Jambo! The newest AKL Information thread

[DizDaD7]

Very true. Thank you for your view. Now how did gf surpass expectations? Just wondering because I’m assuming they save the best of the best staff for that resort as it’s their most exquisite resort

We felt really special here...It's kinda hard to explain, but they made us feel like we were the only people that mattered. Besides the grounds being really nice & the CM s real friendly, I never really thought how awesome it really is being a quick monorail ride away..

I will admit that AKL is not our favorite resort ONLY because of location. We prefer the Boardwalk area resorts for that reason. However, we love everything else about the resort especially the pool at Jambo. It is our favorite. We have chosen AKL for this trip due to availability with the Visa discount. However, if something with a good price came up at YC I would switch it out in a heartbeat.
All that being said, we are looking forward to AKL and know that we will have a good time. It truly is a relaxing resort.

I get it...Totally. True YC is very convenient, but that pool at Jambo is great...Feels like you're in paradise..Very relaxing...They just need a bigger slide..LoL

I keep reading about location being the only bad thing about AKL, but isn't it only about 20-25 minutes longer on the bus? In the grand scheme of the vacation, I don't see how that would bother me much.

Like a pp stated. It's maybe 20 mins. from Jambo to MK. a lot less to the other parks....And that ride usually goes by very quickly.

Not 25 minutes longer, 25 minutes total from AKL to MK. So about 10 minutes longer to MK from any of the monorail resorts.

10 mins. longer??? I'm thinking much more , but still nothing crazy.

Hello! We normally stay at WL, but are thinking about trying AKL this time. I have heard the air conditioning cuts off when you lay down? Also- I have heard the rooms are much noiser in comparison to WL. Please tell me this is not the case as I want to stay at AKL!!

I've never experienced this, nor have I heard of this occurrence happening as well. But if it were ,I'm sure it wouldn't be solely at AKL/V.
BTW There are plenty of similarities at both WL & AKL....The same architect I believe designed it....Also for Grand Cali for that matter...

 

[dansdad]

10 mins. longer??? I'm thinking much more , but still nothing crazy.

I made that post from memory but now that I checked my notes from past trips here are the specifics:

Walking from CR average 12 minutes so 13 minutes longer
Boat from Poly average 13 minutes so 12 minutes longer
Monorail from Poly average 17 minutes so 8 minutes longer
Boat from GF average 15 minutes so 10 minutes longer
Monorail from GF average 7 minutes so 18 minutes longer


So other than taking the Monorail from GF, I say my around 10 minutes longer is pretty spot on.

 

[DizDaD7]

I made that post from memory but now that I checked my notes from past trips here are the specifics:

Walking from CR average 12 minutes so 13 minutes longer
Boat from Poly average 13 minutes so 12 minutes longer
Monorail from Poly average 17 minutes so 8 minutes longer
Boat from GF average 15 minutes so 10 minutes longer
Monorail from GF average 7 minutes so 18 minutes longer


So other than taking the Monorail from GF, I say my around 10 minutes longer is pretty spot on.

LoL Now that u put it that way, it does make sense....

 

[dansdad]

LoL Now that u put it that way, it does make sense....

Right!? I hadn't really thought it would be that way until I started really looking at the numbers.

 

[DizDaD7]

Right!? I hadn't really thought it would be that way until I started really looking at the numbers.

Yep, but as some other poster said, not enough to make me want to NOT stay here...LoL

 

[erinanne]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

 

[paradesintherain]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

The pool at AKL is lovely! Zero-gravity entry, surrounded by lush tropical plants (and flamingos) and it's large too! There's also a water slide if you like that.
Transportation can be spotty anywhere, but I've never had any issues with it. It is a bit longer of a drive to Magic Kingdom; but since you mentioned ambiance, since AKL is rather secluded it does really feel like its own little oasis, in my opinion.

 

[Princess Minnie321]

AKL is amazing! We stayed for the first time last year and are returning for our next trip. Last year my kids were 5 and 3. They loved the zero entry pool and water slide. We had many great meals at the Mara. The resort is just beautiful. We never had an issue with busses and were there during a busy week in November. We never waited for then 15 minutes for a bus. There were times we were in a long line and expected to miss the bus, when two pulled up. The drive to MK is 20 minutes which is the longest.

 

[MainMom]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

AKL Jambo pool is our favorite. We only had one issue with transportation in a weeks stay 2 summers ago, but it was an issue that could happen at any resort. I would choose AKL over the construction a CBR.

