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

[LAWalz23]

I finally finished reading this thread, there is so much great info here!

Great pics, catsrule! Were these taken from your balcony? Where was your room? Can't wait to hear about your trip!

Andiloo, you will have a great trip just relax and try to go with the flow. If the park you are at seems very crowded go to another park or back to AKL and go in the pool then hit the parks again after dinner. The Kona Cafe at the Poly has great food and is usually not very crowded, they also have an excellent breakfast!

Lisa, the Segway tour sounds great, have fun!

Bob, sounds like your anniversary trip is going to be fabulous!

Kimmar, how was it having Home Edition in your town? Kudos to your husband for volunteering!

 

[AKLGoofy]

Bob that is so awesome! Here is what the White Chocolate Slipper looks like:

Woohoo! Thanks for the photo!

Bob

 

[kimmar067]

....Kimmar, how was it having Home Edition in your town? Kudos to your husband for volunteering!

.....actually, it was a few towns over, in Bergenfield. It is going to be a 2-hour special sometime in July - a real tear-jerker (like the other episodes AREN'T??!?)...the family has a disease that they eventually lose their eyesight. The father and one of the kids is already blind, and another is deaf...Marley Matlin was the 'guest' host because Ty was on vacation (the NERVE of him!!! ) Of course, Paige was 'decked-out' in her usual PINK...my DH is in the construction business and he was working on a house right around the corner from the house that was built for the show, so he decided to go on over and lend a hand....wait till you see it, the house looks really awesome and HUGE!

 

[catsrule]

Thanks, scoutsmom99.

Angel16, it is a Canon camera, it just came out in March, we just bought it in April. I think it is an A700 series. DH took all the pics, I just told him what to take pics of.

lawalz23, the pics were taken all around the resort, so many pics I don't remember which were taken where.

We did the one hour Segway. It was a blast and so much fun. We are gonna do the 2 hour one in Sept., we had so much fun on the hour one. We went outside and around all the gardens. I highly recommend it.

 

[Nancyg56]

We leave tomorrow for our first trip evah! (well, I went in 1973, but I was 3 years old, so I'm not counting it).

I'm so excited, but also getting anxious...have read bad reviews about half of the ADR we have (Teppanyaki, Coral Reef, Breakfastasaurus)...also stressing b/c we didn't make any ADR's for one day, thinking we'd just to CS, but now wishing we had made something...any chance there will be ANY decent TS available for walk-up at all, now that DDP seems to have made ADRs mandatory? I feel bad for the folks who don't know better.

Also stressing about the crowds. I've heard that it's been almost unbearable in the last week or so...this weekend should be unbelievable. I do have a little problem w/crowd anxiety, so I need to get psyched up for it.

Someone please tell me to chill out and stop expecting the worst (I sometimes find myself imagining the worst case scenarios and I do NOT want any self-fulfilling prophecies here!!!).

Oh well...if all else fails, I'll just sit at AKL, sipping whatever drinks look cool and yummy and snacking on zebra domes....

Do Not Worry!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are going to Disney, and staying at the AKL, what could be better? A vacation is what you make it. If the crowds start to bother you, enjoy the beautiful lodge, watch the animals on the Savannah, and chat with the guides. I cannot imagine a more serene place to just relax and regroup than AKL. I think that the biggest mistake that we made was not to spend enough time there, and we actually scheduled quite a bit, but the resort is so welcoming and restful. If you are hungry, and there are no ressies to be found, we loved Mara. The food is good, and there is plenty to choose from. Have some squash soup for me, please.

Have a wonderful time, and takes lots of pictures!

 

[Nancyg56]

Weeellll... just got off the phone with Don and man, you guys aren't kidding, that guy is GREAT! He helped me finetune a few things and came up with a great idea for the presentation of my wife's engagement ring "upgrade" I'm in the process of having mounted. He's going to have it presented in a white chocolate "slipper" at the end of dinner at V & A's. Should be quite the surprise.

Sadly, he had to tell me that the only slot I had for lunch was a day that they don't offer the Imagineer thingy, so we'll have to save that for a later trip I guess. All in all, though, things are shaping up nicely. Thank you everyone for your kind suggestions.

Bob

I think that he is the best! The slipper idea is so romantic....

Take some time to visit all of the staff in the lounge. They are friendly, and it was nice putting a face to all of the people that work "behind the scenes". They really get into all of the planning, and will continue to "make it happen" throughout your trip.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thanks, scoutsmom99.

Angel16, it is a Canon camera, it just came out in March, we just bought it in April. I think it is an A700 series. DH took all the pics, I just told him what to take pics of.

lawalz23, the pics were taken all around the resort, so many pics I don't remember which were taken where.

