Wow, I'm surprised to see so many fans of WL here and not as many for AKL. We LOVED our stay at AKL. For us, it was the beauty of having both Disney and a little piece of Africa on our vacation. I certainly never felt trapped or caged in as others have said, so it's all in your opinion. We thought it was beautiful, quiet, and amazingly detailed. We had a pool view which was perfect. We thought it was better than the standard view because it was much less expensive than the savanna view, and we were surprised by how many viewing spots there were of the animals in and out of the resort so we didn't miss the savanna view (or the long trek to those rooms in the back of the resort) one bit. We also like the restaurants at AKL better. I was greatly concerned about the transportation taking a long time from AKL to the parks, but it ended up being reliable and quick. No problems at all. It is a tad farther from MK, but maybe only by 10 min. compared to other resorts. I think in the end, I would consider which theme appeals to you more and which restaurants. Since we're from Arkansas, the whole wilderness, lodge, and forest animal theme does absolutely nothing for us. Way too similar to our own surroundings so it doesn't make the vacation as special for us. Good luck deciding!