Jambo! The newest AKL Information thread

[gillep]

Hi there. My family is staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September for the first time. We had originally booked our stay at the Wilderness Lodge, but switched today with the FD offer. My biggest hesitation with staying at AK is that the resort seems so far from all the other parks. I’d love to hear Others thoughts on times to parks. And also if anyone has stayed at the wilderness lodge and animal Kingdom and has a preference. Thanks for your help. I’ll be combing through this thread for insight and tips for our trip

I have stayed at AKL more than any other resort on property and have never felt like transportation was an issue, the only park that AKL is far from is MK as MK is the least centrally located of the parks. We just (got back yesterday) did a split stay between Kidani and WL (CCV) and it took us less time to get to Epcot by bus from AKL than from WL, likely because we had to stop at Ft. Wilderness from WL, I am sure that the trip to DHS would be the same,but we didn't go there at all this trip.

 

[MeeskaMooska13]

The April activity calendar that I saw on another site still lists it as Sundown-9:30pm, either at the Uzima overlook at Jambo or the Kidani Rock overlook. My guess is that the pp very unfortunately got either an uninformed or confused CM. They were definitely still doing this in mid-January.

We asked all three CM’s that were down there - and they had no idea what we’re talking about. I’m so bummed.

Edited for spelling error.

 

[gillep]

We asked all three CM’s that were down there - and they had know idea what we’re talking about. I’m so bummed.

That's terrible and disappointing, we were just at Kidani on the 16th and when we were on the savanna overlook during the day they reminded us to come back at night for this activity, unfortunately, we didn't have time but I was hoping to try it as we have only done it at Jambo before and prefer the Kidani savanna.

 

[MeeskaMooska13]

That's terrible and disappointing, we were just at Kidani on the 16th and when we were on the savanna overlook during the day they reminded us to come back at night for this activity, unfortunately, we didn't have time but I was hoping to try it as we have only done it at Jambo before and prefer the Kidani savanna.

I hope you get to return soon!

 

[abbymorgsmom]

I have stayed at AKL more than any other resort on property and have never felt like transportation was an issue, the only park that AKL is far from is MK as MK is the least centrally located of the parks. We just (got back yesterday) did a split stay between Kidani and WL (CCV) and it took us less time to get to Epcot by bus from AKL than from WL, likely because we had to stop at Ft. Wilderness from WL, I am sure that the trip to DHS would be the same,but we didn't go there at all this trip.

Thank you, appreciate the insight.

 

[striker1064]

Hi there. My family is staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September for the first time. We had originally booked our stay at the Wilderness Lodge, but switched today with the FD offer. My biggest hesitation with staying at AK is that the resort seems so far from all the other parks. I’d love to hear Others thoughts on times to parks. And also if anyone has stayed at the wilderness lodge and animal Kingdom and has a preference. Thanks for your help. I’ll be combing through this thread for insight and tips for our trip

We found this idea to be extraordinarily overblown, for some reason. The only park that AKL is truly far from is MK, and that's seemingly because MK is isolated from everything except the MK-area resorts. For Epcot, DHS, and DS, we were actually often surprised at how fast we got from the resort to the park - generally just over 10 minutes.

So, I think if you're planning to do almost entirely MK (and many people do), AKL might not be the best option due to proximity. But then again, if bus time is a big concern, you'd also want to avoid the All-Stars, Pop, AoA, Epcot area resorts, etc.

And I didn't mention AKL to AK because it almost goes without saying, but as our bus driver from AKL said one morning, it's a "6 minute u-turn to Animal Kingdom, unless the light is red. Then it's 8 minutes."

 

[magrudersmakes3]

We are staying in a studio at Kidani Village, what kind of coffee pots do the rooms have so I know exactly what to put on my grocery list.

 

[Cotillard]

Hi there. My family is staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September for the first time. We had originally booked our stay at the Wilderness Lodge, but switched today with the FD offer. My biggest hesitation with staying at AK is that the resort seems so far from all the other parks. I’d love to hear Others thoughts on times to parks. And also if anyone has stayed at the wilderness lodge and animal Kingdom and has a preference. Thanks for your help. I’ll be combing through this thread for insight and tips for our trip

WE love both WL and AKL but you know no resort is close to everything. If you plan to visit DAK, then you'll enjoy how close you are to it for sure. Also, we've always found bus service pretty darn good. If you look at these maps, you get an idea for the property. Look how far the Grand Floridian is from DHS, for example.
AKL is beautiful and I bet you will love it!
Less than 20 min to MK by bus.