We did the one hour Segway. It was a blast and so much fun. We are gonna do the 2 hour one in Sept., we had so much fun on the hour one. We went outside and around all the gardens. I highly recommend it.

I was going to ask the same question. Looking at your beautiful Pics and comparing them to ours means we need a better camera. I think my DD said she was looking at a canon.

Some of us are going to sign up for the Segway tour when we go in January. I hope to read your reviews upon your return.

 

[Webbie]

As of today Luvfigment and I are doing the happy single digit dance. Look out AKL here we come!

 

[wendypooh]

Angel16, it is a Canon camera, it just came out in March, we just bought it in April. I think it is an A700 series. DH took all the pics, I just told him what to take pics of.

Your pics are very nice!!!! We just got the Canon EOS 20DSLR and DH has been practicing with the lenses and flash.......... to make sure he's all set when we head back!!! We also have the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, and I'd recommend that to anyone, it takes amazing pictures with the correct lense. I'm like you though.......... I say, "Get a picture of that"........... LOL!!! I wouldn't know what lense to use to save my life!!

Again, Thanks for sharing your pics!!

 

[wendypooh]

As of today Luvfigment and I are doing the happy single digit dance. Look out AKL here we come!

WHOO HOO!!! I'm excited for you guys!!!

 

[taekwondo mom]

First Welcome Taekwondo! I just wanted to address your ECV use at AKL, and maybe set your mind at ease. My DH used one on our last visit due to leg problems. The AKL is very user friendly for ECV's. You will be able to place your ECV in the room over next to the TV. Just make sure you set up the area first for the charger and a plug near by. I would request a room on the main savannah not too far from the lobby.

The only problem we ran into at AKL is the elevators are very quick to shut. It was good that I was there as I could hold the door while DH pulled into the elevator. Everyone was very nice and we never got any strange looks. My DH can walk, just not for long distances.

I hope you have a wonderful vacation.

Thank You.....

 

[Kimberly815]

We just got back from the ALK this past Saturday and loved the resort. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. We were in Room 2430 with a Pool View and it worked great for us!

On the way in:

The View from our balcony at night:

I will post more later if I get the chance!

 

[catsrule]

Here is a link to the canon camera we used. We didn't buy it here, we bought it on-line somewhere else for a bit cheaper.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Cano...47289/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

 

[DiznEeyore]

What a great thread! I've gotten lots of great info so far, but now have a question I haven't seen answered.

We've just changed our October VWL reservations to include two nights at AKL in a concierge room. We'll be there for our 15th anniversary and have booked the Sunrise Safari for that morning!

We've already been in contact with Don from the IPO -- my dh spoke to him on the phone and mentioned we were hoping for a king room. My question is, does anyone know if there are pool-view king rooms (would also have to be non-smoking)? We've stayed in savanna view rooms twice, and I thought the pool view might be a nice change. Oh, and if there are pool view king rooms, would it be annoying to them if we requested one? I don't usually request anything but non-smoking for medical reasons, but I really want this stay to be as lovely as possible.

TIA for any help!!

 

[wintergreen]

Quick question for those in the know. Does the Sunrise Safari alway fill up way in advance? I'm considering changing my reservation to concierge, but we are getting pretty close, and my main reason for the upgrade would be to do the Safari. Thanks!!!

 

[LAWalz23]

As of today Luvfigment and I are doing the happy single digit dance. Look out AKL here we come!

Have a great time!!!

Kimberly815, great pics! The pool area looks so nice!

 

[Cass]

We just got back from the ALK this past Saturday and loved the resort. I would stay there again in a heartbeat. We were in Room 2430 with a Pool View and it worked great for us!

I will post more later if I get the chance!

Hi, I'd love to see more! Nice view from your balcony, did you smell any food from Boma/Mara? Was a pool view room what you booked or were you upgraded from Standard view?

 

[luvfigment]

Great picture Catsrule and Kimberly815. Looking forward to a trip report for you Kimberly815.

John's Mom Thank you for the information on the chest. I will let you know what ends up happening.

Doing the Single Digit dance!!!

 

[disneytraveler]

As of today Luvfigment and I are doing the happy single digit dance. Look out AKL here we come!

Webbie
Have a great time and save some zebra domes for me!

 

[Kimberly815]

Hi, I'd love to see more! Nice view from your balcony, did you smell any food from Boma/Mara? Was a pool view room what you booked or were you upgraded from Standard view?

We booked pool, and I was very happy with it. We were almost directly above Mara, but we didn't notice any particular smells.

I have plenty more pictures- of the room itself, the lobby, Boma- they just haven't been added to photobucket yet (My fiance said he would add them last night, but I guess he never got around to it!). I will add more tomorrow!