Back From AKL

[DONALD38]

Just returned back from AKL. Wow what a resort. We checked in and originally had a standard room and was given an upgrade to a Savanna. First thing we looked out the doors to are room and there they were, every animal on the list right outside our room.
The BOMA was fantastic, great food and well worth the $$.

The bus transportation was good. Never waited longer than 10 minutes for a bus.

Others complained about the AKL not being light enough. My opinion is that the lighting was perfect and was awesome with the decore and atmosphere of the lodge.

As for the Theme Parks everyone was saying this was a good time a year to escape the crowds! Well I definately think differently. It was great to see all the holiday decorations and plays but I will rather go at a better time of the year to get away from the crowds. In all it was all great and Disney World is a great place for all.

 

[Muffy]

welcome back!

 

[Misti]

Welcome home! Sounds like a GREAT stay at the AKL. Good to hear.

 

[Janet2k]

DONALD38, welcome home! I hope you have some photos to share with us (my fingers are crossed!).

Why do you think the theme parks were so busy? I am considering a Thanksgiving trip next year, and if I do, it might overflow into the first week of December. Do you think WDW will be just as busy next year?

 

[PamNC]

Yes, I'd like to hear more about the crowds too as we may choose Thanksgiving, or the week after, next year.

We've been Thanksgiving week and that was about 4 years ago and I didn't find it crowded until Thanksgiving and that weekend and then I'm talking mostly MK.

We've also been the first week in December and it wasn't crowded at all at any time in any park. And, man...the weather was delightful.

Please advise. Thanks!

PamNC

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by DONALD38
Just returned back from AKL. Wow what a resort. We checked in and originally had a standard room and was given an upgrade to a Savanna. First thing we looked out the doors to are room and there they were, every animal on the list right outside our room.
The BOMA was fantastic, great food and well worth the $$.

The bus transportation was good. Never waited longer than 10 minutes for a bus.

Others complained about the AKL not being light enough. My opinion is that the lighting was perfect and was awesome with the decore and atmosphere of the lodge.

As for the Theme Parks everyone was saying this was a good time a year to escape the crowds! Well I definately think differently. It was great to see all the holiday decorations and plays but I will rather go at a better time of the year to get away from the crowds. In all it was all great and Disney World is a great place for all.

Glad you had a great stay at the AKL. Can you give more details about the crowds? Were you there over the Thanksgiving Holiday or over the first week after the Thanksgiving Holiday?

Historicaly the crowds from the Sun/Mon after the Thanksgiving Holiday through a few days before Christmas(depending on when it falls) has some of the lowest crowds of the year with maybe only Sept and from the begining of Jan through the first week of Feb being as slow or slower.

 

[Janet2k]

Hey, gang, I was just over on the Dis' "theme parks" board and found out that since the DCL cruise had been cancelled a week or two ago, a lot of folks vacationed in WDW as part of the cancellation package. Maybe that had to do with some of the extra crowds. I also saw that a portion of the Christmas parade was filmed by Regis & Kelly last weekend, and that was publicized, so maybe that added to the extra crowds in the parks (especially, the MK).

I am still giving serious thought to a Thanksgiving/early December vacation next year. I have vacationed at WDW during Easter & Christmas/New Year's, so I suppose I know all about "crowds." A Thanksgiving one can't be any worse.

 

[DONALD38]

We were in the parks from 11/30 through 12/6. Yes the crowds were heavy on 11/30 through 12/2. But to me it did not thin out much through the rest of the week. The MVMCP on Dec. 3 was the only time that the Crowd was thin enough to see everything in the MK. The crowd was probably a little heavy due to Thanksgiving being so late this year. It Thanksgiving was a week earlier like years of old it probably would have been less crowded.
Next time we will check dates better to schedule the kajic at the world.

 

[WDWalways]

I was just curious why you have a "sad" face for your Title - sounds like you really enjoyed your vacation.

 

[Carrieberry]

We were there 12/1-12/7 and although it was crowded, it was less so than it was in 2000 when we went 12/5-12/12 and it seemed to really be picking up at the end of our stay. I suppose it will get a little busier every day from now until Christmas. I'm thinking we are going to try to go the first week of November in 2004 so we can utilize the pools a little more. I forget what WDW looks like without X-mas decorations too since the last 2 trips we have gone in Dec! Busy getting my pics up for everyone. The sad face in the op probably was because they are sad to be home!!

 

[gometros]

Originally posted by WDWalways
I was just curious why you have a "sad" face for your Title - sounds like you really enjoyed your vacation.

That's easy, he's probably sad to be back and still not in the World.

 

[Mississippian]

We visited the four days before Thanksgiving this year, and the crowds were awful!

Monday, Nov. 25, was particularly bad. My wife and daughter met me me and son in the park, and at 10 a.m. it took 30 minutes for them to just to get on the monorail at the TTC (we were at the Poly near the TTC, and yes she should have gone to the Great Ceremonial House or used the resort monorail -- the resort monorail had no wait when I used it that same morning).

By noon the Mickey's Toon Town area was so packed it was hard to walk and turning around was quite difficult. The little playground area had about 70 children, which was way too many. All the Fantasyland rides had huge lines (except Small World).

On Monday we beat a retreat to Epcot for lunch and the park was not full at all, but of course there is nothing in Epcot for young children. The Magic Kingdom was really full all week, and we are not the type to be standing at the gate the moment the parks open, so we paid a price for our extra sleep.

The Animal Kingdom was also really packed on Wednesday, Nov. 27. We ate lunch and rode only the safari ride and walked through the Pantigonia trail. Then our children fell asleep and we headed back to the resort. This park just does not handle crowds well.

All in all, we were really stunned by the pre-Thanksgiving crowds and would never, ever plan a visit to WDW in such a busy time again!

 

[DONALD38]

GOMETROS, Hit it right on the head.
The sad face is because we had to leave. It's never easy to go back home.

 

[Dee & Greg]

From 11/21 - 11/26. The Thurs/Fri prior to T'giving week was completely empty, so that is when we did MK. They told us upon check in at AKL on the 21st that they were almost empty, but that weekend were planning on 100% occupancy. They were right! Everyone seemed to come in that weekend, and by Monday 11/24 the parks were packed. Big difference from the previous week.

We loved AKL, we had always stayed at a moderate. I, too, thought it was dark in the room, but it is supposed to be part of the theme, so I liked it.

Definitely recommend AKL!

 

[JulesMom]

We stayed at AKL last Christmas and had a ball!

It was so cool to look out the balcony and see the animals!

Welcome Back!

 

[Janet2k]

Thanks, everyone, for all the info regarding the crowds. If we vacation next Thanksgiving, it sounds like I should expect it to be almost like an Easter crowd (fairly heavy) but not quite a Christmas crowd (very heavy).