 

[gillep]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

AKL Jambo house has my second favorite pool on property (after Stormalong bay) CBR was my least favorite pool on property, every time we tried to enjoy the pool it was just so crowded that we were really unable to relax or have any fun, also, if you stay at AKL you can use either the Jambo house poo or the Kidani Village pool and splash pad. CBR was also our second worst busing experience of all of our stays, it frequently took the bus about 15 minutes to complete all of the internal stops before we left for the parks, the AKL bus at most will just stop at Jambo house and Kidani. That said, you can have bad busing or good busing on any trip at any resort.

I love AKL (obviously) and it is the one resort that we stay at each and every year with no exceptions or substitutions, but like all things some people will love it and some won't. I have stayed at every moderate resort, and although I love CSR and POR, and think POFQ is fine, I really disliked CBR, and would not stay there again if given the choice (and I stayed just prior to the construction starting).

 

[patster734]

Hello! We normally stay at WL, but are thinking about trying AKL this time. I have heard the air conditioning cuts off when you lay down? Also- I have heard the rooms are much noiser in comparison to WL. Please tell me this is not the case as I want to stay at AKL!!

Air condition stayed on for us. Also, I don’t know if this is standard for all rooms, but our AKL room had a over-the-bed fan, turned off or on with a switch by the bedside table. That switch was between the two switches that turn on and off the two bedside lights.

 

[Lvsdisney]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

I've stayed at AKL and CBR and even without construction I would choose AKL hands down.

 

[monica9]

I made that post from memory but now that I checked my notes from past trips here are the specifics:

Walking from CR average 12 minutes so 13 minutes longer
Boat from Poly average 13 minutes so 12 minutes longer
Monorail from Poly average 17 minutes so 8 minutes longer
Boat from GF average 15 minutes so 10 minutes longer
Monorail from GF average 7 minutes so 18 minutes longer


So other than taking the Monorail from GF, I say my around 10 minutes longer is pretty spot on.

I agree. Sometimes our trip from the other resorts felt like half an hour! And the fact that Akl doesn’t share with another resort is a bonus
My dd9 loves the busses plus theirs ac so I guess akl guests make out since we get more relaxing!

 

[jessicamouse]

I just did our online check in, and didn't see a place for us to indicate a request for location within Jambo House. We have a pool view booked (the only thing available) and I'd love to request a partial savannah view if possible. I'm sorry if this is answered somewhere else (I know it must be), but any advice/direction would be greatly appreciated. We are SOOOOO excited to be staying at AKL for the first time. It's our first time in a Deluxe, and I couldn't be happier with this choice

 

[Somnia]

Well we passed Right of First Refusal and now I'm just waiting on our closing paperwork, but so much closer to being a DVC owner at AKV

I look forward to knowing I'll be staying here yearly (with the occasional other deluxe)!

 

[Lvsdisney]

I just did our online check in, and didn't see a place for us to indicate a request for location within Jambo House. We have a pool view booked (the only thing available) and I'd love to request a partial savannah view if possible. I'm sorry if this is answered somewhere else (I know it must be), but any advice/direction would be greatly appreciated. We are SOOOOO excited to be staying at AKL for the first time. It's our first time in a Deluxe, and I couldn't be happier with this choice

Pool view rooms look at the pool. That being said, you can always call in or fax in a request for partial savannah view. It can't hurt to try!

 

[sndral]

Hello! I am planning a vacation for mid-February for my son's 2nd Disney trip. I initially booked Caribbean Beach Resort because I was impressed with the discounts. However, I am starting to worry about the amount of construction and it's negative impact on our trip. Based on our last trip, we were in the parks from open to close every day, so I wasn't expecting the construction to be a big issue. But the more I think about it the more I'm worried. We are paying to be on property and would like to ensure we enjoy it.

I did just find what seems to be a great deal at Animal Kingdom and am very tempted to switch. The animals and the restaurants sound amazing, but I was thrown off by a fair amount of negative reviews on TripAdvisor.

A couple questions I was hoping to get some help with:
- how is the pool at AKL? CBR pool is one of the reasons I initially booked it but I'm worried construction will ruin the ambience.
- is transportation to parks really that bad? I see lots of negative comments about it but it doesn't seem much longer than at CBR. I plan to be at rope drop almost every morning.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!!

