I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in August of 2002. We didn't have a Savannah View Room, but because they had run out of King Bed Rooms, they did give us a complementary upgrade to a Pool View.
The pool is glorious. I could have stood on my balcony and stared at it for hours, but there were too many other fun things to do.
Every one of your five senses is peaked at the Lodge.
Number One (to me) were the wonderful smells throughout the entire hotel. Part of that comes from the two restaurants (Boma and Jiko--both outstanding). But the other part of it just must be the newness of the resort. It smells so fresh.
Second (for me) the sounds. The African music softly plays in the background throughout the breathtaking lobby and even when you are on your way out to the parking lot. The music adds to the theme in a very special way.
Visually speaking, art abounds everywhere! There is an excellent tour every day and it's free to all hotel guests. The art in the lodge is museum quality and visually stunning.
If you take the tour (and make it all the way to the end...about a half hour), there are several plates of free appetizers to taste and a chat with one of the chefs at Jiko's (an EXCELLENT restaurant, their food is delicious). We were told by the chef that Jiko's has the largest selection of African wines in North America and that their one restaurant sells more than 1% of the world's consumption of African wine.
As for touch, many things made the lodge a tactile bonanza. The wood in the lodge is so solid and sturdy. I loved holding onto the wood railing as I looked over the balcony into the five-stories-tall lobby. Some of the art can be picked up (some is encased). There's even art in your guest room.
Remember to touch the work of art on the wall by the front doors, as you leave the lobby every day. It says on the sign below this artwork that you will have good luck for the day if you rub it on your way out the door.
I didn't mind not having a Savannah View at all. Just a few steps from any room in the lodge are huge windows looking out over the Savannah, as well as, comfortable seating that envelopes you as you sit and take in the view. The areas are quiet, uncrowded and so pleasant. You could spend an hour or more there, just gazing at the animals.
Would it have been a treat to wake up in my room with giraffes just out of my reach? Of course, but this hotel is so amazing and caters to its guests so well, I didn't even have time to miss it. I will look forward to a Savannah View in the future.
The only improvement I could possibly make would be for more lighting in the guest rooms. As I understand it, the lighting is kept somewhat dim for the animals. Believe it or not, they are that close to your room. You could bring a reading light with you, though. And it's really not THAT dim. During the day, sunshine lights up the whole room.
The pool is amazing. It looks like a natural spring. There's two very romantic and secluded hot tubs outside, also. There is an entire outdoor viewing area (and walk) to see the animals just outside the lobby. And Disney has trained staff present and able to share information about the animals and their habits. Almost all of the employees at the lodge are from Africa. Talking to each of them was such a treat. They were a storehouse of information about the history of the artifacts and the lodge.
One thing I did not know about until I returned home. There is an early morning safari for AKL concierge guests only. I believe there's an additional cost of $40, but from what I understand, it's phenomenal.
I've heard that this safari differs from the one at the Animal Kingdom theme park. In this safari, you see dozens of animals and they are close enough to your car to touch.
