Better Hotel Choice with 2-1/2 year old

[katmatry]

I would do a split stay. Best of both worlds. Disney makes doing a split stay so easy.

 

[disnmooner2013]

I would do a split stay. Best of both worlds. Disney makes doing a split stay so easy.

For only a 7 day trip with a 2-1/2 year old I am not sure a split stay would be best. Anyone elses thoughts on split stay?

 

[disnmooner2013]

What rooms for AKL Club Level are best for viewing animals/close to cl lounge? With a 2-1/2 year old would want great views from balcony of animals while also not having her to be far from lounge since lounge is on different floor.

 

[disnmooner2013]

The Mara has a microwave you can use. The resort may also have microwaves they can deliver to your room upon request. We asked for one when we were at BWI and within a half hour, one was delivered to our room. Now it was an old dinosaur and took up a lot of space, but we enjoyed popping and eating our corn.

What floor/where is the Mara located, and how far is it from the cl rooms on the 4th floor?

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

What floor/where is the Mara located, and how far is it from the cl rooms on the 4th floor?

The Mara is right next to the pool. You take the lobby elevator down to the bottom floor, exit past Boma, and walk around to the left.

I'd have to look at a map of the club level rooms, but anything close to the lobby is close to the Mara.

If you are staying club, I'd be surprised if the club didn't have a microwave in it for your use.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

What floor/where is the Mara located, and how far is it from the cl rooms on the 4th floor?

If you want a microwave, I just saw a Disney Mom's Panel reply that said you can request a microwave in your room upon checking into your room.

 

[disnmooner2013]

What Club Level room#s with Savannah View are close to the elevator?

 

[disnmooner2013]

We are now leaning towards AKL CL over Yacht Club Regular Room Lagoon View.

 

[NicoleLarson]

What Club Level room#s with Savannah View are close to the elevator?

Just FYI, the closest rooms to the elevators will have the worst views of the animals so it's really a trade off. Its not that you won't see any animals but your view will be blocked by the rocks, in the middle of the savannah. Yes, all rooms on the 4th floor can be CL. I say can be because non-cl can be on that floor as well. CL does not have a microwave. Unless you are in the last pod of rooms, the walk really isn't that far. I've had a much further walk at YC in a GV.

 

[disnmooner2013]

Just FYI, the closest rooms to the elevators will have the worst views of the animals so it's really a trade off. Its not that you won't see any animals but your view will be blocked by the rocks, in the middle of the savannah. Yes, all rooms on the 4th floor can be CL. I say can be because non-cl can be on that floor as well. CL does not have a microwave. Unless you are in the last pod of rooms, the walk really isn't that far. I've had a much further walk at YC in a GV.

Thanks NicoleLarson. This information is very helpful. I will let them know to put us in a room with great animal viewing as top priority, and also to try to be close to the elevator. Is that what you would recommend?

 

[NicoleLarson]

Thanks NicoleLarson. This information is very helpful. I will let them know to put us in a room with great animal viewing as top priority, and also to try to be close to the elevator. Is that what you would recommend?

That should work. There's actually an elevator half way down the hall, so that would be a great location. You can always asked to be moved if you don't like the location. If you are going to be using the pool/Mara you may want the zebra trail, it's more convenient.

 

[disnmooner2013]

What are the breakfast and afternoon offerings at AKL cl lounge?

 

[zimzim]

We just got back 2 days ago from our BC stay w a 5 yo and an 16 mo old. For what it's worth we had a blast and LOVED being a 5 min walk from Epcot. We we were able to do all parks, come back to swim around 2:00 or 3:00 every day then go back to MK or Epcot for dinner and fireworks. One night we had an Ohana rez so we were able to park at the poly, eat and monorail in for fireworks. I'd agree that quick serve options were slim, but a 5 min walk to boardwalk or Epcot solves that problem (breakfast in France was a big winner for our littles). My kids loved the kiddie sand pool. especially the 16 mo! She was able to wade in without help and dig in the sand to her hearts content

 

[MumziMom]

Another point of view, you will be able to visit the pool with a lovely child's water area over at AKL Kidani. A small van shuttle will drive you to Kidani. Here is the pool:

 

[disnmooner2013]

Another point of view, you will be able to visit the pool with a lovely child's water area over at AKL Kidani. A small van shuttle will drive you to Kidani. Here is the pool:

MumziMom thanks a lot.

