Animal Kingdom Lodge Concierge Service Reports
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Genene – January 2005
AKL was wonderful!!! From the moment we arrived, we felt the magic of this resort! Because we were staying in concierge rooms, (AP/Value Season Rate, we paid approx. $300/nt.) we were met at our car, taken past the front desk and directly to our rooms (after briefly checking in at the bell desk). We requested the Arusha Savanna view; AKL respected our request as we were on the 5th Floor–"Zebra Trail" (5425 & 5427, connecting)–not far from the lobby or elevator (down to the pool and restaurants). The view from the balcony was breathtaking! We could see zebra, giraffe, wildebeest, and eland so closely. I checked out the view of the other Savannas and I highly recommend anyone staying here request "Arusha Savanna view!" Be warned, rooms at the ends of the "Trails" present quite a trek from the lobby.
The concierge lounge ("Kilimanjaro Club") is on the 6th floor above the hotel entrance. It was so nice. Your hotel key will give you admittance to that level. The food items offered were very tasty. We had breakfast there each morning and with the juices, coffee, cereals, fresh fruit and pastries/muffins, it was the perfect way to start the day. Appetizers served were prepared in the Boma kitchen and were delicious! The cookies, treats, coffees and liqueurs were a good way to end a busy day before tucking into our turned-down beds.
We ate at Boma (buffet), but not at Jiko (fine dining). Boma offers an array of unique foods. It was tasty, but for picky eaters, I'd recommend going over to the Rain Forest Cafe at DAK. The Mara "food court" is a good place to grab something quick and not so "unique." It's on the pool level with entrance from the outside. Of course, refillable mugs are sold there for around $12.00.
Arusha Rock in the main (Arusha) savanna is a great place to see the animals. After 8:00 PM, the CM there can provide you with night-vision goggles to see the animals in the dark. There is also a "bon-fire" each evening with big rocking chairs in which to sit. I also heard about story-telling there, but never experienced it.
The Zawadi Marketplace is the largest in-hotel store I've seen at Disney (DL or WDW). Whatever your needs, from sundries to souvenirs to African art, they sell it there. The bus stop is a little walk outside the hotel entrance. To shorten the distance, take a shortcut through the Marketplace.
We used the laundry facility one time. It's very nice with many machines (there's even a window to look out!). The waiting area is rather spacious with a TV and comfortable chairs. Of course, detergents and softeners are sold. However, there is no pre-treating type of product (ie: Shout).
This hotel is so thematic; the African details will amaze you. As soon as you enter the huge lobby and see these, hear distant sounds, and smell the aromas from the restaurants…you'll feel as if you're in a distant country! Add to that, the gracious and happy-to-help-you CMs…I don't think you'll be disappointed with a stay at this resort!
*****
Karolyn Paul – October 2004
I celebrated my birthday at WDW (39). It was the best birthday, ever. The AKL is our favorite resort. This year we stayed concierge. They made my birthday extra special, without any requests at all.
We loved the Kilimanjaro Club. Every morning it was our first stop, for latte's. Oh, so good. We participated in the sunrise safari, and the sunset safari during our stay. Both were fantastic, and completely different experiences. Our sunrise safari was at AK and it was a cloudy morning, with a slight drizzle. But, it turned out to be the best time to see ALL of the animals. It was fantastic, and I filled my memory card with photos.
The following night, birthday night we planned the sunset safari, and La Nouba for later that evening. What a night! A birthday I will never forget. The sunset safari, was awesome. Our guide was fantastic. We learned so much about the animals, and again, filled up another memory card of photos. We had a neat little treat, and off to an awesome ~ very fancy dinner. The chef spoke to our table of 8 before every wonderful course. Thank goodness we had booked our La Nouba visit through the concierge. She noticed that we would not be able to pick up our tickets at "will call" in time for the show, since we would be busy with the end of our sunset safari dinner. The concierge hand delivered our tickets to our table, during dinner. And, informed us a taxi was outside prepared for us, when we were ready.
The best was yet to come. When we returned to our room after an amazing night, there was a display of ribbons, and a gorgeous birthday cake in the middle. They included a candle, matches, tableware, a birthday card, and a small gift. It was such a nice surprise, and the cake was delicious. Dark Chocolate Mickey's all over it. Yum. WDW at it's finest.
