Gooftroop26
New Member
Can anyone who has been to the animal kingdom lodge, let me know what their pros and cons were during their stay. I am going back to Disney in December and booked a stay there for 9 days and nights.
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Animal Kingdom Lodge pros and cons
- Thread starter Gooftroop26
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Disney MDACK
New Member
I'll be there early Oct. and I am curious how the noise will affect our stay. I am really looking forward to staying at a deluxe hotel (have not been to one since 94' Dolphin). I am just hoping the noise is not a problem seeing as I have a 2 1/2 year old that needs to take a nap.
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Vernonpush
Well-Known Member
The only problem we had there was no internet service, but I think that might have changed since we stayed.
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Cole'sMom
New Member
Honestly, I don't have a con for AKL. We have stayed there every year with the exception of our upcoming trip. The atmosphere is peaceful, welcoming, quiet. The CM's are wonderful and very informative. The lodge is beautiful-it's large, with an awesome overlook window, dark wood and has a fire-pit type smell. There are places to hear stories at night, night viewing of the animals. The pool is great, too. The best part about it, of course, are the animals. Waking up to see zebras and giraffes off of your bacony is amazing! We cannot say enough great things about the lodge. Yes, it's pricey, but it's worth it. It's not as far as you think. It's about a 12 minute ride to MK, DTD is the longest, though. It is a vacation within a vacation! We are considering buying points into AKLVillas through DVC, we love it that much!
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Capt. Salty
New Member
Regarding the remoteness of AKL: My family and I believe that it adds to the atmosphere! The idea is that you're out on the savannah, in the wilderness, away from the rest of life/reality. Sure, it can be a pain at the end of a busy day - but, I believe, well worth the extra time. Boma is fantastic!!! Haven't tried Jiko yet, though, but have heard nothing but great things. The shops at AKL are in the top 5 at WDW.
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ILOVEDISNEY
Active Member
We saw the plans for the DVC wing in February. They will be getting their own mini-savannah, and the present savannah will be reconfigured for the rest of the resort on that side.
P.S. While on the bus back to AK some newly arrived guests asked us how far AK was from AK Lodge. They could not believe they were only a few hundred feet away.
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slappy magoo
Well-Known Member
People who are used to WDW Deluxe Accomodations might be put off by the size of the standard rooms (they're the same size as the Wilderness Lodge, both of them having the least square footage in a regular room of any of the Deluxe Resorts). And it is remote, only transportation being buses and your car if you drove in. For some people, getting to the parks "in style" (monorail water ferry, even walking versus a bus) is a major reason why they shell out the ducats to stay in a deluxe. Heck, even OKW, SSR and the moderate Port Orleans resorts at least have a water ferry to Downtown Disney.
But in exchange, you're staying at, IMHO, a truly singular resort, an experience no other resort on-property can duplicate. It is impressive, awe-inspiring and at the same time welcoming, even cozy. If the Dalai Lama were reincarnated as a WDW resort, it'd be AKL :lol: It's actually my favorite resort on-property, and I kinda regret not waiting a little bit before joining DVC. I worry that getting a room at the AK Villas, even with a 7-month window, will often be impossible. I honestly can't describe how much I've enjoyed staying there. But I will definitely stay there again.
The only other minor quibble- and it's not really MY quibble, just one I've heard other people address- is that the lighting is very dim, especially when compared to the blinding Florida sun. It can take a while for your eyes to adjust to those extremes.
But in exchange, you're staying at, IMHO, a truly singular resort, an experience no other resort on-property can duplicate. It is impressive, awe-inspiring and at the same time welcoming, even cozy. If the Dalai Lama were reincarnated as a WDW resort, it'd be AKL :lol: It's actually my favorite resort on-property, and I kinda regret not waiting a little bit before joining DVC. I worry that getting a room at the AK Villas, even with a 7-month window, will often be impossible. I honestly can't describe how much I've enjoyed staying there. But I will definitely stay there again.
The only other minor quibble- and it's not really MY quibble, just one I've heard other people address- is that the lighting is very dim, especially when compared to the blinding Florida sun. It can take a while for your eyes to adjust to those extremes.
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SallyShine
New Member
A friend just returned from a trip in which they split their time between Poly and AKL. While she really loved AKL, she said that it was a destination unto itself. She would go there to stay for a relaxed, non-park, weekend. If you are spending most of your time at the parks, she said Poly was just easier all around.
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I got back last week from a 9 day stay at AKL and I LOVED it. It was my first time there and I would definitely stay there again. In the past I have stayed at Caribbean Beach and Port Orleans.
