Animal Kingdom Lodge

[CoraJack]

Hi all:

I'd like some input on the AKL from those of you who have been there. I'm quite apprehensive to stay here due to some of the things that I've heard on the boards. But--I did make a reservation because I got a good discount code and my son has had this on his wish list for awhile.

#1 Is the bus service that bad? We are used to staying at a monorail resort. Are there long waits?

#2 Is the pool slide comparable to the slide at the Poly? (This was my son's favorite thing).

#3 We have a savannah view room--what particular BUILDING can I request to be closest to the food courts/lobby? When I made my ressie the CM did not have much information about this and commented that savannah view rooms are far from the lobby/food court? Oh please, say it isn't so!

#4 Are the animals out a lot on the savannah? Or is it like the safari where only sometimes you get lucky and get to see an animal roaming around?

#5 Any other helpful hints? Am I going to wish I would have stayed at the Poly?

Christina

 

[Mitzer]

Hi Christina...

Ok, first don't worry. The AKL is a great place to stay. I will be there myself in a few weeks. It will be my third trip to that resort. I have heard stories also about the bus being slow or taking a long time, but I have never had that experience. I did like that the AKL is the only bus on its line, so you don't have to go from resort to resort for pick ups and drop offs. The resort is beautiful and you will love the savannah view. I don't know if there is a savannah to request that is closer than another. Both times I stayed conceirge, so I was always on the Arusha Savannah. We loved the view from our rooms. The animals will make an appearance if they want to - you know you can lead them to water, but you can't make them drink...so they are going to go where they want to. I can say that I was not disappointed with either stay. We saw our fair share of animals from the balcony...so it was worth the money to stay in the savannah rooms. Also, you may want to consider trying Boma's. It is IMHO one of the best places to eat on property...for bfast or dinner. I wish I could help with the slide/pool question. I didn't go to the pool either trip, so I have no comparision for you. But I can say that the resort in whole is one of our favorites and I haven't met many people who don't share that feeling. I think you will love the AKL, give it a try and an open mind and I am sure it will be one of your new favorites too. Have a wonderful trip...

Mitzer

 

[GalacticGobbler]

Christina,
We stayed 3 days at AKL about 2 weeks ago, and we loved it!! We can't wait to go back.
The resort is wonderful, and the food at The Mara(Foodcourt) and at Boma(Buffet) was awesome. We didnt do Jiko.

1-The bus service can be slow, timing is everything. If you are used to a monorail resort, the Magic Kingdom will obviously take longer, but we have stayed on the Monorail and the bus service to MGM and AK didnt seem to be any different.

2-Not sure about the slide, but the pool is now one of our favorites. Very easy to get to. and the Mara is so close and handy.

3-Our room was 3574, and there were lots of Zebra, watusi, Giraffes, and all the others. I thought the distance to the food court was fine. I have a map of the resort if you would like it. Just PM me with your email address and I will send it.

4-Animals animals animals there was always something to look at from our balcony

5-Make sure and talk with the CM's. They had a display set up in the sunset overlook at night and we really enjoyed visiting with a young man from Zimbabwe. Dont miss the storytelling at the firepit, and the nightvision on the arusha savannah, i think it is at 10pm. We also enjoyed waiting for our PS at boma, by having a drink at the Victoria Falls lounge.

If you would like to know more let me know. I dont think you will be disappointed.

Rich

 

[Stellajack]

Hi Christina,
I stayed at the AKL for the first time in Dec. when the crowds were definitely smaller. You'll love the entire atmosphere there!
So peaceful, serene. We had a savannah view room and there were always animals anytime we looked out. The sunset was incredible too. We had no trouble with the bus ( the longest wait we had was about 12 min for MGM), and only had to wait when we arrived at the busstop just as the park bus we wanted was pulling away. GO FOR IT! The food court is not so very far away either. You just have to remember at AKL that it is the home for the animals and everything is designed with that in mind. You'll love it.

