooms are not directly connected. To get from the bathroom to the bedroom you have to cross a small hallway where you can be seen by anyone standing in the kitchen or the part of the living area near the kitchen.

Here is a floor plan for a Value 2BR lockoff. You can see the small hallway in between the master bathroom and the master bedroom: (ETA: I think this is the floor plan for AKV707's room!)

 

[momof3poohlovers]

AKV707, some more questions for you. Thanks for being so helpful to all!

We were booked to stay in a one bedroom but got a little scared off by the negatives we've been hearing. I've changed our reservation over to SSR for now, but I'm wondering if I've made the wrong choice. So my questions are:

1. Is it true there is no separate bathtub and shower? That it's all together? That's a real bummer for short people like me! I have a hard time climbing into the jacuzzi tub for a relaxing soak, but having to do that every day (at least once) just to take a shower? Too much for this short old body to handle!

2. Is it true there is no bathroom door? That one to me is a real show stopper! We like our privacy!

TIA for your help! Any bathroom pictures?

I've gotta say, after reading your report I'm wondering if I should call MS back and try to change back to AKV instead of SSR. We love SSR, but wanted to try AKV too. We were thinking maybe after the rest of the place is open trying again.....

Hi, we were at AKV's last week(checked out a week ago) and were in a 2 bedroom so I thought I could answer some of your questions.

Your first question: Are the shower and tub separate? No, they are not. I am not too tall either and to be honest, it wasn't a big deal at all but I know to some it is.

Second Question: Is it true there is no bathroom door? That is absolutely NOT true. There is a bathroom door. What people are complaining about is that there is a small hallway between the Master bedroom and the bathroom(the washer/dryer is at the end between the two). The bathroom has a door and the bedroom has a door but there isn't a door in the hallway. Meaning if you are staying with other people in your 1 BR and you are in the Master bedroom, you have to open the door to your bedroom step(one or two steps)across the small hallway and go through the doorway of the bathroom. People don't like this because if they are in the bathroom and want to get dressed in the master bedroom, they need to put a robe on or something because if someone is standing at the end of the small hallway, they will see them cross the hallway into their bedroom. Some think there should also be a door at the end of the hallway. Does this make sense? To us, it wasn't a big deal at all.

We had a terrific stay at AKV's and honestly, we thought the resort was much nicer this time than BCV's. I really liked our room, the service was exceptional(with the exception of private dining) and can't wait to stay there again in Nov. I find that the reviews on this site are great but take what you read with a grain of salt and try things for yourself. Only you know yourself what is acceptable or isn't. It's funny but we had a terrible stay at SSR but it may have just been a fluke, therefore I wouldn't be against trying it again someday. I just hope you don't let what you read on here dissuade you from never trying AKV's. You will never know how you like something unless you try it for yourself.

 

[DoOverDreams]

Boy, don't I feel silly now? I'm probably reading the same thread that had that wonderful room layout on it. I saw the door (pocket door perhaps?) going into the bathroom but then saw the post about no bathroom door.

Anyhow, thanks all to the responses. We have been on a mission to try out all the DVC resorts. We've stayed at SSR, VWL, and BWV and we have loved them all. They all have such wonderful, different things to love about them.

I think we will wait till the remainder of the villas open in AKV. That way we can have 2 bathrooms! One for DH and one for myself. Then there won't be the crawling into the shower problem for short little ole me!

Sometimes it's sucks being short!

 

[AKV707]

Sorry to chime in so late. We just got in from Epcot. It is as everyone said. The bathroom does have a door. DW is 5'2" and had no trouble getting into the shower once she got used to it.

I will be posting a wrap up report including more pics tomorrow or Friday.

 

[KirstenB]

Boy, don't I feel silly now? I'm probably reading the same thread that had that wonderful room layout on it. I saw the door (pocket door perhaps?) going into the bathroom but then saw the post about no bathroom door.

Anyhow, thanks all to the responses. We have been on a mission to try out all the DVC resorts. We've stayed at SSR, VWL, and BWV and we have loved them all. They all have such wonderful, different things to love about them.

I think we will wait till the remainder of the villas open in AKV. That way we can have 2 bathrooms! One for DH and one for myself. Then there won't be the crawling into the shower problem for short little ole me!

Sometimes it's sucks being short!

We stayed at AKV in May for the first time and loved it!! But I'm 5'7, and the bathroom made me feel short!!! The tub took a bit of getting used to getting in and out of it. Also, I wear contact lenses, so I need to be close to a mirror to make sure I'm putting them in right. Because the counters are deep, it's tricky to lean over enough to get close to the mirrors. All in all, the resort and rooms are amazing, so it was worth feeling short for a week.

 

[AKV707]

As was requested, here is a pic of our Owner's Locker. It is next to a chair for perspective. We love our OL!

And the refrigerator:

I will be posting a few more pics and a wrap up report later today.

