Questions about deluxe hotels and AK Lodge...

[qandk]

I've always wondered what the pros were for staying at a deluxe hotel... (except the obviously luxurious atmosphere and environment) <is that it?

Okay, so the service might be better(?), but don't you pay extra for services anyway? ;p

And about the animal kingdom lodge...
1) are there points in the hotel where you can view the savanna?
2) can you pet the animals? (is that a stupid question? ;p)
3) how does the morning safari thing work? (do you pay extra?)

I appreciate any help I can get
Thank you! :sohappy:

 

[Master Yoda]

That is pretty much it. You get a beautiful resort and all the amenities that go along with that. There are no perks in the parks for staying at a deluxe resort.

1. Too many places to count.
2. No petting.
3. The sunrise safari is available to AKL Concierge guests only. Here is a link to all you will need to know about it.

http://allearsnet.com/acc/faq_aksunrise.htm

 

[steveNJ]

>>Okay, so the service might be better(?), but don't you pay extra for >>services anyway?

Rooms are generally bigger, room service is available, I'm sure there is more that I can't think of.


>>>1) are there points in the hotel where you can view the savanna?
Yes, in many places

>>>2) can you pet the animals? (is that a stupid question? ;p)
No, you cannot touch them

>>>3) how does the morning safari thing work? (do you pay extra?)
Yes, you pay extra (and have to be staying @ the club level so you reeeeaaallllyyy pay extra :lol: )

 

[tigsmom]

The more you pay the more luxurious the surroundings (bigger rooms and baths, nicer decor, etc) and the more services you get. Thats the way of the world. Some people seem to think its worth it while others don't...its just personal choice.

Yes you can view the Savannah from the Lodge, no you cannot pet the animals (go to Rakifi's Planet Watch in the DAK for a petting zoo) and yes you pay extra for the early morning safari AND you have to stay concierge level to be eligible to book it.

 

[dreamfinder]

Determing is Deluxe is worth it depends on how you do Disney. If you view a Hotel as a place to crash between going to the parks, then nope. Definately not worth it. However, if you enjoy spending time away from the parks, be if a few hours a day, or even a few days during your trip, then it may be worth it to you. There aren't any real differences in perks other than size, and possibly the quality of other guests. (Only saying this due to the higher price tends to price out large groups and people who cannot afford 200-500 a night.)

 

[happymom52003]

Another perk of the deluxe resorts is that they are either on the monorail, or within walking distance from certain parks, or have a boat to certain parks (with the exception of AKL...I believe it is the only deluxe that is not close enough to a park to offer an alternative to the bus). So for some people that alone is worth the extra price.

 

[qandk]

Thanks so much for the answers

Just one more question about Animal Kingdom...

I saw a review/video about Animal Kingdom... and there seemed to be a walkway along the savanna... what is that?

Just something for the workers?

Thanks!

 

[H20Babie]

Value Resorts: Amenities at value-priced resorts include food courts, pizza delivery, luggage service (hourly), swimming pools, bus transportation. The standard rooms at all four Value resorts are 260 square feet and include two double beds or one King bed, for a maximum occupancy of 4 people (plus one baby under age 3 in a crib). The rooms are small and basic; for instance, there is no closet, only an open area with a clothes rod and shelf in the bathroom.

Moderate Resorts: Amenities at moderate-priced resorts include full-service restaurants, food courts, room service (limited), luggage service, swimming pools with a slide and hot tub, on-site recreation, bus or boat transportation. Rooms at the Moderate resorts are 314 square feet except at Caribbean Beach, which has larger rooms (340 square feet), but the accommodations are still small and pretty basic; for instance, there is no closet, only an open area with a clothes rod and shelf in the bathroom. There are, however, small refrigerators in every moderate room.

Deluxe Resorts: Amenities include full-service restaurants, including fine dining, casual and some character dining, full room service, luggage service, valet parking, dramatically themed swimming pools, beach access (except AKL), on-site recreation, on-site childcare, monorail, boat or bus transportation (AKL is strictly bus transportation). Standard rooms at the Deluxe resorts vary in size from as small as 344 square feet at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge to as large as 476 square feet at some rooms at the Polynesian. Most standard rooms at the Deluxe resorts sleep up to 5 on two Queen beds and a day bed. All Deluxe resorts except the Polynesian have some standard rooms with King beds. AKL and WL offer rooms with a Queen and a bunk bed.

 

[Master Yoda]

Thanks so much for the answers

Just one more question about Animal Kingdom...

I saw a review/video about Animal Kingdom... and there seemed to be a walkway along the savanna... what is that?

Just something for the workers?

Thanks!

You are seeing one of two things either the dirt access road that runs through the middle of the savannah or the buffer between the guest rooms and the savannah. The buffer is pretty much a 20-30' wide no man's land between the animals and the guests rooms. This prevents things dropped from the room from being picked up by the animals as well as preventing a curious giraffe from making a meal out the drapes.

 

[qandk]

You are seeing one of two things either the dirt access road that runs through the middle of the savannah or the buffer between the guest rooms and the savannah. The buffer is pretty much a 20-30' wide no man's land between the animals and the guests rooms. This prevents things dropped from the room from being picked up by the animals as well as preventing a curious giraffe from making a meal out the drapes.

