AOA or AKL

[Ashwin Lakhi]

So I am going to Disney with my mother, wife and daughter(who's 6) in late April of 2016. I know I need to book my room ASAP but i'm having a hard time justifying the cost of AKL or Contemporary.

We went last September and stayed in an AOA Lion King Family suite and really enjoyed our time at Disney. The hotel left a little to be desired, better food, better wifi for example; but not sure that it justifies the $3000 price jump for AKL or any other deluxe.

I've looked at all the moderates too and they just don't "scream" disney like AOA or most of the deluxe hotels.

What am I missing? Is It really worth the extra money?

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It depends how you define "worth."

The AKL or CR room will be bigger than a moderate room, but smaller than the AOA suite.
The AOA suite will have two defined sleeping spaces. AKL or CR will have one space.
CR and AKL have waterslides at their pools. CR has places to view fireworks even if you don't get a theme park view. CR is very close in to MK and is walkable to MK. Both have more food options than a value resort does.

It comes down to what you value. $3000 buys a lot of souvenirs, or a longer trip.

 

[Ashwin Lakhi]

It depends how you define "worth."

The AKL or CR room will be bigger than a moderate room, but smaller than the AOA suite.
The AOA suite will have two defined sleeping spaces. AKL or CR will have one space.
CR and AKL have waterslides at their pools. CR has places to view fireworks even if you don't get a theme park view. CR is very close in to MK and is walkable to MK. Both have more food options than a value resort does.

It comes down to what you value. $3000 buys a lot of souvenirs, or a longer trip.

I guess I should edit this by saying we were NOT looking at a Family Suite this trip at AOA, just a regular room.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I guess I should edit this by saying we were NOT looking at a Family Suite this trip at AOA, just a regular room.

Well, then I have to throw in that in an AOA LM room, you get two double beds for your 4 people. AOA Suite you get 3 distinct sleeping surfaces for everyone. CR and AKL you would also get 3 distinct sleeping surfaces (and at CR two would be queen beds!), although at AKL it may involve a bunk bed and I don't know how your mom feels about a bunk bed!

 

[sdsatl]

Have you checked out the royal rooms at Port Orleans? You'll get that Disney feel and slightly more room than a mermaid room at AoA. The food is good (beignets!), and you're a boat ride from Disney Springs. My kids love POR/FQ.

I love AKL and am staying there in May, but I rented points.

And God bless your mother and wife! They must be close.

 

[kcpinwdw]

So I am going to Disney with my mother, wife and daughter(who's 6) in late April of 2016.

I think it is pretty hard to price shop before you have any discounts applied. What you may find now for AKL or CR may be much less when you actually book. For example I recently was quoted around $250 a night for CR the first week of May. Maybe you want to look into an agency and see if any better deals may be out there? Maybe even a magical deal? Or an agency exclusive deal? Maybe start by googling those words and see if it leads anywhere...

 

[dkrauss]

I think you ask a difficult question..........what is worth it to one may not be to another

I ask how do you plan to use your time? Will you be spending a lot of time at the resort? Is that important to you? Both resorts rely on use of the Disney Bus Transportation system, will that be an issue? Many questions that could dictate what you do........or even change things up alot.

My wife and I just stayed at AOA (in a LM Suite with a king bed ). We we're really never at the resort...........always in the parks or on the move. Because we knew that in advance we specifically looked to save money by staying at AOA.

We staying at AK next November.......we're planning on afternoon breaks so even with the distance to the parks it will work for us. Also really looking forward to the animals (we'll have savanna view). We're renting DVC points so we're saving more than 50% on the room. Even with that it still costs more for the deluxe.

It seems that finances are the driving force here....is that true? If so............AOA fits the bill even with the limitations it does have..............as would POFQ or POR too.

Tough call...........IMHO!

Best of luck on your choice..........and have a great vacation!

Doug

 

[lustergirl]

AK hands down. I just love the food options there.

