Talk me into AKL :)

[JRennie]

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping you guys can tell me about your experiences with AKL. My husband and I were so excited about renting DVC points and staying in a deluxe resort for our 5th anniversary, so I booked a deluxe studio AKL- Jambo house. However since I booked, a lot of people have mentioned that they don't like AKL for reasons that seem kind of valid to me. I have been warned about this bus system and how remote/out of the way the resort is. I did know it was out of the way, but does it really add that much time to your commutes? We've stayed at POFQ and ASMo. We really liked the location of POFQ but wanted to try something different and upgrade a bit. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about AKL? I'm hoping I didn't make a mistake.

Thank you,

Jordan

******I apologize, I thought I had put this post into resorts. If an admin wants to move it, that would be excellent! ****

 

[BrdwayBoy]

AKL is hands-down my absolute favorite resort in all of WDW. I've stayed here a few times and have never had a problem with buses, and honestly never felt like riding to the parks took too long.

 

[erionm]

The bus system at AKL/AKV is not as bad as people try to make it sound. The buses don't share with any other resort, though there are 2 internal stops (Jambo House & Kidani Village). AKV is one of our home resorts and we stay there at least once a year.

 

[roselark]

I LOVE AKL! It is my favorite resort and I own my DVC points there. I have stayed at many resorts and never found the buses to be any worse than any of the other resorts. In fact, I prefer them over some (like Boardwalk).

The one thing to keep in mind about Jambo House is that the park-bound buses will stop at Kidani first, so if you get to the bus stop at prime time in the morning, you might have to stand. I prefer to get to the buses early anyway, so rarely experienced this problem.

The decor of the resort is gorgeous, and if you are able to get a savannah view room, is is wonderful to wake up, make a cup of tea, and sit on the balcony watching the animals. Also, the DVC rooms are bigger and nicer than regular rooms. I always miss them when I am out of points and have to stay in a regular resort room.

Oh! And my two favorite restaurants on property are at AKL. Sanaa and Jiko!

I say go for it! I really don't think you will regret it.

 

[JRennie]

I apologize, I thought I had put this post into resorts. If an admin wants to move it, that would be excellent!

 

[JRennie]

I LOVE AKL! It is my favorite resort and I own my DVC points there. I have stayed at many resorts and never found the buses to be any worse than any of the other resorts. In fact, I prefer them over some (like Boardwalk).

The one thing to keep in mind about Jambo House is that the park-bound buses will stop at Kidani first, so if you get to the bus stop at prime time in the morning, you might have to stand. I prefer to get to the buses early anyway, so rarely experienced this problem.

The decor of the resort is gorgeous, and if you are able to get a savannah view room, is is wonderful to wake up, make a cup of tea, and sit on the balcony watching the animals. Also, the DVC rooms are bigger and nicer than regular rooms. I always miss them when I am out of points and have to stay in a regular resort room.

I say go for it! I really don't think you will regret it.

Thanks! That is helpful I'm the A-type person who wants to be at the park 45 minutes before it opens, so I guess the buses shouldn't be too much of a concern for me then.

 

[DisDadDVC]

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping you guys can tell me about your experiences with AKL. My husband and I were so excited about renting DVC points and staying in a deluxe resort for our 5th anniversary, so I booked a deluxe studio AKL- Jambo house. However since I booked, a lot of people have mentioned that they don't like AKL for reasons that seem kind of valid to me. I have been warned about this bus system and how remote/out of the way the resort is. I did know it was out of the way, but does it really add that much time to your commutes? We've stayed at POFQ and ASMo. We really liked the location of POFQ but wanted to try something different and upgrade a bit. I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions about AKL? I'm hoping I didn't make a mistake.

Thank you,

Jordan

******I apologize, I thought I had put this post into resorts. If an admin wants to move it, that would be excellent! ****

Buses are hit or miss everywhere. Assuming they both arrive at the exact same moment, a ride from AKV may be an extra 10 minutes. But you could end up waiting 30 minutes at another resort. So, timing is more important than distance to me.