I found the bus service to be fantastic. The longest I waited for a bus was about 10 minutes. It seemed like this resort had tons of buses running, so the wait was never very long. Plus the fact that you don't share with any other resorts, so it was just the one stop, which definitely makes a difference at the end of a long day. I found that the time to the parks was great too. I had been skeptical about this based on past reviews, but it was better than I expected:
AK - 5 minutes
Blizzard Beach - 5 minutes
MGM - 10-15 minutes
Epcot - 10-15 minutes
Magic Kingdom - 20 minutes
Downtown Disney 20-25 minutes
The savannah view room was gorgeous! Even staying 9 days, we never tired of going out to the balcony whenever we got in to see the animals. I would definitely get a Savannah view if you can afford it. If not, there are plenty of places to view the animals. My room overlooked the Sunset Savannah and I didn't hear or see the construction going on at all.
The pool and spas are great, the food was fabulous - the Dining plan was well worth it. Boma had a great breakfast buffet and Jiko was excellent.
My only complaints would be the cost and that it was very dark. They have to keep it dark for the animals apparently...but it almost made it seem more peaceful like that.
Overall...very very happy with AKL
I found the bus service to be fantastic. The longest I waited for a bus was about 10 minutes. It seemed like this resort had tons of buses running, so the wait was never very long. Plus the fact that you don't share with any other resorts, so it was just the one stop, which definitely makes a difference at the end of a long day. I found that the time to the parks was great too. I had been skeptical about this based on past reviews, but it was better than I expected:
AK - 5 minutes
Blizzard Beach - 5 minutes
MGM - 10-15 minutes
Epcot - 10-15 minutes
Magic Kingdom - 20 minutes
Downtown Disney 20-25 minutes
The savannah view room was gorgeous! Even staying 9 days, we never tired of going out to the balcony whenever we got in to see the animals. I would definitely get a Savannah view if you can afford it. If not, there are plenty of places to view the animals. My room overlooked the Sunset Savannah and I didn't hear or see the construction going on at all.
The pool and spas are great, the food was fabulous - the Dining plan was well worth it. Boma had a great breakfast buffet and Jiko was excellent.
My only complaints would be the cost and that it was very dark. They have to keep it dark for the animals apparently...but it almost made it seem more peaceful like that.
Overall...very very happy with AKL
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YankeeMouse
Well-Known Member
We have been to WDW more than 40 times, always staying on the property, but never at AKL, I thought it was too isolated. We finally stayed there last month and, boy, was I wrong! The isolated feel made the theming all the more realistic. We had a savannah room, and watching the giraffes, zebra, etc., from our balconey was relaxing and a great change from the park. I would not hesitate to go back. We have stayed at WL, Poly, Beach Club, French Quarter, and Contemporary. I'd have to rank AKL at the top for the feeling that you are completely isolated from the real world. GO!
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MissDiznee66
Member
We stayed there for 9 days last year and the only con was the piece of newspaper on the rocks that we could see when we were on our Savannah View balcony. But one phone call took care of that. It is a beautiful resort. Enjoy!:sohappy:
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ConstanceIrene
Member
I'm glad you mentioned that "quibble". I love "AKL, but the lighting is very dim. When we return in August, I'm actually going to pack a lighted make-up mirror for the vanity area.
Then again, the OP is male, so I guess this is a moot subject.
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janni518
New Member
We were there back in 2001. The only down side I found was a bit longer wait for buses and there was no real fast food available, for my little ones if we didn't want to sit down for a meal. That may have changed by now.
On the plus side they got to raise the flag twice and still talk about that.
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hcswingfield
Active Member
We loved being able to go outside any time of day or night and look at animals. It was also amazing to see them from our Savannah view room. We don't have kids, but it seemed like there were tons of activities for children if you have them. The restuarants are spectacular. The best "pro" for us was moving to a concierge level room for one night so we could sign up for the sunrise safari. That's one of my all time best WDW memories. Well worth every extra penny it cost.
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figmentmom
Well-Known Member
You know, now that you mention it, that WAS a heck of a dark bathroom (I'd forgotten all about it until you posted this). :ROFLOL:
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NCWDWFAN
New Member
We stayed at AKL last September. It was a very cool place to stay. Just walking through the doors into the lobby area is breath taking. And then to get to the counter and be told you are being upgraded for free to a savanah view room just started the whole trip off in a truly magical way.
However, IMO, the layout of the resort makes it not easy to get anywhere. And we were lucky that we were on the second floor (which is on the same level as the lobby) elevartors can be an issue getting to the other floors. If you have the opportunity, stay at least once and go eat at BOMA! But I am not sure if I will go back to AKL, if anything I want to experience every resort I can!!!
ENJOY!
However, IMO, the layout of the resort makes it not easy to get anywhere. And we were lucky that we were on the second floor (which is on the same level as the lobby) elevartors can be an issue getting to the other floors. If you have the opportunity, stay at least once and go eat at BOMA! But I am not sure if I will go back to AKL, if anything I want to experience every resort I can!!!
ENJOY!
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