MelissaTnNc
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2012
We booked points through a user on here for one nights stay in a standard view studio in Jambo house for our family of five--me, DH, DS6, DD4, DS 1--to kick off our four nights stay at the Poly. I did online check-in, did not make any requests as I knew the standard view were all in one area and just couldn't decide what to request and left it to fate 
. Did get the email for magic band testing, signed up for it and got our bands about three weeks before our trip.
We pulled in to AKV on Dec 2nd around 9am bc I wanted to check in before our 10am Chef Mickey ressie. We were pointed to the thirty minute parking lot and asked if we wanted to unload anything, to whih we did not. We headed into the lobby and our kids were thrilled! So fun!
The CM checking us in was kind and friendly, gave us cute little 2013 with a Mickey face thingy to go on our bands (kids later discovered it glowed in the dark and people stopped us asking where we for them!) and he checked to see if our room was ready, which it wasn't, but told us where it would be and we were actually upgraded to savannah view! Now, a teensy bit of me was bummed bc I was looking forward to our standard studio location close to the lobby. Well, I of course was thrilled once we actually got to our room (more on that later!)!
Right after check in I went over to ask about the sunset mingler as DH and kids explored the lobby and shopping. I knew from this board that the mingler was open to anyone staying on points, regardless of owning. Our friends have owned for about 10 years at OKW and we stayed with them in a two bedroom at BLT last year so we were excited to talk with other owners as we are seriously considering buying within the next two years. I asked the CM if we could RSVP for the mixer, she wasn't sure if we could since we didn't own and she called over to kidani and that person also didn't know, lol, but eventually they did find out that yes we could attend, as I knew all along, ha!
Off we went to chef mickeys and on our way, got our text that our room was ready and our room number. Had a wonderful breakfast and got back and unloaded a couple of bags and our cooler and headed to our room. Unfortunately, I didn't double check our room number against the map that the CM drew for us showing is where to go, so when we got to the end, we of course were on the completely opposite side. Sigh. I absolutely should have doubled checked, but I was pretty bummed about having to go to the opposite end with our bags and cooler, oh and three kiddos were ready for a nap! It was a very rough twenty minutes! The halls aren't very wide, which was fine later in the day, but we had bags and were dodging housekeeping carts, so a bit of a bummer at that very moment.
We finally got back to our side and in our room and oh my goodness. I could have cried. The view was wonderful. My DS6 could have sat on the balcony for two straight days checking off the animals from the guide sheet. DS1 shrieked with joy everytime he saw an animal, which was often! We unloaded and headed to the pool where DH and I didn't swim, but our kids had a fantastic time swimming. It was probably our coldest day, which wasn't particularly cold, but too cold for me to swim!
After a while we headed back upstairs to clean up a bit before the mingle. Got to the lobby about thirty minutes early so we walked all around and outside to the savannah viewing area, decorated an ornament and dropped the kids off at the kids club where they played for no charge while we were at the mingle with DS1.
The mingle was great! The food was good and filling and our host was funny and it was really just a mingle. No sales pitch, just a bit of silly conversation starters where you had to talk to three people you didn't know. Talked to three different people about their ownership and how much they liked it. I gathered, without specifically asking, that all three couples purchased directly. Mingle lasted an hour and had a drawing for $100 Disney gift card that we didn't win, haha.
Picked up the kids and grabbed them dinner from the QS near the pool. DH and I were stuffed from the mingle, so just grabbed some zebra domes from the cooler case--yum! We did the night viewing of the animals and watched a bit of the movie, but did miss the campfire. Headed back to the room and our kids were passed out by 8:30! Yay!
The next morning we sat a while on the balcony soaking up the view and talking about how Disney knew exactly what they were doing when upgrading us! Our kids loved it and when we return to AKV, we will absolutely book a savannah view as we could never stand to chance it and not get that type of view again! We were headed to the poly, so the kids and I hung out in the lobby while DH loaded our bags. Oh! Neil Patrick Harris walked by me in the lobby that morning! He was the reader for the candle light processional that night and the next, so I'm guessing was staying there with his his family. My BFF said he tweeted a pic of his hubby from breakfast there that morning!
