Studio room at AKL

[draybook]

Has anyone stayed in a Studio at the AKL? What are your thoughts? I was pricing renting + tickets and for what we paid for this moderate package with Free Dining we could have rented a studio + tickets and paid out of pocket for counter service meals all for the same price. Have any of you tried this?

 

[lostpro9het]

Sorry no help but we felt as you do now and are doing it in October and December and found that it was a lot cheaper to rent the points then go rack or even discount. Heck, when a christmas week in AKL SV costs $100 more, total, than the same week at PoP it was a no brainer.

 

[draybook]

Well, we go in September so we'd be losing FD but if we come out even and pay OOP for counter service then we're really only losing table services and I'm not too broken up over that.

 

[Phonedave]

What do you want to know my thoughs on?

I have been in studios at AKL. They are nice. Not my favorite resort, but that is personal prefrence.

-dave

 

[draybook]

What do you want to know my thoughs on?

I have been in studios at AKL. They are nice. Not my favorite resort, but that is personal prefrence.

-dave

Just overall thoughts on it. They look to be about the size of perhaps POFQ standard rooms. Is it worth giving up Free Dining?

 

[George]

Just overall thoughts on it. They look to be about the size of perhaps POFQ standard rooms. Is it worth giving up Free Dining?

The rooms and resort are nicer than PoFQ. You'll have views of the animals on the Savannah and really nice amenities throughout AKL. Your studio will have a toaster, microwave, sink, coffee pot, fridge, plates, bowls, cups, and some forks, spoons, and knives. I have no idea if this is important to you. You won't have free dining though....

 

[draybook]

Well, I figured out that we can just pay OOP for counter service and just lose table meals.

The room would be $996, tickets $1273. That's $2269, $400 less than what our package cost. So with that $400 we could easily eat counter service the whole time and ditch being strapped to ADRs AND have a better room. Sounds like an idea.....

 

[Phonedave]

Well, I figured out that we can just pay OOP for counter service and just lose table meals.

The room would be $996, tickets $1273. That's $2269, $400 less than what our package cost. So with that $400 we could easily eat counter service the whole time and ditch being strapped to ADRs AND have a better room. Sounds like an idea.....

That part right there. I used to like eating at WDW - now, not so much. The food has gone downhill (yes, even in the signatures) and free dining has made it insane to try and get a table

-dave

 

[epcotisbest]

That part right there. I used to like eating at WDW - now, not so much. The food has gone downhill (yes, even in the signatures) and free dining has made it insane to try and get a table

-dave

I don't really understand all the desire to eat at WDW either. There are a few places we like...Boma, Beaches & Cream, HOB, T-Rex but most I don't get real excited about.
Oh Dave, any updates on the Summer Bay sinkhole. Saw your pics online.

 

[Phonedave]

I don't really understand all the desire to eat at WDW either. There are a few places we like...Boma, Beaches & Cream, HOB, T-Rex but most I don't get real excited about.
Oh Dave, any updates on the Summer Bay sinkhole. Saw your pics online.

I used to really look foward to eating at WDW. I really don't anymore. F&W still draws me, and so does V&A, but anywhere else - its become standard theme park food.

You lost me with the Summer Bay sinkhole comment - I posted pics somewhere? Or maybe somone has absconded with my name.

-dave

 

[epcotisbest]

I used to really look foward to eating at WDW. I really don't anymore. F&W still draws me, and so does V&A, but anywhere else - its become standard theme park food.

You lost me with the Summer Bay sinkhole comment - I posted pics somewhere? Or maybe somone has absconded with my name.

-dave

Sorry, I got you mixed up with photodave. My bad.

 

[nolatron]

I had similiar thing in Sept 2011. I was able to rent points for a 3-night stay at AKL Villas for the same price as a room at POP for a Labor Day weekend trip. Took the deluxe resort of course.

We ended up in a Studio at Kidani Village and it was nice. Room is probably no bigger than a regular value room I think but it just looked so much nicer with the theming. View wasn't much though. Just trees.

I think one advantage of being at Kidani was there was usually never anybody at the Bus Stop (at least when we got there at 7-8am). Though it is the 2nd pick up after Jambo house, we always could find a seat. Bus ride is a little long to the other 3 parks because of how far away the resort is.

The walk down the hall felt like it was miles though cause we were way at the end of the wing. But at least the walk was indoors and you got to see some animals sometimes through the windows during the trek.

And a little video I made: https://vimeo.com/album/54812/video/28692363


Would I stay here again? Sure. It wouldn't be my first choice but it was good deluxe resort room that's usually one of the lower cost ones on property.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

@draybook , Tracey & I will be in a Kidani studio on rented points 9/12 - 9/14. I got the room for $175/night which I didn't think was too terrible. We want to be in a resort that is it's own destination since we have no plans to hit any parks (as per our new usual...LOL!). I know from when we stayed in a regular room at Jambo in January 2010 that AKL as a whole offers a LOT of activities and things. One of the big perks to me, also, is being able to do laundry for no additional $$ OOP. I'll be in between 2 cruises, away from home for 2 whole weeks. At some point I'll have to wash my clothes. It'll be nice to have a relaxed place to get it done. I'll let y'all know how we liked the studio when we get home.

 

[Ralphlaw]

How many of you are there? If more than 3, it gets crowded. 3 or under, it's ok. It's a great resort to wake up in, to grab some coffee, and ease into the day looking our over the savannah. Even if you get a standard view room, there are plenty of communal places at Jambo house or Kidani to sit on big rocking chairs to see the animals.

And if you get up early, there'll be free coffee in the lobby. AK has a great feel to it. The rooms are quiet. The resort truly is deluxe. The staff is less harried because there seems to be more of them per guest. I would highly recommend it.

I've never felt the desire to be locked into the meal plan because I want my wishes to decide where we eat, not some locked in agenda (so to speak).

Also, I love eating at Disney World, especially EPCOT. Most of our days are planned around where we eat our big meal, which park or resort, lunch or dinner. We're coming in December, and we already booked one restaurant for most of the days that we'll be there (Crystal Palace lunch on Sunday, Christmas Eve in Germany, Ohana Christmas day, Whispering Canyon our last night). We also know we'll be doing counter service in Morocco and Japan at some point. All good. Some new and some traditional. It's all a part of getting away.

 

[draybook]

There's 4 of us but space isn't too big of an issue since we are open to close kind of people.

 

[Goofnut1980]

@draybook , Tracey & I will be in a Kidani studio on rented points 9/12 - 9/14. I got the room for $175/night which I didn't think was too terrible. We want to be in a resort that is it's own destination since we have no plans to hit any parks (as per our new usual...LOL!). I know from when we stayed in a regular room at Jambo in January 2010 that AKL as a whole offers a LOT of activities and things. One of the big perks to me, also, is being able to do laundry for no additional $$ OOP. I'll be in between 2 cruises, away from home for 2 whole weeks. At some point I'll have to wash my clothes. It'll be nice to have a relaxed place to get it done. I'll let y'all know how we liked the studio when we get home.

We will be Kidani 9/11-9/15... I love the resort, it is so peaceful and quiet... You feel so rested there!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

We will be Kidani 9/11-9/15... I love the resort, it is so peaceful and quiet... You feel so rested there!

Wow! Well if you spot us please don't be shy! Come say hello! I'm super bad at not paying enough attention to recognize people.

 

[Tiggerish]

There's 4 of us but space isn't too big of an issue since we are open to close kind of people.

Rather than the two queen beds you'd get at POFQ, the AKL studio will have one queen bed and one queen sofabed. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.

I've stayed in an AKL studio twice, and enjoyed it spectacularly both times. One time, the bus service was fairly painful, the other time it wasn't so bad. The resort itself is gorgeous, the theming is very immersive. I would definitely go back.

 

[draybook]

Rather than the two queen beds you'd get at POFQ, the AKL studio will have one queen bed and one queen sofabed. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.

I've stayed in an AKL studio twice, and enjoyed it spectacularly both times. One time, the bus service was fairly painful, the other time it wasn't so bad. The resort itself is gorgeous, the theming is very immersive. I would definitely go back.

No problem, the sofa would be for our kids, 12 & 13. Plus we always drive down in a rental so no worries about the bus. Sounds good though.

 

[disneygirl1]

Draybrook we have doen the same thing in the past, renting points with buying DDP and tickets separately ended of be cheaper then taking advantage of % off room discount and FD. I say stay at AKV. We have stayed there quite a few times in the past and LOVE it. The atmosphere alone is SO worth it. Our most recent stay at Kidani Village was this past June and there was plenty of room in the studio for 2 of us. We just booked a studio at Jambo for May with 4 of us, and while it may be a little tight in the studio with all our stuff, we'll make it work. We are rarely in our room anyway other then to sleep and get ready. I just love the lodge. Between the animal viewing, the pool and all the cultural activities that are offered there is just so much to keep you busy! 259 days till we're back home!