AKL Standard room vs Savannah view

[NASCARVW]

I was thinking about splurging for a DELUXE room with my Annual pass rate for my GF's Birthday coming up Nov. 13.
Is the $79 upgrade to the Savannah room worth it?
How are the other viewing areas?
We'll probably spend most the time in the parks anyways?
Just looking for other's opinions, thanks in advance

[mustBgoofy]

I have a friend that stayed in a standard room that ended up having a savannah view. She wanted to upgrade but the price wasn't right and they told her that there were some standard rooms with the view. Not sure how you would go about getting one of these other than asking at the desk though. Maybe someone else could offer some advice.

[Mousemates]

"worth it" is a relative thing...however having said that, while we don't typically see the point of paying big bucks for views at other resorts, to us the AKL is most definitely one that is worth it... especially if you plan on spending any time at the resort itself or using your room for anything other than sleeping quarters. To me there is nothing like sipping a cool beverage of your choosing on your balcony while watching the animals late at night or doing the same thing with a cup of hot coffee in the mornings.

[DakotaDisney]

It's all personal preference and a large part of it really depends on how much time you spend at the resort. But if you are going to spend the money to stay at a deluxe resort, specifically AKL then I think it is worth it to have a Savannah room. I personally love AKL!

I think that if you are going to pay the deluxe resort price to stay at AKL then I think that to get the most out of what you are paying you should pay the extra for a Savannah room. The animal view, experience, etc. of AKL makes it what it is.

Having said that though if the only way that you can stay at AKL is with a standard room, then that is fine. You can experience the resort in many other ways.

I don't know about the standard rooms with a savannah view, but I know I sure wouldn't want a parking lot view. You can look at a parking lot at any hotel/resort for less money.

[mrsgaribaldi]

We stayed there in Feb without the Savannah view. There are alot of places around the resort to view the animals and it was awesome. I would stay there again in a regular room in a second.

[MNNHFLTX]

I totally love Animal Kingdom Lodge and have only stayed in savannah view rooms there. Being able to watch the animals just outside our sliding doors whenever we were in the room--well, let's just say that it was so captivating that we hardly ever turned the TV on. If you do splurge for a savannah room, do try to spend a little time in it, whether in the morning or evening so that you get what you pay for. The parks will always be there, but that kind of view may not.

[tesslor]

I love AKL. I would choose to stay there in a standard room over a moderate any day, but I definately think this is one place where the upgraded view is worth it.

The first time we stayed I booked a standard room, we asked at check-in about the price to upgrade to a savannah view and we were given a free upgrade. I don't know if it matters, but there was no one else at check-in when we got there and DD6 made doe-eyes at the CM when I asked!
She then proceeded to jump up and down and scream like she was on The Price is Right.

I am sure you will enjoy your AKL visit whichever room type you choose.

[twinboyz]

We stayed in a Savannah view room. It was quite refreshing to come back to the room. The kids loved sitting on the balcony relaxing after a day in the park to watch the animals. Totally a preference call, but we really enjoyed it.

[Dsnygirl]

We just got back from staying at AKL, and I would definitely recommend a Savannah view room! We'd paid for a pool view, but got a surprise upgrade to a Savannah view, and it was awesome. We were on the Zebra Trail, overlooking the Arusha Savannah, and had zebras and kudus, a bongo, pelicans and cranes outside our porch every day. Giraffes, too, but they tend to stay more towards the back of the savannah and only came up close a few times. But we LOVED it... sipping your coffee in the morning, or a glass of wine before bed while watching whoever's out there is amazing.

If this is a one-time splurge for you guys, esp. for a birthday, I say go for it!!

[mudpuppysmom]

We've stayed at AKL twice now and both times we've been upgraded -- the first time DH had just gotten back from deployment and we had the military rate (not sure if they know this or not); last December we had a bunch of kids with us (again, not sure that matters either).

Both times I have booked standard rooms and been pleasantly surprised to receive an upgrade! I think if you want to be able to see the animals on your balcony then you might want to book that view b/c an upgrade is never guaranteed -- you can ask to pay for one at checkin, but it might not be available (which it seems they always have these rooms available uniless it is super busy).

As a few others have said, it's personal preference, but I will say it IS rather nice to just open the curtain and have the ability to watch the animals.

[Disney_Barbie]

My Vote : YES, totally worth it. It is very nice to see the animals from common areas (and there are plenty of oportunities to do so) but to us, seeing them in common areas didn't feel much different than spending a day in Animal Kingdom itself. It truly becomes a personal experience, and AK LODGE (and not just AK park) experience, when you're sitting out on your balcony, in your PJ's drinking your coffee, watching a Giraff walk by. That's when you realize the VERY special-ness of the resort.