just back from AKL concierge

[punkin]

Will be happy to answer any questions. We had a great view of the Arusha savannah from a 5th floor room. The concierge staff was fabulous and the sunrise safari was unbelievable. A great time was had by all.

 

[bryantslovedisney]

We're leaving in...well whatever the counter says...LOL!
I've heard such complaints of the room views on the concierge
level. They say all you see is treetops!! We'll be looking for
a room with bunkbeds...Not sure if you had those...but
if you did...How was the view?? What room number were
you in??? Any other comments or tips would be greatly
appreciated, as we have never stayed at AKL!
Glad you had a great trip!!! P.S. Did Concierge ever call
you advance to ask preferences? They haven't called me
yet, and the Poly has...just wondering

Jill

 

[tinkgrl]

Hi,

I'm thinking of booking concierge for December 2005. Is it worth it do you think???? What can/does the staff do for you? Thanks!!!

Allison an associate

 

[Josephine]

Have you stayed at other concierge at WDW? If you have how would you compare AKL to that?

How were the food offerings in the concierge lounge?

 

[punkin]

This was my first stay at WDW concierge so I cannot compare it to others. They got all my advance PSs done for me (even managed to get me a CRT seating 2 weeks prior to my trip.) When we got there, I had them call for all PS changes (and we had a lot). I would call them from a park and they would make my PS changes without being on hold with dining for 10 minutes. It was very convinient. The lounge itself is a nice place to hang out. The food was good. They serve breakfast with fantastic pastries. They have snacks throughout the day and right before dinnertime they serve appetizers which in my opinion, could make a full dinner. We had Chicken nuggets; shrimp skewers; salmon skewers; lentil salad; tofu noodle salad; pb&j sandwiches. They probably had other things I don't remember. After dinner, they have candy and sweets, as well as liquor.
We had room 5501. I asked specifically for a good view of the savannah. We had 2 queen beds. It was in the third building to the right of the lobby as you face Arusha Rock. We were right by the elevators and ice machine (but I did not hear any noise from that at all). The view was a little high, so we were not eye level with the animals (I would think the 3rd floor would have the best views) but we saw a lot more than tree-tops and were very satisfied.
I thought it was worth it overall for the convinience, but it is impossible to eat enough food in the consierge lounge to make it "worth it" monetarily. Oh, BTW-all concierge rooms get free refrigerators. I did not know that.
Also, after we checked out, we could hang out in the lounge until it was time to go to the airport-very convinient.

 

[bryantslovedisney]

I haven't made any PS yet....we always end up
changing ours anyway! But it's great to know you can call
them directly from the parks! Did you use your cell or
was there a specific place to call concierge? I'm so excited
(if you couldn't tell!) to stay supposedly the best concierge
resorts and have a chance to compare! I will be sure to
report back! Thanks for your info!!

Jill

 

[punkin]

We used the cell phone just because it was convinient. Please post on the boards about poly concierge when you get back. I'd love to know how these two compare.

 

[Candice30]

i stayed at akl in a standard room with a savannah view. we loved it. the resort was so nice. i'm not so sure i am ready to pay the difference in the room rates. i pd around $300 a night for the room we had. was concierge worth it? you said you couldn't eat enough to make it worth it, how about the overall service? did it make the extra money worth it?

also, how was your room. is it the same size as the standard or is it a deluxe like at some other resorts?

 

[bryantslovedisney]

I am only paying $277 a nite w/tax with an AP rate for AKL concierge.Next time you might want to get one AP pass to
try out concierge! I kind of felt like I was splurging to pay
that much, but I was hoping I could save on some meals,
as well as get a little extra pampering in between! We also
have 5 in our family, so we need a bigger room! I'll let everyone
know when I get back if I felt it was worth it!

 

[Candice30]

thanks! other posters were telling me about the AP rates this year. unfortunately, i didn't know about them when i went in august 2003. i am planning a stay for august 2004 to either poly concierge or akl concierge. i know that i have to wait for AP rates if they ever come out. i was telling someone on another board though that i contacted guest services about checking in with the voucher and they told me that i must leave my lugguage with bell services and take the bus to downtown disney and trade my voucher in for the pass and then return to check in.

what a hassle! i am trying to surprise my mom with this trip and i certainly do not want to drag her around like that.

 

[punkin]

They did not ask to see our APs at check in. So you might get away with it as long as you are ready to do the trip to DD IF you have to.

 

[main street magic]

My first post on this site - wanted to chime in on the AKL concierge level.

Everyone keeps asking "was it worth it?"....In our minds, yes. Although I didn't get any calls from the Concierge group prior to our arrival, I had contacted them on several occasions to make some arrangements. One of the additional benefits of staying on the Concierge Level is the Sunrise Safari. Now, granted it costs a little extra, but this made the entire stay for us. The advantage of going into the Animal Kingdom Safari early was one thing. Being able to stop and see the animals as they are just coming out from their evening pens was wonderful. Then after the Safari there is a wonderful breakfast at the Tusker House.

So, throw in all the attention that the Concierge staff provided us, the food in the Killamanjaro Lounge and the Sunrise Safari and the view from the room (which we were in room 5515 and it was fantastic) . I can send anyone who wants my trip report and the following link will show photos taken around the park and around the AKL. http://photos.yahoo.com/s.simmons

Enjoy

 

[PartyOf5]

This post is making me more excited than ever! We are also going next month on an AP rate - $277 per night (tax included). We can't wait! As long as we get a room with a great view of the animals, I'll be happy (this is the only thing that is making me nervous). We were told we would get a room with a queen, bunks and a daybed. It will be so nice for everyone to have their own sleeping area!

 

[bhines]

I'm staying at the AKL on December 10. With a young daughter I'd like to participate in the storytelling in the evening. Does anyone know what time the stories begin? I'm trying to make dinner reservations and this info would be helpful. Thanks for the help.

Bruce Hines