FoxzLem
Registered: April 2006
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Tue May 7, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Animals, charm
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Cons:
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Distance
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Our first stay there on a split hotel visit in a pool view room. LOVED the hotel. Our four year old loved seeing the animals at all of the look out spots. Jiko was a highlight. Partake in the evening hotel activities. Night vision goggles were a hit with the family.
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dgurgens
Registered: February 2009
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Sun April 14, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Peaceful, Relaxing, Clean, Quiet, Pool
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Cons:
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Bus transportation
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My husband and I stayed here (2nd time) for our anniversary. We stayed 4/2-4/8. We were shocked that our room was ready when we checked in, and we're pleasantly surprised to to have been upgraded to a savannah view room. Nothing better! Our room was clean and mouse keeping was phenomenoal - our room was always ready when we returned.
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goofyernurse
Registered: January 2007
Location: Cabot, AR
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Sat April 6, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Atomsphere, staff
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Cons:
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Distance
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My family and I stayed at AKL 3/16 thru 3/22 and couldn't have asked for a better vacation. The relaxed atmosphere of the resort was a nice refreshing change from some of the other Disney resorts that we have stayed at.
We had a savannah view room on the 3rd floor and thoroughly enjoyed waking up each morning (not early) and sitting on the balcony watching the animals. Our room was a queen bed with bunk beds and was a tad small for 4 adults, but both of the 21 y/o were just fine sleeping on the bunk beds. And honestly, you're at Disney...why are you in your room so much?
Both restaurants were amazing and even Mara was good for a quick dinner or breakfast. All of the staff were very nice and always helpful. We even attended a South African wine tasting at Jiko and it was a highlight of our trip. It was a nice change to come back in the early evenings and sit by the fire outside and sip on a glass of wine without screaming kids running all over the place.
The only negative aspect of AKL was the long bus rides from the parks (and yes we knew about this going in). We wisely chose to start driving the car when we were attending the parks late at night so we wouldn't have to wait in long lines or endure the bus ride back to the resort. But this wouldn't keep me from staying here again.
All being said, I would return to AKL without any hesitation and was thoroughly impressed and relaxed at the resort and am very happy that we choose to stay here for our vacation
ps..Amanda (the chef) made an amazing birthday cake for my son and was very easy to talk with over the phone for the ideas. Thank you Amanda for making his day very special.
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mschu2112
Registered: December 2007
Posts: 27
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Review Date: Sun March 10, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Pool, Mara, Overall Grounds
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Cons:
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Room size, mousekeeping
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We just returned from a February break 5 day stay at AKL and overall the resort was fine. The lobby is great and the pool and overlook areas were fine for the kids. Mara offered a good selection of food and the bus service was timely.
However, after staying at the Beach Club in August we felt the AKL was definitely lacking with respect to Beach Club. For one the rooms were much smaller so our family of 4 was very cramped. There were extra dressers at Beach Club as well as a desk and day bed. At AKL there was no desk, small dresser or day bed. The bathroom shower area was cramped and difficult to get in and close the door with any room. There was a lack of dresser space to unpack in and generally we felt cramped. Mousekeeping never left any animal towels which was a disappointment. Our room was a pool view on the bottom floow near the fitness center and was hard to find at first. The pool was nice but the deck was smaller and crowded. Mara was good but hours could be later. The gift shop was large and definitely better than Beach Club. The savanna overlooks were fine but we had expected bigger areas. I am glad we did not pay for a savanna view room as it would not have been worth it given the number of animals we saw.
Overall this is a nice hotel; however, I likely would not visit again as its off the beaten path and the Epcot area resorts are much closer to everything access wise. It was nice but again below what we expected room size wise. Beach Club area just can't be beat.
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peters
Registered: January 2006
Posts: 83
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Review Date: Sun January 20, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Room views, food choices, gift shop & particularly the staff
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Cons:
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Far from the MK, but that's also part of the charm
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Tied with the Grand Floridian as my favorite Disney resort. The theme is second to none, the restaurants are varied and tasty, has the best gift shop of any Disney resort and the cast members are the absolute best I've encountered. Every time we've stayed here, the staff has gone out of their way to make our stay comfortable and they always fix what isn't right.
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Victoria
Registered: January 2013
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Wed January 16, 2013
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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We were a large party of 17 in early December 2012 and had five rooms on the 2nd floor and our balconies facing the sunset view. We all enjoyed viewing the animals, especially the children, from our balconies. We had a hectic park schedule and I would have liked spending more time just lounging in the beautiful surroundings of Animal Kingdom Lodge. We enjoyed the pool, hot tub, found the service people very helpful at Mara We also enjoyed a large family meal at Boma. The lobby is truly outstanding. Our rooms were in good condition and very comfortable. We were very happy with our stay and believe the children had an unforgettable experience there. The giraffes are magnificent.
