Considering AKL - Tell Me About It

[Aurora79]

I’m thinking of taking my 13-year-old son for a 4-night trip, just us, and am considering Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. Here’s what we are wanting out of a resort this time:

• More budget friendly than our past GF stays
• Relaxing!
• We are adventurous eaters, so tasty food is a must
• Son loves animals, so strongly considering savanna view
• We aren’t swimmers, so we don’t really care about the pool

I wanted to stay at WL since it’s so close to MK, but son said we can go to Bass Pro anytime.

Do yo think AKL would fit the bill? Other than distance to the parks, what are some other cons it has? What are its pros?

Thanks all!

 

[Nabas]

I’m thinking of taking my 13-year-old son for a 4-night trip, just us, and am considering Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. Here’s what we are wanting out of a resort this time:

• More budget friendly than our past GF stays
• Relaxing!
• We are adventurous eaters, so tasty food is a must
• Son loves animals, so strongly considering savanna view
• We aren’t swimmers, so we don’t really care about the pool

I wanted to stay at WL since it’s so close to MK, but son said we can go to Bass Pro anytime.

Do yo think AKL would fit the bill? Other than distance to the parks, what are some other cons it has? What are its pros?

Thanks all!

We love AKL (a.k.a. Jambo House) but admit is does have a few cons:

• The hallways are incredibly long. It can be a long walk from the bus stop to your room but at least it's indoors.
• The food options can be a bit adventurous. It's not a place for burgers and fries.
• For a Deluxe Resort, its rooms are modestly sized.

Some of the pluses:

• Animals (of course)!
• AKL has one of the best lobbies at any WDW hotel.
• The theming is immersive.
• AKL has 2 strong restaurants and a spacious food court. IMO, Boma is the best buffet at all of WDW.
• AKL arguably has the best pool at any WDW hotel. It's a large body of water, plenty of lounge chairs, convenient to the food court and bathrooms, 2 hot tubs, a good pool bar, and a relaxing surrounding. (We are not fans of Stormalong Bay.)

I realize you are not pool people but if the weather it hot, I recommend that you give it a try.

 

[HopperFan]

AKL meets all your requirements.

AKL is probably one of the most unique hotels in this country due to the animals. Add some of the best dining on property, tons of nooks and crannies, access to many savanna views, firepits, fireplaces, great lounges and beautiful art everywhere. Stunning resort.

PS Loved our savanna view room, had a tough time even leaving the balcony. With lots of resort time it's an easy decision for me.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Agree with the above but just adding that those long hallways can be so loud. But we LOVED staying at AKL. Actually added a day on last year so we could spend more time on the balcony watching the animals.

 

[Aurora79]

My son is definitely a balcony person. One of his favorite parts about our GF trip was just sitting on the balcony eating leftover Homecomin fried chicken.

 

[CynBeth]

With such a short trip I would pick a resort that is closer to more parks. Also, if you are going to be out all day will not get to really enjoy the animals from your room. There are animal viewing areas and on a day at AK we always have dinner at Boma and stop to see them either before or after the meal. We stayed there once and found the hallways long. We have stayed at resorts with all buses but somehow found the bus system there was not as good and took longer to get to the parks. If you want to do deluxe in the MK area would suggest WL which has amazing theming and Whispering Canyon Cafe is one of our favorite breakfasts. There is a boat to MK. In the Epcot area wouod say YC or BC. You can walk or boat to 2 parks and possibly take the Skyliner at Epcot to CBR to get on the HS line. For moderate CBR has the Skyliner to take to Epcot and HS. We also like POFQ and POR.

 

[Microcell]

I am not much of an animal person so I may be biased . I have stayed at both WL and AKL and much prefer WL though AKL is good for hanging out at the resort. I LOVE Sanaa and Boma. It is a long bus ride to the parks and the hallways are very long. Good luck deciding!

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I’m thinking of taking my 13-year-old son for a 4-night trip, just us, and am considering Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. Here’s what we are wanting out of a resort this time:

• More budget friendly than our past GF stays
• Relaxing!
• We are adventurous eaters, so tasty food is a must
• Son loves animals, so strongly considering savanna view
• We aren’t swimmers, so we don’t really care about the pool

I wanted to stay at WL since it’s so close to MK, but son said we can go to Bass Pro anytime.

Do yo think AKL would fit the bill? Other than distance to the parks, what are some other cons it has? What are its pros?

Thanks all!

Yes! You and your son sound like you would really enjoy AK. It's an experience all on its own and truly makes you feel transported somewhere other than FL. I think it's a great choice. We love the food there, and over at Kidani (short walk) Sanaa is delicious.

