Animal Kingdom logde

[stevedisney]

Hello,

I am thinking of going down to Disney in April or May and was wondering on how people feel towards the Animal Kingdom? My wife and I went down this past spring and ate there and really enjoyed ourselves and the hotel. We stayed at the Beach Club which we really enjoyed, but would like to try either Animal Kingdom or may the Wilderness Logde. just wondering how the transportation, etc is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Thanks!

 

[SarahBella82]

AKL is my favorite resort. The lobby is impressive, smells amazing, and whisks you away. The pool area is sufficient, if not pretty. The opportunity to view animals 24/7-ish is exciting, too. Plus, The Boma is amazing. I've not eaten at Jiku, but I've heard wonderful things.

AKL will take you away. You'll feel transported, without the drama of malaria vaccinations.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[fredtom]

I can't say enough wonderful things about AKL... It's a beautiful resort and we absolutely love it. Try to reserve a savannah view room if you can; it's a unique experience. Don't miss eating at both Boma and Jiko, two of our favorite and "must do" restaurants. The smell as you enter the lobby is amazing... I think it's the second best smell at WDW next to the Great Ceremonial House at the Poly.

We have also stayed at both the BCV and VWL, and loved them both as well... But AKL is not to be missed. Transportation is by bus service only, and it's reliable and convenient. The Ziwanadi gift shop has some unique items too.
Have a great time. :sohappy:


"An Adventurer's life is best!" :lol:

 

[KodiakPA]

We stayed at AKL in October, definetly go for the savanna view well worth it. Nothing beats waking up to a Giraffe outside your window. The Hotel itself is beautiful. There is a nature walk area right off the main lobby. This is definatly my wife and I's favorite hotel by far. The bus service is reliable but we had a car when we went so travel was even easier.

 

[Master Yoda]

IMHO AKL is the best resort on property. No other resort gives you the complete separation from reality that AKL does. The dinning at Boma's and Jiko's is incredible with choices that can be found no where else on property. Transportation is among the best on property. The resort is farther away from the parks, AK excluded, than the other resorts but the bus system is dedicated to that resort and there is only one bus stop at the resort. Sure you can get to MK quicker from the Contemporary or to Epcot from the Boardwalk but as a whole transportation at AKL is great.

 

[sleepybear]

I agree with everyone on here. AKL is beautiful, amazing, relaxing -- a great place to stay. We had a car during our last visit, so I can't comment on the bus service. But if you have a car and don't mind being on the edge of Disney property (and you won't, once you see how awesome the place is) then you should definitely stay there at least once.

 

[pacochran]

We just stayed there last week. It is a beautiful resort. I agree with the others that the lobby is just gorgeous. We had a Savannah view room and it was really great to see the animals in the morning and afternoon. We also ate at Boma's for the first time and thought it was great. I love to try the new foods, and they also send you the recipes' if you fill out a card with your email address. The only little problems we had is the CM who got us our room thought he was doing us a favor and giving us one that was more secluded, and it was a really long walk to get there especially after a day at the park. THe other little problem was that somewhere near the park there was some construction going on, which we couldn't hear in the room with the sliding doors closed but open you could hear it. We are really glad we tried it, but being DVC members we are used to the one bedroom villas at BCV, so look forward to going back there.

 

[slappy magoo]

My only regret in staying at the AKL is that, at the time, I should've shelled out the extra ducats for a savannah room. We just had a standard room, which was wonderful, and we spent some time in observation areas throughout the hotel, but I really wished that was the one part of the vacation I hadn't skimped on.

 

[palmage]

I agree with everyone so far.
We've stayed at every deluxe several times each and the AKL is hand down my favorite.

Every Deluxe is incredible in it's own way, but I just love the atmosphere that AKL has.

Best food too!!

 

[Lucky]

Our experience was consistent with most of what others are saying. Boma is great, the gift shop is nice (and I'm not even into gift shops), the savannah-view room and pool area were wonderful. If I could afford it I'd go back.

The bus service wasn't a strong point though. It seemed to take longer to get to the parks and back, compared to Caribbean Beach and especially compared to Port Orleans French Quarter. But this would not prevent me from staying there again. I could always bring a car.

 

[tunaman68]

AKL is just great - it's a bit of extra money, but for a great unique experience, you can't do any better in all of the world.

Where else can you wake up to this every morning?

And if you have kids, I have two words for you....BUNK BEDS!

The food, pool, lobby, and gift store are also first rate.

Have Fun!!!

 

[DisneyMusician2]

Truth is that the bus service is a bit longer than at other resports closer to the parks. PLEASE don't let that deter you from staying though. It is a truly unique experience, especially if you have one of the Savannah View Rooms mentioned earlier. It is worth waiting the few extra minutes on the bus trips.

 

[Nut4Disney]

We stayed there in Oct. and were upgraded to a savannah room. It was awesome. I've stayed at almost every resort and this was hands down my favorite. The pool is great, Boma is great. It's fun at nite to get a drink and just sit out back by the fire and talk to people and look at the animals. I didn't want to leave. We always rent a car, but we did try the buses one time just to see what the wait was like. I think we waited maybe 15 min for a MK bus, and yes it is a long ride to MK from AK, especially when you are standing. I don't mind standing and would prefer to have my wife and our 2 small children sit instead. In fact I always make sure that there are not any women or children who would like a seat before I would even think about sitting down. Unfortunatly most of the people on the buses that I get on do not share that sentiment.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

I just returned from my 5th stay at AKL. We were in a concierge room with a savannah view. We were on the 6th floor which actually have a partial savannah view because of the roofing. We love it there!

We had a great dinner at Jiko. The filet is wonderful!!

You will be making a great choice by staying there. If you can, try to stay in a savannah view room. We love getting up in the morning and looking out to see what type of animals are out.

Pam

 

[davewasbaloo]

We got back yesterday from an 11 day stay in a Deluxe Savanna View room with a view of Wishes, and Illuminations. This resort is increadible with views like this:

Great food and decor. The cast members were excellent, the pool relaxing, and it was an amazing experience. The bus service however was aweful, often with 30 -40 min waits. Perhaps we had bad luck, but in the end we started to use cabs.

I recommend this resort if you have a car.