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eevans1099
Registered: August 2009
Posts: 5
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Review Date: Sat December 29, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Service, beauty
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Cons:
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BEES!!!
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The AKL is beautiful and the service is outstanding!! The activities are awesome and I even use the beads my girls earned as my key chain at home. We did have a savana view room and I think the animals are guided around the savana throughout the day by where the food is placed since every night at 6 or so there were the giraffes and the antelope were there around noon. One thing I cant understand is the layout of the pool deck. There is a row of chairs and then a row of thick plants and the another row of chairs. If you aren't in that first row of chairs then you can forget about watching your kids in the pool while you lounge. Also, with all of the thick plants come the bugs and the BEES!!!! I went to watch my kids in the pool and went back for a drink and our mugs were covered in no less than 10 bees each. My husband grabbed them all in a towel and threw them all in the outdoor shower to get the bees away. So, if you go to the pool, do not fill up your mugs first and bring a newspaper or something to swat away the bugs. The place IS beautiful and the service outstanding but we will not be back.
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bjtrax
Registered: July 2006
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 60
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Review Date: Thu December 13, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Beautiful resort, excellent staff & housekeeping
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Cons:
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lighting in room
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Returned a week ago from an 8 night stay. Although our room overlooked the front entrance, we were upgraded (for no additional charge!) from Coronado Springs, so that was not a problem. The room was on the 4th floor, very close to the elevators & pool area, and surpisingly quiet. The only problem is the lack of lighting. They should definitely have a light in or closer to the closet--it was almost impossible to see inside the safe. Housekeeping & the resort staff were wonderful! The pool was great, and we enjoyed all of the viewing ares & animal related programs that we could fit in to our schedule. We only ate at the Mara, but the food we had there was freshly made & very good. No problem with bus service the whole trip. We are so grateful we were lucky enough to stay at AKL for our 40th anniversary--would love to return there some day!!!
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Luluintan
Registered: December 2012
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue December 11, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 2
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Pros:
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Savannah Views
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Cons:
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Cleanliness (roach problem)
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We stayed at one bedroom villa with Savannah view on Dec 6- 8, 2012. The view was amazing. Our kids (5 and 2 year old) thoroughly enjoyed it. We will never go back there due to cleanliness issue. We have problem with roaches in our kitchen. We notified the hotel staff twice about this. It got to a point where my husband had to keep our kids' cups and bottles in the fridge at night. Their shower leaks everywhere when being used. The water will leak to other parts of the bathroom including vanity and the toilet. Again this is once in a lifetime experience but staying two nights was more then we can bare.
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tink1970
Registered: October 2012
Posts: 8
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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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Animals, dining, theme
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Cons:
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rooms dark, spread out, transportation
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Stayed here for the first time since 2004 for this year's Wine and Dine Half Marathon. We were at the end of the Zebra Trail and enjoyed the view from our room daily. However, I also enjoy a bath after a long run and the lighting in the bathroom was so poor that shaving and reading just wasn't possible!
Also, as with our last stay in Beach Club, Mousekeeping didn't come our first day, but unlike at Beach Club, they came early the next day to make sure our room was serviced-good for them!
The Mara had lots of offerings, from traditional to more exotic and the PB&J meal was a great bargain-for $5.49, and uncrustable, 2 sides and a small drink-best deal on Disney property that I found. Saana was delicious and our breakfast the day after the half marathon in Boma was wonderful and well deserved.
The buses were somewhat slow, especially from Downtown Disney, so next time we'll drive. Not a big deal.
All in all, I don't think I'll go 8 years before returning again!
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2ndgendisneymom
Registered: November 2012
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Sun November 18, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Atmosphere, theme/decor, kid appeal
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Cons:
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Standard view can be really bad
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We stayed here over the wine and dine 1/2 marathon weekend this past November 2012. My DD 18mo loved it! She received a cute tiara at check in and had just as much fun exploring the resort lobby, playground, and flamingo pool as she did at Magic Kingdom. Because we were here for such a short time and we booked through the race reservation line, I did not request a certain view. Actually, they told me savannah view was not available for the race participant reserved rooms. Maybe they had already been booked or there were none to begin with. I did not request a pool view but did request 2 rooms with a shared interior door for MIL and FIL. When checking in, the CM told me we had adjoining rooms and that we over looked the pool. But when we got to the rooms, they were standard view and adjoining rooms does not have a shared door. They are just next to each other. Make sure and specifically request connecting rooms for a shared door. I wasn't expecting a pool view before checking in but when told me I had one, it was a bit of a let down when they weren't. Also, both rooms had an overhang so low over the balcony that you couldn't see anything except the underside of the roof unless you stood right at the window and then got a sliver of landscaping. The overhang ended 2 rooms down from us so those standard view rooms would have had a pretty view of the excellently manicured front grounds.
