Number 9 is really FINE! Welcome to AKL LITE - the 'unofficial' FAQ Thread

[ddixon1]

So how is Simba Cub House? Will my 8 1/2 y/o enjoy? He loves the kids programs on DCL. Is it non-structured play? He loves Legos, classic Disney cartoons, and making new friends. Just wondering what else they do? I wanted to make a mad dash for the 4 "thrill" rides (everest, dinosaur, primeval whirl, kali rivervrapids) at AK while he chills in the club for 2+ hours. Figure I could check him in, go back to AK, hit the rides using single rider, then head back to get him. We're staying at AKL so it's convenient. Any thoughts? Thanks! We leave in 17 days!

 

[Momto8]

Ah!

Yes, we had a 2 BR lockout at SSR in 2011 and the studio connected to the one BR.

 

[lfortin16]

So i heard back from David's and they have 6 nights available at AKV-savannah view...so we are waiting to hear back about getting points.

My question is (not sure if I should post somewhere else?) I think that we will do a RO for the first night. We are planning on 6 day tickets. I know that we will be switching rooms, but how does that work with KTTW card? Or does DVC have something else? If I buy tickets separate will they put them on the card and can I keep the same card all week?
TIA!

We stayed at Kidani- and used our RCI points- so like DVC.
We were able to buy park tickets and have them added to our room card. I like having everything on one card- it's less to carry around.

We also got the DDP added to the card. You just have to buy it at least 2 days ahead of your arrival.

Have a wonderful time! You'll love the savannah view! It's very special!

 

[shburks]

So how is Simba Cub House? Will my 8 1/2 y/o enjoy? He loves the kids programs on DCL. Is it non-structured play? He loves Legos, classic Disney cartoons, and making new friends. Just wondering what else they do? I wanted to make a mad dash for the 4 "thrill" rides (everest, dinosaur, primeval whirl, kali rivervrapids) at AK while he chills in the club for 2+ hours. Figure I could check him in, go back to AK, hit the rides using single rider, then head back to get him. We're staying at AKL so it's convenient. Any thoughts? Thanks! We leave in 17 days!

We didn't utilize Simba's Clubhouse but we did utilize the one at Wilderness Lodge last year. It's very unstructured and very laid back. Our ds was 7 at the time and there were only a handful of kids there--a couple of girls who played girl things and ds who played video games. He had an ok time but nothing like the DCL clubs! I suppose it could depend on the makeup if the kids that particular day.

I think the hours are 4-11 pm so I'm not sure how usable it may be for your situation unless you meant you wanted to hit the thrill rides upon arrival to AKL in the afternoon.

 

[jillmc40]

And we will only have 6 day passes, we are doing LegoLand one day...and I don't know why I was thinking if you get tickets elsewhere that they are big paper things, but I assume they are credit card size to go through the turnstile? In that case I guess it wouldn't be needed to add to my room card.

Yay, so excited it worked out for you! Have fun!

 

[Mayhem1976]

Yay, so excited it worked out for you! Have fun!

Thank you! And thanks for the idea of DVC! I would never have thought of it, and I think especially this close to going! Just need to decide if we should stay someplace else the first night or AKL!!

 

[Mayhem1976]

We stayed at Kidani- and used our RCI points- so like DVC.
We were able to buy park tickets and have them added to our room card. I like having everything on one card- it's less to carry around.

We also got the DDP added to the card. You just have to buy it at least 2 days ahead of your arrival.

Have a wonderful time! You'll love the savannah view! It's very special!

Thanks, that is what we are hoping about the cards...I'll have 2 boys and a husband to keep track of too!
My boys can't wait, they are so excited!!

 

[Minnesota!]

So how is Simba Cub House? Will my 8 1/2 y/o enjoy? He loves the kids programs on DCL. Is it non-structured play? He loves Legos, classic Disney cartoons, and making new friends. Just wondering what else they do? I wanted to make a mad dash for the 4 "thrill" rides (everest, dinosaur, primeval whirl, kali rivervrapids) at AK while he chills in the club for 2+ hours. Figure I could check him in, go back to AK, hit the rides using single rider, then head back to get him. We're staying at AKL so it's convenient. Any thoughts? Thanks! We leave in 17 days!

My kids have been to Simbas many times and love it! Unstructured, but various "pods" of things to do. Arts/crafts, video games, movies, general toys. They love it! As someone else said - they are open from 4 - 12 or so. So you would need to schedule your AK mad dash in the early evening. But my boys LOVE the kids clubs...it's a highlight of the trip for them!

