Kapski77
Registered: December 2012
Location: NJ
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sat December 29, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Everything especially the savannah guides and concierge cast members on the 6th floor
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Cons:
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You are no longer greeted at the front door by a concierge cast member
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My family stayed here at our usual time of the last 10 days in August.
I think the best part are the savannah guides especially grace, Moshabi, Laetitia, sisa, Topsy, clement, John, Simon, Elbe, Irene, and tshepiso. They were a great addition to the lodge this year. They were more informative than I have seen any other guides in the past 5 years of staying here at the lodge. This year we partook in all the bead activities and more than one time around.they actually have real beads and not the pony beads they used to have. I like it that it is a bead string of memories. I still wear it on my bag all the time.
Also, the concierge cast are amazing. They have gone out of there way to make my family's vacation a memorable one. There was new program where the head of the zoo keeper cast was in concierge speaking to us about the animals and his job. They had food there from Sanaa which was good as always. It was a superb program. Even after all these years I have found many new things around the lodge and Kidani. The one negative is that you are not met by a concierge cast member until you have checked in at the front desk. I find this redundant because then you have to check in again on the 6th floor just to go back to the 4th floor where our room is located. We you pay that amount of money, I want to be met at the front door and only have to be checked in once.
As far as food goes I never leave there without a trip to Sanaa at Kidani village. I always have the beef tips, bread service, and salad samplers and the trio of desserts. The food is tasteful even for my picky eating habits. My family does love Boma for breakfast since it is a buffet. Jiko is also a nice place to eat but we usually stay away from there as it is a bit pricey for four people.
The last few trips have been crowded at the lodge in the value season. None the less there have been no long waits for elevators or seating at our reservations. There has been some rude guests however and guests who want things "now" type attitudes.
Overall I definitely recommend staying here if you can afford it even if it is not concierge level.
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jaminmd
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Sat November 24, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Peaceful lounge, nice staff
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Cons:
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Too carbohydrate heavy on the snacks
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We spent a week at AKL CL during the Thanksgiving holiday. We were not greeted outside but after waiting in line at the regular check in desk, we were escorted to the CL lounge. The staff was nice and helpful,
The coffee was good but a few cons: coffee should be available earlier and the snacks are unhealthy and too carbohydrate heavy. gummy bears, goldfish, yogurt covered pretzels. Yuck. I don't eat that junk at home and don't want it on vacation.
I did like staying CL but the extra expense won't really be worth it for me. I loved the fresh fruit for breakfast but didn't care for any of the African inspired appetizers.
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mahaneycardas
Registered: October 2012
Location: Akron, Ohio
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Mon October 1, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Concierge staff
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Cons:
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None
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We stayed 9/21/12 through 9/29/12. We were greeted at the doors of the AKL Jambo House by a concierge staff member. He walked us through the hotel and gave a very in depth history behind it and why it was built and decorated the way it is. He then took us up to the lounge for check-in. It was great because this was a surprise for our kids and my mother-in-law, and the looks on their faces is something I'll never forget. Check-in was very smooth and we had rooms with great views of the Arusha Savannah.
The lounge was great for breakfast and snacks, and they even gave me a few Tusker Lagers to take back to the room so that I could sit out on the balcony and watch the animals in the evenings.
The Sunrise Safari was awesome. We took it Sunday morning, and had a pretty small group...around 40 people. The guides were great and the breakfast was delicious.
We had two issues arise during the week that were resolved very quickly. The first involved mousekeeping accidentally taking our youngest daughter's bean bag Simba with them when they changed the sheets on the beds. The concierge staff explained that they probably couldn't get it back, but said they would try to come up with something comparable. When we got back to our room that same night there were a large Simba and Nala on the beds. We definitely didn't expect this, and our daughter was thrilled. The other issue involved a package I had delivered to the AKL from Hollywood Studios. Somehow it ended-up in someone else's room. The concierge staff straightened everything out, and had my package back to me within a half an hour.
