AKL Concierge Level

[brewcrew26]

My boyfriend and I are planning a trip for 2008 to AKL. He really wants to stay on the concierge level so we have the chance to do the morning safari at the park.

Can someone tell me if its worth it? What are the differences from staying elsewhere at AKL? Can you stay at another concierge level hotel and still utilize the morning safari?

Whatever tips and experiences you can share will help us a lot!

Thanks! :mickey:

[TooGoofy]

:hi: Hi there!
Although we have not stayed at AKL concierge yet, we will in July of this year. I can answer a few of your questions.
You can only book the Sunrise Safari if you are staying at AKL concierge. You can find more information about it at the following link.
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/dining/sunrisesafari.asp
This link will give you more information about concierge services:
http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/accomodations/concierge.asp

As to whether it's worth it...that might be subjective. Most people say that the Sunrise Safari is worth the cost of staying at AKL concierge.

I'll be doing a trip report when I get back in July, so I'll be able to give you some more specific information then.

[TammiMcMan]

There appears to be some unknowns with the future of AKL club level. DVC units are currently being built on the 5th and 6th floor, which used to house the concierge rooms. For the time being, they've re-coded rooms on the other floors to be concierge. I'm not sure if they'll be getting any rooms back on the upper floors. The lounge is on the 6th floor and it does sound like that will stay there and be shared by club level guests and DVC guests.

The differences in staying club as opposed to standard is basically just the level of service and the use of the lounge. Room sizes and amenities are the same. You do get help with pre-planning your vacation if you want it. Someone can make your ADR's for you, book tours, spa appointments, purchase gifts and have them in your room, etc. All this is done with one e-mail, as opposed to timing all the phone calls yourself. The lounge offers snacking and drinks throughout the day. It's nice if you happen to be hanging around the resort, but probably not a worthwhile option if you are commando style park hoppers.

There are 3 safari's that are offered to club level guests. The Sunrise Safari is exclusive to AKL concierge guests only. It includes an early morning ride through the Kiliminjaro, with plenty of opportunities to take pictures. This is followed by a breakfast at the Tusker House. There is a fee and you must have AK park admission as well.

Next is the Sunset Safari. This is available first to concierge guests at the AKL. If there are openings, then any AKL guest can book this. It includes a ride through the AKL safari and dinner afterwards. No park admission required.

Finally, there is the Wildlife Discovery safari. This one is open to any concierge guest, regardless of resort. It takes place during the day, with a ride through the Kiliminjaro in a specially designed vehicle. There are photo opportunities, but no meal is included. You need to have AK park admission as well.

If you're interested, I would just keep checking on the progress of the construction and what people are reporting when they come back from the club level.

[ThanxForNoticin]

We have tried concierge at a couple of the resorts, but we feel AKL concierge is one of the best. The offerings they have thorughout the day in the concierge lounge are terrific. We will usually grab our breakfast in the lounge, and occasionally even get something in the afternoon to hold us over until dinner. The food and service are great. As for the Sunrise Safari being worth the cost of concierge? To be honest, the Sunrise Safari is the main reason we do the concierge at AKL. We have found it to be one of the most enjoyable experiences we've had at Disney. It's certainly not cheap, but it is an amazing couple hours. The opportunity to do the safari in such an informal environment, along with the fact that you can catch many of the animals first coming out onto the safari in the morning - they tend to be very active. And then to finally end your morning with an amazing breakfast buffet at Tusker House - mmmmm. Like I said, it's one of our absolute favorite things to do in all of Disney. If you are a big fan of the animals and of the safari, I would recommend you spend a few extra bucks and enjoy the concierge and the Sunrise Safari.

All that being said, I must agree with the cautions posted above. We have not been at AKL since the VC construction began, so I'm not sure of the status of those rooms. I would call and make sure you feel comfortable with the fact that the construction is not going to be a major distraction during your stay. Have a great time.

[brewcrew26]

Thanks for all the great responses and suggestions so far.

We had e-mailed the WDW reservations center and they said we could only book for thru 2007 for the AKL concierge level. They weren't sure about rates or anything for 2008. There was also something they mentioned about we could book the room at the current rate, but we would have to pay the difference when the rate changes came out for next year. I didn't quite understand that.

Also, how come you can only use the online reservation system for the current year? Can you not book into 2008 online?

:mickey:

[TammiMcMan]

There was also something they mentioned about we could book the room at the current rate, but we would have to pay the difference when the rate changes came out for next year. I didn't quite understand that.Basically, it means what it says. You can reserve a room now for 2008, but you can't guarantee a 2007 rate for it. Your reservation will be in the system and when the new rates are released, that's what you'll be charged. My guess is that the online system can't populate rate changes, so until they have them loaded, you can only book them via phone.

[mouseketeer mom]

I know I might be in the minority here, but I don't think AKL concierge was all it was cracked up to be. We stayed in a deluxe club level room, savannah view., which was about, oh a 2 mile walk to the lounge. Yes..I'm exaggerating, but it sure felt that way. I may as well hiked the other way to the Mara for snacks. We hit it right once with the animals from our balcony, the giraffes at feeding time, other than that we saw some birds. We felt the staff to be not so friendly., and not so helpful! I had MINIMAL contact with staff before and during the stay. We did do the sunrise safari which we enjoyed. That I would recommend. Maybe we are just spoiled from the Poly. Concierge there can't be beat. From the lounge, the offerings, the views, the staff. Consistently upstanding. I'm so excited about anything Disney. And easy to please. I just didn't get the hoopla about AKL..maybe we had an off week or something. I don't know. I trust the opinions of these boards so very much, so I'm not sure what happened with us and the AKL. It just wasn't our thing. It didn't even feel like staying concierge to us.