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

 

[Cotillard]

We are staying in a studio at Kidani Village, what kind of coffee pots do the rooms have so I know exactly what to put on my grocery list.

12-cup Mr. Coffee w/ basket filters

 

[OhThePain]

Hi there. My family is staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September for the first time. We had originally booked our stay at the Wilderness Lodge, but switched today with the FD offer. My biggest hesitation with staying at AK is that the resort seems so far from all the other parks. I’d love to hear Others thoughts on times to parks. And also if anyone has stayed at the wilderness lodge and animal Kingdom and has a preference. Thanks for your help. I’ll be combing through this thread for insight and tips for our trip

As the others who have responded to this have said, the whole transportation at AKL being terrible thing is just down right ridiculous. I took notice on how long we were actually on the bus from AKL to the parks on our trip last month. There was just 1 instance where we were actually traveling on the bus for more than 20 minutes and it was going from AKL to MK, where we were on the bus for 23 minutes. The other trips to and from MK from AKL were 17-19 minutes. The other parks and DS were even less. Of course, just like all other resorts waiting for a bus is hit and miss, although we only waited twice for a bus for more than 10 minutes (once returning from MK and once returning from AK). In reality, AKL has a shorter travel time to the parks and DS than MK area resorts (with the exception of MK).

I have no idea how this idea of bad transportation at AKL all started. I don't know if its the isolated vibe that you get while at AKL (which is a huge plus to us), that feeling of knowing you are in WDW but still feeling like you are a million miles away, or the fact that it's the only deluxe resort without an alternate mode of transportation, or if it is just people who look for any reason to be negative.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

12-cup Mr. Coffee w/ basket filters

Thank you!

 

[disneynanacat]

Hi there. My family is staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge in September for the first time. We had originally booked our stay at the Wilderness Lodge, but switched today with the FD offer. My biggest hesitation with staying at AK is that the resort seems so far from all the other parks. I’d love to hear Others thoughts on times to parks. And also if anyone has stayed at the wilderness lodge and animal Kingdom and has a preference. Thanks for your help. I’ll be combing through this thread for insight and tips for our trip

Overall we have stayed at AKL/AKV more than any other resort. Just guessing maybe 6-8 times since it opened? Even when we want to try out other resorts my heart ALWAYS starts longing for AKL and I end up doing split stay with AKL on the end or the entire stay at AKL/AKV. I honestly can't recall having any bus issues. We always allow plenty time to get where ever we're going no mater where we stay and if we're running late we'll grab a taxi/lyft to go. We don't do that any more at AKL than if we're staying at BWV. If we do have to take alternate transportation is our fault not because the AKL buses are unreliable. Hope that helps. We LOVE LOVE LOVE AKL!

 

[LoveSplashMountain]

First AKL trip scheduled for September 8-15! So excited! First time at a Deluxe as well.

 

[L_MD]

Hi all, I got back a short bit ago from my April trip which included 3 nights at Jambo from 4/13 - 4/16. It was my first time staying and I really liked it.

I had a standard view studio booked but they granted my TouringPlans request and I got the exact room I requested: 5522, which I have no idea how it isn't classified as a Savannah view...I really lucked out. One day I saw the baby giraffe loping around and chasing another animal- so wonderful!

I just want to mention a few things, in case others are ever curious:

Pros:

• Keep in mind I was booking as a solo, but I was able to score a same-day Boma breakfast reservation (I was looking at 9:30ish, I got it for 10:50). I thought it was well worth the price. Surprisingly, my favorite thing was the charred tomatoes...
• Transportation: I too heard horror stories. Literally NEVER an issue and I thought they came very frequently for all parks. The ride to MK that people seem to think is 100-miles away was maybe 15 minutes.
  
• And if you love Animal Kingdom: that bus ride is 5 minutes, tops.
• Had dinner at Jiko one night- really recommend it. I had the tibs for an app, the pinotage flight (yum), and the filet. The only thing I didn't love was the peanut butter dessert.
• Victoria Falls had a great bartender (he recommended a Mt. Kilimarita) and they were serving shortly before the actual posted opening time (opened at 4 I think, I got my drink around 3:45)
• Great animal viewing spots from everywhere, so there's no real need to book a savannah view

Cons:

• I tried the Jambo pool one day but it seemed like people did a LOT of the 'put a towel on a chair for the whole day' thing and the pool was also super crowded. It was probably a combo of the heat, the time of day, and whatever else, but I wasn't impressed and lasted maybe 5 minutes. Oh well.
• Similarly didn't get to try any food from The Mara because of the crowd...hence the Boma reservation. Please keep in mind that it's possible I would have had my food in 10 minutes, but I didn't feel like dealing
• I missed out on Sanaa. This isn't a con for the hotel, it's a con for me! I'll get there one day.

