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

[mom2aredhead]

We stayed at AKL our last 2 trips, which furthered my son's love (or obsession) with giraffes and basically all things "safari animal" related.

We were just there in May and I have been trying to talk my husband into another quick trip this December. Really couldn't afford AKL this time (and there were no standard rooms available with the Visa code) so we (I) figured we'd settle for CSR.

So my husband, the practical one, is giving me a list of all the reasons we should just wait until spring to go again, yadda yadda yadda, why settle and stay somewhere else when we can just wait a few months and have a really nice longer trip and stay where we want to.

My son overhears us and this conversation takes place...

Son: "I don't want to go to Disney and stay somewhere else"

Husband: "Do you want to go sooner and stay at another place or we'll have wait a long time and stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge again"

Son: "I only want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge when we go to Disney"

Husband: "But you'll have to wait a long time until we go back"

Son: "I will wait to see the giraffes again"

MY SON IS NOT EVEN 4 YEARS OLD!!!!

Guess switching it up for future trips is out of the question!

 

[Tig-girl]

...wow, very kewl......I live right in the Tri-State area (NY/NJ/CT) about 15 minutes from mid-town Manhattan - you'd THINK they would have one in this immediate area......

Wow Kim, I had no idea you were so close to the city! Takes me 2 hrs
Oh, and while I'm here......I might as well check my ticker, tee hee hee.....

 

[brookelizabeth]

Mom2aRedHead - you've got a smart kid on your hands!!

 

[kimmar067]

Mom2aRedHead - you've got a smart kid on your hands!!

...how ya feelin', sweetie??

 

[kimmar067]

I'm a guy, I don't read People, what can I say?

....that's okay, so's 'long as ya swear to the solemn oath of the AKL gods.....

 

[kimmar067]

Wow Kim, I had no idea you were so close to the city! Takes me 2 hrs
Oh, and while I'm here......I might as well check my ticker, tee hee hee.....

...you ju-u-u-u-u-ust won't let up, will ya??!?!?


[ ]

....really, I am [literally] a "stone's throw" away from NYC.....didn't ya see my Yankees pix that I posted last week?? Hmmmm, HUH??!??!?!

 

[wvdislover]

oops, double post

 

[wvdislover]

I'll be at AKL for the first time in only 17 days!!! I'm both excited and panicked That's not much time to get ready, especially since DD's 10 and almost 6 (1 more week!) don't know we're going!

 

[pilferk]

My understanding from the diagram posted by LisaS, is that all standard view Jambo house DVC units are pool view. All of the rooms that face the parking lot are the smaller Value rooms.

Exactly why I suggested what I did.

FYI, TyRy is looking for a SPECIFIC (as in, exact room number) pool view room. Just want to make sure she books Jambo Standard, which puts her in the right "class" of room...then she can specifically request the room # she's looking for in addition to that.

 

[TyRy]

Exactly why I suggested what I did.

FYI, TyRy is looking for a SPECIFIC (as in, exact room number) pool view room. Just want to make sure she books Jambo Standard, which puts her in the right "class" of room...then she can specifically request the room # she's looking for in addition to that.

I'm just happy we have a "chance" of getting even close to that room. I probably won't request the exact room (I always thought that was bad to do from reading the boards - but maybe that's just for regular rooms and not DVC?), but will request the trail and then just see what happens.

 

[Tig-girl]

...you ju-u-u-u-u-ust won't let up, will ya??!?!?


[ ]

....really, I am [literally] a "stone's throw" away from NYC.....didn't ya see my Yankees pix that I posted last week?? Hmmmm, HUH??!??!?!

Guess I missed that! Just which thread did you post them on girl? Oh, and by the way, I've been severely punished for my gloating about the ticker......
GOT PHLEBITIS 24 DAYS FROM MY TRIP, AND I'M DEALING WITH THIS NOW! Not a happy camper, not at all.....

 

[DznyDreamz]

I am scheduled to stay at AKL in about 23 days and am getting more anxious about the impact of construction as the days go by. Tonight I called the regular Disney reservation line to ask what the latest update was on the construction. She said "oh, you are staying there, let me transfer you to another department". I went into queue for about 15 mins and eventually just left my number to have someone call me back. Well that was 2 1/2 hours ago and no one has called. It wasn't the reassuring "you don't have anything to worry about" response I was hoping for!!

 

[pilferk]

I'm just happy we have a "chance" of getting even close to that room. I probably won't request the exact room (I always thought that was bad to do from reading the boards - but maybe that's just for regular rooms and not DVC?), but will request the trail and then just see what happens.

