Wilderness or Animal Kingdom Lodge?

[MillbrookMom]

We think both of these hotels would be very cool to stay in, but not sure which one we want to go with. Any reviews, or opinions??? :confused3

[Yzma and Kronk]

Both hotels are very similar in design.

Part of your decision would be how close do you want to be to the MK.
WL is very close - a short boat ride.
AKL you have to take Disney transportation or use your car if you have one.

I have stayed at both, and like both but prefer AKL due to the African influences. The animals all around the hotel are great and I love the staff, most of which are from various African countries. I feel I would be less likely to travel to Africa and this is the next best thing.
Also, Jiko is one of my favourite restaurants and we prefered the pool at AKL partly due to the zero entry.

[mackeyapp]

We stayed at both resorts last year and although we loved both AKL was the winner. We have two sons 8 and 9 and AKL was one of the highlights of their trip when asked by family and friends when we came home. Waking up in the morning and looking out to see giraffe's munching on trees is something they will never forget. So very beautiful and the pool was a hit as well. I would also like to add they we didn't have a car during any of our stay and found we could get around just as fast from AKL as from WL. We found the waits for the bus were longer at WL from our experience in late Dec.-early Jan. The bottom line is that you won't be disappointed in either location. They are both wonderful!!

[madonna31]

Another vote for AKL! :thumbsup2

[maryliz]

While we certainly enjoyed our stay at AKL, I would vote for WL hands-down! :thumbsup2 Now, we love love love the MK so being that close with just the boat ride was one of the main reasons. We did AKL at the end of a trip once, so we relaxed and enjoyed the resort. JMHO but I would not stay at AKL unless I had a Savannah view -- watching the animals from my balcony was one of the main reasons we went there. I would not have liked it if I had not had that option.

Enjoy whichever you decide ... they're both GREAT!

MaryLiz

[Mortlives]

We haven't stayed at WL, but have stayed at AKL and would stay there again, no problem. Especially with a savannah view. I can't begin to describe how great it was to grab a cup of coffee in the morning and go out on the balcony and watch the giraffes stroll majestically along, and listen to the male elands click. The pool is also great, and the pool bar serves my favourite beer in the world, Safari Amber. Also, you're real handy to Boma.

In spite of the relative isolation of AKL, we found the bus service to be extremely efficient, and never had trouble getting anywhere in a timely fashion.

[hockey mom]

We have stayed at both and liked AKL but WL is our favorite. It is such a relaxing resort that we never wanted to leave.

[talicskai]

Wilderness Lodge ~ hands down ~ AKL is too far away from MK for me.

Teresa :goodvibes

[MikeJ]

The Kronkster pretty much hit it on the head - if you will not have your own transportation during your stay, AKL is literally waaaay out in the middle of nowhere. Depending on your circumstances, that may be a major consideration.

With respect to the resorts, they both have their pros. As many of the other posters have commented, there's something about looking out from your room at any point of the day and seeing a variety of African wildlife. If you're going to be travelling during warmer weather, the marina at WL is great - you can rent any of a variety of watercraft right out your back door. (We opted to rent a surrey bike and cruise along the paths between WL and FW.) If you're going in December, the decorations at WL are second to none.

Jiko and Boma are both fabulous restaurants, as is Whispering Canyon (especially if you have younger children). Artist Point at WL is one of the best upscale restaurants in the World, IMHO. (Try the buffalo steak.) Both resorts have well-themed pools. Where you stay might have more to do with where you're at with respect to your personal preferences than any suggestions we could offer here.

- Mike