standard room at AKL question

[Jenny]

are there any standard rooms that offer views of any of the savannahs? what is the price difference w/ a view & w/out a view? thanks.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

Not sure about the price difference but if you are referring to standard "view" rooms none of those face any savannahs. There are standard size rooms all over the lodge though. Many people booking standard view do get lucky at AKL and get upgraded to better views. We had standard view and they weren't all that bad. There are many places to view animals at the resort and you will have a great time regardless of where your room is located. We have never stayed standard view before and it wasn't horrible in the least. I'd do it again in a heartbeat if my only other option was not staying at AKL. We fell in love with this place.

 

[MiJo]

It is my understanding that the vast majority of rooms in this Lodge are either Savannah or Water view (pool). We had a room overlooking the Uzima Savannah and really enjoyed it. Anyway, I took a photo of some of the "standard view" rooms as we were walking to the bus stop. If you look real hard, you can just make out the top of a window behind the wall. We had heard about these room here on the Boards but didn't really believe it until we saw them for ourselves. We honestly don't know if they actually give these rooms to people unless the place is sold out but they do exist. There were probably 10 or so rooms like this down one of the corridors in the front of the resort. We walked down the corridor just to make sure they were actually rooms! To really enjoy this resort, book a Savannah view room. Or, take your chances and hope you will get a comp upgrade. AKL is a great resort!

 

[tekmom]

That will be the room I get.....I just know it.

 

[EEyorelover22]

That's why I booked a poolview. I don't care if I look at the parking lot, but looking at a wall wouldn't work for me. I'm not even in the room that much, but I know that would bother me and I was more worried about the noise from the bus stop. I think the one plus of the standard rooms would be that they are close to the lobby, pool, mara, but that's not a good enough reason.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

That's why I booked a poolview. I don't care if I look at the parking lot, but looking at a wall wouldn't work for me. I'm not even in the room that much, but I know that would bother me and I was more worried about the noise from the bus stop. I think the one plus of the standard rooms would be that they are close to the lobby, pool, mara, but that's not a good enough reason.

The rooms in the photo are on Giraffe Trail. If you have to book standard view request Ostrich Trail. That's where our rooms were and there was no wall in front of us. They were the best of the standard view rooms in my opinion. If by chance you do get the bad rooms ask to be moved. They were very nice about moving us from that area.

 

[EEyorelover22]

The rooms in the photo are on Giraffe Trail. If you have to book standard view request Ostrich Trail. That's where our rooms were and there was no wall in front of us. They were the best of the standard view rooms in my opinion. If by chance you do get the bad rooms ask to be moved. They were very nice about moving us from that area.

I'd be so nervous worrying myself to death about it. It's not worth it for me and when we are there, the resort is almost always full. I don't want to take the chance that my request wouldn't be met.

 

[mlg32]

We stayed in a Standard(Parking Lot view) Ostrich Trail Room last August. We paid(AP rate) $114/nt plus tax=$127.40. I think a Savannah view would have been about $150/nt(AP rate) with tax. This was my family's first trip to WDW and we changed our resort 3 times before the trip. We were orginally planning to pay an AP moderate rate so jumping to $150/nt from less than $100 was too much. I did the budgeting and I was really concerned with having plenty of spending money for food, souvenirs etc. Anyway we also went with the high hopes that we would get an upgrade on arrival, unfortunately Hurricane Charley hit the night before we arrived and the lobby was a zoo with people stranded etc. and it was pouring down rain. Anyway we debated back and forth changing to Savannah( understandable we waited a long time before we could check in)and by the time we got to our room we decided it was fine and it was. We weren't disappointed at all, the room was probably the cleanest and nicest we have ever stayed in and the resort was fabulous! Our room was far from the pool and Mara but close to lobby and bus stop and gift shop which was important with little kids. Anyway in retrospect we had plenty of money and should have upgraded and I wouldn't stay there again without a Savannah room but did we regret it at the time, NO---AKL is fabulous wherever you stay---Oh and my husband loved being not far from Victoria Falls for his nightly bar fix when the girls and I were asleep! Hope that helps---

 

[tekmom]

Thanks for the info! The only things that I requested on booking were non smoking, bunkbeds and 3rd floor or higher. I hope I dont get the wall but that the chance we are taking, I guess. Thanks again!

 

[racheltyler]

Maybe would you consider a pool view. It's my favorite view at the AKL. It was a compromise for us to guarantee a nice view. Normally wouldn't care but I spend time in the room when my DS-2 naps and enjoy the balcony. The pool area is so beautiful to look at and my DD-5 liked I could see her at the pool while I had to be in the room. Even at night, the pool area is gorgeous and piped in music make it so nice to enjoy a drink and relax. But we spend so many days of our stay at the resort that the view to us does matter for these reasons.

