A summer long TR...with a visit to Cinderella's real castle.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

Google is currently estimating 16 minutes if you were to drive. 

 

We didn't have a car.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

We didn't have a car.

 

Ok then....Google is estimating 2 hours and 41 minutes on foot. 

 

:rofl3:

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Last time I went to AKL it took me 5 or 6 minutes. I took the bus from AK to AKL. Lol!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

That pool looks huge!

It is. And like most Disney resort pools it's only 3'-4' deep and there's always 3-4 lifeguards on duty.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Beautiful pool!

Yes, yes it is. And the pool bar is pretty nice also too.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

That pool IS huge AND beautiful.

The views from your room are very cool....how fun to see giraffes like that.

We have to give visiting AKL another try someday....the one and only time we visited we took buses and the ride was so long we were ready to leave before we got there. I'll drive next time. But I'd like to check it out.

The other pool is really nice also.

They give the kids an animal viewing check off sheet when you check in. We saw so any animals from our balcony that she probably checked off half of the animals. She woke us up ever morning when she would try to sneak out to see the animals.

The fact that AKL takes a while to get to using Disney transportation seems to be a reoccurring theme. You rally need to go back for a visit when you have the time and the vehicle to really enjoy it.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

AKL looks gorgeous.

I have never been there.

Maybe we'll make a little side trip there on our next trip.

I'd like to sit a bit in that rocking chair....with a beverage or two.

You really need to go visit AKL. Yes it is a long bus trip if you don't have a car but IMHO it's worth it.

I really enjoyed those rocking chairs. Have a beverage for me.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Just in case anyone is interested ... I just checked the times on my pictures.

Last trip we went from the fort to AKL via MK. From the time we stepped onto the MK boat at the fort to the time we stepped off the bus at AKL was 55 minutes.

Wow an hour travel time.

I think the two times we visited AKL, but weren't staying there we once left from AK so that was a short ride on the bus and then took the bus back to AK and then to ASMusic. It's not bad from the AS resorts as they are relatively close to AK.

The other time was at Christmas. And we took the whole day to go resort hopping. IIRC we hit WL, Contemporary, Poly, GF, and AKL. That was a long day. I'll have to look in my archives to find some pix of AKL at Christmas. It's beautifully decorated.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

We visited my sister who was staying at AKL back in 2006 and then took a bus to DTD.  It took forever and husband swore never again.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I love the pool photos, Ray.

 

One of these days, I will dig out my photos from our first trip to AKL.

 

We went there in September, 2001, about a week after 9/11.

 

The resort had just opened.  The pool was open, but they hadn't finished landscaping it.  The slide was as it is now, but they had not yet added the fake rocks and lush landscaping.  It was just a generic plastic pool slide. 

 

I also recall that there were no fences in the savannahs, like the chain link fences shown in your photos- it looked much more natural.  They must have had problems with some of the animals, so now they've got fences up. That really detracts from the theming.

 

TCD

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

We visited my sister who was staying at AKL back in 2006 and then took a bus to DTD. It took forever and husband swore never again.

Would he go if he had a car to drive?

AKL just like AK is quite a drive from most other Disney resorts. I am starting to see a pattern of people who don't care for it. They all seem to have taken Disney transportation.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

It probably would have had a different impact if we actually did something other than just look at her room. ROFL

I think if I make reservations for dinner and do the restaurant tour ahead of it, it would would give him a different impression.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Would he go if he had a car to drive?

AKL just like AK is quite a drive from most other Disney resorts. I am starting to see a pattern of people who don't care for it. They all seem to have taken Disney transportation.

 

I've visited AKL plenty of times using Disney transportation, and never had a problem.

 

The last time was last fall, where I met up with Lou and Gail for lunch.  I was staying at the Fort.  I took the AK bus from the Outpost, and then switched to the AKL bus at AK.  I didn't time it, but I would say that trip took me less than 45 minutes. The AK to AKL bus route seems to run constantly, and it's a quick ride between the two. I'm not sure why anyone would go to Downtown Disney to get the AKL bus- that's a bad idea.

 

On the way out, I met up with my daughters in one of the parks, so I just hopped that park's bus from AKL.

 

Easy.

 

Something we used to do a lot is hit AK for rope drop, and then take a break for lunch by hopping the bus to AKL.  The quick serve there-The Mara- has everything you might want and more, and you're in a nice environment rather than fighting crowds in the park.  Then, after lunch, we'd hop to another park.  Or take the bus from AKL to MK, and head back to the Fort that way.  Again- easy.

 

TCD

[Lou... 3,118]

Just in case anyone is interested ... I just checked the times on my pictures.

 

Last trip we went from the fort to AKL via MK.  From the time we stepped onto the MK boat at the fort to the time we stepped off the bus at AKL was 55 minutes.  

 

If you wanted a quicker, not quick, method, I would have taken the AK bus from the Fort and then the AKL bus from there.

 

55 minutes is actually a good time. The rule of thumb if you have to be somewhere at a specific time is to allow 45 minutes per transportation leg when traveling from resort to resort.

In most cases it won't take that long, but it might.

 

Google is currently estimating 16 minutes if you were to drive. 

 

That's the best way to do it.

 

We didn't have a car.

 

Spring for a Taxi, you've got the money.

 

Ok then....Google is estimating 2 hours and 41 minutes on foot. 

 

 

That's only if you survive.

 

We visited my sister who was staying at AKL back in 2006 and then took a bus to DTD.  It took forever and husband swore never again.

 

If you were going and coming from the Fort, why a DTD bus? Were the parks closed?

