Don't Fear the Rain, We Have the "Ducky of Death!"-Jan '14 **Bonus TR DCA 9/1 x2

So for the first post I thought I would describe our experience at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

I had been lobbying for two years to my kids about staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. DD wanted to try every different suite at Art of Animation after our last year’s stay in the Finding Nemo Suite. But after weeks of telling her all of the fun activities available at AKL she finally decided that AKL would be a great place to stay. I know, I know, I could have just put my foot down and declared AKL as our resort on my own but it’s always nice to have buy-in from the stakeholders, don’t you think?

My anticipation and excitement for this beautiful resort was so high that I even planned a couple of park days to end around 4:30pm so we could spend our evenings at AKL! And according to DW, this was unheard of when it came to Dave’s touring plans!

We arrived on the evening of Tuesday the 28th and headed straight to the resort for check in.

It's hard not to be awe-struck as soon as you enter the grand lobby.



My brother and his family had already checked in earlier that afternoon and my nephew (DN) was already asleep when we arrived at our room right across the hall. Our room was located on the Kudu trail. The kids were so excited to check out our balcony view since during the sizeable trek from the lobby to our room they were treated with several awesome views of the savanna and its animals along the hallway windows. As soon as we entered our room they headed straight for the balcony. Actually, I did too. It was absolutely gorgeous. DD and DS stayed out in the balcony watching the different animals roaming by as DW and I unpacked.

This is pretty much the only moisture-free evening we had for our view. There's actually two giraffes in this picture with the second one sort of hiding between the tree trunks.



I ended up spending a lot of time out on the balcony myself during this trip. It was a great place to spend some quiet time after the rest of my family turned in for bed. I would usually work on the photos I took for the day on my laptop with my feet up on the table all the while watching the giraffes or zebras roam their way through our little slice of the savanna. When I did see one or two of the animals settling down for a rest, I set up my tripod and tried to capture the scene with some long exposure shots. This was my routine pretty much every single night between 11pm-12:30am. Even with the rain, it was one of my favorite things to do on this trip. I almost hated going to bed.

Here’s a couple of photos I took from the balcony on our fourth night at the resort. The fog had just begun rolling in a little after midnight and these two giraffes strolled right in and sat by the tree! I honestly had no idea that giraffes could sit down like that. I just have never seen them doing it. Since it was our personal balcony and I didn’t have to worry about obstructing some other guests’ view I was able to take pictures with long exposures until my heart content. Of all of the beautiful scenes I enjoyed from our balcony I think this was my favorite.

Two giraffes, a vulture, and a zebra (at the right edge of the picture) made it in to this shot.




The rest of the resort outside our balcony was perfect. The kids and I got to try out the night vision goggles from one of the covered balcony outlook areas. The moved it to this part of the resort because of the rain. Most of the animals were taking shelter from the rain so we didn’t actually get to spot too many animals but still had fun with sniper-vision. Here's a picture from the same balcony a couple of days later.



On our DHS park day we returned early back to the resort around 5:40pm. The view that greeted us when we returned to our room:







We still had some time before our Boma dinner ADR so this gave us and the kids the chance to explore the resort. DS and DN made friends with one of the cultural exchange CMs in the lobby who was demonstrating an African drum and they had a great time banging away. At 6:30pm I took the kids outside to the campfire for one of the African folk tale storytelling. It was a neat experience. The kids loved hearing the story. I tried taking some pictures of the CM who was telling the story but there was not enough light and she was very animated during her storytelling so couldn't come up with a sharp picture.



Afterwards the boys had fun running around the campfire area. In the mean time I chatted for a few minutes with the CM that did the story telling who was from Botswana and listening to how she ended up coming to Disney. She had worked in the service industry for a safari company in her home country and decided to apply for the one year cultural exchange program. She clearly loved Disney as much as I did judging by the way she described how she decided to join the program. She said The Lion King had always been her favorite Disney experience and that she loves Timon and Pumba! She had three more months remaining with Disney and then she was going to have to figure out where she would go next. She was considering spending some time as an ESL instructor in China. Had a great time chatting with her. She gave me suggestions on photography spots throughout the resort. Introduced me to one of her fellow CM who was on his way out at the end of the shift who briefly chatted with me. He was an aspiring writer.