 

[MumziMom]

One more thing; if I could afford it, I'd always do club level. We've done it twice. It was so great when we had young teens, that I wish that we could have done it sooner. We were at the Poly, and one morning my husband and I went out for a morning stroll after breakfast. Lovely walk, we decided to see what the quick service was like at that time of day, and were greeted by a wall of noise; loud, loud, loud, cries, overtired, just a wall of noise. We gripped each others hands tightly, quickly kept moving, and left through the other door. That moment became a talking point with us about how if we could swing it, we would stay club level. It is a quieter, calmer breakfast, a lovely snack in the afternoon, and so nice to get a cold one in the evening. I'm not sure how this would compare to the Mara in the morning.

Also, if you want a microwave and fridge, I believe that you need to stay in a villa. Some are at Jambo House, and most are at Kidani. Kidani now has quick service breakfast offered as well: https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ble-at-sanaa-at-disneys-animal-kingdom-lodge/

 

[disnmooner2013]

We have pretty much decided on AKL; now just deciding about whther to spend the extra money for CL since it is not on it's own floor (rooms on 4th floor both cl and non-cl rooms) and lounge being on 6th floor. At first we thought it would be rally convenient with a toddler but now not sure.

 

[rcraw45425]

We have pretty much decided on AKL; now just deciding about whther to spend the extra money for CL since it is not on it's own floor (rooms on 4th floor both cl and non-cl rooms) and lounge being on 6th floor. At first we thought it would be rally convenient with a toddler but now not sure.

We have only done regular pool view connecting rooms at AKL, but have done other CL Disney properties and also CL at both Royal Pacific and Portofino Bay at Universal. Portofino Bay has the same set up, the lounge is on one floor (main floor by lobby) and the CL rooms are spread throughout the resort. It was a pain for us as you had to use a special key card to access the lounge and they only would let you have two (we had four "adults", two parents and two high schoolers/college students). I can imagine the chaos with young ones and having to go to a different floor for the lounge. We thoroughly enjoyed our lounge experiences at the Disney hotels (Contemporary, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club, Beach Club and Boardwalk). Our beach club room was on a different floor from the lounge as it was a suite, but that wasn't too bad as the room was still fairly close to the lounge, just up one floor

 

[DizzyDis]

I echo others that AKL was phenomenal when my daughter was just under 2 (flew for free), one of the perks was she could hang out, watch animals, etc while we got ready in the morning. We didn't think that CL was worth it for us, we just picked up some milk, cereal, drinks, etc to have in the room as we also rented a car and there was a fridge in-room. For the extra cost, we decided that we could buy a lot of snacks for in-room and we could also send one of us to Mara to grab something quickly after she went to bed and sit out on our balcony and watch the animals with a drink. Since one of us would have to be in the room with her, we couldn't just go relax in the lounge. I will add that I have never stayed CL before, so this was our thinking, I also think it is likely something that once you do it, you love it and don't want to go back without it, so we are putting that off for a while and enjoying regular Disney magic as long as we can and will likely upgrade to CL at some point in the future!

 

[MumziMom]

It depends on how you believe that you will begin your mornings/end your evenings. If you think you will need a full breakfast every morning (we did that when our kids were younger, as we visited in August and wanted to eat more in the mornings before the parks) then you will most likely be eating breakfast at the resort. You would need to go to Mara, unless you will do cereal/breakfast bars/bananas & coffee in your room. The one time we stayed at AKL we found it a little challenging to first figure out how to find Mara (downstairs, outside, past the pool). I also didn't like venturing out in the August heat to get breakfast/food/snacks. We were in it enough all day. I found it easier/cooler to have access to the lounge. HOWEVER we didn't have a toddler in tow. DizzyDis post sounds right, and you may want to wait for CL in the future. We all thoroughly enjoyed it beginning when our kids were teens, and I agree that it is hard to go back. If your daughter is a calmer, less fussy toddler, you might really enjoy it. If you think she will be overtired and cranky at the end of your days, it might make more sense to have snacks in the room.