Planning for 2006, and I can't imagine staying anywhere else. Concierge, of course. 🙂
*****
Jackie Lucas – April 2004
The AK concierge service it was wonderful. The food was great and the surroundings and atmosphere was wonderful. That alone was worth it. A couple of the cast staff members I found were not too friendly and you seem to have pull everything out of them. But anytime we needed something if it wasn't out, they were more than happy to get it for us.
*****
Sharon Hardenbergh – March 2004
We stayed at an AKL concierge room for our anniversary in March. Lodge itself is beautiful, room was comfortable with a beautiful Savannah view! Our experience with the concierge staff was just not up to WDW standards – they had difficulty accessing all parts of our reservation that took over an hour to rectify. Our room was also on a different floor than the concierge lounge – very inconvenient to access, which is half of the perk of having concierge. Staff was indifferent to complaints, and turn-down service was spotty and, at times, rude when we were in the room. Overall, a gorgeous hotel, great vacation, but would not recommend concierge at this hotel.
*****
The Phillipson Family – August 2003
Our family stayed in a Concierge Room at the Animal Kingdom Lodge August 9-16 and it was wonderful, easily the most wonderful place we have ever stayed. When we booked the resort the Itinerary Office called us to go over any plans we had and to make confirmations for us. Upon arrival our bags where unloaded and we where taken to Check-In at the Concierge desk, by-passing the crowds of others arriving. The rooms to us where not dark as others had reported and the Concierge staff was very friendly and helpful. The Sunrise Safari available to Concierge guests is a must do and was spectacular, from the newborn elephant to the lion roaring at us as we went by. The pool area was good. We dined at Boma and it was excellent, buffet all you can eat and had something for everyone. I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again it was wonderful.
*****
Jacqueline Jackson – June 2003
Just returned from a June, 2003 visit to AKL, and the first time we ever stayed on the Concierge level. All I can say is that our next visit will be a return one to the Concierge level!! From the one-minute quick check-in, bypassing the front desk, to the great lounge offerings—everything was wonderful. The lounge was never crowded, the food offerings were perfect–food for kids and adults alike-and my daughter loved the espresso machine. The concierge was helpful making show and dinner reservations—and most importantly, helping us quickly with a medical emergency. The room on the concierge level was certainly bigger than the rooms I have had on other floors at AKL. The evening turn-down service was more than that—the room was freshened up, fresh towels were left, mints on the bed—the kids were quite impressed. The extra money I paid for the rooms( including food and drinks) on the concierge floor was money well spent—-and AKL is a wonderful and unique hotel…..my Disney favorite.
*****
Chip and Dale – June 2003
I have, in the past, made quite a bit of sport about both concierge service and the people who used it. But I gleefully had to eat my words about both when a friend of ours surprised us by secretly upgrading our Animal Kingdom reservation to concierge service.
Entering Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort is truly a different world from any of the other Disney resorts. Though I'm sure from the air we'd find that AKL is near to all sorts of civilization, it doesn't seem like it. The route is out of the way; the road is curvy, with lush vegetation on all sides to block out the view of anything else around. Suitcases in hand, we roll through one of the two sets of double doors and are greeted by the immense atrium. Oh my gosh…
We had been to the Lodge on our first night — for dinner at Boma — but the realization has hit us that this was to be our home for the next week. The decor is spectacular. Various types of woods, of course, filled the Lodge, with huge shields strung together to make lights 30 feet above. Black and red, they symbolize how intelligent (black) and brave (red) the warrior is. At the opposite end of the atrium is a 3-story-plus glass wall, covered with a metallic grid work that looks like creeping vines. Beyond it is the fire pit, an outdoor discovery area, and then the savanna. Throughout the lobby are exhibits of various tribal costumes, masks and tools. An indoor fire pit welcomes visitors who want the relaxation of a fire without the mosquitoes.
The hallways are curved to encircle the savanna, but we also notice that walls are offset periodically to break up the look of the hallway and also contain noise. No matter where you turn, you find artifacts, tribal gowns and masks, clothing and tools from throughout Africa.
Our room is beautiful. Good as the photographs are on this website, they simply can't do justice to the room.
The AKL Concierge lounge — the Kilimanjaro Club — is located on the sixth floor (accessible from one set of elevators, using your concierge key). Upon being introduced to the Kilimanjaro Club staff, they went over the schedule of food offerings throughout the day in the lounge, the services of the staff, and an overview of what was available at the resort.