I know people complain a lot about concierge level at Jambo House, but we sure enjoyed it. We don't usually get to travel first class so this was a real treat. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciated the little things like the gentleman from South Africa sitting down for an hour with my girls and talking and doing crafts with them, to the nice staff member who gave my wife and mother-in-law roses on our last night at the AKL. If you can afford to go concierge level at least once at Disney do it. You won't be disappointed.
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EpcotRstFan
Registered: July 2012
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Mon July 30, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Decor, View From Lounge, Lounge Staff, Food Offerings
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Cons:
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Distance from room to lounge, housekeeping
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We were only able to stay CL at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and I'd love to try it again sometime soon. The resort as a whole is so dramatically, yet elegantly themed, and this carries to the actual rooms. The CL staff was accommodating, friendly, and left us a lovely gift in honor of our anniversary. The lounge hovers in a loft over the magnificent lobby and it is just gorgeous at night. What I can't understand is why the CL rooms are on the 4th floor, and the lounge is on the 6th. This review would have been a 9 or a 10 if the lounge and the CL rooms were closer. Also, one of the perks of CL is turndown service, which I love, and on our one night there, turndown service didn't happen. It's not the end of the world, and the distance to the lounge is a bigger problem, but it was problematic nonetheless.
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Willbegone
Registered: August 2009
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 27
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Review Date: Mon June 18, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great service
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Cons:
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Turndown service
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We stayed club level June 8-16. The only reason I don't rate this experience a 10 was turn down service. The weekend staff was wonderful but the week night lady was not. She showed up at our rooms at 9:30PM each evening after my kids are already getting in the bed. Several guests complained. The lounge offerings were good, we especially liked being able to stop by there after a hot morning in the parks for lemonade and jungle juice! My kids loved being pampered and having the special gold keys. We would book club level again!
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njpaulc
Registered: April 2012
Location: Berkeley Heights NJ
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Sun April 22, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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It's a beautiful place
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Cons:
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It's huge
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We stayed there from 4/05 - 4/08. We requested bunk beds, but e didn't get them, we were also put on the 4th floor, with a savannah view (which I don't believe we requested). It was a heck of long walk to the lobby elevators and access to the lounge, but, even though I am recovering from knee surgery I can't complain too much. The lounge was comfortable and the breakfast and the appetizer menu had some unique items. The view from the room was incredible. We were situated close to the elevators that are by Mara and since we ate there a few times it was very convenient. The resort is so large you could be very far from everything. It is decorated perfectly which we have come to expect from Disney. Mara might be the largest Deluxe Resort counter service. It has a unique menu and is very comfortable. We did not eat at the table service restaurants. Other than having to share a bed with my 12 year old son, I really enjoyed our stay at Jambo House. The walk may have been long, but there are so many things you have to stop and look at, you don't really notice it.
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thedrumman64
Registered: March 2012
Location: Canada...East Coast
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sun March 18, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Lounge, Club Level Staff
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Cons:
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None
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This was our second stay on club level using our DVC membership, and we had another excellent experience.
We arrived via Magical Express, and after picking up our package at the online check in desk, we were walked to the Club Level desk, and checked into our room. Since the DVC rooms are all on the 6th floor, we very much enjoy the proximity to the lounge.
Throughout the week, the staff was more than helpful. We asked for a number of little requests which the concierge desk handled quickly and correctly. We asked if my daughter could interview a manager for her college business project, and within a half hour, a wonderful young lady came to our room for a 20 minute discussion. The desk also called off property restaurants for us to check on wait times, and did a number of other things we greatly appreciated.
The serving staff too was more than happy to get a beer or other beverage at closing time (since the beer is put away in the evening), and we found them in general to be very polite and helpful thoughout the week.
All in all, another wonderful stay at Club Level, and we are looking forward to our next stay there at Christmas.
