My Friend agreed to AKL!!!!...Now i need all your suggestions!

[Tinkerbell2]

What do we HAVE to see when were at the resort?

What time does the pool close? (BC closed early but WL was open all night I remember)

Can we go in the Jacuzzi late...like after the parks close?

From the pool can ya actually see the animals?

Whats the best time of day to see the animals? ....And the best spot to go to see em? (hoping for an upgrade from the pool view, but not counting on it )

Im soooo excited...this is my first "girls road trip"! (very exciting for a 30 somethinger )

Do they have the refillable mugs at AKL?


wooohooo Im going to Disney World!!!

 

[Wislodgers]

I believe pool is open all the time, but the slide closes when the lifeguards go off duty. Yes, you can see animals from the pool, when we were there my DH and kids saw giraffe in the early am as they were swimming! Awesome sight! The Mara sells the refill mugs, and it is down near the pool, very convenient while swimming. The Lodge is breathtaking! We had a savannah view and animals were out whenever we looked. We were only able to stay one night, so it was a whirlwind trip, but we stayed from check-in to check-out at the Lodge and did not go to any parks. Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[Tiffany]

Originally posted by Tinkerbell2
What do we HAVE to see when were at the resort?

I would say to take time to walk the different trails of the resort. There are viewing areas throughout the resort and make sure to go up to the fifth floor and walk across the bridge.

What time does the pool close? (BC closed early but WL was open all night I remember)

We spent 15 days at the AKL in 2001 and the lifeguards worked I think 9 10 am until 9 or 10 pm but people were in the pool at all hours. The slide is closed when the lifguards are not on duty but the pool itself is open.

Can we go in the Jacuzzi late...like after the parks close?

Yes. There are two hot tubs that are open 24hrs.

From the pool can ya actually see the animals?

Yes there are animals that can be see from the pool area.

Whats the best time of day to see the animals? ....And the best spot to go to see em? (hoping for an upgrade from the pool view, but not counting on it )

Early in the morning and at dusk or later. We liked the Arusha Rock viewing area the best.

Do they have the refillable mugs at AKL?

Yes. Two different types of mugs one is made so it can fit in a cup holder in a car the other is round and too large to fit in a cup holder.

Hope this info helps you out.

 

[A1A1]

Hi this is the third time I have tried to reply. Keep getting bumped off my internet connection.

I am very excited for you. You will love the resort, and now your vacation has become an adventure.

There are places to see the animals throughout the resort. Take time to walk down all the hallways throughout the resort. There are viewing areas in all the hallways, and then walk all around the outside of the resort. The animals are out all day long, but the best times to see them are probably morning and evening/late afternoon.

You must take the tour of the resort that is offered daily. Many of the cms are directly from Africa, just here temporarily, and the tour guide will be one of them. There is a storyteller in the evening inside. Also in the evening, sit by the outside firepit in a rocking chair. It is so relaxing.

There are two hot tubs. One is more secluded than the other. The pool is great with a zero entry, and a sand colored bottom. You can get great food from the fast food rest. located near the pool. It is not ordinary fast food, it is African inspired fast food.

You must eat at Boma for buffet at night. Taste *everything* on the menu. You will rarely find foods so wonderful and different. The flavors of Africa are very unusual. Be sure to try a zebra dome for dessert.

Follow the waterfall through the lobby to the outside.

Check out the artifacts throughout the resort. Their collection is extensive. Each hallway has several areas to view the collection.

Most importantly - talk to the cms. Those from Africa, especially, want to share their culture with the guests. They look forward to any opportunity to teach you an African song or just answer a question. If you do this, you will enhance your stay a million times over.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[sharoncity]

A1A1-

What a lovely post! We are going to AKL in Apr/May and your descriptions were just beautiful. I booked 2 savannah view rooms and am hoping that we get to see LOTS of the animals.

One question for you. Boma - everyone says to go there. We are not much of the all you can eat type. We generally prefer several smaller meals throughout the day. My dilema is that the kids each got to pick one character meal, which are all you can eat deals. My Mom also wants to go to the Cape May Cafe Clambake - another buffet. I figured dinner at Boma would run me about $82 with tax and tip. That just seems like so much after paying for all these other meals. Honestly, we'd be just as happy with a lite meal. I was thinking that Mara would be good for us. What do you think? Would we really be doing ourselves an injustice? Did you eat at Mara at all? How was it?

