Any recent stays AKL std rooms?

[merryRwe]

Hello! We booked last week with the new codes AKL std room for $129 9/25-10/01. DH is VERY stressed thinks we should get the savannah view, I am excited at the thought of extra $$ to spend elsewhere due to our savings (also booked at Dolphin, more $$) Any input from anyone who stayed in a std room? Also any info on a area to request..near pool,lobby and food, have little ones coming too dd 2 and ds 4!

thanks!

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by merryRwe
Hello! We booked last week with the new codes AKL std room for $129 9/25-10/01. DH is VERY stressed thinks we should get the savannah view, I am excited at the thought of extra $$ to spend elsewhere due to our savings (also booked at Dolphin, more $$) Any input from anyone who stayed in a std room? Also any info on a area to request..near pool,lobby and food, have little ones coming too dd 2 and ds 4!

thanks!

The standard view rooms overlook the parking lot. There are plenty of areas throughout the resort to view animals from though. The standard view rooms are on the Ostrich and Giraffe trails. The bus stop is at the end of the Giraffe trail and if you have a standard view room that is on the 3rd floor of the Giraffe trail everyone who is going to the bus stop will walk by your room. Request to be on the Ostrich trail but just keep in mind that it is only a request.

We spent 15 days at the AKL last year in pool view rooms and loved the resort. This August we are going with the Dolphin instead of a standard view at the AKL becuase we did not want to run the risk of being in one of the rooms on the way to the bus stop.

If upgrading to a pool view room is in your budget then I would try to do that. If not request the Ostrich trail.

Has anyone actually stayed in one of the standard view rooms that are on the way to the bus stop?

 

[Tinkbell]

Are these "bus stop" rooms on the "ground level", meaning there is no balcony, only a patio? Can the bus stop goers walk right up to your sliding doors? I have a standard booked in July.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Tinkbell
Are these "bus stop" rooms on the "ground level", meaning there is no balcony, only a patio? Can the bus stop goers walk right up to your sliding doors? I have a standard booked in July.

Hi Tinkbell,
When you enter the AKL you actually enter on the 3rd floor. So it will be the 3rd floor rooms that are even with the walkway to the bus stop. They have balconies so on one can walk right up to the sliding door but it you were on your balcony you could shake hands with the people on the walkway.

 

[Tinkbell]

Originally posted by Tiffany


They have balconies so on one can walk right up to the sliding door but it you were on your balcony you could shake hands with the people on the walkway.

I am taking my grandma on this trip and I can picture her actually doing this! LOL! In fact, she'd probably encourage it. I better request that Ostrich trail so that our room does not become the official "Disney Greeting" room of the AKL! LOL

 

[mark & sandra]

Hello merryRwe-
We just returned, 5/23-5/28, we had the same deal, standard room @ 129.00. We asked not to be on Giraffe Trail, as per these board suggestions, we also requested bunk beds. We were asked if we wanted to pay 61.00 more per day for savannah view and told them that it wasn't in our budget. We were given a savannah view upgrade for free anyway( we were told that only rooms available at that time with bunkbeds were savannah views. The room was great as a free upgrade, but not as a full paying savannah view room (very limited view, emergency evacuation corral below window). I think a pool view in the Zebra trail would be a far better location. Close to food and pool.

 

[merryRwe]

Mark and Sandra...thanks for the info. It is $154 for the pool view room, $164 for the savannah. Would you have paid the extra (if you could have) to avoid the std rm, bus stop issues? Just trying to figure out what to do. If we upgrade to the pool view, then for $10 more why not the savannah, this is what DH wants to do, but I am still holding out. I like the price we've got. But am a little concerned about the noise if we are right on the bus walkway, since we have the munchkins and will probably need naps. Did you get your upgrade when you made your ressie or when you checked in? If I don't hear something positive about the std rooms by the end of the day I may change to the savannah, more than we intended to pay but might be worth it to avoid the issues.

