I approach this with a completely open mind regarding AKV...

[Pluto777]

-especially since I have NEVER stayed there as a guest and not even visited exceptt for a 'drive by' on one of th Disney buses past Jambo. I have to say the resort looked very pretty as we drove by but for those of you who HAVE stayed there a question: While I hear it is great to see the animals, does it get a bit boring if you are there for over a week? I mean transportation wise unlike most DVC resorts except for 2, you only have the bus option. No monorail, no boats. So my question is; Do you feel a bit isolated and even bored after a while?
Opinions welcomed!
Thanks

 

[LauraLap]

No, I don't feel bored per say. We always have a car so it's not an issue with the transportation. The kids really love Kidani and the pool. However, the animal "wow" factor does go away after many trips for sure. When bringing others I do love to bring them there because it is so unique. But, we do love the other resorts better which is why we've now sold our DVC. This way we can rent from others and stay where we want to stay. My heart seems to be at Poly.

 

[Cyberc1978]

We have only stayed there a few times and the wow factor is still there. We stayed both 3 and 4 days at a time. The bus transportation to anywhere except for AK can be a long drive but you also get the chance to relax so that’s nice.

Hands down I like the other resorts more but I would definitely come back. We are having a CL stay there this October.

I think AKV is great if you tend to not go to the parks a lot while staying there and just enjoy the resort.

 

[POOH&PIGLET]

Have never felt isolated or bored. We've stayed at AKL-Jambo three times (for 6, 9, & 11 nights).
Never felt bored. Nice pool, lots of dining options, & some nice activities around the resort.
We always rely on Disney transportation and haven't had any problems at AKL.

 

[jarestel]

AKV is a beautiful resort with fine restaurants, great themes, and animals! I would highly recommend a stay if you've never been there before. The feeling of isolation is a tribute to Disney imagineering since you are no further away from the rest of WDW than someone staying at MK would be. Bus transportation is the only free option, but for folks who can't tolerate the idea of riding buses, there's also Minnie vans, Uber, and Lyft which are very fast and convenient. I'm not necessarily of the mindset that multiple stays at AKV are required, but definitely try it once for the unique offerings only found in that one resort. (animals!) Good luck and have a great trip!

 

[sjs314]

October will be our third stay at AKL and I have to say the excitement of another trip to AKL is just as real as the first visit.
AKL is an amazing resort with some of the best restaurants on property IMO.
Lots of activities and a beautiful pool.
Although transportation is bus only we have never found that to be an issue, rather quick and efficient.
Watching the animals never gets old!

 

[LauraLea]

I really do not like AKV for more than 2-3 days. It is not just the transportation, but the feeling of being landlocked with very little space to roam. I will admit, I love water. Resorts with access to water would be my preference any day.

Laura

 

[melissa723]

This is my home resort and I absolutely love it! I can honestly say that the word "boring" can't be used when describing this resort because of all the free daily activities they offer at both Jambo and Kidani. Yes, the animals are a huge draw, but it's not the only amenity keeping you occupied while on property. In fact, there have been a few trips where we went park free for a few days and just spent time enjoying all the fun stuff the resort has to offer.

 

[keaster]

AKL is one of our home resorts and we have never felt bored there during a week long stay! The restaurants and bars are great and having access to two pools is a bonus. The community hall has fun activities and we also enjoy the animal talks and other offerings. There are also plenty of great places you can curl up with a book/Kindle.

We never feel isolated or far away, the bus rides to the parks have never bothered us.

 

[Best Aunt]

I think the animal wow factor depends on where you live. I'm in overdeveloped suburbia where there are deer in my neighborhood all the time. We are right near a rural area so we see cows all the time. So anything that looks like a deer or a cow has zero wow factor for me -- and a lot of the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge are antelopes or other animals which look like deer. There are also some cattle with big horns.

For me, the only wow factor for the animals was the giraffes, zebras and ostrich.

Since I'm DVC, I have stayed on the top two floors of Jambo House. The distance from the animals detracted even more from the wow factor.

I'm glad I stayed there once. I stayed there a second time because that's where my friend wanted to stay. I'm not in any hurry to stay there again.

 

[kniquy]

I think feeling isolated is a positive -- it gives you a break from the hustle of the parks. Going outside to view the animals or speak with the cultural guides makes you feel like you have been transported to a different country. I don't think viewing the animals creates a wow, but more of a wow this is relaxing. There are 3 amazing TS restaurants there - so you can do you parks and then come back to relax with dinner and animal viewing. I stayed at the BWV and although the location is great I felt that it was too busy

There are so many activities that you could spend a full resort day and never be bored and the pools are very nice too - I thought even better than the poly lava pool.

the only draw back is the bus ride to MK - it was about 25 minutes, but if you plan accordingly it really isn't an issue. EP and HS were about 15 minutes, which is what you can expect even at other resorts.

I think you will find positives and negatives to any resort, but at least we are pretty much free to try different resorts. Our trip in April we did a split with first 3 nights poly and 4 nights kidani. I actually thought this worked out well for planning our park days - our first few days were more epcot/MK and once we moved to AK we focused on EP, AK, HS - with returning to MK for our last evening.

 

[daisyduck123]

We love AKV and even after a half-dozen stays, the "WOW" factor is still there. When staying there, we usually do a split stay with Beach Club being the first part of the trip. We find AKV great to stay as the 2nd resort of our trips. Part of that has to do with how relaxing it is. We have also visited the other parks by then (MK, Epcot, HS) so we don't feel the need to take those longer rides to those parks.

