AKL LITE unofficial FAQ thread#10 - I believe that's known as a 'Jambo Dozen'

[kimmar067]

Important Things to Know:

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy. Photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.

Pets not allowed
Check-in time starts at: 3 PM
Check-out time is: 11 AM
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.

Amenities
General
Gift shops or newsstand Number of buildings/towers - 1 Patio Poolside bar Shopping on site Smoke-free property Suitable for children Swimming pool - children's Swimming pool - outdoor Television in lobby
See more facilities
Rooms (all rooms include)
Blackout drapes/curtains Clock radio Cribs/infant beds available Desk Electronic/magnetic keys Electronic check-out In-room childcare (surcharge) In-room safe Iron/ironing board Speakerphone
See more room details
Services
* Laundry facilities *
"Originally Posted by AlohaAnnie View Post
There are washer/dryers at Kidani. I am not sure if there is more than one laundry room but I used the one off the lobby near the community hall. This was in 2010.

There are 2 large capacity washers at the time and 6 to 8 dryers.

Originally Posted by kimmar067 View Post
...actually, there is another laundry facility near the end of Kudu Trail - it was on the 2nd or 3rd floor..."


Massage - spa treatment room(s)
Multilingual staff
Porter/bellhop
Safe-deposit box at front desk
Sauna
Security guard Self parking
Steam room
Valet parking

Business & Events
24-hour front desk
Business services Dry cleaning/laundry service
Room service (24 hours)

Accessibility Features**
Accessibility equipment for the deaf
Accessible bathroom
Accessible parking
Accessible path of travel Braille or raised signage
In-room accessibility
Roll-in shower
**These amenities may be available only in some rooms or units. Some amenities may incur additional fees.

Dining
Jiko - The Cooking Place - Stylish restaurant serving creative American cooking with a blend of multicultural influences from the Mediterranean coast, India, Europe, and Africa. Includes seafood, steak, chicken, and vegetarian offerings. South African wines. Reservations strongly recommended. Nightly dinner.
Boma - Flavors of Africa - Designed to replicate an African marketplace with open kitchens and a thatched roof. Buffet-style dining that includes salads, vegetarian dishes, grilled seafood, and roasted meats inspired by the varied flavors of over 50 African countries. Reservations strongly recommended. Breakfast and dinner.
The Mara - Quick-service food court. Light fare such as hamburgers, salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. Open from early morning to late evening.
Victoria Falls Lounge - Quiet bar overlooking Boma - Flavors of Africa. Specialty coffees, tea, and cocktails. Open from late afternoon to late evening.
Uzima Springs - Poolside bar adjacent to zero-entry pool. Cold beverages, frozen specialty drinks, and cocktails. Open from mid-morning to early evening, weather permitting.

Room service - Available from early morning to late evening.

Recreation
The most popular activity at this Lake Buena Vista resort is observing the exotic animals who wander the savannah-like grounds. Guests can stop by viewing areas to catch glimpses of giraffes, ostriches, impalas, and zebras. The large zero-entry pool offers a gently sloping entrance accessible to young children and guests without full mobility, while a 67-foot-long slide zips swimmers into the center with a splash. There is also a children's pool, 24-hour playground, game arcade, and two spa tubs on site.
Supervised children's activities for ages 4-12 are offered at Simba's Clubhouse, and include Disney movies, computer games, and dinner (surcharges apply). Guests of all ages can venture on a safari or watch the animals roaming about the savannah from the resort public viewing spaces. Complimentary programs include flamingo and pelican feedings, games with savannah guides, storytelling, night-vision tracking, and a horticulture show-and-tell.
The Zahanati Massage & Fitness Center provides treadmills, stationary bikes, free weights, and complimentary use of a sauna and steam room. Guests can also receive a variety of spa treatments (surcharge).
Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course and Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park are both one mile from the resort. Complimentary transportation is offered. The guest services desk can assist with reservations on any one of Disney's five tour-caliber golf courses, all located on Walt Disney World® Resort property. A nine-hole course is also available.
The recreational activities listed below are available on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Bicycle rentals nearby Bird watching on site Fishing nearby Golf - driving range nearby Golfing nearby Golf lessons available nearby Golf - miniature nearby Hiking/biking trails nearby Horse riding/rental nearby Parasailing nearby Playground on site Sailing nearby Swimming on site Tennis nearby
Notification and fees
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.