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yulilin
Registered: October 2007
Location: orlando, fl
Posts: 12
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Review Date: Sun January 22, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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great service-lounge-room
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Cons:
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no hot items for breakfast
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This was a birthday present for me from my husband. We originally booked an Arusha View and when I saw that the difference between that one and Club Level was 14$ for both nights I jumped at the chance. (We booked using my husband's 60% off CM rate). We told the concierge on the phone 3 days before check in that we would like a bunkbed room since our kids are 15 and 11, he said that it would be noted but not guaranteed.
We pulled in to the security gate around 2:45pm, the CM asked us for our names and when she found our reservation got on the radio and told the people in the hotel we had arrived. We self parked our car and walked up to the entrance and there was a concierge CM waiting for us, she escorted us to the CL lounge were she took my DD11 on a tour of the lounge and showed her all the goodies while we were checked in by Carmen. My husband made a comment during our check in process that this was a birthday present and she said "that's great, maybe you'll find something this evening in your room". Check in took about 10min. mainly because we started talking to Carmen and she was very nice.
Got a room on Zebra Trail, 4th floor, you can take the same elevator from the lounge 6th floor to our room 4th floor which was not inconvenient at all. Room 4411 overlooks the Arusha Savannah, and it was a bunkbed room, Awesome, my kids loved it. We had Giraffes, Zebras, Ankole Cattle, Water Hogs, Thompsons Gazelle right outside our balcony. It was a great view. In the room a welcome letter from Concierge and 4 chocolate flamingos.
Now onto the offerings from the lounge. First we always found a table and chairs for our family at all times of day. For breakfast the had the same items every morning. Bagels, croissants, cinnamon rolls, chocolate croissants, fruit, coffee, tea and juices. This is my only complaint, if it can be called that, that there were no hot items like eggs, or at leas some cheese and ham. Coffee was nice, you could make yourself a cappucino or espresso, and they also had the syrups for french vanilla and hazelnut. The fridge was stocked with OJ, milk and yogurts. For snacks, they had chex mix (goldfish, pretzels,m&m,banana chips) yogurt covered pretzels, cookies, and spicy nuts (my fave)Tea time had amazing tasting scones, little tea cookies and a good variety of teas. From 5 to 7pm is were they bring some items from Boma, I forgot to write all the names but it was a variety of cheese (manchego, Tilamook,Five COunties cheddars and blue)different types of breads, different types of hummus, and 2 appetizer (crab cakes, turkey quiches, shrimp,etc). They had Indaba wines and in the fridge they had varieties of beer, including Tusker Beer. The kids table had ham and cheese rolls, flat bread pizza, gummie bears, apple slices, carrots, ranch dip and caramel. We ate breakfast and dinner here, only had to get lunch. You can bring anything to your room.
As we returned the first night to our room, first thing we noticed was turndown service, 2 chocolates in each bed and a card with an African Proverb, also on the table was a AKL bag with a birthday button. Inside was a stuffed elephant and a bead giraffe, those that you buy in the store for 25$. I love giraffes and this was a nice surprise.
I won't go into details about the resort, it's lovely, we spent 3 days and the kids had always something to do. All the staff is amazing. We used the lounge until 6pm on our check out day. We have never stayed club level anywhere so I can't compare with other resort but we enjoyed our stay here.
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bmaddux
Registered: January 2012
Location: Seattle
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Mon January 16, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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a great place to hang out, Sunrise Safari, breakfast
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Cons:
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not all CM's were helpful
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Overall, we had a great experience at AKL. The lounge was a great place to hang out, the breakfast was the same everyday, but we all had something we liked. The snacks and deserts were good, and the free beverages in the evening were great.
Most of the CM's were very helpful and friendly. One lady at the concierge desk was less than helpful and not very friendly, but the rest were great.
The Sunrise Safari was OUTSTANDING. It wasn't cheap, but our guide was absolutely great and the ride and animal viewing was super. I would absolutely do it again. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
It sounds like we might have gotten a bit lucky, because my wife had originally booked a bunk bed Arusha view room. This room cost MORE than a Concierge room. However, we got both the bunk beds and Arusha view, with the Concierge level, for less.
Overall, we were thrilled with our AKL and Concierge experience.
