akl vs. swan urgent please!!!

[sonmer]

Please help. I have to book my vacation package today. Last time we went we stayed at WL and loved the ease of getting to the MK. (Most days we went back to the hotel in the afternoons to rest.) We never got to Epcot and my kids 8,6 would probably enjoy that this time.

I've heard great things about AK. But, think that the central location of the Swan might be more important. We are only staying or four nights. Any suggestions?

Also any opinions on prepurchasing the package with "magical wishes?"
Thanks a lot

 

[wdwphanatic]

... I would think either resort would be lots of fun for them. If you really do plan on spending a lot of time at Epcot and MGM, I'd definitely recommend staying in the Epcot resort area. I have stayed at Beach Club Villas several times with my kids (who are close in age to yours) and they loved it! We've also stayed at the Dolphin and WL, which they also enjoyed. We've never stayed at AKL, but I've heard it's fabulous. For us, however, it seems like it might be a bit too far away from things. We loved the convenience of being able to walk/take a boat ride to 2 out of 4 parks, having lots of nice restaurants to choose from so nearby, being close to Illuminations every evening and just being able to take walks on the boardwalk, etc. It really is a wondeful area for kids and adults -- I think your family would really enjoy it.

As far as the Swan is concerned, I should caution you that it doesn't have exactly the same Disney feeling as WL... Although I really liked the Dolphin for the price I paid ($69 thru Priceline), I feel that other Epcot resorts would be my preference if the prices were comparable... JMO, of course. The Swan/Dolphin do have a wonderful pool and there are several good restaurants right at the hotels to choose from... I've also heard that the Heavenly Beds are awesome!!!

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you and your family a great vacation!!! Let me know if I can answer any more questions for you.

Happy planning,
Sarah

 

[Kapp]

but have stayed at the Dolphin and LOVED it! In our opinion, we had as much "Disney feel" as any of the other true Disney resorts we have stayed out. We got the Teacher rate and really enjoyed our stay.

We have also stayed and the AKL and loved it too! If you have to choose between the two, I would go with the AKL. First, the ages of your children will be perfect for the AKL. They will be old enough to get into seeing all of the animals and the cultural aspects of the AKL. THe transportation from the AKL is fine so I would not write it off just because of the distance. And if you get the chance, try Boma for dinner. It is fantastic!!!!

Enjoy your trip!

Kapp

 

[cindysteve]

Don't you just hate having to decide soooo quickly?!? Both properties are nice, but the decor and atmosphere is MUCH nicer at AKL. WL and AKL were both designed by the same guy. If atmosphere is important to you, you will be happier here. AKL is at the edge of the world, so you will not be walking anywhere. If you rent a car, (as low as $79 per week for economy at Thrifty) you would open up alot more transportation possibilities. You can walk to the International gateway of Epcot from Swan. But, ther is no bus service to the front of the park, which means a long walk in the morning. Also, the Swan is centrally located, but not a Disney owned property.
As far as magical wishes go, you use em or lose em. They are added to your package without any savings (you pay full price OR MORE) for them. And there are restrictions on their use. The only advantage is "prepaid conveinence".
Hope this helps.
-Cindy

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We have stayed at both places with our 3 ds. While we did have a bad experience at the AKL. , I am sure we are the exception. It was basically we paid a huge amount for a deluxe savannah view and were so high up we hardly ever saw any animals and when we did it was their rear ends. We just stayed at the swan this past aug. Our 3 ds are a little older, so they didnt care about the theming too much since we spent most of our time in the parks. As the other poster said the swan has no disney magic feeling to it. Our 3 ds did not like the oatmeal soap compared to the mickey soap also the pink shampoo did not go over well. Our room was neat, clean, etc. The drawback to the swan were not being able to charge back to the room like a disney resort and the lack of any quick snack type place, At the akl you have the mara and a place for refillable mugs. At the swan you would have to go all the way over to the dolphin for mug refills I think. I just made gatorade in the room for them. Our room was right across from the ice machine so that helped and very close to the elevator at the swan. At the akl the nearest ice machine was broken and our room was far, far, far away from the main entrance and elevator. I liked the swan location better for getting to epcot, mgm, and downtown disney. Also you could go to the boardwalk and we also ate at the cape may buffet. There are also water craft options like water mice rental, swan boats etc. Our 3 ds LOVED LOVED the pool at the swan, they did say the slide was a little slow and lame compared to the poly, but they loved the water volleyball, beach area with playground and basketball and sand volleyball etc. If it came down to price, I would chose the swan. We also get airline miles for it, so that helps too. We are considering a trip in april. My first choice will be the pool, and 2nd the swan. Also with the busses, the swan shares with dolphin, and y and b. AKL buses are only for that resort. Once there were only about 8 of us on the bus when we came back from the MK mid day. The swan heavenly beds are awesome. Good luck.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Hey!!

