Why should I stay at AKL?

[spoiledraf]

We have never stayed here and the DW was asking about it. I'm the Disney nut of the house so it's my responsibkility to get the facts! I've shied away from it because it's kind of withdrawn from everything else. Can those of you who have stayed here give me some reasons why I would want to give up being steps away from Epcot and MGM and all the restaurants so close by at the YBC or BW?

We have yet to book but are planning on the Beach Club in late Sept. Should I change my mind? I'm not real keen on spending a lot of time on the busses.

[tink'72]

We got to WDW every year and always stay at least 2 days at AKL. The savannha's are beautiful and resort itself is amazing. The architecture is done extremely well. There is a fire each night outside with old fashioned rocking chairs that is just so relaxing. The pool is a blast and if you have young children Simba's playhouse is a godsend!

AKL has to very god restaurants on site. Jiko's and Boma's. Mara is the "fast food" service area that is also not bad.

They have arcades and treasure hunts for the kids. They give the kids a map of the area with certain animals and plants to find, my kids had a blast!

[faline]

I've stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge twice and will be staying there again before the end of the year. I had the same concerns you've expressed. It just wasn't an issue.

It is wonderful to have a savannah view room and to be able to watch the animals from your balcony. It's almost addicting. There were days I didn't want to leave the room because I wanted to stay and watch "my" animals!

[Raye3201]

If you don't like spending time on buses, then AKL is not for you. Although the buses are not shared, the ride is long to all parks except for AK.
That being said, we enjoyed our vacation at AKL - and would stay there again in a heartbeat. The resort is relaxing and secluded. While we prefer the location of the Beach Club Villas for their convenience to Epcot, World showcase and the Boardwalk, time at the AKL to wind down is great. We are planning to stay there next year again for a few nights before switching to BCV.:mickey:

[TammiMcMan]

You may want to consider "just visiting" the AKL this time around and decide for yourself if it's someplace you'd like to stay. They are undergoing some major construction right now for the new DVC and that could put a damper on things. Some of the guests with reservations through early August are being contacted and offered accommodations elsewhere because of the construction. This may not be the best year to try something new. Instead, maybe plan a meal at Boma or Jiko, head over a bit early and explore the area for a future trip.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

I've stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge twice and will be staying there again before the end of the year. I had the same concerns you've expressed. It just wasn't an issue.

It is wonderful to have a savannah view room and to be able to watch the animals from your balcony. It's almost addicting. There were days I didn't want to leave the room because I wanted to stay and watch "my" animals!
I agree. I enjoyed my stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge so much! Wished I'd had more time to just rattle around the hotel and grounds. It just creates a relaxing feeling of being far away from the rest of the world. We had no complaints about the bus situation, though we had heard others who said they had problems. Our experience was a good one. I'd gladly go back. You might consider a preferred room, as some of the rooms are a little hike......:simba:

[TammiMcMan]

You might consider a preferred room, as some of the rooms are a little hike......:simba:The AKL doesn't have a "preferred room" classification. You can put in a request for something close to the lobby, but it's only a request.

[spoiledraf]

The rooms being spread out aren't a problem. We tend to not be in much of a rush. But we do go on the premium plan and enjoy visiting as many different top line restaurants as we can. We only go for four days and I go on a fishing excursion at least once a trip. I'm just a little hesitant since most of the better restaurants aare at resorts which means no transportation directly back "home". We discovered taxis two years ago!

I think, due to the construction, we will make a visit to the AKL this year and have lunch or something and check it out.

By the way, we are two empty nesters who hope to be bringing the next two generations with them in '09 for an anniversary celebration. The childrens actvities some have mentioned may be just the ticket for our grand kids who will be 5,3 and 2. Unfortunately, my son and his wife aren't really interested while my daughter and her hubby have already gone with us once and are looking forward to the next visit as much as we are.

[JPL]

Waking up in the morning walking out onto the balcony and seeing animals is an amazing experience :thumbsup: I love this resort and if I could afford it I would stay there every single trip. I like how isolated it is from the rest of the world it really makes you feel like you are in a far off place. I love Boma one of my favorite places to eat in all of WDW :tasty: It's nice relaxing retreat after a long day at the parks.

[c&d]

We really liked AKL when we've stayed there. When you walk into the lobby it's wonderful. You just feel like you're being transported far away from the hustle and bustle. Maybe it's because the lobby is a little darker than other resorts or the smell from the firepit. But whatever it is, it just made us feel very relaxed everytime we came into resort. Sitting on your balacony watching the animals in great but sitting in the hottub watching a giraffe eat is even better.

One of the main complaints has always been the bus service but when we've stayed there was never a problem with them.

If we weren't on our current quest to stay in all WDW resorts we would definitely head back there much sooner.

[MouseHouser]

We've stayed at AKL twice. We never tire of watching the animals from the balcony.

You mention restaurants. We enjoy everything about Boma. Breakfast and dinner, the food and service is great.

To me, AKL's lobby is warm and friendly, with its big chairs and couches and fireplace. It's a different atmosphere than the GF's, which imo is fun too, but for other reasons.

AKL's pool rocks.

[mickeys_princess_mom]

The AKL doesn't have a "preferred room" classification. You can put in a request for something close to the lobby, but it's only a request.

Something told me when I wrote this, that it didn't sound right, and someone might jump in. DD made the arrangements to surprise me. Our first room was way too far out, and she went back and asked for one "much closer", and got it, to our delight.

[LandFan]

Waking up in the morning walking out onto the balcony and seeing animals is an amazing experience :thumbsup: I love this resort and if I could afford it I would stay there every single trip. I like how isolated it is from the rest of the world it really makes you feel like you are in a far off place. I love Boma one of my favorite places to eat in all of WDW :tasty: It's nice relaxing retreat after a long day at the parks.

My thoughts exactly:thumbsup: