I know this is gonna sound dumb, but... [Animal Kingdom Lodge]

[kijay]

We are planning a trip for November 2004 to WDW (we be all of ours first trip to WDW). We are considering staying at the AKL. My wife is concerned about something that probably will make most of you laugh, but here goes, as I have not been able to find this particular question answered anywhere. Does the AKL suffer from any kind of animal smell (you know what I'm talking about). My wife is concerned that our dream vacation will be ruined by the aroma of nature from the animals they keep around the resort. I assured her that Disney would have taken that into consideration and will have taken measures to prevent any unpleasant smells from being present. But since I do not work for Disney, she is unwilling to take my word about this. So I turn to the trusty mousepaders for help.:D

[Dlandmom]

Not a dumb question at all. I'm also planning a first trip to AKL next November...hopefully. From what I understand, you really don't get an animal smell at all. What smell you do get is a smoky smell primarily from the resort's restaurant(s). Apparently it's a pleasant smell that fits the theming of the resort perfectly.

Maybe others who have been there can chime in.

[redmonster]

We have stayed at AKL on two different occasions. By fair the best themed and most enjoyable of all the places we stayed. There is absolutely no animal smells at all. The hotel is beyond words to discribe and you will have a great time. No way to explain how amazing it is to have a cup of coffee in the morning and just watch the animals. Have a great time.

[cirquelover]

We have stayed at AKL also and there is no smell. There is usually one savanah (sp) being cleaned every day. They do an excellent job!

[tappenfeat]

Absolutely no bad smells!

We have stayed at The Grand Floridian, The Polynesian, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. And by far AKL is our all time favorite!!!

The only smells coming from AKL are appetizing!

The keepers do an excellent job of looking after the animals and cleaning up.

You won't regret staying there! It's unforgettable!

[MikeScopa]

I also can say there is no animal smell.

I have stayed in a Savannah room overlooking the areas frequented by the animals and saw A LOT of animals but never noticed any odor.

You can walk out to the Savannah viewing area from the rear of the AKL lobby and get even closer to the animals and still you would not notice any smell.

I agree that the AKL is well themed.

I have heard mixed reviews on this resort and depending upon your touring tendencies it may or may not be the right resort for you.

Some people love the quiet as it is definitely remote from everything else.

At night the lobby is quite cozy...some people have expressed an opinion that the lodge is "too dark" so you get the picture.


Mike

[Main Street Magic]

I guess by now, this post really isn't necessary, but I'll add my voice here to say that we did not detect any smells at the AKL while we were there back in September.

I am sure that your family is going to enjoy it there (check out my trip report, when we stayed at the AKL here: http://www.mouseplanet.com/dtp/trip.rpt/report_files/wdwtr03/simmons03se.htm

:p

[efoxx]

Originally posted by kijay
Does the AKL suffer from any kind of animal smell (you know what I'm talking about).

worry more about some of the guests, particularly from those who hail from countries where words like hygene and deoderant are not comonly used :eek:

[Queenie]

Originally posted by kijay
We are planning a trip for November 2004 to WDW (we be all of ours first trip to WDW). We are considering staying at the AKL. My wife is concerned about something that probably will make most of you laugh, but here goes, as I have not been able to find this particular question answered anywhere. Does the AKL suffer from any kind of animal smell (you know what I'm talking about). My wife is concerned that our dream vacation will be ruined by the aroma of nature from the animals they keep around the resort. I assured her that Disney would have taken that into consideration and will have taken measures to prevent any unpleasant smells from being present. But since I do not work for Disney, she is unwilling to take my word about this. So I turn to the trusty mousepaders for help.:D

I've never noticed an animal smell of any kind there. It often smells of barbecue though, especially if you have a room on the Sunset Savannah near where the vents for the Boma grills are.

[Madame Leota]

This is a totally valid question and one we debated too before visiting there.
We leave tomorrow for our second stay at the AKL. This resort has quickly become our favorite at WDW. It's breathtaking!
No animal smell at all. I do agree that it smells delicious inside - another poster said almost like BBQ which I think is totally accurate.

The main suggestion I have is to bring plenty of OFF. When we were there in May, we were attacked by mosquitos when we would sit on the balcony in the evenings. In my opinion, the mosquito population seems greater there for some reason.

Other than that, you will have a fantastic time. Make sure you say hello to Ijabu, the baby Ankole cow. He's darling!

Have fun!

[kijay]

Thank you once again the all knowing mousepaders. Thank you all for the information. It has really reassured my wife about the smell issue. I really am looking forward to staying there, as all the pictures seem beautiful. Once again, thank you to all who responded for your help. :D

[tappenfeat]

Kijay,

Now that you are staying at AKL for sure...which is GREAT! I'm sending you on a quest...

Your quest is to search for the "hidden" Mickey's in the carpets and bedspreads. Even in the elevator, which I haven't found! That one was a tuffy! I looked so silly when the doors opened to the elevator and there I was all by myself looking at the floors and walls up close! But it was fun to do!

There was even a hidden Mickey in one of the tiles of our bathroom tub!