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Dezraei
Registered: September 2006
Location: WA state
Posts: 32
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Review Date: Tue November 29, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Free Goodies, View
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Cons:
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Confusion at Check-in
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I was mostly worried about not getting a Savannah View room when I reserved the Concierge room through DVC. But luckily-both times I was there throughout the week I got one! I stayed for one night on 9th-did a Disneycruise and came back from November 13th-16th.
When we arrived I was confused about which line to get into for registration. I was in one line and they sent me to another then another. I was frustrated at this point and asked a passing hotel worker to please help me. He explained that there is a worker out front of hotel that checks in the Concierge guests, but he took us straight up to the 6th floor(You need a special key) to meet with the Concierge folks up there. When I came back after cruise I knew to look for the worker out front-but there is nothing that says who they are so I don't know how anyone would know on their first trip!
The first night we were on Concierge level and had a room near all the goodies(will talk about that later!) The view of the Savannah was very limited. The second time we went they overbooked the Concierge area and gave us a 5th floor room(5469) that had a beautiful view. We could see Everest in the background and could even see the Reflections fireworks at night. It was quite a walk to the Concierge area and Lobby but we didn't mind.
Time to talk about the food available for Concierge guests. Their breakfast was great. We ate there everyday before going to the parks. Oatmeal, cereals, yoghurts, croissants,muffins, bagels. Every kind of drink imaginable all the time. Their snacks in mid afternoon were cookies(yummy ones!)granola bars, kettle chips, pretzels. We only had the dinner appetizers once-they were good for me and the kids but my husband said it wasn't enough to fill him up. At night they have the dessert bar with all kinds of fancy desserts-it changed while we were there every so often. They also served shots of alcohol-self serve-and beer and wine. Thought that was interesting.
Overall we had a good time. I am pretty much happy wherever you put me on Disney grounds-we never have a complaint.
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islandboy42
Registered: October 2006
Location: Charlottetown, Prince Edward island , Canada
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Sat November 26, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Spent 8 nights at AKL Club Level. Some staff were excellent (Yvette, Megan) while others were cold and unhelpful. Food was OK for Breakfast (more protein would be nice) but more variety is needed for the rest of the day especially for children(no uncrustables were served). In general service at Disney is no longer magical and after 5 visits here during the last 9 years we will be looking to spend our vacation dollars elsewhere next time. Room was fine but mousekeeping could be improved a bit.
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DVC Fans
Registered: July 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Mon September 12, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Food Servers
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Cons:
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Concierge Desk
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We stayed on the 6th floor twice in August, both times for a one night getaway in a studio. In our opinion, the pool view is quite beautiful whereas the savannah view is rather sparse. On the positive side, our rooms were ready early, properly stocked, and clean. The turn down service was a welcoming touch. It was very nice and relaxing to be up on the top floor, away from the noise and commotion of a medium sized hotel. The food presentations were okay, but we thought that the breakfast presentation was outstanding. The food servers were outstanding as well.
Although the 6th floor check-in desk employees were friendly, we agree with a previous posting that this is not a true concierge desk. Having enjoyed club privileges before at Ritz Carlton, there is a huge difference in the quality of the concierge staff and assistance level between the two. The Kilimanjaro concierge desk provided us with inaccurate information twice, and did not seem interested in going out of their way to do anything. Another negative was the inadequate insulation around the connecting door leading to the adjoining unit, causing a premature and lengthy pause in our slumber around 2 am. Unfortunately, ear plugs did not provide adequate relief. Frankly, I would rather just stay home and enjoy a good nights sleep.
Overall, I might recommend the club level for families with small children who would certainly benefit from the easy access to hydration and snacks. It can be a bit difficult for children to brave a hot summer day at the theme parks without frequent breaks to replenish and relax.
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buntingd
Registered: July 2010
Location: FL
Posts: 23
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Review Date: Tue September 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 3
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Pros:
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concierge services, transportation
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Cons:
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repairs needed in room
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This was our second time on the concierge level, we were disappointed this time. We were in room 5313. We checked in about 12:30 and our room was not ready so we left our bags with bell services and went out. By the time we had walked down to the bus stop I got a text message saying our room was ready.
