Here now..AKL!

[mickeynut1]

I am going to answer all the questions I was asked from above

*Ohana was awesome, and LOVED everything about it!

*AK today was great! It was a recommended park day, and I could see why. It was busy, but most rides weren't a long wait if you didn't have a fast pass, and if you did, you were on the ride in a matter of minutes!

*We have switched to the Poly..hehe..loved WL, gorgeous resort, but because we are staying at AKL we figured the Poly would be great because the theming is so different and lush.

*And just a few other things I was going to touch on....

*The magic bands for us have been a HUGE pain in the ***! SO many problems with them, but the CM's have been amazing and we have received a $200 credit to spend on whatever we want, 1 of our Character meals was paid for, and a bunch of fast passes were given to us for all the inconvenience.

*We have eaten at CM dinner, Boma breakfast, T-rex dinner, Crystal Palace lunch, and Ohana dinner, and all meals were amazing!! I would say the best character interaction was at Crystal Palace. We have many more to go, so stay tuned

*AKL- If you want a Savanna view room, request 3rd or 4th floor. Its a better view of the animals. We are on the 5th floor, and although its good, its pretty high, so trees tend to block some of the animals. I actually just watched a Giraffe eat from a tree right outside my room, pretty cool

*Pool view is great too! We had a pool view room for our 1st 2 nights, and loved it just as much!
We are on Zebra Trail, and it's great!
Room was very clean on arrival, mousekeeping has been spot on, and no complaints with noise.

*So far we have visited MK and AK, and both were wonderful!

*We have a rental car while here, so can't comment on the buses, but I can tell you that AKL is appx a 10 min drive to MK, and its a very easy drive. When we return we will rent a car again. Having a car has been so convenient, and handy!

Tomorrow is Blizzard Beach day, yay!

Any other questions anyone may have, ask away!

Cheers!

Thanks for all of the updates......sounds like you're having a magical time . Sorry about the MB problems, but glad Disney is making up for the inconvenience.

Congrats on switching to the Poly.....you're going to LOVE it!!! WL would have been great as it's an awesome resort, but the Poly is . Glad you liked Ohana, it's one of our favorites .

Enjoy Blizzard Beach today......that's our favorite water park .

 

[TJA]

Yay for switching to Poly!! Love hearing all about your trip -- sounds amazing. Glad Disney is making things right re the MB issues.

Enjoy!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Thanks for all the updates!!! Love them!!

So, now that you have experienced both Pool view and Arusha view at Jambo house, which do you prefer? Trying to decide for our trip next summer!

I'm glad you're enjoying them

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I would pick a pool view room next time. The reasons being..I love the lush tropical look/feel of the pool view. Our animal view is great, but for the $$ I haven't really seen too many animals, and for the amount of time you're actually in your room, not sure if its worth it IMHO. You can view the animals at many outlook areas throughout the hotel if you don't get a Savanna View. I don't regret getting an animal view by any means, but now that I can say we've done it, I will get a pool view for sure next time

Hope that helps!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Yay for switching to Poly!! Love hearing all about your trip -- sounds amazing. Glad Disney is making things right re the MB issues.

Enjoy!

Thank-you Thank-you!!!

And I'm so happy to hear how everyone is enjoying my trip report!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Thanks for all of the updates......sounds like you're having a magical time . Sorry about the MB problems, but glad Disney is making up for the inconvenience.

Congrats on switching to the Poly.....you're going to LOVE it!!! WL would have been great as it's an awesome resort, but the Poly is . Glad you liked Ohana, it's one of our favorites .

Enjoy Blizzard Beach today......that's our favorite water park .

We are very excited about the Poly!!!

Yes, Disney is making up for our issues which is great!

Off to Blizzard Beach soon!! We have 2 very excited boys!!!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

We were at AKL about a year ago and I got this large tall mug, black, with ethnic stylized animals and the AKL logo. I loved it. Well, last week my husband dropped it emptying the dishwasher. He thought it was not a problem b/c we're going to Disney in Nov. But now I'm worried b/c I've been hearing there is no resort merchandise. Has anyone seen my mug???

I'm so sorry to hear about your mug

The store here at AKL is beautiful and has SO many items. I can take a peek for you when I go into the store today

I want to buy everything when I'm in it...LOL..I need to control myself

Have a Magical time in Disney when you come in Nov!!!

 

[mickeynut1]

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I would pick a pool view room next time. The reasons being..I love the lush tropical look/feel of the pool view. Our animal view is great, but for the $$ I haven't really seen too many animals, and for the amount of time you're actually in your room, not sure if its worth it IMHO. You can view the animals at many outlook areas throughout the hotel if you don't get a Savanna View. I don't regret getting an animal view by any means, but now that I can say we've done it, I will get a pool view for sure next time

Hope that helps!

I feel the same way. We've stayed both pool view and savanna view and while I did enjoy the savanna view, I loved the pool view just as much .

We are very excited about the Poly!!!

Yes, Disney is making up for our issues which is great!

Off to Blizzard Beach soon!! We have 2 very excited boys!!!

Have a great time at BB .

Can't wait to hear reports on the Poly after you check in there .

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I feel the same way. We've stayed both pool view and savanna view and while I did enjoy the savanna view, I loved the pool view just as much .



Have a great time at BB .

Can't wait to hear reports on the Poly after you check in there .

I'm glad I'm not the only one..haha..I never thought I would say pool view over Savanna cause I was so confused on what to do when planning our trip, but now that I'm here I and have experienced AKL I know what to book for next time Everything is a wonderful learning experience at Disney!

Yes, I promise to report on the Poly for sure! We head to Beach Club on Fri first for 5 nights before making it over to the Poly.

We are enjoying every single min, and not rushing a thing I've planned this trip over a year ago, so we are savoring EVERY min

 

[mickeynut1]

I'm glad I'm not the only one..haha..I never thought I would say pool view over Savanna cause I was so confused on what to do when planning our trip, but now that I'm here I and have experienced AKL I know what to book for next time Everything is a wonderful learning experience at Disney!

Yes, I promise to report on the Poly for sure! We head to Beach Club on Fri first for 5 nights before making it over to the Poly.

We are enjoying every single min, and not rushing a thing I've planned this trip over a year ago, so we are savoring EVERY min

No, you're not . The benefit of the pool view (IMO) is they are only about $10-15 more a night than standard, which is totally worth it to me. Plus with all of the animal viewing areas around the resort, there are plenty of places to watch the animals .

I hope you enjoy your BC stay as much as you did your AKL stay . The BC is a beautiful resort and we had a great stay, but we prefer the MK area (but it is great being within walking distance to both Epcot and DHS ).

Glad you are enjoying everything so far......Disney is such a magical place and you have the best of all worlds staying at 3 different resorts/areas in one trip .

 

[John's Mom]

We were at AKL about a year ago and I got this large tall mug, black, with ethnic stylized animals and the AKL logo. I loved it. Well, last week my husband dropped it emptying the dishwasher. He thought it was not a problem b/c we're going to Disney in Nov. But now I'm worried b/c I've been hearing there is no resort merchandise. Has anyone seen my mug???

In August, I saw a few coffee mugs at the AKL. I'm sorry I don't recall the one you described. All the items I've seen at Zawadi have the Animal Kingdom logo, not AKL.

 

[flinkerfrosch]

No, you're not . The benefit of the pool view (IMO) is they are only about $10-15 more a night than standard, which is totally worth it to me. Plus with all of the animal viewing areas around the resort, there are plenty of places to watch the animals .

I hope you enjoy your BC stay as much as you did your AKL stay . The BC is a beautiful resort and we had a great stay, but we prefer the MK area (but it is great being within walking distance to both Epcot and DHS ).

Glad you are enjoying everything so far......Disney is such a magical place and you have the best of all worlds staying at 3 different resorts/areas in one trip .

I find that so great that pool view is only a tad bit more then standard view!

I hope we love BC as much as AKL as well. We really have fallen in love with this resort!

We actually just got back from an awesome time at Blizzard Beach and mini golf to find a big white chocolate Mickey Mouse with small mickey heads filled with chocolate and other yummy fillings. They felt bad for all the issues we've had with the magic bands that they surprised us with the sweets when we returned to the room. SO sweet, and only in Disney would you see anything like this. They really truly go ALL out to make your stay as magical and special as possible!!!

 

[icicleVT]

We actually just got back from an awesome time at Blizzard Beach and mini golf to find a big white chocolate Mickey Mouse with small mickey heads filled with chocolate and other yummy fillings. They felt bad for all the issues we've had with the magic bands that they surprised us with the sweets when we returned to the room. SO sweet, and only in Disney would you see anything like this. They really truly go ALL out to make your stay as magical and special as possible!!!

That's so nice! What issues have you had with the bands? (Ours are lined up ready for our carry on bags tomorrow morning -- hope they're bug-free...)

 

[mickeynut1]

I find that so great that pool view is only a tad bit more then standard view!

I hope we love BC as much as AKL as well. We really have fallen in love with this resort!

We actually just got back from an awesome time at Blizzard Beach and mini golf to find a big white chocolate Mickey Mouse with small mickey heads filled with chocolate and other yummy fillings. They felt bad for all the issues we've had with the magic bands that they surprised us with the sweets when we returned to the room. SO sweet, and only in Disney would you see anything like this. They really truly go ALL out to make your stay as magical and special as possible!!!

I can't believe it's not more a difference between the two. Glad you love AKL......it really is a great resort .

