AKV Kilimanjaro Club Concierge

nasmith said:

Prime examples of how "walking" has gotten out of control! I understand that you are working within the rules that Disney established for modifying a reservation- and therein lies the problem - Disney needs to change it's rules as regarding modifying a reservation. Not sure what that should be ( but some of the people on the "walking" forum have some good ideas)). All AKL owners should have a shot at reserving these rooms for their vacations- not just picking up a day here or there that gets left in the wake of a walker ( assuming you somehow could figure out what time of day the walker was going to release the room).

Availability of these rooms has become dire since the advent of online modifying - it was much less a problem before that when you had to call to modify a resort reservation. Hopefully Disney will notice.

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Walking has been a requisite for these rooms (and the value studios) for awhile. If I weren't walking for the reasons why I'm walking, others would be walking simply because it's the start of F&W and cheap Sept points usage. In fact, that is exactly the case. I didn't just "start" walking; I first had to stalk for more than a month for an opening. I knew enough to know that walking would pick up going into Fall Frenzy and I started looking weeks before that to find an "in".

My whole reason for buying AKV points last year was to be able to take a shot at these rooms from time to time. That means, almost by definition, walking. We love AKV, but didn't need to own points to stay there from time to time, especially since we're just fine with Kidani.

So. I don't feel bad about it. It's the whole and only reason that I'm a points owner at AKV. It's not just "working within the rules". It's also working the only strategy that consistently works for booking this room.

If you look at it right now, the rooms are being fully walked. All of them. There will be no more "ins" until at least one of the walkers walks to where he wants to go. The only way to book these rooms for Fall of next year is to walk. So. I'm walking.

All AKV owners DO have a shot at these rooms. I did. If you're an owner, you do. But. It takes the ability (knowledge) and effort to work it. I got up early on multiple days to try to book and spent time learning how to walk. The people who are working their points harder are getting an advantage. A good analogy is people waiting in tents for an iPhone release; anybody can do it if you think it's worth the effort. I don't think that's a problem.

AnnaKat said:

Yep. I forgot about those coveted extra fast passes! They should definitely make a difference! Quite exciting!
Yep. We bought 100 points @ Kidani planning on 10 or more days in a value studio. Back then, you didn't have to walk as it was before you could book online, & I kept re-dialing to get in when the clock struck 8am CST.
We would have returned yesterday from a 12-night stay w/9 nights in a Kilimanjaro Club Studio, & 3
nights before that in a value studio.
We also planned to take full advantage of the extra fast pass option for Club Level Stays. We rented out both reservations.

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FYI If you are calling at 8:00 CST you are behind one hour to book your room because the booking window opens at 8:00 EST.

The advent of online modification makes walking easier but it also makes it much cheaper.

No CM efforts required.

Just one owner's experience but we have stayed AKL concierge quite a few times and have never walked a reservation. Never....not a single day. I will be sorry to see if that has changed now with online changes possible. Anyone remember when that change happened?

BCV23 said:

Just one owner's experience but we have stayed AKL concierge quite a few times and have never walked a reservation. Never....not a single day. I will be sorry to see if that has changed now with online changes possible. Anyone remember when that change happened?

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Online mod is just a few months old.

People cancel reservations and change plans all the time. Regardless, concierge studios tend to devolve to only scattered days avail within mere days of the 11 month window. If it’s not walked, it’s typically gone at the window.

But rooms do open here and there from time to time. That though, is just luck of the draw to be looking in the near aftermath of somebody changing plans — or to have a waitlist timely met.

ziravan said:

The advent of online modification makes walking easier but it also makes it much cheaper.

No CM efforts required.

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Exactly. I bet this was done to reduce the load on CM, so I doubt it will ever change back.

Thanks for the reply about the change. Our next stay is in May so I must have booked it prior to the change.

Still disagree about the need to walk at least in the past. I have booked when my window at the 11 month mark and gotten the days I've wanted many times within the limitation of our AKV points. Have also occasionally been able to add on a day or two on either side with our other points at the seven month window but agree that is the luck of the draw. Perhaps the difference is that I've always booked one BR with the exception of a 2 BR one time. I can imagine it is worse for studios.

BCV23 said:

Thanks for the reply about the change. Our next stay is in May so I must have booked it prior to the change.

Still disagree about the need to walk at least in the past. I have booked when my window at the 11 month mark and gotten the days I've wanted many times within the limitation of our AKV points. Have also occasionally been able to add on a day or two on either side with our other points at the seven month window but agree that is the luck of the draw. Perhaps the difference is that I've always booked one BR with the exception of a 2 BR one time. I can imagine it is worse for studios.

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1BRs have always been the easiest to get at 11 months out because unlike studios (and as a result the 2BR lock-offs), they usually last well beyond 9 a.m. at 11 months out (although even 1BRs sometimes disappear exactly at 8 a.m. at 11 months out) . In tracking AKV for the last six years, club level studios have continuously had the same problem of often disappearing shortly before or right after 8 a.m. 11 months out for any particular start date. It happens about 80% of the year and about 100% for the time from late Sep to marathon weekend in Jan. I have thus far seen nothing indicating a change for the worst as a result of online modifications, and, in any event, it can hardly get worse.

BCV23 said:

Just one owner's experience but we have stayed AKL concierge quite a few times and have never walked a reservation. Never....not a single day. I will be sorry to see if that has changed now with online changes possible. Anyone remember when that change happened?

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Same here. However, I have been challenged by others who have walked. The last couple of times I was unable to get the first day or two when logging on first thing in the morning at the 11 month mark. I had to waitlist those days and they’ve always come through.

what is walking ? i have been jambo owner since the beginning and always luck out on my reservations (but i'm always trying for a 1BR) i have a waitlist for one day in may I didn't get only because a studio popped up so I grabbed that instead about a week later

TOONTOWN said:

what is walking ? i have been jambo owner since the beginning and always luck out on my reservations (but i'm always trying for a 1BR) i have a waitlist for one day in may I didn't get only because a studio popped up so I grabbed that instead about a week later

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I've heard of it, but am still a little confused on how it actually works. I've never had to do anything differently when booking any of my CL AKV stays. Maybe I've just been lucky. Hoping my luck holds out when I try to book it again next month for a stay in October 2019.

TOONTOWN said:

what is walking ? i have been jambo owner since the beginning and always luck out on my reservations (but i'm always trying for a 1BR) i have a waitlist for one day in may I didn't get only because a studio popped up so I grabbed that instead about a week later

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Walking is getting a reservation prior to the dates that you are wanting (whenever you have a chance to get in) and then adding and dropping days as you go until the reservation is for the dates that you are wanting. So if you wanted a CL room for the first week in December you might start looking now (though it's possibly too late already as there has been no opportunity to get a walk started for a while now)....if you can get a reservation right now for Sept 16-23 you take it. Every 5-6 days modify the reservation to add more days on and drop the earlier dates. Eventually you get it to the dates that you want.