AKl/WL

[buzz1fan]

I know this has been asked tons of times, i just cant get the search engine to work.

Other than the animals, how do you decide which resort. To me the selling point of AKL is the zero entry pool. Does WL have a nice pool, even though it is not zero entry.

The boat would be nice to MK and CR. Seems like it would also be easy to take the boat to CR, than the Monarail to Poly for some dinners?

Any advise if you have stayed there would be great. We are going in August 2009 and our kids will be 27 months and 5.

Thanks

 

[Kae]

they both are beautifully themed resorts. the boat to CR is great plus. We used it all the time, but our room was litterlly the farthest from the bus stop. so we could time when the boat would come, from our balcony & then hop on the bus or Monorail at CR-plus I would get a coffee at CR.

AKL does have the zero entery pool which is very nice for kids & they have tons of activies that your 5 yr old would like. If you are going to get a Savannah view then I would pick AKL, if not then I would go with WL. As I have said before I go with price alot when down between 2 great resorts

now this won't help but you really can't go wrong with either resort.

Kae

 

[jenb1023]

We stayed at both in the past year. Although both are wonderful, we would pick AKL over WL. Although AKL is in a more remote location, the bus service was great and it did not seem to take any longer to get places than from WL.

My DD was a little over 4 when we stayed at AKL and she loved it! The zero entry pool is great for the little ones. They have tons of free activities at the hotel for kids which was nice for when we took a break from the parks. The animal viewing is great! We did not have a savannah view room but there are tons of public viewing areas. It was amazing to walk a few feet from the pool and see flamingos and then a little further and there is a giraffe! Lastly, AKL's CS restaurant, the Mara, was much larger and had a much bigger variety of food than WL's Roaring Forks.

Like I said both were great but we would do AKL again in a heartbeat!

 

[HillPete]

The pool at WL is gorgeous! The geyser is nearby, the playground is on the beach right next door to the pool and there are always a few ducks swimming with you! It's not zero-entry, but they do offer life jackets for free. That gave me peace of mind when my son was not-quite-three. We were always with him, but we had that added layer of protection.

You can't go wrong with either resort.

Have a great trip!

--H

 

[buzz1fan]

Do most people take the buses at WL, or the boat to MK or CR, than a bus or monarail? I know we want to have dinner and/or breakfast at Poly, GF and CR. We will spend most of our park time at MK, but some time at the other three parks. We are not going to spend an entire day at the parks, just mornings and evenings. So we will not be in a hurry all week.

If we stayed at AKL we would get a standard room, not a savanah room.

 

[mickeynut1]

We've never stayed at the AKL, but the WL is our second favorite resort (after the Poly) . We love the overall theme of the resort and the ease of the boat transportation to/from the MK and CR (to catch the monorail if we want), which would also be great for you since you're planning breakfasts/dinners at the 3 monorail resorts . We love the pool at the WL (even though it's not zero entry). Although I can't compare the WL to the AKL, I will say the WL appeals to us more.....the lobby is breathtaking, especially the huge fireplace with the rocking chairs around it for relaxing and taking in all the beautiful surroundings . Plus I think your kids would like the geyser at the WL....it goes off every hour.....kids love watching that . If you plan on spending most of your time at the MK and the monorail resorts, I'd say the WL would be the more convenient resort to stay at . Good luck and happy planning .

 

[ProudMommyof2]

With WL you can also walk or take the boat to Fort Wilderness and do the petting zoo, campfire and movie, pony rides, Segway, etc.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Since you're not going savannah at AKL, WL would suit you better. We've stayed at AKL once for 3 nights, do not like it, all over hyped. Saw nothing for animals, some cows and a few giraffe only at feeding time and other than that sitting out on your balcony looking at nothing but trampled grounds, not a pleasant sight. Everywhere you want to go is by bus, you're remote from the rest of the world. WL, to us is prime location, boat to the MK, FW and CR. Easy navigation, resort is bright, pool is fantastic and your concern over zero entry, they have a nice kiddee pool, 2 hot tubs and stair landing to get into the pool. There are AKL lovers out there and WL haters but for my dollar nothing beat Wilderness Lodge for location, price, overall theming and amenities.

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

Another vote for WL

You get the geyser, which your kids will love, the EWP, boat to MK, the campground and other resorts. We've never stayed AKL and don't really intend to b/c it is so far from everything and we like different options for transportation. We like to boat ride to CR and do Mickey's for breakfast and then monorail it to Epcot for the day

 

[DizOz]

Another vote for WL.

I have been to both and loved both. The theming is great but AKL wins out in this aspect due to the animals. I preferred the WL restaurants but both are fine.

Recently we took our 2 DD to WL and they loved the poo. The major factor in favour of WL is the transport is far better as well as being much closer to MK, AKL is too far out of the way.

 

[perla75]

As said by the others, you really can't go wrong with either resort.

Based on your preferences & trip plans you mentioned, it makes more sense for you to stay at WL.

 

[Tiggerlover48]

We love both resorts. But I have to say that our DS was almost 5 on our 1st trip to WDW and he wasn't that much of a water person/swimmer. But that all changed after staying at the AKL. He loved the zero-depth entry pool. He could stand and be comfortable and go under the water. It was the turning point in his swimming. Now he is 8 1/2 and on the swm team!!!

The kids programs at AKL are wonderful and I think they would love it. We are going back in Nov. we just became DVC members this year and bought into AKV.

I do love WL my DH and I had a wonderful long weekend getaway there. The boat was nice to take to MK. I will be back.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

We stayed at the WL in April & absolutely loved it. However, DH has always wanted to stay at AKL so we're heading there in September to celebrate another anniversary. Can't wait!!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

My family and I have had a few stays at the Wilderness Lodge and besides able to take the boat to the Contemporary so you can get on the Resort Monorail, their location is also great when you compare it to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I am not saying the Animal Kingdom Lodge is a bad Resort because I think it's very nice, I just don't like where it happens to be located on WDW property.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would take WL over AKL. We went to AKL for dinner and walked around the grounds, even out by the pool all you smell is animal- the whole place stunk. As soon as we walked up to the front of the lodge you smeeled it and it smeeled even more in the back by the pool. I was wondering how anyone could sit out on their balcony and enjoy it with the smell of animal/animal poop the whole time!

 

[JungleJim]

The last time we were at WDW, we spent a good part of the last day touring the deluxe resorts (We always stay at the French Quarter).

We loved the Wildersness Lodge! We want to stay there some day.
I was disappointed in the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I just dodn't understand all the hype I've read about it. I'd rank the AKL with the GF as my least favorites.

We also liked the Poly. Great pool slide for kids.