Animal Kingdom Lodge Questions

[dxwwf3]

We just got a nice AP rate at the AKL for most of our stay during June 22 - July 2 and I have a few questions about the resort that I know someone will be able to help with.

First, where should I request our room to be? We have a standard room/standard view and I was told on the phone that there are VERY FEW rooms in this category in the actual lobby. Is this the best place to stay? We want to be as close as possible to the bus stop and/or The Mara. If we aren't able to get a lobby room, is the Zebra Trail the next best place to request? Because we will have a nothing view (and really don't care about the view anyways), it would be nice to be as close as possible to the buses.

What are people's opinions on The Mara? We're used to staying at the All Star Sports and Pop Century and I noticed the menu has just about everything we want, but it is a smaller selection overall. Is the food quality as good? We have no desire to eat at Boma or Jiko, so I would expect that we would be getting small breakfasts and late night meals there quite often.

What are people's experiences with the bus service there? As I said before, we're used to All Star Sports that usually has to share buses or Pop Century that usually has long lines (Although not too bad of a wait usually), but I know that AKL is a bit further away from the parks as well. This will be our first time at a Deluxe Resort, other than the Disneyland Hotel, and hopefully the bus service will be a step up.

Any other tips and ideas about the place? I'm a details person and will probably explore the grounds once we get there. Anything in particular to be on the look out for? We've been there once before to look around, but didn't spend a ton of time there.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[One Lil Spark]

The only thing that I can somewhat help you with is that I know Mara is located in the 'basement' of the Lodge, so request a lower level room if you're interested in being close to the food. When you're there, head to Mara and order the Zebra Domes. I hear they're to DIE for! :slurp:

Hope someone can help you more. :wave:

 

[DisneyPhD]

There is a possibility that you will be offered an upgrade when you go to check in. We were just there last week with some friends of ours who had booked a pool view room for the week but were upgraded to a savanah view room. It's a much smaller resort than the value resorts and so even if you have a room that's farther out, it still won't be much of a walk to the buses.

The buses (as it is at every resort) was a bit hit or miss. Some days we would walk up and the bus we were looking for was right there. Other days we had much longer waits. We would see every other bus multiple times before the one for the destination we were going to. Then there would be such a huge number of people waiting that they ended up sending two buses to the resort to get everyone. Some days it happened to us, other days it was another destination.

 

[dxwwf3]

There is a possibility that you will be offered an upgrade when you go to check in. We were just there last week with some friends of ours who had booked a pool view room for the week but were upgraded to a savanah view room. It's a much smaller resort than the value resorts and so even if you have a room that's farther out, it still won't be much of a walk to the buses.

Well going in late June/early July, I wouldn't think that would be an option, but I guess we will ask. But personally, I would rather be closer to the buses than have a Savanah View Room if given the choice. But yes it is a smaller resort, so even if we don't luck out, it shouldn't be too bad of a walk. I think we got spoiled by the Disneyland Hotel being about 10 feet away from the ESPN Zone and the beginning of Downtown Disney .

 

[fizzle75]

We just got back from our second stay at AKL a few weeks ago and as usual we loved it. AKL is tied with Wilderness Lodge as our favorite resort. Even when we don't stay there we usually set aside an afternoon to swing by, wander around the resort and eat at either Boma or Jiko.

I would suggest you request a room on either Ostrich Trail or Giraffe trail. Jiko, Boma and The Mara are all on the first floor. The lobby, Gift shop and bus transportation are all on the third floor. You'll shave a few steps off of your trip to the bus stop if you cut through Zawadi as opposed to going out the front of the lobby.

We love ALL of the dining options at AKL. I highly recommend that you reconsider your desire to not eat at Boma, it's truly one of the best restaurant's on property and Jiko is awesome as well but it's definitely more of an "adult" restaurant. The Mara is a great counter service place, we really like their breakfast especially the breakfast potatoes and the Jungle Juice.:slurp:

Be sure to spend some time on Arusha Rock viewing the animals and maybe taking in the storytelling by the fire. AKL is a fantastic resort, truly an attraction in itself, so be sure to take time to take it all in and...relax.

Have a great trip!