Valet parking fee: USD 10 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Check-in information
Resort Airline Check-In Service allows guests to check luggage and receive boarding passes at the hotel. This service accepts one bag per passenger on JetBlue. Guests wishing to check multiple bags on JetBlue or any bags on AirTran, Alaska, American, Continental, Delta, Northwest, United, or US Airways must call 407-284-1231 (5 AM - 11 PM) to pay luggage fees prior to check-in, or guests can check bags at the airport. Guests must pre-book Disney's Magical Express, a complimentary transfer from the Orlando airport to the hotel. Visit www.disneysmagicalexpress.com/USA for registration. This service picks up and delivers luggage directly to guestrooms for those arriving between 5 AM - 10 PM. Guests must claim their own bags after hours.
Terms & conditions
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.

All hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States Check Price
Area map

A short guide to Walt Disney World

This area encompasses the bulk of the Walt Disney World® Resort, including futuristic Epcot®, Disneys Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, Disney-MGM Studios®, and the Magic Kingdom® Park. In a place rife with photo ops, Cinderellas storybook castle is among the most photographed. The Disney-branded hotels here cater to economy and luxury budgets.


Nearby Activities & Points of Interest
Less than 0.5 miles
Disney's Animal Kingdom® - 400 yards
1.0 - 3.0 mi
Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course - 1.4 miles
Blizzard Beach - 1.4 miles
Orange Lake Golf - 1.7 miles
Bay Lake - 2.1 miles
Disney's Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course - 2.3 miles
Disney's Hollywood Studios" - 2.3 miles
Wide World of Sports - 2.6 miles
Mystic Dunes Golf Club - 2.6 miles
Disney's Boardwalk - 2.8 miles
3.0+ mi
Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) - 10 miles
Orlando Intl. Airport (MCO) - 19 miles
Orlando Herndon Airport (ORL) - 21 miles
Winter Haven Municipal Airport (GIF) - 22 miles
Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW) - 30 miles
Leesburg Intl. Airport (LEE) - 34 miles
Lakeland Linder Regional (LAL) - 35 miles
Orlando Sanford Intl. Airport (SFB) - 36 miles
All hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States Check Price Reviews Sort by:
Reviews and ratings contained within this site are the subjective opinions of customers and suppliers; they do not represent or reflect WDW's opinion and/or directives.

 

[RachelTori]

 

[kimmar067]

....well, YOU are here, but where is everyone else?

 

[PNO4TE]

....well, YOU are here, but where is everyone else?

I'm here and I am out of town on vacation!!

 

[dolphingirl47]

Checking in.

Corinna

 

[kimmar067]

....well, grab a

...and stay a spell!

 

[John's Mom]

I'm here!

 

[Syndrome]

For all you AK experts...........
We are considering staying at AKL with a 35% off BB offer, and to save a bit of money we were looking at a pool view room instead of a "animal" view room. We figure jumping up to a pool view would get us a room closer to the lobby, vs having to take the LONG hike to a possible room at the end of one of the wings.
We have stayed at AK already but it was a while ago. We had a CL room directly overlooking the main lobby on the 5th floor with a sunset savanna view..........I dont even think they have these CL rooms any longer ??? It was a bunk bed room, with a king bed AND a day bed. It was such a great Room ! I understand that those rooms are now DVC ?
Anyway, if we decide on a pool view room can we request a king bed, with a daybed room ? Do they have these rooms in the pool view side? I dont see an option for a bookable king bed room, so I guess its just a request ?

Hoping a pool view room will keep us close to the pool,lobby,Mara and the bus stops ..........I do remember those AKL hallways can be LONG !!! LOL.

Thanks for some help !

Syndrome

 

[YCFAN]

Subbing.

 

[John's Mom]

 

[Lehuaann]

Yay...first page!

For all you AK experts...........
We are considering staying at AKL with a 35% off BB offer, and to save a bit of money we were looking at a pool view room instead of a "animal" view room. We figure jumping up to a pool view would get us a room closer to the lobby, vs having to take the LONG hike to a possible room at the end of one of the wings.
We have stayed at AK already but it was a while ago. We had a CL room directly overlooking the main lobby on the 5th floor with a sunset savanna view..........I dont even think they have these CL rooms any longer ??? It was a bunk bed room, with a king bed AND a day bed. It was such a great Room ! I understand that those rooms are now DVC ?
Anyway, if we decide on a pool view room can we request a king bed, with a daybed room ? Do they have these rooms in the pool view side? I dont see an option for a bookable king bed room, so I guess its just a request ?

Hoping a pool view room will keep us close to the pool,lobby,Mara and the bus stops ..........I do remember those AKL hallways can be LONG !!! LOL.

Thanks for some help !

Syndrome

Yes, 5th floor is now DVC. CL rooms are on 4th floor, or least ours have been.

For Pool View the choices are: 2 Queen Beds, 1 King Bed, or 1 King Bed & 1 Day Bed. Sleeps up to 4.

I'm assuming they assigned according to number of guests, or by request.

And yes, those hallways are very LONG!

