Questions about AKL

[Princess_Aurora]

Okay, I have a couple of questions.

1. Does anyone have any pics to share? I want to see more of this lovely resort!

2. How far away is it from all the parks? Are the busses usually over crowded at night?

 

[sharoncity]

While it can be some distance to say MGM or MK, it is not too bad of a bus ride. AKL doesn't share their bus with any other resort and only has one bus stop at the resort. This of course saves time over the resorts that have multiple stops. Bottom line, MGM or MK are about a 10-15 min ride. We never waited more than 10 min for a bus. And the only time they were standing room only were directly after a parade or fireworks. Even in the mornings, we didn't find them to be overly crowded.

Here is a link to a site with a lot of good pictures. We found it very helpful while we were planning.

http://www.geocities.com/clrmdc

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by Princess_Aurora
2. How far away is it from all the parks? Are the busses usually over crowded at night?

I really can only second what Sharoncity has already said. AK Lodge has pretty cut and dry transportation... The only routes that might make an additional stop will be for the Disney/MGM Studios, and Epcot. It used to be that the Studios bus serviced Blizzard Beach. (All other resorts, it was the AK bus) However, we're now doing some testing, and it might be the Epcot bus. So which bus... is subject to change. There will be signs that shall direct you as to which bus will take you there.

Magic Kingdom will probably be the "longest" bus ride... however, in busy traffic conditions, and following all traffic regulations, I can do it in 12-14 minutes. (By comparison, a Monorail ride from MK to Grand Floridian will take the same amount of time)

At any rate... Enjoy Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge... it is a BEAUTIFUL resort... the busses run frequently... and are almost never crowded. (With the exception of when Sharon mentioned... but that's a given for anywhere)

 

[Princess_Aurora]

Thanks so much! The busses don't sound too bad after all. The last resort we stayed at was ASMo and those busses were extremely crowded because the busses serviced all the All Star resorts.

 

[Tinkbell]

AKL transportation was PERFECT!! I was there last month and there were never more than 10 people on a bus. I never waited more than 5 minutes for a bus! I was with my grandmother in a wheelchair and all the drivers were wonderful. They took a lot of care to see that my grandma was comfortable.

Tyler, keep up the great job!!

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

Thanks for this thread Aurora, I was contemplating asking the same questions!

THREAD HIJACK- Tyler- we're staying at the GF for one night at the end of September- what are the odds of getting my 3yo son up front with the driver on the monorail and what's the best way of going about it? TIA!

Joanna

 

[sharoncity]

Joanna - We did that with our 4 yr old DS in April. We came out of MK at an "off-time" and just asked. It was available on the next monorail that pulled in. Only 4 people can ride in the front. My DS was thrilled and I found out my DH had never had that honor either, so we all enjoyed it. When we got off, they gave us all a Co-Pilots "license".

 

[Chip 'n Dale Express]

Originally posted by *123JOANNA123*
THREAD HIJACK- Tyler- we're staying at the GF for one night at the end of September- what are the odds of getting my 3yo son up front with the driver on the monorail and what's the best way of going about it?

All you have to do is ask. Each front cab can hold four guests.

This is how the Resort monorail works...

Each resort has a train that belongs to them. For example:

Contemporary - Green
Polynesian - Coral
Grand Floridan - Lime

Now, if you're staying at the Grand Floridian, you can request to ride in front of the GF's train, which in this example would be Lime. When Lime pulls into the station, the guests riding in that cab will get out to let you ride.

If for example, the Green train pulls in, and it happens to be empty... you may ride in the front up until the Contemporary. Once you get to the Contemporary, if there are guests waiting, you must step into the back section. (Because this is the Contemporary's train)

Please note that the colors I have listed are just an example... They will change on a daily basis, and in fact, they might change throughout the day. Just talk to the Monorail Host or Hostess, and they'll let you know what the current color is.

Another thing to note... The front cab can only hold four guests, whether they be 6months old, or 60 years old... This is a strict rule that we adhere to. Another rule that we have is no switching. This means that you can't switch off at the various stops, and it also means that if the front cab becomes empty, you may not transfer up there. The only way to board the front is by asking the CM, and waiting on the platform. Unfortunetly, this policy does cause a lot of frustration on guests behalf because they sometimes don't understand why they can't ride up front. The reason for it is because there will be 5 other groups throughout the train who wanted to ride up front, and it's not fair to pick one over the other.

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

That is great info- thanks guys. We'll be on and off the monorail a couple of times so hopefully we'll get a turn!

Joanna

 

[mirlow]

Here is a site with some great pictures. We stayed one night on our July trip and we fell in love with this resort
http://www.yourmagicaljourneys.com/mainresort.htm