People Pen at AKL

[binkee917]

I've heard talk about a people pen at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Can someone explain this more, I take it that it is a place where you can view animals, however I dont want it to block my view from my room. I am getting a savannah view. Can someone tell me where it is located? (a link to a map would be great) thanks

 

[Dodie]

The "people pen" itself isn't a place to view animals. It's a safety area should the hotel need to be evacuated. People would fill this pen and would, thus, be kept separate from the animals.

I did a search and found this thread...
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=825848&highlight=people+pen

 

[golfgal]

We just got back from the AKL and had a wonderful view of the people pen. I almost called down to switch rooms then I noticed animals out there. We had GREAT viewing at all times of the day from the people pen.

Our room was 5547 along the Zebra trail where the two savanna's meet. If you look at a map of AKL, the left wing of the horseshoe has a wing at the very end. Our room was part way down that extra wing and the people pen was in the middle of that alcove of sorts.

 

[golfgal]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=833165

Here is a link to my review of AKL with some pictures of the view we had and some of the animals we saw.

 

[Disney01]

Keep in mind that there are more than one "People Pen". They are located on each Savannah and are for either moving sick animals if they need to get one off the Savannah, or are for guests in the event of an emergency. We were over one (Rooms 3522 & 3524), on the Uzima Savannah, Zebra Trail. I wanted to move, but nothing was available. I felt it diminished how close the animals could get, although we did see a lot.

 

[leanne11]

we had a people pen but we got a free upgrade and it is true they cannot come close at all, but we didn't complain but if i pd for a sav. view i would complain..
p.s. we pd $107 postcard rt.

 

[golfgal]

we had a people pen but we got a free upgrade and it is true they cannot come close at all, but we didn't complain but if i pd for a sav. view i would complain..

We certainly paid for this view. We had a deluxe room and even with an email discount it was $300/night. Like I said earlier, we were disappointed when we first got into the room but ended up loving it because it was more priviate and we had animals all the time.

 

[Ilovestitch]

Are there no people pens on the Arusha Savannah? That's the savannah we faced and we didn't see any.

 

[peter11435]

Are there no people pens on the Arusha Savannah? That's the savannah we faced and we didn't see any.

No there are none there.

 

[Aisling]

for guests in the event of an emergency.

I've heard this before, but wonder what kind of emergency would require a people pen? Is it to protect people from runaway animals? Wouldn't people be safer inside the hotel? In case of fire? I wouldn't want to be in a pen on a savannah with fire near me!

Does anyone know what these pens are really all about?

 

[peter11435]

I've heard this before, but wonder what kind of emergency would require a people pen? Is it to protect people from runaway animals? Wouldn't people be safer inside the hotel? In case of fire? I wouldn't want to be in a pen on a savannah with fire near me!

Does anyone know what these pens are really all about?

They are there in case of a fire. If you have to get out of the building you will want to get out the quickest way possible, even out on the savanah's. This way there are areas on the savanahs where guests can evacuate and be gaurded from the animals. I for one would much rather be "in a pen on a savannah with fire near me." than in a burning building.

 

[Aisling]

They are there in case of a fire. If you have to get out of the building you will want to get out the quickest way possible, even out on the savanah's.

Why wouldn't you just run out of the building and into the parking lot? I'd feel much safer there than in a wooden pen on a dry savannah next to a burning building.

 

[peter11435]

Why wouldn't you just run out of the building and into the parking lot? I'd feel much safer there than in a wooden pen on a dry savannah next to a burning building.

You would if that were an option. However the building is set up like a giant horseshoe. If you were in the far ends it would be a very far walk through a burning building to get to the parking lot. Not to mention that the halls could be unpassable because of the fire. There needs to be more than just one exit from a building of this size and since the majority of it is surroundered by savanah there has to be animal free areas around the building.

 

[Aisling]

However the building is set up like a gian horseshoe. If you were in the far ends it would be a very far walk through a burning building to get top the parking lot.

Thanks for your patience, because now I get the picture. I didn't take the horseshoe shape into account. During our stay, we were in the last room at the end of one of the sides, and now that I think about it, it would have been difficult to get to the front of AKL in an obstructive emergency.
Case closed!

 

[betterlatethannever]

The people pen is not intended for a person to stay there throughout the emergency. It is there to provide time to remove the animals (they are going to run away from a fire anyway) and then CMs will escort you to a safer place.

Ed