AKL Arusha or Savannah view?

[Baby Pluto]

Can someone please explain the differences between booking a savannah view vs an Arusha savannah view? Anyone have experiences with either, or both?

I'm booking our AKL stay tomorrow for January 2013 and would like to know the differences between the two. Is it worth the price difference?

 

[eangel12]

I am curious too!! Are they the same thing?!

 

[Jestocost]

Arusha is a specific savannah at AKL Jambo House, but there are two other savannahs--Sunset and Uzima. Arusha is considered the best savannah in terms of its appearance and the selection of animals and is the central savannah that you can view from the area off of the main lobby. If you book just a savannah view you could wind up with a room overlooking any one of the three; most likely Sunset or Uzima.

You can see descriptions of the different savannahs at this link. I would note that the listings of animals that are on each of the savannahs is out of date.

 

[gizfish]

Basically Disney noticed lots of people making requests for the Arusha savannah and decided they could make more money off us by making it into a separate category ; ) You will see animals with any savannah view you book.

 

[loveshak22]

I've booked a stay at AKL for mid-January and have been researching this myself.

Check out this map: http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/aklmap.htm

and then read:
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/aklodge/animals.htm
and
http://www.aklresort.com/content/savanna-view-room

My understanding is that the center of the horseshoe is the Arusha view...the outside of the horseshoe are the other savannah views.

I nooked an Arusha view and requested a room at the very end of the zebra trail but think I'm going to call and change it to the middle of the zebra trail so it's not as long a walk to the lobby and buses!

Also, I've read that about 50% (based on threads that I've read on here) of people get upgraded for free. I think a lot of people don't pay for the savannah views because there are a lot of public viewing areas all around the resort. Then there are lots of savannah rooms open so ta-dah! free upgrades. Take that for what it's worth. I'm going during the value season so am tempted to downgrade to a pool view room and see what happens!

 

[Baby Pluto]

Well, we'll have to see what happens!
We've booked our stay (for mid January too!) at the Jamba house with a savannah view! I suppose we'll end up with any of the 3 but from the sounds of it, there shouldn't be a problem at all. I'm most excited to see the giraffes and zebras!

 

[Jestocost]

I'm most excited to see the giraffes and zebras!

If those are what you are most excited about (I love the giraffes), then you should be able to see both at AKL. I will note, however, that I don't think that either one are out on Sunset and Uzima savannahs. As a result, if your room has a view of one of those two savannahs you will have to go to the main Arusha viewing area off of the lobby to see them. Only Arusha-view rooms directly overlook zebras and giraffe.

 

[Baby Pluto]

If those are what you are most excited about (I love the giraffes), then you should be able to see both at AKL. I will note, however, that I don't think that either one are out on Sunset and Uzima savannahs. As a result, if your room has a view of one of those two savannahs you will have to go to the main Arusha viewing area off of the lobby to see them. Only Arusha-view rooms directly overlook zebras and giraffe.

Are you positive? I heard giraffes are visible from all savannah views.
If not, that's a bit of a disappointment

 

[loveshak22]

Giraffes are visible from all three - zebras however are not. Zebras are only on Arusha.

 

[loveshak22]

Well, we'll have to see what happens!
We've booked our stay (for mid January too!) at the Jamba house with a savannah view! I suppose we'll end up with any of the 3 but from the sounds of it, there shouldn't be a problem at all. I'm most excited to see the giraffes and zebras!

Well my DH and I might run into you at some point (of course not even realizing it)! We are actually checking in January 21 - not sure if that counts as mid or late January! I'm hoping a room discount or free dining announcment is made soon. Are you following any of the January 2013 discount watch threads?

 

[sndral]

If those are what you are most excited about (I love the giraffes), then you should be able to see both at AKL. I will note, however, that I don't think that either one are out on Sunset and Uzima savannahs. As a result, if your room has a view of one of those two savannahs you will have to go to the main Arusha viewing area off of the lobby to see them. Only Arusha-view rooms directly overlook zebras and giraffe.

Giraffes are visible from all three - zebras however are not. Zebras are only on Arusha.

The animals on each savannah change through time, for example, when I first visited I believe only Arusha had zebras, however, when I had an Uzima view in 2010, the first 2 mt. zebras had been added that week to the animal groups on that savanna, the giraffes were there (a family group including a teenager born @ ak) and had been there for awhile. Sunset had 1 zebra and several very inquisitive giraffes. When I had lunch @ Sanaa in 2011, there were 7 zebras on Sunset, quite a herd, actually, and a lot more than the lonely solo guy the year before.
When people answer these questions, it might be helpful if they note how current their information is - best, of course would be someone there now, but even then, by the time a person visits, the animals may have changed. I don't know, for example, if the 2 zebras I saw on Uzima in Dec. 2010, were moved over to Sunset to form part of the herd by 2011.

BTW, there's a 4th, very small savannah called Pembe which is on the far side of the DVC Kidani section of the resort - no giraffes there as their barn is too short for them.

 

[Baby Pluto]

Well my DH and I might run into you at some point (of course not even realizing it)! We are actually checking in January 21 - not sure if that counts as mid or late January! I'm hoping a room discount or free dining announcment is made soon. Are you following any of the January 2013 discount watch threads?