Hmm.. so you can walk on that dirt access rode, but not touch the animals?

:lookaroun

Thank you.. and sorry for the petty questions

 

[Master Yoda]

Hmm.. so you can walk on that dirt access rode, but not touch the animals?

:lookaroun

Thank you.. and sorry for the petty questions

No. The access road if for the animal caretakers.

You can never ask too many questions. AKL is a huge place with many details and intricacies.

 

[KingStefan]

...and possibly the quality of other guests. (Only saying this due to the higher price tends to price out large groups and people who cannot afford 200-500 a night.)

You mean like the obnoxious guy from NYC at the Beach Club who loudly demanded a table for breakfast with no ADRs, because "come on, for the amount of money I paid to stay here, I should be able to eat breakfast for ____ sake", and GOT IN AHEAD OF ME, who had to wait 20 minutes past the ADR time I had had for two months, even though I complained "why should they be treated better than everyone else"?

Yes, I agree with you there. The quality of other guests is much higher at the values. Everyone there has the Disney magic, and there are almost no obnoxious snobs.

Large groups is another story, and yes there are more of those at values.

 

[Sam02]

You mean like the obnoxious guy from NYC at the Beach Club who loudly demanded a table for breakfast with no ADRs, because "come on, for the amount of money I paid to stay here, I should be able to eat breakfast for ____ sake", and GOT IN AHEAD OF ME, who had to wait 20 minutes past the ADR time I had had for two months, even though I complained "why should they be treated better than everyone else"?

I used to work at a Casino and it is customary in that environment to treat the people who spend the most money with kid gloves. The idea being that their happiness and repeat business was more important to the companies bottom line. As much as I hated doing it, it was a part of my job. The same was probably true of the people working at the restaurant. It still doesn't make it right what the guy did. And speaking from a perspective of one thinking about not only staying at a deluxe, but concierge level at that, not all people are that rude. We will still be making our ADR's and not expecting anything "extra" at restaurants or the parks. You just happened to bump into a bad person who expected more because of the amount of money they were spending.

 

[Master Yoda]

I used to work at a Casino and it is customary in that environment to treat the people who spend the most money with kid gloves. The idea being that their happiness and repeat business was more important to the companies bottom line. As much as I hated doing it, it was a part of my job. The same was probably true of the people working at the restaurant. It still doesn't make it right what the guy did. And speaking from a perspective of one thinking about not only staying at a deluxe, but concierge level at that, not all people are that rude. We will still be making our ADR's and not expecting anything "extra" at restaurants or the parks. You just happened to bump into a bad person who expected more because of the amount of money they were spending.

Unfortunately a-holeism is a disease that has no economic or social boundaries.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Unfortunately a-holeism is a disease that has no economic or social boundaries.

Well said.

One of the things we noticed was that when you leave the parks it seems like all the deluxe resorts are the first bus stops you walk past. We've only stayed at Pop. I guess because it's the newest of the values plus the fact that it is a value resort, we inevitably were always the farthest stop all the way out in Timbuktu. Lol! We used to make lots of jokes about hanging our head as we passed the big boys at the deluxe resorts on our way to the scraps down on the end. Lol! We had fun with it.

 

[Master Yoda]

Well said.

One of the things we noticed was that when you leave the parks it seems like all the deluxe resorts are the first bus stops you walk past. We've only stayed at Pop. I guess because it's the newest of the values plus the fact that it is a value resort, we inevitably were always the farthest stop all the way out in Timbuktu. Lol! We used to make lots of jokes about hanging our head as we passed the big boys at the deluxe resorts on our way to the scraps down on the end. Lol! We had fun with it.

Quite ironically I have found that with the exception of AKL the bus system is the worst at the deluxe resorts since they commonly combine multiple resorts on one route.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

That's what I heard from my cousins who just had their first stay at Poly. They said they enjoyed Coronado better. I have a feeling we'll end up renting a car for our trip from the Car Care Center. My DH is the only person I know more impatient than me and I know I have the patience of a gnat.

 

[palmage]

You mean like the obnoxious guy from NYC at the Beach Club who loudly demanded a table for breakfast with no ADRs, because "come on, for the amount of money I paid to stay here, I should be able to eat breakfast for ____ sake", and GOT IN AHEAD OF ME, who had to wait 20 minutes past the ADR time I had had for two months, even though I complained "why should they be treated better than everyone else"?

Yes, I agree with you there. The quality of other guests is much higher at the values. Everyone there has the Disney magic, and there are almost no obnoxious snobs.

Large groups is another story, and yes there are more of those at values.

Do we really need to dig any deeper???

 

[KingStefan]

Do we really need to dig any deeper???

It was so funny - when they found him a table he said "'dere ya's go! Zippidy do da and all o' dat!"

 

[jjgoo]

It was so funny - when they found him a table he said "'dere ya's go! Zippidy do da and all o' dat!"

Maybe he was actually Streetmosphere from MGM and just there to entertain you while you waited. :wave::lol: