I am treating my family to their first Disney World trip Oct 2020 and we require a 1 bdrm and a 2 bdrm villa for 12 nights. So as not to have to take a bank loan for this (!) I am considering using David’s Vacation Club and renting the points required. They have been extremely helpful with all of my questions so I don’t have any qualms at all about using their service. My question is, for all experienced dvc points users, what is the likelihood of us acquiring the rentals. Btw a 3 bedroom would not work for us. Our first choice is AK Kidani as we feel the children would be very taken with the whole environment. Should I have several other choices in mind? Also is it wise to wait a period of time to see if it comes up and run the risk of losing out on a second or third choice? We are looking at a Sunday to Friday scenario. All help is greatly appreciated.
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Help with first time booking
- Thread starter Wendylet
- Start date
FCivish3
Member
If you can schedule at 11 months at AK-Kidani, you should be able to have your choice of either Standard or Savannah Views. But the Standard Views will probably disappear a few weeks later, and the Savannah Views within a month or two. BECAUSE, that is a very popular time. So get your requests in a month or more BEFORE the 11 month window opens. However, AK-Kidani has a massive number of rooms.
If you are getting Savanna View, I recommend a lower floor (2nd or 3rd flood) to put you closer to the animals, and also request closer to the lobby. No reason to have to walk any farther than necessary, and that building is MASSIVE. If you are bringing a car, perhaps request to be close to the TIMON elevator, which is the next elevator south of the Lobby. It goes down to the parking garage and is also close to the Bus stops. If you are getting Standard View, I would request an Upper Floor overlooking the pool. Or if you want a 'Partial Savannah View' (no such category, just Standard, but some of them do overlook some Savannah), then request a lower floor near the Pembe Savannah. All the Standard View rooms at AK-Kidani with a partial Savannah view are in the far North wing, close to the Pembe Savannah.
Kidani is a wonderful place. It has the world's largest collection of African Folk Art ANYWHERE. The animals and savannah are amazing. Nothing like them at ANY other hotel anywhere in the world. It has a great African-Asian-American fusion restaurant called Sanaa. They also open Sanaa as a standard counter service breakfast restaurant, or you can catch the very quick shuttle over to Jambo House to go to the Mara, quick service restaurant. Jambo also has Boma, an African-Asian-American fusion Buffet restaurant. Really quite good.
The Uzima pool at Jambo is often considered one of the best at Disney World, but the pool at Kidani is especially popular with children.
I love AKL, both Kidnai and Jambo, which is why I own 225 points in Jambo and 245 in Kidani. The best vacations I have ever had at Disney World were all at AKL.
If you are getting Savanna View, I recommend a lower floor (2nd or 3rd flood) to put you closer to the animals, and also request closer to the lobby. No reason to have to walk any farther than necessary, and that building is MASSIVE. If you are bringing a car, perhaps request to be close to the TIMON elevator, which is the next elevator south of the Lobby. It goes down to the parking garage and is also close to the Bus stops. If you are getting Standard View, I would request an Upper Floor overlooking the pool. Or if you want a 'Partial Savannah View' (no such category, just Standard, but some of them do overlook some Savannah), then request a lower floor near the Pembe Savannah. All the Standard View rooms at AK-Kidani with a partial Savannah view are in the far North wing, close to the Pembe Savannah.
Kidani is a wonderful place. It has the world's largest collection of African Folk Art ANYWHERE. The animals and savannah are amazing. Nothing like them at ANY other hotel anywhere in the world. It has a great African-Asian-American fusion restaurant called Sanaa. They also open Sanaa as a standard counter service breakfast restaurant, or you can catch the very quick shuttle over to Jambo House to go to the Mara, quick service restaurant. Jambo also has Boma, an African-Asian-American fusion Buffet restaurant. Really quite good.
The Uzima pool at Jambo is often considered one of the best at Disney World, but the pool at Kidani is especially popular with children.
I love AKL, both Kidnai and Jambo, which is why I own 225 points in Jambo and 245 in Kidani. The best vacations I have ever had at Disney World were all at AKL.