Oh my goodness, that's too funny! We're checking in on the 21st as well!
Now I'll be wondering which visitors are members of the Disney board lol.

I am, here and there, but I haven't heard of any deals yet!

 

[loveshak22]

Oh my goodness, that's too funny! We're checking in on the 21st as well!
Now I'll be wondering which visitors are members of the Disney board lol.

I am, here and there, but I haven't heard of any deals yet!

That's funny! At one point there was a discussion about Dissers having a green something or other so we could identify each other at parks...although I've never seen anyone with one. I could probably search the threads to refresh my memory!

Hopefully we hear about some deals soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[loveshak22]

Here's one thread - if you see anyone with a lime green Mickey head then you've spotted a Dis-er!

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2984199&highlight=green+mickey+heads

I'm not too crafty but one of the posts said to go to Home Depot and get one of the lime green Mickey paint samples...haha...if I pass a Home Depot I might

 

[gizfish]

Giraffes are visible from all three - zebras however are not. Zebras are only on Arusha.

In 1/10, they had zebras on all savannahs. They had recently added a species of zebra that would get along with all the other animals so that they didn't have to limit zebras to only Arusha. We were at the very end of the ostrich trail and saw zebras every day as well as giraffes, cattle, ostriches, etc. The zebras did get into scuffles with each other, but not with the other animals. Don't know if AKL has changed back to limiting where the zebras are again.

 

[loveshak22]

In 1/10, they had zebras on all savannahs. They had recently added a species of zebra that would get along with all the other animals so that they didn't have to limit zebras to only Arusha. We were at the very end of the ostrich trail and saw zebras every day as well as giraffes, cattle, ostriches, etc. The zebras did get into scuffles with each other, but not with the other animals. Don't know if AKL has changed back to limiting where the zebras are again.

That's good to know. I haven't been but was basing the info off of several websites that listed certain animals only in certain savannahs. The wdw site I provided above, for example. But since the website has not dates on it, that could have been posted before 01/10...I think it'd be cool to have the zebras everywhere!!!

 

[sndral]

In 1/10, they had zebras on all savannahs. They had recently added a species of zebra that would get along with all the other animals so that they didn't have to limit zebras to only Arusha. We were at the very end of the ostrich trail and saw zebras every day as well as giraffes, cattle, ostriches, etc. The zebras did get into scuffles with each other, but not with the other animals. Don't know if AKL has changed back to limiting where the zebras are again.

The zebra species that I saw on Uzima and Sunset in Dec. 2010, were the Hartman's Mt. zebra and disney was part of a breeding program for these endangered animals -
http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2010/09/zebras-at-animal-kingdom-lodge/
old news re: Hartman's zebras @ AKL http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/baby-zebra-giraffe-born-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-lodge.289347/
My recollection is that the Grant's or Plain's zebras were on Arusha.
If you can fit it in, I strongly recomend doing the Wanyama safari early in an AKL stay, it's expensive, but it does include dinner w/ wine pairings @ Jiko - we learned so much about the animals we saw every day on Uzima in Dec. of 2010, plus, of course, the animals on the other 3 savannahs from the safari.
I love the resort and if it weren't for the need to bus everywhere, I'd stay there every time, alas, these days I content myself by eating @ Sanaa, Boma and Jiko while staying elsewhere.

 

[loveshak22]

Oh my goodness, that's too funny! We're checking in on the 21st as well!
Now I'll be wondering which visitors are members of the Disney board lol.

I am, here and there, but I haven't heard of any deals yet!

My DH and I decided to push our trip back a week so now we'll be checking in January 28th and staying through February 2nd!

 

[Baby Pluto]

My DH and I decided to push our trip back a week so now we'll be checking in January 28th and staying through February 2nd!

You must be excited!
We may still bump into each other unknowingly (unless one of us opts for the lime green Mickey lol!). My boyfriend and I will be there from the morning of January 21st to mid afternoon February 10th! We're going for my birthday and it's my first trip there, needless to say..I can't stop thinking about it!

 

[Baby Pluto]

The zebra species that I saw on Uzima and Sunset in Dec. 2010, were the Hartman's Mt. zebra and disney was part of a breeding program for these endangered animals -
http://www.themouseforless.com/blog_world/2010/09/zebras-at-animal-kingdom-lodge/
old news re: Hartman's zebras @ AKL http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/baby-zebra-giraffe-born-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-lodge.289347/
My recollection is that the Grant's or Plain's zebras were on Arusha.
If you can fit it in, I strongly recomend doing the Wanyama safari early in an AKL stay, it's expensive, but it does include dinner w/ wine pairings @ Jiko - we learned so much about the animals we saw every day on Uzima in Dec. of 2010, plus, of course, the animals on the other 3 savannahs from the safari.
I love the resort and if it weren't for the need to bus everywhere, I'd stay there every time, alas, these days I content myself by eating @ Sanaa, Boma and Jiko while staying elsewhere.

Thanks for the information! I'm excited to see all the animals and if something isn't to our liking (though I doubt it would be) I'm sure we could manage to sort it out.
I'll look definitely look into the safari. . . especially now that wine is involved hehe!