Animal Kingdom vs. Wilderness

[timsueshd]

I am sure this is an old question... I need advice...

We (2 adults and 13 year old) are coming to Disney the week after Thanksgiving 2018.

My first instinct was to stay at AKL, but I have had people say the following, so I am starting to second guess myself:
Getting to and from the parks takes a really long time
The Resort is way far out from the parks
There is more to see at the Wilderness
It is prettier during the holidays

My reasons to stay at Animal Kingdom:
Never have stayed there
Being able to see the animals sounds cool
It is slightly cheaper than Wilderness

My reasons to stay at the Wilderness:
We can ride the boat to MK
We like the Northwoods feel
I like that it is on the water

The food at AKL doesn't sound like it will appeal to my family, but we will probably be eating at the parks anyway.

Thank you for any advice you can give!!!

 

[ITALIANNYC]

In regards to the food at AKL. All that would change as soon as you walk near Boma. Man do I miss that smell...

Never stayed at Wilderness. Stayed at AKL. I LOVED IT. I have a Savannah view. The hallways were beautiful and themed. The animals were amazing. Yes its far from the parks but I felt like I was in Africa. A vacation within a vacation. I can see the Northwoods feel anywhere. Africa theming, not so much lol. The pool was amazing also.

The buses never bothered me going to the parks. Getting back from the parks did slightly, so I ubered it a few nights. Didn't cost a huge amount and was calming.

It was great seclusion at the end of the night. Then again, I hear the same about wilderness, so someone who has stayed at both would be better to answer.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I think they are equally beautiful. The transportation at WL can be a pain at times. Those boat lines to and from the MK get long. IMO transportation is a wash. If you already know the food options and theming are more appealing at WL I would stay there, especially in December, the holiday decor is spectacular!

 

[hakepb]

Our past few trips have been trying the VWL, the monorail and Epcot Resorts, and our boys keep dropping hints to go to AKL, again.

Jambo and WL were designed by the same architect, so they have a similiar “Grand” feeling, especially the lobby’s.

Jambo has an amazing, huuuge Christmas tree, but WL does feel more like a traditional Christmas.

The rest of the family is plain eaters and they always enjoyed the food at AKL.

Other than the great boat ride to MK, WL will share busses with Contemporary or the Fort, while AKL busses “just” stop at Kidani and Jambo.

 

[JETSDAD]

We like both pretty equally but with a slight advantage to WL for the boat over to MK.

 

[CynBeth]

We have stayed at both and actually prefer WL. We had no issues with bus service at AK and we love Boma but we found we always were up and out too early and got back too late to enjoy the animals and everyone is different but we just prefer staying at resorts near MK or Epcot where you can take other modes of transportation or walk to a park. The theming at WL is one of the best on property with the geyser and the lobby with the rockers and fireplace plus WCC is one of our favorite breakfasts. Then you add the holiday decorations to the mix and it is even more amazing than usual. You have the electrical water pageant and a boat to the MK and one to FW and CR so you have even more dining choices and can take the monorail to Epcot or the other resorts.

 

[toodycat]

I think the AKL is the better resort in terms of theming. The lobby is beautiful with all of its African artifacts and design. There’s nothing more special than the savannah filled with exotic animals. All of the restaurants at AKL are excellent. The menu at Boma is pretty broad, so if your family is worried about food, don’t be.

However, you did say that your trip is after Thanksgiving. With that in mind, I would recommend the WL. I stayed there in December ‘14 and the holiday decorations are stunning. The atmosphere was delightfully Christmas-y. If that is a priority for you, go with the WL.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We've stayed at both, multiple times, both in resort room and the villas. AKL is beautiful, but nothing compares to WL at Christmas time. It is stunning. I also prefer the transportation there (love the boats to MK!) and the food options (loved having 2, good QS options and Geyser Point is really lovely). Honestly, you can't go wrong with either, we just prefer WL.

 

[megs1313]

They're both top notch, but I think I'd lean toward WL for the holiday decor.

 

[Sue M]

We enjoy both resorts, but you are closer to parks at WL and love the boat to MK. There’s another resort boat that loops around WL, CR & Ft W. so dining around the MK resorts is easy.

True you do share with either CR or GF depending on which park, but at AKL you share with Kidani and Jambo is ALWAYS the last pick up. So at park opening if the bus fills up at Kidani you’re standing.

We loved having a savana room at AKL, like the food, and you are 5 min from AK.

We just did a trip at end of Nov/Dec similar to your timing. We visited all the deluxe resorts to see the decorations. Loved WL.

We are booked this summer at WL, will be our 4th time staying there.

 

[TiggerManiac]

AKL is my favorite Disney hotel. I just booked a Nov 28 - Dec 5 stay by renting points for a standard studio at AKV Kidani. Cheaper than a moderate, little more expensive than a value. I can’t wait to get back to my favorite resort!

 

[mickeynut1]

We've stayed at both and love both for different reasons. As a pp said, the WL does have more of a traditional Christmas feel, but AKL is also beautifully decorated (IMO). As far as transportation, WL is convenient to MK and the monorail resorts and we love having the boat as an option. However, transportation at AKL is pretty good as well (IMO). The resort is out away from everything, but in our experience, it's taken maybe 5 extra minutes to get around compared to other resorts. Since the buses only service AKL and Kidani, there's no sharing with any other resort(s). With all of that said, I don't think you can go wrong with either one as they are both great resorts. Good luck!

 

[Shellyb84]

I would stay at AKL because the theme appeals to me much more. We do a lot of camping and trips to the Smokies so the woodsy theme of WL just doesn't do it for me. Seeing all the animals is really cool. We had mixed luck with the buses, but the actual ride itself doesn't really seem much longer than at other resorts. As far as the food, we loved the food court at AKL, there are plenty of options for not so adventurous eaters. They have delicious burgers, and the Zebra Domes are great. The table service restaurants there are also great with lots of options. The pool is lovely, though the slide is a bit boring for DD's taste.

 

[timsueshd]

Thank you for all of the great responses... CynBeth, you made a great point of being out early and back late so not being able to view the animals.
We are only going to be visiting for a few days and trying to pack everything in, I think that will be the case for us as well.

 

[hakepb]

Thank you for all of the great responses... CynBeth, you made a great point of being out early and back late so not being able to view the animals.
We are only going to be visiting for a few days and trying to pack everything in, I think that will be the case for us as well.

That is a huge point.

You generally need to spend more time at AKL to enjoy the animals, as you won’t always have an animal within view.

If you won’t be scheduling a resort day or going back to the resort for an afternoon break/swim/nap then AKL may not seem as “worth it”

 

[amym2]

We've stayed at both AKL (AKV) and WL and I agree with the others that either is a great choice! That said, we just stayed at WL before Christmas and it was wonderful. The new Geyser Point was fantastic (assuming the weather is good). Boma and Sanaa at AKL/AKV are two of our favorite restaurants, so that would be a pull for us to AK resorts, but if you don't think your family will like them, go with WL.

 

[Rich M]

Would anyone's opinion change if you had a vehicle to get around? I booked Wilderness Lodge Club level and then changed to Animal Kingdom Club. I am worried about the food at the club at Animal Kingdom over Wilderness but not sure I can pass on a savannah view. any thoughts?