 

[DigitalDisney]

1 - Bus Service will be quicker to AK and MGM than the mnonorail resorts. However, it will be slower to Epcot and the MK than the monorails

2 - The pool at the Poly is better, IMO. The slide at AKL is decent, but it's not as cool as the one at the Poly.

4 - Every time I've visited the resort, I've seen animals roaming in the savannah. The animals are much more visible because the territory for them to roam is much smaller than that of the safari (nowhere to hide). The animals also get relatively close to the various observation areas set up around the resort.

5 - If you're used to the Poly, then you might just want to stick with the Poly for this adventure.

However, AKL is a nice resort that's truly a different experience altogether. If you like AK, then you'll enjoy staying at the AKL. Give yourself plenty of time to explore the resort, because there's a lot of things to see and do. Also, if you're a guest at AKL, you can sign up for an early-morning safari ride at AK (it's exclusive to the resort).

 

[ToTBellHop]

Note that the Sunrise Safari is exclusive to concierge guests--all other guests do not have the opportunity to partake in the Sunrise Safari. In my opinion, this is the best Resort on property, and I have never had a problem with the buses. The nicest thing is that, unlike the other deluxes, this Resort does not share its bus system, so you hardly ever have to stand on a bus to or from the Lodge. The pool area is very nice, but Polynesian's pool is better. However, Animal Kingdom Lodge also has two hot tubs (one very hot, one warm), unlike Polynesian, which lacks hot tubs. In terms of room requests, since the entire Resort is one building, simply ask for rooms close to the lobby, and note that the restaurants, gift shop, and pool are on the right side of the building, so either of the two arms heading to the right are great. In terms of animals, they are pretty much always out somewhere. Obviously, they need to clean each savannah each day and put food out, so there are a couple times each day where a savannah is empty--but, they will almost always still have animals in the other savannahs. I don't think you will wish you had stayed at Poly--this is a fantastic Resort, Enjoy your adventure!

 

[ppiew]

We have stayed at AKL five times and obviously are very biased! Our 6 yr old granddaughter has been there three times and it is her favorite resort also. The comments about 'slow' busses should be taken in the context of understanding the distance between the resort and the parks. As the previous poster stated, it is longer to the MK and EC and shorter to AK and D-MGM. That said, the Arusha Savannah seems to have the most animals visible. The resort is horseshoe (semi circle) shaped, so the savannah views are great ( no separate 'buildings' as such). The animals are 'called in' usually between about 11 AM and 2 PM for feeding and health checkups, so that is the time you will rarely see any. The thinking here is of course, most people are in the theme parks anyway at those times, so it is the least disruptive for those wanting to see the animals.
We personally love the AKL pool, although I will admit the slide isn't as thrilling as the Poly. It is a zero entry pool (great) with easy access to Mara (food court) which is a big plus.
All of the food/restaurants at the AKL are fantastic! Highly recommend all three. Only the Kona Kafe at the Poly is comparable.
All in all, it is truly a unique resort experience you won't find anywhere else. Give it a try!!

 

[disneydudette]

Originally posted by CoraJack
#1 Is the bus service that bad? We are used to staying at a monorail resort. Are there long waits?

#2 Is the pool slide comparable to the slide at the Poly? (This was my son's favorite thing).

#3 We have a savannah view room--what particular BUILDING can I request to be closest to the food courts/lobby? When I made my ressie the CM did not have much information about this and commented that savannah view rooms are far from the lobby/food court? Oh please, say it isn't so!

#4 Are the animals out a lot on the savannah? Or is it like the safari where only sometimes you get lucky and get to see an animal roaming around?

#5 Any other helpful hints? Am I going to wish I would have stayed at the Poly?

1) this depends on what time you leave for parks, or even what time of year you travel...I consider the bus rides...to be more of a pain than the bus waits....If the resort it packed...than disney will accomadate for the guests...by putting more than one bus on route to the park...if your going to MK constantly....make sure to arrive early, or late to the bus stop...at peak traveling hours there can be up to 3 bus loads of people waiting....