We we only there for 2 nights and the trip was more about my first 1/2 marathon; we hardly spent time in the room so the bad view wasn't as big of deal to us as it could have been under different circumstances. The benefit is that the overhang made the room so dark that we had no issue creating a bedtime environment for nap time. Moral of the story, don't take a chance on a standard view if it really matters to you.
The other annoying thing is that it took four requests and several hours to get crib sheets delivered to the room.
Positives: the entire resort looked brand new. No scuffs on wallpaper or stains on carpet. Furniture gleaming and wood floors polished. It had such great kid appeal. DD loved running around the lobby and climbing steps. CM's were all friendly and helpful (except for the crib sheets.) Great restaurant choices on site and animals watching was superb. Some people don't like the dark rooms but that did not bother us and worked to our advantage. Bus ride to Magic Kingdom was on the long side but not to Animal Kingdom. We were expecting that so no surprise there. I would love to stay there again one day but with a savannah or pool view.
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lizbasden
Registered: November 2012
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sat November 10, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Service, Atmosphere, Privacy, Room, Neat events, Giraffes RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW!
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Cons:
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None
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We had no complaints. It was our first stay at a Disney Resort and it could not have been better. We stayed over the Christmas season in 2011. The Lodge was decorated for Christmas with it's own African Safari character.
It was so fun to look out our windows in the morning and at night when we went to bed to see what animals we saw. Every window that overlooked the "savannas" we would stop and see what kind of wildlife we could see.
The quick-service restaurant was located fairly conveniently, was never crowded, and was yummy breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
It was great for us to have the option of a room with bunk beds. My mom is a single mother (widowed) and my brother and I are both college aged and our little sister is ten. So we could all sleep comfortably without the awkward "sharing a bed with your teenaged/young adult sib" situation.
The pool was also very nice. There was always some kind of event going on during the day there.
I believe it was Christmas Eve, the Disney Characters and Santa were in the Lobby to take pictures, and free cider and cookies were offered. We had just come in from a Christmas Eve swim, so we have some pretty unique Santa pictures 
this place was just awesome to explore. I would stay again and again.
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Maryandtyson
Registered: October 2009
Location: Peachtree City, GA
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Tue October 9, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Wonderfully detailed theming. Quiet and comfortable.
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Cons:
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None
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Family of four stayed 10 days at AKL. Pool view was lush with landscaping. Our room, 2030, was close to the lobby and pool. We loved the hot tub after long days of walking. The savannahs were easy to visit and the cast members were friendly and knowledgable about the animals. We enjoyed the story telling by the fire outside and interacting with the cast members from Africa. We ate at Boma four times - it was that good. Jiko was amazing - food, service - the whole package. Definitely recommend this resort for a truly transporting experience!
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mlaarndt
Registered: October 2012
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Thu October 4, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Animals, staff friendliness, relaxing feel of the resort
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Cons:
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Dining choices
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We stayed at AKL September 29 through October 4. This was our fifth trip to Disneyworld but our first in a deluxe resort. We had an Arusha view room and absolutely loved it!!!! There were always a variety of animals outside our room. The room was very comfortable and the entire resort was beautiful.
We were very pleased with the transportation to and from the parks. After reading the reviews we were a little nervous about getting from one place to another but we had no trouble at all. The buses were very regular and didn't take much time at all to get where we were going.
We ate at both Boma and Mara and didn't really care for either one. At Boma the atmosphere and staff attention were excellent, the food was OK, but I think it was more us than the restaurant itself. Most food was "traditionally" spiced for African cuisine and that wasn't something we really cared for. Mara, as mentioned by other reviewers, had very little to choose from. The grab and go section was good and much more to our taste.
After staying at AKL I can't imagine staying anywhere else on Disney property.
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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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Room view
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Cons:
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Parking lot too far away
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We loved our first visit to the AKL. We stayed 9/21/12 through 9/29/12. We had a room of the Arusha Savannah on the fourth floor, and unlike previous entries, saw a ton of animals everyday. What a treat to have giraffe and zebras sleeping right outside of your room. The pool was great and nicely heated, and the slide was a lot of fun. Mara was fine for us, and only really crowded at breakfast. The food was good overall, but I do agree with previous posts that there isn't much variety. The bus service was great and very timely. I sure didn't see any reason to complain about it. After all, you are at a Disney Resort and there are only so many buses for all of the resorts and parks. We never waited longer than 20 minutes for a bus and always got right to the parks. I would say the average bus trip with waiting and riding was only half an hour. Only downfall to the bus was the ride back from the parks always stopped at Kidani Village before Jambo House. This seems kind of backwards to me logistically. All in all, if you love animals and Africa you can't beat the AKL Jambo House. It definitely is a little pricier than other resorts, but for us was more than worth the cost. The only regret I have is not having more time to spend at the hotel looking around, relaxing, and participating in the hotel activities.
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