AKL or PORS

[jskacoc]

Forgot to mention you can also go over to Kidani's pool if you stay at AKL. We haven't yet and I recently just looked into it. The pool area looks like something my kids would love. Sorry we missed it the past stays.

 

[erinkristen04]

I read a post a while back that said stay at PORS last bc you will be disappointed with other resorts after staying at PORS!! I think for $300 more we are going to just go ahead and stay at AKL but I'm also torn we are going to be returning in Dec to POFQ so that helps knowing I will get to stay there pretty soon thanks for the reply!! Which deluxe are y'all trying?

We are currently at Yacht Club CL, but I'm being indecisive. Not sure if the room décor is our cup of tea, and have been debating to switching to Poly or AKL, but we would have to drop the CL aspect. Can't decide if we'd rather the convenience of being so close to Epcot and DHS w/ CL, or pretty rooms and themes we like! I feel your pain w/ being torn!

 

[brinkley07]

We love AKL! Personally we have always had an easy time with the busses, and even when they are crowded we never seem to wait too long and I don't mind the ride to MK. @erinkristen04 we preferred AKL over Poly and YC, but giving up club level is tough!

 

[Babsy]

We've never stayed at POR, but we love AKL! Everyone is different, but for us, the extra $300 for AKL would be worth it. The resort is beautiful, the pool is great, and there are a few areas to view the animals. For dining, we love Mara for quick CS meals/snacks and Boma is one of our favorites for TS. Good luck .

Oh my! I agree absolutely with what Mickeynut1 said!

POR is beautiful resort, but it is a moderate resort. AKL is a deluxe resort and is AWESOME!!!! For $300 more I would definitely stay ta the AKL. Here's why:
Only one bus stop at AKL Jambo and one at Kidani
Larger rooms with a balcony
multiple dining choices - table service, buffet and quick service restaurants
two awesome pools
stunning lobby
activities all day long
animals to view from multiple public viewing areas or from your room if you have a savannah view
great bus service, quick and efficient
interesting gift shop
very comfortable beds
AKL is so interesting, you can take tours of the property!!
you feel like you are in another world from the theme parks - so tranquil!

AKL is a superlative resort that stands out even among the great resorts of WDW. Even if we are not staying at this resort we visit to dine and check out this resort whenever we go to WDW.

I wouldn't hesitate to move from POR to that AKL!

 

[danceintherain]

If that $300 was in the budget, I would probably stay at AKL... We loved our stay there. We stayed in a Pool View room for our honeymoon, and it was definitely magical. I can't wait to take the kids back, and hopefully stay in a savanna view room.
One of the other (maybe not applicable to you) reasons I would pick AKL is that we have 2 kids right now. So we're one kid over 3 away from not being to stay in a single room at AKL. POR will be an option for us for longer.

 

[Ceryssa]

Haven't stayed at either, but having tried both moderate and deluxe I'd jump at an upgrade for that amount. AKL is gorgeous and there's lots to do. And there just isn't anything like it anywhere else.

 

[mickeynut1]

How are the buses at AKL?

We found the buses to be great! AKL is out away from everything, but that's one of the (many) things I love about it. The resort being sort of isolated makes for a quiet and peaceful stay, IMO. In our experience, it only took maybe 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. As others have posted, the buses only service AKL and Kidani, so there's no sharing with any other resort(s) .

PS we have stayed AKL pool view and IMHO this is a great value vs the Savanna view! We loved the pool view room and our location was terrific---ground floor walk out to pool, Mara, arcade, animal viewing area, and the laundry!

We loved our pool view as well! We've also stayed savanna view and while it was nice watching the animals from our balcony, I loved our pool view just as much and wouldn't hesitate to book pool view over savanna view again .

AKL is a superlative resort that stands out even among the great resorts of WDW. Even if we are not staying at this resort we visit to dine and check out this resort whenever we go to WDW.

I agree .

We visit AKL every trip, too, as we love Boma and have to go there every trip .

 

[helenm29]

I'm currently booked at PORS in a royal room but with the fall savings I can book AKL pool view for just $300 more for 8 nights. Would you stay at RS or change to AKL? First time visit but not sure if I should make the change? Thanks for any advice

WOW, that's a tough one! we've stayed at both and I agree with other people that it depends on what you are looking for! I like PORS because it's kind of out of the way and a bit quieter then some of the other resorts...great for kids and families BUT AKL is NOT to be missed! such a great place for families and maybe getting in a learning experience about the people and animals of Africa! I would stay there again in a blink! AND you are getting a great deal I think! Have fun with whatever you chose!

 

[astag05]

Thanks everyone!! I love hearing everyones opinions about both resorts!! Looks like we are going to do AKL for October and a preferred room at PORS in December!!

 

[JennyDrake]

I have stayed at both more than once. _I_ would go with a stay at POR. Multiple pools, boat ride to DTD, IMHO best food court on WDW property. I would include a VISIT to AKL for a meal and resort visit!

 

[sls404]

POR layout was extremely confusing to me. We were in the Bayou section near the quiet pool and we could never find our bus stop! After getting off the bus one night, we got lost and a nice guy in a golf cart gave us a ride. He also picked up another lost person on the way, so I don't think it was just me! I would stay there again if I was in the Mansions section... but Alligator Bayou never again!

I'm staying at AKL for the first time next month, but after visiting several times I would go with AKL! For $300 it's worth it.

 

[loves to dive]

Another vote for AKL, I've stayed at both, they both use buses and buses are buses, the service is sometimes good, sometimes not so much. I only stayed at POR because I was renting DVC points and couldn't get them for my entire stay so did a split stay. The only thing that would worry me is it might be hard to go from Deluxe to mod once you've stayed at one. The only time I do value or mod is on the front end of a split stay and usually just for the first night since I don't arrive until around 3 and it seems a waste to pay for a deluxe for that short time.

 

[astag05]

A split stay is something I have considered for this trip but I think I'm just going to stick with AKL this time and for our Dec trip try out one of the PO resorts. I'm not crazy about the idea of packing everything up and moving

 

[happypaws]

I've stayed at both and I really like AKL. I think because it is more like a hotel, where you can walk from your room to everything inside, this was a big plus. Sometimes you just want to avoid the rain all together to grab a meal. Also the pool was much quieter at AKL than at POR and I felt that the resort in general was quieter (I had a pool view room at AKL, which you would think would be noisy but it wasn't). POR is very charming, as well as POFQ, I understand why people love them, but now that I've stayed at AKL I'm sold.