That would be great!!! thank you! ok, i was hoping 3rd or 4th floor. and yes i plan on exploring the hotel as much as possible during my stay! maybe sometimes after the kids are asleep so i can do it with some peace and quiet! haha
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Animal Kingdom Lodge Room Location
- Thread starter DisneyDoug85
- Start date
That would be great!!! thank you! ok, i was hoping 3rd or 4th floor. and yes i plan on exploring the hotel as much as possible during my stay! maybe sometimes after the kids are asleep so i can do it with some peace and quiet! haha
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Poly was full that week, but it only has 2 buildings with theme park view rooms, besides Hawaii which is club level. So I had a 50/50 chance. I also got 3rd floor as requested. But then again is 50/50, tpv rooms are 2nd and 3rd floor only.
My TA has notated specific requests for my contemporary tpv room stay, floor 9 or above. So I'm hoping to get lucky again.
With AKL we are requesting Zebra trail, so again, will love to get lucky for that as well.
Swissmiss
Premium Member
I think you keep confusing the issue by asking which building, as there is only one. The Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) is the deluxe resort (i.e.: hotel rooms) and within it there are some DVC units ("Jambo House"), but all of this is in the same building. Down the road is Kidani, which is all DVC units (i.e.: a studio, one bedroom, or two bedroom units).
Again, depending on which TRAIL (hallway) your room is located, the elevator may be right off the lobby (if you are on the Giraffe trail), or may be half-way down the hall (if you are on the Zebra trail). As you have reserved a pool view room, those are the only two trails that have pool view rooms. The elevator on the Giraffe trail tends to be extremely busy and crowded, as it is the same elevator that brings guests down to Boma, Jiko and the Mara (plus of course the pool). However, since you wish to be by the lobby and by an elevator, I think you need to request a room on the Giraffe trail. If you were to "downgrade" to a standard room, there would be more options which satisfy your more important needs (close to lobby, close to elevator and connecting/adjoining rooms). I have ignored the "need" for a pool view room, as you have made it clear it is not the view that is important but the location.
I apologize, i realize how it sounds but i guess i meant what "section". I realize that Jambo is 1 building technically and again I've never been there, but it appears on the map to be separate buildings connected by a common hallway running through them. Sorry for the mistake, and thanks for the clarification. Im now getting confused with what i want and what is being recommended by those that know the resort much more then i do haha. I don't think (could be wrong) that i said i wanted a "near elevator" room, i think i posed it as a question. I would definetely like to be by the lobby, for multiple reasons.
I know this probably varies depending on time of year etc, but if i were to go with standard view, what do you think the chances are of me getting a near lobby room as apposed to a "standard" view that is located fairly far away from the lobby? I know that any room requests are not guaranteed, thats why i ask. And really, thats why i booked a pool view in the first place. if it has a view of the pool, its probably relatively close to the lobby. what are your thoughts? and thanks again!
CaptainAmerica
Premium Member
Try this tool. It'll answer all of your questions.
https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-animal-kingdom-lodge
I have been messing around with that and it is very helpful! Thank you.
Swissmiss
Premium Member
Looking at the map (and basing it on my own experience of only booking standard rooms), I think there is a very good chance that the first "box" on each trail coming out from the lobby is a standard room, at least for the lower (three and below) floors. Our first visit we were in the very beginning of the Kudu trail (about the third room in), on the second floor. While we had views of the animals, they were somewhat "obstructed" by some of the pens underneath (not a problem and we were THRILLED). I suspect the same will occur on the pool side of the hotel - the first "box" on those two trails will have pretty bad "pool views" depending on the floor, so they may be classified as standard rooms. Our other stays we've been on the third floor, either on Kudu or Zebra trails, further down the hallways but always close to one of the corners (which are considered to have "obstructed" views - and again we were always THRILLED.
This is why I have suggested that you "downgrade" - because I think it may ultimately help you get closer to the lobby, which is what it sounds like you would prefer. Again, I'm drawing conclusions based on my own experiences and the rooms I've had.
To give you a size perspective, I just looked at the room numbers on the map you posted - each "box" has about 16 rooms (per floor) which means only 8 rooms long before there is a viewing Windows and another section of about 16 rooms (so 8 long). So if you keep the pool view room, you can already determine that your worst case scenario in terms of walking will be that you must go to the back end of the lobby, go down two "boxes" on the Zebra trail, and maybe have to then turn right and go all the way to the end of that hallway. It wouldn't be the end of the world, and on the plus side, if you want to go to the wading pool, you'd be near the elevator that lets out right by the wading pool. So if you want to have a better shot (i.e., have a larger pool of rooms available near the lobby for them to attribute to you), you may want to consider downgrading.
