Hi! I read the other reviews and there are points I agree on & disagree on. The only thing I've read that I disagree on is where someone said if you upgrade to a Savanna-view room, you have to walk an extra mile to get everywhere. We upgraded to a Savanna-view room and stayed during "busy season" and we were right on the first floor. We literally walked from the lobby, down one small hallway (it was up a slight ramp) and to the right...and we were at our room! It was nice because I was able to go to the gift shop, mail postcards, ask questions at the front desk, talk to the photo people, get something to eat, or look at the animals while my son was napping or while my husband was watching him in our room. I don't know if you are able to request rooms, but we were in #3463 if that helps. Maybe you could ask to be in that hallway if you do upgrade to a Savanna-view room. I will try to post some pics on here as well, but I think I have to have over 70 or 100 posts on DIS before it will let me. If you want, I could email you some pics...let me know. Our view was amazing!!! It was nice because I would watch the animals while everyone got ready for the day...I watched the CM's feed the giraffes their breakfast! I also would go out around sunset & watch them after we got back from the parks. If you cannot afford to upgrade to a Savanna-view room, there are plenty of places to sit & enjoy the animals! (we got an awesome deal & booked almost last-minute or else we wouldn't have upgraded either because of the higher expense). They have a lot of "outdoor rooms" with these huge wooden rocking chairs where you can sit & watch them. The guides are also very, very helpful & can tell you tons of info from their country & about the animals! If I stayed at AKL again, I would definitely get a savanna-view room again...I can't imagine staying there & not being able to look out whenever I wanted to. Although, I do agree...if you are a person who goes to the parks as soon as they open & stay until they close, I wouldn't spend the extra money. The reason we did was because my son was 10 months old & needed naps. So when we went back to the hotel, my husband would watch tv, my son napped, and I would sit on the balcony & watch the animals. I spent a lot of time out there so it was completely worth it for us!
I actually wrote a review on "trip advisor" and recommend that you go to their site & read reviews. I tried to put the link to my page on here but it won't let me, so I'm just going to copy & paste my review...I apologize ahead of time for the length of it!
We brought our 10 month old son for his first vacation. I was nervous about planning a trip with an infant & didn't want to have to worry about little details. If you have any questions, I would encourage calling the 1-800 number on Disney's website. Their customer service people are very helpful & can answer minor or major questions/concerns you might have.
Because of needing a large amount of supplies for an infant (i.e. diapers, snackcups, bottles, baby spoons, snacks, babyfood, etc.) I shipped a package to myself at the hotel. I would HIGHLY recommend doing this if you have a child OR just if you have too much to take in your suitcase! Its very simple to do if you are staying on Disney Property. You simply ship the box to yourself...with your name, Disney reservation number, & hotel address on it. Ship it so it arrives no earlier than 2-3 days prior to your visit. This process is wonderful! The disney cast member will "link" the box to your reservation in their computer system...so whenever you arrive, you don't even have to ask about your box! They will retrieve your reservation & get your box immediately! It was so convenient! As I said, this is good even if you don't have kids...simply mail yourself clothing, shoes, whatever won't fit in your suitcase! You can ship yourself a Large Flat Rate box for around $13.95 (up to 70 pounds) and this is much cheaper than the cost for an extra suitcase with the airlines! (just an extra tip!)
Upon arrival, they also gave us a button that said "First Visit" for my son. He was a little young, but still loved the fact that he was given something while the cast member spoke to us about our room. The check-in process was very quick (I also recommend check-in on the Disney website if you book through Disney...you can do it up to 10 days before you leave & it makes the process much quicker/smoother!)
Before saying anything about our room, I must comment on the huge lobby...it was beautiful!!! It is decorated with an African culture theme & has huge windows to see outside. Its absolutely beautiful! There is a gift shop onsite with Disney items (like stuffed animals, keychains, mugs/glasses, photoalbums, shirts, etc) as well as Animal Kingdom items & African culture items. Its a very nice store with a wide variety of items. In addition, I was surprised at the large variety of "convenience store" items you could get. One evening, we needed a bunch of things & I was planning to run to the giftshop...I made the comment to my husband "If they have it." I didn't think they would have the items I needed...I was afraid I'd have to run to Walmart or Target. Well they had everything I was looking for. They have toothpaste, shampoo, pretzels/chips, some first aid items, a freezer with icecream...just to give you some examples. Over the course of my trip, I spent close to $250 at the giftshop at the Lodge & I watch money carefully (I am not a spender!)
The rooms are very spacious. I don't know why others have complained about room space. Keep in mind, I had an infant who was crawling & starting to walk...he needed lots of space. I had no complaints...there was a closet with enough room to hang all of our stuff. I didn't have enough hangers though for all 3 of us but we just put our extra tops in the drawers. I had more than enough space in the 2 large drawers in the armoire...one for our clothes & one for my son's diapers, shoes, & toys/books that we brought along. We had a King-size bed, a couch, a small refrigerator, coffee maker, a small table with 2 chairs, and a private balcony. The vanity area has double sinks & the bathroom is separate from this area...I liked this a lot, it made getting ready in the morning a lot easier. The shower was huge & the bathroom had a door for privacy. I would suggest upgrading your room to the "savanna view" so that you are able to watch the animals. Its not a necessity but it makes your trip a lot more enjoyable! My son & I spent many mornings & evenings on the balcony watching the animals. (hint: the animals are out more in the morning than evening...I think it is easier to see the animals from the viewing areas in the evenings) If you are planning to spend 10+ hours in the parks, I wouldn't suggest the "savana view" because you could spend that extra money on food, souvenirs, or another park ticket! There are many areas throughout the resort where you are able to sit in wooden rocking chairs & watch the animals. There are cast members (most from Africa) who are extremely knowledgeable & can tell you tons of information about the animals & culture! This was a great part of the trip! There is also a large viewing area outdoors, a playground, weightroom, arcade, and pool. Unfortunately because of my son's age, we weren't able to use the weightroom, arcade, or pool as much as we would've liked. The pool does have a nice wading area for small babies/toddlers. I took my son there one evening & he enjoyed it (it was the 2nd time he was in a pool) and I noticed the kids & how much fun they were having. So, even if you have very young kids, they will still be able to enjoy the pool area! One tip -- don't bring towels to the pool. There are areas (they look like large garbage cans) that have towels for you to use at the pool & an area to put them in when you are done. Very convenient!
The eating areas -- AKL has 3 of these. Two are restaurants (I believe the one only serves dinner) -- they are the Boma & the Jiko. Unfortunately we did not go to either because you had to have reservations ahead of time (I think because of "busy season" when we were there). The one night, we went down & asked how long the wait would be & they said 45 minutes to 1 hour. It was nice because they give you a "button" to take to your room & it will light up & vibrate when they have a table ready for you. Unfortunately, my son fell asleep back in our room & since we didn't want to wake him, we cancelled with the restaurant. I have heard wonderful things about both restaurants & know people from other resorts who HAVE to go to the Boma every visit to Orlando! We primarily ate at the parks or at the Mara (the quick-service restaurant). I feel that they had a large variety of items (burgers, pizza, fried shrimp, soups, etc.) as well as three coolers full of snacks & side items. I would recommend getting the "Disney souvenir mug" with unlimited refills...HUGE savings! I believe it costs $14-15 and you will spend this your first day on property. In the coolers, they have different fruits, carrots, cakes, yogurt, tons of options as well as drinks. I would say however that its pricey...if you have a rental car, go to the local Walmart or Super Target & stock your refrigerator with snacks & drinks. They have a large seating area indoors as well as a few tables outdoors. Its nice to sit in the airconditioning after being outside at the parks, but its also nice to sit outdoors & enjoy the plants/scenery. There are stairs & elevators to get around the hotel & to the eating areas.
I also recommend if you do not need a rental car, use the Disney Magical Express for yourself & your luggage. It is a simple process...at the airport, you go to a specially designated counter...its huge, you can't miss it! One person goes to the counter while the rest of your party waits on large couches/chairs. You check-in & it takes less than 5 minutes (even with a long line). You then go to another line & immediately get onto a bus which will take you to your hotel. We were the last stop & were there within 30 minutes...I thought it was pretty quick & loved not having to drive through Orlando traffic. You also get to see other resorts along the way. There are tvs on the bus for small children & adults to watch & learn about Disney. The day before you leave, the resort places a note on your door that says when the bus will arrive to pick you up. You simply take your luggage downstairs, check in with a cast member (who takes your luggage), and then head outside to wait for your bus. It takes you directly to the airport & you don't see your luggage again until you arrive at your home airport! Its very convenient & its one less thing you have to worry about.
We also used the Disney shuttles to get to the parks. Make sure to ask when you check-in for a bus schedule. The buses arrive every 15-20 minutes (we never had to wait for a bus) but the schedule will tell you how to get around. For example, how to get to Downtown Disney via the bus route.
I also advise reserving meals ahead of time that are a MUST to your trip, especially Character Dining. You can do it on the Disney website or through their customer service number.
I apologize for the length of this review...but I wanted to make sure to get all of my information in! I came home & said "Oh, I wish someone would have told me that before I went" at least a million times! So I didn't want to leave anything out. My main advice...if you don't know something, ask a Cast Member. They are all knowledgeable & can assist with any question you might have. If they don't know, they will find out...very nice people at all resorts & parks!
The restaurants are really good, although Boma tends to get PACKED. Jiko is my favorite restaurant at WDW.
. The bus system was excellent (but this was before Kidani Village opened) ...we never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus going to or coming from a park (in Sept). The food court was excellent...very clean..lots of choices. We LOVED the gift shop in the resort. The pool was amazing...like an oasis from the parks!
goggles to watch the animals at night...AKL is such an amazingly beautiful resort. When we walked into the lobby for the first time, it took our breath away! And the rest of our stay was just as amazing...