 

[merryRwe]

also...do the bunkbeds have good rails? Our son will turn 5 while there and has been begging us to get him b-beds for his own room, he would love this, but it could be a saftey issue...how old are your kids who used them? THANKS

 

[Beanie]

MerryRwe...I just returned from AKL in which we stayed in a Savannah view room...we also had bunkbeds and the railings are locked down underneath the bed...They can be removed, but I had a hard time unlocking them myself...Anyway, my 5 year old slept in the top one and my 2 year old slept in the bottom one...the bottom one does not have rails, but it is not very far from the floor...

As for a standard room, there are many places to view the animals aside from your room...they have them everywhere at AKL..and if you don't plan on spending alot of time in your room, I would be more apt to get a Standard view room, especially if you are planning to spend the bulk of your time in the parks...However, on another note...My kids absolutely loved waking up in the morning to see which animals were outside and seriously, if I woke up in the middle of the night (which I do often), I caught myself peeking outside to see what was there! LOL...

I think it is really a personal issue...depending on whether this is something you think you would want to pay more money for...I hope you have a great time no matter what you decide!!

Have fun!!

 

[merryRwe]

Beanie, which trail were you on? Was it near the food/pools/buses etc? I think I'd better just call back and go with the savannah room, that is what DH wants anyway and we are not planning LOTS of time at the parks we wanted to spend at least 2 days just hanging out at the resort and swimming. So much for my bragging about the 129 rate, oh well it sounds like we'll enjoy the savannah view much more. I am not hearing much about the std rooms anyway, and it could be too risky with the bus issue. Thanks for the bunk bed info, I think I'll request that as well...were you happy with the set up? Our kids are the same age so if it worked for you, that is great!

 

[mark & sandra]

Hello merryRwe-
We told the check-in that it wasn't in our budget just to see if we would get the upgrade anyway. I've found that if you don't except upgrade offers at higher prices, sometimes you get it anyway. The next time we go I'd ask for a pool view in the zebra trail near Mara's or the elevator by Mara's. Everywhere else was just too far of a walk to enjoy pool ,eating,and parking. We were willing and able to pay for the upgrade, but we waited first. Had we not received the free upgrade we would have paid for a pool view upgrade. We got our upgrade at check-in. I think the bunk beds request was key to the upgrade. The only problem with the bunkbeds, is that it's difficult for children to watch t.v..The lower bunk has a post in front of the t.v., and the upper bunk has to look over the side to watch. We tried to move the bed, but it seemed bolted down.

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by merryRwe
Mark and Sandra...thanks for the info. It is $154 for the pool view room, $164 for the savannah. Would you have paid the extra (if you could have) to avoid the std rm, bus stop issues? Just trying to figure out what to do. If we upgrade to the pool view, then for $10 more why not the savannah, this is what DH wants to do, but I am still holding out. I like the price we've got. But am a little concerned about the noise if we are right on the bus walkway, since we have the munchkins and will probably need naps. Did you get your upgrade when you made your ressie or when you checked in? If I don't hear something positive about the std rooms by the end of the day I may change to the savannah, more than we intended to pay but might be worth it to avoid the issues.

If I could get a savannah view for $164 plus tax a night when we were going I would have taken it. $164 is a great price for a savannah view room. Go for it if it is in your budget.

 

[Beanie]

MerryRwe...We were on the Kudu Trail...room # 2223...It was close to the lobby! LOL...The pool and food was on the other side, but I didn't mind walking at all, because I passed through the lobby each time! Not only that, the kids loved to ride the elevator! (Small things amuse the kids!! LOL)...anyway, I feel that we really enjoyed the Resort more by having to walk to the pool and food...It made us stop and look at all the different things throughout the resort...This was not a hike or anything, just a small walk for us to get to the pool!

By the way, I have to agree that $164.00 for a Savannah View is an awesome deal! We paid $305 a night for ours because we just walked in and booked a room...

Anyway, like I said before, it is a personal decision for everyone whether they want a view or not...personally, I don't like Standard Rooms myself...We stayed in a standard room one time at Wilderness Lodge and we had a wonderful view of the Parking Lot! LOL...so I haven't stayed in another one since!

 

[merryRwe]

Thanks so much for all the info...just got off the phone with CRO changed to the savannah room, I am sure we will be much happier. I know DH is, that is what he wanted all along! Also requested the bunkbeds, but still need to figure out the whole trail issue. There is sooo much info, my brain is pounding!