AKL or OKW?

[RoseGold]

I've had to carry a lot of suitcases and supplies up to the 3rd floor. It's not really a big deal.

Lugging stuff up three floors is not what I'm looking for in a "deluxe" property and definitely not going to work for me at all, the way I pack a stroller.

 

[TTA Rider Matt]

I've stayed at both, own at neither, but if I'm picking, I'm going AKL. Price is slightly higher but the dining options at AKL are excellent, along with the savanna views both in some rooms and throughout the property, OKW has the internal bus loop which adds significant time to transportation to the parks, and I like the ambience of AKL better. Personally, I wouldn't really want to buy at either just because the transportation. We do not drive/rent a car, so we rely solely on Disney transportation, and that makes a huge con for both properties for us. We stayed in a value studio at Jambo though, and it was awesome since we had a partial savanna view.

 

[bwang123]

AKV. It's where we own and stay the most. We did like the 2 bedroom at OKW but likely would not stay there much.

 

[Deb & Bill]

26 of our 56 trips to WDW have been at OKW. We bought our points there in 1997 and still like it a lot. It's really not that big and you can easily walk from the furthest point to the Hospitality House in about ten minutes. Or you an hop any bus and get off at the HH (just make sure the driver knows you are headed there in case he doesn't plan on stopping there because the bus is full). Then when you leave the HH, walk across the canal to the Peninsular Rd bus stop and take the first bus that arrives back to your area.

OKW is really close to Epcot, only a few minutes by bus. You can walk, bus or boat to Disney Springs. MK is about eight minutes once the bus drives out the front gate. Driving through the resort and stopping at the other stops really isn't all that bad. It gives you a view of the rest of the resort if you haven't stayed there before or see what building is under construction now if you go often. Olivia's is a great place to dine and you usually don't even need an ADR. Goods to Go only has picnic table outside for seating, but it was really meant as pool side dining. It was built long before counter service dining became the big thing with DDP. You already have a way to prepare a meal in your villa.

OKW is the only DVC resort at WDW that has two queen beds in the studio, not a fold down bed (don't call RIV a real bed, it's still a fold down bed). Plus the OKW villas are about the largest overall of all the DVC resorts and you don't have to worry about getting a smaller one instead of the larger one like at BLT). Full sized kitchen and full sized washer and dryer in one bedroom or larger. If you have a car, you park right outside your villa. If you have a car at Jambo, you park a mile away from your villa. At Kidani, you might be able to find a space under the building, but usually it's just the spaces towards the back of the parking area.

In our eyes, OKW is very desirable, even the location. For one thing, it's like you are on vacation in the Keys and not at the middle of WDW.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

OKW is the only resort I have never stayed at - and that is only because of the lack of elevators there. Resort is beautiful but I would pick AK - value rooms cannot be beat and you can also book concierge rooms too. AK is the one resort I regret not buying.

 

[Prince John Robin Hood]

AKV for me. I like that it offers Value and Club level rooms along with great restaurants, pools and of course the animals.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Never stayed at okw but we find the quick service food at akl to be awful.

 

[Bearval]

Which of these would you prefer to have as your home resort, if you had to pick only one (please don't say both...already have adonitis it would be Poly resale). We are considering a 100 point direct contract at one of these two, you know, for the blue card.

As far as we are concerned they have the same drawback...pretty equally undesirable location compared to the more expensive resorts. OKW has advantage in price. AKL has, well, AKL.

Please compare and contrast. Which would/did you choose and why?

We own AKL but switch every other trip to OKW. OKW rooms (not counting studios) IMO feel more like a vacation home than a hotel.

 

[sethschroeder]

Never stayed at okw but we find the quick service food at akl to be awful.

Ya I was all excited because all these YT channels talk up the resort as having one of the best QS of any resort. I was not really impressed at all. The saving grace is that the pool bar at Kidani is actually good.

What they need to do is theme one portion of that large lunch counter area to the park and have FlameTree. I same FlameTree because it likely would take up very little room since most of that food you can keep warm better (its what they do at real BBQ restaurants).