hard to get AKL-club!

[disneycrazy2004]

Hello,

we are a new members and I have been trying to book AKL club level for next July-August and have had no success. I don't have set days and have been on line every day at 8AM Eastern but no luck - very discouraging......Any advice?

Thank you

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Start earlier? I think online booking opens at 7. But this is the hardest thing to get

 

[Jkpark]

I would try a waitlist before 7 month mark. You will have an edge over nonAKL owners and maybe there are people who booked AKL club but are really hoping to switch to VGF or something else at 7 months.

 

[DenLo]

AKV Club level (which is different from the AKL club level, we can't book AKL rooms) is hard to get . We've been shut out at the 10 month mark twice now. And once at the 11 month mark. Since there are only five 2 BR lock offs it's not surprising. However, I'm always amazed how the first day always seems to be booked. You can always hope someone will cancel.

BTW we did have an AKV club level reservation in April 2012. Not sure how we got the reservation, I actually thought maybe it wasn't so hard to get those rooms, silly me. But had to cancel it. And now we've struck out every time since then.

 

[drusba]

I have tracked AKV club level for well over a year now. It is the hardest booking to get through DVC. It is very often not open at 11 months out because you are blocked out by somehow who got lucky 1 to 6 days before you and booked the the time you want to start. Even when open it is often gone before 8:05 a.m. in the morning for a given day of arrival (note on-line booking starts at 8 eastern not 7 as mentioned above). The exception is that 1BRs are often open for a short while into the 11 month window and at times there is the odd single day during a week that is even open at 7 months out but seldom 2 days in a row at 7 months out.

 

[disneycrazy2004]

Thanks for the replies - I will try online earlier tomorrow.....and keep trying every day, hopefully my luck will change......

 

[SCDizneyDawn]

The only thing I can suggest is try for one br units. I have now been successful twice getting a one br. The first was for June and got two nights at the 7 month window and was able to add a third night as time went on by stalking the web site. Every single time I had a few min to spare I would check. I have gotten several hard to get reservations this way! I found the evening and very early am hours are when I was able to snag great but short reservations. I once got 3 nights in a on br at BWV standard view with reservation points during the first week of Dec. snagged that one at 0500 less than 2 months out.
I recently got 2 nights club level for Nov at exactly 4 months before check in. Pretty sure that person changed to GFV and opened the two nights for me. I then added 4 nights value 1 br to give us 6 nights. Then last week I grabbed a studio for one night on club level for some friends to stay in the night while we stay in the one br value villa.
Remember u have club access from check in until they close on check out date. So while we are in the value villa we will still have club access that first day in the value room.
Good luck to you!!

 

[MouseMomx2]

There are only 5 club level studios and 5 club level one bedrooms (or, when combined, 5 club level two bedrooms). They are very difficult to get.

One note...the views from the club level rooms are not great. Three of each unit face the Sunset Savannah but are up high with balconies that somewhat limit the view. The other two face the pool. If you are going to AKL with the desire to see a lot of animals from your balcony then you may want to rethink club level.

 

[DebbieB]

Start earlier? I think online booking opens at 7. But this is the hardest thing to get

8:00am eastern

 

[tinkfan]

8:00am eastern

Try the wait list too. I was able to add two nights to my Sept reservation with the waitlist. This was for a one bedroom though. I also checked availablitly several times a day. People do book these rooms sometimes just because they are open but later have to cancel as it doesnt fit into their plans. Good luck!

 

[GrammyGee]

I strongly recommend that you try the waitlist or try online late at night. I have tried many times to get AKV Club Level and have never gotten it. This time we have a 4day trip planned for November and I would check availability online late every night before I went to bed. Two of our nights were available so I booked it. I think people cancel reservations online at all hours of the night and after the offices close you can get deals before the waitlists are filled in the morning. So then I waitlisted the day before and the day after (the two days we got were in the middle of our 4 day trip). Last week, we got the waitlist for the day before. So then I kept the waitlist for the day after but added a waitlist for the Grand Floridian - just for the heck of it and today we got the Grand Floridian ! These were all for a VERY busy time of year and nothing has been available anywhere....even Saratoga Springs. I have always had really good luck with the waitlist - even when its just a few months before the trip - but this was really great ! Debbie

 

[RSWA2]

Yes waitlist it. I waitlisted for 2 nights for early December at the 11 month mark. I got 1 night a few weeks later, then the 2nd night not too long after. Then a month after, I had to drop 1 of the nights. So I just have 1 night at the CL now. So, it'll happen, even during DVC's "peak" time.

