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View Full Version : Just back from AKL Concierge...my thoughts



LottaLubes
01-01-2004, 04:07 PM
Happy New Year fellow Intercotees! I just got back this morning from the AKL (concierge) and thought I'd post my thoughts. I'd be happy to answer any questions if I can.

First of all, we thought this resort was absolutely beautiful! Disney really outdid themselves when they created this resort. It was hard to believe we were even at Disney. We were able to get a great AP rate (deluxe savannah view, concierge) for $277/night (tax included). The layout in the room was perfect for us. When you walked in the room, the large bathroom area was to the left and the closet to the right. The room consisted of a queen bed, a set of bunks and a daybed. Perfect for a family of 5. I wish all deluxes would lean towards this layout in some of their rooms. The balcony was straight ahead and the first thing we did was check to see if there were animals out there. Of course there were! How amazing it was to watch the wildlife from the privacy of your balcony. I especially liked the giraffes. Because we were concierge, we had to be on floor 5 or 6. We requested 5 for a better viewing of the animals and we were located in Arusha, #5507. In this resort, it seems the lower you are, the better the views.

As far as the layout of the resort, it's pretty much a U shape with the lobby, etc. at the bottom of the U (on floor 3). We were about half way down on the right side of the U. The walk wasn't bad and we were located near the second set of elevators which made it very convienent for the pool, arcade, laundry and Mara (fast food court). However, it took us a good 3-4 minutes to walk to the concierge lounge which can get annoying if you forget your room key for access to the 6th floor. :rolleyes:

While I'm talking about the concierge, I'd like to give you my thoughts on that. Before I arrived, the staff was very helpful in helping me make a couple of Priority Seatings. They were also able to get me a reservation for a Breathless Illuminations Cruise but we ended up having to cancel as my daughter was running a fever and I didn't want to do the cruise unless we could all enjoy it. Check-in was a breeze. We arrived to the resort at 10:00 am and were immediately brought to our room (room keys, etc. were ready to go). On our way to the room, the bell person gave us a tour of the resort and other helpful information. Once in the room, we were told at our convenience to go to the 6th floor to check-in (you need room card entry to get to the 6th floor). We went up to the 6th floor and noticed that the desk staff and lounge are located in the same area overlooking the beautiful lobby. Again, the staff was very helpful and friendly at check-in. As far as food offerings, it's nothing to write home about! We thought the offerings were on the skimpy side. The last time we stayed concierge was at the Poly so that is the only thing we can compare to and the Poly always had plenty of food. In addition, the food they serve at AKL concierge is mostly African food from Boma so if that's not your cup of tea, you would need to spend time at Mara if you wanted food in the resort (we did that a few times...especially since it was closer!). When they put out the small desserts in the evening, it was almost embarrassing as they had 2-3 of each item (maybe 4 items total) on a serving platter which would go in a minute after one or two families visited.

We mainly used the lounge for our morning orange juice. But be forwarned...I was actually spoken to by a lounge staff member for bringing a tray to help me carry the orange juice! Because we have 5 in our family and I'm usually the first one up, I made it a point to walk down and get the OJ. It's a long walk and it's hard to carry 5 glasses of OJ, I saved one of my Mara trays to help me out. As I was walking out with the tray, I was asked to stop and I was spoken to. I was told that trays were no allowed in the lounge and I was not to bring it back. Being that it was so early in the morning and I was a little grouchy myself, I asked why I wasn't informed of this policy upon check-in or why wasn't the rule posted somewhere. And why would they want one of their valued guests struggling to carry orange juice down the elevator to the 5th floor and walking down the LONG hallway to the room. She replied that she was going to turn her back and I should do what I have to do but not bring a tray back. (I wasn't the only one who had this bright idea only to be spoken to. graemlins/shakehead.gif ) Gosh, it's not like they have a ton of food to take back with you...I was only interested in their OJ! A sharp contrast from Poly concierge where you are encouraged to bring food back to your room and they even offer trays! OK, enough of that...

As a mother, there are a few things that are important to me on a vacation. The first being the laundry room! This was convienently located for us by taking the second set of elevators (near our room) down to the first floor. The laundry room was spacious and had 7 washers and 14 dryers. I always had a washer available to me when I needed one (unlike the GF). There is also a sitting lounge with a TV, change machine and vending machine for any soap you may need. (Although I learned on Intercot long ago to always bring your laundry tablets. ;) )

The other thing a mother likes is a nice pool for her children to swim in. AKL has a beautiful, large pool with zero entry on one side and plenty of lounge chairs. I was a bit dissapointed with the slide as it was much smaller and slower than any of the other deluxes I have stayed in (GF, Poly, Contemporary) but it served its purpose. This is a great slide for little ones just getting up the nerve to use one.

The Mara offered some fast food variety but would have liked it even more if they served pasta for my daughter.

The arcade was a good size and we had fun having our air hockey tournament here!

Bus service wasn't bad...we usually had a bus to ride on within 10 minutes of entering a depot.

Security seemed to be always present at this resort. They were always walking the halls and making their presence known. They take the well being of their animals very seriously. In fact, I had to call the front desk on our last night there as I tried to enjoy our balcony one last time but could not because some "guests" in the area decided to smoke some you know what on the balcony. The smell was awful. They had security in the area so fast and they were able to pinpoint who was doing what. I'm not sure what happened to the "guests" after that but I'm happy they were so aggressive to take care of a problem.

Overall, we loved this resort and would not hesitate to stay here again. The only thing I would change is to select a non-concierge room and get a lower floor for better views. Having a room on the right side of the U made it a little easier as you are closer to the second set of elevators which bring you to Mara, pool, laundry, etc.

Thanks for reading this. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

alittle figment of your imagination
01-01-2004, 04:25 PM
Thanks for the report Lotta smile.gif I visited AKL for the first time on my last trip this summer and I was amazed by the setting and theming of the resort! Never stayed there though... I'm quite disappointed though about you getting the talk for bringing a tray to transport your OJ graemlins/doubleeek.gif I don't see why the policies are not the same in ALL of the Disney resorts... perhaps you should voice your complaints to WDW's customer service you probably won't be the only one and maybe they'll see to it quickly smile.gif

You didn't talk about Boma of Jiko thoug?? Did you go? If you did how did you find the food? I hear great things about it and I feel like I absolutely HAVE to try it on my next trip smile.gif

Thanks again

graemlins/mickey.gif
Max

WSfan
01-01-2004, 10:41 PM
I'm glad that you enjoyed the AKL overall but I must tell you that if I had paid for concierge I would be livid if they spoke to me like they did you over bringing orange juice back to your room on a tray. It would be one thing if you were cleaning them out of their food items but for orange juice??? If there were 5 of you then why does it matter if you drink your 5 o.j.'s there in front of them or if you take them back to your room?

ciinderella's mom
01-02-2004, 12:21 AM
Thanks for a great report. We were down Thanksgiving week '03 and plan to go back next year. I got a chance to visit the AKL and thought it was awesome. I forgot I was in Florida.
We are a family of 5 also and I was looking for an alternative to the POR resort. Other than the OJ incident it sounds like a nice resort.
Now I know where to stay in November.
Thanks

LottaLubes
01-02-2004, 09:49 AM
I forgot to mention something about the room. As part of the ambiance it's on the dark side (your eyes adjust). However, you may want to pack a small flashlight with you. I was trying to pack the night before we left and it was hard to see in some corners of the room. Just a thought.

Also, there is pleny of storage to put luggage. There is a nook you can use where an adjoining door would open if you needed two rooms, a large closet and shelving and more storage space under the bathroom vanity. This was very impressive to us as the room wasn't overtaken by luggage and it never looked cluttered.

As far as the OJ incident, that was the only negative we had in this trip. The rest of the trip was totally awesome and I highly recommend this resort to anyone. And as I mentioned, the layout for a family of 5 is ideal. No touching of elbows with the kids if you know what I mean. ha ha

I did not try Boma or Jiko. We had a PS but my daughter was running a fever on one of the nights and we canceled. Plus, I was able to taste a couple of the appetizers in the lounge and it's just wasn't my cup of tea. But I've heard wonderful things about the restaurants so go ahead and give it a try if that is what you desire.

HollyB
01-02-2004, 11:58 AM
When you say the pool slide is small, just how small is small? My kids had a great time at POFQ with the Dragon slide. Is it smaller than that?

Holly

spiceypj
01-02-2004, 12:08 PM
did you do the safari????

LottaLubes
01-02-2004, 01:22 PM
Originally posted by HollyB:
When you say the pool slide is small, just how small is small? My kids had a great time at POFQ with the Dragon slide. Is it smaller than that?

Holly It's bigger than POFQ but smaller than POR if you visited that pool during your stay.

No, we did not do the safari...it was not in our budget this trip. :( However we did see the sunset safari and that looked cool....but that was more expensive than the morning safari.

Funforall
01-02-2004, 01:32 PM
Last year we stayed at AKL. We loved it. We were not in the concierge and I appreciate your information.
I totally agree that the food can be quite different but we really enjoyed the taste.
We stayed on the right side on the third floor and had great views. The pool slide is not very high but my little ones loved it.
What is the safari at AKL?

imported_PolyGirl40
01-03-2004, 09:20 AM
Welcome back, Lubey. I'm glad to hear you had a wonderful time.

The "tray incident" would have left a bad taste in my mouth too. graemlins/nono.gif Trays should be a staple. I use one every single day of vacation since I brought coffee back to the room in the morning for my husband and myself and juice for the boys. We get up and ready at all different times. Plus the lounges can be noisy and crowded during peak hours.

Did you go on the Sleigh Ride? We tried to book it for 2 nights and couldn't get in. Hopefully we'll have better luck with the Haunted Hayride in October. :D