Why will we love the Animal Kingdom Villas

[bebelle]

We are planning a December trip to celebrate our anniversary. We wanted to stay at the Poly or BC but were unable to secure DVC points. The only thing available was AKL Kidani savanna view or SS or OKW. We have never stayed at ALK because it just seems so far and we don’t like taking the bus everywhere. Please tell me why we will love the AKL. I need some pixie dust sprinkled on my day right now. THANK YOU!

 

[kniquy]

Savanna view will make you feel like you are on a vacation separate from being at WDW, well really just the whole resort will make you feel that way. What better way to wake up than coffee on your balcony and watching the animals - so definitely make sure you plan a lazy morning to take advantage of the room view. You get the best of both worlds - being close to the parks (transportation isn't as bad as many make it out to be - not any worse than any other resort) and a resort that transports you to a different country.

It has 3 of the best restaurants on property - Jiko, Sanaa and Boma and the Mara quick service gets great reviews as well.

You really can't go wrong with AKL.

 

[kirstenb1]

AKL is a really beautiful resort. As kniquy says, the views are great. And the swimming pools are nicely themed. The lobby at Jambo House is stunning. Kidani is nice too, but a smaller version.

 

[Tksolomom]

This resort is my favorite. It is so beautiful and seeing the animals in the morning is awesome. The food is also great. I haven’t had any problems with the bus transportation either. It is a little further to the Magic Kingdom, but it is reliable. There are also only 2 stops.

 

[Canesfan3234]

the downside of being far from everything is more than made up for by it being an absolutely beautiful hotel. your family will love it. especially the savanah view

 

[petrola]

We stayed at AKL a few years ago when my DD was 4 - and we really loved it! I remember having a savanna view and my daughter running out onto the balcony to see the animals every morning - about as happy as can be! We also loved the zero entry pool and having three great restaurants right on property! My DH and I had dinner at Jiko one evening - while my DD went to Simba's clubhouse - and really enjoyed it. We also had dinner at Sanaa and LOVED that. I remember after dinner there was a fire pit with s'mores for the kids and bongos, etc. for the kids to play. It is a very special resort - and as little as she was, my DD still remembers it today. We were actually booked to stay there again this April, but made a recent switch to Poly only because we've never stayed there before. But we will be going back to AKL for sure. Have a great time!

 

[dansdad]

We are planning a December trip to celebrate our anniversary. We wanted to stay at the Poly or BC but were unable to secure DVC points. The only thing available was AKL Kidani savanna view or SS or OKW. We have never stayed at ALK because it just seems so far and we don’t like taking the bus everywhere. Please tell me why we will love the AKL. I need some pixie dust sprinkled on my day right now. THANK YOU!

The only destination AKL is "far" from is MK. Compared to Poly, it is very close to AK and the same distance to every other destination on property.

It's a gorgeous resort and should be tried at least once. It is a destination by itself.

 

[sndral]

Well if you don't like taking the buses 'everywhere' then AKV is not a good choice. If you have a car Kidani has parking under the building which I understand is very convenient. It's certainly a different stay than the Poly w/ its' boat access to MK and its' monorail access to the MK and Epcot or the BC w/ it's walk ability or boat into Epcot and DHS. December is very popular w/ DVC users and you really need to have an owner at the resort you want lined up ahead of the 11 month home resort booking window to get into many of the resorts in December. Your other option is to just rent a regular room (or larger) from Disney or go at a DVC lower demand time - which wouldn't be your anniversary.
That said we don't mind the buses, particularly now that they have the boards w/ arrival times. Additionally it seems to me that although other resorts are closer to some parks for the bus ride, many have multiple stops so your real time in transit is equal to the AKL/AKV buses, you're just riding the bus to your park rather than waiting for people to load/unload at the stops after you.
The lobby at AKL Jambo is stunning, I love the towering Christmas tree there. The lobby at Kidani is smaller, but nice. The 2 buildings are very near each other and there's a non stop shuttle that ferries people between the 2 if you don't want to walk the 10 minutes it takes to get from one to the other.
The Park buses pick up at Kidani first then stop at Jambo and you're on your way, you should always have a seat going to the parks staying at Kidani. The Disney Springs buses pick up at Jambo first.
I own at AKV because I like the peace and calm and I really enjoy the ambience of the resort. You won't have the frenetic feel you have in the lobbies at both the Poly and the main BC lobby. I also really like watching the animals, but I'm sort of an animal geek and realize that's not the case w/ everyone. If you are at all interested in seeing giraffes and zebras from your balcony at Kidani ask for Sunset savanna view, the other savanna is Pembe which is smaller and it does not have giraffes. You may need to ask the owner of the points you rented to call member services and add the Sunset savanna view request, as I don't think it's an option on the online check in menu.
If you go into your stay w/ an open mind I'm sure you'll find things you really like about an AKV stay, they just may be more subtle than what you like about The Poly/BC. I've always wanted to visit Africa, meanwhile, a stay at AKL/AKV is as close as I can get

 

[CinderellaDream]

We shied away from staying at AKL/AKV for a long time because I thought it was too far from the parks and at the time our girls were young and I didn't like the folding/unfolding of strollers to ride the buses. With them being older and no longer needing a stroller, we decided to stay at AKV last summer. It was wonderful and I cannot wait to return! We did have a long bus ride home from MK one night but I wouldn't let that stop me from staying again. The resort is just so peaceful and beautiful. I think you will have a great time!

 

[gharter]

AKL is a beautiful lodge and I love the rooms. Watching the animals on the savanna is very relaxing. We enjoy sitting around the fire at night, if its not too warm outside.
They also have some of the best retaurants at WDW, IMHO.
The downside is you are not close to much of anything. You must drive, taxi or take a bus to any park. The buses usually run frequently, so that wasn't too bad.

 

[amym2]

Umm... the food!! Really that's all I need to convince me to stay there. We love Boma and Sanaa. We didn't have a savanna room but loved sitting in the rockers on the porch watching the animals. It truly is an amazing resort!

 

[GPC0321]

Loving this thread! I'll be staying at Kidani Village (also savanna view) in June for the first time. I am a big animal lover, so I know I'm going to love the place. Can't wait!

 

[bwbuddy5]

If you're into the Dis Unplugged shows, when they did their Best Resorts episode, Pete picked it as his favorite. We're headed there in June. Looking forward to it.