JAMBO! The UN-official AKL Thread ~ UPDATED(short film/pg 8 & slideshow/pg 12) Part 3

[vmickey]

We are leaving this afternoon!
We are all so excited! Thanks so much to you all for the great information. I promise to post when we return and figure out that photo bucket thing so that I can share pics too! Happy Holidays to all!

 

[macrosswife]

We are taking ME. I was thinking about telling them the morning that we leave. However, I am not a good secret keeper. I'm already dropping hints by accident. Today my mom, who has a torn tenden in her heel, was complaining about how walking a lot in the parks may hurt her foot. So I told her that taking breaks at the hotel hot tubs will be great for her foot. My mom was surprised that the All-Stars had hot tubs. It's a good thing my mom hasn't done any disney research yet, or she would of told me that the values do not have hot tubs.

Cinderella-
I don't know if it helps any, but when we took ME in January, the bus stopped at Pop before AKL...maybe you could tell them that you moved the ressie from All-Stars to Pop? Or that Disney moved you because they oversold at All-Stars?
The family we traveled with was originally at All-Stars, but moved to Pop when Disney released a discount code, and Pop was the only value with availability at the code rate....maybe you could use that story??

Good luck!!! I'm TERRIBLE at keeping secrets!!
~Kimber

 

[kimmar067]

Testing:

Well, I guess I still need to work on this! Thanks for the info!

...awwww, how cute!

 

[mom2aredhead]

Boo Hoo! I'm home after spending another fabulous week at AKL. I'm going to do a trip report/dining review on the appropriate boards, but wanted to stop here first.

We paid for a standard room, and asked for and received a free savannah upgrade. So we ended up on the Kudu trail overlooking the Sunset Savannah people pen with a construction crane in the background. I am by no means complaining by the way - it beats the parking lot view we paid for! We had a few animals in the morning, but not as many as previous trips on that Savannah - again, not complaining, just an observation. I think I would have been a little disappointed if this was a "once in a lifetime" trip and I paid extra for Savannah view, but again, we're repeat visitors that paid to face the parking lot, so we were fine with what we had.

My husband and son were talking to one of the "animal people" there and found out that there are a few pregnant giraffe that are being kept separate from the others right now, so that may have been part of the reason the animals were a little more scarce. But for anyone interested, if you go all the way out to the end of the Kudu trail and go out the fire doors to the outside stairs, you can get pretty up close and personal with the sequestered giraffe.

Everyone's next question I'm sure - Construction. Not disruptive to us for the most part, but we were up and out early and gone for most of the day. One afternoon we heard hammering kind of above our heads, and of course it happened to be the day we wanted to rest in the afternoon since we were going to MVMCP that night. We also heard the humming of trucks and their back-up beeping alarms off in the distance that same afternoon, and I have construction cranes in my pictures. But you know what - for us that was the "worst" of it, and that still beats a lot of my days at work, so it's all good.

So other than that, Mara was good, African stew and zebra domes yummy as usual. The Holiday decorations were really pretty - I loved the "theme" of decorations on the big Christmas tree in the lobby - although my pictures of it didn't come out as well as I had hoped. That's what I get for buying a new camera 3 days before I leave for vacation and not spending the time to read the book that came with it. The staff everywhere were great as usual - I know some people have posted issues about them, but I've always found them to be terrific. My son decorated an ornament with the painted ostrich egg pieces - he had fun doing it (he's 4) and I smile and remember our vacation every time I walk by my Christmas tree...I know I've only been home 2 days.

I promise to post some pictures in the next few days...

 

[kimmar067]

Boo Hoo! I'm home after spending another fabulous week at AKL. I'm going to do a trip report/dining review on the appropriate boards, but wanted to stop here first.

We paid for a standard room, and asked for and received a free savannah upgrade. So we ended up on the Kudu trail overlooking the Sunset Savannah people pen with a construction crane in the background. I am by no means complaining by the way - it beats the parking lot view we paid for! We had a few animals in the morning, but not as many as previous trips on that Savannah - again, not complaining, just an observation. I think I would have been a little disappointed if this was a "once in a lifetime" trip and I paid extra for Savannah view, but again, we're repeat visitors that paid to face the parking lot, so we were fine with what we had.

My husband and son were talking to one of the "animal people" there and found out that there are a few pregnant giraffe that are being kept separate from the others right now, so that may have been part of the reason the animals were a little more scarce. But for anyone interested, if you go all the way out to the end of the Kudu trail and go out the fire doors to the outside stairs, you can get pretty up close and personal with the sequestered giraffe.

Everyone's next question I'm sure - Construction. Not disruptive to us for the most part, but we were up and out early and gone for most of the day. One afternoon we heard hammering kind of above our heads, and of course it happened to be the day we wanted to rest in the afternoon since we were going to MVMCP that night. We also heard the humming of trucks and their back-up beeping alarms off in the distance that same afternoon, and I have construction cranes in my pictures. But you know what - for us that was the "worst" of it, and that still beats a lot of my days at work, so it's all good.

