Kilamanjaro club or Stirmalong bay?

[mickeyfan1]

Can anyone confirm? Are all the kilamanjaro club concierge rooms savanna view? Also for those that have stayed club level is it worth it? Also is all the hype about stormalongbay real. We will be deciding soon on whether to stay at animal kingdom lodge or beach club. Thanks for all the advice and input.

 

[luv]

I did many stays in club level rooms before I finally said, "Why the heck am I paying $130/night for generic popcorn and Diet Coke?" IMO, it is so not worth it.

I took mid-day breaks and was back in the parks when they brought out the appetizers, so those did me no good.

I can dial up Disney Dining just as easily as I can dial the club level staff, so having them make dining reservations did me no good.

I don't care at all for turn-down because I sit on the bed when I get back to the room, so I would just turn it back up, lol.

The one and only thing I appreciated was having package delivery. Oh, and some of the club levels have Times Guides for each park, which was helpful.

The rooms aren't better. The housekeeping isn't better. They don't get reservations to anything you can't get yourself. The snacks are not close to as good as what I can buy myself at the grocery store for a heck of a lot less than $130/night. And I got Pepsi products, too.

I have no desire to drink beer or anything else with alcohol at night, so that was nothing to me...and it can easily be purchased at the grocery store, too.

But some people love it!

I am the only person on the planet who would rather use the pools at the Dolphin than at Beach Club. I do like that hotel very, very much, but am not a huge fan of its pool. It's fine for kids to splash around in, though. I think it is over-hyped.

(Sorry to be so negative, lol! But that is my honest opinion. I do think that if you want to stay club level, you should...and then decide for yourself how you like it!! )

 

[KCheatle]

I looked at the club level at WL and basically came to the same conclusion as @luv. I just don't get? At least not for me and my family. It just seemed like an added expense which didn't really get us anything that came close to worth it. So, in answer to your quesiton, no we haven't stayed in a club level room ...so...basically I'm just speculating because I haven't actually stayed at that level...meaning...I really didn't answer your question and probably didn't get you any farther that you already were...so, sorry for the rant... But, have fun planning!

 

[captainkidd]

I concur. We stayed Club Level once at Disney and once at Universal. Absolute waste of money.

 

[danpam1024]

I agree as well- unless it is a free upgrade- I wouldn't stay at the club level again either. Almost seems like people are trying to make entire meals out of the meager snack offerings- which can lead to bad experiences in the lounge. For the money, I would rather get a villa and have some groceries that I like delivered to have on hand at my leisure.

edit: As for Stormalong Bay- yes, it is awesome, but almost TOO spread out. I like the pool at Hard Rock better

 

[dreamfinder]

What would you be looking for out of staying club level? If you simply want to have a guaranteed savannah view, just book savannah view. Yes, there is food, but unless you have a party of 4 staying at the resort most of the day, recouping the costs on that alone are tough. And as mentioned, the concierge really doesn't do much that you (or a good Disney TA) can't do already. At AKL the biggest perk is the ability to book some of the special club level animal excursions. Are they worth the extra cost per day? That's your call.

Another board listed the food at AKL club level as the following

Breakfast:
Oatmeal, pineapple/orange/guava juice, muffins, bagels, other pastries, cereal

Snacks and Afternoon Tea:
Snacks are served at the Kilimanjaro Club throughout the day, including goldfish crackers, gummy bears, fresh fruit, pretzels, nuts, scones, dried fruits, warm cookies, brownies, veggies, cheese and crackers, etc. Loose leaf tea is offered mid-afternoon.

Lunch and Dinner:
African-style items from Boma and Jiko are often served at the Kilimanjaro Club, including ribs, meat skewers, soup, chicken wings, African beers, hummus and pita, etc. For the kids, there's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Desserts and Evening:
In the evenings, you can indulge in Boma's signature desserts like pineapple cheesecake, chocolate covered strawberries, zebra domes, and blueberry tarts. Cordials, such as Baileys, Drambuie, Frangelico, Grand Marnier, are also available.

You can see a full review here -> http://allears.net/ae/issue550.htm

 

[MaxsDad]

I have stayed Club level at AKL. All rooms are not Sav view. I had a pool view once there. We enjoyed it. I used my DVC to stay there. I would use it to stay yhere again.

I have also stayed at Beach Club. I am a big kid at heart, and I also love to go swimming. Stormalong Bay is the best pool facility I have been to.

 

[Hot Lava]

I agree as well- unless it is a free upgrade- I wouldn't stay at the club level again either. Almost seems like people are trying to make entire meals out of the meager snack offerings- which can lead to bad experiences in the lounge. For the money, I would rather get a villa and have some groceries that I like delivered to have on hand at my leisure.

This is a big issue on any concierge level in a hotel. Not just at WDW.

 

[AngryEyes]

It's expensive, for sure, but we've done it twice. If the money's there, it's certainly not a bad thing, but I wouldn't do without something else to stay concierge.

 

[RedDad]

We've stayed at AKL in a savanna view (not club level) and loved the resort. We had great views of the animals from our balcony. The pools at AKL are nice, but nothing special in my opinion. We've stayed at Contemporary club level (free upgrade) and I concur with luv - I personally wouldn't pay for club level at Disney. The rooms are no nicer and the snacks are nice, but nothing special. If you want a savanna view, then just book that.

As for SAB, we are staying at BC in June and have heard great things (particularly if you have kids), but I can't speak from experience as to which pool is better. The other thing BC has going for it is the proximity to Epcot and DHS. We felt like AKL was a bit "removed" from all the WDW action.

 

[KitchenKabaret]

Personally, we LOVE Storm Along Bay! If you and/or your family love swimming and would really enjoy having a mini water park right at your resort, then the Beach Club is the place for you. I've stayed at numerous resorts on property, and none can compare to the Beach Club. I love the lazy river later at night, when almost no one is there, and my son loves the long water slide and what he calls "his pirate ship." I love the view of the Boardwalk, too.

Have never stayed at AKL and would love to some day.

 

[coachwnh]

Can anyone confirm? Are all the kilamanjaro club concierge rooms savanna view? Also for those that have stayed club level is it worth it? Also is all the hype about stormalongbay real. We will be deciding soon on whether to stay at animal kingdom lodge or beach club. Thanks for all the advice and input.

Stayed club at AKL (as well as others) and its the best club value in the world. Yes, all club level rooms get a savannah view. And if you price your trip you'll see there isn't much difference between a savannah only room reservation and the club level. That's the reason I think it's worth it there. Not really worth it at any other resort in my opinion

 

[mickeyfan1]

Thanks so much for all the great info. We will skip the club level. Just have to now make our minds up if want a savanna view or stay at beach club for stormalong.

 

[luv]

Thanks so much for all the great info. We will skip the club level. Just have to now make our minds up if want a savanna view or stay at beach club for stormalong.

I'd take the AKL without question! But they're both nice hotels. My only real beef with the Beach Club is that you need the club level to guarantee a real balcony instead of those 6" deals. Otherwise, I may never have branched out to other hotels. it's a nice place.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Stayed club level at both AKL & Yacht Club. With a killer discount (we had 40%+ off both times) its not such a terrible value but those deep of discounts on now much higher rack rates I would not do. Didn't get to use the pool facilities at AKL because it was the now-infamous crazy freeze of January 2010. Snow/sleet actually came out of the sky twice during that trip. Gah! We did totally flippin' love Stormalong Bay and actually found ourselves in the parks wishing we were at the pool instead. It was a lot of fun & a relaxing atmosphere. Great poolside service, too. If its warm weather months and I was going deluxe for a parks trip again I'd go for Stormalong Bay in a heartbeat. We really did enjoy the resort location and the amenities that much.

 

[Skippy's Pal]

As shown in my signature, we've stayed at AKL and Beach Club several times, and both at Club Level, once as a free upgrade, other times that we paid for. For us, 3 adults in a room, being able to breakfast in the concierge lounge vs. paying for breakfast offset about half of the upcharge. We made liberal use of snacks, soft drinks, and bottled water, and for us that, plus the general ambience of club level, made it worth it for us. We have never made any kind of special demand of the concierge staff, and are realistic about what they can and can't do. We're planners and have worked with the wonderful Kingdom Konsultants to ensure an enjoyable trip.

My complaint about club level at AKL is that frequently the club level rooms are several floors away from the lounge, and require both an elevator ride and a longish walk. The concierge lounge at Beach Club, on the other hand, is just down the hall and much more convenient. Our last 2 trips have been split between Beach Club and AKL. In the future we'll be sticking to Beach Club. On the whole, my vote would go to Beach Club and Stormalong Bay.