Is the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah View worth the points?

[westjones]

Currently, I have 4 nights in a 1 bedroom at OKW reserved in September. I am thinking about chaning our first night to the AKL and getting the Savannah View which is 30 points that night. The Deluxe Savannah View is 38 points. Will we be able to see the animal from the Savannah View rooms (30 points)? Or do we have to go with the Deluxe Savannah View to actually see the animals? What is the difference between the two levels? I am on borrowed points already this year, so this would mean borrowing more, but my DD saw the AKL on the Great Hotels Travel Channel show and wants to go! We can only afford one night, but I want her to be able to see the animals.

How little points can I get by with and still have her be able to see the animals. Oh, and I want a balcony for her to be able to sit outside and see the animals.

Thanks,
DJ

 

[Michelemouse]

You can see animals from any Savannah-view room. The deluxe Savannah view rooms are a bit larger and sleep five instead of four. The standard SV rooms are located on floors 2-4, the deluxe SV rooms are on floors 5 & 6.

I'd go with the standard SV room.

Have a great time.

 

[westjones]

Thanks for explaining the difference! There are only 4 of us, so we don't need room for 5, and as long as she can see the animals, that is fine with me! I am calling tomorrow can making the adjustment in my reservations! Thanks again!
DJ

 

[Lisa F]

We spent 3 nights in a savannah view room at AKL and only saw a couple of animals the whole time. We were around the corner from one of the main savannahs (viewable from the lobby) and I believe that enticements were placed for animals to be in the more public area. I would personally not waste the money on a savannah view again. We were EXTREMELY disappointed. If we stay there again we will get a standard view room and enjoy the much better view from the public savannah.

Lisa

 

[westjones]

So there is an area that you can go in the resort and view the animals? You don't have to have a view from your room to see them? Is that what you mean? That would be great! I just want her to be able to see the animals, I don't mind going to a public viewing area. She wants to stay in the resort and try the food at the resturants.

So if we can go to a public area to see the animals that would be super! Where would that be (what floor)?

Also, how is the pool at AKL? Is it nice?
AKL really does take up a lot of points and I don't want to spend more than I have to.
Thanks,
DJ

 

[Happy Birthday Cat]

The pool is nice but IMHO, nothing spectacular. There is an area near the pool where you can view the animals. That is really nice for the kids.

Along all of the floors of the hotel, there are glass windows between hallways that you can look out on the animals from but there is a fantastic viewing area off of the lobby area that allows you to walk out into what looks like a rock formation. Back by the lodge they have rocking chairs that you can sit in to watch the animals from.

You really don't need the savannah view room to see animals. Save the points!!!!

HBC

 

[Lisa F]

Check out this Animal Kingdom Lodge map for an idea of the layout of the resort. There's what looks like a little oval area across from Boma. It's called the sunset overlook (I think) and it's an absolutely fabulous place to watch the animals. As I said, the CM's do what they can to make sure that there is a good show over there (our "savannah view" was in the little wing that sticks out right over the picture of the marabou stork and on the other side from the sunset overlook savannah and there were NEVER any animals there. What made it worse is that the checkin CM hyped up how wonderful the view would be because he couldn't give us the king sized bed we had requested. We thought it was a time fo day thing and spent 3 days trying to be there at the right time of day and there were never any animals.

Boma is great. We are not usually buffet people, but we LOVE it. Love it for breakfast also as I don't like traditional breakfast foods that much and love the interesting offerings. We haven't tried Jiko yet but know we should! The pool is pretty well themed. I think the one thing you may be disappointed by is the room size... they are pretty small and you do get spoiled by DVC.

Hope that helps! Didn't mean to be a "downer" about the savannah view room and I've heard lots of people rave about them but I think it's luck of the draw if you get one of the good views and I am not willing to pay a premium for "luck of the draw."

Lisa

 

[toad611]

The SV rooms are great, we booked a standard room and they upgraded us when we got there, there were animals outside our patio almost all the time, you will love Ak, it is my favorite resort on Disney

 

[westjones]

You know, for the day we are staying at AKL there is only 2 points difference between the SV rooms and the Water/Pool view rooms, so I think I will go for the SV room since we only get one night there and hope for the best. We are flying in on Sunday and will spend the day at AKL after we get there, when on Monday we are going to AK and MGM and will be moving over to OKW for the rest of our stay.

AKL is just a treat/surprise for my animal loving DD since this is all part of her 10th birthday celebration. We will have 3 days at OKW before heading over for a 3 night Disney Cruise. It will be a very full week.

Thanks for all of the advice. I am so glad I asked about the rooms. I don't think we need a Deluxe SV, but I am going to go for a SV room and hope for a good day!
DJ

 

[Michelemouse]

DEFINITELY go for the SV room. There is nothing like sitting on your balcony and watching a herd of zebra run through the savannah or seeing a giraffe ambling by. It is amazing! One piece of advice...request a room that overlooks the Arusha Savannah. It is the biggest of the 3 savannahs and has the zebra. Our room has been on this savannah both times we've stayed at the AKL and the animals are plentiful.

Have a great time!

 

[westjones]

Thanks! I will ask for that savannah view. When I made a request at BCV we didn't get it, but maybe we will be lucky this time. I hope we get a good view, we only have one day there and I want it to be great for my daughter! Thanks for all the advice!
DJ

 

[cgcw]

We stayed ina savannah view room last December. It was, by far, my DS8's favorite resort. We always saw animals from our balcony. DS8 would jump out of bed in the AM to run out to the balcony to see what was out there. In the mornings, we would watch the keepers feed the animals.

We came home very late one night (1 a.m.) after MVMCP. The kids were zonked but DH and I couldn't resist just looking out from the balcony. We opened the door and we heard this ripping sound -- turned out to be a zebra right below our room grazing on the grasses. The only time we saw an animal that close.

We didn't have much luck seeing the animals from the open viewing area -- but then again, we tried during the mid part of the day.

Kids loved the pool -- as they do any pool. As someone already posted, nothing spectacular but the CM's were very pleasant to talk to.

Have a great trip!

 

[Loubon]

Some people don't agree with using points for the regular hotels so I won't get into that part of it.

But we stayed at AKL for a week with the savannah view and loved it. We saw animals all hours of the day every day. There is also an area you can walk near that goes along the savannah where the CM will show you the smaller animals and point out the larger ones and their feeding times.

It was well worth it for us and I would highly recommend it. I wasn't sure about the deluxe part (there were only 4 of us) but it looks like you had that part answered above.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Do it. We loved staying in the AKL-SV about a year and a half ago. It was great getting up early in the AM, sitting on the balcony in PJs and watching the animals eating. Listen for the sound cues that they give to the animals to call them to eat. We're going back to AKL-Concierge in 6 weeks. We like it there. We usually pay cash, but if we had more points, we might use our points there.

 

[MinnieGi]

I think your family and DD will especially love this hotel and watching the animals from your balcony. We stayed at AKL for a week on cash using a great AP rate and had a wonderful time! We all really liked their pool. We liked the zero-entry for our 2 yo DD. Its fun to walk around to the different viewing areas and see the animals. Some animals stay on only one savannah area so it is best to walk around in addition to viewing from your balcony. Have a great stay!

 

[chris1gill]

We've stayed at AKL twice... once in a deluxe room (concierge) & once in a standard Savannah view... DEFINITELY go for the Savannah view!!! Make sure in your requests that you ask for a Savannah view overlooking Arusha Rock... if you get a room overlooking Arusha rock, I promise you'll see plenty of animals!! Even when you check in make sure you ask if it overlooks Arusha Rock!!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

We stayed there when it first opened. We had a savannah view, and thought it was worth the extra loot.

A cast member told us where to go to see the most animals, and she was absolutely correct. Go to the fire escapes at the end of the halls, and then you can get outside from there. You will see many animals, as it is shady most of the time, and very few disturbances for them.

Good luck....

 

[DeeP]

Savannah view room is definitely the way to go but I would not pay pts for any view room at AKL. They have too many good cash discounts on rooms there for me to use up 30+ pts per night. I have gotten savannah rooms for as low as $159.00 per night with discount codes, points would be 30 pts x $10 = $300.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by DeeP
Savannah view room is definitely the way to go but I would not pay pts for any view room at AKL. They have too many good cash discounts on rooms there for me to use up 30+ pts per night. I have gotten savannah rooms for as low as $159.00 per night with discount codes, points would be 30 pts x $10 = $300.

Good point. Even though we put a different value on our points (I put $6/pt) it would still come out better by paying cash.

 

[westjones]

Well I had already borrowed points to use at OKW (1 bedroom) that night and can't return borrowed points, so I just needed borrow 15 more points to change our first night at OKW over to AKL. Maybe not the best use of points, but it is just one night and my DD will be SO thrilled when she sees us drive up there (we aren't telling her, it is a surprise). Our twin DDs are celebrating their 10th birthday on this trip (with their actual birthday being on the DCL that Friday), so we wanted to make is REALLY special. So I was willing to slurge on some points for that one night. I called today and got our reservations changed, so now we have our first night at AKL then we move over to OKW for 3 nights in a 1 bedroom and then we go on the DCL for 3 nights. This is going to be a super trip! I can't wait!

Thanks everyone for all of your advice! I did ask for the Arusha Rock View also and they called AKL for me and checked on that while I was still on the line. They even noted that my twins were celebrating their birthday so maybe they will get some extra attention (which kids always love, right ).

NOW I just have to wait until July 18th to see if I can get reservations for Cinderella's Breakfast in the castle. That will complete our preparations for this very special trip!

Thanks again everyone!
DJ