Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 From the 'this is what happens when you ruin... I mean add DVC to a resort where it was never intended' department comes the news that lodge will basically close from July 9th until at least Sept. 1 due to the ongoing construction. From Mousesavers.com (although other sites are reporting this as well): <<According to a reliable source, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World will be mostly closed to guests from July 9 until Sept 1, 2007. (This date is subject to change.) The temporary closure is due to disruption caused by the construction of Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas units within the main structure of the Lodge. Apparently the disruption was greater than anticipated and Disney has decided to move guests rather than inconvenience them during their stays. It appears a few rooms will remain in use, but not many. I have been told that the following room types probably will NOT be affected: Pool View Bunkbeds, Suites (except Vice Presidential and Presidential) and Kilimanjaro Club Standard rooms. Guests staying in those room types may request a move, but the decision to move them will be handled on a case by case basis. Disney is calling guests who are currently booked at the Lodge in chronological order to assist them with moving to another resort. Guests have been offered rooms at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and at various Disney Deluxe resorts for the same price they were paying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Each case is handled differently, based on the room type booked and availability at other resorts for the dates in question. If you booked through a travel agency, your travel agent will receive the call and will contact you with options. It is believed that the restaurants will remain open but perhaps with limited hours.>> At least the good thing is so few guests want to stay at Saratoga Springs that moving guests there isn't a problem. However, if it were me, I'd demand an upgrade to the Poly, Contemp, GF or Boardwalk to make up for my inconvenience.
Originally Posted By Mr X I'm surprised they don't just shut the place down completely...I can't imagine the experience could be very good if there's so much construction going on. Oh well, anything for a buck I guess.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 Looks like I may be booking a backup for my Boma dinner in August--&^$@^&^$@
Originally Posted By dshyates It seems as if it would be easier to stall the construction until sept then empty the place for 2 months when it is far less crowded. Less people to move and more open rooms to move them to. But I do realize that that would delay the opening of the DVC rooms for 2 months and they would loses $$$ per day it isn't open yet. So toss'em out. We got money to make.
Originally Posted By stitchcrazy From some of the pictures I saw on AllEars that were recently taken from a guest room I can see why they'd do this. In particular one of the pictures was of a vast expanse of cleared land...and a Portapotty. AKL is an immersive experience. Waking up in the morning to see giraffes and some construction guy coming out out of the toilet don't go well together. I feel terrible for all the guests that were looking forward to staying at AKL and will have to stay elsewhere. If I was about to stay there and had to move to the likes of Saratoga Springs I'd be heart broken.
Originally Posted By pheneix I can't figure out why Saratoga Springs is such an unpopular choice. Its a beautiful resort and the villas are probably nicer than most resort rooms anyway. Granted, the location sucks and nothing about the resort screams "DISNEY!" at all, so if you are into that sort of thing I guess it would be a let down.
Originally Posted By frdeb1999 I can't even imagine having to rebook after waiting so long and after deciding on a certain resort. If you go and see whats open at the moment there honestly isn't a whole lot "deluxe" options left to choose from. Especially with the promotion they have discounting rooms for Aug-Sept right now. I honestly feel for those in this situation.
Originally Posted By dshyates "Hi, this is Minnie from Walt Disney World Resort Reservations, and we are thrilled to inform you that we have upgraded you at no extra cost from a savannah view room at our AKL to a luxurious family suite at our new Pop Century Resort. Have a Disney Day."
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<At least the good thing is so few guests want to stay at Saratoga Springs that moving guests there isn't a problem.>> That's a cheap shot Spirit and you know it. Even you have said that Saratoga Springs is one of the nicest of the DVC accommodations. Sure, at the present time it has a lot of vacancies. So does Old Key West. That does not mean it is a poor resort. It just means that the location of the Epcot DVC resorts makes them incredibly popular. And yes I realize that you did not say that SSR was poor quality. But you did infer it (to those who are less informed than yourself) when you said that very few people stay there. <<But I do realize that that would delay the opening of the DVC rooms for 2 months and they would loses $$$ per day it isn't open yet. So toss'em out. We got money to make.>> That statement makes no sense at all. Disney would not lose a dime by delaying the opening of DVC for a couple of months. People buying into DVC at the AKL lodge know that they are buying a future benefit in a resort that is under construction. The largest part of the development won't be ready for quite some time. A couple of months one way or the other will not make a bit of difference in Disney's DVC sales. On the other hand, giving people upgrades from the AKL (which is one of the least expensive Deluxe hotels) to other Disney Deluxe resorts WILL cost them money. This is NOT about money, but an attempt to give guests an experience worth what they are paying. Now you can fault Disney for not doing the planning to prevent this in the first place. They should have known that the AKL lodge would need to be closed for part of the construction so people would not have to change their reservation. That mistake has been made and there is nothing they can do about it. Now Disney is trying to do what they can to make up for that mistake. This is NOT about "we got money to make".
Originally Posted By dshyates Now you can fault Disney for not doing the planning to prevent this in the first place. They should have known that the AKL lodge would need to be closed for part of the construction so people would not have to change their reservation. That mistake has been made and there is nothing they can do about it. Now Disney is trying to do what they can to make up for that mistake. This is NOT about "we got money to make". I know. I was just makin' jokes. But it is about money in the long run. And it is good business sense to deal with the mess their in the best they can. Which is to move the guests to another deluxe. But I wouldn't consider SSR an equivilent trade. I doubt given the time of year that they can accomadate everybody where they want to be. And I personally would rather cancel than spend a couple of grand staying at a resort I don't care for. Given the short notice, with vacation days approved, and airline tickets purchased Canceling may not be an option for many. This is going to be a nightmare for reservations and guest services.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 <Sure, at the present time it has a lot of vacancies. So does Old Key West< and I don't mind one bit at OKW -- let the crowds jam into Boardwalk - I prefer the peace and quiet after a long day
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I happen to enjoy Saratoga Springs quite a bit ... as Trippy so less than eloquently referenced above. But I appreciate the fact most WDW resort guests regard it in the same way they viewed the Disney Institute and LBV Villas that were on that site previously. I have the feeling it's simply that people want to be close to the parks (or at least MK and Epcot) when choosing where to book. Most Disney resorts are holding at 85-95% occupancy this far this summer (great numbers), but I guarantee you SS is far lower than that. As to the whole DAK Lodge situation, this could have been forseen and rectified before it ever became a problem. The decision to add DVC to the Lodge wasn't just decided. But Disney ignorantly thought it could just keep guests staying at the resort and everything would be copasetic. Guess what? They want people to plan meals six months in advance and trips a year (or more) in advance, but they don't have the decency to make their plans known well in advance. And, message to Al, Inoverherheadmeg and Erin: when you start building that 14-story DVC Tower at the Contemporary (you know, the one you aren't pouring a foundation on now) people may not want to be staying at a construction site, even if it's next to the MK!
Originally Posted By jmuboy wow....this is a real shock. Glad I got my annual trip and dinner at Boma out of the way already.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 while I stay at OKW not AKL - I am still hopeful for my Boma meal - I wish there was a definitive answer so I could plan accordingly..........am going to call Dining tomorrow but have a feeling no one will know what I am talking about
Originally Posted By MinnieSummer Has anyone on these boards had their reservation changed yet or is this still a rumor? If it is true are these people being offered the Delux resorts at the same price they were paying at AKL or are they being offered a resort that would be similar in price with the option to upgrade at additional cost?
Originally Posted By MPierce >> They want people to plan meals six months in advance and trips a year (or more) in advance, but they don't have the decency to make their plans known well in advance. << I think that is the most relevant thing about this whole topic. >> Has anyone on these boards had their reservation changed yet or is this still a rumor? If it is true are these people being offered the Delux resorts at the same price they were paying at AKL or are they being offered a resort that would be similar in price with the option to upgrade at additional cost? << Spirit always states if he is posting about a rumor, he did not say rumor this time however. If you want more, a CM that works at Central Reservations has already said they are offering a transfer to SSR, for the same price, on a case by case bases. If you still want more confirmation I would suggest calling WDW at 407-939-4636.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Has anyone on these boards had their reservation changed yet or is this still a rumor? If it is true are these people being offered the Delux resorts at the same price they were paying at AKL or are they being offered a resort that would be similar in price with the option to upgrade at additional cost?>> I don't know the specifics ... each person is being moved and handled individually. Some are being offered Saratoga Springs studios for $120, a big discount BUT they are having a very difficult time filling them and have all sorts of discounts at the $164 price point available. I, personally, would consider it a downgrade to be moved from a room at DAK Lodge to a studio at SS. A one-bedroom or two bedroom villa would be different. I know one person was moved from the Lodge to a waterview room at the Beach Club for the same rate (I believe $182) he was paying at AKL originally ... some people might consider that an upgrade. I'd much rather stay at AKL as BC is one of the worst run, worst maintained resorts on property.
