The All-New "unofficial" AKL/AKV's Jambo & Kidani FAQ thread.....

[pyrxtc]

New AKL/AKV picture thread on the photography board, please post your photo's. I have put a link in my thread but want to make sure that there are lost of pictures to see.

here is the direct link

 

[nemofans]

We will be staying at AKL next Dec. & I have a question about rooms. My mom will be coming w/us (her 1st trip to WDW! ) & DH wants to get a 2 bdrm suite so she can have her own room. But that's way too expensive (he doesn't realize the cost yet). I would like to get 2 adjoining deluxe rooms w/savannah view. From what I've read here though, it's not a guarantee to get adjoining rooms. I don't want my mom to end up some where else in the resort. What suggestions do you have for me?
Thanks for the help!

 

[pyrxtc]

We will be staying at AKL next Dec. & I have a question about rooms. My mom will be coming w/us (her 1st trip to WDW! ) & DH wants to get a 2 bdrm suite so she can have her own room. But that's way too expensive (he doesn't realize the cost yet). I would like to get 2 adjoining deluxe rooms w/savannah view. From what I've read here though, it's not a guarantee to get adjoining rooms. I don't want my mom to end up some where else in the resort. What suggestions do you have for me?
Thanks for the help!

The deluxe rooms are no more. Sorry ! you can ask for a 2 bedroom Villa either by renting through here on the rental board or you can reserve two savannah view rooms and request the connecting rooms then. About a week before your vacation, you can call the hotle itself and see about adjoining rooms. From what I have read, most people were able to get adjoinng rooms when asked. Even if she ends up across the hall, it won't be that far away.

A 2 bedroom will cost upwards of $2500 if you rent here. You wouldn't be able to book that until January depending on what day your vacation will start.

December is a very busy month and hard to book so I would ask on the board now so that the renter will know to try at 11 months out.

 

[nemofans]

Thanks for the help, Pyrxtc! I didn't realize there were no more deluxe rooms. I looked at the 2008 room rates & they had deluxe rooms listed. So, then are standard room or concierge room my only choices if we don't go w/the villas? Are the concierge rooms the deluxe rooms? Can I get a savannah view in a standard room? There will be 5 of us (Dh, me, my mom, DS3, & infant). Would we fit in a standard room? Right now, we are planning the week after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30-Dec. 5) I'm confused at this point on the rooms.
Are people already booking their rooms for next Dec????

 

[Cinderella1122]

Have any recent vistors to AKL noticed if USair is still testing airline check-in?

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

I'm booked at AKL on Feb 4th through the 9th (savannah view bunk bed). Can anyone tell me if there will still be construction going on? I have a 3 year old that will likely need naps in the afternoon, so the noise might be a problem for us.

If there will be construction going on, can anyone give me advice on which part of the hotel would be better for us? Or should we change our ressie to another resort?

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for the help, Pyrxtc! I didn't realize there were no more deluxe rooms. I looked at the 2008 room rates & they had deluxe rooms listed. So, then are standard room or concierge room my only choices if we don't go w/the villas? Are the concierge rooms the deluxe rooms? Can I get a savannah view in a standard room? There will be 5 of us (Dh, me, my mom, DS3, & infant). Would we fit in a standard room? Right now, we are planning the week after Thanksgiving (Nov. 30-Dec. 5) I'm confused at this point on the rooms.
Are people already booking their rooms for next Dec????

I think the deluxe rooms are all gone now, both the concierge rooms and the non-concierge rooms are the same size. The concierge rooms are specific rooms set aside for concierge guests, all of them savannah view. The non-concierge rooms come with savannah view, pool view and standard view. Standard view is parking lot view, a view of roof tops or possibly a very restricted savannah view. The pool view rooms and the savannah view rooms come in two different categories with regarding to beds: 1) two queens or one king and 2) one queen and one bunk bed.

As your youngest kid is still an infant, you would be able to fit all five you into one room as all rooms sleep four plus an infant in a crib. However, I think you might be a bit crowded. The AKL rooms are rather small for a deluxe resort, not that much bigger than a moderate resort. The old deluxe rooms were a bit bigger.

I am not sure where you found rates for 2008 for deluxe rooms, I could not find them But I hope I could help to explain the AKL room structure!

 

[Flossbolna]

Have any recent vistors to AKL noticed if USair is still testing airline check-in?

Hi, I would recommend this thread from the Transportation board: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=944813

It appears that the test is still ongoing. The people on the transportation board always are very up to date with their information!

 

[Flossbolna]

I'm booked at AKL on Feb 4th through the 9th (savannah view bunk bed). Can anyone tell me if there will still be construction going on? I have a 3 year old that will likely need naps in the afternoon, so the noise might be a problem for us.

If there will be construction going on, can anyone give me advice on which part of the hotel would be better for us? Or should we change our ressie to another resort?

The construction of the new building for the DVC resort which will be next to AKL will be ongoing until 2009. The construction inside the existing AKL building is supposed to be done by January. The rooms looking out over Sunset Savannah ( to the left of AKL on a map) will most likely all see some of the construction. Even the people who had rooms on that side recently mostly were not too bothered by it. But if you want to be on the safe side, you should request a room overlooking Arusha or Uzima Savannah. Alternatively, it might be better to request a room away from construction and ask for a note to be made on your reservation that your daughter needs to nap during the day.