 

[A1A1]

I am happy that I could have helped to get you even more excited about your trip. I truly loved the experience dd and I had at AKL. It is a wonderfully relaxing environment, because it is away from all the hubub.

I very much enjoyed the buffet at Boma. It is something to experience, because the foods are so different. The tastes are unlike anything I have ever had before.

Mara, the fast food place, is good, but I felt it was pricey. Cape May seems like a nice place, but something you could have at another place. Boma, is very, very different. I wonder if you just had a light breakfast meal at Mara, and waited for a later dinner, it would work out. I am trying to remember if there was a menu that you could order off of instead of the buffet. I thought I did that one time, but am not sure.

I definitely don't think you will get any idea of the African flavors by eating at Mara. In fact, it may turn you off. Curried chicken salad in a styrofoam/plastic container did nothing for me. I tried it. I am afraid to make a recommendation for you only because the foods are more unusual, but I can say for sure that I truly loved having the opportunity to try it, and would do so again if I had the chance to go back there.

One other recommendation I might make is to rent a fridge for the length of your stay. I did that at AKL for $10 per night. I kept fruit and milk in there for snacks. It was definitely worth it. Had you considered bringing peanut butter with you or getting it when you get there? There was fruit at Mara that we ate each day, but it was expensive!

One thing I didn't mention before is that the cms start looking for kids around the pool in the late morning. There is a cookie decorating activity at about 1:00 pm in Boma. DD had a good time. Also, if I remember correctly, the only place open for lunch is Mara. You may really be hungry for Boma when it opens at 4 pm (I think).

So, in closing: It was worth the extra money for me to have a different meal to complete my African adventure. By the way, I would not pay the extra to eat at Jiko at the time. Hope this helped.

 

[JulesMom]

We loved Boma breakfast so much, we ate there twice. And we never eat anyplace twice on a trip!

You have to try the Frunch. You can get Frunch & another drink also!

 

[susy]

This doesn't have to do with AKL, but since it's your friends first trip to WDW, I would suggest doing a character meal. My DH and I
grew up in FL and have both been to WDW a million times, but never went to a character meal (deprived). Now we look forward to them as much as our DS does (okay, more). At least she could get a good picture of her and Mickey to show everyone back home! Next trip :May3-5- Garden Grill and Cindy's (we hope). I have the tape from the travel channel. That is one resort where I wouldn't mind having to sit in the lobby to wait to check-in! The storytelling looked great,as well. You have to get a picture of this!!!

 

[Tinkerbell2]

Thanks for all the tips guys! I REALLY appreciate it. Im hoping that she like it so much this will become an anual "girls trip" This resort sounds fabulous. Its funny becasue at my house any time of the day you can look outside and see Bears and Dear and Turkey and bunches of stuff. ANd I ALWAYS complain about it LOL! Now Im going on vacation and getting excited about being able to look out the window and see animals! Who thaught THAT would happen?? Well at least they'll be animals Ive never seen before.

Oh and I havent told my friend how stupid I get when I see a character...that'll be a little surprize Thats Ok...I cant act worse than the time I met Dale Earnhardt with her.....well unless I see Prince Charming again But yes we will do a character breakfast. Hopefully Cindy's!

 

[maryliz]

We didn't find the Mara to be any more expensive than other fast food outlets on property. Actually, the caesar salad, either with or without grilled chicken was absolutely delicious -- the best I'd ever had ! I agree with everyone who said to take the time to walk around the resort. We were only there for 2 nights and it poured rain for the entire first day and night. We took the opportunity to walk through the hotel from one end to the other and checked out the different savannahs, and spent a lot of time on our balcony watching the animals. It was wonderful. There was no way a little rain was going to spoil our enjoyment of the lodge. Our 4 yr old DD wanted to watch movies in the lobby, and it gave us a nice chance to soak up the atmosphere in the lobby. We actually really like the AllStars resort, but I have to say we certainly enjoyed our 2 day indulgence at AKL ! Enjoy your trip ... it will be fabulous !!!

 

[BobF58]

Boma! Boma! Boma!

 

[txdznydude]

We picked up take out at Mara one evening and took it back to the room, pulled the table over to the sliding glass door, opened the door and had dinner overlooking the savanna! It was great food and you couldn't ask for a better view.

Have A Magical Stay!

 

[sharoncity]

What a great idea! That would work very nice for us - wouldn't have to worry about the kids misbehaving in a restaurant for a change!