JAMBO! The UN-official AKL Thread ~ UPDATED(short film/pg 8 & slideshow/pg 12) Part 2

[ktink]

Well I just wanted to let you all know that we booked AKL!! We had some expenses come up and thought we wouldn't be able to swing it. But I've been saving like a mad woman and we worked it out. I felt like w/ free dining and all I couldn't pass it up. Some of you can remember that I've booked AKL twice in the past (once during this trip) and had to cancel.

I was a liitle reluctant and all w/ the construction but we've made requests to be away from the construction and we'll be at the parks or the pool in the day time.

We'll be checking in on Sept 2-8.

 

[Disney8704]

For the porition that isnt gonna be done until May 2008 (red dashes), none of the pool view rooms will be effected will they? Just wondering if they are shutting a entire trail down or section or just the 5th floor? Just got to thinking it is the entire trail cuz when I went to change my reservation dates in January, standard view was completely booked according to Disney & AAA. And that didnt seem right, to have all those rooms gone that soon?

You mean this map?:

Only a very small section of ZEBRA trail will be done by July (white dots).

The rest of Zebra trail will be complete by Sept (blue dots)

Then Kudo trail will be done by December (white dashes)

Giraffe and Ostrich trail aren't scheduled for completion until May of '08, along with the rooms surrounding the lobby (red dashes).

 

[Syrreal]

Hey AKL experts! We're going to be there for Mother's Day weekend and have a standard room. We'll have our little baby with us who goes to bed at around 7:30, so I'm concerned about noise- particularly bus noise as I've heard that there are standard rooms right by the bus station section of the hotel. Any suggestions of where I can ask to be put?

 

[d4est]

Flossbolna--Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing. As if 228 days 19 hours 31 minutes wasn't bad enough...

 

[Disney8704]

You're right behind me. 224 days 15 hrs 29 mins to go here!

Flossbolna--Awesome pics! Thanks for sharing. As if 228 days 19 hours 31 minutes wasn't bad enough...

 

[Disney8704]

In case if you all dont know if you are going in December and to MVMCP you can post when you are going on these threads:

MVMCP
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?p=17933307#post17933307

RESORTS
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1409520

 

[Jalva22]

Hey AKL experts! We're going to be there for Mother's Day weekend and have a standard room. We'll have our little baby with us who goes to bed at around 7:30, so I'm concerned about noise- particularly bus noise as I've heard that there are standard rooms right by the bus station section of the hotel. Any suggestions of where I can ask to be put?

Ostrich Trail. Here's a link to a map of the AKL showing room numbers and trail names. The bus pickup point is at the lower right.

http://www.mousetrips.com/AnimalKingdomLodgeMap.html

 

[kimmar067]

I know of one PV Bunk Bed room for sure - 3422 - it's the room my daughters had in December. GREAT location - 3rd floor - lobby level - very close to the lobby and restaurants. Here's the AKL map with room numbers:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/aklmap.htm

...we were in Rm 5421 and that room had bunks...don't know how the 5th floor will be affected by the construction, though....

 

[kimmar067]

Nice pictures! I have a stupid question...is that "morning mist", fog? Is that something that happens every morning there, or is it a winter thing? Told you it was a stupid question .

Thanks for sharing your pictures!

...it must have been a 'winter' thing, because we were in, basically, the same pool-view area, and we NEVER saw this in the morning....of course, that was back in August 2006.....

 

[KarenC]

When the free dining plan was announced, I asked my husband if he'd be interested in taking our first trip to Disney World without the kids. They will both be back at school when we go. Our daughter will have just moved to Atlanta for grad school so I thought we'd drive from Chicago and stop and see her for a couple days then head down to Orlando. DH didn't seem too wild about the idea so I dropped it. Then Saturday he asked if I'd made the reservations--apparently he was really looking forward to it.

I'd originally wanted to stay at WL. It's one of my favorites but they only had concierge available with the free dining. The CM suggested AKL so we said sure. We have a standard room--two kids in college and one of them getting married next year so we have to economize somewhere and we really don't spend much time in the room.

So it's our first time at AKL. We've stayed offsite a number of times, at fW, CR, GF and at WL. I'm interested reading this thread and learning what not to miss. We'll be there 9/10 through 9/15. Our kids think it's weird, but we're looking forward to doing Disney on our own.

 

[kimmar067]

When the free dining plan was announced, I asked my husband if he'd be interested in taking our first trip to Disney World without the kids. They will both be back at school when we go. Our daughter will have just moved to Atlanta for grad school so I thought we'd drive from Chicago and stop and see her for a couple days then head down to Orlando. DH didn't seem too wild about the idea so I dropped it. Then Saturday he asked if I'd made the reservations--apparently he was really looking forward to it....

....sheesh - HUSBANDS!!! [...mine is the SAME way....]

...I'd originally wanted to stay at WL. It's one of my favorites but they only had concierge available with the free dining. The CM suggested AKL so we said sure. We have a standard room--two kids in college and one of them getting married next year so we have to economize somewhere and we really don't spend much time in the room....

...if you like WL, then you are going to LOVE AKL, too......

...So it's our first time at AKL. We've stayed offsite a number of times, at fW, CR, GF and at WL. I'm interested reading this thread and learning what not to miss....

....let me just say and JAMBO!! Feel free to ask anything....

...We'll be there 9/10 through 9/15. Our kids think it's weird, but we're looking forward to doing Disney on our own.