So other than that, Mara was good, African stew and zebra domes yummy as usual. The Holiday decorations were really pretty - I loved the "theme" of decorations on the big Christmas tree in the lobby - although my pictures of it didn't come out as well as I had hoped. That's what I get for buying a new camera 3 days before I leave for vacation and not spending the time to read the book that came with it. The staff everywhere were great as usual - I know some people have posted issues about them, but I've always found them to be terrific. My son decorated an ornament with the painted ostrich egg pieces - he had fun doing it (he's 4) and I smile and remember our vacation every time I walk by my Christmas tree...I know I've only been home 2 days.

I promise to post some pictures in the next few days...

...all in all, I'd say that was a really nice trip....and what a lovely reminder - the painted egg! Can't wait for those pix and your 'trippie'....!

 

[mom2aredhead]

...all in all, I'd say that was a really nice trip....and what a lovely reminder - the painted egg! Can't wait for those pix and your 'trippie'....!

Thanks, it was a great trip.

As for the ornament - it's actually not an egg - I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea. You pick a picture of an animal, and they give you glue, glitter, and broken up pieces of painted ostrich egg to glue on to it kind of like a mosaic. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it.

 

[Donald is #1]

But you know what - for us that was the "worst" of it, and that still beats a lot of my days at work, so it's all good.

Ah so true! A not perfect day at WDW/AKL is always better than a day at work.

 

[John's Mom]

OH MY GOD! I missed Kimmar. I had computer problems. I didn't get to wish her a great WDW vacation and "Happy Holidays."

 

[kimmar067]

OH MY GOD! I missed Kimmar. I had computer problems. I didn't get to wish her a great WDW vacation and "Happy Holidays."

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

 

[tiggrbaby]

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

Have a great vaca, Kimmar!

 

[TKDisneylover]

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

Glad I logged on........have not been on, we lost one of our fur babies, she's now peacefully in kitty heaven......

Anyway, I wanted to say, Have a wonderful trip and I hope your weather is great! Can't wait to hear about it when you get back!

 

[kimmar067]

......have not been on, we lost one of our fur babies, she's now peacefully in kitty heaven......

...

 

[RachelTori]

Glad I logged on........have not been on, we lost one of our fur babies, she's now peacefully in kitty heaven......

I'm so sorry. Maybe she's with our beloved Oliver who left us on 9/11/2007.

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

And on a lighter note...... Let's give Kimmar the send-off she deserves!!!!

HAVE A WONDERFUL VACATION!!!



MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



HAVE A ZD OR 2 OR 3 FOR US!!!





Y'ALL COME BACK NOW, HEAR?!!!!

 

[John's Mom]

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

I guess I miscounted your wiggles!

 

[Cinderella1122]

Glad I logged on........have not been on, we lost one of our fur babies, she's now peacefully in kitty heaven......

Anyway, I wanted to say, Have a wonderful trip and I hope your weather is great! Can't wait to hear about it when you get back!

Sorry to hear about your kitty. My kitty passed away at the age of 17 1/2 this past July and my dog who is 12 isn't doing that well

 

[CJsMom]

...STILL here...one day to go.....[..but WHO'S countin'...??!?!? ]

Well, I may be too late, but have a great time!!!!!

 

[kimmar067]

...thanks guys, I'm leaving in a few hours.....

 

[heatherlynn444]

hi all i am back from the AKL (15-22) we were so blessed to get an upgrade from a standard room to a savannah view room on the zebra trail. I will be writing a full TR, it is in the bottom of my siggy.

we had a GREAT time and found AKL to be fun and very unique and I love how every inch of it was detailed and themed, BUT the stlye/theme is just not for us. I am glad we got to stay there and experience it one time, but I do not know if we will go back. maybe one day when we have kids if they want to go we will. I hope no one takes offense, we had GREAT service, housekeeping, and like I said the theming is very well done, just not our "kind" of theme. still ahd a great time though! have fun to all of you traveling this week! it was getting pretty busy in the lobby when we left yesterday!

 

[RachelTori]

hi all i am back from the AKL (15-22) we were so blessed to get an upgrade from a standard room to a savannah view room on the zebra trail. I will be writing a full TR, it is in the bottom of my siggy.

we had a GREAT time and found AKL to be fun and very unique and I love how every inch of it was detailed and themed, BUT the stlye/theme is just not for us. I am glad we got to stay there and experience it one time, but I do not know if we will go back. maybe one day when we have kids if they want to go we will. I hope no one takes offense, we had GREAT service, housekeeping, and like I said the theming is very well done, just not our "kind" of theme. still ahd a great time though! have fun to all of you traveling this week! it was getting pretty busy in the lobby when we left yesterday!

No one will take offense, I promise! AKL isn't for everyone. I happen to know you're a Grand Floridian kind of woman and that's OK with us!!! (GF is one of 3 WDW resorts I have NOT stayed at yet - I hope to remedy that soon! )

 

[John's Mom]

To all my fellow AKL lovers: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Have a happy and safe holiday!

Kathy