Glad you had a nice time at Blizzard Beach. What a nice surprise to receive the chocolates. I agree that Disney does a great job of making up for mishaps .

Enjoy the rest of your time at AKL and I hope you have fun at the BC .

 

[flinkerfrosch]

That's so nice! What issues have you had with the bands? (Ours are lined up ready for our carry on bags tomorrow morning -- hope they're bug-free...)

How exciting!!

To make a long story short..I've been at the front desk 5 times with issues with the MB. Our tickets were not linked to the magic bands, then the dining plan wasn't linked either (this happened 2 days in a row after being told the first day that it would work) Our magic bands would not open our door, and when we used them to charge something to our room when we also found out that it wasn't set up when we were told it was, and I even put my pin in at the front desk.

Tips I have with the MB- If you have the dining plan make SURE it is linked to your dining plan along with your tickets.
ALWAYS carry your "key to the world card" with you in case you run into issues with the MB. We used our Key to the world cards many times cause of the MB issues.
If you have young children be careful cause they can come off. We lost our 6 yr olds in the Dinosaur dig area, but thankfully found it!
The MB are water proof but the DO sink, so be mindful in the water.

I don't wear mine to be honest. I don't want the tan line..haha, but my DH has not taken his off, and he hasn't had any issues with his falling off in the water or even at the water parks.

Safe travels tom

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I can't believe it's not more a difference between the two. Glad you love AKL......it really is a great resort .

Glad you had a nice time at Blizzard Beach. What a nice surprise to receive the chocolates. I agree that Disney does a great job of making up for mishaps .

Enjoy the rest of your time at AKL and I hope you have fun at the BC .

Blizzard beach was soooo much fun!!!!

We were very happy when we arrived to our room this evening. I will be sad to leave AKL on Friday, but excited at the same time to try the BC.

I will sadly miss the Mara..WOW, what an awesome QS restaurant! LOVE LOVE LOVE the African stew! I have eaten it 3 times...lol

We love everything about AKL!!!!!!! What a fantastic resort!!!
I do not agree with some people when they say it is a "glorified moderate resort" cause IMHO it is right up there with all the deluxe resorts. It may not have the monorail, but it has so much more to offer!

 

[icicleVT]

How exciting!!
Tips I have with the MB- If you have the dining plan make SURE it is linked to your dining plan along with your tickets.
ALWAYS carry your "key to the world card" with you in case you run into issues with the MB. We used our Key to the world cards many times cause of the MB issues.
If you have young children be careful cause they can come off. We lost our 6 yr olds in the Dinosaur dig area, but thankfully found it!
The MB are water proof but the DO sink, so be mindful in the water.
Safe travels tom

Great tips, thanks! I can see why they have names printed on them if possible -- I'll bet every other little girl has a pink one too
It seems like they either work flawlessly or fail spectacularly ...

 

[Wood Nymph]

I had a feeling that you would switch to the Poly. At least you took the time to check out the WL before switching. It is a beautiful resort but I think you be very happy at the Polynesian. Did you get a chance to ride the boat? I just love that boat.

I'm looking forward to your review of the Beach Club. The best things about the resort, in our opinion, are the wonderful pool and being able to walk to Epcot. You probably won't have to drive your car for a few days.

 

[Magic2000]

We stayed at AKL a few years ago, pool view, and I surprised my DD with bunk beds! She was so excited!!! She loved climbing up into bed!

Our room overlooked the hot tub area, but there were a lot of trees that kind of blocked the view.

We loved AKL and can't wait to stay again! And I will definitely be trying BOMA for breakfast!!!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

Great tips, thanks! I can see why they have names printed on them if possible -- I'll bet every other little girl has a pink one too
It seems like they either work flawlessly or fail spectacularly ...

You're welcome

Since yesterday (5 days in on our trip) they have finally worked perfectly! Now that we've had no issues and can use them, they really are very handy! We love being able to not have to carry a wallet around and we can just use the MB that's on our wrist!
We move onto BC tom, so another set of MB are waiting for us, so fingers crossed they work perfectly for us!

 

[flinkerfrosch]

I had a feeling that you would switch to the Poly. At least you took the time to check out the WL before switching. It is a beautiful resort but I think you be very happy at the Polynesian. Did you get a chance to ride the boat? I just love that boat.

I'm looking forward to your review of the Beach Club. The best things about the resort, in our opinion, are the wonderful pool and being able to walk to Epcot. You probably won't have to drive your car for a few days.

Yes, WL is fabulous!! I think because we stayed at AKL we thought Poly would be a good fit for us. We definitely want to try WL on another trip though!
We haven't tried the boat yet, but might tonight! We plan on going to the Chip & Dale campfire, so figured we could take the boat from WL to FW because my boys will love the boat ride!

I promise to continue my trip report from the BC!!!!