Underwhelmed at AKL

[StarshipDisney]

We tried AKL back in December 2007. We were Club Level guest but due to a recent change at the time I was immediately taken aback by being demoted to a lower floor in favor of Disney Vacation Club. Never before or since did I have to take an elevator to the Club lounge. Never did get robes in our room or other supposed Club Level amenities. Staff could not care less that we were not getting what we paid for.

I thought the bus rides were long and only one morning did we see any animals close to our room...meaning you did not need binoculars to get a good view.

We stayed there primarily for the Sunrise Safari...which was beyond excellent. Too bad they discontinued that.

Overall, it was not a totally bad resort but it was definitely a "once and out" for us. We have since tried Yacht Club and Polynesian but for us nothing beats the Contemporary Resort Tower.

I know others will swear by this resort. Just goes to show how varied individual experiences can be.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

We stayed at AKL for the first time ever and had really great bus service, but that can be luck of the draw. I think the "it's father away" complaint, though common, is overblown. Someone compiled all the times and AK is closer, obviously, and the other parks are an average of maybe 3 minutes longer transit. so over the course of a week vacation you are spending maybe an extra 30 minutes in a bus. To me, it is not that big of a deal.

Yes, bus service obviously varies, depending on many conditions. During my stay however, it wasn't that hot. The problem with "averages" is that they're just that. There were a lot of people on property last week, so overall traffic conditions weren't favorable either.

So you pick a location that is far away and not centrally located and than complain about it being far... Yeah...

No, I picked a resort that I haven't stayed at yet, got a good deal on and wanted to check out for a long time. Of course I knew that it was farther away than most other resorts (except to AK, obviously). It's one of those things that you have to try for yourself. So if I want to mention that in my feelings post-trip, I will, thank you.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

We stayed at AKL for the first time ever and had really great bus service, but that can be luck of the draw. I think the "it's father away" complaint, though common, is overblown. Someone compiled all the times and AK is closer, obviously, and the other parks are an average of maybe 3 minutes longer transit. so over the course of a week vacation you are spending maybe an extra 30 minutes in a bus. To me, it is not that big of a deal.

Exactly this. The way the math works out, the only way you're really worse off staying at AKL is if your itinerary is very Magic Kingdom heavy.

 

[Omi19]

We tried AKL back in December 2007. We were Club Level guest but due to a recent change at the time I was immediately taken aback by being demoted to a lower floor in favor of Disney Vacation Club. Never before or since did I have to take an elevator to the Club lounge. Never did get robes in our room or other supposed Club Level amenities. Staff could not care less that we were not getting what we paid for.

I thought the bus rides were long and only one morning did we see any animals close to our room...meaning you did not need binoculars to get a good view.

We stayed there primarily for the Sunrise Safari...which was beyond excellent. Too bad they discontinued that.

Overall, it was not a totally bad resort but it was definitely a "once and out" for us. We have since tried Yacht Club and Polynesian but for us nothing beats the Contemporary Resort Tower.

I know others will swear by this resort. Just goes to show how varied individual experiences can be.

We've stayed at AKL Kilimanjaro Club 18 times. Room is always close to the elevators. Have stayed at all deluxe level resorts and this is our favorite. Agree: Sunrise Safari was the best. We did it five times with various friends and family members.

 

[durangojim]

Thanks for the review. I've stayed at AKL a couple of times but no more than 2 or 3 nights. Like you said, it just feels too far and not like it's "in the bubble". I think the themeing is possibly the best on property but all of your other complaints (except the smoking area, not a smoker so the farther away the better) could be leveled about most Disney resorts now days, even or especially the deluxes.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Thanks for the review. I've stayed at AKL a couple of times but no more than 2 or 3 nights. Like you said, it just feels too far and not like it's "in the bubble". I think the themeing is possibly the best on property but all of your other complaints (except the smoking area, not a smoker so the farther away the better) could be leveled about most Disney resorts now days, even or especially the deluxes.

What's the most "in the bubble" you can get? Probably the Contemporary, yes? Super convenient, monorail goes right through, literally walkable to the Magic Kingdom.