 

[Hopefully]

No way I would choose aLM room for your group. It would be too crowded for us. Have you looked at the Wilderness Lodge or the renovatedFort Wilderness cabins. These look spectacular
Good luck

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would absolutely do a mod over an LM room at AoA. If you weren't thrilled with the AoA suite, you will be less thrilled with the standard room.

AKL is gorgeous, but if the price feels too high, I agree with the PP regarding the Royal Room at POR. They are adorable and very comfortable. The room is very "Disney"!

 

[Babsy]

Yes, it is worth it to us. Larger, more comfortable rooms, more dining options, better transportation to theme parks, and more amenities at the resort = a better resort experience. Theming does matter to us, but we enjoy the theming at all the WDW resorts. WE like table service dining, we like easy access to multiple resorts, we like being able to walk to at least one theme park, we enjoy larger rooms and queen sized beds and we like relaxing at our resort for long periods of time while on vacation.

However, we would not be staying in one room with any extended family. I would be looking for a second room for Mom. Neither DH nor I would be willing to live in any room in WDW with either of our Moms. There would be a major rift in the family by vacations end. So I would look at the budget and book wherever we could manage two rooms. If two rooms at the CR were doable, that would be my choice.

Good luck!

 

[Baklava]

Have you checked out the royal rooms at Port Orleans? You'll get that Disney feel and slightly more room than a mermaid room at AoA. The food is good (beignets!), and you're a boat ride from Disney Springs. My kids love POR/FQ.

I love AKL and am staying there in May, but I rented points.

And God bless your mother and wife! They must be close.

This is where we ended up. AoA was out because of the Tiny Beds vs. Tall People factor and AKL was out because of the price. They were top contenders but neither worked. We're at POR and while I agree that none of the mods really screamed "Disney!" at me online, the Royal Room is an exception. We're excited about it.

 

[sdsatl]

This is where we ended up. AoA was out because of the Tiny Beds vs. Tall People factor and AKL was out because of the price. They were top contenders but neither worked. We're at POR and while I agree that none of the mods really screamed "Disney!" at me online, the Royal Room is an exception. We're excited about it.

A CM recommended Port Orleans to us (specifically, those rooms), and I'm so glad she did! It wasn't even on my radar.

 

[stormer]

We love AKL - it is one of our favorite resorts.

Just some info - more money for the resort doesn't mean better wifi. We stayed at Bay Lake Tower in August and it was the worst wifi we ever experienced in a hotel. Most nights we has to go to the lobby to use it.

 

[happymommy]

Are you staying in two rooms, one for your family and one for your mother, or were you planning on all staying in one room together?

I personally wouldn't share a hotel room with my mother in law, so just wondered.

I do think AOA looks very cute. But, have you considered two rooms at Pop Century?

I don't know if you did AOA, would your mother be comfortable sleeping on a pull out bed? I would think they're fine for children, but not for a grandmother probably. I would expect a proper bed for a vacation for myself, and some privacy as well.

Have you looked into two rooms at the Swan? The Epcot resorts are in a wonderful spot, as you can walk to the YC & BC as well as the BWI. The Swan was just renovated completely, and the room rates can be considerably lower than the other Epcot resorts (with at least as nice of rooms). No, they don't scream Disney, but I don't need to sleep with princesses - just a comfortable room!

 

[kwdw]

No way I'd stay in a LM room at AoA with my mother or mother in law. Now - if you are talking about renting TWO rooms - that's another story.

You COULD do the family suite at AoA again - putting grandma on the table bed and little one on the sofa bed. They might like sharing that area. And the two baths are a huge plus with that third adult. The family suite is a bit less than a deluxe - so it's in your price range.

You COULD consider one of the moderate rooms that hold 5 - request one with the murphy bed. Then you could put the little one on that - and grandma can have her own bed. But still - one bath.

At AKL - it's two beds. Who's sharing? I love AKL - and if I were renting a one bedroom villa - not a regular resort room - then I think that would work for you. The 1 bedroom villas at Kidani have two baths - and a pull-out sofa bed and sleeper chair in the living area.

Even if you all get along great on a regular daily basis - I think "one living space" - isn't going to be enough privacy after a couple of days.

 

[schwaa]

So I am going to Disney with my mother, wife and daughter(who's 6) in late April of 2016. I know I need to book my room ASAP but i'm having a hard time justifying the cost of AKL or Contemporary.

We went last September and stayed in an AOA Lion King Family suite and really enjoyed our time at Disney. The hotel left a little to be desired, better food, better wifi for example; but not sure that it justifies the $3000 price jump for AKL or any other deluxe.

I've looked at all the moderates too and they just don't "scream" disney like AOA or most of the deluxe hotels.

What am I missing? Is It really worth the extra money?

I used to go to Disney all of the time as an adult about 1999-2007 (maybe 15 trips total). Almost all of them have been at Port Orleans Riverside. I love that place. To me it was always part of Disney. The parks were entertainment, and the resort was the continuation of the break from the 'real world' outside of disney world.

Most recently (2013 - 2015), I have gone 3 Decembers in a row. I stayed at OKW, Cont., and Gr Flo (in that order). OKW did nothing for me. It didn't have the same resort feel as Port Orleans. The contemporary was terrible. It's just a hotel. Last week, we were at the Grand Floridian. So far it's the closest Disney feeling I have gotten at a resort equal to what I felt at Port Orleans. Visiting the Polynesian also gave me that feeling.

As you maybe can see, my feeling of 'screaming disney' is immersing me in a theme/experience that takes me away from anything in the real world.

I believe I understand your definition of 'screaming disney' to mean immersing you with Disney scenes/characters/movies etc. Art of Animation does that like no other resort at Disney. (we spent one night at Pop Century during 2014, and we walked over to AoA, and I found it to be amazing. I felt immersed in the movies.)

I've stayed at AKL once, and I would say it does immerse you in Africa (but is that disney to you?). The contemporary immerses you into .... mayhem? (I'm sorry I don't know how to put it; my feelings about that resort are so strong, I cannot be objective about it)

In summary, I would say the moderates do scream disney. They create a theme (like, for example, the Jungle Cruise) and they immerse you in them. I feel very strongly that the moderates get a really bad rap.

Is IT worth the extra money? I assume you mean anything more expensive that AoA? The answer to the question is definitely subjective. You need to decide what you want from a resort. Do you want a food court? You won't get that at a Deluxe. Do you want lots of sit down restaurants? you won't get that at Mods or Values. Do you want Queen beds? To mean, that's worth more than a Value. Do you want to rent watercraft? Then that's a deluxe.

I think you'll need to sit down and make a list of what you want from your resort, and that will help you focus and pick the theme you want. If you want to be immersed in a Disney Movie, that AoA is your only option really (ASMovies might do it, but I'm not sure)

One P.S. I would like to add (I'm sorry this has been so long): I do not like resorts that have convention centers that are heavily used and don't have designated buildings for the conventioneers to stay in. When I go on vacation, I want to be at a resort where everyone else is on vacation. Working business people "bum my apex" when I'm on vacation.

 

[JennyDrake]

I would absolutely do a mod over an LM room at AoA. If you weren't thrilled with the AoA suite, you will be less thrilled with the standard room.

DITTO. LM rooms are very small and a HIKE to the food court and buses.

Have you considered POFQ?

Or better yet--ASMovies???? GREAT theming and IMHO better food court options than AoA.

 

[dkrauss]

DITTO. LM rooms are very small and a HIKE to the food court and buses.

Or better yet--ASMovies???? GREAT theming and IMHO better food court options than AoA.

I have to agree with JennyDrake...........the LM rooms would be small for 4 (especially with a mom-in-law..........and I most definatley agree they are a HIKE from the food court and bus stops. Given you're going with your mother, unless she's a runner........it won't be good. The LM room was great for my wife and I (just 2 of us). The walk was rough, especially after long days touring in the parks. However, the theming is just outstanding.......but I digress. There's been a bunch of great ideas put forward on this thread. In the end you are the only one who can determine the comfort level needed for your family and whether it fits your financial plan for the trip.

Again best of luck on your selection..........and have a great vacation!

Doug