2) NO!! in fact we were dissapointed greatly in the pool....the slide looks cooler than it is....it is very slow....I must say though that the pool is themed great....if you have a pool view room....it's beautiful to look over....the pool is large too....

3) ummm....here you can find a map....http://www.wdwig.com/aklmap3.jpg
I would say in any of the ZEBRA TRAIL ROOMS....those rooms border the food court....BOMA....and close to the pool....

4) YES!! this would be great....except we only spent a few hours in our room....watching them with our morning coffee was fantastic....but again...that was a half/hour....then it was to the parks.....then back to the resort...by then it was dark....

5) I say try it....the lobby and rooms are incredible....the food court is decent....and watching animals from your balcony is priceless.....I'm sure you will find yourself comparing the resort to the POLY....pool, rooms, location.....weather AKL surpasses POLY is your call....

***How old is your son....has he grown out of the MK....and is more interested with MGM.....is he a total fish out of water...a.k.a. pool lover.....if you can pay the price...what about the Y&BC....you could even spend half at the AKL....half at the Y&BC.....he'll love the pool there...and the location is great....only downfall...no animals...

DD

 

[AkiraRaptor]

#1 Is the bus service that bad? We are used to staying at a monorail resort. Are there long waits?


I've never had any long waits. The bus system at AKL is fined tuned, they know you've paid for a deluxe, and they give to very good transportation. Busses are set for every 20 min, but I've never waited that long.


#2 Is the pool slide comparable to the slide at the Poly? (This was my son's favorite thing).


Never used the slide at either. I like the pool, and the whole pool area though.


#3 We have a savannah view room--what particular BUILDING can I request to be closest to the food courts/lobby? When I made my ressie the CM did not have much information about this and commented that savannah view rooms are far from the lobby/food court? Oh please, say it isn't so!


Like others have said, it's all inside. Get one of the maps and look for a room closer to the lobby/pool/food areas. Don't just pick a trail though, ask for a room number range. AKL is one resort that you can end up getting the same amount of walking that you do in the parks. :animwink:


#4 Are the animals out a lot on the savannah? Or is it like the safari where only sometimes you get lucky and get to see an animal roaming around?


Animals can be seen most of the day. They do call them in during the early afternoon, but you'll probebly be in the parks anyways. Also, they stagger the times of the three savannas, so only one could be empty at a time.

Also, the use a very good night "moonlight" lighting system that lets you observe the animals all night if you wish.


#5 Any other helpful hints? Am I going to wish I would have stayed at the Poly?


I've stayed at the Poly. The AKL is better (IMHO). I couldn't care less about the monirail. We usally only visit MK for one day of our vacations, and spend most of our time at EPCOT and AK, so having monorail service doesn't make a difference to us.

The AKL is a differnet experiance than most of the other resorts. It's quiet, even when theirs alot of people around. The lighting is cooler and dimmer. The decore is artful, wonderful and intricate. The staff are very pleasant.

They have two wonderful resturnants and a nice quick food spot. The merchindice shop is wonderful, and there is usally someone from Africa making things there too. And the lobby is spectacular.

We keep going back, and now we've even are doing concierge each year as well so we can take advantage of the safari tour, and the concierge lobby (and it's food :slurp: ).

I've done three of the deluxes, and this one is by far the best. I hope you enjoy your choice!

 

[DanStat]

#1 - The longest wait we had was 15 minutes on Saturday night for Downtown Disney.

#2 - It's ok, not great, but it's adequate.

#3 - Not all of the rooms are far from the main lobby/food court. Request one on the Zebra Trail.

#4 - Every time I looked out a window, I saw at least 3 animals.

#5 - You will wish you would have always stayed at AKL.


Hope this helps!

 

[CoraJack]

Thank you, thank you everyone!

I'm so glad I asked my questions. You have all been so helpful!

I have decided that we will keep our reservations here. I told my friend yesterday that for vacation this year we are going to Africa! He he--I'm excited now! :sohappy:

Christina