Lunch at AKL

We leave Disney by car on a Saturday and I’m still trying to think of things to do that day. We won’t have any park days left but I also don’t want to just wake up and leave - we are driving and have no set time schedule so I’d like to take advantage of being in the bubble!
Do you think lunch at AKL is a good idea? We are staying at BLT and probably won’t get over by AKL any other time during our trip. My thought is that we could get lunch at AKL and see some animals. (DD2 and DS4 get excited when we go to the supermarket so I don’t think they will be disappointed that we are seeing animals at the lodge as opposed to the park/zoo!) Any other activities that might be open to us in the early afternoon?
We might have CS credits remaining but I’m not opposed to paying for a meal either.

This is how we have spent part of our last day on our last 2 trips! My kids love to visit AKL and we eat lunch at Sanaa. In April, we slept in a bit, had a quick service breakfast at CBR and then went swimming. Everyone showered, we packed up and checked out by 12 (we asked for a late checkout). Drove over to AKL Kidani and explored a bit, had lunch at Sanaa which is one of our favorite Disney experiences- watching the animals through the large windows, and chatting with their amazing CM’s is just a great way to spend some time I think. Head over to AKL Jambo and explore some more and then head out when you have had your fill. Very relaxing end to a vacation!

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This is so great to hear! Thanks!!

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I’ll second what @Wahoohokie said. AKL is the perfect resort to explore because you never know what you’ll find. Even the gift shop has some really unique souvenirs. If you have CS credits left The Mara is really good and next to the pool. If you are paying and want a table service you can’t really go wrong with Sanaa or Boma, just make sure you check out the menu’s to be sure you’ll have options if you have any picky eaters. We love having breakfast there and it’s super filling. There are several lookouts for watching the animals and they normally have activities in the afternoon as well.

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On our trip this past December, we spent the morning of the day we were going to MVMCP at AKL. We had a late breakfast at Boma (think our adr was at 10:30). After breakfast, we wondered around the hotel (both Jambo and Kidani), explored the gift shop, saw the animals and my DS5 loved asking the CM questions about the animals. I think it’s a great way to fill up your last day!

Lunch at Sanaa has quickly become one of my favorite meals in WDW; the food is excellent and it’s great to watch the animals while you eat. If you want breakfast, your 2 choices are Boma (TS - huge buffet) and Mara (QS). Neither breakfast options have animal viewing from the restaurant.

Thanks everyone! We will probably try to check out Sanaa for lunch. What are the chances of getting a window seat without reservations? If I had to guess, we would head there around 1pm. I don’t plan on making reservations since that day will all depend on everyone’s mood and whatever else that might come up over the course of the week.

Not sure since we always have an ADR. You may have to wait a bit. The first time we went there, we made an ADR about an hour before as our original plan was to be elsewhere. We got seated by the window without asking. I would check MDE in the morning and see if there is a reservation around the time you want to go.

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It’s very popular; I’d be worried about getting ANY seat without an ADR. Windows are first come first served. We were back a row, but because the windows are so large, it was no problem seeing them.

Thanks! I checked MDE and there are a lot of openings for lunch. I will keep an eye on it and make an ADR if I see that those are all getting swooped up!