Disney's ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE Information & Questions

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Hi Everyone! I will be staying at AKL for the first time mid June. I am looking at the room requests on on-line check in and I'm not sure what to request. I've checked on a bunch of websites, but they all have different suggestions and no real explanation on how they got to their suggestions. So, I've decided to come to the experts. I booked a Savannah View-Club Level room, any suggestions would be appreciated! These are the options they give me on MDE:

Upper Floor
Near Lobby
Near Elevator
Ground Floor
Lower Floor
Kudu Trail View

Thanks in advance!

Don't even bother with doing on-line check in or filling out any room requests when staying CL. Checking in ahead of time doesn't really do anything and as far as room requests, you WILL be on the 4th Floor, on a specific trail. Maybe, if you really desire to be close to an elevator you could e-mail IPO and request it directly, but even then there is a benefit being close to the elevator or lobby and a benefit of being farther away. There really is no benefit in doing on-line check in.
 
From what I have seen the lounge on 6 will be closed starting either May 2 or May 7 (I have heard both dates, both of which are during my trip) and will re-open on May 23rd. The lounge will likely be moved to the Presidential Suite. I have not been able to find out how much of the suite will actually be accessible for CL guests, but I guess I'll find out in a few weeks (if they open up the balcony to guests, which they should, I may never leave).

Presidential Suite with balcony access would be amazing. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I recently asked IPO about this and they replied they're not able to say exactly where the lounge will end up, as things may still change (I suspect they know any info they put out may spread :rolleyes1). They added they hope the lounge will be relocated somewhere on the 4th floor, so it's close to the CL rooms, and I could ask again after May 2 when they'll know for sure.
 
Hi

We are staying for 15 nights for our first time in the summer. We booked a standard room and I have put in a request for the zebra or kudu trail, it would be nice not to view the car park, but I suppose someone has to...as long as its not noisy it would be fine.

Couple of questions: Can non dvc people use the community hall. I see they have a pool table and ds would love the odd game.
Also, we were thinking of booking the night safari. Do I really need to book quite far in advance, I was hoping to wait and see what was happening with rivers of light.

Thanks for any help.
 
Presidential Suite with balcony access would be amazing. I'll keep my fingers crossed. I recently asked IPO about this and they replied they're not able to say exactly where the lounge will end up, as things may still change (I suspect they know any info they put out may spread :rolleyes1). They added they hope the lounge will be relocated somewhere on the 4th floor, so it's close to the CL rooms, and I could ask again after May 2 when they'll know for sure.

If I have a chance (or am not too exhausted) I will try to get on here once we find out where the lounge will be. Since we will be there at the time of the switch, I am sure we'll find out a day or 2 ahead of the switch where the location will be (I doubt they would not tell anyone and expect CL guests to wonder around the resort looking for our morning cup of joe). But, when I asked when the refurb was first announced, they said that in other cases when the lounge is down the Presidential Suite is where it usually moves to.
 
DD booked our room with her CM discount - the reservation says "Animal Kingdom Lodge, Savanna View, Bunk bed". This will be our first visit (usually we stay at Dolphin, POFQ, or Yacht/Beach club) ! Can you tell us what to expect? :cool1:

I'm not certain I understand what you're asking. "What to expect" - in what sense? But I'll try to hit the highlights and hope I help...

If you mean based on the room category, you'll have a savanna view room (overlooking one of the 3 savannas at Jambo House), with one queen (I think?) bed and a set of bunkbeds instead of a second queen bed. The room will also have a small table and a pair of chairs in a corner, and a walk-out balcony with a second pair of chairs.

