AKL and standard view

[goofyme]

is it worth to stay in a standard room at AKL? is the savannah room worth it?

 

[soccer mom]

I'm not sure I can give an objective answer because our first experience at AKL was in Savannah view rooms. We fell in love with it. For the first time ever, we actually spent time in our room and at the resort. We are real animal lovers and it was wonderful to sit on the balcony and watch the animals while we ate breakfast. All six of us made a beeline to the balconies whenever we came back to the rooms. The kids never want to stay anywhere else.

If you like animals, are looking for something really different (the picture do not do this resort justice!), and are looking for a wonderful, quiet atmosphere to come back to after a day in the parks, I highly recommend AKL and if you can swing a Savannah view we feel it was worth every penny. But if the only way I could stay there was in a Standard view room I would still go...I just would never be in the room!

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by goofyme
is it worth to stay in a standard room at AKL? is the savannah room worth it?

Is is worth it? It depends. My husband and I stayed at the AKL twice during 2001 totaling 15days. For both trips we booked "water/pool view" rooms. On our first trip we were able to see animals out on the "Uzima Overlook Savanna" from our room on the "Giraffe Trail". On our second trip we were in a room on the "Zebra Trail" and had a great view of the pool directly. There are many places throughout the resort to view the animals and that was most of the fun of the resort to us. Walking throughout all of the "trails" trying to find all of the hidden animal viewing areas.

This year we wanted to keep the room cost to <$200 a night including taxes and fees. The only room at the AKL that fit was the "standard view" room. The following is why we choose to go with the Dolphin instead of a "standard view" room at the AKL.

The "standard view" rooms at the AKL are located on the "Ostrich Trail" and the "Giraffe Trail". All have views of the parking lot and the rooms on the "Giraffe Trail" are on the path to the bus stop. When we walked by these rooms during our last two stays we commented how we would not want to be in one of those rooms. You can request to be on the "Ostrich Trail" but you have to keep in mind that it is only a request and that you could be put on the "Giraffe Trail". Since we were not willing to take that chance we booked the Dolphin for 50% off using a AAA discount.

It comes down to matter of personal choice.

I hope this information helps you out and I hope you have a great trip no matter where you end up staying.

 

[Bob NC]

I just booked AKL-Savannah view for June 20-24, for $184/nite. Couldn't pass it up especially since CSR, (our other choice), is $154/nite during that period.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Bob NC
I just booked AKL-Savannah view for June 20-24, for $184/nite. Couldn't pass it up especially since CSR, (our other choice), is $154/nite during that period.

Hi Bob NC,

Is the $184 an AP rate or a rate that you got with a code anyone can use? For our Aug. trip the best rate was $189/$190 for a water view plus tax at the AKL and the Standard View was going for $139 a night plus tax. The savannah was over $200 plus tax. Just wondering.

 

[Bob NC]

Tiffany: It is an 'upsell' rate they offered when I inquired about rates at CSR.

 

[wdisneyaholic]

We have AKL booked at the $139 a night for July. We could not pass up that rate to try a deluxe hotel. We only booked 1 night for the end of our trip in the standard room. I have never stayed in a deluxe hotel at Disney and we are just planning on hanging out at the hotel. So the view is not really that important to us for one night. Maybe we will get lucky and get a free upgrade. We are traveling with 3 kids under 3 and are just planning on exploring the hotel.

Maybe we should request the "Giraffe Trail"?

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Bob NC
Tiffany: It is an 'upsell' rate they offered when I inquired about rates at CSR.

That is a great rate for a savannah view. Hope you have a great trip. Enjoy the view.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by wdisneyaholic
We have AKL booked at the $139 a night for July. We could not pass up that rate to try a deluxe hotel. We only booked 1 night for the end of our trip in the standard room. I have never stayed in a deluxe hotel at Disney and we are just planning on hanging out at the hotel. So the view is not really that important to us for one night. Maybe we will get lucky and get a free upgrade. We are traveling with 3 kids under 3 and are just planning on exploring the hotel.

Maybe we should request the "Giraffe Trail"?

Hi wdisneyaholic,

If you do not want to be on the path to the bus stop then request the "Ostrich Trail". Everyone going to the bus stop walks past the standard view rooms that are on the 3rd floor(lobby level) of the "Giraffe Trail".

 

[karyn]

We never stayed at AKL. Do you know the "best floors and room numbers " on the Ostrich Trail standard view? Our friends are going mid August and we would like to pass this on. Thanks a bunch.

 

[barbliny]

We were booked in a standard view room at a rate of $139. We checked in at 8:40 am on May 15 -- after checking out of CSR that same morning. We were upgraded to a savannah view room without asking and were immediately taken to the room that early in the morning!! I was just about jumping out of my skin when she was showing us on the map where our room was -- I knew by the location that we weren't looking at the parking lot.
We were at the very end of a trail (Zebra I think) in room 2485 back by the pool. The giraffe feeding spot was right there -- so we were almost always able to see the giraffes any time of the day (particularly in the early evening) and a bongo here and there. I would say that our location was probably not one of the best savannah rooms and had I paid for it I might have been disappointed.

That being said we spent more time viewing the animals from the 'lookout' points with the rocking chairs and binoculars. My opinion is that even having stayed in the savannah view room I don't think I would pay for the view in the future -- it just seems like such a large difference in price each night. But, I will most definitely be staying there again -- the resort itself was heaven!!!

 

[kevind65]

We have booked CSR from May 30th to June 9th. AP rate of $84 per night. We will then be going over to AKL for 4 nights. $129 per night (standard view) for the first 3 nights, with the 4th night free!averages out to about $97 per night for a deluxe. just couldn't pass it up. This will be our first time staying at either of these resorts. we are soo exicited.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by karyn
We never stayed at AKL. Do you know the "best floors and room numbers " on the Ostrich Trail standard view? Our friends are going mid August and we would like to pass this on. Thanks a bunch.

Hi Karyn,

I am not sure about exact room numbers. But if they have a "standard view" booked just requesting the "orstrich trail" should be enough. Floor is not that important becuase all of the rooms look at the parking lot. I think the higher up you get you could probolay see the highway. The requests are just that. We had a pool view on our first stay the "Griffe Trail" on our second stay we requested that room again and we ended up on the "Zebra Trail" so I approach requests with a grain of salt.

Hope your friends have a great trip.