Contemporary to Magic Kingdom - 10 minutes
Contemporary to Epcot - 34 minutes
Contemporary to Hollywood Studios - 19 minutes
Contemporary to Animal Kingdom - 25 minutes
Total: 88 minutes

Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom - 21 minutes
Animal Kingdom Lodge to Epcot - 20 minutes
Animal Kingdom Lodge to Hollywood Studios - 19 minutes
Animal Kingomd Lodge to Animal Kingdom - 18 minutes (seems high, but we'll go with it)
Total: 78 minutes

TL;DR, Animal Kingdom Lodge is mathematically more convenient than the Contemporary Resort. The gap grows even further if you include either of the water parks, Disney Springs, or either mini golf course.

 

[durangojim]

What's the most "in the bubble" you can get? Probably the Contemporary, yes? Super convenient, monorail goes right through, literally walkable to the Magic Kingdom.

Contemporary to Magic Kingdom - 10 minutes
Contemporary to Epcot - 34 minutes
Contemporary to Hollywood Studios - 19 minutes
Contemporary to Animal Kingdom - 25 minutes
Total: 88 minutes

Animal Kingdom Lodge to Magic Kingdom - 21 minutes
Animal Kingdom Lodge to Epcot - 20 minutes
Animal Kingdom Lodge to Hollywood Studios - 19 minutes
Animal Kingomd Lodge to Animal Kingdom - 18 minutes (seems high, but we'll go with it)
Total: 78 minutes

TL;DR, Animal Kingdom Lodge is mathematically more convenient than the Contemporary Resort. The gap grows even further if you include either of the water parks, Disney Springs, or either mini golf course.

I wasn't speaking about bus or travel times, rather the feeling of being close to one of the theme parks like you are at the MK or Epcot resorts. I fully realize that that is something extremely subjective.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Perhaps some additional perspective/context, then. Our favorite parks are EC/MK. AK in the middle, and HS dead last (if at all). No water parks, no golf (mini or otherwise).

So yeah, centrally located or further north is better.

 

[crxbrett]

I always wonder which park is most centrally located, convenient for almost everything and also seems in the middle and surround by the 'World'. I think it's probably either the Poly or one of the Epcot resorts (Boardwalk, Beach & Yacht Club or Swalphin).

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I always wonder which park is most centrally located, convenient for almost everything and also seems in the middle and surround by the 'World'. I think it's probably either the Poly or one of the Epcot resorts (Boardwalk, Beach & Yacht Club or Swalphin).

The problem (IMO) of the Poly and all of the Magic Kingdom resorts is that they're inside the Magic Kingdom gates, which adds distance and traffic relative to all of the other parks. If you're heavy Magic Kingdom visitor, that works for you. But if you visit the parks in relatively equal proportions, it adds commute time.

That said, the Poly is miles better than the other MK resorts because you can walk to the TTC and go straight to Epcot. The Grand Floridian and Contemporary are actually the least convenient to Epcot because you have to transfer monorails, which takes longer than a bus.

 

[crxbrett]

The problem (IMO) of the Poly and all of the Magic Kingdom resorts is that they're inside the Magic Kingdom gates, which adds distance and traffic relative to all of the other parks. If you're heavy Magic Kingdom visitor, that works for you. But if you visit the parks in relatively equal proportions, it adds commute time.

That said, the Poly is miles better than the other MK resorts because you can walk to the TTC and go straight to Epcot. The Grand Floridian and Contemporary are actually the least convenient to Epcot because you have to transfer monorails, which takes longer than a bus.

Agreed! I think that is why I love it so much because the MK and Epcot are my two favorite parks. I was looking at my loose plans for my trip this month and I am planning on hitting the Magic Kingdom 7 separate times, Epcot 5 times, Animal Kingdom twice and the Studios twice. That's pretty telling of how much I like the other 2 parks.

 

[JusticeDisney]

Yeah, we loved Sanaa too and the prices aren't bad (but we didn't go this time around).

Oh, I'm well aware that the Swalphin buses are Disney's... Still, overall impression was good. Buses arrived quickly at the resort, though sure, made a few stops. Compared to POR it wasn't bad at all since the stops are fewer and closer together. I'm surprised Beach Club was so bad though, ugh! Goes to show that the resorts might be in different price categories but we're all stuck with the same dismal buses. I think a LOT of it has to do with overall 'World attendance. Clearly things move along better during the "off times" (and when we typically go). July was not our first choice, clearly... But it was a matter of "hey, we're in FL anyway - let's make a detour through WDW on the way home."

I can only speak for myself, of course, but I routinely stay at the Beach Club and the bus service has been outstanding every time. I recommend trying the Beach Club next time, if you haven't already.

 

[MissPixie]

First I am sorry you had an underwhelming experience at the AKL.

As for myself I just returned from a trip in July with my 2 year old son and boyfriend and we stayed at the AKL and like you said it was utterly beautiful. As for your comments concerning the bus service being poor we did not experience that at all going to any of the parks. Are waits for any of the parks were a maximum of 5 minutes tops. Of course the resort is far away from everything but the Animal Kingdom so it took a little longer of a trip to get to the other parks, but that was expected.

As for your concern about the smoking/vaping area I can't really address this because I or my boyfriend don't smoke and we really didn't even pay attention to that even if we would have seen the areas you were speaking of.

As for the pool we enjoyed it and yes it was a bit warm, but it is something I also expected. Like you mentioned Disney keeps there pools at 85 degrees all year around. You also have to take into consideration for the Florida sun especially during the Summer that adds to the temperature of the pools. I guarantee you if they kept there pools cold many more people would really be complaining.

The dining reviews that you gave I don't really understand as we ate at Boma although on the Dining Plan and thought the buffet was well worth it. Once again going into the trip myself and my boyfriend knew the food prices would be steep and I have to tell you that the Dining Plan was great for us.

 

[AndrewsJ]

I literally laugh out loud when I hear people talk about how much farther away AKL is from everything and how much longer it takes to get to and from. It's been proven several times on the site that it's mear minutes. It does feel isolated and I love that feeling but that's just me. I can go to AKL spend a few days and never set foot in a park and don't even miss them. I don't feel that way at other resorts especially the Epcot and MK resorts. The parks are so visible I tend to go non stop. I could eat every meal at AKL and feel like I've been to a completely far off land but I'm a pass holder and TIW (which is practically the same at the moment) so the cost doesn't faze me. Plus we are just 2 adults and things are different and more expensive for larger families with kids.

Loving a resort is personal preference. I've stayed in all of them. I love S&D and hate when it's referred to as swolphin because I find that ridiculous but again that's just me. Of course I stay practically for just resort fees because I am high level with SPG so that makes it better. For that reason I always choose it over BC and YC. I own at BC and have only stayed there once and that was enough. It is incredible but I'm never in the room long enough because Epcot is a stones throw away. Those points paid for themselves from rentals though many times over. On the other hand I don't care for the Contemporary or the Polynesian because I practically grew up at those resorts and quite frankly am just sick of them. I totally understand why those are favorites of some so I don't argue about with them about it. I love Coronado but despise Caribbean Beach and had rather stay at POP instead of the All Stars. It's subjective. It's personal preference. I want people to love AKL as much as I do but some just don't and that's OK. I feel bad that it dampened the OP's trip because nobody should want that for anyone. Maybe it was just a series of unfortunate events but maybe just maybe it wasn't. The OP is entitled to feel however he/she wants to feel about any of the resorts.

PS: This rant is actually more for myself to hear than anyone else because I can be a little ridiculously one sided at times I sometimes I need reminders.

ETA: There was always a smoking area down a path beside the pool at Jambo. It's still on the maps online but these could be out of date. It was not easy to find but it was there.

 

[MissPixie]

I literally laugh out loud when I hear people talk about how much farther away AKL is from everything and how much longer it takes to get to and from. It's been proven several times on the site that it's mear minutes. It does feel isolated and I love that feeling but that's just me. I can go to AKL spend a few days and never set foot in a park and don't even miss them. I don't feel that way at other resorts especially the Epcot and MK resorts. The parks are so visible I tend to go non stop. I could eat every meal at AKL and feel like I've been to a completely far off land but I'm a pass holder and TIW (which is practically the same at the moment) so the cost doesn't faze me. Plus we are just 2 adults and things are different and more expensive for larger families with kids.