.....what do kids know???!?! [...actually, I'M looking forward to OUR first WDW vaca without the kids, too....]

 

[Flossbolna]

thanks to everyone for the nice coments on my pictures!

Flossbolna, Thanks for the great pictures. I am getting so excited about our trip in August. We also will have a pool view. How do I go about requesting a certain room or trail, did you call AK beforehand?

Also, I noticed you are from Germany. We will be leaving end of May for a trip to Bavaria, including Munich, Regensberg, Rothenburg and Nuremberg. I am so excited! Thanks again for the pics.

marlower, I had been so nervous about what room to request. I knew that I would like to be on a higher floor, so this ended being our only request (besides non-smoking). I made this request through my (Disney-specialised and US-based) travel agent. But I have read from others here on the boards that they contacted AKL directly a few days before their arrival. Our room was on Zebra trail. Actually I had come to the conclusion that there isn't really a bad location with a pool view room, just personal preference.

Of course going to AKL in August I would love to do, too! But I think it is fantastic that you come to see Bavaria! I went to university in Munich and Nuremberg is where I live now and I really love both places. I hope you enjoy your stay here! If you have any questions or so, please fell free to send me a PM!

Nice pictures! I have a stupid question...is that "morning mist", fog? Is that something that happens every morning there, or is it a winter thing? Told you it was a stupid question .

Thanks for sharing your pictures!

Yes, it is fog. It was quite foggy in general on this morning (also in Epcot), but most mornings there was some fog over the pool in the early morning. I think it was because it was quite cold at night and the water in the pool is heated. However, it was not around for long. For example the other daytime view from the room was also taken in the morning.

Well, now you've done it, Flossbolna -- made us REALLY miss AKL!! Those are GREAT pictures - thanks for sharing! (we want more!)

Where'd you disappear to anyway?! Glad you're back!

I am glad to be back, too! I guess I just had to cut down a bit on my WDW-Internet time since I did not have the excuse of planning a trip anymore. I even found the time to read a book!!

 

[Flossbolna]

So, here is the next installment. As we were just looking at outside pictures, I thought I'd continue with with other various pictures of the exterior of the lodge.

Some pages back someone asked for pictures showing the feel of the hotel. This was something I was looking for most in the pictures before we went, too, and therefore tried to capture in my pictures. Actually it was a lot of fun walking around and taking pictures of all these details that make the Lodge so incredibly beautiful. And now they are just such a great memory to have!

Let's start with again a view from our balcony, now along the side of Zebra trail towards the lobby:

And in the pool area there was this post on the way towards the hot tub:

and one last picture in the pool area: the stream that came out from the Lodge, here flowing along under the windows of Jiko towards the pool:

the next picture is a bit difficult to explain for someone who does not know AKL, but those of you who have walked along one of the trails should knoe what it is. Basically the trails do not consist of one long building, but of severals after each other. They are connected by walkways with windows and the sides of the seperate buildings that face each other are painted with African ornaments. This is one of them:

Now we are leaving the Lodge, this is the ground at the entrance. It actually sparkles in light:

And from there on towards the bus stop area:

The walkway down there has an ornamented wall like this:

And that's the bus stop area:

For refreshments you can even get a soda from a themed soda machine:

And for your way back to AKL from the bus stop follow this sign (which is a bit unneccessary in my opinion, you do not have many options to take a wrong turn from the bus stop):

 

[jaycns]

Oh Flossbolna!! Those pictures are so wonderful! Thank you for sharing them! I am even more antsy to get to AKL now! I still have to wait out an entire summer! AHHHHH. BUT...those wonderful pictures...they are great! Please post more!!!!

 

[Dis Ohana]

I am glad to be back, too! I guess I just had to cut down a bit on my WDW-Internet time since I did not have the excuse of planning a trip anymore. I even found the time to read a book!!

Was it a book about WDW? You could always start planning your next trip!

Great new pics! I can't wait to be there. Thanks for posting.

 

[ktink]

I have a quick question, please. We want to surprise the DDs and we've told them that we'll be staying at pop. On our last trip we stayed at CSR and our ME bus went to Pop, CSR, and then AKL and did the opposite on the way back. Is this the normal route? Thanks in advance.

 

[pigletforever]

We didn't stop at CSR either way. Only POP and AKL.

 

[ktink]

We didn't stop at CSR either way. Only POP and AKL.

Thanks so much! Maybe our plan will work.

Flossbolna, gorgeous pictures.

 

[Syrreal]

Ostrich Trail. Here's a link to a map of the AKL showing room numbers and trail names. The bus pickup point is at the lower right.

http://www.mousetrips.com/AnimalKingdomLodgeMap.html

Thanks jalva22 I appreciate it

 

[catnik]

Hi, all:
We will be spending a week at WDW in October and will stay concierge level AKL for part of the trip. We have made reservations for both the Sunrise safari for the entire family and the Wanyama safari for the adults. We have 4 children, the younger two ages 3 and 2, and seek input on the following:

--For those of you with toddlers, did they enjoy the Sunrise safari? Our toddlers like the zoo and are awake and raring to go at 6 a.m., but we would like some feedback as to the experiences of others with young children.

--Is it overkill for the adults to do both safaris? We want to do something special with our kids, but also want to have a special night for just the 2 of us. If not the Wanyama safari, any other suggestions for us adults? We prefer to stay on property vs restaurant/club hop although are open to suggestions.

Many thanks in advance.