Back from AKL Savannah View - Sun-Thu stay

[CanesFan30]

Ahhh, the comfort of my own bed...but oh how I miss WDW already. I may end up drafting a lengthy play-by-play of my recent magical Disney vacation for the Trip Reports section of the site, but for now you'll have to settle for this abbreviated version.

I love AKL- the moment I set foot in the lobby, I knew it would be a wonderful stay. The lobby is absolutely breathtaking. My 5 y.o. DS, my mother and I all enjoyed a gorgeous savannah view - never any zebras outside our window (we stayed on the Zebra trail) but nevertheless it was a treat to wake up each morning near all the "aminals" as my son called them. He thought the antelope were reindeer!!!

Bus service was commendable- never had to wait long for a bus. Only "bad" bus experience was when we had to stand in the aisles after crowding onto a bus -- keep in mind, this was immediately following the mass exodus from Magic Kingdom after Wishes (which, BTW, is spectacular - a definite can't miss). A really nice older gentleman holding his 3 yo grandson helped make the ride slightly more enjoyable by keeping my DS entertained with conversation about his day.

We dined at Boma our first night there - pricey, but good. Both mom and I weren't too pleased with the selection of side items but the meats and desserts were delicious and certainly helped to justify the price. If you're dining with finicky little ones, you might want to skip Boma. Their "kids corner" consisted only of mac and cheese and 2 other items. Oh, and try the Turtle or Zebra Domes - these are little mousse desserts made of chocolate and Kahlua- yummy!

Pool was very nice- although we didn't get to enjoy it as much as we would have liked. We were either too tired after walking the parks all day or the weather wouldn't cooperate. Yes, the pool is heated and all but I for one certainly didn't want to bear the cold after exiting the pool in nothing but a swimsuit.

Oh, and take advantage of the African storytelling at night by the Arusha firepit. My son thought it was simply "awesome" - a definite highlight of trip.

I will definitely be staying at AKL again. This was a beautifully maintained resort staffed by cheerful/helpful/all around wonderful cast members. Feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[Condorman]

Great review, CanesFan30! So glad you had a wonderful time.

We can't wait to get to the AKL. Just a quick question about your room, though. You said you were on the Zebra trail... Was this the Arusha Savannah? What floor were you on? And, by chance, what room #? I'm just trying to get a basic semblance of where the "treeless" balconies are (LOL) and the length of walk back to the lobby. After a long day at the parks, who needs any more?

Thanks again for the info. Welcome home!

 

[CanesFan30]

We stayed in the Uzima Savanna- Room 3574. It was quite a hike to and from the lobby, I must admit - mornings this was not too terrible a task but after returning from one of the parks, it was excruciating (literally an "uphill climb" to the room).

If I had to do it all over again, I would have requested a guest room in the first two sections of that particular savanna (room numbers ending in 407-437 on either the second or third floors).

However, the walk to the pool, arcade, Simba's Clubhouse and Boma/Jiko/Mara was not bad at all- an elevator to these locations was reasonably close to our particular room. And ice/vending was literally right around the corner.

 

[allyn]

we just got back from AKL on tuesday. we had a sunset savannah view from room 4366 which is practically as far away from the lobby as it is possible to be -- what a hike! the savannah was pretty narrow where we were but we often had giraffes walking by and the cattle every once in a while.

this was our first time staying at AKL, we have stayed at WL in the past. we thought mara was in a terrible location, inconvenient for everybody.

but we love AKL almost as much as WL.

 

[MsLefty]

I just wanted to pipe in and say that our recent stay in room 3435 (Arusha Savanna) was great! It's not too far from the lobby and one door away from the elevators and ice machine. If given a choice, I'd take this room again in a second. That elevator leads directly down to the pool area, Simba's Clubhouse, the laundry room, the arcade and the Mara restaraunt for quick mug refills. We had animals outside every morning and almost every night. You have a clear view of Arusha Rock from here and it's a quick run down to snap pictures if you see some cool animals there. You can also judge how busy it is for the Night Vision viewings and time accordingly. This room is a queen with bunks if anyone is interested.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

CanesFan30,

Thanks for your report, reminded me of our first stay at AKL glad you had a great stay...no room is close enough after a long day at the Parks.

 

[heidijot]

Hi,

We are going to the AKL in July for our honeymoon. We have reserved a savannah room but have no clue what/where to request a room. Can anyone help?
I'm glad you had a great time and will remember to check out the storyteller!!!





Heidi and Bob

 

[Lexxiefern]

thanks for the great review We are staying at AKL in september and I love to read happy reports. thanks for sharing

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by heidijot
Hi,
We are going to the AKL in July for our honeymoon. We have reserved a savannah room but have no clue what/where to request a room. Can anyone help?
I'm glad you had a great time and will remember to check out the storyteller!!!
Heidi and Bob

Hi,

I would suggest putting in a request for a view of the "Arusha Savanna". We like this savanna the best as it is the only one that has zebra on it. Just keep in mind that requests are just that and may not be granted.

 

[CanesFan30]

Originally posted by heidijot
Hi,

We are going to the AKL in July for our honeymoon. We have reserved a savannah room but have no clue what/where to request a room. Can anyone help?

The general consensus on these boards is that Arusha is the place to be...I was in Uzima section- although I never spotted any zebras from our balcony, we did get a chance to admire them from a window just down the hall.

We did have giraffes outside our balcony most everyday and my son loved to watch them nibble on the foliage.