Animal Kingdom Lodge

[NEL]

Hello All,

I have a family holiday trip coming up to WDW on December 08. I will be staying with my wife and 4 year old at Animal Kingdon Lodge for the first time and I am trying to get as much info and tips as possible. I have stayed at GF, Polynesian, and Wilderness Lodge before. I am a little scared about the transportation as apparently AKL is far from all the parks. Is there any must see and do's at AKL. For example when I stayed at the Poly I was told to see the lighting ceremony and at WL the replica of old faithful How are the restaurants at th AKL. Any special holiday events at AKL ?

Any and all info,tips, and reviews will be greatly appreciated.


THANKS !!!!!:wave:

 

[DaGoof00]

There is so much to see and do! I stayed at AKL in 2005 and absolutely loved it! It was always exciting to open up the window and see what animals were wandering around outside! I was underwhelmed with the Mara (the quick service eatery); however, one of my favorite buffet style restaurants in WDW is by far Boma! Be sure to check it out!

Transportation is a bit of a drive to the Magic Kingdom, but not bad. I actually find the bus transportation at AKL to be better than what I get at the GF (which, as I'm sure you're aware is a nightmare year after year).

Enjoy the resort, it's beautiful!

 

[Ariel484]

We stayed at AKL in June for 3 nights, so I can't speak to what they do for the holidays...but I know from seeing pictures that they have an amazing tree in the lobby.

I've read in other reports that there are craft projects you can do and other activities (ask at the front desk), and that they have night-vision goggles on the savanna to look at the animals after dark (might be past the 4-year-old's bedtime though!).

We didn't think the transportation was too bad - we took buses everywhere except for the Magic Kingdom (which I imagine would take awhile) and the worst by far was going to Downtown Disney...but I think that's true of any resort.

Restaurants - we thought the Mara was pretty good for breakfast (Mickey Waffles, fruit, pastries, yogurt, etc.). Boma was underwhelming for us, which I know is very rare. Jiko is our favorite restaurant on property. And if you're adventurous, check out Sanaa at Kidani Village...it's truly a hidden gem.

Have a fabulous trip! :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

While nothing beats hoping a monorail and arriving at MK in minutes, you will find that the transportation to every other location on property is better at AKL than at the monorail resorts.

As to things not to miss at the resort All ears sums it up nicely.

Any special programs?
Yes, there are a number of special programs offered throughout the day at AKL. Be sure to ask for a list when you check-in to the hotel. A sampling of the recent programs offered at the resort (all programs subject to change without notice):

--flamingo feedings at the Flamingo Pond
--animal tracking at Arusha Rock
--Music of the Savanna in the Sunset Lounge
--wildlife games in the Sunset Lounge
--African games and crafts on the Uzima Pool Deck
--cultural safari in the Sunset Lounge
--animal viewing with Night Vision
--Adventure Camp for children 6-14 that includes ostrich egg painting, private lodge tour and lunch overlooking the savanna.
--Cookie decorating at Boma

Outside, at the Arusha Rock, there is nightly African storytelling next to Ogun's Firepit. (Storytelling is held indoors in the event of inclement weather.) If you have the opportunity, take the time to speak with the storytellers.

 

[KaneMarko]

Hello All,

I have a family holiday trip coming up to WDW on December 08. I will be staying with my wife and 4 year old at Animal Kingdon Lodge for the first time and I am trying to get as much info and tips as possible. I have stayed at GF, Polynesian, and Wilderness Lodge before. I am a little scared about the transportation as apparently AKL is far from all the parks. Is there any must see and do's at AKL. For example when I stayed at the Poly I was told to see the lighting ceremony and at WL the replica of old faithful How are the restaurants at th AKL. Any special holiday events at AKL ?

Any and all info,tips, and reviews will be greatly appreciated.


THANKS !!!!!:wave:

Congrats on you upcoming Disney adventure. We just stayed at AKL last November/December and absolutely LOVED it. We stayed at Jambo House and felt the place was very warm, inviting and well decorated for the holiday season. We couldn't get enough of the huge tree in the lobby.

Yes, AKL is the furthest away from Magic Kingdom and some of the other places. But we didn't feel there was a huge different in wait times for transportation compared to other restords we've stayed at. I'm sure opinions will vary though. AKL is right around the corner from Animal Kingdom though.

Things we loved about AKL:

The Victoria Falls Lounge. There's a lounge that overlooks the restaurant Boma on the second level of AKL. We typically ended our night there with a drink and just relaxing conversation. It's a decent sized bar with a good amount of drinks and African wine offerings.