 

[DisneyFreaks]

We stayed in a Standard(Parking Lot view) Ostrich Trail Room last August. We weren't disappointed at all, the room was probably the cleanest and nicest we have ever stayed in and the resort was fabulous! Our room was far from the pool and Mara but close to lobby and bus stop and gift shop which was important with little kids. Anyway in retrospect we had plenty of money and should have upgraded and I wouldn't stay there again without a Savannah room but did we regret it at the time, NO---AKL is fabulous wherever you stay---Oh and my husband loved being not far from Victoria Falls for his nightly bar fix when the girls and I were asleep! Hope that helps---

Same with us. We were upgraded to AKL when POFQ was closed. We had a rate of $119.00. They didn't have any pool view rooms available and Savannah views were too pricey with three rooms booked. We loved our Ostrich Trail rooms. Next trip we are booking pool view. Like racheltyler stated we want to guarantee our view. The pool is so gorgeous there. Especially at night. I cannot wait to return to AKL.

tekmom and EEyorelover22: Try asking at check in if they have any rooms available in Ostrich Trail. It never hurts to ask if they don't upgrade you. Third floor lobby level is where we were and it was very close to the elevators that went to Mara and the pool area. Hopefully you both will get some magical pixie dust and an upgrade will come your way. Good luck

 

[rgf207]

i booked a standard room too. I can't justify the cost for a savannah. How can we assure that we dont get stuck in the "wall view" room? It would be nice if we got a compl. upgrade but we are not expecting it. Can anyone give any suggestions on how not to get a wall view room? Should we request a higher floor?

Thanks

 

[EEyorelover22]

DisneyFreaks,

I know I could request a different trail. My personality is what it is though and I would worry myself into a state over what room I would end up with so I booked poolview. We also HAVE to have bunkbeds and I think the odds of getting bunks is better with a poolview as there are more rooms in that category. Believe me, I've thought about this a lot and did last spring too. So, poolview is where I will stay.

 

[tekmom]

Thanks disneyfreaks! I don't want to ask for too much... we already, on ressies, have requested nonsmoking, bunks and 3rd floor or higher. I know they don't guarantee anything but I would hate to ask for more on arrival and get an eyeroll. Thanks again!

 

[DisneyFreaks]

DisneyFreaks,

I know I could request a different trail. My personality is what it is though and I would worry myself into a state over what room I would end up with so I booked poolview. We also HAVE to have bunkbeds and I think the odds of getting bunks is better with a poolview as there are more rooms in that category. Believe me, I've thought about this a lot and did last spring too. So, poolview is where I will stay.

I totally understand. We have never received an upgrade and sometimes didn't even get the one request we have ever made (connecting rooms). Poolview is gorgeous at AKL and you will have a fabulous time.

tekmom, LoL. Have a great time. I will be hoping you get that upgrade.

 

[tekmom]

Thanks!

 

[classicpooh]

We booked and got a standard room. We requested and did not get bunk beds. Were we disappointed? NOT A BIT.

The wall room actually turned out to be a blessing. When hurricaine Charley hit - most of the rain and wind were deflected by the wall/roof.
We had the shortest walk to the bus stop - and by cutting through the gift shop it was even shorter. That in and of itself made the location of the room worth the view. It was also very quiet - we never heard any noise from people walking to the bus stop...

Don't despair over the wall room - you are at the AKL!!!! The entire experience was magical - good luck/

 

[Tinkbell]

We needed a handicapped room for my grandmother and we booked standard. We were given a room right above the check-in desk. It overlooked the lobby. I figured there was no view whatsoever, but we did overlook a savannah. However, the balcony was not "open". It wasn't like the "wall", but you had to stand to see over it. The CM said that this was considered a standard room. I certainly would never pay a savannah price for it, since you could not sit and see the animals. For a standard room, we really were pleased. We could still view the animals from the balcony and we were very close to the lobby and elevators.

 

[EEyorelover22]

We booked and got a standard room. We requested and did not get bunk beds. Were we disappointed? NOT A BIT.

The wall room actually turned out to be a blessing. When hurricaine Charley hit - most of the rain and wind were deflected by the wall/roof.
We had the shortest walk to the bus stop - and by cutting through the gift shop it was even shorter. That in and of itself made the location of the room worth the view. It was also very quiet - we never heard any noise from people walking to the bus stop...

Don't despair over the wall room - you are at the AKL!!!! The entire experience was magical - good luck/

No bunks would be a major bummer for us. DD and DS are 12 and 14. They would never sleep together. I don't want to sleep with either one of them. If we don't get bunks, I'm going to the lounge chairs by the pool!!! DH would put me with DS because he moves too much where DD doesn't and DS is a HUGE 14 year old!! He's bigger than DH. He might cause an injury!!! He sleep walks too. He gets it from his DM.

 

[Peter Pirate]

The wall view rooms being bad is overblown. In the first place all savannah rooms come with the privacy warning about cameras being able to see into open rooms, meaning the drapes are often pulled more than normal (not for me though. I don't care what they see and if it winds up on the net I'll be a star!). When you have a wall view (i've actually had the parking lot view) the drapes just stayed closed and no one is the wiser.

It certainly isn't worth losing sleep over and to be honest, of the 12 AKL trips I've had the absolute best one was with the parking lot view because one day my youngest daughter and I went out on a camera safari to see what we could see. We went to all lookouts, including stair wells and building ends. Top floor to bottom, we hit them all and got some great pictures and I have some memories that I NEVER would have had if we'd had a savannah room that trip!