Tell me what you like/love/dislike about AKL? About This Page:

[katspjs]

We're planning on a trip to WDW in March. We're looking at AKL this time around. Last September we stayed at WL and I am in with that resort.

DS right now is very into lions, cheetahs, tigers, etc. He wrote a story for school about going to Africa to see the lions. Loves all the Lion King movies. DH is also an animal nut. If theres a zoo or aquarium, he has to go. I grew up in Boston so we were always going to the aquarium or zoo for field trips. For me I can take it or leave it.

I would like to try something different, but I'm afraid I won't like it as much as I did WL.

Tell me about your experiences at AKL.

TIA.

[graygables]

I AKL!!! I love the smell when you walk in the door, the rich, exotic aroma that greets you each day! I love the lobby with it's detail and intricate carvings. I love the artwork around the lodge where you are learning while you are enjoying. I love the savanna! Sitting on your balcony in the evening listening to the crunch-crunch of a zebra chewing grass just can't be beat! Giraffes walking right by your window! The rooms are very nice and our mousekeeping has always been great. I love the African proverbs they leave every evening. I love Boma...very tasty food! I love the Mara... the African stew is also yummy and you can buy Zebra Domes there, too! The pool is fantastic, zero entry, very large and lush. The kids activities are amazing and we took 2 full days to enjoy them. They earn beads for a keychain/bracelet while they learn about animals, conservation, and Africa in fun, interactive ways. The CMs are the best and they LOVE to talk about their homes. My mom and I took DDs to cookie decorating one day and we spent an hour just talking to the CM. We learned so much about her culture and what she thought of ours...fascinating! I love the door they have by the front doors...touch it to assure you'll return! The Zawadi Marketplace is beautiful and fun to shop in. Excellent place for souvenirs in every price range. Night vision goggles are amazing. The peace on the savanna at night is such a sharp contrast to the craziness of a park day, you truly feel you are a world away. Thatched roofs. Did I mention the aroma when you walk in the door?

The thing I dislike? Leaving! I am soooo emotional about leaving the AKL, even when we were just visiting and not staying there!

[Lumieregirl]

Ditto everything Dawn just said. We were there a few years ago and are going back for our honeymoon. The resort itself is such a unique experience, it would be a place to visit even if it were nowhere near theme parks.

The ONLY negative I can think of is some people complain that the walk to your room can be a hike. To those people I say do you want convenience to the front door or to stay on an African savannah?!?! And if you walk in the parks all day long, what's a little more? We had the very last room on the edge of the "horseshoe" which is furthest from the lobby but I recommend this because since we were on the edge, we actually could see 2 separate savannahs (there are different animals on each).

Make sure you schedule an "off" day just to stay in the resort (no parks) and experience everything. We did the hidden Mickey hunt and had so much fun. Other guests asked what we were doing and cast members helped us with clues.

There is just nothing like sitting on your balcony in your PJs drinking coffee with teh giraffes, zebras, gazelles, and ostrich hanging out right in front of you. I was there 3 years ago and I still think about it all the time!!!!

Especially as kids go thru stages of interests it would be great to treat him to this now in case he outgrows this later. He'll just be in heaven at AKL.

[Colexis Mom]

We too love AKL, it's our favorite resort

Of course, no lions, tigers, or cheetahs here

The lobby is majestic. The smell is addicting (although some people do not like it). The rooms are nice (savanna view is the best). The pool has a zero entry which is key with young kids. Mara is fantastic and has a great variety, and of course there's Boma and Jiko. The Zawadi Marketplace also has great finds too!

The best part.........you don't have to share a bus with another resort!

We'll be on our 4th trip there in December

[MickeyMAC]

We love, love, love waking up to animals outside the room. We like the unique atmosphere, only found at AKL. The resturants are good, Mara is probably the best food court in a deluxe. We dislike that it is so far away from everything....I really like the monorail resorts or the Epcot--love walking to Epcot and going in the back way. Have fun at AKL...we usually do it for a couple of nights then move to a more convient location.

[debsta922]

I love the atmosphere of AKL, Boma, and seeing the animals from my balcony. I didn't like how far our room was from the lobby. It felt like we had to walk a mile from our car to our room, not bad in the AM but after a day in the park it got pretty tiring. I agree with Laura though, the resort itself is so far from the rest of the parks. Negatives aside though, its dh's favorite hotel, and we are staying there on our next trip!