 

[skylynx]

I'd encourage you to plan on spending some time just hanging around the resort...you can make quite a romantic adventure out of drinks at Victoria Falls, dinner at Boma or Jiko, and finding any one of a number of hideaway type spots to sit together and talk in a lush, gorgeous and exotic environment. I don't know if you will have a balcony room, but when DH and I celebrated our anniversary at AKL last May, we enjoyed a glass of wine and our morning coffee on our balcony looking at the animals nearly every day of our stay. Even if you don't have a savannah view, there are lots of public but hidden places you can find that overlook nice views and the savannah animals. We made a point of engaging some of the native cast members in conversation about the animals and fit in at least one evening session around the campfire. These are all things we have to forego when we are staying just two or three days and trying to hit all our favorites in the parks. On our anniversary trip, we stayed five nights and made a point to really explore the resort and take our time rather than rushing around. We had a rental car, so I can't comment either way on the buses.

Animal Kingdom Lodge has a lot of dark wood in its decor, which to me, is exactly what I want to be welcomed home by after long days in the blazing sun. The room furnishings are dark wood, too, but again, in keeping with the theme. It isn't a seaside village theme where you'd expect lots of white and pastels, it's Africa. And there are plenty of colors for contrast. For romance and celebrating the joy of a good relationship, I don't think you can do much better, especially if you are looking for a different experience than you'd get at some urban Hilton. Your bus commutes anywhere other than Animal Kingdom are going to be a bit longer, but many of us believe the relative seclusion after a day filled with crowds is worth it!

Hope you have a great stay!

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

I don't understand why it gets such a bad reputation for being "remote". A 20ish minute bus ride is not remote. It's still on property, not in Cuba! haha. That said, I absolutely LOVE AKL. It's just so stunningly beautiful and the lobby is so expansive and gorgeous. I love being able to walk out on my balcony and see giraffes, and the pool is huge. The hot tub area feels secluded and is very relaxing, plus the Mara is my favorite CS (tamarind bbq flatbread is to die for). You have boma which is yummy and Jiko which is delicious and romantic. They have guest only tours like the night safari, and jiko has a wine tasting too!. AKL takes my breath away in a way no other resort has. I just absolutely love it there! It is truly a relaxing resort. You won't regret it.

 

[*MomTo2Princesses*]

Oh my gosh, AKL is our very favorite resort EVER!! You will need no talking into it once you're there. Eat at Boma. The Mara is the best QS hands down. I could eat the African stew every day for the rest of my life. We are headed to AKL for the 5th time in less than 2 weeks. Can't wait to go home!!

 

[haleofafamily]

We've stayed at several resorts and AKV is my favorite! And the buses aren't any worse than the others. I hate the BC/BW buses!

The lobby at AKL is the best. The whole feel of the resort is unlike any others! It is truly immersive and a vacation of it's own.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We LOVE AKL. We have stayed at POFQ, CSR, and AoA. I find the bus service to be about the same as POFQ. What really sells me on the resort is the theming. I love the access to the animals and am more relaxed here than any one the others we have stayed at.

 

[BrdwayBoy]

I'm hoping I didn't make a mistake.

You definitely did not!!!

 

[JRennie]

I don't understand why it gets such a bad reputation for being "remote". A 20ish minute bus ride is not remote. It's still on property, not in Cuba! haha. That said, I absolutely LOVE AKL. It's just so stunningly beautiful and the lobby is so expansive and gorgeous. I love being able to walk out on my balcony and see giraffes, and the pool is huge. The hot tub area feels secluded and is very relaxing, plus the Mara is my favorite CS (tamarind bbq flatbread is to die for). You have boma which is yummy and Jiko which is delicious and romantic. They have guest only tours like the night safari, and jiko has a wine tasting too!. AKL takes my breath away in a way no other resort has. I just absolutely love it there! It is truly a relaxing resort. You won't regret it.