If the "worst case scenario" walk is something that you're ok with, then stick with what you have and make it very clear that what is most important for you will be the proximity of your room with that of the other family in your traveling party. This point is very important - I always travel with my sister and her husband, as well as my own child. We live very far apart and see each other infrequently, so we have always requested rooms nearby. This has always been granted except for the last trip - we did on-line check in and indicated an early arrival. Reservations interpreted having a room ready at arrival was more important than close together, so we were put on two different floors. At the front desk (thanks Bradley you are awesome!) they were able to change this for us, but it required my sister and her husband to move all their stuff that they had already started unpacking. So just make sure that being together is noted as a higher priority than any other request.
This is why I have suggested that you "downgrade" - because I think it may ultimately help you get closer to the lobby, which is what it sounds like you would prefer. Again, I'm drawing conclusions based on my own experiences and the rooms I've had.
To give you a size perspective, I just looked at the room numbers on the map you posted - each "box" has about 16 rooms (per floor) which means only 8 rooms long before there is a viewing Windows and another section of about 16 rooms (so 8 long). So if you keep the pool view room, you can already determine that your worst case scenario in terms of walking will be that you must go to the back end of the lobby, go down two "boxes" on the Zebra trail, and maybe have to then turn right and go all the way to the end of that hallway. It wouldn't be the end of the world, and on the plus side, if you want to go to the wading pool, you'd be near the elevator that lets out right by the wading pool. So if you want to have a better shot (i.e., have a larger pool of rooms available near the lobby for them to attribute to you), you may want to consider downgrading.
If the "worst case scenario" walk is something that you're ok with, then stick with what you have and make it very clear that what is most important for you will be the proximity of your room with that of the other family in your traveling party. This point is very important - I always travel with my sister and her husband, as well as my own child. We live very far apart and see each other infrequently, so we have always requested rooms nearby. This has always been granted except for the last trip - we did on-line check in and indicated an early arrival. Reservations interpreted having a room ready at arrival was more important than close together, so we were put on two different floors. At the front desk (thanks Bradley you are awesome!) they were able to change this for us, but it required my sister and her husband to move all their stuff that they had already started unpacking. So just make sure that being together is noted as a higher priority than any other request.
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
If the TA is putting in requests that's different for your odds.
Also, you don't have to school me on resort layouts etc, I know them like the back of my hand.
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Ok. That's great. I specified because unlike the larger resorts, or different room categories, there are a relatively small number of tpv at Poly. I don't know every resort like the back of my hand, and figured not everyone reading would either..so didn't want to mislead people. Especially on the AKL front.
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much for this, the way you explained this helped me immensely. For some reason it just wasn't clicking with me before...(i may not be the brightest bulb
). Anyway, i was just with my sister who is the planner for the other half of the party. After going over what you've just told me, we decided that the "worst case scenario" you laid out is something we're ok with risking. I think the biggest thing i was worried about was that i thought the ends of the building were a hike and a half to the lobby etc, but i was told by a few people that thats not really the case. So if we end up a couple "boxes" as you put it, away from the lobby, its not the end of the world. Also, as far as making it clear we wanted connecting rooms...we both have that listed on our original booking confirmation, and we are both putting "near lobby" first and "connecting rooms guaranteed" second for our room requests on online check in. Hopefully we get a room we want, but either way I'm sure we'll be happy as AKL seems like an incredible resort. I completely understand what you mean by saying there are more standard rooms available then pool view, so were limiting our chances for success right off the bat. So we're gonna keep an open mind and maybe we'll have a change of heart and go with standard view. But for now we'll keep it as is. Thanks again for your help! it really did help me to understand the layout of AKL.
Swissmiss
Premium Member
@DisneyDoug85 - I'm so glad I was able to help! I'm sure you're going to have a fantastic time there so enjoy every minute!
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Sorry for the confusion, I'll use an example-
If booking a standard room at Poly, or even a standard view or savanna view at AKL, there are more of these rooms than there are Poly tpv. So regardless of a building request for said poly tpv, you have a 50/50 chance of getting the floor and/or building you want... Which would obviously increase your odds.
The same way that by booking a club level room at AKL, I'm increasing my odds of being on the specific floor that I want, and am also eliminating the possibility of being in one of the other two side trails.
I think the OP did the same by choosing a Pool View, she has decreased her possibility of being far from the restaurants vs a room on the end of "Kudu Trail".
Maybe it's because I travel alone with a child, but room location is always extremely important to me, so I understand and can relate when someone else is looking for convenience.
mouse_luv
Well-Known Member
I freaking get it. I told you I more than know what I am doing and how everything works and I'm starting to wonder if you keep insisting on answering where there doesn't require one just to hear yourself speak. Please stop.