Animal Kingdom Lodge - room advice

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StrawberryGirl

New Member
Original Poster
Hi everyone! We're about a month out from our first trip to WDW, and we're staying at the AKL with a savannah view room - hoping for a Zebra Trail room. I'm getting ready to make a room request (using touring plans and their room reviews), and I just was hoping for advice. We normally request the top floor of any hotel that we're staying at, since one of our main priorities at a hotel is a quiet room. At AKL, the top floors are all club level, and I feel like the view isn't as good anyway. (one of our other main priorities is a good view of the animals, since we're definitely paying for it!). Since the 3 floor is the main lobby floor, I was worried about the noise level on that floor. 4th floor was what I was leaning toward, but the non-club level rooms on that floor are all clear at the far end of the wing. I've been reading that some people advise against that, since the trip back to the lobby can take so long. So I guess I'm deciding between closer to the lobby on the 3rd, or further away from the lobby on the 4th. Thoughts? How annoying is it being at the far end? (it'll just be me, husband, and 14 yo daughter - no little kiddos or anything)

Thanks!
 
Wngo905

Wngo905

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
StrawberryGirl said:
Hi everyone! We're about a month out from our first trip to WDW, and we're staying at the AKL with a savannah view room - hoping for a Zebra Trail room. I'm getting ready to make a room request (using touring plans and their room reviews), and I just was hoping for advice. We normally request the top floor of any hotel that we're staying at, since one of our main priorities at a hotel is a quiet room. At AKL, the top floors are all club level, and I feel like the view isn't as good anyway. (one of our other main priorities is a good view of the animals, since we're definitely paying for it!). Since the 3 floor is the main lobby floor, I was worried about the noise level on that floor. 4th floor was what I was leaning toward, but the non-club level rooms on that floor are all clear at the far end of the wing. I've been reading that some people advise against that, since the trip back to the lobby can take so long. So I guess I'm deciding between closer to the lobby on the 3rd, or further away from the lobby on the 4th. Thoughts? How annoying is it being at the far end? (it'll just be me, husband, and 14 yo daughter - no little kiddos or anything)

Thanks!
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This depends on what room category you picked. If you are staying renting DVC points from someone, all the DVC rooms are on the 5th floor and 6th floor (which as you said is club level and only the middle of the lobby section).
If you are picking Zebra Trail that is on the right of the lobby. Some of those rooms for that hall are pool or Standard rooms. There are more savanna view rooms on the Kudu Trail but you could also be looking in the smaller savanna between Ostrach and Kudu or looking at Kadani with a savanna inbetween your room and Kadani. The halls on both Kudu and Zebra are long but no where near as long if you have a room at the end of Kadani halls, LOL (we did one time). Thankfully the halls are padded carpet. Noise levels will be a little higher the closer you are to the lobby, due to amount of people potentially walking by who are staying further down the hall. In general, the thought is the higher you are the further you can see out but the animals are also further below. I would pick either third or fourth if you are staying in a standard room. If you are DVC room, you are going to be 5th floor, except when you are at Kadani whose floors are all DVC rooms (either points or cash rooms through Disney.)

We love AKL both Jambo and Kandani (AKL is our DVC home resort and go often). I believe you will find any room at either MUCH MUCH more quiet than a Moderate or Value, especially the ones with the new plank flooring.
 
S

StrawberryGirl

New Member
Original Poster
Thank you so much for your help! We are not in a DVC room - just a normal room booked through Disney. But it sounds like the travel time to the further rooms on the Zebra Trail wing might not be so bad? (some comments make it sound like a major trek - which it probably feels like after all day at the parks with a toddler)
 
Nottamus

Nottamus

Well-Known Member
We just visited in June as DVC we were on the 5th floor, Kudu trail second building from the end…room about middle.

it’s a long walk, but really not bad. After walking in parks, then back to car with no trams…walking to room was easy
(Except check out day wheeling suitcases to car)

I find that the noise level has more to do with your neighbors than what floor you are on. We had loud neighbors in June. Very loud.

AKL to us is the most serene of the places we’ve stayed-you can’t go wrong in any room! Jambo or Kidani.
Have fun
 
LovePop

LovePop

Well-Known Member
If you don't get your room you want, you can always ask the front desk when you arrive. If you want a good location for animal viewing, then you must not consider the potential drawbacks of your room being a long walk from lobby. The long walk doesn't hurt anything even if you do have little kids. The hallway is very nice looking and calming at AKL, it's worth it. At Kidana, the hallway has big glass windows where you can look at the savanna when you walk by. But remember, sometimes people say that they don't end up seeing any animals in Savanna view, but most say they do. When I stayed at AKL Kidana a few months ago, I saw some animals from my room, though I didn't see zebras. I did see this animal that was like a half zebra. It had strips on half its body, and it hung around my balcony all the time. It was still very nice, though. Just the feel of living at the savanna was awesome, and the room was exquisitely beautiful, better than Beach Club, and definitely better than Dolphin or Hilton Bonnet Creek.
 
tagoofy

tagoofy

Active Member
One thing with AK savanna view rooms, I have found that higher is not necessarily better for the view. Higher rooms can (sometimes) have more obstructed views of the the animals because the tree can end up getting in the way more.
 
aliceismad

aliceismad

Well-Known Member
LovePop said:
If you don't get your room you want, you can always ask the front desk when you arrive. If you want a good location for animal viewing, then you must not consider the potential drawbacks of your room being a long walk from lobby. The long walk doesn't hurt anything even if you do have little kids. The hallway is very nice looking and calming at AKL, it's worth it. At Kidana, the hallway has big glass windows where you can look at the savanna when you walk by. But remember, sometimes people say that they don't end up seeing any animals in Savanna view, but most say they do. When I stayed at AKL Kidana a few months ago, I saw some animals from my room, though I didn't see zebras. I did see this animal that was like a half zebra. It had strips on half its body, and it hung around my balcony all the time. It was still very nice, though. Just the feel of living at the savanna was awesome, and the room was exquisitely beautiful, better than Beach Club, and definitely better than Dolphin or Hilton Bonnet Creek.
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Not all of the savannahs have zebras or giraffes.

I'm guessing you were on the Pembe Savannah, and the "half striped" animal you saw was the okapi, which are endangered, solitary animals. They're one of my favorites.
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jonnyc

jonnyc

Well-Known Member
Nottamus said:
We just visited in June as DVC we were on the 5th floor, Kudu trail second building from the end…room about middle.

it’s a long walk, but really not bad. After walking in parks, then back to car with no trams…walking to room was easy
(Except check out day wheeling suitcases to car)

I find that the noise level has more to do with your neighbors than what floor you are on. We had loud neighbors in June. Very loud.

AKL to us is the most serene of the places we’ve stayed-you can’t go wrong in any room! Jambo or Kidani.
Have fun
Click to expand...

I'd agree with this - I think AKL is generally a "quieter" resort unless you get some noisy neighbours.

All savannah view rooms will be good, but I'd recommend requesting a lower floor if you can!
 

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