Thank you so much for your very informative response. I feel quite encouraged and will be sure to get my reservation request in early for consideration. If the points are not readily available do you think if I go on the waitlist it may come up or should I consider another choice instead? We really want AKL and I am inclined to wait but I am a bit worried about losing other opportunities.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I think your chances of AKL Kidani if you do it at 11 months is pretty good. That is an easier resort to get into as a whole especially if doing as Savanna view.
I'm not sure I agree at all about the pool at Jambo though. I've never heard it as one of the best and Kidani is almost always preferred to it anyway. Also to not scare you off, the absolute furthest room from the lobby at Kidani is about .2 mile. Not any further than many resorts I've been in. So while the resort isn't little it isn't massive at all. People for some reason like to think it is, but it's quite walk-able and in the A/C so if it's hot it's better than the outdoor buildings.
Also forgotten at Kidani is the QS at the pool. It's quite good and we preferred that over Mara most of the time. Not as huge of a selection, but better than many DVC QS locations out there.
Anyway, I think your chances are good. Your bigger issue will be finding someone willing to do 12 nights. You cannot book 12 nights all at once at the opening of a window. They'll have to add a night every day or the like for a few nights to get you everything (at opening of window you can only do 7 nights total at first).
I'm not sure I agree at all about the pool at Jambo though. I've never heard it as one of the best and Kidani is almost always preferred to it anyway. Also to not scare you off, the absolute furthest room from the lobby at Kidani is about .2 mile. Not any further than many resorts I've been in. So while the resort isn't little it isn't massive at all. People for some reason like to think it is, but it's quite walk-able and in the A/C so if it's hot it's better than the outdoor buildings.
Also forgotten at Kidani is the QS at the pool. It's quite good and we preferred that over Mara most of the time. Not as huge of a selection, but better than many DVC QS locations out there.
Anyway, I think your chances are good. Your bigger issue will be finding someone willing to do 12 nights. You cannot book 12 nights all at once at the opening of a window. They'll have to add a night every day or the like for a few nights to get you everything (at opening of window you can only do 7 nights total at first).
Thank you for the info. We will actually be looking for standard view so I hope that would be a possibility. I feel the savannah is just out of my price range considering I need the two villas. Yes they told me they could not check my dates until the start of the second week to see if the second week is available. I guess that would be the same regardless of which resort I was choosing. My only concern is if the availability doesn’t come through then I hope there might still be something elsewhere if we have chosen to wait weeks. My fingers are crossed!
Nottamus
Well-Known Member
We started having to stay in savanna rooms on our first booking there...but with so many locations to check out the animals, we save our points and book standard! never regretting it! We have tried other resorts, but always miss this one!
The food choices are great there...and the walk to all of them gives you some of the best themed landscape in WDW, in my opinion.
Have a great trip
Janir
Well-Known Member
I managed to use my CCV points for Kidani, Savanah View for deluxe suite at 7 months out with out trouble. my choices at the time were limited to Kidani studeo, 1 bed and 2 bed and 3 lock offs.
If you can get the 11 month booking window, do it, but if you can't you might have a shot at the 7.
I'll be doign my Kidani stay later next month for the first time and looking forward to it as well.
If you can get the 11 month booking window, do it, but if you can't you might have a shot at the 7.
I'll be doign my Kidani stay later next month for the first time and looking forward to it as well.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
Standard will be harder than savannah as an FYI, but should be doable at 11 months.
And yes, booking elsewhere in the DVC world will create the same issue with 12 nights. You could try to go private to see if someone else will be willing to look. I do think with Kidani your chances are good. I book there often at 7 months.
nickys
Premium Member
The reason you will have to wait until the second week is that DVC members can only book for 7 days at the 11 month mark.
A broker won’t ask an owner to book a week and add on a day each morning to get your 12 days. If you rented privately then you might find someone is willing to do that, but a broker does provide protection by doing all the checks on the owner first.
I don’t think this will be an availability problem. It will all depend on whether they have an AKL owner with enough points to make the booking. But Kidani should be OK, even if it takes a few weeks to come through.