How inconvenient is AKL?

[it's kelly]

We just returned from a 7 night stay at AKL and bus service was excellent, but I can see how it could be a problem at more crowded times of the year. My only complaint is that rude people will cut in front of you to get on the bus even when there is an obvious line. I wish they had dividers/ropes to form lines like they do at the parks. Of course this has nothing to do with AKL specifically.

I mentioned the same thing to my husband. When we stayed at Pop, and at the parks the have the line forms up which I think is much better. We also just spent 7 nights at AKL and there were a few times we didn't get on a bus because it got too full. And people would push or come from the back and cut in.

 

[MommaLuman]

I found a good deal for AKL but I am scared to book it. The stories I hear about the bad bus service scare me! I really don't want to have busses arrive at AKL already full from Kidani every time. Plus, does the isolation get old if staying for a week?

The decor, etc do appeal to me.

We are used to staying monorail loop, but I can't get those for this deal. I can get BWI or BC for $500 more. (But the lack of counter service for quick breakfast has my boys and I worried.)

If bus service is really bad at AKL, I am considering just saving the money and booking CSR + DxDP instead, which is reputed to have the best bus service onsite.

I think this would be a go go go trip since it will be winter. We've never been when the crowds weren't super heavy and the days weren't really hot. So, we've always done a long afternoon break. This trip we hope to do parks all day. So the pool won't factor in either.

Advice?

We stayed at jambo house during spring break this year. All the buses were busy because it was so crowded but we loved the experience of animal kingdom lodge. I think it takes longer to get everywhere( except animal kingdom) just because its a bit out of the way. However it's a beautiful resort. My kids loved the it there as did I. We are staying at beach club in nov. because its closer to everything but I am glad we stayed there at least once.

 

[canadakath]

We stayed at AKL in Nov '09 with a then 6 yo and 3.5 yo because our friends really wanted to stay there. Our issue was that at that time our boys really wanted to be at MK and we spent 5 of our 8 park days there. It was a LONG haul back to AKL, especially when you stop at Kidani first (we were at Jambo house). After the fireworks one night, we didn't even bother getting in the AKL bus line until an hour after we had left the park. We carried the kids back to the room that night! Our next stay after that was at CR, and it was such a wonderful thing to be able to walk to MK. Now they are older and we will wander farther afield again - POR next.

AKL was BEAUTIFUL and I wish we had spent more resort time. OP - your kids seem to be wide spread in ages so it might not matter to you too much if you are doing a better mix of the parks.

For those who have younger kids and might be focused more on MK, I would caution them about the long ride. Yes I know you can get that from any resort to whatever park is farthest from it, but it does become an issue for AKL to MK IMO.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I really enjoyed my short stay at AKL. The buses were fine for me. Sometimes I had a short wait, sometimes a longer one but they never arrived at Jambo House full.

My trip was a short 4 day stay.
I decided that it was too short of a trip to fully enjoy AKL and I won't stay there again unless I can do a 5 day or longer trip.

 

[Redbudlover]

I have stayed at both WL and AKL with my young DGD6, the first time when she was three. She and I both love AKL - she for the giraffes and bunkbeds - me for the whole ambiance, restaurants, everything - it s my favorite resort. But if you need to go back to the resort mid day for breaks and in my experience the break with a little one is needed not just because of heat but also from the stimulation of being in the parks. Well then I would choose WL. It is a long trip - repeat long trip from MK to AKL. In fact this October she and I are going to stay at BC though I had originally chosen WL for the MK access, but she really wants to go on the big slide at BC and spend a lot of time at HS, so BC it is this trip.

 

[ExpatDisneyLover]

When I stayed at AKL I thought the bus service was very good - and don't remember any huge problems - Disney tries hard to have their transportation up and running well IMO. So if you are comparing CSR with AKL - as far as bus service goes the only difference in my mind is that CSR has four internal stops whereas AKL has Kidani and Jambo. They are in the same general area as well.

I love AKL - it is my favorite resort at the moment - so I am biased. It is secluded (well five minutes from AK) - but to me that is what I enjoy about it - an exotic locale all to itself. If you don't think you would enjoy that - go for WL - it is in the MK area with lots around it at a similar pricepoint. But seriously how many resorts have a giraffe out the window?? The beautiful and unique imagineering is what gives AKL its' charm!

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

I honestly think that all of the resorts have had problems with buses at one point or another.

As for Kidani and Jambo sharing a bus, what about Beach Club, Yacht Club, Swan/Dolphin, Boardwalk,et. Or even the monorail resorts...our past stay at Wilderness Lodge, we never knew where our bus was going to go, usually it went to Fort Wilderness, but sometimes the loop was Contemporary then WL, once it went all the way over to the Grand Floridian.

We have personally not had any problems with the buses, but we usually don't head to a park first thing. There might have been one or two, but overall I can't recall any major problems.

I do recall the one year, my husband and I had our one and only after kids solo trip, we noticed that there were not as many buses running as usual and that on each bus, they really packed us in like sardines. As the one bus driver said, if you weren't practically hugging your neighbor, you still had room to move back. This was a January trip so we just assumed that they cut buses back because it is a slow period. And, yes, it was at AKV-Jambo, before Kidani was finished. We have stayed at AKL since and had no problems.

I wouldn't hesitate to try it.

Have fun no matter where you stay!

 

[JJsmama]

I honestly think that all of the resorts have had problems with buses at one point or another.

our past stay at Wilderness Lodge, we never knew where our bus was going to go, usually it went to Fort Wilderness, but sometimes the loop was Contemporary then WL, once it went all the way over to the Grand Floridian.

During our stay at WL, we experienced the worst bus service we have ever had. Busses were as you describes, sharing among several resorts -- and once we could not find a bus back to WL at all. We had to go to TTC instead. I can't remember why. We were there for a week and the whole time transportation was very frustrating. It has been a while, but we have never wanted to stay there since.

 

[sndral]

Boma, their CS was amazing. We had several dinners here. Their daily specials were on par with a TS. I had the Salmon entree several times (always different) and it was amazing.

Um, isn't Boma the 1 TS buffet and Mara the CS?
I've stayed @ AKL 2x, once before and once after Kidani was built. Buses weren't any better or worse than elsewhere, IME. I did notice that the AK buses to AKL near AK closing time had lots of people going to AKL for dinner in addition to AKL resort guests. I did find the taxi ride from CR to AKL one evening to be pricey due to the distance.