Later that evening after DW and the kids went to bed I packed up my tripod and gear into my backpack and walked around the resort taking pictures. The rain had broke jussssst long enough for me to attempt a few outdoor shots.

I returned to the campfire. Such a relaxing and beautiful area.




The design on that large viewing window is so cool!




There were of course plenty to take pictures of inside as well.

I found this small but beautifully placed mural on the ceiling of a stairway from the lobby to the second floor near the resort entrance.



Those patterns on the shades were one of my favorite details of the resort.


I worked my way up floor by floor and appreciating the different perspectives of the lobby. A close up of the lobby chandeliers.


On the fourth floor (I think?) there's a bridge that goes across above the lobby. A couple of pictures from the bridge.





Very interesting light fixtures lining the ceilings in the elevator lobby area.




The cultural center room.


I loved everything about this resort. The fire pits where families could lounge around. The various designs of the lighting fixtures. After 11pm the lobby emptied out quite a bit. I’ve spent an hour or two during our stay just getting comfortable in one of the couches with my laptop.



Beautiful floor lamps scattered throughout the lobby.




Lastly I have to enthusiastically comment on the restaurants at AKL. We were already big fans of Boma prior to this stay and it had become a staple dinner restaurant on our touring plans. It didn’t disappoint and we even ordered a bottle of wine for the first time at this magnificent buffet. My brother and his wife are really into wine and we were happy to have them pick out the bottles and benefit from their expertise. The Mara was also awesome and I did take advantage of its late night hours to squeeze in a burger and a flatbread on two separate nights as my fourth meal close to midnight. But by far the highlight was Jiko. This was THE meal I had been looking forward to on this trip. Heard lots of good things from my DIS friends. Read a lot of good reviews on various travel websites. And after a magical day in MK it was the perfect way to cap it off with a nice glass of wine and great food. We were seated in a round booth that fit all 7 of us with plenty of room.



The kids behaved very well. And our server Jeff was spot-on with his service and his recommendations. The guy pretty much knew every drink, wine, appetizer, entrée, and dessert on the menu. He made excellent recommendations for the entrées. His description of the portion sizes were precise and accurate. We ordered the Taste of Africa and one of the flatbreads as appetizers for the table. I decided to go with the short ribs which were excellent. I can’t remember what everyone else ordered but they were all happy with their selections. I even orderd the Kenyan Coffee crème brulee which was just awesome. And the bottle of wine we ordered for the grownups complimented our meals perfectly. We will definitely be going back Jiko again on our next trip.

AKL exceeded my expectations in every aspect! And I didn’t think that was possible because I was coming in with some high lofty expectations. So much so that I think this has become my favorite resort all of WDW! That might change again after June 2015 when we plan to check out the (by-then) newly renovated and improved Polynesian. I can’t wait to find an opportunity to go back and stay at this resort.

And as for my DB? Well, shortly after checking in to our room he came over to our room to say hi to the kids and us. Having checked in a few hours earlier they apparently got to explore the resort quite a bit including a little bit of pool time. One of the first things he said to me: "This resort is so nice and luxurious! It was not what I was expecting at all from a Disney resort." It sounded like I was off to a great start!
 
Nice on being able to persuade DD to pick AKL for the trip. :rotfl2: The resort looks amazing. Seems like a fun place to walk around and just explore everything.
 
We are DVC and just stayed at AKV-Kidani for the 1st time at Xmas and it's my very fave too (well BCV edges AKV out a smidge due to location, but AKV is my very fave based on resort only). Very glad to have added some points there and cannot wait to stay there again...will try Jambo next time. Jiko is our fave restaurant at WDW and Boma is our fave buffet. We tried Sanaa for the 1st time in Dec and it's top of the list too. Your TR is off to a good start...cannot wait for more.
 
