POR or AKL?

[pigletto]

For that small of a price difference I would switch to AKL. I've stayed at and loved both. One of the major pluses to POR for me is that I can save so much over a deluxe and still love my resort.
However, with the prices so close, I think AKL is the better choice.

[marykatmp]

Thanks everybody! We made the switch and even the CM was shocked the price difference between the two was so little. I am looking so forward to AKL!

[jlk806]

I am just in love with AKL - though have always stayed in Kidani Village, never Jambo House. It is such a beautiful, peaceful resort! We actually werent even gonna stay there this trip but I just called 2 days ago and switched our last 3 nights there because I realized I just couldnt stay away. Our son loves the animals and they always have a ton of cool activities for the kids going on.

[tng123]

Originally Posted by Wicket's Mom

I had booked POR for this Sept., hadn't stayed there before. Had some doubts & was able to do AKL instead. That will be our first time there, so lookiing forward to AKL! I say go for it!

If we get a good discount, we are trying to decide between POR & AKL as well. Since you did AKL, could you let me know what you thought? Are you glad you upgraded? Also, how far is the bus stop to the entrance of the lobby? I keep hearing people say you have to walk up a huge hill from the bus stop to the lobby...Is it that bad?? Thanks for any help!

[marykatmp]

Originally Posted by tng123

If we get a good discount, we are trying to decide between POR & AKL as well. Since you did AKL, could you let me know what you thought? Are you glad you upgraded? Also, how far is the bus stop to the entrance of the lobby? I keep hearing people say you have to walk up a huge hill from the bus stop to the lobby...Is it that bad?? Thanks for any help!

We loved AKL and would stay there in a heartbeat again. We really wish that they had rooms that slept five people. We are very glad we upgraded. It is a little hill, but it is comparable to every other hotel on property. We had no problems getting to buses with three little ones and do not foresee it being a significant issue for anyone. All in all, I say if you get a good price for the room jump on it. It is wonderful!!!

[tng123]

Thanks! Yes, we too are a family of 5, but my parents are coming with, so we are getting two rooms. That's another reason I would like to stay at AKL..this may be our only chance! If my parents were not coming, we would have to do POR.
Good to know about the bus stop. Sometimes I wonder how much is exaggerated on here Some people made it sound to be a mile away from the lobby!

[Barnhill9586]

AKL no question. We love the resort and it's my daughter's favorite. The only drawback is the transportation and location compared to other deluxe resorts which is why we don't stay there every trip.

ETA: Just noticed this was an old thread!! Glad you enjoyed AKL!!

[tng123]

Originally Posted by Barnhill9586

AKL no question. We love the resort and it's my daughter's favorite. The only drawback is the transportation and location compared to other deluxe resorts which is why we don't stay there every trip.

Is the transportation really that bad? We have only been to WDW once and we stayed off-site, so will we really know any different, having never stayed on-site before? I am nervous about how remote it is after reading sooo many posts about how far it is. I'm also wondering, is the bus full by the time it gets to Jambo house since it picks up at the AKV first? Thanks!!

[clayfolks]

Originally Posted by tng123

Is the transportation really that bad? We have only been to WDW once and we stayed off-site, so will we really know any different, having never stayed on-site before? I am nervous about how remote it is after reading sooo many posts about how far it is. I'm also wondering, is the bus full by the time it gets to Jambo house since it picks up at the AKV first? Thanks!!

The transportation is not bad at all! It takes, at most, an extra 5 minutes to get to anywhere. The only exception to that is DTD, which is a 25 minute bus trip. We have stayed at AKL/AKV 6 times and have only once seen the bus full when it got to Jambo House AND there was another empty bus behind it for the people waiting at the bus stop.

[SimplyGoofy]

AKL is AMAZING! Your kids will love the animals, and there's tons of fun kid's activities! The pool is also awesome (and zero-entry!). It's really nice that the entire resort is in one building--you don't have to troop through the rain in order to get back to your room at the end of the day!

The restaurants at AKL are also top-notch--even the Mara (QS) has some great, unique options. I LOVED my stay at AKL.

[Barnhill9586]

Originally Posted by tng123

Is the transportation really that bad? We have only been to WDW once and we stayed off-site, so will we really know any different, having never stayed on-site before? I am nervous about how remote it is after reading sooo many posts about how far it is. I'm also wondering, is the bus full by the time it gets to Jambo house since it picks up at the AKV first? Thanks!!

AKL transportation for us was quite good. I definitely didn't mean to say it wasn't; just comparing it to the other deluxe resorts we've stayed at and it is farther out than the rest and has only bus service. The other deluxe resorts we've stayed at seem more centrally located and have more than one mode of transportation. We still love AKL. It is a beautiful and peaceful resort and we visit every trip to get our Boma fix!