If it was during the day, I would have taken a AK bus from the Fort, then the AKL bus from there.

[alexwyattmommy 181]

We were staying at WL..  Sister was staying at AKL.  We had dinner reservations at DTD.  She wanted us to see her room before we went.  So we took the boat to MK.  The bus to AKL.  And then a bus from AKL to DTD.  Just to see a room. ROFL

[GOBA Mom Lynn 18]

My DH & I did a date night dinner at Boma during our 2004 trip.  We hit AK for rope drop, abandoned our kids with their grandparents, and took the bus to AKL right after the parade.  We had the earliest dinner ressies we could make (5?) but still had time to go out on the savanna off the lobby & look around the pool area before we ate.  We then took the bus to MK & met back up with everyone.  It was a nice way to break up the day.  Someday we'll get back there to see more......

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

AKL is on my to do list... I wonder if I could talk the family into eating there after our Animal Kingdom day. It's hard to mess with Jason and his Fort time. 

 

That pool is beautiful! 

 

I agree with TCD, I wish they didn't have the fences. 

[Beckers 1,136]

Hey ray stop enjoying the lake and get back to writing

[caveat lector 181]

Hey Ray, I'm late to the party but thanks for posting the TR. Awesome job!

BC looks like a great alternative. All the pools are enticing.

Visiting the cockpit is yet another cool thing lost because of the lousy terrorists. I still have my shiny "TWA junior pilot" badge somewhere.

It's awesome to see a proud papa having fun with the kiddo at the parks (she seemed just a Liitle excited about rope drop)

I like TCDs reference to LouVine.

AKL grounds are beautiful. Been to Boma so many times. I now go way early just to explore.

Keep up the great work on the pics!

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I love the pool photos, Ray.

 

One of these days, I will dig out my photos from our first trip to AKL.

 

We went there in September, 2001, about a week after 9/11.

 

The resort had just opened.  The pool was open, but they hadn't finished landscaping it.  The slide was as it is now, but they had not yet added the fake rocks and lush landscaping.  It was just a generic plastic pool slide. 

 

I also recall that there were no fences in the savannahs, like the chain link fences shown in your photos- it looked much more natural.  They must have had problems with some of the animals, so now they've got fences up. That really detracts from the theming.

 

TCD

I would love to see your pix from 2001. It would be neat to see the then and now.

We had a partial savanna room and the fence separates the two different savannas. I don't remember seeing them from the main viewing area at the lobby. But I'm sure they were there.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

It probably would have had a different impact if we actually did something other than just look at her room. ROFL

I think if I make reservations for dinner and do the restaurant tour ahead of it, it would would give him a different impression.

Y'all really need to try one of the restaraunts there. Even the CS restaraunt has some really good food that you won't find at any other resort.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

I've visited AKL plenty of times using Disney transportation, and never had a problem.

 

The last time was last fall, where I met up with Lou and Gail for lunch.  I was staying at the Fort.  I took the AK bus from the Outpost, and then switched to the AKL bus at AK.  I didn't time it, but I would say that trip took me less than 45 minutes. The AK to AKL bus route seems to run constantly, and it's a quick ride between the two. I'm not sure why anyone would go to Downtown Disney to get the AKL bus- that's a bad idea.

 

On the way out, I met up with my daughters in one of the parks, so I just hopped that park's bus from AKL.

 

Easy.

 

Something we used to do a lot is hit AK for rope drop, and then take a break for lunch by hopping the bus to AKL.  The quick serve there-The Mara- has everything you might want and more, and you're in a nice environment rather than fighting crowds in the park.  Then, after lunch, we'd hop to another park.  Or take the bus from AKL to MK, and head back to the Fort that way.  Again- easy.

 

TCD

We've visited the resort before and never had a problem with Disney transportation either.

This trip we only waited more than 15 minutes once. Actually we waited about 20-30 minutes. We had just missed the bus to Typhoon Lagoon and had to wait for the next bus.

I would highly recommend the Mara for lunch. Your right it does have a really good selection. Where else can you go and eat with giraffes.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

If you wanted a quicker, not quick, method, I would have taken the AK bus from the Fort and then the AKL bus from there.

 

55 minutes is actually a good time. The rule of thumb if you have to be somewhere at a specific time is to allow 45 minutes per transportation leg when traveling from resort to resort.

In most cases it won't take that long, but it might.

 

 

That's the best way to do it.

 

 

Spring for a Taxi, you've got the money.

 

 

That's only if you survive.

 

 

If you were going and coming from the Fort, why a DTD bus? Were the parks closed?

If it was during the day, I would have taken a AK bus from the Fort, then the AKL bus from there.

Agree with you 100%

But you forgot the "stay off the buses!"

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

My DH & I did a date night dinner at Boma during our 2004 trip.  We hit AK for rope drop, abandoned our kids with their grandparents, and took the bus to AKL right after the parade.  We had the earliest dinner ressies we could make (5?) but still had time to go out on the savanna off the lobby & look around the pool area before we ate.  We then took the bus to MK & met back up with everyone.  It was a nice way to break up the day.  Someday we'll get back there to see more......

Sounds like an awesome night.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

AKL is on my to do list... I wonder if I could talk the family into eating there after our Animal Kingdom day. It's hard to mess with Jason and his Fort time. 

 

That pool is beautiful! 

 

I agree with TCD, I wish they didn't have the fences.

Just tell Jason that you are going to the porch to sit in the rockers. He won't know your talking about the chairs at AKL till it's to late. And once he sits down he won't mind.