 

[Kanga1]

Subbing

 

[tiggrbaby]

Oh, so this is where I'm supposed to be!

 

[kgreen]

For all you AK experts...........

Hoping a pool view room will keep us close to the pool,lobby,Mara and the bus stops ..........I do remember those AKL hallways can be LONG !!! LOL.

Thanks for some help !

Syndrome

Good question! I was coming here to post a similar question. My family took our first trip to WDW back in October 2012. 2 adults 2 children, & we stayed in an Arusha view/bunkbed room. It was all that we had dreamed for! Now we are planning a surprise trip back & bringing my mom in law for her first trip. We can't seem to squeeze in the Arusha/savannah rooms this time. But, doing the math a pool room is not much more than a standard room. So we are planning on a pool view room. We will have 3 adults 2 kids this time, & CL is way out of reach for us. So we are planning on 2 pool rooms. I'm booking both rooms, so can I request they be close to each other, so we don't have to split the family up. 2nd question which floor/floors are pool rooms on? And, like the poster above we are hoping we will be close to the pool, Mara, lobby. My mom in law will be renting a scooter, because she can only walk short distances. Therefore, being close to the lobby/elevator would be great for her.

 

[Syndrome]

Yay...first page!



Yes, 5th floor is now DVC. CL rooms are on 4th floor, or least ours have been.

For Pool View the choices are: 2 Queen Beds, 1 King Bed, or 1 King Bed & 1 Day Bed. Sleeps up to 4.

I'm assuming they assigned according to number of guests, or by request.

And yes, those hallways are very LONG!

Good question! I was coming here to post a similar question. My family took our first trip to WDW back in October 2012. 2 adults 2 children, & we stayed in an Arusha view/bunkbed room. It was all that we had dreamed for! Now we are planning a surprise trip back & bringing my mom in law for her first trip. We can't seem to squeeze in the Arusha/savannah rooms this time. But, doing the math a pool room is not much more than a standard room. So we are planning on a pool view room. We will have 3 adults 2 kids this time, & CL is way out of reach for us. So we are planning on 2 pool rooms. I'm booking both rooms, so can I request they be close to each other, so we don't have to split the family up. 2nd question which floor/floors are pool rooms on? And, like the poster above we are hoping we will be close to the pool, Mara, lobby. My mom in law will be renting a scooter, because she can only walk short distances. Therefore, being close to the lobby/elevator would be great for her.

Thanks for the help ! It seems wierd that the king rooms are not bookable and just a request. I would think there would be a bookable option Disney could make a few extra $$$ on like most of the other WDW resorts.

We just looked at the AK map, and if you reserve a pool view room .........you are pretty much guaranteed to have a room at least a lot closer to the lobby than a standard or "animal" room can be. You may also get lucky and get a standard room close to the lobby, but the chances of that are low considering how LONG those hallways are !

For us, its all water under the bridge. Called this weekend to check availabilty for our dates in October, and they had minimal rooms available for our discount (35% off !). They had some really high priced suites available and standard rooms available. Since we remember how long those hall ways at AK are, we just opted to keep the reservation we had, a water view room at CBR. Since we were supposed to be taking a last minute trip on a budget we will stick with what we have , lol. If AK had pool view rooms, we would have stepped it up with the small upgrade in price. Oh well, maybe we will go back to AK another time , but we are still looking forward to CBR !

Syndrome

 

[cincystamper]

Stumbled onto this thread this morning and am glad I did! I'll be staying at AKL this December for the first time and am grateful for all the helpful info!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Stumbled onto this thread this morning and am glad I did! I'll be staying at AKL this December for the first time and am grateful for all the helpful info!

Oh welcome! You are going to love it! We had our first stay in May and it is not going to be our last! We loved it! How lovely near Christmas time as well. You must be so excited! We are going back in October. Can't wait!

 

[TyRy]

I'm here -

 

[RachelTori]

I'm here -

'bout time!

 

[cincystamper]

Oh welcome! You are going to love it! We had our first stay in May and it is not going to be our last! We loved it! How lovely near Christmas time as well. You must be so excited! We are going back in October. Can't wait!

We are BEYOND excited! We were originally booked for another resort, but I got a free dining pin (woo hoo!) and we "had" to switch to take advantage of it. Which worked out really well because it's my parent's 45th anniversary trip and I had really really really wanted to book AKL to begin with (they're HUGE animal lovers) and just couldn't figure out the finances. My dad still doesn't believe he'll be able to have morning coffee on a balcony, (hopefully) watching animals! (yes, I've shown him pictures )

We're booked for a savanna room....are there any requests I should make when I check in to help make our stay even more magical? (Although, seriously, just BEING there is going to be magical enough!)