Jambo! The newest AKL Information thread

[DISfirstTimer]

@DizDaD7 Thanks. Very helpful.

 

[CeruleanMoon]

If in a studio villa at Jambo, then up on the 5th floor there is one for dvc just off the main atrium at the beginning of Zebra trail.

We'll be staying at a Jambo studio villa in April, cash stay though. We are not DVC members. Can we still use the laundry facility on the 5th floor?

 

[DizDaD7]

@DizDaD7 Thanks. Very helpful.

no problem... enjoy.....

 

[DizDaD7]

We'll be staying at a Jambo studio villa in April, cash stay though. We are not DVC members. Can we still use the laundry facility on the 5th floor?

Hmmm. Good Question..... I wanna say yes, for your MB's will show that you are in a DVC studio, so therefore I do believe it will open up that door to the DVC laundry room as well....I could be wrong...If someone else has any more knowledge on this matter please chime in... DVC machines are complimentary too...You have to supply the soap though...

 

[CeruleanMoon]

Hmmm. Good Question..... I wanna say yes, for your MB's will show that you are in a DVC studio, so therefore I do believe it will open up that door to the DVC laundry room as well....I could be wrong...If someone else has any more knowledge on this matter please chime in... DVC machines are complimentary too...You have to supply the soap though...

Oh, I hope that's the case then! The location would be really convenient and the free machines would certainly be a bonus.

 

[earfulofmagic]

Hmmm. Good Question..... I wanna say yes, for your MB's will show that you are in a DVC studio, so therefore I do believe it will open up that door to the DVC laundry room as well....I could be wrong...If someone else has any more knowledge on this matter please chime in... DVC machines are complimentary too...You have to supply the soap though...

Oh, I hope that's the case then! The location would be really convenient and the free machines would certainly be a bonus.

I think this is the case -- we stayed there on rented points, we're not DVC members, and it let us in and we did laundry.

BTW a tip for the soap machine in the 5th floor's laundry room, if you buy from it -- it gets stuck sometimes and you need to tip the machine forward to help the soap fall out. Or at least it was like that in November

 

[JKMastalski]

Yes, you will be able to use them for sure. I always stay in villas on cash points and the laundry room always opens for us. Never been a problem!

 

[CeruleanMoon]

Yes, you will be able to use them for sure. I always stay in villas on cash points and the laundry room always opens for us. Never been a problem!

Great news! Thanks.

 

[maalca23]

38 days until our first stay at ALK Jambo House!

 

[windcriesamy]

Hey, all! I'm obsessively trying to plan even though I can't nail anything down just yet!

I'm toying with the idea of booking the Wanyama Safari for DH and I. We did the Savor the Savanna tour at AK last spring and absolutely loved it. However, Wanyama Safari is pretty expensive, though I know it includes the multi-course meal at Jiko. We've never eaten at Jiko, so I'm wondering if it would be better to just make an ADR so we could try whatever we want and skip the safari and book a different tour. But I also know Wanyama can only be booked if we're staying at AKL and I don't know when/if we'll be able to stay there again. What do you all think? Can anyone compare Wanyama and Savor? I guess I'm just not sure the experiences would be different enough to make it worth booking it over a different tour.

 

[pepperandchips]

Hey, all! I'm obsessively trying to plan even though I can't nail anything down just yet!

I'm toying with the idea of booking the Wanyama Safari for DH and I. We did the Savor the Savanna tour at AK last spring and absolutely loved it. However, Wanyama Safari is pretty expensive, though I know it includes the multi-course meal at Jiko. We've never eaten at Jiko, so I'm wondering if it would be better to just make an ADR so we could try whatever we want and skip the safari and book a different tour. But I also know Wanyama can only be booked if we're staying at AKL and I don't know when/if we'll be able to stay there again. What do you all think? Can anyone compare Wanyama and Savor? I guess I'm just not sure the experiences would be different enough to make it worth booking it over a different tour.

The Disney website is showing that Wanyama is open to all guests, so I wouldn't worry about needing to pull the trigger this visit. I haven't done either Wanyama or Savor the Savanna but we have done Backstage Tales and really enjoyed that tour. For my money I'd probably just book another tour and Jiko, as backstage tales is $90 and Wanyama is $209. I know that's totally apples and oranges but you can have a really great meal at Jiko for $100 per person at a time that is convenient based on your other plans. Just how I would do it as I would want to order all my favorites at Jiko and would be disappointed if they weren't offered!!

 

[sndral]

I like the Wanyama safari, in fact I've done it three times. I like doing it early in my stay so that I know details about the animals I can see from my balcony during the rest of my stay. I'm an animal nerd anyway, so it's very interesting to me to learn so much about the work AK/AKL husbandry are doing particularly in the endangered species breeding programs. You also get a sense of the personality of some of the animals. My avatar is from one of the safaris when Gordon the giraffe was a bit too inquisitive about the truck we were in
The meal at Jiko is nice because you sample a number of Jiko's offerings.
It's totally worth the price to me, and is around the same price point as what I pay for dinner at V&A's although a very different experience, of course.

 

[Mopedmom1]

Hey, all! I'm obsessively trying to plan even though I can't nail anything down just yet!

I'm toying with the idea of booking the Wanyama Safari for DH and I. We did the Savor the Savanna tour at AK last spring and absolutely loved it. However, Wanyama Safari is pretty expensive, though I know it includes the multi-course meal at Jiko. We've never eaten at Jiko, so I'm wondering if it would be better to just make an ADR so we could try whatever we want and skip the safari and book a different tour. But I also know Wanyama can only be booked if we're staying at AKL and I don't know when/if we'll be able to stay there again. What do you all think? Can anyone compare Wanyama and Savor? I guess I'm just not sure the experiences would be different enough to make it worth booking it over a different tour.

