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Both dedicated and lock-off 2BRs are throughout the building. Request Sunset Savanna view (80% of all savanna view rooms) and either close to Timon elevator if you want to be close to bus station on the south wing, or close to the Rafiki elevator for shortest walk from building to entry gate to pool on the north wing. Both of those will also put you not far from lobby. Because so many request it, requesting close to lobby has real risk of not being met, and ending up near the end of one of the wings, extremely far from the lobbby and other amenities.
 
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No rice cooker. Your only electrical appliances will be a 4 burner stove/oven, microwave, 12 cup coffee pot and a dishwasher.

Making rice on the stove top is super easy though. Just need water, rice and a covered pot.

Check out allears for a full listing of the room inventory:
https://www.dvcnews.com/index.php/resorts/animal-kingdom-villas/guest-room-inventory-24610
Thanks! I went to allears before posting, looking for that page and couldn't find it! Thanks for sharing it. :)
ETA: I just noticed the link is for dvcnews - I'll have to remember to check that site next time too.
 
I put together a comparison of the net change for AKV year over year. TLDR; values are even cheaper, savanna views are up the most.

For my typical vacation pattern my cost goes up 10 points a year. Booooo.

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Awesome chart - but you need to make a chart that shows the difference between the 2018 ,2019 AND 2020 point charts as room category reallocation happened between 2018 and 2019 AND between 2019 and 2020. Upon quick review, it seems that some point requirements were actually brought closer to the 2018 chart after being altered in 2019.
 
Planning our first stay at AKL November 16-23, 2019. Is there a pattern of when the Christmas decor is usually done there? Hopefully during our stay? My oldest’s only request is to have a ton of Christmas decorations. Our WDW home is Poly so we plan on 11 month that and then at 7 months hopefully get a 1 bedroom Savannah. *fingers crossed* first WDW trip in 25 years and only DVC resort we have been to so far is VGC (my first home) so we are so excited to be less than a year out.
We have been at AKL Jambo for both the putting up and taking down of Christmas decorations (different years) - and it's pretty amazing process to watch (yes, they do it in one night)(they start late at night, after 10pm - but you will notice alot of trucks outside). Got to talking to a supervisor during the decorating night, and he said that AKL was usually the last resort to be decorated because it was so far removed from the rest of WDW. That being said - it will be done by Thanksgiving - so maybe you too will be able to experience the magic of going to bed one night with no decorations and waking up to a fully decorated lodge ( almost as if elves had come!)
 


Both dedicated and lock-off 2BRs are throughout the building. Request Sunset Savanna view (80% of all savanna view rooms) and either close to Timon elevator if you want to be close to bus station on the south wing, or close to the Rafiki elevator for shortest walk from building to entry gate to pool on the north wing. Both of those will also put you not far from lobby. Because so many request it, requesting close to lobby has real risk of not being met, and ending up near the end of one of the wings, extremely far from the lobbby and other amenities.
Thanks! Any recommendations on the best way to submit your request? Can you e-mail or does it require a phone call?
 
I just passed Kidani on a bus to the marathon expo and it looks like the balconies to the right of the entrance are being painted, is this something that’s happening resort wide? Seems quite intrusive if people are currently staying in those rooms.
 
We are looking at buying Animal Kingdom points and was curious when the last refurbishment was and when the next one might be expected?
 


We are looking at buying Animal Kingdom points and was curious when the last refurbishment was and when the next one might be expected?

There was a soft goods refurbishment in 2016 which refreshed linens, used a new lighter paint scheme, installed new TV's and some other little enhancements. It's not due for a hard goods refurbishment (full renovation with new kitchens and bathrooms etc) until 2023. All resorts get a soft goods refurb every 7 years and hard goods every 14 years.
 
There was a soft goods refurbishment in 2016 which refreshed linens, used a new lighter paint scheme, installed new TV's and some other little enhancements. It's not due for a hard goods refurbishment (full renovation with new kitchens and bathrooms etc) until 2023. All resorts get a soft goods refurb every 7 years and hard goods every 14 years.
Thanks for the refurb details. As of right now, how comfortable is the pull-out couch? It looks like Disney is moving away from those to a flip-down Murphy bed which is likely what would happen in 2023 I'm imagining?
 
Thanks for the refurb details. As of right now, how comfortable is the pull-out couch? It looks like Disney is moving away from those to a flip-down Murphy bed which is likely what would happen in 2023 I'm imagining?

It's just as comfortable as any of the other resorts, they're more or less the same. Fine for kids, not something most adults would want to sleep on for more than a couple nights. I will say the couch itself (not the bed part) is highly uncomfortable.

I would imagine all the resorts will eventually get the murphy beds but so far it's only confirmed for SSR.
 
So I booked Dec 1st-7th at Jambo House, taking my Mom back since she missed the last couple trips.

Then I got thinking, man I have this AP and TIW card all of 2019, I have enough points... so I booked my first ever solo trip Sept 22nd-27th at Kidani, with a waitlist to change to Jambo which I hope I get. I love Kidani, but much prefer Jambo.

I've never gone twice in a year or solo, but now I'm extremely excited :)
 
I just passed Kidani on a bus to the marathon expo and it looks like the balconies to the right of the entrance are being painted, is this something that’s happening resort wide? Seems quite intrusive if people are currently staying in those rooms.

Window washing, painting and maintenance all tend to be ongoing items. Never walk over to window curtains in the buff and whip them open. ;)
 
Window washing, painting and maintenance all tend to be ongoing items. Never walk over to window curtains in the buff and whip them open. ;)

Hahahaha agreed! We are staying at Jambo so I was just curious as to whether the Kidani balconies were all being painted.
 
Hahahaha agreed! We are staying at Jambo so I was just curious as to whether the Kidani balconies were all being painted.

Usually they have a notice in the rooms so hopefully someone staying at Kidani will see and respond what they know.
 
Window washing, painting and maintenance all tend to be ongoing items. Never walk over to window curtains in the buff and whip them open. ;)
Plus I thought AKL/AKV had video cameras pointing towards the balconies to make sure the guests weren’t tossing things at the animals...maybe only a concern in the savanna view villas :)
 
I just wanted to post here I just saw an opening for a club level studio at Jambo March 30 and 31st! Hopefully someone here can snag it, it doesn't work for me:)

ETA-Sorry, nevermind, it's gone now...At least it was a possibility for about 30 minutes!
 
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I just passed Kidani on a bus to the marathon expo and it looks like the balconies to the right of the entrance are being painted, is this something that’s happening resort wide? Seems quite intrusive if people are currently staying in those rooms.

They were working on the rooms to the left of the entrance in December mainly trimming trees and repainting the balconies that needed it. They had notices taped to the balcony doors. And I would hope they told them at check in as well as placed notices in their rooms.
 
They were doing exterior painting at AKV at least as far back as November 7. I checked in at Kidani that day and although there was no mention of it at the check-in desk (or beforehand), there was a letter about the painting in the room. They weren't painting my section of the building (savannah view, almost at the far end of the building, closest to Jambo House) during the 10 days I was there, but I did see painting on different balconies at Kidani at different times during my stay.
 
They were doing exterior painting at AKV at least as far back as November 7. I checked in at Kidani that day and although there was no mention of it at the check-in desk (or beforehand), there was a letter about the painting in the room. They weren't painting my section of the building (savannah view, almost at the far end of the building, closest to Jambo House) during the 10 days I was there, but I did see painting on different balconies at Kidani at different times during my stay.
There is another thread with a recent stay in a Savanna view and it sounds like they have a fence all along the Sunset savanna and are painting that side. When I can get to my computer I will update with the link.

Edited: https://www.disboards.com/threads/kidani-savana-view-dissappoint.3728674/
Picture on page 2

Hoping this will be complete by the time we arrive for Princess Weekend. We borrowed a decent amount of points to stay Savanna for this trip and I’ll be really bummed out if I am looking at a crane (and not the bird kind).
 
:cool1: Grabbed an AKV - club level room for 3 days next December. Decided to pass it off to my son and wife as a wedding gift. I know they'll love it.

My dilemma was how can I ensure they get the best first impressions of Jambo if they have a poor view such as what club level offers. To me, the SV rooms are amazing and the best way to go. Decided that since they'll most likely be swapping down to a standard view room for the last night or two (I have them booked seperate) and I have a SV view booked for myself that I can just swap rooms with them. Give them the best of both worlds.
 
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