AKL bunkbeds or CSR & cot ?

[pooh2001]

Please help - finally down to two resorts.

Both have a large pool (11,000 sq ft)

Both have bus transportation to everywhere
Both have same transportation time to each of the Parks
Both have their own buses

Both have nice gift shops and arcades

If we do AKL we can get bunkbeds for our 17 yr old DS and 14 yr old DD.
If we do CSR ($1K less) we have to get a cot or bring an areobed.

Please sell us on one of the resorts.

Our family loves the Dolphin, but the dining plan is a good deal for our family and we need to stay at a WDW resort, to have the dining plan.
We hated the WL pool and CR tower is too expensive for us next year.

Please help, we are up in the air on which to chose
Thank you !

 

[Lilolvr]

A lot depends on if you will be spending a lot of time in the room. I'd save the $1,000 and purchase an aerobed.

 

[pooh2001]

Thank you for the suggestion.

We are learning towards AKL because of the closet doors (for the closet), having a room door which opens to a hallway and the bunkbeds (a plus when we were at WL).

If CSR does come in at $1K or $1.5K less with AAA discount (both would have to be compared as a water view) - then most likely we will stay at CSR, buy an areo bed to use, mail it UPS to the CSR for us and ditch it after our 2 week vacation at WDW. Even if the areo bed cost $150 with mailing costs, we would still save over $1K.

I did a general cost analysis for the meals we normally do. The dining plan came in $1K less than we would spend on food for 13 days.

The AKL room costs about the same as the Dolphin room with AAA discounts. Maybe the AKL is even less than the Dolphin with if AKL has AAA discounts.
Again we can not get the dining plan staying at the Dolphin (they do give us a free cot to use because we have a DS & DD).

Thank you for all the opinions.

I would still love to hear from others !

 

[marivaid]

I've only stayed at AKL and that's my choice.
The rooms are bigger, which is good when you have 4 persons in a room. More space for your clothes and luggage too. And your kids would probably be more comfortable if they each had a "real" bed.

When are you going ? Keep looking out for codes, in October we got AKL for $149/night.

 

[pooh2001]

We like Easter week.
Do not think we are crazy. We do Early Entry extra hour at MK & AK and then Late extra night hours at Studio's and EPCOT.
We avoid crowds and relax at the pool/

Our next Easter week trip - 13 days full days, a 1/2 day on arrival and last day just leave (no Park).
We plan to buy a 10 day park hopper pass.

3 1/2 days of no Parks.

Arrival Day:
1/2 day on arrival day - arrive at resort. Try to check in or store luggage.
Maybe do the pool. Check out the resort. Go to DTD. Play mini-golf. Eat lunch on own (or use counter service dining credit) - or do something non-park related.

Other 3 non-park days:
Easter Sunday - Mass @ CR and Chef Mickey's late breakfast, then relax and pool afternoon. (avoid the parks)

Another Day - if spend at WDW, do Horse back riding at Fort Wilderness in the morning and pool afternoon

The last non-park day do Seaworld (we have never been) or
Go to Universal and just to do Harry Potter World or
something else at WDW (maybe Disney Quest will still be open - it's supposed to close at end of 2007)

 

[Fabinva]

We stayed at the AKL Nov 2006, requested bunkbeds months in advanced but when we got there none was available, we got one the next day but the room was a very long walk from the bus stops. Not sure how busy it'll be when you travel but keep in mind the bunkbeds are not guaranteed and that it can affect the room location, for us the AKL is way overated, views are nice but not worth another stay there for us.

 

[shellbelle]

We stayed at the AKL Nov 2006, requested bunkbeds months in advanced but when we got there none was available, we got one the next day but the room was a very long walk from the bus stops. Not sure how busy it'll be when you travel but keep in mind the bunkbeds are not guaranteed and that it can affect the room location, for us the AKL is way overated, views are nice but not worth another stay there for us.

Bunkbeds are now a guaranteed room category at AKL and WL.

BTW...I would stay at AKL. My family did not care for CSR.

 

[pooh2001]

shellbell - Thank you for confiring the info about bunkbeds.
We do need them. Our DS & DD liked them at the WL (just the WL pool was not our 'cup of tea')