It has been years (ok maybe decades ) since I stayed at CBR, but when I did I really liked it. I liked the grounds and the relative calm of the place along w/ the bright tropical vibe and the steel drum music as you hung out at the pool - I especially liked staying there when I was doing a WDW/Bahamas or Caribbean cruise combo. How much of that will be impacted by construction I can't say, although the hefty discounts probably reflect the fact that others are chosing to stay elsewhere because of the construction.
You don't say how old your son is and that might make a difference in advice given but - AKL has lots of children's activities and of course the 2 pools as described by other posters (the Kidani splash area looks like lots of fun for the younger crowd.)
AKL does not share buses, park buses usually stop Kidani first Jambo second then off to the park. Sometimes there will be a bus for Jambo only. CBR as I recall had several stops internally before even leaving for the park and how long it took very much depended on where you were located bus stop wise. Not sure which if any of the stops are still in business w/ the removal of some of the islands.
AKL Jambo is all one building, so no traversing the grounds like you have to at CBR to get to OPR for food or the pool or crossing the street to go to the lobby. Other advantages are that your room will have a balcony unlike moderate rooms. There is a fairly decent CS restaurant, the Mara, at AKL, but CBR had more counter service choices, not sure if construction has impacted that - I thought they were redoing OPR. AKL has a signature restaurant (Jiko) and a buffet (Boma) in Jambo and a sit down restaurant (Sanaa) in Kidani.
Good luck w/ your decision.

I just did our online check in, and didn't see a place for us to indicate a request for location within Jambo House. We have a pool view booked (the only thing available) and I'd love to request a partial savannah view if possible. I'm sorry if this is answered somewhere else (I know it must be), but any advice/direction would be greatly appreciated. We are SOOOOO excited to be staying at AKL for the first time. It's our first time in a Deluxe, and I couldn't be happier with this choice

A pool view is an upgrade from a 'partial savanna view' since the partial view rooms are w/in the standard view category, so the resort isn't going to downgrade you from pool view to partial savanna view. A 'full' savanna view would be an upgrade. The advantage of the pool views is that they are very convenient to the Mara and the pool and close to the lobby whereas a lot of the partial savanna views are further out on the hallways over on the Kudu/Giraffe trail side of the building, so you risk adding a lot of walking to your stay if you try for a savanna view down or up grade. I think if I were you I'd call and note that you would love a savanna view, even if it's a partial view. Then when you arrive check w/ the front desk to see what they can do for you. Good luck, my first stay at AKL was in a pool view room (before that was a category you could book) w/ a bit roof view thrown in, yet I still thought it was lovely and just wandered to various places at the resort to gaze at the animals.

 

[erinanne]

It has been years (ok maybe decades ) since I stayed at CBR, but when I did I really liked it. I liked the grounds and the relative calm of the place along w/ the bright tropical vibe and the steel drum music as you hung out at the pool - I especially liked staying there when I was doing a WDW/Bahamas or Caribbean cruise combo. How much of that will be impacted by construction I can't say, although the hefty discounts probably reflect the fact that others are chosing to stay elsewhere because of the construction.
You don't say how old your son is and that might make a difference in advice given but - AKL has lots of children's activities and of course the 2 pools as described by other posters (the Kidani splash area looks like lots of fun for the younger crowd.)
AKL does not share buses, park buses usually stop Kidani first Jambo second then off to the park. Sometimes there will be a bus for Jambo only. CBR as I recall had several stops internally before even leaving for the park and how long it took very much depended on where you were located bus stop wise. Not sure which if any of the stops are still in business w/ the removal of some of the islands.
AKL Jambo is all one building, so no traversing the grounds like you have to at CBR to get to OPR for food or the pool or crossing the street to go to the lobby. Other advantages are that your room will have a balcony unlike moderate rooms. There is a fairly decent CS restaurant, the Mara, at AKL, but CBR had more counter service choices, not sure if construction has impacted that - I thought they were redoing OPR. AKL has a signature restaurant (Jiko) and a buffet (Boma) in Jambo and a sit down restaurant (Sanaa) in Kidani.
Good luck w/ your decision.

Thank you!! The feedback here gave me the nudge i needed and i cancelled my CBR reservation and booked AKL I even found a better discount with the visa cardholder (vs. the "gift of magic" discount i was originally comparing) and am honestly really happy with the price! My son is 8 so i think It will be much more enjoyable for both of us at AKL and provides most value over all. February can't come soon enough!

 

[paradesintherain]

Got our Magic Bands for our AKL stay! It's getting so real, I can't even handle my excitement! Pretty sure I'm annoying everyone with my Disney excitement

 

[NY Pirate Princess]

Also just got magic bands for our first ever AKL stay. Was incredibly lucky to get 2 bedroom suite renting through Davids for a very busy time of year. Cross your fingers I don't go on the DVC tour. I am trying to stay away from most information about the lodge, but I see that a previous poster mentioned fans? My child sleeps with a fan and I was going to look into white noise apps. Are there ceiling fans or other types in the rooms?