 

[BCV23]

Ed, I've really been enjoying your report. It sounds like you've had a great trip. Aren't the AK villas beautiful? And the resort is truly something special IMO.

Anyway, have a safe and easy journey home.

 

[AKV707]

Ed, I've really been enjoying your report. It sounds like you've had a great trip. Aren't the AK villas beautiful? And the resort is truly something special IMO.

Anyway, have a safe and easy journey home.

It is a beautiful resort. Sadly, we left on the 17th and we are back in PA. But great memories and now it is time to plan the next one!

 

[westjones]

Are you able to tell me the hours that Mara is open? We are thinking of staying at AKVs in March and the main reason is we want a food court.
Thanks,
DJ

 

[AKV707]

I am not sure, but I never saw it closed. I am sure thaty it does close, but the hours seem to pretty long. We enjoyed it as well.

 

[westjones]

I am not sure, but I never saw it closed. I am sure thaty it does close, but the hours seem to pretty long. We enjoyed it as well.

That is good to hear. If it is like the one at Pop Century it is probably open from 7-11:00 each day which pretty much covers all we need. I wish Beach Club would get a food court. It is a long walk over to the Dolphin to go to their cafeteria.

Thanks!
DJ

OK, just found info on the DIS site about the hours, these will work great!:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=231

Food/Dining Type: American
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,
Location: Animal Kingdom Lodge / Near Resort pool area
Reservations: Not Required
Hours: 6:00am-11:30pm

 

[AKV707]

Well, having been home for a couple of days, I have uploaded the pics from the end of the trip. Here are a few:

Our view: Not the best, but believe it or not, we miss it!

Another angle:

A view of our balcony from the balcony by the elevators. Ours is the closest one on the top (5th) floor. Memories!

Kidani:

Kidani one sided section taken from parking lot:

A giraffe on Sunset Savanna from the Sunset overlook right near the barns with Kidani construction in the background:

 

[AKV707]

Well, our last couple of days were fun. On Tuesday the 15th, we had an ADR for Chef's. A day or 2 before that John from Owner's Locker sent an email to OL members who were at WDW offering to have a meet out side France in Epcot on the 15th! Perfect!

Then it rained. We went to Chef's in ponchos, and afterward, no sign of the OL gang. Chef's was perfect. A great dinner.

When we got back to AKV, I emailed John. Well, the next night, he met us in Epcot. Very cool of him. What a great guy! And a tremendous product and service.

Well, 12 days at AKV were great. Since it was our first trip to our home resort. we were hoping that we would feel that we made the right choice, and we so did!

As we always say, buy where you want to stay, and I will never be unhappy about staying here.

We had many firsts on the trip:

• staying at AKV
• Owner's Locker
• Magical Express
• Keys to the Kingdom Tour
• Columbia Harbor House
• New Spaceship Earth (loved it)
• Narcoossee's
• Tangerine Cafe

We had fantastic dinners, great little lunches, and 2 tremendous dole whip floats!

And AKV in general?

Cons:

• CM at check in could have been more pleasant. While we were in a a value room, she was not aware of the 3 potential views.
• no welcome home at check in.

Pros:

• The overall look and feel of the resort
• the pool. I am not a big pool person, but I loved this one.
• Jiko
• Boma
• Mara
• The rest of the CMs
• our 1 br
• flat screens
• very good bus transportation
• AKV is not remote at all, it just feels that way
• the lobby
• and all of the animals!

If we had this much fun with a view of the roof of Boma, a view where we can see the pool or a savanna view should be even more fun.

I highly recommend the resort and the value villas as well. Our 1 br was a perfect size for the two of us. It would be OK for a family with one or two small children, but i think a little tight with teens or 2 other adults. Even after Kidani opens, I can see DW and I staying in a 1 br value again.

Thanks to everyone for all of the replies. If you have any questions, fire away!

 

[LisaS]

Thanks for posting a photo of the view. I understand what you mean now that you couldn't see the pool area!

I wonder what the purpose is of that little hut in the construction area (in your photo of the giraffe and zebras). That wasn't there back in early May.

 

[LindaBabe]

Thanks for the report! Based on your report and photos, I think a 1 bedroom is going to meet our needs much better than the studio did. (I was one of the early negative reports, which I stand by. However, I do have another stay booked, in a one bedroom.)

 

[PEANUT1]

thanks for the report. we are staying in a 1br value in January and now I can't wait....we really love AKV

Andrea

 

[Ratpack]

[*]CM at check in could have been more pleasant. While we were in a a value room, she was not aware of the 3 potential views.

I agree with this. When we were there in Dec, I asked if our value room had a savannah view and the CM said no, that would be an upgrade. I explained to her that values had the opportunity for parking lot, pool or savannah but she never got it. We had a parking lot which was fine, but I don't know if that is because the others were ful or she didn't believe me. Guess we will see what happens this Sunday and if we have better luck.

Thanks for the report and loved the photos.