Great update!! I would love exploring AKL. So beautiful. Cant wait to see more pictures of the trip.
 
I knew your pictures were going to be spectacular and they did not fail to disappoint. Love the night time pics.

I've stayed at AKL twice - once at Kidani and once at the Jambo House. I absolutely love the resort. There is something so magical about it. I think its the most immersive experience of all the resorts. And I agree that all the restaurants there are fabulous.
 
I so want to stay at AKL in October, but since it is a birthday trip for my daughter I let her pick the resort. (Little Mermaid room at the AOA)
The pics are great! Can't wait to see some more.
 
DaveinFallsChurch said:
But by far the highlight was Jiko. This was THE meal I had been looking forward to on this trip. Heard lots of good things from my DIS friends. Read a lot of good reviews on various travel websites. And after a magical day in MK it was the perfect way to cap it off with a nice glass of wine and great food. We were seated in a round booth that fit all 7 of us with plenty of room.
Click to expand...

Glad you loved Jiko as much as DW and I do. It is in our top 3 that we've tried so far and that includes V&A, the old Bistro de Paris and Jiko! Looking forward to more of your TR.
 
Awesome -- this trip you're at AK with great lodge pics. Staying there a couple of nights in April, so I'll see how my dinky camera compares with yours! I'm about ready to think I shouldn't bother taking pics anymore and just rely on yours; (and of course I already have thousands in prints and digital). Glad to see a zebra out and about; my last two trips they were "off show."

BTW: hoping you include your comments/observations about how the MBs and FP+ system works for your group. And thank you again for all the time and talent you devote to taking us along on your super photo safaris.
 
What beautiful photos of the resort. AKL is my new favorite after staying there twice last year. :) We'll be back in May. You captured all the details beautifully including those midnight shots on the savanna. I was obsessed with photographing those ostrich lamps by the viewing window at the rear of the lobby. Again, perfectly themed! :thumbsup2

Ahhh the short ribs at Jiko, my favorite! The last two times I've ordered that entrée and adored it. The restaurant so beautifully captures the wonderful African theming.

Glad to know that your brother was a fan of the resort! Great job converting him so soon.
 
I would love to be able to stay at AKL, simply stunning! Great pics too! Sounds like everyone is enjoying your choice of resorts :thumbsup2
 
Oh AKL how I love thee! It’s funny, looking at all your beautiful pictures it made me feel homesick…and then I realized, I’ve never lived there! We’ve stayed there on several trips and it is just a wonderful resort. I think it feels more like a resort as you are removed from a lot of the hustle and bustle of the parks.

Of course, I can’t say enough about the CM’s at AKL either. Last April during our trip there I went to one of the talks at the cultural center. The CM that night had been a safari guide in Botswana (sounds like a Disney might be poaching this safari company’s employees). He told us all about Botswana and his life there, by the time it was over I was sold – ready for my safari in Botswana! :thumbsup2

I’m glad you loved Jiko so much. It is one of our favorites at WDW. I have never had anything bad there and the service is wonderful. My girls loved it to so that says something, when your kids I think it is a hidden gem at WDW.

You’re off to a great start on the conversion! :cool1:

Christine
 
Incredible photos, Dave, they really do capture a lot of the atmosphere around AKL. You're making me wistful this morning! We absolutely loved the resort, everything about it. Love the campfire and it sounds like the kids were having a blast already. Also very happy that your DB liked the place :thumbsup2 We didn't eat at Jiko, too nervous about being really supremely picky eaters, but the reviews from that place are so good that someday I hope I get up the courage to try it!
 
I'm glad to hear AKL was a good resort choice for you and your family. I agree, it is such a beautifully themed resort; little things like the carpet and the wall murals make it what it is.

Your photos really detail all those little things that are so great about AKL. Makes me wish I were checking into Jambo house right now. :thumbsup2
 
Wonderful pictures and descriptions of AKL. I've only been there once and have just realized how much I've missed! I have definitely added a trip to AKL to my itinerary for my next trip!
 
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