As a ppl said you no longer need to be a guest at AKL to book the Wanyama Tour.

We did the tour in November and LOVED it. There are small nibbles at Jiko before the tour and after the tour a multi course dinner is served family style. There is so much wonderful food. We left stuffed!

The only downfall to doing the tour over just booking an ADR to Jiko would be the family style meal. If you are shy it could be a little unsettling to eat with a dozen strangers. Despite this I HIGHLY recommend the tour.

 

[pepperandchips]

I like the Wanyama safari, in fact I've done it three times. I like doing it early in my stay so that I know details about the animals I can see from my balcony during the rest of my stay. I'm an animal nerd anyway, so it's very interesting to me to learn so much about the work AK/AKL husbandry are doing particularly in the endangered species breeding programs. You also get a sense of the personality of some of the animals. My avatar is from one of the safaris when Gordon the giraffe was a bit too inquisitive about the truck we were in
The meal at Jiko is nice because you sample a number of Jiko's offerings.
It's totally worth the price to me, and is around the same price point as what I pay for dinner at V&A's although a very different experience, of course.

As a ppl said you no longer need to be a guest at AKL to book the Wanyama Tour.

We did the tour in November and LOVED it. There are small nibbles at Jiko before the tour and after the tour a multi course dinner is served family style. There is so much wonderful food. We left stuffed!

The only downfall to doing the tour over just booking an ADR to Jiko would be the family style meal. If you are shy it could be a little unsettling to eat with a dozen strangers. Despite this I HIGHLY recommend the tour.

Y'all are really selling this tour and I didn't even have any interest in it until @windcriesamy asked her question... darn you, AKL fan club, helping me spend money I don't even have yet!

What did they serve at Jiko?

 

[gillep]

I like the Wanyama safari, in fact I've done it three times. I like doing it early in my stay so that I know details about the animals I can see from my balcony during the rest of my stay. I'm an animal nerd anyway, so it's very interesting to me to learn so much about the work AK/AKL husbandry are doing particularly in the endangered species breeding programs. You also get a sense of the personality of some of the animals. My avatar is from one of the safaris when Gordon the giraffe was a bit too inquisitive about the truck we were in
The meal at Jiko is nice because you sample a number of Jiko's offerings.
It's totally worth the price to me, and is around the same price point as what I pay for dinner at V&A's although a very different experience, of course.

Gordon is the current wallpaper on my phone!!!! I loved Wanyama, I actually fell in love with a dish at Jiko that I never would have even tried, all because of the Wanyama safari, and now order most of the times that we dine at Jiko. We ended up sitting at the table with another group for about 30 minutes after we all finished with the meal because we were really enjoying one another's company.

 

[windcriesamy]

Gordon is the current wallpaper on my phone!!!! I loved Wanyama, I actually fell in love with a dish at Jiko that I never would have even tried, all because of the Wanyama safari, and now order most of the times that we dine at Jiko. We ended up sitting at the table with another group for about 30 minutes after we all finished with the meal because we were really enjoying one another's company.

That's so awesome! I just love meeting other people at Disney! Could you give more details on what they served at Jiko?

 

[gillep]

That's so awesome! I just love meeting other people at Disney! Could you give more details on what they served at Jiko?

Unfortunately, I did the safari a couple years, and at least one head chef ago so it is likely very different items now. I remember it being a sampling of various items from the current menu, appetizers, entree, and dessert, plus wine. I do know that we started with the Taste of Africa bread service (this dish is actually much better today than it was back then, as they now make all the spreads in house) and the dish that I fell in love with was the maize crusted fish (halibut at the time but it occasionally changes) with tomato-butter sauce, I don't usually like fish, so I never order it, but this dish is so good!!!!

 

[Mopedmom1]

Y'all are really selling this tour and I didn't even have any interest in it until @windcriesamy asked her question... darn you, AKL fan club, helping me spend money I don't even have yet!

What did they serve at Jiko?

Oh man, I wasn't doing a trip report so I didn't take notes or pictures. I looked at the menu and I can't for the life of me remember. (It sucks getting old!) I do remember one of the entrées was a fish. I can't remember if it was salmon or halibut but the current menu shows halibut so that's probably what we were served. I'll ask my dh when he gets home to see if he remembers.

 

[sunset7132]

Who can share any information about laundry? We are traveling for 7 days and we like to stick to carryon only so I’m thinking I’d like to do a load or 2 of laundry

in jambo house there are machines by the elevator on the first floor, never seeemed crowded

 

[dreamseeker9]

Y'all are really selling this tour and I didn't even have any interest in it until @windcriesamy asked her question... darn you, AKL fan club, helping me spend money I don't even have yet!

What did they serve at Jiko?

I did the Wanyama Safari in September 2016, and I loved it! There were only 6 of us on my safari.

Before the safari, we were in a private room in Jiko, where they served us Roobios tea, ice water, raisin scones (excellent), chocolate cups with coffee mousse (divine), olive bread with harissa, raita, and mango chutney; and beef sausage (very tasty).

Dinner after the safari was phenomenal. We started with an African sunrise cocktail, then 3 types of bread and 4 dipping sauces, then a trio of Boma salad and a veggie spring roll and a bison spring roll. That was served with a white wine, from The Game Preserve. Then the main course was served family-style - the most tender short rib, halibut with this buttery sauce, breaded chicken (my least favorite), roasted veggies (yummy), Mac and cheese (so good), faro (just okay). Red wine was served with dinner - Cab Sav of The Game Preserve - it was good. Dessert trio: strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse, and a buttery cake soaked in rum. And a sweet dessert wine. We were given a little gift bag at the end with chocolate and a Wanyama Safari pin.