AKL vs WL - Summer

[CaliforniaDreaming]

Here is a little twist to my thinking - 2 standard rooms at AKL are similar in price to Poly GV, so it would probably work out better for us. But, I can't figure out which one to choose - I know that I do want to stick with the Standard View room. Here are the points I'm coming up with:

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Pros

• new Resort we've never tried
• the African lodge theme

Animal Kingdom Lodge - Cons

• the location, it's pretty far away from things

Wilderness Lodge - Pros

• Magic Kingdom Resort - boat ride away
• compact resort
• love the lodge feel

Wilderness Lodge - Cons

• we've stayed here before, most recently in January

We will have a rental car, so we won't be too dependent on Disney transportation. We'll be staying at BWV the second half of the trip, and during this first half, we're planning on spending probably a half day at the AK and a day at the MK. We have dinners planned at DTD & at the Contemp.

I'm lost what to do. Stay at AKL to try a new place, WL to be close to the MK, or just get one room at the Polynesian (GV).

Thanks for voting & posting opinions!

 

[Selket]

How many folks in your family? Little kids or older ones or ? We stayed at the AKL last August and I did not mind the bus ride. The AKL does not share busses with other resorts which is very nice. If you have little ones (like stroller age) I can see the appeal of the Poly and that might make the Poly worth it. Otherwise I don't see how you can go wrong with AKL. The pool is huge and has zero entry which is nice for small kids. The theming is amazing and of course the animals! There are activities all day at the hotel for kids.

All 3 sound like great choices!

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We will be 2 adults & 2 teens.

 

[Selket]

Two teens eh? Hmm....my boys are so much younger I can hardly relate! I guess I'd rule out the WL just because you've been there recently. I'd love to stay in the Poly myself so it is hard for me not to recommend it I'm just guessing but it seems like with teens you'd not be in the room so much - do you get back to the room for naps or early in the evening for bedtime? Seems like you'd go back to swim maybe then hit the parks again until late. It is a tough choice! If you've stayed at the Poly then perhaps go for the AKL. If your kids are interested in the theming and the animals that will help. The pool slide there is quite tame so that won't be of interest to them I'd guess. Going back to the AKL really feels like getting away from it all because it seems so secluded and different. I'd think the Poly feels more like you're in the middle of stuff. I think it really depends on the reasons for wanting two rooms and if that outweighs being on the monorail!

I wish I could help more! I love the AKL but if your family is used to zipping around quickly it could be frustrating to be so far away from most of the parks. The bus service is excellent but still takes 20 mins or so to get to the MK plus whatever time you wait for the bus. There are good reasons to choose either one! Good luck!

 

[daannzzz]

Both are great places to stay and have nice pools though I like the food options better at AKL. You can't go wrong with either.
As far as location goes, at WL you have a relatively short commute to the Magic Kingdom via the boat. The rest of the parks you will need to drive or take the bus. At AKL the commute to the AK is short via bus or car and the rides to the other parks are probably about the same or a couple minutes longer than at the WL. The one thing that seems to bother people is that to get from the AKL to anywhere else you have to take a bus or drive. There is no walking over to another resort. There is no boat or monorail to nearby resorts for lunch or dinner.
I loved the AKL and you may find it is well worth being a little bit out of the way.