anyone stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge?

[goofy's friends]

We are planning our trip and this looks like a really cool place to stay. What can you tell us about it?
We have 3 children--do all the rooms offer the daybed or just some and you pay extra for it?
what is the pool like?
Are the animals visible from all rooms or is that extra?
Is the view worth the extra money?

Our other consideration is Fort Wilderness Lodge--comparisons?
Thanks!!

 

[nwdisgal]

Okay, this is what I know. I think the daybeds are only in the deluxe rooms. If you want to see animals, book a Savannah View Room. There is an AKL resort thread on this forum that talks about good room locations, including maps. I am technically challanged, otherwise I'd give you a link to that thread, but I betcha' there is some on these boards who can.

Stayed at AKL twice and positively loved it.

Good luck!

 

[scoutsmom99]

Only the Deluxe rooms offer a daybed these are on the 5th and 6th floors.

I thought the pool was very nice it is large (I believe the largest on property) and has a beautiful slide and has a zero depth entry at one end. AKL also has a small circular children's wadding pool as well.

Like nwdisgal said if you want to see animals from your room book a savannah room. We stayed in October 2004 and did a pool view and I was very happy with our view and we had a great location by the elevators which made us close to the pool and the mara (some of the savannah views can be a long walk to everything)! I was glad we did the pool view room we weren't in the room too much and we were able to view the animals around the resort at various points. When we were there a big feeding time seemed to be 5:00pm or so. So I guess for us shelling out the extra for a savannah room just was not worth it.

Here is the link to the AKL threads that will help you out some!

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68312

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=636702

 

[MiJo]

Here are a couple photos from our 2002 trip: one of the "day bed" and one of the pool area. The day beds are in the Deluxe Savannah View rooms, which are a little larger than the regular Savannah View rooms.
OOPS! Ducklite has stated that what I believed was a day bed is actually a chair of some type. I didn't use it other than to sit on a couple times; I thought it pulled out and turned into some kinda bed! Oh well, I tried! Sorry about that, Chief!

 

[golfgal]

You will have to book a Deluxe room at AKL if all of your kids are over 3. They have Deluxe Bunk Bed rooms with a day bed (which is a pull out couch if my information is correct). We are staying there for the first time this summer. Our kids are very excited.

 

[catbertdave99]

Last February, I took my two sons (age 12 and 9 at the time) to AKL for a 5-day weekend. We had been to Wilderness Lodge two years earlier and had loved it, but AKL was AWESOME! The pool is great, and the staff is terrific. But you HAVE to get a Savannah view room -- sitting on the balcony and watching the animals is incredible -- when they feed them early in the morning, there are tons out there!!

Everything was great -- one note though... my 12-year-old loved the buffets at Boma, but my 9-year-old did not. It was just too different for him. We don't do a lot of sit-down meals, but we wanted to try it out, just for convenience of being in the lodge already...

In 37 days, we're back but this time at CBR, trying to save a couple pennies. Can't wait to just be there!!!

 

[madalex]

AKL is wonderful - one of our two favorite resorts on property (YC is the other). The pool is great and the theming of the resort is fantastic.

While it is great to have a savannah view room, so as to be able to see the animals from your room, there are numerous "savannah overlooks" around the resort to which anyone can go to see the animals. Thus, if the cost of the savannah room is an issue, you won't miss the animals just because you book a non-savannah view room.

 

[goofy's friends]

thanks for the great information--love the pictures! Our children are all over 3, so we would have to go for the deluxe Savannah room, I guess. thanks for the links, I will check those out as well.

 

[goofy's friends]

Oh----Scoutsmom99, we are going in September as well!!

 

[pepe of ohio]

Personally, we were not impressed, and had the Savannah view. We were down a long hall to the right, view from balcony was the people corral, dirt service road, small pond. As for the animals, the giraffe are nice, but come out only at feeding time, other animals were, a big horn steer, 4 gazelles and some Thompson deer. Not worth the money to see these 4 kinds of animals just during feeding time. At night, there's nothing out there, maybe the service truck. When AK closes at 5pm, really nothing to do but get on a bus, long ride and go to the other parks or resorts. Pool area is big, but lacks the blue clear wateof other resorts, thought maybe they leave it dingy to simuate Africa. Busses, well heres my input. You sit and wait, going to MK, by the time the bus gets to AKL, about half loaded, there's you and about 50 others waiting for that one bus. MK is the most popular park and if you like standing along time stay at AKL, even if you arrive early at bus stop, other are never considerate that you were here first and just run to the bus and cut in front, causing a conflict or waiting for the next bus which might be 30 minutes or more. If you're going to visit other resorts, stay at them and you won't have to spend alot of time on disney transporation. Also when the AK closes you would think the Lodge would get the extra busses, not the case, same flow as during the day. Was not impressed, won't stay there again, for the money not do Savannah view, the resorts on the monorail give you alot of options for day and night.

