Concierge and AK special?

[Connears]

We are staying concierge level at Poly during xmas week and noticed on the wdw website that a perk for a limited number of concierge guests is a special excusion at AK on kilamanjaro. I thought this was only for AKL concierge guests? I checked under contemporary concierge and it list it as a perk also. Is this new? we are dvc members and we ususally stay at one of the dvc resorts so this is something we may want to take advantage of this trip.
Connears

 

[Traveliz]

I emailed the Poly concierge about this last week - well actually I was thinking I had read the Sunrise Safari was now open to any concierge guest and that was my question...here is a portion of the reply

>>Unfortunatly the Sunrise Safari is only available to concierge guests who are staying at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

There is however a tour at Animal Kingdon that is available to all guests. Its called Wild By Design and is our guest’s opportunity to learn some of the stories behind the making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You’ll learn how art, architecture, historical artifacts and storytelling are combined to transport you to exotic lands filled with wild animals. This 3 hour on-stage, walking tour will provide insights into the design and building of this new species of theme park as well as a glimpse into the complexities of caring for animals and habitats. Your journey will take you into the land of Anandapur, to the village of Harambe in Africa and through the colorful world of Discovery Island. You’ll marvel at the efforts that go into creating and sustaining a ‘wild’ place like Disney’s Animal Kingdom! A light continental breakfast will be served midway through the program. The tour is held Thursdays and Fridays at 8:30 am and is for guests age 14 and older and lasts for 3 hours. The cost is 58.00 per person and does not include park admission.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if we can assist you further.""

The way I read that though is that is a general tour available to anyone - not just concierge - so I am not sure what is up.

Liz

 

[momtobrynncess]

I recently checked the Disney website, and it offers the special Safari to concierge members of several resorts, including the Contemporary and Wilderness Lodge.

 

[TammiMcMan]

The AKL still offers its concierge guests the two special safari's (the sunrise and sunset), but there is new one that has been introduced for concierge guests staying at any Disney resort. It's called the Wildlife Discovery Excursion. I'm not sure what the criteria is, but if you ask your pre-planner about this specific tour, they should have the most current information. Liz, what your pre-planner told you about is indeed a tour that's open to anyone and not the Wildlife Discovery Excursion.

Tammi

 

[Traveliz]

The AKL still offers its concierge guests the two special safari's (the sunrise and sunset), but there is new one that has been introduced for concierge guests staying at any Disney resort. It's called the Wildlife Discovery Excursion. I'm not sure what the criteria is, but if you ask your pre-planner about this specific tour, they should have the most current information. Liz, what your pre-planner told you about is indeed a tour that's open to anyone and not the Wildlife Discovery Excursion.

Tammi

That is what I thought -- kind of disappointing not to get the correct info! I don't know if I will check into for this next trip or not - since its coming up pretty soon...doubt there would be openings this late.

Liz

 

[Connears]

Thanks to all for the explanation.
Connears

 

[psar]

When I spoke to Juanita at AKL, I asked her about this. She explained that it is similar to the Sunrise Safari without the TERIFFIC breakfast, but is done during park hrs. I believe she said at 10:00 and 1:00. I'm really not sure how it will work since the Safari ride itself is open at that time and it follows the same route. We have been fortunate to be able to do the Sunrise Safari several times and it was always great being able to take the time to stop and view the animals. I'm just unsure how much time you would have or if you would be rushed so as not to hold up the regular safari. I too would be interested in hearing about anyones experiences with this.

 

[TammiMcMan]

There was a thread maybe a month or so ago detailing this excursion. It is during park hours, but you are in a different vehicle than the regular ones used on the Kilimanjaro. From what I understand, this particular vehicle allows you to move around more freely. The route taken is a little bit different than the Kilimanjaro also. If you do a search, you might be able to find the thread.

If you're interested, I would definitely ask about it. Because it's still relatively new, I don't think the tours were filling up yet.

Tammi