Animal Kingdom Lodge-is it really that far from everything?

[lissiesmum]

We would really love to stay at the AKL, but have heard from a few friends who have stayed that it was too far away from everything. They didn't have a car and said the eating options were also limited. We will have our own car so driving will not be a problem. Just wondering how far of a drive it is to the other parks, and say downtown Disney or International Drive? Also, for those of you who stayed in Savannah View rooms, was it worth the extra money for the view?

 

[PlutosFriend]

We have been to the AKL for breakfast. Have not stayed there yet. Have a resevation there for October. Not sure if it is a for sure thing yet, but I have it on hold, none-the-less Anyway, as far as I can tell, if you have a car, it should not be a problem. Are you familiar with the location of Animal Kingdom? The lodge is close to that area.

 

[lissiesmum]

No, I am unfamiliar with The Animal Kingdom...I haven't been to Disney since 1989...Everything will be pretty new for me...I'm so glad for this forum, it is so helpful!

 

[bytheblood]

I feel it really depends on what park you plan on spending the most time in. If you migrate mostly towards Magic Kingdom during your trip, you are quite a distance.

I personally feel it is far, but it is only my opinon.

 

[SharonLowe]

You are not that far from things - the buses are efficient and driving is easy if you have a car. You are very close to AK, of course. As far as food, AKL has some of the best restaurants (Boma and Jiko) in my opinion; even their food court is above average. But, if you don't really care about seeing and learning about the animals on the Savannah, let someone else have your room and stay closer to one of the other parks.

After rereading your post, it looks like you are interested in the animals - yes, the Savannah view room is worth every penny - nothing like waking up and seeing a giraffe while you are still in your pj's! There are plenty of animal viewing opprotunities, but I will never forget the look on my DD's face the first night we arrived for our first AKL experience - at 9pm, there were a bunch of giraffes right outside our room! Nothing like it unless you go to Africa.

 

[stauncie]

Our last two vacations have been at the AKL in December. The savanah view rooms are definitely worth it to my family of 5. My tween-teen kids LOVE it there. I don't think we would be happy staying in a 'standard view room' now. There ARE lots of viewing areas tho, all over the resort, for viewing animals. But sitting on our own balcony and seeing the giraffes and the 'clickers' as my kids call them...(the cattle that 'click' their heels when they walk) makes the savanah view room worth it for us.

Our first trip to AKL we had a rental van. but we didn't use it much and found the disney transportation to be just as easy to use if we were staying on property. The second trip, we used magical express, so we relied on Disney transportation the entire trip.

While the AKL is removed from the downtown area, its really NOT that far away.
The busses at the AKL are dedicated and not shared with other resorts, and we never had to wait more than 10 minutes at any bus stop for a bus. Transportation times were usually 20 minutes or less from our room to wherever we wanted to go with the disney buses.

If you have your own vehicle, you should have no problems. But we found the disney buses easier to use.

AKL has a quick service (Mara), a table service (Boma- which is a buffet open for breakfast and dinner only) and a fine dining restaurant (Jiko) we never had any issues with the food choices at any of these places, and never went hungry, either. My vegetarian daughter found plenty of fruit choices to make her happy.
The marketplace also has snacks.

I think the food choices at all the deluxe hotels are pretty much the same. -- quick service (food court), table service, and fine dining. Plus the snack available in the gift shops.

 

[daannzzz]

The bus (or car ride) from the AKL to other places on property is mayby 5 minutes longer than if you stayed at other resorts. The reason people think it is "so far away" is that the location is in the southwest part of the property and the hotel is not connected to anything else. There is no waterway with boats. There is no monorail. There is no Downtown Disney or sister resort to walk to. It is suppose to feel remote for a reason. In reality it isn't that far but it can feel like a different kind of WDW vacation.

 

[mayesq]

AKL is a beautiful resort and the savannah view is like nothing you've ever experienced. I'd say to go for it.

 

[disnut8]

If you have a car, it's easy to get to everything. You'll want to take the bus to Animal Kingdom since it's so close. Driving, parking, and then potentially taking a tram will take you much longer. You'll probably also want to take the bus to Magic Kingdom since you get dropped off near the entrance instead of having to come from the TTC. That probably is the furthest park. However, you don't share the route with any other resort.

The savannah view is DEFINITELY worth it. There was one night we watched a storm roll in and saw the animals' reactions. It was like seeing The Lion King right in front of us.

 

[AnninIowa]

We stayed at the Beach Club and took trips to AKL for Boma and to AK on the bus - we didn't feel either trip was any longer than any other ride we took. As long as I don't have to drive, I'm not complaining!!

 

[kapoof]

its a beautiful resort! don't worry about a thing! go and enjoy yourself.

 

[LukenDC]

I did a split stay in September 2005---the Poly followed by AKL. AKL is a wonderful resort, but it did feel isolated to me. I missed the proximity to other resorts and the many restaurant options afforded by the monorail and Epcot resorts. For that reason I would not stay there again.

 

[MushyMushy]

We love it! Savannah view is definitely worth the extra cost, and pool view is stunning too (see my sig pic).

The distance didn't bother us. One year we drove, and the other year we didn't have a car. We got along well with the bus system just fine, and then took cabs when we wanted to go from resort to resort.

I think it's a great resort.

 

[Hollymom1229]

AKL is great because it's isolated. At the end of a long and tiring park day there is nothing like going to your room at AKL and relaxing on your balcony watching the animals. The savannah view can't be beat and Jiko is the best restaurant on property after V&A's IMHO. Also the dedicated bus line is nice, and the rides really aren't that long.