 

[ducklite]

We are planning our trip and this looks like a really cool place to stay. What can you tell us about it?

It is a wonderful place to stay! Rather than spending hours telling you about things, many of which you likely don't even care about, you'd be better off just reading back a few pages and looking for AKL posts, that should tell you most of what you'd want to know.

We have 3 children--do all the rooms offer the daybed or just some and you pay extra for it?

To get a daybed you'd need to book a deluxe room, they are a little larger, and you will pay a bit extra for one. Note that not all deluxe rooms have daybeds, so make sure you let them know that there are five in your party to be sure to get one.

what is the pool like?

Very nice, zero entry surrounded in a horseshoe shape by the resorts three restaurants on the ground floor and rooms above that.

Are the animals visible from all rooms or is that extra?

You'd need to book a savannah view room to view animals from your room. There are ample public viewing spots as well.

Is the view worth the extra money?

Absolutely!

Our other consideration is Fort Wilderness Lodge--comparisons?

I prefer the AKL. The Wilderness Lodge (Fort Wilderness is the campground, two different places entirely!) is very nice as well, but lacks the jaw dropping lobby, various activities, and of course the animals. You can get the same type of environment at half a dozen North American resorts as the WL, not the case with the extraoridnarily unique AKL.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Only the Deluxe rooms offer a daybed these are on the 5th and 6th floors.

WRONG!!! There are deluxe rooms scattered throughout the resort, we were in one on the third floor (lobby level) on our first visit there.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

Here are a couple photos from our 2002 trip: one of the "day bed" and one of the pool area. The day beds are in the Deluxe Savannah View rooms, which are a little larger than the regular Savannah View rooms.

That's a chair, not a daybed. Some of the deluxe rooms have a chair rather than the daybed which looks like a sofa with low or no arms and loose back cushions.

Anne

 

[BevS97]

While I won't deny that Pepe of Ohio had the experience he described, it couldn't have been any more different from our experience.

We thought the pool was beautiful, no dingy water for us. Our view was off a side savannah near the feeding station, we saw plenty of animals, lots of giraffes and other smaller animals like the Thomson gazelle - the giraffes were definitely the big attraction though.

We had no issues with the bus, the bus was empty every time it pulled up (well, people got off obviously) but it wasn't shared with any other resorts, so it certainly wasn't 'half-loaded' - it is a long way to MK, but then it is a long way to MK - the physical distance has to be covered - however, it is extremely close to AK and not far to MGM or Epcot.

We thought there was lots to do in the evenings, the resort had plenty of activities on, storytime, watching animals using nightscopes leap to mind, there are also wonderful restaurants (Boma is one of my all time favorite restaurants) and there is all of WDW to explore as well.

It's all very well recommending a monorail resort - but we paid $130/night for a savannah view (free upgrade) - I don't think we would be getting on the monorail for that.

 

[goofy's friends]

Wow! $130 a night for a savannah room----how did you manage that???

 

[ducklite]

There are deals to be found now and then. I had savannah view concierge level for $158 in December of 2001.

Anne

 

[BevS97]

It was a code for a standard room about 2 years ago (2002), we got upgraded at checkin, didn't request one, we just opened the door and were amazed to see we had a view of giraffes

Mousesavers is showing a code that would have got you a standard room for $109 in early February this year. Obviously there is no guarantee of the upgrade, we were just very lucky.

 

[goofy's friends]

we're going in september--a value time anyway. Any clues on how to get a good deal? Travel agent? internet site? Does Disney put out their own deals or are there prices set in stone? Looking for a bargain

 

[BevS97]

just keep checking the boards and www.mousesavers.com for the codes to be released

 

[scoutsmom99]

WRONG!!! There are deluxe rooms scattered throughout the resort, we were in one on the third floor (lobby level) on our first visit there.

Anne

Good to know this!! I read on all ears under AKL fact sheet that they were only on the 5th and 6th floors!