Also, remember that if you check in, you can always ask for another room if yours is overlooking the construction. In most cases they will try their best to move you. And even if that is not possible on the day you check in, they might be able to move you the next day!

I don't think that you need to change to another resort, I am sure you will be fine at AKL! Have a great trip!

 

[Cinderella1122]

Thanks floss

 

[TKDisneylover]

Just a tip to anyone arriving at AKL/AKV (or any other hotel). If you are going to access the internet, it pays to check your first day. If the person using the room before you paid for access, you will get the rest of their 24 hours to use. At least, I am assuming that happens since the first time I logged on, I wasn't required to pay but the next day, I had to pay the $9.95 for the next 24 hours access.

Just wondering if there is a price for a "length of stay" access? $9.95 everyday seems quite expensive. I was hoping we could get a discounted rate for our full week. Thanks for the help!

 

[shoes99]

Just wondering if there is a price for a "length of stay" access? $9.95 everyday seems quite expensive. I was hoping we could get a discounted rate for our full week. Thanks for the help!

There is no length of stay package. Since the $9.95 + tax is for a continuous 24 hour period, you could skip a day or so. Your other option is to use dial-up with a local 407 number. We have AOL and use dial-up from our phone in the room.

 

[thaisa47]

I'm booked at AKL on Feb 4th through the 9th (savannah view bunk bed). Can anyone tell me if there will still be construction going on? I have a 3 year old that will likely need naps in the afternoon, so the noise might be a problem for us.

If there will be construction going on, can anyone give me advice on which part of the hotel would be better for us? Or should we change our ressie to another resort?

We recently returned from a trip at the AKL, and we had a room overlooking the construction. I totally thought it was going to be a downer - but I never heard it. We even slept with our slider door open on most nights/afternoons. We returned to the room every day for about 2 hours so my 16 month old could nap (and us, too).

My biggest complaint about the AKL was the fact that you had to walk through the smoking section to get to the buses. We ended up cutting through the gift shop every time just to avoid it.

Little "petty" complaints - there are no screens in the sliding doors to the balcony, and there was no room to set up the pack-n-play. We have no issues with co-sleeping, so it worked out for us.

Otherwise we had a great trip - I was afraid the construction would keep the animals away, but all 3 giraffes and other animals were there every day. My DS loved it and had a blast! We will definitely stay there again - but I hope they can do something about the cost of internet.

 

[MinnieSummer]

Have any of you who just returned noticed whether the Christmas Decorations are as elaborate as they have been in the past? We're staying there this year for Christmas and are worried that the construction will cause the decorating to be minimal.

 

[Tink03477]

Thanks for posting this thread, much easier to read than the original. Which is too long and pretty old.

 

[Dis Ohana]

I have a concierge level standard room booked. Are all of these room types on the Arusha Savannah / Zebra Trail side of the hotel? From the reports and pictures I've seen, I know I want to be in that area, but wasn't sure if I needed to make a request for it. Thanks!

 

[Flossbolna]

Thanks for posting this thread, much easier to read than the original. Which is too long and pretty old.

The old one might be old in the first posts, but it still quite fresh at the end, at least the Jambo! thread. But I agree that it was a bit confusing, so I started to collect the reports and the pictures which I loved to read and look at. I am through the first 200 pages, have a look here: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=21825897&postcount=10064

 

[pyrxtc]

I have a concierge level standard room booked. Are all of these room types on the Arusha Savannah / Zebra Trail side of the hotel? From the reports and pictures I've seen, I know I want to be in that area, but wasn't sure if I needed to make a request for it. Thanks!

your answer is in the first post andany other questions you ahve will be there as well.

but yes, is will be on the Arush Savannah and most of them are on the Zebra trail I believe.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

We recently returned from a trip at the AKL, and we had a room overlooking the construction. I totally thought it was going to be a downer - but I never heard it. We even slept with our slider door open on most nights/afternoons. We returned to the room every day for about 2 hours so my 16 month old could nap (and us, too).

My biggest complaint about the AKL was the fact that you had to walk through the smoking section to get to the buses. We ended up cutting through the gift shop every time just to avoid it.

Little "petty" complaints - there are no screens in the sliding doors to the balcony, and there was no room to set up the pack-n-play. We have no issues with co-sleeping, so it worked out for us.

Otherwise we had a great trip - I was afraid the construction would keep the animals away, but all 3 giraffes and other animals were there every day. My DS loved it and had a blast! We will definitely stay there again - but I hope they can do something about the cost of internet.

Thanks so much Thaisa!! That's great to know.

 

[TKDisneylover]

We will be leaving for WDW & AKL tomorrow morning. Just wondering if anyone who has gone recently received a little and gotten an upgrade? We are booked standard, and will be happy regardless of the upgrade because we will be at The AKL, but just curious if they have been offering upgrades.

Thanks everyone! Have a Magical day!