AKL LITE unofficial FAQ thread#10 - I believe that's known as a 'Jambo Dozen'

[westonkamom]

What a terrible dilemma you have!!! Both resorts are beautiful; both are comparable.......... decisions, decisions!!

I am a very big fan of split stays. Disney really makes it pretty easy! Since your family is planning a 2-week trip, any chance you could split - a week at WL and a week at AKL? That's what I would do if I had your "problem"!

If a split stay is out of the question, you really do have a very hard decision to make! "Location" seems to me to be the only real difference. AKL, to me, is always like a vacation within a vacation. Once you get back to the resort, the peace, quiet and beauty of the place makes me feel far removed from the "theme park vacation"! WL is also beautiful and often peaceful & quiet too, but you can look across the lagoon and see MK and really feel immersed in the magic! Whatever your decision, you're going to Disney World!! It doesn't get much better than that!

I agree, a split stay would be awesome! Only issue is we're booked with FD. I think the park ticket requirement with that promo would add a bit too much onto an already pricey trip, lol. I'll have to do the math again though and relook at that option. Honestly, if the Poly wasn't under so much construction, we all agreed we'd love to stay there....not sure it'd be worth the price this year though. Thanks for your input Which would you pick?

....I don't know if you know this, but the architect/designer is the same for both lodges, so there are marked similarities between both. I've stayed at both; you can't miss at either one. However, since you are going during Christmas, hands-down the WL is, by far, the BEST DECORATED RESORT for the Holidays....

Yes, we read that the same architect designed both, which is why it's such a hard decision, lol!! I thought for sure you'd say AKL at Christmas! Maybe I just didn't explore WL enough when we visited. It might just be that I really don't like WCC and it being right off the beautiful lobby just felt like it detracted away from the beauty to me. Thanks for sharing your choice!! I think we're going to have to flip a coin on this one.

I am quite jealous of your dilemma!! I also vote split stay - I hear it's pretty easy! We were really stuck deciding between AKL and WL... would have done a split stay if we were staying longer. Went for the animals for my son, to offset all the princess for my daughter

WL has the boat to MK, I think that's an advantage over AKL, although not having stayed there, not sure how well it all works out.

I think the FD promo is going to keep us from doing a split stay bc of the park ticket purchase requirement. To buy a 2 day and an 8 day is more expensive than just the 10 day, especially for 4. Maybe if an amazing RO comes out that could be an option! I agree that the boat is an awesome advantage, but I'm just concerned that with December weather being so unknown in FL it might not actually end up something being used much. We used a boat a couple times in early December 2011 when the weather was pretty good to get from the Poly back to MK and also MK to HDDR and it was chilly. I think it's going to come down to a coin toss!!! Out of curiosity, would you pick AKL again or WL or do you think you made the right choice?




Okay, here's the thing. We live 3 hours from Wisconsin Dells and could visit a resort with a similar theme to WL for a fraction of the cost. I think that's why it's not really appealing to me. That up-north theme (not exactly like WL but similar), while beautiful but obviously not at WDW, is easily accessible to us in MN. I think DH, the arborist (tree doctor), found his niche at WL and that's why he likes it so much. Is it wrong that I am mainly basing my choice of AKL on the food offerings???? What would I do without Boma or easy access to zebra domes?!?!?!

 

[jvattes]

What a terrible dilemma you have!!!

LOL

I was totally just thinking the same thing. Definitely a First World problem

 

[kimmar067]

Yes, we read that the same architect designed both, which is why it's such a hard decision, lol!! I thought for sure you'd say AKL at Christmas! Maybe I just didn't explore WL enough when we visited. It might just be that I really don't like WCC and it being right off the beautiful lobby just felt like it detracted away from the beauty to me. Thanks for sharing your choice!! I think we're going to have to flip a coin on this one. ...

...I think most people would LOVE to have your dilemma...

 

[jvattes]

...wow, that's weird....is that the only resort that you cannot get Free Dining? And, why would they choose POR?

It is my understanding that FD resorts - both which to include and which to exclude - are based on capacity and estimated capacity filled. POR, POFQ, AoA suites (?) etc either HAVE enough to satisfy reservations or expect to, and the others do not.

It is my understanding that this is one way to shift vacancies around so things are more equal. It is also why there are a limited number of rooms available for this, and all, discounts offered.

 

[kimmar067]

....Is it wrong that I am mainly basing my choice of AKL on the food offerings???? What would I do without Boma or easy access to zebra domes?!?!?!

....GOOD point! Oh, the HORROR of it all...

 

[jvattes]

They actually touched on the FD resort exclusions in a recent DIS podcast. They indicated that with people anticipating FD and wanting to get a jump on having the resort they want, many are booking room only reservations with the intent to add the FD when it is released. They said that this may be working against people, as the resorts then show more reservations than perhaps people will keep once FD is released; the resorts become excluded when there are "too many" reservations.

