hstrickland
Way Down South...
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2009
Animal Kingdom Lodge Review...…kind of
(minus rooms, Club Level, Jiko, Boma, animals….)
(minus rooms, Club Level, Jiko, Boma, animals….)
As many of you know, I’ve ALWAYS been very hesitant about staying at the AKL. The main reason….the location….and the transportation options. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a MK resort snob, and perhaps I need to venture out a bit more….so…that’s exactly what we did, and so glad we did it!!
The landscape is perfectly themed and couldn’t be more perfect for an African setting….the thatched rooftop truly looks genuine. Even up close, you can’t tell it’s faux straw.
If you feel like splurging a bit, or just feel like being lazy while on vacation (that’s me)….use the valet service to park the car. Very easy, and fairly quick….around $12.00 a day.
Once inside, the very hospitable cast members will be more than happy to check you in. I don’t recall ever seeing the check-in super busy. It always appeared that there was an abundance of CMs to assist with guests’ needs.
The pool area is another world in itself….plenty to do, and beautiful scenery to accompany it….
If you’re interested in a workout, you can head down this path to the fitness club. It’s located on the right side of the pool.
Not far from the gym, there’s a hot tub surrounded by beautiful foliage. Unfortunately, the few times I ventured over to take a dip, there were small children playing in it.
I thought this was a neat little area for rooms….kinda tucked away in the corner away from everything.
If the kids get restless and they need to exert some energy, try the playground…..very neat and clean. The few times I passed by, it was empty...
Of course the pool is awesome!!! No complaints here….well….maybe the slide….it’s great for smaller children, but bigger kids like Stephen lose interest fast. It’s too slow.
The baby pool….
So…if the big kids get bored, send them over to the arcade!
It’s actually much better than the GFs, WLs and the Polys….bigger! But not as good as the CRs aracade (the source of this info comes straight from an 11 year old, therefore it must be accurate)
Perhaps you need a few hours to yourself….send the kiddos to Simbas! I believe it’s open from 4pm-12am and around $11 an hour per child. I did go in and look around. My children didn’t seem too interested….Faith said it wasn’t like the Neverland Club at the Poly, and therefore she really didn’t want to go. I’ve heard great and wonderful things about the club, though. The CMs inside were super friendly and answered all my questions.
Thirsty?? Hungry??….head to the Mara.
We never ate anything from here, but did refill our mugs while lounging out by the pool. It did seem a bit chaotic, but it’s a food court so that’s understandable.
Our experience at the AKL was superb!!! From the room and view, to each cast member, the visit was perfect. I’m so very glad we gave it a try and one day might stay there again. If I didn’t have those ridiculous longings for Cinderella Castle and Bay Lake, AKL might be a favorite resort….I just sorta missed my MK area. However….our experience with the Cast Members at AKL far outweigh the CMs we’ve encountered elsewhere….and that’s a fact!
Up next……departing WDW and headin’ to the coast!
The landscape is perfectly themed and couldn’t be more perfect for an African setting….the thatched rooftop truly looks genuine. Even up close, you can’t tell it’s faux straw.
If you feel like splurging a bit, or just feel like being lazy while on vacation (that’s me)….use the valet service to park the car. Very easy, and fairly quick….around $12.00 a day.
Once inside, the very hospitable cast members will be more than happy to check you in. I don’t recall ever seeing the check-in super busy. It always appeared that there was an abundance of CMs to assist with guests’ needs.
The pool area is another world in itself….plenty to do, and beautiful scenery to accompany it….
If you’re interested in a workout, you can head down this path to the fitness club. It’s located on the right side of the pool.
Not far from the gym, there’s a hot tub surrounded by beautiful foliage. Unfortunately, the few times I ventured over to take a dip, there were small children playing in it.
I thought this was a neat little area for rooms….kinda tucked away in the corner away from everything.
If the kids get restless and they need to exert some energy, try the playground…..very neat and clean. The few times I passed by, it was empty...
Of course the pool is awesome!!! No complaints here….well….maybe the slide….it’s great for smaller children, but bigger kids like Stephen lose interest fast. It’s too slow.
The baby pool….
So…if the big kids get bored, send them over to the arcade!
It’s actually much better than the GFs, WLs and the Polys….bigger! But not as good as the CRs aracade (the source of this info comes straight from an 11 year old, therefore it must be accurate)
Perhaps you need a few hours to yourself….send the kiddos to Simbas! I believe it’s open from 4pm-12am and around $11 an hour per child. I did go in and look around. My children didn’t seem too interested….Faith said it wasn’t like the Neverland Club at the Poly, and therefore she really didn’t want to go. I’ve heard great and wonderful things about the club, though. The CMs inside were super friendly and answered all my questions.
Thirsty?? Hungry??….head to the Mara.
We never ate anything from here, but did refill our mugs while lounging out by the pool. It did seem a bit chaotic, but it’s a food court so that’s understandable.
Our experience at the AKL was superb!!! From the room and view, to each cast member, the visit was perfect. I’m so very glad we gave it a try and one day might stay there again. If I didn’t have those ridiculous longings for Cinderella Castle and Bay Lake, AKL might be a favorite resort….I just sorta missed my MK area. However….our experience with the Cast Members at AKL far outweigh the CMs we’ve encountered elsewhere….and that’s a fact!
Up next……departing WDW and headin’ to the coast!