All in all, a fantastic night. I do wish we had been able to get another night there on point rentals, but I didn't really plan that add on in enough time and there wasn't availability. I have a few pics I'm going to try to upload!
. Did get the email for magic band testing, signed up for it and got our bands about three weeks before our trip.We pulled in to AKV on Dec 2nd around 9am bc I wanted to check in before our 10am Chef Mickey ressie. We were pointed to the thirty minute parking lot and asked if we wanted to unload anything, to whih we did not. We headed into the lobby and our kids were thrilled! So fun!
The CM checking us in was kind and friendly, gave us cute little 2013 with a Mickey face thingy to go on our bands (kids later discovered it glowed in the dark and people stopped us asking where we for them!) and he checked to see if our room was ready, which it wasn't, but told us where it would be and we were actually upgraded to savannah view! Now, a teensy bit of me was bummed bc I was looking forward to our standard studio location close to the lobby. Well, I of course was thrilled once we actually got to our room (more on that later!)!
Right after check in I went over to ask about the sunset mingler as DH and kids explored the lobby and shopping. I knew from this board that the mingler was open to anyone staying on points, regardless of owning. Our friends have owned for about 10 years at OKW and we stayed with them in a two bedroom at BLT last year so we were excited to talk with other owners as we are seriously considering buying within the next two years. I asked the CM if we could RSVP for the mixer, she wasn't sure if we could since we didn't own and she called over to kidani and that person also didn't know, lol, but eventually they did find out that yes we could attend, as I knew all along, ha!
Off we went to chef mickeys and on our way, got our text that our room was ready and our room number. Had a wonderful breakfast and got back and unloaded a couple of bags and our cooler and headed to our room. Unfortunately, I didn't double check our room number against the map that the CM drew for us showing is where to go, so when we got to the end, we of course were on the completely opposite side. Sigh. I absolutely should have doubled checked, but I was pretty bummed about having to go to the opposite end with our bags and cooler, oh and three kiddos were ready for a nap! It was a very rough twenty minutes! The halls aren't very wide, which was fine later in the day, but we had bags and were dodging housekeeping carts, so a bit of a bummer at that very moment.
We finally got back to our side and in our room and oh my goodness. I could have cried. The view was wonderful. My DS6 could have sat on the balcony for two straight days checking off the animals from the guide sheet. DS1 shrieked with joy everytime he saw an animal, which was often! We unloaded and headed to the pool where DH and I didn't swim, but our kids had a fantastic time swimming. It was probably our coldest day, which wasn't particularly cold, but too cold for me to swim!
After a while we headed back upstairs to clean up a bit before the mingle. Got to the lobby about thirty minutes early so we walked all around and outside to the savannah viewing area, decorated an ornament and dropped the kids off at the kids club where they played for no charge while we were at the mingle with DS1.
The mingle was great! The food was good and filling and our host was funny and it was really just a mingle. No sales pitch, just a bit of silly conversation starters where you had to talk to three people you didn't know. Talked to three different people about their ownership and how much they liked it. I gathered, without specifically asking, that all three couples purchased directly. Mingle lasted an hour and had a drawing for $100 Disney gift card that we didn't win, haha.
Picked up the kids and grabbed them dinner from the QS near the pool. DH and I were stuffed from the mingle, so just grabbed some zebra domes from the cooler case--yum! We did the night viewing of the animals and watched a bit of the movie, but did miss the campfire. Headed back to the room and our kids were passed out by 8:30! Yay!
The next morning we sat a while on the balcony soaking up the view and talking about how Disney knew exactly what they were doing when upgrading us! Our kids loved it and when we return to AKV, we will absolutely book a savannah view as we could never stand to chance it and not get that type of view again! We were headed to the poly, so the kids and I hung out in the lobby while DH loaded our bags. Oh! Neil Patrick Harris walked by me in the lobby that morning! He was the reader for the candle light processional that night and the next, so I'm guessing was staying there with his his family. My BFF said he tweeted a pic of his hubby from breakfast there that morning!
All in all, a fantastic night. I do wish we had been able to get another night there on point rentals, but I didn't really plan that add on in enough time and there wasn't availability. I have a few pics I'm going to try to upload!