 

[princessvacg]

I was able to get a 1 bedroom club level over 4th of July for next year, but it was a job!! I was told by a CM the best way to get this is to book a few days prior to your actual arrival date if its available and then day by day I had to call and extend it 1 day and remove the first day i had booked. I did this for 5 days until I had all of the days I needed, but it was a pain. ... now just hoping at the 7 month window I am able to get GFV for the first 5 days. Not sure if that is going to happen. Curious if anyone else has success with getting GFV at the 7 month window.

 

[disneycrazy2004]

There are only 5 club level studios and 5 club level one bedrooms (or, when combined, 5 club level two bedrooms). They are very difficult to get.

One note...the views from the club level rooms are not great. Three of each unit face the Sunset Savannah but are up high with balconies that somewhat limit the view. The other two face the pool. If you are going to AKL with the desire to see a lot of animals from your balcony then you may want to rethink club level.

I thought all of the club level rooms have Savana View....One of the reasons we picked this resort was because of the animals, I might have to rethink my choices then What would be the best choice in order to see lots of animals during the day, especially in the morning

 

[disneycrazy2004]

I was able to get a 1 bedroom club level over 4th of July for next year, but it was a job!! I was told by a CM the best way to get this is to book a few days prior to your actual arrival date if its available and then day by day I had to call and extend it 1 day and remove the first day i had booked. I did this for 5 days until I had all of the days I needed, but it was a pain. ... now just hoping at the 7 month window I am able to get GFV for the first 5 days. Not sure if that is going to happen. Curious if anyone else has success with getting GFV at the 7 month window.

Lucky you My dates are very flexible, so I have been trying every day for the past week, but no luck

Happy for you though!

 

[UK mum of 4]

I thought all of the club level rooms have Savana View....One of the reasons we picked this resort was because of the animals, I might have to rethink my choices then What would be the best choice in order to see lots of animals during the day, especially in the morning

Different things you read say different things about club level views. I would ring member services to check x

 

[drusba]

I thought all of the club level rooms have Savana View....One of the reasons we picked this resort was because of the animals, I might have to rethink my choices then What would be the best choice in order to see lots of animals during the day, especially in the morning

Three of the the 2BR lock-off club level rooms have a savanna view which is at the end of the Sunset savanna and view is not that great. One of those three is an HA unit. The other two 2BR club level rooms have pool view. When reserving club level, you cannot request view and it is luck of the draw.

If you want concierge services, a lounge, daily room and turn down service, then get club level. If you want savanna view, you should instead reserve a savanna view room. Animals are out in the morning at Jambo's Arusha savanna (you can request which savanna you want to overlook) and until about 8 at Sunset savanna viewable from either Jambo or Kidani.

 

[Dean]

I thought all of the club level rooms have Savana View....One of the reasons we picked this resort was because of the animals, I might have to rethink my choices then What would be the best choice in order to see lots of animals during the day, especially in the morning

There are plenty of places to watch the animals but if that was my main goal, I'd get Savannah view Kidani. Even the 3 SV club rooms have a poor view because they're tucked up under the roof such that you have to go out on the balcony and adjust your eye level to see much anyway.

 

[disneycrazy2004]

Three of the the 2BR lock-off club level rooms have a savanna view which is at the end of the Sunset savanna and view is not that great. One of those three is an HA unit. The other two 2BR club level rooms have pool view. When reserving club level, you cannot request view and it is luck of the draw.

If you want concierge services, a lounge, daily room and turn down service, then get club level. If you want savanna view, you should instead reserve a savanna view room. Animals are out in the morning at Jambo's Arusha savanna (you can request which savanna you want to overlook) and until about 8 at Sunset savanna viewable from either Jambo or Kidani.

There are plenty of places to watch the animals but if that was my main goal, I'd get Savannah view Kidani. Even the 3 SV club rooms have a poor view because they're tucked up under the roof such that you have to go out on the balcony and adjust your eye level to see much anyway.

Is this the same for a studio? I am interested for a Studio - club level....sorry for all the questions, I am very new at all this..Thanks a lot

 

[cwdefouw]

Studios are the lockoff part of the two bedroom units so everything you are reading here related to Club level Villas also applies to the Club Studio units.

1. There are only 5
2. Three are savannah view, two are pool view, no view requests are allowed
3. The three savannah view rooms are high up so the views are not as good. You do still have a view and you will still see animals from the balcony, however the view is better from a lower floor.
4. Because there are so few, all club villas are extremely difficult to get.