Overall, we would rate our concierge experience a "B." As others have reported, we had a bit of a mixed review of the concierge staff. Don't get me wrong: for the most part, they were wonderful. They were observant, proactive, and very good with children especially. We did have a problem with botched reservations for the concierge-only safari tour, and almost didn't get to go on it. And that same staff-member surely needed to read Eisner's book, "Be Our Guest: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service," for they were quite self-absorbed in their own 9-to-5 job. But SHE WAS THE EXCEPTION to the rule.
We found the food offerings excellent, as concierge food should be. With appetizers from Boma and Jiko and a wide variety of offerings throughout the day, we found ourselves not having to take many meals outside. A sampling of this and that was quite sufficient.
The turndown service was lovely. When we returned to our room, pillows had been fluffed, mints laid on the bed, covers turned down and ice chest filled. The towels in the bathroom had a slight scent of smokiness (not cigarette, but as if they had been passed by the fire pit)…it was the only night we smelled it, but it remains a scent in our memories.
If you want to be pampered, the AKL concierge service is a nice option (even better when someone else is paying for it)! I will never poke fun at the service again… and ANYtime someone wants to bless us with another stay up there, we'll jump at the chance.
*****
Ruth Ann Sforza – January 2003
In January, we spent the long Martin Luther King weekend at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge and thoroughly enjoyed the amenities of their concierge service. The service was superb, and the staff was terrific. They could not do enough to make our stay more pleasant! (In fact, the entire staff went out of their way to smile and talk with guests. Laura, our cast member at check-in even remembered our names when she saw us in the lounge later that night!)
Every morning we had a choice of hot or cold cereal, bagels, pastries, fresh fruit and juices. At lunchtime, various snacks were brought out, and during the mid afternoon "tea" was served with wonderful treats. Around 5 pm we enjoyed a selection of wine and cheeses and hot appetizers from the fantastic Boma and Jiko restaurants downstairs. Later on, several cordials and liquors were offered. A light eater could have eaten EVERY "meal" there!!!
My daughter was recovering from pneumonia so we spent a great deal of time relaxing at the resort, and never once did we feel cheated by not being able to spend more time at the parks. (Of course it was probably my 30th trip there from CT!) The resort is gorgeous, and it's certainly a thrill to open your curtains each morning to find giraffes, zebras, etc., munching on the vegetation right outside!
All in all, we would highly recommend the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and especially their concierge floor, to anyone traveling to WDW.
*****
Freedman Safari 12/19–12/26, 2002
It is our first time here, at AKL, and we just love the setting. We stayed on the Concierge level, although we were on the fifth floor. The Kilimanjaro club is on the 6th. So, it was a short walk up the secret passage, thru the locked gate to the sixth floor. I was a little disappointed that the lounge was not open to late, as we would usually get back from the parks and dinner rather late and would have loved an Expresso. There were a number of Concierge trainees so sometimes questions could not be answered efficiently, but most of the time they were great.
We have a view of the Arusha savannah and if you time it right, you can see the animals being fed their treats and they are all out. Take the early morning Safari at the Animal Kingdom Park, offered only to AKL concierge guest, it was fabulous, all the animals were up and about, and very close to your safari vehicle. The breakfast at Tuskers was great which follows the Safari. Overall the experience has been great. Thanks to Susan at Concierge services. She planned our Safari for us, and she was Super.
*****
Deb Wills's October 2002 Report
*****
Mimi Dvorchak – March 2002
I stayed a week at the Animal Kingdom Lodge last March of 2002. This year on my 51st trip to Disney; we decided to try the concierge at the Animal Kingdom for two nights and the we spent the rest of our vacation at the Boardwalk Villas…..
We loved the hotel……..Been to Africa and this hotel and their savannah's are great…….
Our only problem was the girls at the concierge desk……. When we checked in when had the pool view. I asked the bell boy if we could have the savannah view and he suggested that we go and talk to the girl at the concierge desk. Well, she was rude??? You would of thought we asked her for a million dollars……We did get a savannah view. The next day we where taking the Safari which is only for the guests staying at the concierge floor. We went up to the concierge desk and asked what the plans where…..Wow…. The girl at the desk said "I just got here and you just be here at 7AM…….
I feel that the money 550/night we should of been treated like a king…….I will go back to the Animal Kingdom Lodge but I think for less money we will stay on a regular floor and hope that the concierge floor guests will be treated better……