All in all, I was really glad I booked it. Sitting on your balcony with a coffee or a drink in hand and watching the animals is an experience I don't think I'll ever forget and is truly unique. The lobby is breathtaking, the staff were kind...however, French Quarter is my real love, so I doubt I'll be back to AKL.

Happy to answer any questions while my brain is still fresh.

 

[Sailormoon2]

@L_MD your review has me sooo excited!!!

 

[abbymorgsmom]

Hi all, I got back a short bit ago from my April trip which included 3 nights at Jambo from 4/13 - 4/16. It was my first time staying and I really liked it.

I had a standard view studio booked but they granted my TouringPlans request and I got the exact room I requested: 5522, which I have no idea how it isn't classified as a Savannah view...I really lucked out. One day I saw the baby giraffe loping around and chasing another animal- so wonderful!

I just want to mention a few things, in case others are ever curious:

Pros:

• Keep in mind I was booking as a solo, but I was able to score a same-day Boma breakfast reservation (I was looking at 9:30ish, I got it for 10:50). I thought it was well worth the price. Surprisingly, my favorite thing was the charred tomatoes...
• Transportation: I too heard horror stories. Literally NEVER an issue and I thought they came very frequently for all parks. The ride to MK that people seem to think is 100-miles away was maybe 15 minutes.
  
• And if you love Animal Kingdom: that bus ride is 5 minutes, tops.
• Had dinner at Jiko one night- really recommend it. I had the tibs for an app, the pinotage flight (yum), and the filet. The only thing I didn't love was the peanut butter dessert.
• Victoria Falls had a great bartender (he recommended a Mt. Kilimarita) and they were serving shortly before the actual posted opening time (opened at 4 I think, I got my drink around 3:45)
• Great animal viewing spots from everywhere, so there's no real need to book a savannah view

Cons:

• I tried the Jambo pool one day but it seemed like people did a LOT of the 'put a towel on a chair for the whole day' thing and the pool was also super crowded. It was probably a combo of the heat, the time of day, and whatever else, but I wasn't impressed and lasted maybe 5 minutes. Oh well.
• Similarly didn't get to try any food from The Mara because of the crowd...hence the Boma reservation. Please keep in mind that it's possible I would have had my food in 10 minutes, but I didn't feel like dealing
• I missed out on Sanaa. This isn't a con for the hotel, it's a con for me! I'll get there one day.

All in all, I was really glad I booked it. Sitting on your balcony with a coffee or a drink in hand and watching the animals is an experience I don't think I'll ever forget and is truly unique. The lobby is breathtaking, the staff were kind...however, French Quarter is my real love, so I doubt I'll be back to AKL.

Happy to answer any questions while my brain is still fresh.

Great information and feedback. Thank you!

Can you please the Disney Touring plan and room request thing? I’ve seen it mentioned by others.

Thank you!

 

[leebee]

We are staying in a 2Q bedded room in Jambo house (not dvc studio). What kind of coffeemaker is in the rooms, and is the minifridge a "cube" or one of the 3 foot tall-types?

 

[LoveSplashMountain]

About how long it takes to get to Disney Springs from AKL. Considering dinner at Raglan Road one night but worried about transport times.

 

[L_MD]

Great information and feedback. Thank you!

Can you please the Disney Touring plan and room request thing? I’ve seen it mentioned by others.

Thank you!

You have to purchase a Touring Plans subscription to have access to the room request feature. But basically if you create a plan for your trip, there's an option to have them send a room request fax that's easily to fill in. You pick a room by looking through their room locator/pictures, which is pretty fun to do.

 

[abbymorgsmom]

You have to purchase a Touring Plans subscription to have access to the room request feature. But basically if you create a plan for your trip, there's an option to have them send a room request fax that's easily to fill in. You pick a room by looking through their room locator/pictures, which is pretty fun to do.

I had no idea about that. Where would I go to purchase the touring plans subscription. And if I did not subscribe, is there any other way to go about requesting rooms?

And lastly, I am sure there is info in this thread, and I am hoping to read through all of it, but if anyone has any insight on rooms, or areas to request, that would be great. We are 2 families, each staying in standard rooms. Is there any rooms or areas that are pretty convenient to the main area, pool and also have a nice view?

I did read somewhere that all rooms except those on the first floor have balconies, is that correct?

Thank you!