Loving a resort is personal preference. I've stayed in all of them. I love S&D and hate when it's referred to as swolphin because I find that ridiculous but again that's just me. Of course I stay practically for just resort fees because I am high level with SPG so that makes it better. For that reason I always choose it over BC and YC. I own at BC and have only stayed there once and that was enough. It is incredible but I'm never in the room long enough because Epcot is a stones throw away. Those points paid for themselves from rentals though many times over. On the other hand I don't care for the Contemporary or the Polynesian because I practically grew up at those resorts and quite frankly am just sick of them. I totally understand why those are favorites of some so I don't argue about with them about it. I love Coronado but despise Caribbean Beach and had rather stay at POP instead of the All Stars. It's subjective. It's personal preference. I want people to love AKL as much as I do but some just don't and that's OK. I feel bad that it dampened the OP's trip because nobody should want that for anyone. Maybe it was just a series of unfortunate events but maybe just maybe it wasn't. The OP is entitled to feel however he/she wants to feel about any of the resorts.

PS: This rant is actually more for myself to hear than anyone else because I can be a little ridiculously one sided at times I sometimes I need reminders.

@AndrewsJ you hit the nail on the head with the distance of the AKL really only being minutes away from the parks. It isn't like it is a 45 minute bus ride to each park as you would sometimes think with what people say about it. I actually liked the ride in the A/C bus to and especially from the bus probably because I am a woman holding a 2 year old on my lap and I get a seat all the time when the bus is crowded, but never the less it is cool after a long day of pushing a stroller or carrying my son or having him pull my arm out of my socket as I hold onto his hand.

 

[Foltzy]

Really? I was just at AKL and loved (almost) everything about it. The only complaint I had was bus service to parks. We waited a while
However, I found the location nice in that I was able to hop to AK at night and get a Flight of Passage ride in them go back to my hotel in a quick ride.

And for the savanah view we paid for a standard view but could see the savannah well. We took a day to explore DS and the hotel and could see plenty of animals in the middle of the day from our room. I loved it. Besides staying at AKL in future, when else can I take a selfie with a zebra or a giraffe from my hotel room? It made for great snapchats and some jealous friends.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

I love how easily dismissed a few "mere minutes" are. I'd wager none of those doing so have a toddler.

I'm used to going to the parks from rope drop until they kick me out, even if it's 9am-1am (or more). That's how I (used to) roll. With a toddler, that ain't the way it goes. You make at least two back and forth trips, even three. So even if it's just five minutes longer on the bus, multiply that by 4-6x and you're already at a half hour (plus waiting for the buses, walking to/from the bus stops, yada yada yada). When you're standing in EC at noon and you realize that you've only been there for two hours and only managed to hit one MnG and one attraction and it's time for lunch and/or leaving the park already due to a cranky kid... It matters. When you're finally "free" at night after they're in bed and you can grab yourself two hours in the parks (knowing that most rides, food, etc. close in one hour)... It matters. When you're literally drenched, having been sweating all morning/afternoon in lines with hundreds of other drenched, sweaty people - and you just want to get back to your room to chill... It matters. When you're sitting on the bus, a heavy bag over one shoulder and a stroller in one hand and a cranky toddler giving you the stink eye... It matters.

Just some food for thought about a few "mere minutes."

 

[DisneyPrincess5]

@BoarderPhreak Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your experience!

DH and I stayed at AKL Jambo House DVC studio room with a savannah view a few years ago. While we did enjoy the resort and thought it was beautiful, loved the animals, and enjoyed the food, it just felt so far from what we love most which is MK and Epcot. We did feel disconnected and out of the loop like it sounds you did which is why we also won't stay again likely. I totally get it.

Also, I hope this is a fluke and I know other resorts aren't immune to this at all, but one afternoon (the one time we had our room serviced) while we were relaxing in our room, a Mousekeeping member knocked on our latch locked door and opened it with her key card as far as she could to come in and look in our fridge to see if they left something of hers in it. Ummm ok.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Now don't get me wrong... The main lodge @ Jambo House is beautiful and I really, really liked it.

But a bunch of things left me rather... Underwhelmed.

- Bus service: Poor - more so inbound than outbound. It seems we waited ages at EC, MK and AK for a bus. And they were more often than not packed to standing room only. Outbound was a bit better, as at least there was a monitor with wait times, and never crowded (just Kidani Village folks onboard). Seems to me that adding one (or two) additional buses into the mix would improve things drastically.

