All Ears Guest Blogger Emily Owens Pickle is back – this time with a 3 part blog on Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Concierge Service, the Kilimanjaro Club – Part 2.
DAY 1
(CM = Cast Member)
We arrived at the front of the AKL at about 10:15 on Saturday morning. The Kilimanjaro Club podium was front and center and as soon as we arrived a CM appeared and said, ‘Pickle Safari?’
We were whisked upstairs where we snacked while waiting about half an hour to be checked in, which was no sweat in the comfy Club Level surroundings (and also because we weren’t trying to make a park event or lunch reservation).
The breakfast offerings were still out and there was fresh fruit (okay “half fresh fruit”. I think they mixed canned and fresh cut together) muffins, pastries, croissants, coffees, teas, juices, cereals, and yogurts; it was a decent continental breakfast with some items coming from the Boma buffet downstairs.
When I sat down with our reservation agent she handed me a personalized ‘safari’ packet and explained all of the resort and club amenities. I got a special Gold Key to the World Card and dorky as it is, that little touch made the trip seem a little different/special.
The check-in process was quick and painless. Afterwards we roamed the resort while our room was made ready which took several more hours. We received a call about our room around three that afternoon. I actually missed the call because I was briefly away from my phone and one of our Club CMs came running up to me concerned that we didn’t know our room was ready. We headed up and gratefully dumped our jackets, purses, diaper bags, etc and animal-watched from the balcony.
Important to note: we were lucky enough to be put on the Arusha Savanna and not the Sunset (which currently does not have inhabitants due to the DVC construction next door). But we were never informed of the possibility of being sent to a non-animal Savanna view, hmm. I heard a very irate customer in the lobby of the Club lounge who I’m afraid might have had exactly this kind of nasty shock. Also, the animals on the savannas are apparently sent into the DAK park in the mornings on a rotating basis for each savanna, so we didn’t see anything but birds until early afternoon both days.
That being said, for our family it was definitely worth the Savanna-view prices. There was irreplaceable comfort in being able to watch the animals together while sitting on your balcony wrapped in a warm blanket having snacks.
Our toddler was able to take out her own play animals and wander from room to balcony while my husband and I relaxed. (side note: the balcony rails were high enough that we felt comfortable enough not to hover over Lily. BUT there are two chairs and a table on each balcony and there is so much activity and excitement going on it is easy to get comfortable and distracted. Leaving an unattended young child on one of these balconies could be indescribably tragic…be careful okay?).
AKL has a jam-packed schedule for guests and my father-in-law was able to do the medallion rubbing in the front lobby. The CMs give you crayons and ledger size paper to use on the beautiful medallion front and center in the lobby through the front doors of the lodge.
My husband and I also did the culinary tours of both Boma and Jiko. I was a little disappointed as I thought this might be more behind-the-scenes, but understand that would be difficult from a health and safety standpoint. These tours are more a PR showing in the hopes you will book reservations at one or both of the restaurants (which you should do anyways!). My disappointment was quickly erased when we were able to sample the soups and desserts at Boma and each given the Jiko appetizer, Taste of Africa. All were delicious and I could eat a pan of Zebra Domes every day of my life.
One highlight of the AKL is the wonderful and diverse array of CMs. Most of the CMs hail from South Africa and I would encourage everyone to walk out to the Savannas and enjoy the AKL events where you will get a chance to visit with these wonderful folks. Our Boma tour guide showed us her leg which was in a very large brace; she had decided to try ice skating during this visit to the States.
After the tour we went upstairs for the evening offerings in the Club Level, which were very good; we had a choice between four different South African wines (Rose, Chardonnay, Merlot and Shiraz) as well as South African beers and non-alcoholic drinks. The buffet included meatballs and a delicious chicken soup from Boma. There were different types of chilled offerings such as olives with heart of palms tossed in vinaigrette and herbed carrots. The cheese selection included brie, smoked Gouda and cheddar varieties. I felt pretty satisfied after a healthy tasting of the offerings but my husband wanted to know where our dinner reservation was placed .
Later in the evening the CM servers put out warm cookies and a sampling of desserts from downstairs (sans Zebra Domes). The first evening all of the appetizers and desserts went very quickly-and I heard a guest ask if they could take a six-pack back to their room. Our second evening was MUCH quieter and it would be nice if possible, to plan your stay at Club Level on a Sunday-Thursday.
Relaxed and comfortable we floated downstairs by the fire pit and rocked while Lily serenaded us with Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. I could get used to this luxury-thing. We returned to our room to find our beds turned-down and chocolates on our pillows.
SMOKED GOUDA! I loves me some Pickles too 🙂