AKL... Please tell me it's going to be ok.

[goofy4prez]

We will be heading back to WDW the end of May-beginning of June 2014. I decided to let my DD, who will be 16 at that time make the decision of where we will stay. I have to admit I thought she would say our favorite the WL, or perhaps the Poly; but nooooo she wants to stay at the AKL-CL. I have tried to discourage her with the, "it's way out there," " it's bus only," and other excuses but to no avail.

Please tell me that if I go ahead and book it we are going to enjoy this resort (I promised her so I will have to do it) . I have visited it and it does feel out there away from everything. Please tell me it's not that bad. (or is it)

 

[MinnieSummer]

it's really a great resort. I know many people who didn't want to stay there because it seems so far away from everything. They stayed and are hooked. It really isn't that far away from everything. And the restaurants, pools, activities, and animals make AKL a destination itself. You will love your time there if you just relax. It's where your child wants to stay so go with it.

 

[ratlenhum]

It's awesome. It's our favorite and I would stay there every trip if I could!! It's really not that far out from everything. It's another vacation within a vacation. You will feel like you are somewhere else. Take the time to enjoy what's there. It's gorgeous.

 

[Sparkie]

I think AKL is the best themed resort on property. We are DVC owners but prefer the Jambo House over Kidani Village. Comparing to our home resort of Bay Lake Towers each has its unique features. Certainly you cant beat the convience of a monorail resort, especially if you have small children. But me and my DH stayed there last October and had no problem with the bus system.

We are headed back for a resort only stay in Sept because there is just so much to do at the resort itself.

Give it a chance. You'll never know if you like it unless you try it.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I see that you are from Ohio....that is far away from everything Disney.

I am always perplexed by people who travel across country or across the world to get to Disney, and then complain because the resort (AKL) is a few miles from a park. To me, you're still right there. Heck, being from NH, if I am simply in Florida, I will consider myself close to Disney.

I have not stayed at AKL yet (not because of distance) but I have visited several times and taken buses to the parks....I did not really notice a huge difference from any of the other resorts we have stayed at. It is a beautiful resort and I think it's theming lends itself to being a vacation within a vacation. A nice respite from the hustle/bustle of the parks.

I think you are going to have a fantastic time, and especially with the extra perk of CL. Relax and have a fantastic vacation!!

 

[POTCfan]

We stayed at AKV for the first time in June. We liked it so much, we are buying into DVC at AKV. It's not like it's off-site, you still have access to Disney busses. The busses run from the resort straight to each of the parks - no stops in between - so it doesn't take very long at all. Plus, there is a lot to do at Animal Kingdom - be sure to try some of their activities (night viewing of animals, wine tasting on Wednesdays, animal keeper talks, etc).

 

[figment_jii]

My family usually stays at the Boardwalk or Beach Club, but we stayed at AKL (Jambo House) for the first time in March. The resort is beautiful and there is so much to see and do. It was a wonderful place to stay and we plan to return. In terms of the buses, yes, that is the only to get to the parks using Disney transportation. It's not actually all that bad because AKL doesn't share with other resorts (unless you consider Kidani a separate resort). It wasn't any worse (in terms of length) than the other resort buses...it took a while to get to MK, but getting to AK was really fast.

I'll be honest in that we're planning on doing split days in the future. Spend the first part of the trip at AKL, but then switch to the BW for the second part of the trip. We missed being able to walk into Epcot for a short visit in the evenings too much to spend the whole trip at AKL. Still, AKL is a wonderful resort and I wouldn't hesitate to stay there.

 

[Mousemom]

My favorite resort. I do love WL but would choose AKL over WL.

 

[disnut8]

We will be heading back to WDW the end of May-beginning of June 2014. I decided to let my DD, who will be 16 at that time make the decision of where we will stay. I have to admit I thought she would say our favorite the WL, or perhaps the Poly; but nooooo she wants to stay at the AKL-CL. I have tried to discourage her with the, "it's way out there," " it's bus only," and other excuses but to no avail.

Please tell me that if I go ahead and book it we are going to enjoy this resort (I promised her so I will have to do it) . I have visited it and it does feel out there away from everything. Please tell me it's not that bad. (or is it)

To me, Animal Kingdom Lodge is well worth it. The only thing that can downgrade it is a person in your group constantly only harping on what that one person sees as "adjustments".

 

[goofy4prez]

To me, Animal Kingdom Lodge is well worth it. The only thing that can downgrade it is a person in your group constantly only harping on what that one person sees as "adjustments".

 

[goofy4prez]

Thanks all; I'm sure we are going to enjoy the AKL and have a great time while we are there.