Our favorite resort is AKL, so of course I am recommending it!!! DD(14) and I stayed at the BC in Dec. and really enjoyed the access to Epcot, the Boardwalk, and MGM, but we missed the drama and exotic feel of AKL. We have not stayed at the Swan, but we have eaten there, and I have to say, there is none of that feeling of "we're in WDW" at that resort. Many people love it, but it just wasn't what I go to Disney for.

There are many activities at AKL for children - cookie decorating at Boma, night vision tracking at Arusha Rock, storytelling at the firepit in the evening, junior researcher, games w/savannah guides, etc. Your young ones would love this resort, IMO.

Your question about the pkg. w/Magical Wishes is a tough one - are you a AAA member, AP holder, etc.? For us, the room only res. has been the way to go - we really never got much out of the "wishes" part of the pkg. Have you priced it both ways? Check mousesavers.com. Have a wonderful trip!!!

 

[sonmer]

Thank you all so much for your advice. Love the tips and will not buy the wishes in advance.

I still can't decide and have asked to extend my res. at AK for a bit longer. (The Swan seems to have more availability.) I also now feel like I should look into other Epcot area resorts like the BC and YC. Of course, since we're leaving in mid Feb availability will probably be a huge factor as far as they are concerned.

For those of you who stay at AK how long does it take to get to the MK and other resorts?

I'm so delighted to have found this site!!!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Hey!!!

Other posters have stated they have timed the run from AKL to MK at about 17-20 min., with MGM and Epcot running about 10 min. and AK about 6 min. I find the bus trans. to be superior at AKL, as they do not stop at any other resort - hop on the bus, and head right to the park. At the Epcot resorts, you stop at BC/YC, Boardwalk, Swan/Dolphin, so the trip seems really long!!! (This is for MK and AK, you take a boat to MGM and Epcot)

A lot of people say they walk from BC/YC to MGM, but they must be more energetic than I am, because when we were there in Dec. that path looked loooong! You can, however, easily walk from BC/YC to Epcot, and also from Boardwalk to Epcot.

 

[sonmer]

Thanks so much. Now, I'm definately leaning towards AK. How does the pool compare to the BC "water park pool?" Also, one more thing. I've never been to the Boardwalk. Would there be transportation from AK to the boardwalk. I've heard the pool at the BI is the best. IS this true? Is mid-Feb too cold to swim anyway? Thanks for your wisdom!!

 

[k&a&c'smom]

Hey!!

No other resort pool compares to SAB, it is fabulous!!! AKL's pool is very nice, with zero entry and a slide, but nothing on the scale of SAB at the BC/YC. The pool at BW is Luna Park, themed like an old amusement park, with fountains and a slide where you slide out thru a clown's face. It also is nothing near SAB, IMO.

There is no direct transportation from one resort to another, you have to go to a park or DTD and catch a bus to the Boardwalk. We go to Epcot, and go out thru International Gateway and over to the BW.

I haven't been in Feb. but have been in Dec. - some days were warm enough to swim, others were not. I'm not sure if this was your question, but "pool hopping" to a resort that you are not staying in is not allowed.

I'm sure somebody with even more experience than I have will come along, but I'll be happy to share anything I can!!

p.s. check out allearsnet.com for great pics of the resorts, pools, rooms, etc.

 

[currycook]

I would sure pick the AKL, the trouble for me with the Swan is even though its close, it doesnt have the "Disney" feel of the other delux resorts. Plesae know this is just my thinking.