I didn't think 20minutes on a bus was that bad either. I'm pretty sure ASMo was that distance from some of the parks as well. It sounds great!

 

[jpeden]

You did NOT make a mistake. I believe AKL and Kidani get a bad rap mainly because they're one of the deluxe resorts without alternative transportation to the parks (i.e., monorail/bus/walk to park such as the MK and EPCOT resorts). It did not seem to take that long to get to the parks - in fact since you only have one stop (if you get on a Kidani and zero stops if you get on at Jambo House) going to the parks, it's one of the most direct bus routes. Plus, if you love Animal Kingdom you're there in literally five minutes. Buses were always prompt when we were there.

My wife and I stayed at Kidani for our 2nd Anniversary and had the best time. Go, enjoy it, and decide for yourself. Opinions are nothing more than subjective. But, if I had to guess, I think you'll have an awesome trip!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Disclaimer: we own DVC at AKL-Kidani. I have stayed at most properties (except AoA)--in my opinion, I think "remote" is a bit overused. We don't find it that bad. The remoteness we do feel is a good feature because it feels very immersive.

It is practically "next to" the all star resorts. So it is as remote as they are, in my opinion. By the time all the stops are served at all star, you may be at your room at AKL Jambo before some if those guests. Imagine be bus ride to AK--AKL is next to it. (So maybe less than 5 minutes from All star.).

I will say that the lighting makes the ambience a bit dark--but when you decorate in the themes they have chosen, that cannot be helped. We love AKL!

 

[kwdw]

I LOVE AKL!!! Best choice, IMO. You only share the bus between Kidani and Jambo House and because it's a deluxe - you don't have to walk to never-never land to get to the bus stop at the parks like you do for the All-Stars. I prefer Kidani over Jambo House, but I think many folks prefer Jambo over Kidani -- so I don't think that matters too much.

The rooms are a bit darker due to the dark furnishings and low lighting. I find that okay, but some find it dark. It's definitely got a romantic feel about the resort - especially at night. Be sure to do the night viewing of animals on the savanna when the activity schedule says they will have the night vision goggles out.

It really does NOT add much time to your commute. It's very close to AK. And it's not really that much farther to MK than say places like Pop or the All-Star resorts. Couple minutes longer on a bus - but not much. Bus service is as regular as the rest of the resorts.

 

[Chelley00]

I always laugh when people talk about how far out of the way AKL is. It's not in another state Sure, you can't walk or boat or monorail and you rely on buses but it's really not an hour long trip.

Taking a bus from POFQ area to AK doesn't take that long - you are basically doing that in reverse.

AKL is my favorite resort. I love the feel, the restaurants and quick service, the activities, the pool and having animals right there is super fun.

 

[MichelleB]

You didn't make a mistake but let everyone else think you did. It'll keep the reservations down some so the rest of us can book there when we go!

 

[nkereina]

DH and I stayed in a studio in Jambo House just two weeks ago, celebrating our 10 year anniversary! We also rented points. We were on the 5th floor on the zebra trail. Our room overlooked part of the savannah and there were vultures perched beneath our balcony the whole time. On two mornings, all the giraffes and other animals were all within viewing range from our room. Very cool! My only gripe about our room was that we were near the end of a VERY long hallway. We were in the Mara when I realized I forgot to throw my chap stick in my purse and I decided it was too long/far of a walk to go back for it.

As far as AKL's location, I was concerned about that as well but was pleasantly surprised to find the commute to DHS and Epcot to be 10 minutes or so. Much quicker than I anticipated. AK of course was only 5 minutes, if that. DTD and MK were longer commutes - maybe 15-20 minutes. But it was not a deal breaker for us.

We had great meals at the Mara and Boma. The pool was awesome as well. And buses came quickly for the most part.