- Location: It's far away - from everything - except AK. For those late nights at MK, it's a real drag. Also for going back to the resort for a quick R&R midday. Because of this reason more than any other, I probably won't choose it again.

- Food: Way overpriced (even for Disney). $18 for a cheeseburger (plus $3 plus 18% for room service). $21 for a gristly Baanli French Dip sandwich. $2.78 for a large coffee at Mara. Worst of all was Boma. $45 (or was it $43?) per person. One beer with dinner plus tip and it was $65 or so. And the only real substance was three meats. Desserts were meh. Then there's the marketplace. I get it - it's convenient. But $3 for a bottle of water? No coffee pods for the rooms (only K Cups - seriously?)

- Smoking/vaping areas: There's ONE for each resort (Kidani/Jambo). You have to walk all the way out, in front of the main building and hide in a little alcove in the weeds. On days where it's 90ºF+ every day at 80% humidity... This is not fun. Barely any shade.

- Savannah view room: I paid good money (though I got a really good deal) for a room overlooking the Sunset Savannah. Perhaps the tiniest area to view and aside from a rare ostrich walk-by, all there ever was to see were a couple of large birds occasionally. Since there's a loop for vehicles, combined with the small size, it looked more like a muddy track than a "savannah." Complete with a swampy looking "pond" in the middle. Pretty lame, especially after promising your toddler that they'd see animals out there every day. The room was rather cramped. Aptly themed however, and inline with Moderate level accommodations.

- Front desk service: I didn't see my advanced check-in update with our room number so we waited on line at the front desk. It took ages. Likewise the concierge... There were always lines, and always slow.

- Pool: Disney keeps their pools at 85ºF year round, but the pool felt a LOT warmer than that to me. It was not at all refreshing; more like a bathtub. Again, in 90ºF+ weather... That just isn't fun. I only went in (briefly) one day. Not worth returning for. The surrounds were very nice though, and a huge space overall.

- Housekeeping: Lackluster. When we got into our room, there was a pillow case left on top of the TV/armoire. A day or so later, the DW stepped on a bobby pin on the floor. Consumables were restocked a bit randomly.

I really did enjoy the resort and my stay there, but I did have the aforementioned issues with it. I'm sure it looks even more amazing in the lobby during the holidays. But aside from being around the corner from AK, it's just too far away from everything else. I probably won't be staying there again, sad to say. It just didn't deliver on the hype.[/b]

Welcome to Disney Resorts in 2017 - three star experience for five star prices. The only benefits are the extra hours and the unique theming of the deluxe resorts.

Last time I stayed there in 2013 the front desk service was pretty atrocious. Asking to extend my stay by a night literally threw them into complete meltdown as nobody had been asked that before. They were baffled. Ultimately it was quicker to call and book a new reservation over the phone. It's also frustrating that Disney hotels don't let you call the front desk or other in-house departments from your room. The "Front Desk" button on the phone rings through to the WDW operator who knows nothing resort specific and must obtain special permission before connecting you to the front desk. It's beyond frustrating.

I think Boma is fabulous but agree that the price point is a bit out of control.

 

[correcaminos]

The problem (IMO) of the Poly and all of the Magic Kingdom resorts is that they're inside the Magic Kingdom gates, which adds distance and traffic relative to all of the other parks. If you're heavy Magic Kingdom visitor, that works for you. But if you visit the parks in relatively equal proportions, it adds commute time.

That said, the Poly is miles better than the other MK resorts because you can walk to the TTC and go straight to Epcot. The Grand Floridian and Contemporary are actually the least convenient to Epcot because you have to transfer monorails, which takes longer than a bus.

I agree with you on the resorts. MK and Epcot are our favorites so we love Polynesian for the location. It's easy to get to MK (multiple methods) and the trip to Epcot is easy by walking to the TTC. We disliked our stay at BLT for the trips to/from Epcot. VGF is almost as bad, but at least if you don't mind walking you can skip the resort monorails with a long walk.

That said if the buses are more of "a miss" than "a hit" with time wise, a place like AKL can feel like they are far too remote and not much fun.