 

[G8RFAN]

As deluxe resorts go, AKL is great. What it wont have is obvious... a monorail to two other deluxe resorts and a theme park or a short walk to other four other resorts and two theme parks. If you like MK or EPCOT, there are deluxe resort options for you. As a resort, it is IMHO just as good if not better than most other WDW resorts in regards to accomodations and amenities. The buses are not shared with any other resort, so travel time may actually be shorter even though the distance may be a lot farther. BTW you are also close to blizzard beach.

 

[Miffy]

My DH and I just got back from AKL 4 days ago. It's our favorite Disney resort and I hope we'll be staying there again in the not-too-distant future.

We feel that a savanna-view room is definitely worth the extra $. We spend a lot of time in the room sitting on the balcony, looking at the animals. There is nothing comparable to this anywhere at Disney, probably not anywhere in the United States.

I can't tell from the original post exactly what you're looking for. If what you want is a location that's super-convenient to the parks and the animal-viewing at AKL is much farther down on your list of wants, then there are certainly better resort choices for you, especially the monorail resorts (CR, GF, Poly), which are all much much closer to MK, or the Epcot-area resorts (Boardwalk, BC, YC), which are walking distance to Epcot. BTW, the bus ride from AKL to MK is only about 15 minutes long, which, to me, doesn't seem that bad. Also, because AKL doesn't share buses with any other resort, there's rarely a long wait for a bus in either direction.

If what you're looking for is a resort that's close to Downtown Disney, then there are better resorts for that, as well, for example POFQ has a nice boat ride to DD.

I'm not exactly sure what's meant by "limited food choices." Are you referring to being able to eat at off-property restaurants on International Drive? If that's the case, then you're not exactly near this locale from any WDW resort, but you can certainly drive there from any of them. If what you mean is that AKL doesn't have an extensive food court, then, just to let you know, none of the deluxe hotels has a huge food court. The Mara, AKL's counter-service restaurant, has a very nice selection of food, but it's not a value- or mod-style food court. Jiko is maybe the best restaurant on property (including the parks) and Boma has a superb buffet for breakfast and dinner.

Since you haven't been to Disney since 1989, be prepared for many many many fantastic changes and additions. There are 2 parks you've never seen before (and Animal Kingdom is amazing if you're an animal lover ... btw, it's a 5-minute bus ride from AKL) and zillions of new dining options in all the parks. It's very easy to have a week-long or longer vacation and never leave the Disney property--and still not see and do anywhere near everything. Very different from life at Disney 18 years ago.

You just have to figure out what's the most important thing for your upcoming vacation. If it's a location that's really close to MK or Epcot, then go with that. If it's a quick drive to DD and International Drive, then choose something that fulfills that need. If it's having a savanna-view room at AKL where you can watch the animals at your leisure, then do that. You'll only be disappointed if you ignore your main priorities and try to compromise with something that doesn't really meet any of them. Believe me, I've done that and haven't been too amused with the results!

Keep reading the boards and asking questions. A good resource is allears.net, where there are loads of photos and info about all the WDW resorts. Enjoy planning your trip--it's part of the fun of going to WDW.

 

[calgarygary]

No, I am unfamiliar with The Animal Kingdom...I haven't been to Disney since 1989...Everything will be pretty new for me...I'm so glad for this forum, it is so helpful!

Rather than having people tell you how far or close it is. I suggest that if you have a decent computer with a good connection to the net, download google earth. We have stayed at AKL with and without a car and either way, getting around is a breeze. It may not have the monorail connection to the parks, but with a savannah view, it creates an illusion so real that it is difficult to believe that you are in Florida.

 

[teentoddlermom]

I've said it before and I'll say it AGAIN: AKL has the most efficient transportation of all Disney Resorts because it does not share busses! SHHH! Lets keep it a secret. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus and they are all direct to the location! It is an awesome resort in all ways. I don't know how the perception that it is so far away from everything got started. It is not far away. It only takes 15 min to MK. When we stayed at GF, our wait for the monorail was always at least 15 min...so close but so far!

 

[jstbcuz]

I agree with the others. The view is something spectacular. We went in Aug of 05, and I was preg and didnt feel well so DH took the kids to AK for the day. I spent the day relaxing in the room watching tv and had giraffes right outside my window. I just opened the curtains and didnt have to move out of bed to see them. It was great!!!

Also, I didnt find the transportation time to be bad at all. I had the same "wonders" from things I heard, but nothing to worry about. Depending on when you go, you will just be glad to be inside the bus for some AC.

I dont think you will be disappointed by this resort. We love it. Going back to WDW in 2008. DH and girls want to stay here again.

 

[renessa]

I've never understood why people are so worried about limited dining at their resort. I've heard trip reports of people that were unhappy with the Pop food court (for instance) and lack of variety. Then they go on to say that they ate dinner their 5 times in their weeks vacation. Huh???? My dining plans are all over the "world". We eat in other resorts, in the parks, and lastly and in our resort. We rely on our resort for breakfast, mug refills, and late night snacks. In our 9 night stay at Pop we ate breakfast 7 days, lunch on departure day, and late dinner/snack on arrival night. We are planning to stay at AKL in Sept and will look to Mara for breakfast, are planning a breakfast at Boma (have eaten dinner there before) and will have dinner at Jiko (or possibly room service). That seems like a lot of food choices for one resort.