Loved SSR - AKL, not so much

[Maddysdaddy]

Hi all.

Returned last week from a 2 week trip to WDW (our first - we're DL people - I'm 40, DW is 36 and DD is 8).

Little background - purchased DVC on the cruise in 2011 - home resort is AKL (because we were told that VGC was sold out, but that it was usually not a problem to get rooms there). Yes, we should have researched before we bought, and yes, we should have gone for VGC resale. I've been a member of these boards for long enough, that I know the drill...

Anyway... we have previously used our points for a stay at VGC (so it does happen - occasionally), but decided over x-mas that we needed another Disney fix, and the only availability we could get was at WDW. Ergo, we booked one week in a savanna view studio in Kidani and another week in a studio at SSR, as that is what was available for that length of stay.

Going into it, we were excited about AKL and leery of SSR, based on the comments that we had read on the Dis.

Now that the vacation is over, our views on these two resorts have completely changed. I will note that we had a vehicle the entire trip, so I can't/won't comment on what the bus transportation is like from the two resorts.

Kidani:
- we thought that there would be "more" animals outside our balcony. We saw giraffes once, zebras twice, and cows every day
- the room was perfectly acceptable, but even with all of the lights on, we found it dark
- our room was very, very far away from the lobby. If I remember correctly, the last 2 digits of the room number were 70. It was essentially a 10 minute walk just to get to the lobby. Fortunately we had a vehicle so could park reasonably close to the room, but for those without vehicles or those with older or younger members of their group, the walk could be a significant issue
- soundproofing was a huge issue for us. Through the lock-off door, we could hear 'everything' from the next room, which was an issue when the guests in the next room didn't get back until very late every evening and were banging around in their kitchen with dishes clanging, microwaves beeping, etc. I'm glad you had a fun time in the parks, but I really didn't need to hear about every detail of their day. That's a construction issue.
- not thrilled that Kidani doesn't have a quick serve. It meant that every time we wanted a light lunch or snack, we had to pack up the SUV and drive over to Jambo or make the hike to the lobby and then wait for the shuttle bus

SSR:
- loved the theming of the resort itself. Very bright and airy, surrounded by golf courses and ponds. Very, very welcoming.
- loved our room - 4th floor of the Paddock complex, overlooking the pond and bridge to the Carriage House buildings
- even though we were in a lock-off in this resort as well, we never heard a peep from our neighbors.
- loved the pools and the activity coordinators. We spent most of our time at the Paddock pool, and even though our daughter was off playing games and doing activities with the cast members, she was always in sight.
- loved that we could be on a boat over to Pleasure Island in 10 minutes, or could walk to the Earl of Sandwich end of Downtown Disney in about the same amount of time.
- didn't particularly love that the bathroom sink was not in the bathroom
- felt that the quality of food from Artist's Palate was surprisingly good for Disney (although the food quality from the Paddock Grill was meh).
- loved the giant movie screen for the movie by the pool every evening - the set up is much better for that at SSR than at Kidani.
- did I mention that you are close to Earl of Sandwich??? Best food value at Disney. Mmmmm Holiday Turkey sandwich.......

All in all, it was a great trip. While we didn't 'dislike' AKL, given the choice between staying there and staying at SSR, we'll pick SSR every time.

 

[goofy4tink]

My absolutely worst stay at WDW due to excessive noise from next door??? Polynesian!! Man, we had two different families staying next door during our week long stay. The first was okay but still a bit noisy!! But the second family?? OMG!! I finally stood next to the connecting door and said, loudly...'Kate, please use your indoor voice. The people near us certainly don't need to hear what you did today!!' Now, my dd hadn't made a sound, but that announcement seemed to get my message across, at least for a few days!!!

I have never had a studio stay at any resort that had noise from next door. I've had studios at AKL, Kidani, BWV, BCV, VWL, OKW, BLT and SSR. I own at BLT and BWV. I think it all depends on the family you end up with next to you. I have been lucky so far. But, now? Having said that, my stay in Sept is going to be miserable!!! It's the luck of the draw I guess.