 

[fizzle75]

Oh, I almost forgot...the bus service can be a bit spotty so be prepared. On several ocassions we waited around thirty minutes for a bus both at the resort and at the parks, it can be a little frustrating at times but just plan accordingly and factor in a little extra time.

 

[DAWGFAN]

AKL is an amazing place and you will be glad you stayed, we were.

I would say however that "The Mara" will not compare to the food courts you are used to at the values. AKL is a deluxe resort and the counter service area is much much smaller and at breakfast time is crazy crazy crowded. The food is still good but as you pointed out a smaller selection.

 

[Hannah Montana]

We just stayed at the AKL in January and it has become one of my favorite resorts - even after staying in one of the newly remodeled rooms at the Contemporary. My husband and I ate at the Mara (I think that's what its called) one night and really enjoyed it. There wasn't much of a crowd and it was exactly what we needed after a busy day in the parks. Jiko is also a great option if you want a great meal. Our favorite thing to do at the resort at night was to go to a look-out spot by the pools around 9 (if you're back at the hotel by then!) and use the night vision goggles to look at the animals in the savannah. There are different workers there who can tell you all about the animals, a truly unique experience.

 

[brkgnews]

When you're there, head to Mara and order the Zebra Domes. I hear they're to DIE for! :slurp:

Hope someone can help you more. :wave:

I can vouch for that. :lookaroun Zebra domes are actually from Boma, but thankfully they sell them at Mara.

I would say however that "The Mara" will not compare to the food courts you are used to at the values. AKL is a deluxe resort and the counter service area is much much smaller and at breakfast time is crazy crazy crowded. The food is still good but as you pointed out a smaller selection.

Breakfast is crazy crowded at every resort, frankly. I did find that I preferred the smaller dining area at Mara... much quieter than the "mall food courts" at the values.

 

[dxwwf3]

I would suggest you request a room on either Ostrich Trail or Giraffe trail. Jiko, Boma and The Mara are all on the first floor. The lobby, Gift shop and bus transportation are all on the third floor. You'll shave a few steps off of your trip to the bus stop if you cut through Zawadi as opposed to going out the front of the lobby.

Yeah looking at the resort map it does seem that the Giraffe Trail could be the best spot. Do you think it would be even better than getting one of the few lobby rooms? I just thought it would be neat to stay in the actual lobby, but if it would be more convenient to stay in Giraffe on the 3rd floor, in your opinion, I might call them back and request the Giraffe instead.

We love ALL of the dining options at AKL. I highly recommend that you reconsider your desire to not eat at Boma, it's truly one of the best restaurant's on property and Jiko is awesome as well but it's definitely more of an "adult" restaurant. The Mara is a great counter service place, we really like their breakfast especially the breakfast potatoes and the Jungle Juice.:slurp:

I looked at Boma's menu online and nothing looked very intriguing to me. I would hate to get in there and pay $27 for chicken tenders and Spaghetti and Meatballs :lol:. Just to let you know what type of eater I am, I look forward to going to The Brown Derby and ordering two of the kids grilled chicken meals because there is nothing on the regular menu that interests me .

We did consider possibly doing the breakfast at Boma, but when you can go to Trails End just a few miles down the road, it's going to be hard to get us to another breakfast buffet. Especially when Trails End is $5 cheaper per person.

 

[Turcicus]

dxwwf3, your thread couldn't have come at a better time. My wife and I just booked our WDW trip for September and decided on the AKL! And I'm happy to learn that Zebra Domes are available outside of Boma - I missed them the one time we ate there (it was before I became a wdwmagician and knew of their existence).

Other than what's been already been said, does anyone have hints/tips/anecdotes about staying at AKL?

 

[RiversideBunny]

Probably in the minority by far, but I'm not a real fan of Boma.
Also, I didn't find zebra domes to be as spectacular as fans of them report on this site. I think Malomars from the grocery store are better. (Blasphemy, I know.)

We ate at Boma last December and enjoyed it but have no desire to go back. It's essentially a buffet where you find some meat and vegggies and salads and deserts that you like, by sampling.
For my final round I just got more chicken fingers.
Just to put that into perspective, I'm an adventurous eater and love sushi, Indian food, etc. (I eat anything except meat loaf.)

We ate at Mara once for lunch. The African stew was good. I think that was the name of it. It was served in a bread bowl.

Good luck.

