AKL - buses only an issue?

[AndreAggie]

Looking at possibly booking a 2-bedroom with 3 bathrooms and I know AKL has this option in their 2-bedroom villas.

How is the wait for transportation given this resort isn't on the monorail? We'd be looking at going in late June, so crowds will not be light. Trying to get to the parks early and possibly coming back mid-day, then going back to the parks and staying until late/closing.

 

[supersnoop]

Kidani has three bathrooms in the two bedroom, but Jambi does not.

I’ve never had any problems with the buses there.

 

[aoconnor]

If you look up the bus travel times from AKL you'll find that it's actually not as far as people make it seem. It's faster to 3 of the 4 parks than most of the monorail resorts and Wilderness Lodge. The only park it's far from is Magic Kingdom, by about 10 minutes more than BWV/BCV or OKW/SSR.

 

[disneynutz]

While you can take the bus, being close to the park(s) and other resorts is worth giving up a bathroom.

Bill

 

[ReagentGrade]

Looking at possibly booking a 2-bedroom with 3 bathrooms and I know AKL has this option in their 2-bedroom villas.

Bay Lake Tower also has 2-bedroom villas with three bathrooms.

 

[JETSDAD]

We haven't had issues with the buses (had a December trip at Jambo and a May trip at Kidani). If we're in a hurry we'll grab a Lyft or Uber but that's the same no matter where we are.

 

[crisi]

We had good luck with buses out of Kidani in March. Maybe the longest wait was fifteen minutes.

We normally stay at Boardwalk, so are used to really good Epcot access. But it was really nice being off the beaten track and somewhere that felt quiet for a change.

 

[Henwen88]

I'd much rather bus anywhere from Kidani than BLT. Love the 2 bed/3 bath units at BLT, but transportation anywhere except MK is pretty crummy... at least until they get the monorails spruced up I suppose. And there's no bus sharing (except with Jambo, but that's not bad).

 

[ZerasPride]

We had really good fortune with buses at AKV last month and staying at Kidani is nice being the first pick up location to the parks so you always get a seat.

And you can’t beat how close you are to Animal Kingdom. I agree with a previous poster who said some exaggerate the length of the bus rides. I was imagining super lengthy commutes and while MK was not a monorail ride away it was not intolerable. Looking forward to future Kidani visits!

 

[DenLo]

Some folks get impatient waiting for a monorail, and waiting for a bus makes them go ballistic. I don't really think that the bus times at AKV (either location) are bad. You are often at a park within 10 minutes.

 

[jerseygal]

Some folks get impatient waiting for a monorail, and waiting for a bus makes them go ballistic. I don't really think that the bus times at AKV (either location) are bad. You are often at a park within 10 minutes.

We find the bus ride to AK to be so convenient, so quick!

 

[bumbershoot]

I’ve stayed at AKV three times (once at jambo, twice at kidani) and overall the wait for the buses has been the worst I personally have experienced (my ex and my aunt have experienced worse elsewhere, though that was coming from a park not going to one). And each time the set up for the bus system has been different, but the wait is the same problem.

Once you’re on the road it’s fine. Since I usually have a rental car I know that no place on property is that far from another, so that’s not an issue at all.

It’s the waiting time for the bus that has been an issue in my personal experience.

 

[monorailmom]

I honestly believe it varies by day, no matter what resort you're at! We've had good and horrible bus service at Kidani...but also at Bay Lake and Boardwalk! (and everywhere else we've stayed) It's really luck of the draw. We don't consider bus times at all when deciding where to stay. Yes, if we're planning a lot of Epcot time for a Festival, we want Boardwalk no matter what. Otherwise, we book what we want and hope for the best.