AKL tips?

[mom2morgan]

Never stayed deluxe, and planning to finish off next trip with 2 days at AKL. Any suggestions for making the absolute most of it? :mickey:

[BrowncatP]

Check to see what activities are scheduled for each day that you are there. Explore all paths to all of the overlooks to hopefully see the animals. Just enjoy the place, it is beautiful.

[sara114]

With more information, may be able to help more. Who is going, what ages, will you be going into parks?
Having stayed at all levels (deluxe,moderate,value) it will depend on what you are expecting the deluxe to be; what you will experience. I feel that if you want to get your money's worth for staying in deluxe, then you need to experience the resort, not the parks.
Boma is wonderful, but only eaten there for evening meal. If not on dining plan, be ready for $40 per person to eat. This is ok if everyone will eat, but for picky 10 yr old who just eats a couple of bites....not worth it !
The pool is great and the slide and hot tubs get 2 thumbs up. Enjoyed just relaxing and having a 'true' restful vacation.
There are informational displays throughout the lobby and if I took the time to view them, I am sure I would have gained much knowledge. Gift shop has different items. Night vision of the animals is also interesting.
Tell us more, and maybe I can answer more indepth.

[RedSoxFan]

We stayed at AKL last week for the second time. Love the resort. Lobby is breathtaking --- take time to just to stare at it (and look up). So much to see. See the animals at night with the night vision goggles was great too. The kids loved the pool and hot tub. They were in every night. BOMA's is an awesome place to eat as well. Enjoy!!

[mom2morgan]

yikes, Sara is right - that wasn't a very informative question. Okay, so we've been to the world twice before, and have always stayed at POR. This time around we are planning on staying at another moderate while we do all our park "stuff". We visited AKL last time for dinner at Boma's and fell in love with the resort, but can't really afford to stay there for a whole trip, so we decided this time to "end" our trip with AKL. We could still go to one of the parks those days, but i think we'd like to mostly enjoy what we're paying for - the resort! ;-) It'll be hubby and I, and our 2 teenage daughters.

[greengeen]

Every single floor has it's own African art exhibits near the elevators and hallway junctions. Visit as many floors as you can! The second floor has special Savannah overlooks with rocking chairs.

[jillluvsdisney]

I was there 3 weeks ago. I can tell you that the best time for seeing the most animals was in the late afternoon. We liked the 2nd floor porch on the Zebra Trail and the 3rd floor porch right off the lobby. Both have rocking chairs. Try and get a seat at the fire pit, in the evening, outside in the Arusha overlok or the inside fire pit in the lobby.You can use night vision goggles also. That will be behind the pool past one of the hot tubs. Victoria Falls Lounge has some really nice African wines.

[JPL]

Take time out to watch the animals from the different overlooks. I can spend hours just doing that! Boma is awesome for dinner and they have some unique offerings at the Mara for quick service. I highly recommend the African Stew :tasty: As someone else has posted they have a very large collection of African Art throughout the resort it's one of the largest collections in the world outside of Africa. Also take some time to head over to Kidani Village and explore that section of the resort as well. Look for the butterflies as you explore:thumbsup:

[Mitzie]

We were just there at the end of Oct. for the second time and it is such a nice resort. We like how the hot tubs are nestled amongst some trees and such and not next to the activity of the pool. Very relaxing. As others have posted EXPLORE! There is just so much to see. We also like how the Mara, the CS location there is right off the pool. We sat outside our first night there and just relaxed. For me it sounds like you have an awesome trip planned..I love POR and AKL..very nice

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

While we have never stayed at the lodge/Jambo house, we have stayed at Kidani Village the past 2 years. I would suggest to explore both! There is a shuttle van that only goes between Kidani Village and Jambo House.... all day long! Sanaa is a wonderful place to eat. We love it! We have also found the outlooks at Kidani to be virtually empty and have the firepits all to ourselves.

Do not hesitate to talk to all the guides and CM's there. Most all of them (especially the ones by the viewing posts) are from Africa and have wonderful stories and information to share. They love to talk about their countries!

There are so many activities. There is a drum procession in the evenings and while its mainly for young children, it's fun to watch.

The past 2 times we have gone, there have been Photopass Photographers set up in the lobby for pictures. We took pictures here before eating dinner - Late afternoon / early evening. If you will purchase the Photopass, it's a no brainer to have your pictures taken here!

The pool and water play area at Kidani is awesome! I know you said you have teenagers but, I couldn't keep my DH out of there :blush:

Have a great time!

[MouseHouser]

Ditto to Jen and Chris' reply; Talk to the CMs. How cool to speak to someone from Botswana about the animals they grew up with, and that you're currently observing.

Get to Boma's. This place is beloved amongst Disney World afficiaonados, and for good reason. Lovely spices in an exotic setting with CM's who are a pleasure.

Spend time at the pool, even if only for breakfast outside the food court. Wonderful atmosphere. Likewise, enjoy the lobby and grounds in general. Imho, this place is magical.

[brownie]

If you have a chance, eat at Sanaa at the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas.

[AvaNellMouse]

Opt for a club level room so that you can enjoy the concierge offerings. The food and bar tab savings can be substantial if you are at the resort morning and evening hours. Also, we enjoyed the Sunrise Safari very much.
Sanaa is some of the best food on property, IMHO. I let the very charming waiter guide my selections and it was fantastic. Try the chai cream for dessert. :minnie:
I love the Zawadi Marketplace at Jambo House. As with other resorts, there are AKL themed items you cannot find anywhere else.
Enjoy! It is my favorite place to stay, by far!

[Mogie]

Do NOT stay in a sunset Savannah View Room. Choose another Savannah.

Have breakfast at Boma, it was a very good Disney buffet with some interesting choices.

Have dinner at Jiko. Just about as good as it gets on Disney property. Largest South African wine list in North America.

Grab a drink at the Victoria Falls bar and hang out in the lobby. The decorations, fireplace, artifacts are all very cool.

Explore the Arusha Savana and the trails around the pool area. At night there is a viewing area where you can use night vision goggles to check out the animals. Very cool.

[DakotaDisney]

If you can afford to do so get a Savannah room versus a pool or parking lot view.
You can still enjoy the resort from any room, but if you are going to pay the extra for the deluxe, then why pay to look at the parking lot.
Also I think if you are only going to be at AKL for 2 days and you are going to spend lots of time at the resort, then having the savannah view would be really nice. Part of the whole experience of AKL is waking up or walking out on your deck and having the animals right there. I think it is really worth the extra price if you are already going to pay the deluxe price of staying there to begin with.

But please understand that I if you can only afford the pool view or other view, you can still have a great time at AKL. Have a great trip!