I cannot remember the name of it but there is a firepit on the main level across from the check-in/out desk. There's only a handful of seats around the firepit. But if you can get a couple of seats, its a good place to relax with a drink after a long day of park hopping.

The lobby. The lobby of Jambo house is pretty big with lots of places to sit and chill. There's a TV towards the center that plays cartoons for the kids.

They have storytelling around another firepit just out back of the resort.

Last but not least...animals at your resort. You can get a suite that overlooks the animals or you can save money and just see the animals from some of the many overlooks that surround the animals.

Like I said, the food there we thought was pretty amazing. We loved Boma. Boma, Jiko and Sanaa are a little on the pricey side. But the food is great in our opinion.

Like I said, we felt that AKL during the holidays is very warm, inviting and well decorated. They have great food offering there. And the theming is top notch. Opinions will vary but it's our favorite resort to stay at.

Just be sure to explore the outside of the resort. The pool is very nice and there are a lot of animals to see outside of the resort.

I'm sure you and you family will like AKL. Have an awesome trip Like you can have anything less at WDW.

 

[coachwnh]

all of the transportation concerns seem so overboard. we stayed there this past summer (over July 4 when its packed) and never had an issue with buses. the rides never seemed long either. we had heard all of the stories too, but believe me, its not as bad as you have heard. we love staying at the contemporary for the convenience, but AKL is great. we stayed CL (only resort it is really worth the extra cash since the view is included) and enjoyed seeing the animals at all times of the day from our deck. the pool is fun, and the kids had a great time!! enjoy your stay. the christmas decorations are cool there as well

 

[CinderellyKelly]

Animal Kingdom Lodge is BY FAR my favorite resort. It is extremely magical, and I feel like I never leave the parks when I'm staying there

Transportation is not that bad at all. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. Buses come just as quickly as any other resort, you just may be on the bus 5 more min. longer when coming back from Magic Kingdom.

The benefits totally out weigh the negatives imho.

HAVE FUN and Enjoy the View

 

[NEL]

WOW, thanks for all the responses, I really appreciate it. From many other reviews and threads I was a little scared about transportation to the parks but all your responses have really put my mind at ease.

I have another question, one fo the biggest draw to this resort seems to be the view of the animals. Apart from the view from a Savannah View balcony room, which I did not get unless I get a free upgrade ( heres wishing ), what location/area would be the best to view the animals?

What activites or areas around the resort would be best for my 4 years old son?

Has anyone used the child care program at AKL, and if so what are your thoughts/reviews?

Any other opinions, tips, thoughts, or reviews would be greatly appreciated.

THANKS !!!!!

 

[DaGoof00]

If I remember correctly - they have a flamingo area by the pool, and if you stretch at the right angle, you can see out to one of the savannas. There is a standard animal viewing area outside from the main lobby

I remember them having things going on in the lobby, but can't recall exactly what they were as it's been 6 years since I stayed there.

Cheers!

 

[NEL]

While nothing beats hoping a monorail and arriving at MK in minutes, you will find that the transportation to every other location on property is better at AKL than at the monorail resorts.

As to things not to miss at the resort All ears sums it up nicely.

Thank You Master Yoda, thats alot of great information that will definitly come in handy.


THANKS !!

 

[abnorman]

Hi, I work at the Lodge, so I think I can give you a few tips.

* The animals go in to feed every morning for 2 hours and won't be visible during this period.

* Probably the best places to see animals are Arusha Rock at dusk, the Kidani Sunset overlook most of the time, or the very end (out the last Exit) of the Zebra trail at 9am (before the animals go to feed) or 11am (when they start coming back out).

* When you arrive, you'll be given a sheet with a list of all the activities for that month. DAK Lodge has the most activities of any resort in WDW, so there's tons to do.

* Talk to the savannah guides - they're all from various African countries, know a lot about the animals, and are happy to chat. They also run activities such as the aforementioned animal tracking (you don't really track animals though), music of the savannah, etc.

* One note: The "Flamingo Feeding" that was mentioned isn't an activity: The savannah guides run an activity called Flamingo in front of the flamingo pond, but it's to educate on how flamingos and pelicans eat. Which leads to:

* Don't expect to be able to feed the animals. A lot of people have been to zoos where they've been able to do this, but DAK Lodge is designed specifically to feature the animals being as natural as possible.

That said, there is an activity called "enrichment", where guests can make food items which the animal keepers then place on the savannah near viewing areas.

Hope there's some useful information up there. It's a great resort, and I use the guest buses all the time - at most it's taken me 25 minutes to get the bus I need.