I stayed at SSR last Dec...it was my only option. I got lucky and was in the Grandstand area...very nice area to be in. It is a beautiful resort!!! I'll be either there or OKW in Dec.

As far as Kidani goes? Yep, it's hard to grab a bite to eat there. But, I have to tell you...it's better than at BWV!! At least you have the refill station in the lobby area, with a small grocery area. We were fortunate in that we had wonderful animal viewing on both our stays there. Many people do find it to be dark. I think VWL are much darker!! I guess it's a personal thing.

The thing I hate hearing??? I hate it when I hear that a DVC sales person has told you that 'oh, that won't be an issue to stay there. You don't 'have' to own there. You can always stay there if you decide you don't want to own there. Won't be an issue!!' Yeah, sure. That's why we always say buy where you want to stay. But you knew that. That's too bad that had to happen. Hopefully, you'll be able to stay at the VGC more often than not down the road!!

 

[disneynutz]

Hi all.

Returned last week from a 2 week trip to WDW (our first - we're DL people - I'm 40, DW is 36 and DD is 8).

Little background - purchased DVC on the cruise in 2011 - home resort is AKL (because we were told that VGC was sold out, but that it was usually not a problem to get rooms there). Yes, we should have researched before we bought, and yes, we should have gone for VGC resale. I've been a member of these boards for long enough, that I know the drill...

Anyway... we have previously used our points for a stay at VGC (so it does happen - occasionally), but decided over x-mas that we needed another Disney fix, and the only availability we could get was at WDW. Ergo, we booked one week in a savanna view studio in Kidani and another week in a studio at SSR, as that is what was available for that length of stay.

Going into it, we were excited about AKL and leery of SSR, based on the comments that we had read on the Dis.

Now that the vacation is over, our views on these two resorts have completely changed. I will note that we had a vehicle the entire trip, so I can't/won't comment on what the bus transportation is like from the two resorts.

Kidani:
- we thought that there would be "more" animals outside our balcony. We saw giraffes once, zebras twice, and cows every day
- the room was perfectly acceptable, but even with all of the lights on, we found it dark
- our room was very, very far away from the lobby. If I remember correctly, the last 2 digits of the room number were 70. It was essentially a 10 minute walk just to get to the lobby. Fortunately we had a vehicle so could park reasonably close to the room, but for those without vehicles or those with older or younger members of their group, the walk could be a significant issue
- soundproofing was a huge issue for us. Through the lock-off door, we could hear 'everything' from the next room, which was an issue when the guests in the next room didn't get back until very late every evening and were banging around in their kitchen with dishes clanging, microwaves beeping, etc. I'm glad you had a fun time in the parks, but I really didn't need to hear about every detail of their day. That's a construction issue.
- not thrilled that Kidani doesn't have a quick serve. It meant that every time we wanted a light lunch or snack, we had to pack up the SUV and drive over to Jambo or make the hike to the lobby and then wait for the shuttle bus

SSR:
- loved the theming of the resort itself. Very bright and airy, surrounded by golf courses and ponds. Very, very welcoming.
- loved our room - 4th floor of the Paddock complex, overlooking the pond and bridge to the Carriage House buildings
- even though we were in a lock-off in this resort as well, we never heard a peep from our neighbors.
- loved the pools and the activity coordinators. We spent most of our time at the Paddock pool, and even though our daughter was off playing games and doing activities with the cast members, she was always in sight.
- loved that we could be on a boat over to Pleasure Island in 10 minutes, or could walk to the Earl of Sandwich end of Downtown Disney in about the same amount of time.
- didn't particularly love that the bathroom sink was not in the bathroom
- felt that the quality of food from Artist's Palate was surprisingly good for Disney (although the food quality from the Paddock Grill was meh).
- loved the giant movie screen for the movie by the pool every evening - the set up is much better for that at SSR than at Kidani.
- did I mention that you are close to Earl of Sandwich??? Best food value at Disney. Mmmmm Holiday Turkey sandwich.......

All in all, it was a great trip. While we didn't 'dislike' AKL, given the choice between staying there and staying at SSR, we'll pick SSR every time.

An accurate and honest review.

Kidani is a dark resort and it seems to me that they use low wattage bulbs which makes it even darker.

SSR is a great resort, the nice thing about it is that rooms are always available so there isn't a need to buy there for the home advantage.

You will find bad neighbors at every resort and I am sure that Disney could do a better job of sound proofing but they want to keep their construction costs down.

Bill

 

[Disneylvr4]

AKL is dark(er), but I also think that is part of the staging of the resort to give off the proper vibe of the place. We loved our stay at AKL, BUT haven't been in a lock-off, only dedicated, and we didn't have any sound issues. We also knew going in that the hallways were long, so we made sure to be close to an elevator with the underground parking, which made it no biggie.

We all have our fav's and that's what makes each new stay something special! I'd love SSR for the access to Downtown Disney. We love the shops etc., so I definately want to stay there sometime!

 

[hakepb]

I'm glad you enjoyed SSR.

It's curious that you enjoyed SSR's proximity to Earl of Sandwich, but disliked the walk from Kidani to Mara (Jambo) for Zebra Domes

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Earl of Sandwich = Awesomeness!!!
Mara = meh...

 

[DizBub]

We were guests for 1 night in a 1br at Kidani a couple of years ago. We slept on the pull-out in the living room. You could hear people turning over in their beds with the door shut between the LR and the BR. That door looked as if there were ventilation holes in it.

Lovely resort but it seems they really cheaped out on the sound barrier department. We actually prefer SSR too.

 

[dvc_john]

With all the talk of Earl of Sandwich, I hope everyone realizes that if you show you DVC member card, you get a 10% discount.
It's not listed in the perks, but it does exist.

 

[iluveeyore]

We just planned a week away in May, and chose SSR studio after we stayed in Kidani studio last May. The only difference in our Kidani stay was that we were two doors from the elevator to the lobby, so bonus for refills and walking to the pool, and we had animals to watch quite often. We were in a lock-off as well, and had the same problem with a family next door, listening to them clanging around in the kitchen early while we tried to sleep in, and hearing all about their day every night. Plus, being a hotel set-up, we heard every family that walked by our door down the hallway (and people don't seem to realize that we can hear them, and they don't try to be quiet). SSR we have never had an issue because of the positioning of the doors, and with the condo-like set up, we hardly ever hear people going by our door. Plus, SSR is less points, so I can enjoy a longer stay, with more peace and quiet for those of us who don't travel with young children!

 

[Disneylvr4]

With all the talk of Earl of Sandwich, I hope everyone realizes that if you show you DVC member card, you get a 10% discount.
It's not listed in the perks, but it does exist.

Oooo....good to know! We got there at least once per trip and I had no idea it was a perk! Thanks!!

 

[rentayenta]

Nice review. We own at SSR and really like it. We've only stayed in the THV and they were fantastic. We did not have a car. It was serene and gorgeous and we didn't have transportation issues.

During the same trip we also had 5 nights at Kidani, SV and really enjoyed it too. It's gorgeous and I don't find it dark.

Both staff were awesome and we enjoyed both our pool days, one at each resort.

 

[Cee]

The Holiday sandwich is heaven on earth. It's available all year 'round now. Thank you, Lord!

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Thank you for your review. I'm always thrilled to hear about it when folks realize that SSR's bad reputation is un-earned. It's our absolute favorite resort.

We're usually in a studio at SSR, and one of the things I like about the layout there is that the connecting door is all the way up by the front door. That goes a long way to keeping down some of the noise cross-over. At Kidani, the connecting door is still near the front door, but a little closer to the studio bed than in the SSR layout. I think they only time we really had a problem with it was at the Boardwalk, where the connecting door is right across from the couch in both rooms -- living area connected to living area.

I don't mind noises from other rooms during the day. I don't expect people to walk on tip-toes and whisper when they're on vacation, and even if you're trying to be considerate bumps and thuds sometimes happen. At night, I've found that a white noise machine is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful thing to have. (Hooray for Owner's Lockers!)

 

[littlestar]

Thanks for the review. I, too, like the lighter colors at SSR. I also like that the connecting door on lock-offs are walled off from the main area of the units. It really does make a difference on noise. The outside hallways probably make a difference, too.

 

[bumbershoot]

Good review! I didn't have all the good or bad at each resort, and I did have two problems at SSR (one was hopefully fixed after we left, and the other was just a nasty computer problem that will hopefully be fixed once the IT dept gets their act together), but I agree with the basics.

But the second family?? OMG!! I finally stood next to the connecting door and said, loudly...'Kate, please use your indoor voice. The people near us certainly don't need to hear what you did today!!' Now, my dd hadn't made a sound, but that announcement seemed to get my message across, at least for a few days!!!

Good way to get the point across!

....I think VWL are much darker!! I guess it's a personal thing.

When lights were off in our VWL studio it was dark, because of the red paint in the entryway, but then you turned on lights and it wasn't dark. With our two stays at AKL 1-bedrooms, Jambo and Kidani, even with lights on it was still dark. I have serious problems in lighting like that (thanks Lasik!) so for that and other reasons I'm done with AKL.

The thing I hate hearing??? I hate it when I hear that a DVC sales person has told you that 'oh, that won't be an issue to stay there. You don't 'have' to own there. You can always stay there if you decide you don't want to own there. Won't be an issue!!' Yeah, sure. That's why we always say buy where you want to stay. But you knew that. That's too bad that had to happen. Hopefully, you'll be able to stay at the VGC more often than not down the road!!

I hate that, too. I mean, we practically did a coin toss between Bay Lake and AKL, because that's what was "being sold" at the time and we simply didn't ask (becaues I hadn't yet read of the possibility) if we could buy something else, so we bought at Bay Lake. Still haven't stayed there. Lucky for us it is never our intention to use points at VGC (I don't like the hotel...too dark!) so we don't have that to worry about.

Earl of Sandwich = Awesomeness!!!
Mara = meh...

Mara = SALTY meh.

 

[Dizznee Freak]

We are SSR lovers as well. It is a beautiful resort with awesome grounds. Our kids even love it. We were worried that they would not like it because it is not over themed, however they loved it. And to them it is Disney so it is a win win for all. We thought about staying at other resorts but the closeness to DTD and the Earl always win out for this family of 6

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Just thought I'd share this...

 

[SnowWhite2]

SSR is our family's favorite resort also. It just seem so relaxing. One time DD and I took a mom and daughter trip and stayed at VWL. It was nice and we were near the lobby which was great. On our off day we went to DTD and had to ride the boat over to SSR and just hang at the pool for about an hour to get our SSR fix. We've stayed at most of the areas and each has their own unique advantages. I've never thought that the buildings (except the THV) were that far from the Carriage house.

We also own at AKV and find it very dark. We do like the shopping/retail area outside of AKV especially since they opened up a new Target, Sweet Tomates, etc in that area. It doesn't seem as "touristy" and congested as the areas near DTD.

 

[goofy4tink]

Just thought I'd share this...

Well now....that's just terrific!!! Looks like a stop is in order. That's my favorite type sandwich. Perhaps I will book at SSR instead of OKW, just to be closer to that sandwich!!!

 

[Minniesgal]

We have always liked the look of SSR but have never stayed there which we will fix this year as we are booked in the Treehouse Villas, but we love love love Kidani. The lack of counter service doesn't bother me as we do a garden grocer order and have light meals snacks in the room. We love the relaxed cosy atmosphere and find the dark fits with that. We are AKV owners and about to become VGC owners and are happy to own at both these resorts.