Upon returning, we picked up our bags and went to our room. No one escorted us up. There was 1 towel animal in the room and that was all we got the entire weekend. We were in a one bedroom suite. A piece of the shower -the ring around the handle was broken. We were celebrating our anniversary and it was on our reservation and nothing was done.
Bus service was great, we never waited more than 10 minutes.
Concierge services in the lounge were great. They were helpful with adding tickets to our key. There was a wide variety of foods at the times we visited. Did miss the zebra domes -- did not have any we we were there at night. The spiced nuts in the afternoon were yummy they had the right amount of spice.
Overall, we were disappointed after the great service we had last time. I seriously doubt we will do concierge level at AKL again.
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tlpats
Registered: August 2011
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed August 31, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Everything
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Cons:
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None
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This was my family's first stay at AKL and on club level from 8/14 to 8/24. We were greeted at the door and escorted to the 6th floor for check-in which took only about 15 minutes and our room was ready even though we arrived at 10:30 in the morning. I do agree that the rooms are a bit small but I felt like the balcony added space to the room because we spent so much time out there looking at the animals. We had a queen and bunk beds(which worked great for DS11 and DD9) overlooking Arusha savanna on Zebra trail just like I requested.
Our experience with the club level cast members was excellent. We were always greeted with a smile and helped with any questions we had. When my husband asked for directions to a local store so he could buy bottled water for the parks, they helped us out with some extra special magic.
The food in the lounge was great. Breakfast was perfect as we are not used to eating a big meal at home anyway...oatmeal, fresh fruits, cereal, croissants, bagels, etc. coffee and juices. At dinner the hummus and pitas were delicious and it was great to come home after a long day in the park and grab a glass a wine to unwind.
Sunrise Safari was awesome, our tour guide Matt was great. It was nice talking with him during breakfast at Pizzafari and getting answers to many questions we had about the animals on our savanna.
Our one concern with AKL was the bus service after reading other posts but our average wait was 10 minutes. We had our own car with us but never felt the need to have to drive to a park.
Overall we had a wonderful experience at Jambo. The resort definitely has a relaxing and homey feel that we enjoyed especially as a break away from the busy parks. My kids loved the pool and all the activities that are offered throughout the day at the lodge. When we were leaving we all agreed that we didn't know if we could do Disney any other way again!
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SillyGoofymom0105
Registered: May 2011
Location: NJ
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Sat August 6, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Convienant
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Cons:
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not worth the extra $ or DVC points
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I'll start by saying Ive been going to WDW for 25 yrs and Ive been a DVC member for 6yrs. Ive stayed at AKL once before and LOVED IT! So much so, that my husband and I decided to go back with our 1.5 yr old son, and figured we'd try the Concierge level. First I'll say we were never greeted by the Concierge level staff as I was told was going to happen. The rooms are the same size as all the other rooms, and there is no guarantee you'll have a Savanna view. We were told we had a savanna view but to me its wasn't much of a view. We enjoyed the "standard" views a lot better of the pool area!!
The food given in the am were bagels, mini muffins,fresh fruit, cereals, oatmeal (which I enjoyed) with brown sugar. They also offered coffee, teas, juices , milk (in the fridge) and soda. In the afternoon there were snacks such as gummi bears, chex mix, chips etc Around dinner time they offered appetizers arm and cold, wine and beer. I didn't expect a full course meal at any of the times but i still couldn't grasp what I was paying extra for. However, my husband loved the convenience of getting coffee right down the hall instead of taking an elevator the The Mara.
The room was clean and kept at all times, the bellman that helped us with our luggage was the best cast member to date. He was friendly, and very nice to our young son.
Last but not least, being on the Club level, we did see a few NBA stars...nice perk for my husband, but that is all.
I would definitely stay at AKL again, just not the club level...I'd rather have a longer stay at the resort vs paying more $ or more points for that room.
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