If you're talking about the resort, you will likely find that AKL feels like a vacation within your vacation - the resort itself deserves to be a destination on its own! The place is big (though smaller than most moderate/value resorts), shaped sort of like a shallow "U," and has a variety of places, besides your room, where you can watch the animals grazing on the savanna. The lobby is spectacular - arguably the most appealing, and most dramatic, on property. Overall, the resort has a very laidback vibe - great for unwinding after the hustle and bustle of days in the parks. The restaurants are terrific - at Jambo House, you'll find the Mara (quick service), Boma (buffet), and Jiko (signature dining). The Mara has a combination of typical American food and unique/interesting choices. You'll be able to get a Mickey waffle breakfast, fill your resort mugs, etc here. Boma also combines the standard American fare with more unique choices - there will be plenty to enjoy if you prefer American flavors, but there are foods with African flavors on the buffet as well. It's a great way to try something new. And Jiko is one of the best restaurants on Disney property. The food is simply delicious - and the dining experience there is very peaceful. At Kidani Village (the all-DVC section of AKL), there's also Sanaa. The flavors there are Indian and African inspired, not necessarily spicy (though a few are), but richly flavored. Everyone raves about the bread service there. The main pool at Jambo House is huge, zero-entry, has a slide... it's a terrific pool, and there's a savanna-viewing area just beyond the pool, as well. The last time I was there (October/November 2014), a giraffe walked right up to the fencing that keeps the animals separate from the guests - you could actually see its head poking up and looking around from within the pool. Very cool. I've found that the cast members staffing this resort tend to be wonderful - they do brief cultural info programs in the evening, lead a merry little parade of kiddies around the lobby each night, do daily feedings of animals on the savanna, answer questions about the animals, too... Really, there's a lot to see and do around the resort.

If I didn't tell you what you're looking to know, please try a more specific question and I'm sure I (or someone else who loves to think of AKL as "home") can chime in with a better answer....
 
Don't even bother with doing on-line check in or filling out any room requests when staying CL. Checking in ahead of time doesn't really do anything and as far as room requests, you WILL be on the 4th Floor, on a specific trail. Maybe, if you really desire to be close to an elevator you could e-mail IPO and request it directly, but even then there is a benefit being close to the elevator or lobby and a benefit of being farther away. There really is no benefit in doing on-line check in.

Good to know! Thank you!
 
I'm not certain I understand what you're asking. "What to expect" - in what sense? But I'll try to hit the highlights and hope I help...


If I didn't tell you what you're looking to know, please try a more specific question and I'm sure I (or someone else who loves to think of AKL as "home") can chime in with a better answer....


Thanks!!!
That's exactly what I was looking for! We are very well versed in "Disney" but not all the accommodations! We have been to Sanaa - the bread IS fantastic! - but never to Jambo House, where it sounds like we will be staying! I'm looking forward to the experience!
 
Don't even bother with doing on-line check in or filling out any room requests when staying CL. Checking in ahead of time doesn't really do anything and as far as room requests, you WILL be on the 4th Floor, on a specific trail. Maybe, if you really desire to be close to an elevator you could e-mail IPO and request it directly, but even then there is a benefit being close to the elevator or lobby and a benefit of being farther away. There really is no benefit in doing on-line check in.

I'm curious, is it generally a good idea to skip online check-in at AKL? We are staying in a standard room in September and will be checking in around 8pm. On our last trip we stayed at CSR and folks advised us not to do online check-in and to fax in room requests because you usually ended up with a better room. I've been wondering if that's true at AKL. We're hoping for a partial savanna view but the location otherwise doesn't matter. We had a room on Kudu Trail on our first visit to AKL in 2013 and it was fabulous. Would it be better to ask for a savanna view directly as a room request or to wait and note Kudu Trail when we check-in online. I wish we could afford a savanna view room, but it's not in the budget this year.
 
I'm curious, is it generally a good idea to skip online check-in at AKL? We are staying in a standard room in September and will be checking in around 8pm. On our last trip we stayed at CSR and folks advised us not to do online check-in and to fax in room requests because you usually ended up with a better room. I've been wondering if that's true at AKL. We're hoping for a partial savanna view but the location otherwise doesn't matter. We had a room on Kudu Trail on our first visit to AKL in 2013 and it was fabulous. Would it be better to ask for a savanna view directly as a room request or to wait and note Kudu Trail when we check-in online. I wish we could afford a savanna view room, but it's not in the budget this year.