 

[yeheyprincex2]

We have stayed at AKL twice, once with a one year old. We loved it both times. The CS is great a little different options to choose from than the usual thats always fun. In 2011 we stayed in a pool view room and the door to the cs was so close to us I loved it. You can spend time looking around the resort, animals are roaming all around. The decor and theme are super fun and make you feel your some where else. We have never used the bus system we prefer a car and we never felt we were far. You are inside the world everything is right there. Have no fear you will havea fun trip

 

[flamingglobessigmund]

We stayed at AKL-CL in 2011 because my family wanted to do the Sunrise Safari. We loved the CL lounge offerings & still reminisce about it. My family loved the theming of the lodge. Me- not so much. It was a shock to me when we first entered & I couldn't see because it was so dim. I was not happy. But I adjusted & enjoyed the trip. The bus rides to & from the parks were no big deal for us. Luckily they weren't ever crowded. Probably because it was January. If you love animals you'll get a kick out of the savannas.

One more thing...we didn't leave our curtains open to often even though the balcony faced a savanna. They have cameras watching the rooms so nobody does anything to mess with the animals. That just added to the dim lighting.

But overall it was a good experience.

 

[Mike2023]

Hands down AKL is our favourite Resort, its our home away from home. (Rental car is nice, but not needed)

 

[Missyrose]

We loved our stay at AKL. The resort is gorgeous, the dining is incredible and there is so much to do! Have you thought about renting a car? Might make you feel less bus-reliant.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

We will be heading back to WDW the end of May-beginning of June 2014. I decided to let my DD, who will be 16 at that time make the decision of where we will stay. I have to admit I thought she would say our favorite the WL, or perhaps the Poly; but nooooo she wants to stay at the AKL-CL. I have tried to discourage her with the, "it's way out there," " it's bus only," and other excuses but to no avail.

Please tell me that if I go ahead and book it we are going to enjoy this resort (I promised her so I will have to do it) . I have visited it and it does feel out there away from everything. Please tell me it's not that bad. (or is it)

I MUCH prefer AKL to Poly or WL. It's honestly another 5 minutes by bus. Don't worry so much and enjoy your family vacation.

 

[darwinsrule]

We arrive at WDW on Thursday staying at AoA. Tried repeatedly to get the kids to change to AKL with no luck. LOVE sitting in the lobby with the background music.

 

[toodycat]

I MUCH prefer AKL to Poly or WL. It's honestly another 5 minutes by bus. Don't worry so much and enjoy your family vacation.

I second that! AKL is a beautiful resort and a unique vacation experience. You will have an amazing vacation. Sit by the firepit in a rocking chair and eat a zebra dome for me!

 

[kmb584]

AKL tends to get a bad rap because of its "out there" location which, to me, is incredibly sad because the resort is absolutely beautiful. The rooms are very aesthetically pleasing and well appointed, and the surroundings are magnificent. There is truly something magical waking up to giraffes, zebras and other African wildlife in your "backyard".

Aside from the values, I have stayed at all of the WDW resorts and AKL rounds out my "Top 3" list (also included are WL and GF); I feel as if I'm on a vacation inside of a vacation when at AKL. It's a great feeling too!

We tend to live in a "hurry up and go!" / "we should have been there yesterday!" society, and perhaps I'm the oddball out because that just isn't me. For 50/52 weeks I work incredibly hard. I wake up at 0430 and am lucky if my head hits the pillow at 2400. I'm the DON of a nursing home so while people clock out at the end of their shift, I'm on-call 24/7. I'm a single mom to a gorgeous and incredibly active 4-year-old who keeps me on my toes.

Yes, AKL is farther from MK, EP and DHS than the other WDW resorts, but its location isn't something that should be a deal breaker (in my opinion, that is). So what if it takes 20-25 minutes via bus to get to MK? It's a vacation. It's meant to be enjoyed but that doesn't mean we have to run around like a chicken with its head cut off to do so.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with AKL, not in the least!

 

[Babsy]

My daughter in law's favourite resort, hands down. We are opting to stay there as part of our visit in Nov and in Jan..(I like split stays) Love the restaurants (Jiko and Boma) and the counter service (Mara) has great breakfasts and soups.

this is the only resort that if I am not staying there, I go out of my way to visit while at WDW.

Yes, it's a little bit longer a bus ride to the MK, but it is right next door to the Animal Kingdom and as close to Epcot and DHS as most other resorts. The CL there is reputed to be awesome!!

You are sooo lucky to be able to stay there! I think that your daughter picked an amazing resort! You will have a fantastic time!