Animal Kingdom Lodge closing until September 1st

AKLRULZ · Post by **AKLRULZ** » Jun Sat 30, 2007 5:03 pm

As reported on Mousesavers...

Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World will be essentially closed for guests from now until Sept 1, 2007. (This date is subject to change.)

The temporary closure is due to disruption caused by the construction of Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas units within the main structure of the Lodge. Apparently the disruption was greater than anticipated and Disney has decided to move guests rather than inconvenience them during their stays.

Disney is calling guests who are currently booked at the Lodge in chronological order to assist them with moving to another resort. Guests have been offered rooms at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and at various Disney Deluxe resorts for the same price they were paying at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Each case is handled differently, based on the room type booked and availability at other resorts for the dates in question.

If you booked through a travel agency, your travel agent will receive the call and will contact you with options.

It is believed that the restaurants will remain open but perhaps with limited hours.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jun Sat 30, 2007 7:37 pm

Wow. If I'd had my heart set on a room where you could see the animals, I'd be pretty annoyed right now. I wonder how the 'same price you were paying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge' will translate then? Some of those rooms at AKL are pretty pricey when you can see the critters. Some people might be entitled to bigger rooms/concierge/whatever for a fair exchange in price.

I know I'd be miffed if I was trading in my giraffe-view room for a pool or garden (or parking lot) view at the same rate.

JWG · Post by **JWG** » Jun Sat 30, 2007 9:50 pm

DisBeamer wrote:Wow. If I'd had my heart set on a room where you could see the animals, I'd be pretty annoyed right now. I wonder how the 'same price you were paying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge' will translate then? Some of those rooms at AKL are pretty pricey when you can see the critters. Some people might be entitled to bigger rooms/concierge/whatever for a fair exchange in price.

I know I'd be miffed if I was trading in my giraffe-view room for a pool or garden (or parking lot) view at the same rate.

This is one area where I think Disney excels - making things right around inconvenience. As far as comparing to Deluxe resorts, AKL seems to come in as one of the cheaper Deluxes so I don't know what that means to people getting moved to other Deluxe resorts. Those folks getting moved to Saratoga are getting a room upgrade even if only a studio. The studios have a full kitchenette that allow you great flexability.

DisBeamer · Post by **DisBeamer** » Jun Sat 30, 2007 10:05 pm

JWG wrote:This is one area where I think Disney excels - making things right around inconvenience. As far as comparing to Deluxe resorts, AKL seems to come in as one of the cheaper Deluxes so I don't know what that means to people getting moved to other Deluxe resorts. Those folks getting moved to Saratoga are getting a room upgrade even if only a studio. The studios have a full kitchenette that allow you great flexability.

I'm sure they'll figure something out for it - I agree they're typically very good at making things right. A few years back when they closed the Caribbean Beach resort for a few(?) months, they shuffled us over to Port Orleans and were very accommodating about the requests we had. I'm just wondering in this particular case how they'll reconcile the Savannah-view people were promised/expecting/paying for with a view of the parking lot, even if the room itself is upgraded (if you're really excited by a kitchenette - I myself wouldn't be).

Savannah view in the value season runs $285/night, versus a SSR studio at $279 (according to allears - July to Oct is value season for both resorts). Compared to a 1 bedroom at SSR at $370/night, or a standard view at the Beach Club (for example) at $315. Just seems like some tricky book-keeping to me, depending on how many people have to be moved around. I'll be curious to see reports from people about what happened for them.

Edit: Not that I'm staying at the AKL but I'm bored at work so I was poking around the DIS some more.

Mousesavers updated with this:

Mousesavers wrote:It appears a few rooms will remain in use, but not many. I have been told that the following room types probably will NOT be affected: Pool View Bunkbeds, Suites (except Vice Presidential and Presidential) and Kilimanjaro Club Standard rooms. Guests staying in those room types may request a move, but the decision to move them will be handled on a case by case basis.

So it looks like it's not entirely closed. A few people over there (on the DIS) have posted the offers they've gotten. So far they look pretty reasonable from Disney, with some people kicking up a fuss about WL (for reasons I don't understand but hey, different strokes) and getting a Polynesian room. Sweet upgrade there.

Blackie Pueblo · Post by **Blackie Pueblo** » Jul Sun 01, 2007 8:39 am

Although Disney is good at making it up to guests, I agree this is a major annoyance and inconvenience. Did they not think ahead of time of what building the Villas might do? I'm really surprised they didn't stop booking for the rooms quite some time ago.

"I believe in being an innovator"
--Walter Elias Disney

packwingfn · Post by **packwingfn** » Jul Sun 01, 2007 7:12 pm

My friend and I planned to book a night at the AKL but no luck so we made reservations for Port Orleans French Quarter instead