To be honest, I don't really know about checking in and making last minute requests. For CL rooms, it doesn't pay to do online check-in because you pretty much have to go to the lounge to get checked in anyway. When we have stayed at other resorts on property, we paid for what we wanted and were never really concerned with location.

It is my understanding (and I am sure someone will confirm or correct) that rooms are designated long before you show up. You may luck out and get upgraded or end up with one of the obstructed/partial savannah rooms before saying anything. I think going to the desk and asking for some sort of savannah room is more likely to result in you paying extra for it. My best guess is to do online check-in, request what you want to request and hope for the best. AKL is fantastic, no matter where the room is, so I am sure you'll enjoy whatever room or trail you end up with in the end. Again, I am far from being an expert on this subject, so maybe someone with more experience will chime in.
 
Thanks!!!
That's exactly what I was looking for! We are very well versed in "Disney" but not all the accommodations! We have been to Sanaa - the bread IS fantastic! - but never to Jambo House, where it sounds like we will be staying! I'm looking forward to the experience!

Phew. I'm glad I gave you helpful info! :) It's a lovely resort - I hope you love it! :)
 
[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]
If I didn't tell you what you're looking to know, please try a more specific question and I'm sure I (or someone else who loves to think of AKL as "home") can chime in with a better answer....

Pretty great answer! We are counting down the days! There are many posts, including this one, that have been so thorough and helpful. Thanks to all of you for your help!
 
I'm curious, is it generally a good idea to skip online check-in at AKL? We are staying in a standard room in September and will be checking in around 8pm. On our last trip we stayed at CSR and folks advised us not to do online check-in and to fax in room requests because you usually ended up with a better room. I've been wondering if that's true at AKL. We're hoping for a partial savanna view but the location otherwise doesn't matter. We had a room on Kudu Trail on our first visit to AKL in 2013 and it was fabulous. Would it be better to ask for a savanna view directly as a room request or to wait and note Kudu Trail when we check-in online. I wish we could afford a savanna view room, but it's not in the budget this year.

I am a member of touring plans and used their fax room request service for my trip to AKL in October 2015. I got exactly what I requested, albeit a few doors down from the specific room I referenced. There are a good number of standard rooms that overlook the "people pens" (fire exit safety areas that are fenced to protect humans from animals and vice versa), so they're not the desirable views folks pay the increased price for in order to get Savanna view. However, they still offer good animal viewing and we got one of those rooms, with a bonus view of the barn that led to offstage where the animals congregated at various times of the day (the giraffes especially seemed to know when dinner would be served). I would go ahead and make any requests ahead of time and just confirm them upon arrival if your room text doesn't precede your arrival.

Even if you end up with the "worst" view at AKL, you can still take advantage of the wonderful animal viewing overlooks (basically big porches, some with rocking chairs) along the guest hallways. Step out and enjoy some time watching the view from somewhere other than your room. We mostly sleep in our rooms anyway, so I'd rather spend that price differential on beverages to sip on while enjoying one of those more public viewing areas. :thumbsup2 We often had the public areas all to ourselves anyway.
 
DVC question. I booked my room loving how the pictures looked online but now I see they are doing soft referbs that will be done by the time I go. Any updates on how they look? I would hate to not have that african feel in the room like the website shows..

Then again, refurbs are usually always nice.

Thanks
I've been checking everywhere, but can't find out much about the new look of the refurbished DVC rooms. I really thought someone would have posted a picture by now, but if they have, I certainly can't find it. Anybody who has stayed in one of the new rooms, could you please post a picture, or someone let us know where we can find one?
 
I've been checking everywhere, but can't find out much about the new look of the refurbished DVC rooms. I really thought someone would have posted a picture by now, but if they have, I certainly can't find it. Anybody who has stayed in one of the new rooms, could you please post a picture, or someone let us know where we can find one?

Try this link! ;) http://dvcnews.com/index.php/resort...4/news-38870/3333-akv-refurbished-room-photos

A little lighter & brighter!
 
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