Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Frequently Asked Questions (slight update 5/14)

[BlueFairy]

And to add . . . 6403 had ashtrays, so I assume that room is smoking optional.

 

[BambiTamby]

Originally posted by BlueFairy
And to add . . . 6403 had ashtrays, so I assume that room is smoking optional.

yes, 6401-6 are all poolview with smoking optional rooms.

BTW, did the room have any smoking smell?

 

[BlueFairy]

Well, to me there is always that tell-tale smell of smoke when you first go in a smoking optional room. But it was obvious they sprayed the room well. Once inside for a minute or so we couldn't tell. And my allergies are pretty sensitive, but they didn't give me any trouble.

 

[Tig-girl]

I've requested 4th floor, Arusha side, and I'm just hoping that it's a great room. I like a lobby view at WL, but it doesn't seem like there are many lobby view rooms at AKL, or if they are, they are not savannah views, right? I just can't wait to get there!

 

[#1hockeymom]

You can get lobby/ pool view and lobby/sunset savannah view if you request it. (and if it is granted, of course!)

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

In my book there is no such thwang as a "smoking-optional" room. Really, are there rooms where they force you to smoke but in the optional room you don't have to? I can just see Mickey standing over you coaching ("More, more, this is a "smoking" room, you have to keep smoking!")

Smoke just hangs and gets in the curtains, and anyone with medical problems can still breathe it in (btw, seen that commercial where they show second-hand smoking going into the girl's body?).

So I've booked concierge room and requested 5th floor, non-smoking, king. View of the animals is very important to us. BAMBI, looking at your special maps and looking into your special memory, which number rooms would make me happy? We don't mind walking. We'd prefer the quietest room away from elevator, ice machine, stairwell, etc. even if we are far from the lounge.

 

[BambiTamby]

Originally posted by CaliforniaDreamer
In my book there is no such thwang as a "smoking-optional" room. Really, are there rooms where they force you to smoke but in the optional room you don't have to? I can just see Mickey standing over you coaching ("More, more, this is a "smoking" room, you have to keep smoking!")

Smoke just hangs and gets in the curtains, and anyone with medical problems can still breathe it in (btw, seen that commercial where they show second-hand smoking going into the girl's body?).

So I've booked concierge room and requested 5th floor, non-smoking, king. View of the animals is very important to us. BAMBI, looking at your special maps and looking into your special memory, which number rooms would make me happy? We don't mind walking. We'd prefer the quietest room away from elevator, ice machine, stairwell, etc. even if we are far from the lounge.

LOL, then you need to request #1hockeymom's room.
Debbie likes to be way out at the end of the Zebra Trail on the fingers facing the Uzima and Arusha savannah....the best of both worlds!
4th or 5th pod is where you want to be.
you can't be at the very end of the fingers because that's where the suites are located. But you can be right next to those suites.

hope this helps!

Oh, yes! Take a tripod!

 

[Angel16]

BambiTamby - I need your expert help with your special map. I spoke with Don today at ALK, he said there were only 6 King bed rooms on the 5th floor, Arusha View. 4 are on the Zebra trail, and they are all taken?? (Could they have room assignments done this early?) There are 2 King rooms on Kudu trail. Can you give me any idea what room we should ask for. We mainly want to have a really great view, but it sure would be nice to have a King bed for our 25th anniversary.

Maybe I just have to leave this to prayer and Disney magic to work out, but I would like to be well informed.

Angel

 

[#1hockeymom]

Angel16>>That is probably correct when you are talking about concierge rooms, but not if you're talking about the entire resort. I always request an "out of concierge" area and it has always been granted. Sure, the walk is longer, but boy is it nice! I am sure there are king rooms up and down Zebra Trail that have your name on them!

CaliforniaDreamer>> GO for the ends! It is so glorious out there! You feel like the entire savannah is yours! I believe fifth floor straight out to the end is no smoking, fourth floor below that is smoking, though. Now I do have to say that my closest room was the best... but it was a suite at the end of the first "pod"! I'll take the close suite any day over a room at the end!

Why do we like Zebra Trail? Short cut to the pool!

Hope this helps,
Debbie

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Debbie, hockymom, I hate to ask - how did you know the 4th floor was smoking? So many of the Disney-related sites like allears, etc. say clearly that you cannot smoke on any balcony facing the savannah at akl. However someone here contradicted that. What is the truth?

We won't be using the pool at all.

Angel16, maybe the rooms are assigned because some are already occupied (I think your counter said you're going in 6 days)? Who knows - how soon do they make up the assignments there?

 

[Angel16]

Thank you California Dreamer - Good point. I had not thought about that as a possibility. I am getting too wrapped up in myself and wanting this trip to be perfect.

