I'll give you my opinion for what it's worth ....I've stayed at AKL 9 times since it opened and I've never actually booked a savannah room but have been given one each time I've checked in, this used to be pretty standard practice to get an upgrade and I don't know if it's changed in the past year because I've not stayed there recently. You are also taking your chances on an upgrade so if your heart is set on a savannah and you would be disappointed if you didn't have one and you can afford one, than by all means you should book one. The really good savannah rooms (where you will see lots of animals) are waaaay out there and a pretty long walk after a long day at the parks. I've always asked to be close to the lobby if possible and I was always pretty lucky to get one close. Don't forget the restaurants and pool are off the lobby, so it is convenient to be close to the lobby in that regard. There are plenty of viewing windows to view the animals and really nice viewing areas outside in back of the lodge and around the pool that are very easy to walk to. One more thing, most of the time you are in your room, it's dark and you have the drapes closed, so you need to go to a public viewing area anyway to be able to see the animals with those night vision binoculars. HTH