 

[dxwwf3]

We ate at Boma last December and enjoyed it but have no desire to go back. It's essentially a buffet where you find some meat and vegggies and salads and deserts that you like, by sampling.
For my final round I just got more chicken fingers.
Just to put that into perspective, I'm an adventurous eater and love sushi, Indian food, etc. (I eat anything except meat loaf

Well I am extremely unadventurous, especially at WDW where most of my favorite meals are. I don't want to waste a meal there because there are so many that I like. But yes I am quite picky and not adventurous at all. So The Mara is just about it for me.

Any more help on the room location request?

 

[barrettnichols]

Preferences

Not going there for the view.....
No interest in Boma......

Why not stay at Pop Century or All Stars then?

Serioulsy, Boma is one of the best resturants at Disney these days, and if not for the cool views of the animals I'm not sure that I would stay there vs. many other resorts.
One way of the other, enjoy!

 

[dxwwf3]

Not going there for the view.....
No interest in Boma......

Why not stay at Pop Century or All Stars then?

There's a lot more to the resort than those two things :lol:

We've stayed at an All Star or Pop every trip for about 10 years now. It will be nice to stay in a different location, have a bigger room, and one of the biggest things is having bigger beds. Just because I don't think it is necessary to pay more to see animals from your deck, doesn't mean we won't spend time walking a few steps to view, either in the lounges or the main area past the lobby.

 

[SanFrancisco]

Zebra domes are actually from Boma, but thankfully they sell them at Mara.

What exactly are Zebra Domes and why are they so delicious?!? I can't wait to have my first Zebra Dome in just 85 days!

 

[fizzle75]

Yeah looking at the resort map it does seem that the Giraffe Trail could be the best spot. Do you think it would be even better than getting one of the few lobby rooms? I just thought it would be neat to stay in the actual lobby, but if it would be more convenient to stay in Giraffe on the 3rd floor, in your opinion, I might call them back and request the Giraffe instead.



I looked at Boma's menu online and nothing looked very intriguing to me. I would hate to get in there and pay $27 for chicken tenders and Spaghetti and Meatballs :lol:. Just to let you know what type of eater I am, I look forward to going to The Brown Derby and ordering two of the kids grilled chicken meals because there is nothing on the regular menu that interests me .

We did consider possibly doing the breakfast at Boma, but when you can go to Trails End just a few miles down the road, it's going to be hard to get us to another breakfast buffet. Especially when Trails End is $5 cheaper per person.

A lobby room would definitely be cool, and possibly more convenient, but the lobby of AKL can be pretty noisy at times so I would factor that in when you make your decision. On Ostrich Trail we had a savannah view room and loved it. Granted, due to the new Kadani village expansion we were greeted with the sound of construction every morning and as a result we didn't get to see alot of the animals...we had a great view of the construction though!:lol:

If you are not an adventurous eater then you probably won't like Boma or Jiko as the authentic African spices used in most of the dishes play a pretty prominent role. The Mara is a great counter service restaurant, especially breakfast, so I don't think you'll be disappointed there.

And by the way, I love Boma...and I love dessert...but I truly think the Zebra Domes are highly overrated. Boma has some excellent desserts, especially the bread pudding but I just don't get all of the gushing praise for the Zebra Domes. They're good, I definitely suggest you try them, but for me they're not great. They have these fantastic little fruit tarts that are delicious as well.:slurp:

 

[Dabeast]

Uhmmmm Boma

I also felt a need to warn you about the noise in the lobby. But I took note of your stay at All Star Sports, and figured your probably used to the noise. AK was our favorite stay, and being that close to Boma was great. There's nothing like the cherry wood flavor on the outside of the prime rib....which is just about all I eat(and lots of it)...DW and DD eat all the other "exotic" foods, which they say are delicious...we also thought Mara was very good...great Resort overall...enjoy your stay

 

[brkgnews]

Zebra domes are little dessert cake thingies...

They are a very very thin layer of cake, topped with a dome of a chocolate-ish mousse, then covered in like a white chocolate and "zebra stripes" of dark chocolate.

there are also other great desserts there, including a chocolate crunch mousse.

Zebra Domes:

 

[abbeysmom]

Are the Zebra Domes on the buffet at Boma???? They look wonderful....