[Diz]

I never thought I would like AKL - and then we stayed there! I it.

The theming is evident in every nook and crannie of the resort. In the morning, I'd get a cup of coffee, the free newspaper and sit on the balcony watching the animals while I read and sipped. It was heaven. So relaxing. In the evening the night goggles are really . It's so wierd looking out on the savannah, seeing nothing with the naked eye and putting the goggles up and seeing giraffe running right in front of you. They have daily crafts/activities for the children. The pool is relaxing. Mara has some delicious desserts.

Overall, it's just such a fun resort - it transports you to another place and time.

[Plannergirl]

We stayed there a month ago (whine!) and could not have been happier!! Its so quiet and relaxed at night you forget your in fla at all. The staff is warm, friendly and full of wonderful stories. The food, as everyone has said, is hard to beat and well the animals-thats the whole reason we booked the trip. Nothing like waking up at 2 am and walking out to find a zebra looking at you.

[angiek1024]

I love the Animal Kingdom. I was captured from the moment I walked into the lobby. Our room was great and really close to the lobby and pool. We had a pool view room and a large balcony. My son absolutely loved the pool! He never wanted to get out. The only negative I can think of is the transporation factor. At most deluxe resorts you have at least one or more alternatives to the buses to get to different parks. The AKL is farther out and you ride buses to all parks and takes a little longer to get there. We didn't have a negative experience with the buses, they were really efficient but I know that we like jumping on the monorail or taking a boat at some of the other hotels. That aside, I believe you would love it!

[Shoes99]

[ QUOTE ]
The ONLY negative I can think of is some people complain that the walk to your room can be a hike. To those people I say do you want convenience to the front door or to stay on an African savannah?!?! And if you walk in the parks all day long, what's a little more? We had the very last room on the edge of the "horseshoe" which is furthest from the lobby but I recommend this because since we were on the edge, we actually could see 2 separate savannahs (there are different animals on each).

[/ QUOTE ]

We love the AKL. We will be going back for the 4th time in January. Last December we booked a standard room during Mousefest. We we upgraded to a Savannah view all the way at the end where two savannah's meet. We could see the people pen, but we could also see fireworks at 10PM from our balcony, and animals right under our balcony. I love the lobby and the food choices at Mara.

[TinkerBelts]

I don't know how Deena feels, but I am sold. We were planning to do WL next October when we get our AP's, but I am thinking we will have to add an AKL stay as well. It sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing. Karla

[Joy J]

First, I have to preface my comments by saying that, much as I enjoyed our stay at AKL, I still prefer WL.

Things I love about AKL: savanna view, room decor, zero entry pool, unique gift shop, BOMA!

Things I didn't like about AKL: I had a couple of very negative experiences with front desk CMs here which I found to be quite surprising as I've never experienced that before or since at any other WDW resort I've stayed at. When it comes to the bus service, although I enjoy the fact that AKL doesn't share its buses with any other resort, on our last visit there, I had to wait an extraordinarily long time for buses both going to and leaving AKL.

Joy

[LuvMinnie]

I'll start by saying I'm like you & can take or leave the animals...BUT ditto everything Deena started with. We only went to AKL because I found a GREAT deal on Expedia (Christmas time $135pnite) Well, we the place & the holiday decoration were amazing. We didn't have a savanna but still a side view & saw zebras walking at night while sitting on the balcony. My goal is to stay at every resort...give AKL a try, I think you'll enjoy it & your DS will be in heaven. I'm trying your (WL) in 28 days!!
**Only complaint~so far from the other 3 parks. Can't have everything, but our bus service was excellent.

[joyjoy]

I AKL. It's my favorite. The only thing you might possibly miss is walking through lush vegetation and landscaping on your way to the pool, room, etc. I thought of this when we stayed at PO-R last month. One thing I have always been super impressed by at Disney Resorts is the landscaping. I realized that when you're at AKL, since all the land is dedicated to the Savannah, you don't get to experience that aspect of the theming. Don't get me wrong - the trade-off is totally worth it IMO, but some people might really miss not being able to meander along lush paths and walkways at the resort.

[DyanKJ130]

The more I hear about AKL, the more I feel the need to stay there! I'm hoping that we can pull it off for our summer stay - if not the entire trip, at least maybe part of it! Sounds so wonderful!