Just reportin' what I done heard

 

[kimmar067]

....hmmmm....interesting...

 

[kimmar067]

...and what is "FD resort exclusions"?

 

[jvattes]

...and what is "FD resort exclusions"?

Um, resorts excluded from the Free Dining offer ..

 

[luvthemouse71]

Finally booked today. We'll be at AKL 11/12 to 11/22 in a pool view room with free dining. I had changed our April AKL booking to POFQ, so I'm excited that I'll get to stay at AKL in November.

 

[DizDaD7]

Um, resorts excluded from the Free Dining offer ..

Wow!!! She is slow isn't she...LoL...

 

[AngiTN]

They actually touched on the FD resort exclusions in a recent DIS podcast. They indicated that with people anticipating FD and wanting to get a jump on having the resort they want, many are booking room only reservations with the intent to add the FD when it is released. They said that this may be working against people, as the resorts then show more reservations than perhaps people will keep once FD is released; the resorts become excluded when there are "too many" reservations.

Just reportin' what I done heard

It is my understanding that FD resorts - both which to include and which to exclude - are based on capacity and estimated capacity filled. POR, POFQ, AoA suites (?) etc either HAVE enough to satisfy reservations or expect to, and the others do not.

It is my understanding that this is one way to shift vacancies around so things are more equal. It is also why there are a limited number of rooms available for this, and all, discounts offered.

You have the same understanding that I do.

One should never book at rack rate unless you are will to pay rack rate for that location because taking the room out of inventory will only make it look like it doesn't need a discount to get bookings. So it will be excluded.

This may be the first time that excluding these rooms from a promo bite's Disney back since now all these folks have dropped these rooms in POR and it's going to go from full to open. Of course, much of the time when they did that they sent folks off to a higher priced resort so Disney won't care, since they still that that money. Will be interesting to see if something changes before the end of the year and POR is added back in at some point. That's normally not something Disney does but nothing seems to be following trends this year

 

[kimmar067]

Wow!!! She is slow isn't she...LoL...

 

[kimmar067]

Finally booked today. We'll be at AKL in a pool view room with free dining. I had changed our April AKL booking to POFQ, so I'm excited that I'll get to stay at AKL in November.

 

[Sydney2977]

Okay, here's the thing. We live 3 hours from Wisconsin Dells and could visit a resort with a similar theme to WL for a fraction of the cost. I think that's why it's not really appealing to me. That up-north theme (not exactly like WL but similar), while beautiful but obviously not at WDW, is easily accessible to us in MN. I think DH, the arborist (tree doctor), found his niche at WL and that's why he likes it so much. Is it wrong that I am mainly basing my choice of AKL on the food offerings???? What would I do without Boma or easy access to zebra domes?!?!?!

I agree about the similar resort feels to the area where you live. There are some resorts we wouldn't prefer to stay at for the same reason. WL would be appealing to us since it's nothing like South Carolina (where we live) or Texas (where we're from). We want to stay there next trip, but we definitely want to do AKL again too. I totally understand your dilemma. And there is nothing wrong with choosing a resort based on food- for us, that's a big part of the fun of being on vacation! Maybe just stay at AKL and make sure you plan some down time to visit WL to see the pretty Christmas décor, have a meal, and satisfy your DH's interest.

 

[ZOOMAMA]

[/QUOTE]

I love this guy!!!!

-Tess

 

[jvattes]

 

[Disney Diva Mom]

Just booked AKL for quick last minute trip in a few weeks! Can't wait to get back there!

 

[tazdev3225]

Hope someone can help me. No I have not read all 159 pages to find the answer I will be there faster than I can read.

I'm staying at AKL in 10 days, not DVC. Due to a bad ankle injury 18 months ago I need to rent an ECV but I am not using a preferred company. I did online check-in so that is set. However my rental company wanted to know if I am staying in Kidani or Jambo. How do I find that out? If it helps the reservation is for a standard room and not DVC.

Even though I already did check-in would I be better off calling and trying to add a request for Jambo?

Thanks for any help.

 

[RachelTori]

Hope someone can help me. No I have not read all 159 pages to find the answer I will be there faster than I can read.

I'm staying at AKL in 10 days, not DVC. Due to a bad ankle injury 18 months ago I need to rent an ECV but I am not using a preferred company. I did online check-in so that is set. However my rental company wanted to know if I am staying in Kidani or Jambo. How do I find that out? If it helps the reservation is for a standard room and not DVC.

Even though I already did check-in would I be better off calling and trying to add a request for Jambo?

Thanks for any help.

Sorry about your injury. If you are staying in a regular resort room (not a "Villa" which would be DVC), you will definitely be at Jambo.

Kidani is ALL DVC villas, but they can be reserved through Disney Travel (cash reservations, not on points). Those would all be either "Deluxe Studio", "1-bedroom" (standard or savannah view), "2-bedroom (standard or savannah view) or "Grand Villa".

HTHs!