Angel

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Angel no one can blame you for wanting your 25th anniversary to be great!!! A king bed, yes, it is not a trivial request. Let's see what the experts here say. How long will you be at WDW? AKL the whole time?

You will have a wonderful time (throwing extra PD your way)...

 

[lisareniff]

#1hockeymom> The rooms you pick sound great. That's just my style, but I'll still have a little one (3yrs) so I might have to temper that urge. A couple questions if you will be so kind...

Are the concierge rooms on the 5th floor in a certain area? Are concierge rooms always concierge rooms? (not swaped around with the deluxe cat. rooms)

Where is the fence between the Asurha and Uzima savannah? At the end of the zebra trail or at the end of the last wing? or somewere inbetween? Which did you like better?

Thanks so much for all your help through your posts. I am so excited about going in Feb. I was getting hungry reading the menus for Jiko and Boma last night!

 

[#1hockeymom]

From what I have been told, the concierge rooms on the fifth floor are all in a certain area, that being said, I have been in non concierge rooms more than once that weren't in that area due to my requests. Remember, suites are also concierge and they are at the ends of the pods/wings.

Fence... I do believe it was between the last pod and the end of zebra trail? I know I am not being exact on this, but my favorite room location (non concierge) I was on Uzima but if I looked to the left I could see the fence for the other savannah. We'd watch the giraffes line up every morning for their morning "chat"

Smoking rooms... I only know some of them, but when you have a husband who smokes you learn this stuff!

LisanRiff>> I would request a room on Zebra Trail, near the first elevators. You'll have a straight shot to the pool and mara, and to get to the concierge lounge you'd just walk towards the lobby, then along the lobby to the front and hop the elevator up. Only the front elevator goes to the sixth floor. (I am assuming from your post you might be staying concierge?)

 

[lisareniff]

Thanks so much for the reply. I see you are leaving in THREE DAYS! Have a great time.

 

[perkins57]

We are not staying at the AKL for our upcoming trip but plan to take an afternoon to explore the resort followed by dinner at Jiko. Seemed reasonable to spend the morning/early afternoon at AK and then head over to AKL. But when I made the PS ressies, the CM told me I should inquire when we check in at the BC about how we should travel from AK to AKL and allow 1 hour travel time!?! I looked through this thread but did not see this sitiation addressed. To all you AKL experts: how do you get from AK to AKL? Apparently there is NOT direct bus service between the 2? Is it walkable? If it is too far to walk, I think rather than wasting an hour of travel taking a bus to another theme park in order to take another bus back to the AKL it would be smarter to take a taxi from AK to AKL, correct? It can't be more than a few minutes & dollars for a taxi, correct? Thanks!

 

[flyball]

Perkins57,

It's about a 5-minute bus ride from AK to AKL and Disney does provide bus transportation!!! I know, because we've done it numerous times! I think the CM confused you because he was thinking you'd be going from your resort to the AKL. THAT would be a long ride! When you travel from the restaurant back to your resort, you can take a bus to a park and then the bus to your resort or simply call a taxi. Hope this helps!

 

[perkins57]

That is certainly the news I wanted to hear! I did tell the CM that we were planning on going from AK to AKL, but she was probably just reading me the reminders that popped up on her computer. And you're right - in many instances it can easily take an hour to use Disney transportation if you are travelling from resort to resort. Thanks!

 

[Kala]

Ok, I'm a newbie to AKL, so bear with me please. We ate at Boma on our last trip and spent some time after dinner walking around the resort. We knew we wanted to stay here our next trip, but trying to squeeze in a "just one more time before our AP's expire" trip we were trying to stay on a budget. We booked AP rates for Pop, which we really enjoyed last time. We leave next week, and the closer our date came, the more we were talking and thinking about AKL. I called today "just to see", and the only AP rate available is for Deluxe Pool view. This sounds like a good first try, so we are splitting our stay. We would really like a King Bed and have requested it. I have been doing some reading this afternoon... here and AllEars. When I looked on AllEars it said that there are only 33 King Deluxe Rooms that are not conceirge level, and that all Deluxe rooms are on 5 if not concierge. This narrows down where our room might be, but I was wondering if anyone knows where these rooms are. We also requested non smoking if that helps. It looks like we will either be on Zebra or Giraffe Trail. If anyone has any info where our rooms might be, I would REALLY appreciate it, so I will know whether it will help to send in a room request.

Hocky Mom, are you there?

 

[Kala]

Oh, I forgot one more question. Are there any high speed internet connections or phone lines near the table for computer access? We would like to e-mail trip pics home to the kids while we're there if we can. I know that we could always use the phone line on the night stands if we need to, but noticed that Pop Century has a phone line under the table.

Thanks!