We’re stuck at MCO due to weather (our plane coming from ATL got diverted to Melbourne), so I have lots of time to write about our experience at AKL Kilimanjaro Club!
The last time we stayed here was pre-pandemic and I’m happy to report that the offerings are pretty similar to what I remember having in 2019.
We selected AKL because of its more interesting CL food offerings and we were not disappointed!
Morning offerings (7-10:30am) included:
Hot dishes (Day 1 it was bobotie and bacon, Day 2, it was bobotie and sausage, Day 3, it was scrambled eggs with chives and goat cheese and biscuits and gravy)
Pastrami smoked salmon
Hard boiled eggs
Condiments (Boma mustard)
Sliced cheese
Oatmeal with toppings and pudding
Yogurts (both sweetened and unsweetened Greek yogurt)
Granola
Fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, melon)
Pastries
Bagels
Kids cereals
Fresh whole fruit (Apples/bananas)
Juice
Water/sparkling water
Tea
Cappuccino/espresso
Sodas
Mid-day offerings included:
Chips, SunChips
Make your own mix (spiced nuts, chocolate covered raisins, yogurt pretzels, goldfish crackers)
Crudités with hummus and/or ranch
Fresh whole fruit (Apples/bananas)
Water/sparkling water
Tea
Cappuccino/espresso
Sodas (Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite)
Frozen treats (Mickey bars, ice cream sandwiches, strawberry paleta).
Evening appetizers (5-7pm)
These were really nice
Small plate (didn’t go Day 1; Day 2 it was a chicken stew and rice with lime and guacamole; Day 3 was Indian Butter chicken and basmati rice)
Crudités
3 different types of hummus
Crackers and pita
A cold salad (for example, tabbouli or chick pea cauliflower salad)
Nice charcuterie (chorizo, etc.)
Nice cheeses (manchego, blue cheese) with honey and compote
Kids’ area had a mealie pap one day and meatballs the other day, Uncrustables, and watermelon
Water/sparkling water
Tea
Cappuccino/espresso
Sodas (Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite)
Frozen treats (Mickey bars, ice cream sandwiches, strawberry paleta).
Desserts and cordials (8-10pm)
I know they had cookies and a couple of little desserts.
They had 3-4 different cordials: kahlua, cognac, orange liquour.
Wines were from South Africa and were very good. Cast members can get you wine during the day; from 5-7pm you can put yourself. I was offered a white wine flight the first day and they can also make you a mimosa or POGmosa.
Beers, they had a Goose Island IPA, Blue Moon, cider and Bud light.
Is CL worth it? The question about whether CL is worth it comes up a lot. I think it depends on whether you would take advantage of what is offered, when it’s offered. We enjoyed the offerings very much and considered them restaurant quality. We love the cappuccino maker and the sparkling water machine (saved quite a bit just on those 2 offerings). We stayed at HRH CL last year and the offerings there were terrible; they were supermarket quality. We were very happy that AKL still offered a quality product. We’ve been to the parks many times and are happy to spend only a few hours in the park and spend more time relaxing, so we were able to take advantage of the Club lounge. We also eat pretty much everything. I would not recommend it if you are looking to start your day with a Mickey waffle or something specific.
Is it convenient? Yes, it can be. It’s not super close to the pool, but it’s not far either. Most rooms are in the 4th floor facing in Kudu trail. It’s a short walk from those rooms to the elevator to the 6th floor CL. I think it’s about as convenient as putting a mobile order at Mara or having breakfast at Boma.
Does it get crowded? Yes, guests that are there have decided this is worth it for them, so they will take advantage of it. I counted about 60 seats. At 3-4 people per room, that’s 12-20 rooms that can sit at a time. They have more than 20 CL rooms available so sometimes it is full for seating.
Sorry about the lack of pictures, always forgot to take them!