Anyone know if Kidani Village at AKL have value 1BR????

[disneyfool_1202]

So we are traveling with friends NEXT WEEK who "swear" they booked a 1BR value at Kidani Village. We have a Savannah view. DH and I have been all over the net tonight trying to get an idea of where our rooms could end up since our reservations are 'linked' and if they tried to put us together, with two different room types we were trying to see where the Kidani value rooms were.
We can't seem to find any! All we can find are 1BR value villa's at Jambo! DVC told me to call within 3 days of arrival to try and request the rooms be put close together because we all have kids that will want to "travel" from room to room. But if her only option is at Jambo, and I'm at Kidani, that's not going to be possible!
We have never stayed there so I am clueless!!!!

 

[RebelSoul]

The value rooms are only at Jambo.

 

[Silver Queen]

I second the PP. Only Jambo has value villas.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Perhaps your friends are just confusing standard with value? Either way their confirmation will say and if it is Kidani then it is a standard view.

However you need to put in your request for a traveling with notation on your reservations now. Rooms can be assigned up to a week in advance. DVC can and should do your request at anytime you ask and 3 days ahead of time may very well be too late.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

If you request to be near their standard view, you may wind up with a less desirable savannah view.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

If you request to be near their standard view, you may wind up with a less desirable savannah view.

that is exactly what I am concerned about but we are hoping they can just be across the hallway from us or across / down on the same floor- just not at the other end of the building.
I checked with her last night- she said definitely Kidani so I'm guessing with the number of people in her party she had to do Standard.
We are DVC members and our ressies are linked. When I called the hotel about something else about a month ago the hotel said 3 days. I'll call them later today and see if I can put the room request in (I tried during on line checkin but we were having issues with the online checkin process).

 

[erionm]

When I called the hotel about something else about a month ago the hotel said 3 days. I'll call them later today and see if I can put the room request in (I tried during on line checkin but we were having issues with the online checkin process).

When you call the listed number for the Resort or use the Front Desk button on the in-room phone, you actually reach a call center that may be out of the state. Some of those CMs may have never been to WDW or to that Resort and are just reading information off their screen.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

So should I use a different number?? I had originally called the number of the hotel, as all DVC member services could do was link the reservations but said room placement was up to the individual hotel.

 

[erionm]

So should I use a different number?? I had originally called the number of the hotel, as all DVC member services could do was link the reservations but said room placement was up to the individual hotel.

Really all that can be done as far as location is for MS put a 'Travel With' on both reservations. That will alert the room assigner to try and put the rooms as close together as possible. You are unable to contact the room assigners directly.

 

[Chuck S]

So should I use a different number?? I had originally called the number of the hotel, as all DVC member services could do was link the reservations but said room placement was up to the individual hotel.

How are you booked? Are you a DVC Member using your points? Did you rent a reservation? Are you an incoming RCI Trade?

DVC Member services will only communicate with the DVC Member who made the reservation or with an incoming RCI trader. Renters have to make any requests through the DVC Owner from whom they rented.

Requests can be added to a DVC reservation but none are guaranteed to be met. The room assignments are done at the resorts, and they no longer accept direct requests. They do their best to try to match the requests, but it all depends upon what is available on the check-in date. The more general your requests, the more likely it is that it will be fulfilled. Specific requests like room numbers are not a good idea. If that room is not available, the assigner will have no idea why you requested.

As others have said, there are no value class rooms at Kidani Village, only in Jambo House. There are standard class rooms in Kidani Village. The value class rooms are the result of reclaiming rooms and remodeling in Jambo House, the rooms are slightly smaller to fit into the existing Jambo house footprint. "Value" is not an indication of view, but room size. "Standard view" is about view..meaning is likely more of a Parking Lot view rather than a pool or Savannah view.

 

[disneyfool_1202]

OK so now I'm confused...
We are DVC members as are the party we are traveling with. We are all booked on our own points. DVC linked our reservations. When I called DVC to do this DVC Member Services told me to call the hotel directly when we got closer to our arrival. I did call the hotel directly about another issue NOT related to the room, but while I had them on the phone I asked them about the rooms and they said to call them back 3 days before arrival.
Now here everyone is saying something different.
Bottom line is I'm going to call and see what happens. If I get someone who takes info and notes it on the reservation, great. If not, I'm not any worse off than I am now. I am not looking for any specific room. I'm looking to make sure my family I am traveling with is not 7 minutes away because Kidani is huge and this will not make it helpful when we are trying to help each other out with each other's children. That's not a difficult request.

 

[Chuck S]

I think a lot of this problem stems from two things:

1) Disney is consistently inconsistent with their policies. DVCers have been told repeatedly that all requests need to be noted on the reservation through members services, going so far as to say that requests will not be accepted via fax or phone to the room assigners at the resorts.

2) The layout of the specific room categories at AKV. Any resort with several guaranteed view and booking categories; such as value, standard, pool, savannah and so forth, makes getting rooms nearby that are in different categories problematic at best. Hotels, unlike a cruise ship, do not load all guests at the same time...so pre-assigning rooms weeks/days in advance is not always possible. You are dependent upon arrival and departure days of other guests.

Member Service should have made a "traveling with" notation on both reservations. Both members would need to call to do this. This lets the room assigner know that you are traveling together and would like your rooms as close as possible, again depending upon what is available on your check-in day.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

AFAIK also you should only be working with MS. As Chuck mentioned DVC members were asked not to contact the resorts about requests. Make certain that they have a "traveling with" notation on both reservations. The term "link" usually means something else but terms do get mixed up. Reports have been generally favorable that when the traveling with note is done the rooms are very often close together.

And I disagree that having this means you'll get a less desirable savannah view. In the majority of Kidani the standard rooms are right across the hall from the savannah view rooms.

 

[LisaS]

And I disagree that having this means you'll get a less desirable savannah view. In the majority of Kidani the standard rooms are right across the hall from the savannah view rooms.

I agree. Many people who book a Savanna View room request "close to lobby" because those rooms are convenient and have great animal viewing. They are also across the hall from Standard View rooms.

 

[dgaston]

Here's that your requests work out!