 

[crisi]

We normally stay at the Boardwalk. Its a busy place. But I've stared out at the Boardwalk plenty, we generally walk right by the acts on the street (knowing some performers of that type, I often stop when they are trying to get their audience - that's the hard part - then leave when there is a crowd). Its boring after a while.

We stayed at Kidani last time. The pool is great. I didn't get bored of having coffee while watching wildebeest. I suppose after many many trips I would, but after many many trips there are plenty of Disney attractions I don't bother with because I'm quite bored with them.

Yes, its a bus ride everywhere - or you drive. We found the buses to be pretty good - it adds some travel time to your day - but we don't need really long go-go days - so an extra 40 minutes of bus time in the day isn't a huge deal. The plus side was that the resort itself was so much quieter and relaxing than a room overlooking the Boardwalk.

Kidani needs a quickservice - nothing extravagant, but a place to grab a sandwich or a breakfast pastry that isn't the pool bar or a walk over to Jambo.

I wouldn't want to stay there every time - I do like my home resort and the ability to walk to Epcot - but I'd stay there again.

 

[Matty B13]

I second that Kidani needs a quick service, can't believe it really only has 1 restaurant.

 

[DisneyTravelers2008]

We have stayed at AK many times over the past ten years. It is the resort we stay at most often. It never gets boring and we never feel isolated. To me, it is the most unique resort. I love the pools, the art, the general décor, the animals on site, and the restaurants [Boma, Jiko, Sanaa and even "The Mara" quick service]. I love the nice bar in the Jambo lobby as well.


As for transportation, I look at it like this…..every resort is close to something and far form something….Plus, as a DVC member I literally have a lifetime of Disney vacations ahead of me so it is takes 10-15 extra minutes to get to a park , then I am ok with that. This is not my first Disney trip and it won’t be my last. Unlike lots of vacationers, I can afford to slow down and “smell the roses”.

 

[gillep]

I have stayed at AKV over a dozen times, usually for a week at a time, and for me, no, the novelty has not worn off. That said, I would not stay anywhere more than a week, I would have to do a split stay, but that's just my personality. Transportation, except for MK, has actually taken longer the times that I have stayed at BLT and CCV due to the distance and bus sharing that isn't an issue at AKV.

We normally stay at the Boardwalk. Its a busy place. But I've stared out at the Boardwalk plenty, we generally walk right by the acts on the street (knowing some performers of that type, I often stop when they are trying to get their audience - that's the hard part - then leave when there is a crowd). Its boring after a while.

We stayed at Kidani last time. The pool is great. I didn't get bored of having coffee while watching wildebeest. I suppose after many many trips I would, but after many many trips there are plenty of Disney attractions I don't bother with because I'm quite bored with them.

Yes, its a bus ride everywhere - or you drive. We found the buses to be pretty good - it adds some travel time to your day - but we don't need really long go-go days - so an extra 40 minutes of bus time in the day isn't a huge deal. The plus side was that the resort itself was so much quieter and relaxing than a room overlooking the Boardwalk.

Kidani needs a quickservice - nothing extravagant, but a place to grab a sandwich or a breakfast pastry that isn't the pool bar or a walk over to Jambo.

I wouldn't want to stay there every time - I do like my home resort and the ability to walk to Epcot - but I'd stay there again.

Just an FYI if you go back, Sanaa is used as a quick service location for breakfast now (since about December 2016 I believe) they have grab and go items and cooked items that you can either eat at the tables right there, or that they will package up for you to take away.

 

[crisi]

I have stayed at AKV over a dozen times, usually for a week at a time, and for me, no, the novelty has not worn off. That said, I would not stay anywhere more than a week, I would have to do a split stay, but that's just my personality. Transportation, except for MK, has actually taken longer the times that I have stayed at BLT and CCV due to the distance and bus sharing that isn't an issue at AKV.



Just an FYI if you go back, Sanaa is used as a quick service location for breakfast now (since about December 2016 I believe) they have grab and go items and cooked items that you can either eat at the tables right there, or that they will package up for you to take away.

We were looking for lunch on arrival day - we ended up grabbing a granola bar from the store and heading into Epcot. We didn't want the six year old to see the pool. We always have groceries and a kitchen - and eat dinner and lunch out usually - so its rare we will end up with quickservice, but on arrival day, when you get off Magical Express and your room isn't ready and its noon, it would be nice to grab a sandwich.

 

[rentayenta]

Our 3rd stay is in less than 2 weeks and we are so excited! When we booked all DVC options were open (within our specifics) and we chose AKV. Its a fabulous resort. No, we do not get bored there.

 

[rer1972]

We are AKV owners. For us the the wow factor did go away, but that was replaced by our full enjoyment of the resort. Most of the family enjoys animal watching anyways (I can sit out on the patio and watch the bird for some time), so sitting around watching the animals is relaxing. Taking part in many of the resort's activities, or just siting in the lobby or some nook nearby listening to drumming or background music is also enjoyable for us. It is definitely a great place to slow down our pace. In fact we own at BRV, and we usually stay at AKV on the back end of a split stay so we can relax.

 

[aoconnor]

It's really only "far" from MK. It's faster on the bus to the other 3 parks than most of the monorail resorts and Wilderness Lodge.