 

[MamaMermaid]

AKL sounds perfect!!

 

[Miffy]

AKL is a great choice. The rooms are beautiful, the lobby is stunning, and there are multiple viewing areas all over the resort, including some not very well known areas--for example, you can walk to the ends of several hallways and go out the outdoor exit and get an amazing savanna view.

Another not often mentioned pro of AKL is that the bus transportation from AKL to DAK is amazing. It takes maybe 6 minutes to get to DAK and the bus arrives very frequently.

Yes, it's not the same as staying at GF and being able to walk or take the boat to MK, but even so, the bus ride from AKL to MK is between 15 and 20 minutes, which is almost exactly as long as the bus from any non-monorail resort takes to get to MK. And of course it's not the same as staying at the Boardwalk and being walking distance to both Epcot and DHS.

Everyone is different. The long hallways at AKL don't bother me at all and in fact some of the best savanna-view rooms I've had have been at or near the end of some of those long hallways.

It all depends on what's important to you. When the discounts fall in our favor, we always stay at AKL. It's our favorite resort. Savanna view is the way to go. And I almost forgot--great food.

 

[stace1214]

We love AKL! My kids love having breakfast on the balcony watching the animals. The lobby is gorgeous and even my pickiest eater loves the food there. The distance to parks really wasn't an issue for us and the longer hallways didn't impact us either.

 

[raddisneyfan]

I’m thinking of taking my 13-year-old son for a 4-night trip, just us, and am considering Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House. Here’s what we are wanting out of a resort this time:

• More budget friendly than our past GF stays
• Relaxing!
• We are adventurous eaters, so tasty food is a must
• Son loves animals, so strongly considering savanna view
• We aren’t swimmers, so we don’t really care about the pool

I wanted to stay at WL since it’s so close to MK, but son said we can go to Bass Pro anytime.

Do yo think AKL would fit the bill? Other than distance to the parks, what are some other cons it has? What are its pros?

Thanks all!

Of all the resorts, you really feel like you are in a different place. Outside, nothing special, but just walking in and seeing all the gleaming wood floors and that huge window looking out over the savannah is great. It has great restaurants all around. I love the zero entry pool. I love the 2 gyms. I love waking up in the morning and seeing giraffe outside off my balcony. I've been going to Disneyworld for 45 years now and that has allowed me the luxury of not having to rush anywhere...never did mind taking the buses. I can't wait to get back there in just over 2 weeks time! And, then again in February. One other thing about AKL, lowest possible room prices for Deluxe Resorts. I always book Standard and hope for the upgrade to Savannah room since they have so many. I always request a room furthest away from the lobby and have always gotten it and then I don't get roof or parking lot view, which is possible with Standard View. rooms.

 

[motherof5]

Jambo is my favorite. Kidani has too long of hallways and I'm not found of walking so far to get to my room. Jambo things located close and can you amenities at both Kidani and Jambo during your stay they even have a shuttle that goes between the 2

 

[toodycat]

Just stayed at AKL in May. it is just so unique. The restaurants are excellent. I think it’s a great choice for you and your son.

 

[MrsHammer]

My 16yr old daughter loves AKL. She still talks about how it 'smells like vacation' when you walk through the lobby doors. We have had both an 'animal view' and 'parking lot view' and I have to say that if you want to save a bit more money, we didn't really miss the more expensive view. There are many places to see the animals and you won't miss out as much as you might think you would. Yes, the hallways are long, but you can also request a room closer to the lobby if the distance is a concern. Also, we've always had great experiences with the cast members there. Always smiling and greeting you. I love WL as well, but I think everyone should stay at AKL at least once.

 

[RoseGold]

I love AKL, it's one of the reasons I bought into DVC. But I would have a hard time paying cash rates for it.

The transportation is a major issue. You miss a bus, and you can be waiting 20-30 minutes. Add in scooters and all of that, and it can be frustrating. If you are driving, change this to a plus, because you can park somewhat close to your room and get to your car easily.

The food is alright, but expensive, and can be hard to book for actual dining. The mobile order has improved this to a degree, but this is a big hotel. You could be very, very far from food.

I'd say Swolphin meet your criteria (except animals) better, with WAY better park access, lots of food choices, and should be much, much cheaper.

The animals go to bed early. So you have to decide whether it's worth paying this much to see some animals in the mornings.

 

[ktink]

We just stayed at AKL in September. I'm glad we stayed there but 8 nights was a bit too long. It's so far away from most of the parks. Although, we felt the same way about GF on our AK days. LOL
AKL is beautiful & the dining options are outstanding. We had the best meal @ Jiko that we've ever had onsite.