And we will only have 6 day passes, we are doing LegoLand one day...and I don't know why I was thinking if you get tickets elsewhere that they are big paper things, but I assume they are credit card size to go through the turnstile? In that case I guess it wouldn't be needed to add to my room card.

Not credit card tickets - they are Tyvec tickets. They do go thru the turnstile, but they are not as "fancy" as the room key card type ones.

Only 11 days for me!!!!!!!!!

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

My kids have been to Simbas many times and love it! Unstructured, but various "pods" of things to do. Arts/crafts, video games, movies, general toys. They love it! As someone else said - they are open from 4 - 12 or so. So you would need to schedule your AK mad dash in the early evening. But my boys LOVE the kids clubs...it's a highlight of the trip for them!

Not credit card tickets - they are Tyvec tickets. They do go thru the turnstile, but they are not as "fancy" as the room key card type ones.

Only 11 days for me!!!!!!!!!

Oh legs 11 how exciting! I would be packed by the door with 'flight clothes' on refusing to move at this stage lol...

 

[leannak]

We have a very shy, sweet little girl who's only desire is to see zebras. We have a two bedroom savannah view booked. Is there anything else I should add to my reservation to get our best shot at a zebra viewing?

 

[ddixon1]

Thanks to everyone for the Simba Cub House info! We should be all set.

Thanks again!

2 weeks from tomorrow! Will start to pack this weekend.

 

[maryandtyson]

Any news on refrigerator replacement at AKL? Other resorts are getting new fridges in their rooms. The old ones posed a fire hazard and have been recalled.

 

[maryandtyson]

We have a very shy, sweet little girl who's only desire is to see zebras. We have a two bedroom savannah view booked. Is there anything else I should add to my reservation to get our best shot at a zebra viewing?

You will see plenty of Zebras on the Savannahs. We saw a bunch of them last year. Zebras can be found on the Arusha Savannah only, FYI. I hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[leannak]

Arusha? What's that?? I thought it was called Sunset. Am I on the wrong board? We will be at Kidani.

 

[maryandtyson]

Arusha? What's that?? I thought it was called Sunset. Am I on the wrong board? We will be at Kidani.

There are three Savannahs at AKL: Arusha, Uzima and Sunset. Kidani overlooks the Sunset Savannah. You can see the others from public viewing locations throughout the resort, but you may need to go to Jambo House to see them.

 

[leannak]

Oh no!!! This means we can't see zebras from Kidani??

 

[tarak]

Arusha? What's that?? I thought it was called Sunset. Am I on the wrong board? We will be at Kidani.

Kidani has two savannahs. Pembe and Sunset. Pembe has okapi but not zebras. Sunset has zebras. I don't know whether the 2 BR suites are on both savannahs or not. We stayed on the Pembe savannah last time. It's not the most attractive savannah - large fence with a dirt road visible behind it. The red river hogs are cute, but I missed seeing the giraffes and the zebras. My husband liked it, though, because you couldn't see any other room balconies from ours (Pembe is on the outer side of the C, if that makes sense).

Make sure you request the sunset savannah if you want to see zebras from your room. If you have a room on the Pembe Savannah, you'll still be able to see zebras, just not from your room.

 

[leannak]

Make sure you request the sunset savannah if you want to see zebras from your room. If you have a room on the Pembe Savannah, you'll still be able to see zebras, just not from your room.

OK - thank you so much!!

Should I request a certain floor, too? I'd like DD to be as close as possible to any zebras, so I'm thinking low floor... But does that give you less of a view? Maybe requesting a certain floor would hurt our chances of getting Sunset? Clearly I don't know what I'm doing.

 

[tarak]

OK - thank you so much!!

Should I request a certain floor, too? I'd like DD to be as close as possible to any zebras, so I'm thinking low floor... But does that give you less of a view? Maybe requesting a certain floor would hurt our chances of getting Sunset? Clearly I don't know what I'm doing.

From what I remember, the best views are the third and fourth floor. Lower and you're too close to really see everything. Too high, and it's too far away. If I recall, our best view was from the third floor. I'd request close to the lobby, too. Some of those rooms can get really far away. I don't mind walking and never have. I think the walk from Kidani to Jambo house is very nice. But somehow the walk from the lobby to our room last time seemed to last forever.

ETA: the first floor is parking. So the second through fifth floors have rooms. Requesting third or fourth floor won't guarantee a Pembe savannah view, as far as I know.

 

[leannak]

Thank you!! Yes, close to lobby sounds great... We will have grandma and grandpa with us.

How many requests can you make? I thought it was 2. Do you put them in order of importance?