It's "bad" because it doesn't give the room assigner much flexibility, or really tell them WHY you want the room you requested...could be view, could be proximity to elevators or amenities (or the ice machine! ).

With the category you're booking, it's not quite as bad...because the "Jambo Standard" pretty much takes care of the view. So you're really requesting location....so you could probably say something like "In the general vacinity of room #xxxx" and the assigner would get the drift.

Requesting the trail would do that, too...and is probably a good idea.

For our savannah view 1BR for January, I requested Zebra trail, near the elevator down to the pool.

 

[RachelTori]

Pilferk, can you give me some guidance?!

For non-DVC rooms: booked Standard-Club Level for next April. Those rooms will be on the 4th floor and will be Savannah view? Do you know "which" blocks of rooms are Club Level? I'm trying to figure out what our requests should be! Thanks for any help!

 

[pilferk]

Pilferk, can you give me some guidance?!

For non-DVC rooms: booked Standard-Club Level for next April. Those rooms will be on the 4th floor and will be Savannah view? Do you know "which" blocks of rooms are Club Level? I'm trying to figure out what our requests should be! Thanks for any help!

I don't know for sure. Let me ask around and see what I can find out.

 

[kimmar067]

Guess I missed that! Just which thread did you post them on girl? Oh, and by the way, I've been severely punished for my gloating about the ticker......
GOT PHLEBITIS 24 DAYS FROM MY TRIP, AND I'M DEALING WITH THIS NOW! Not a happy camper, not at all.....

...ohhhh "boo-hoo".......
[....JK - hope ya feel better soon....like, 23 days from now.....]


....BTW ~ DH DEFINITELY wants to go to WDW for Christmas....

 

[DznyDreamz]

I just spoke with Nate in Guest Services who assured me that ALL construction that would impact guests staying at AKL will be completed by 9/1. He said right now they are finishing and cleaning up and will move onto the new outdoor building. I asked whether the draping would be removed and the hammering and drilling complete and he said absolutely it would be. So whooo hoooo!!! I feel so much better now and hope that helps others with upcoming stays at AKL.

 

[kimmar067]

I just spoke with Nate in Guest Services who assured me that ALL construction that would impact guests staying at AKL will be completed by 9/1. He said right now they are finishing and cleaning up and will move onto the new outdoor building. I asked whether the draping would be removed and the hammering and drilling complete and he said absolutely it would be. So whooo hoooo!!! I feel so much better now and hope that helps others with upcoming stays at AKL.

..... more of that Disney magic.....

 

[DznyDreamz]

more of that Disney magic.....

That is exactly what I was thinking!!! The timing is just perfect...well, for me anyway.

 

[pilferk]

I just spoke with Nate in Guest Services who assured me that ALL construction that would impact guests staying at AKL will be completed by 9/1. He said right now they are finishing and cleaning up and will move onto the new outdoor building. I asked whether the draping would be removed and the hammering and drilling complete and he said absolutely it would be. So whooo hoooo!!! I feel so much better now and hope that helps others with upcoming stays at AKL.

Let me start with: I'm not trying to freak you out here, but.....

You know.....I think Guest Services should be beaten with wet noodles. Because, with the info they're giving out, they're going to have some pretty ticked off guests.

Unless things have changed DRASTICALLY over the past 7 days, and they've been working at superhuman speeds with crews quadruple the size they have been working with....the above just can't be true.

Kudo trail, as of 7 days ago, hasn't even been started yet. They were working, still, on the 5th and 6th floor concierge rooms, and Giraffe and Ostrich trail. They MAY have even been putting some finishing touches on some far flung Zebra trail rooms (which open Sept 1st).

I would allow for the possibility that much of the more "offensive" construction has been wrapped up (plumbing, hvac, electrical, etc)...the stuff that was really LOUD. Maybe. But there is LOTS of conversion left to do, even if that's wrapped up. The value and concierge rooms aren't slated to open until early December...and Kudo trail rooms aren't slated to be open until late Jan.

What IS true is that, post Sept 1, they aren't relocating guests any longer. I'm sure that means something. But PLEASE don't go expecting there to be NO construction going on post-Sept 1st. I'd LOVE for that to be true, but just don't see how it could be feasible, given where they are in the construction process and what they have left to do. Hopefully, whatever construction IS going on will have minimal effect on you and your stay.

I'm wondering if guest services is getting confused by the fact that the rest of Zebra trail opens up "officially" Sept 1st.....but not the WHOLE of AKV.