Animal Kingdom Lodge Pros and Cons/Favorite things to do

Cinderelley;2521894 wrote: Chakalaka is a South African vegetable relish, usually spicy, that is traditionally served with bread, pap, samp, stews, or curries.

this sounds delicious. I will definitely be trying this. Any particular restaurant.
We plan to eat at Sanaa.

FenwayGirl;2521949 wrote: this sounds delicious. I will definitely be trying this. Any particular restaurant.
We plan to eat at Sanaa.

It is at Mara - the counter service restaurant at AKL. It is served at breakfast.

Thanks for the info. I will definitely be trying it.

Cinderelley;2521984 wrote: It is at Mara - the counter service restaurant at AKL. It is served at breakfast.

We love Mara - so many awesome options. Our favorite counter service on property!

We stayed at AKL in May 2017.

The lobby is impressive, but dark.
The darkness continued down the hallways and at times it felt like a funeral parlor.
We had a Savannah room with bunk beds near the end of the hallway and it was a long walk. Especially when returning from the parks with kids. Their little legs were tired.

We LOVED the Savannah view. Our kids would watch the animals in the morning while they ate breakfast and we returned midday for naptime and they would eat a snack and watch the animals before nap. It was so peaceful.

We loved the rocking chairs on the common area balcony.

The ride to AK was short and less than 5 minutes. The ride to the other parks and Disney Springs was around 20 minutes.

The restaurants were not very appealing to us. The exotic foods and spices are just not our thing.

Each night they had a drumming activity in the lobby for the kids around 8:30 and around 9 was campfire stories just off the main lobby. There are various stations the kids can visit to complete activiities during the day. The cast members at these stations are very interactive and have interesting stories.

The castmembers at the front desk were not very helpful. The maps didn't help me find a laundry facility and the castmembers directed me to one on the opposite hallway from where our room was. That was a trek with dirty laundry then clean laundry. I stumbled upon one relatively close to our room our last night there. I was not happy to see that.

It was our first time staying there and overall it was a great experience based on the Savannah view alone. However, DH and I decided that we'll likely try a different place next time.

AKL has always been one of my favorites. I have stayed at Jambo and Kidani several times and enjoyed both immensely. I loved the 1 bedroom at Kidani, but also love the convenience of being in the center of it all at Jambo. I really don't have any cons for AKL other than if you get a room at the far end of the resort it is quite a hike. It's all pros for us. It's peaceful and serene, and you truly feel like you are away from it all. I've always wanted to go on a luxury safari in Africa, and AKL comes the closest to recreating that feel and atmosphere. The theming is elaborate and carried out in the finest details, and we love exploring the resort. There is amazing art and cultural information around every corner, and we especially love the dark lighting. Some people may think it's rather cave-like or too dark, but I have always loved it. There is nothing better than coming home to AKL after a long day at the parks. It's an amazing experience and I can't wait to go back!

Pro’s: the animals, the restaurants, the theming, the pool
Con’s: distance to pretty much anything but Animal Kingdom