 

[CaptainShortty]

A premature DUMELA AND WELCOME HOME to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge!! As some have already stated there is a TON to do at the lodge. When you check-in, you'll receive an activities guide in your welcome packet. Make sure you read through it and attend some of the events. The most popular is the nightvision goggles which is neat but tends to get very crowded so try and get there early if you want to participate. The stories by the firepit every night are also very popular as is the parade that takes place through the lobby at around 8 (I believe). It's a great time for kids to get to make some noise throughout the hotel!

For a nice spot to relax and look at the animals head to the Sunset overlook which is located to the left of the lobby at the end of the front desk counter (at Jambo). It's a great place to sit and read, relax and/or look at the animals that find the Sunset Savanna home. You may find savannah guides there or throughout the hotel. Stop and talk to them! They are from all over Africa and many are true savannah guides at home so they really know what they're talking about when they tell you things about the animals and such. They have some great stories to tell (I'm friends with quite a few of them).

I'm not sure exactly what is going on for the holidays this year but you will most likely get a list of activities in your welcome packet so definitely take some time to check those out as well.

The buses tend to get a bad rap at DAKL because yes, it is far away but beyond that it really isn't as bad as everyone says. The ride to MK will of course take you the longest being about 25 minutes or so once you get on the bus. Other than that, Epcot and Studios will take you about 15-20 and Animal Kingdom about 5 minutes. You're no more likely to have a bad experience on a DAKL bus than you are at any other resort. The buses will also help shuttle you between Jambo House and Kidani Village which is very convenient when you don't want to walk. Just be sure to pay attention when the bus driver says what building you're at!! You don't want to get off at the wrong stop and then either have to wait for another bus or walk the 8-10 minutes to get to the other building!

Hope that helps! If you have any questions feel free to PM me. I'd be more than happy to help you! Have a great trip!

 

[jimjjr]

Akl is great. We have stayed there 3 different times and will be there on the 25th for 2 nights before a cruise. We love the resort and the restaurants and will be eating at both boma and Jiko this trip. One question you had was about childcare. About 18 months ago, we were there and wanted to go out for the first time without my daughter - then 8 - and made a reservation at simbas Cubhouse. She had a ball. A couple of nights later, we went to gf for dinner and she stayed at their childcare. She hated it. When we ant back to akl this summer, she asked if she was going to get to go back to simbas! If that isn't an endorsement, idont know what is. Have a great trip.

 

[dreamscometrue]

AKL Villas are our home DVC resort, so we've been able to stay several times at Jambo House (formerly known as 'Animal Kingdom Lodge') and Kidani Village (the new DVC Villas next door). One activity we enjoy very much is the 'cultural safari'. Nightly, there is a cultural representative from an African nation who does a 20-30 minute presentation on their home. It is informal, usually has a small group of attendees, and is a wonderful educational experience. Be sure to check them out in the Sunset Savannah Overlook at Jambo House, and the library next door at Kidani.

Btw, even if you don't check out the cultural safari at Kidani, I suggest taking a walk around the resort to check out the pool area, lobby, Sanaa, the savannahs, etc. for future reference. Different savannahs feature some different animals.The Pembe Savannah, for example, features Okapi.I believe this is the only place you can see these forest dwelling relatives of the giraffe, besides Kilimanjaro Safari. Anyway, it's worth exploring Kidani. You might want to stay there on a future WDW visit. We love both resorts!

Enjoy your vacation. :wave:

 

[DrummerAlly]

Magical!

Like everyone said, AKL is amazing. We've stayed at the Yacht Club and then decided to try out AKL for a trip. After going to AKL we don't think we'll ever go to another resort. It's gorgeous, there are tons of things to do, the staff is top notch. I have nothing bad to say.

Like someone else said, make sure you check out Victoria's Fall Lounge - its very relaxing and has a great view of Boma. The busses are really the same as we experienced at the YC. Sure, the trip to Magic Kingdom is a little longer but by a negligible amount. Make sure you have a meal at Sanaa over at the villas!

 

[NEL]

This is a lot of great information and it is much appreciated. I am a little confused about something though. Some posters have mentioned two buildings and 2 bus stops. I was unaware that this hotel has 2 sections, is this true ? IF so what is the difference between the 2 sections and which one would be better and why ?


THANKS :wave:

 

[Master Yoda]

This is a lot of great information and it is much appreciated. I am a little confused about something though. Some posters have mentioned two buildings and 2 bus stops. I was unaware that this hotel has 2 sections, is this true ? IF so what is the difference between the 2 sections and which one would be better and why ?


THANKS :wave:

Yes, it is 2 buildings. They added a DVC wing a year or two ago. The original building is called Jambo House and the DVC wing is called Kidani Village