Just back from 2 nights at AKL (savannah) & 7 at WL (courtyard). We had a wonderful time! I'll post a full trip report, but thought some might be interested in my family's opinion of the resorts.
AKL vs. WL:
Rooms - Advantage - AKL. Newer amenities like digital thermostat and shelf for toiletries were appreciated. Rooms had a "new" feel to them and decor was more sedate. The WL bathroom may have been a tad larger.
Food - Advantage - AKL. The Mara beats out Roaring Forks with its exotic soups. Boma is fabulous, Whispering Canyon isn't even in the same class (but it sure is fun!). Jiko -- loved it! Even my meat & potatoes husband said the food was better at AKL.
Pool - Advantage - WL. I really liked the theming of the falls and the rock formations, plus the geyser and view of Bay Lake. The kiddie pool at WL is bigger and the spas are closer to the pool. But AKL pool was a little warmer.
Service - Advantage - WL. The best service of any Disney Resort we've stayed at! From Jackie at the front desk, to Evelyn our maid who put something super in our room daily, to Ranger Stan and his tours -- I just can't say enough about how fabulous the service was. I found the AKL service to be more formal and less friendly.
AK, MGM & DD Transportation - Advantage AKL. No sharing of bus service here, and busses ran promptly and efficiently. Let me say now, the WL bus to DD was terrible!
MK, Epcot, & Resort to Resort Transporation - Advantage WL. No one in my family is a bus fan. We love the boats and the monorail. So taking a boat to the CR or Crockett bus to TTC to catch the monorail was not problem for us. And we never had to wait for a boat to the MK -- we must have been on the right schedule! Also had an easy time getting to PS for character meals at MK, Poly, Contemporary & GF. Others in our party were at the GF and easy to get to & from that lovely resort.
Lobby - Too close to call. Both are beautiful in their own way. DH loves the WL decor, I loved the AKL decor.
Kids Club - Advantage - Simba's at the AKL. It's larger, has better toys, including a puppet set that caught my daughter's fancy.
Resort Activities - Advantage - WL. We love the Electrical Water Pageant and Fireworks. Plus finding hidden Mickey's and playing on the sand beach. We were flag family one day and that was a treat too! However, it was fabulous seeing the animals from our balcony at AKL and we loved the nightly storytelling by the fire pit.
Summary: I personally don't think you can go wrong with either of these resorts -- and we will most likely return to both. They are perfect for split stays if you plan your parks in the right order and each one is worth a day just hanging around the resort.
IMHO, families with young children will be more comfortable at the WL while most singles and older families might find it a little too lively for their taste and prefer the more sedate AKL. This is just my opinion, I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who will disagree.
AKL vs. WL:
Rooms - Advantage - AKL. Newer amenities like digital thermostat and shelf for toiletries were appreciated. Rooms had a "new" feel to them and decor was more sedate. The WL bathroom may have been a tad larger.
Food - Advantage - AKL. The Mara beats out Roaring Forks with its exotic soups. Boma is fabulous, Whispering Canyon isn't even in the same class (but it sure is fun!). Jiko -- loved it! Even my meat & potatoes husband said the food was better at AKL.
Pool - Advantage - WL. I really liked the theming of the falls and the rock formations, plus the geyser and view of Bay Lake. The kiddie pool at WL is bigger and the spas are closer to the pool. But AKL pool was a little warmer.
Service - Advantage - WL. The best service of any Disney Resort we've stayed at! From Jackie at the front desk, to Evelyn our maid who put something super in our room daily, to Ranger Stan and his tours -- I just can't say enough about how fabulous the service was. I found the AKL service to be more formal and less friendly.
AK, MGM & DD Transportation - Advantage AKL. No sharing of bus service here, and busses ran promptly and efficiently. Let me say now, the WL bus to DD was terrible!
MK, Epcot, & Resort to Resort Transporation - Advantage WL. No one in my family is a bus fan. We love the boats and the monorail. So taking a boat to the CR or Crockett bus to TTC to catch the monorail was not problem for us. And we never had to wait for a boat to the MK -- we must have been on the right schedule! Also had an easy time getting to PS for character meals at MK, Poly, Contemporary & GF. Others in our party were at the GF and easy to get to & from that lovely resort.
Lobby - Too close to call. Both are beautiful in their own way. DH loves the WL decor, I loved the AKL decor.
Kids Club - Advantage - Simba's at the AKL. It's larger, has better toys, including a puppet set that caught my daughter's fancy.
Resort Activities - Advantage - WL. We love the Electrical Water Pageant and Fireworks. Plus finding hidden Mickey's and playing on the sand beach. We were flag family one day and that was a treat too! However, it was fabulous seeing the animals from our balcony at AKL and we loved the nightly storytelling by the fire pit.
Summary: I personally don't think you can go wrong with either of these resorts -- and we will most likely return to both. They are perfect for split stays if you plan your parks in the right order and each one is worth a day just hanging around the resort.
IMHO, families with young children will be more comfortable at the WL while most singles and older families might find it a little too lively for their taste and prefer the more sedate AKL. This is just my opinion, I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who will disagree.
