Art of Animation vs. Animal Kingdom Lodge

[Visualauren]

I can't decide! Family of 4 for a. 4 night stay
2 adults 2 kids ages 3 and 5
We have stayed in lion king suite in AoA and LOVED it.
We wanted to try AKL for the animals, bunk beds, adult restaurants, and pool
We are nervous AKL queen/bunk pool view might feel cramped and it doesn't have the kitchenette that was so useful with little ones and heating up food

AOA pros:
the space!
Extra bathrooms for quick getting up n ready
separate room for kids to watch TV and have your adult time
newer cleaner rooms and beds
kitchenette for breakfast, heating up food,
kid friendly colors and theming for our young kids MAGICAL!
family friendly food court
close to Mk and Epcot where we are going

Cons
$8.00 More a night so $32 total
saw a post about bed bugs there yikes!,
no slide at pool...big one for us
no muted adult theme to relax us example pool and tiki bar
Extra crowded busses back home
already been (NOT A CON) but wanted to try new place
no exquisite restaurants like Boma jiko

AKL PROS:
Animals roaming with awesome resort views
Simba club for an adult night night at BOMA
pool is great for adults and kids with a slide
Relaxing earthy colors after long day at park I welcome this
bunk beds fun for kids?
tiki bAR neanear pool
beautiful theme

Cons
rumors of sstinky rooms and old gross beds
Much smaller space
No kitchenette
we all sleep in same room
1 shower so longer get ready time
older rooms
pool view can't afford savanna view
is food court divesity a problem. I KNOW it sounds stupid but I love the createam your own pasta station at aOa

Any input would help thanks. We love all of the resorts we've been to so I cringe when I read bad reviews of both resorts on trip help me decide brewing up a vacation is hard work

 

[jperrot1]

I'm happy you had a great AoA stay last time. WDW has all resorts on a full room rehab schedule of about every 5-7 years or so (somebody out there make my 5-7 years more accurate). I'm not sure when the last AKL full room rehab took place though. Maybe someone could address this also.

So both your options are pretty much the same price. And you have experienced AoA, but not AKL yet. I would suggest to try AKL. The price is a few bucks less, and you are jumping up from a value to a deluxe.

Now I have never stayed at AoA. For values, I have only stayed at All Star Sports. I have stayed at all moderates except POFQ. I have stayed at several deluxe resorts (Contemporary, Poly, Swan, AKL.). If you haven't experienced a Deluxe yet, you are in for a really Magical stay.

You would be moving from AoA 260 x 2 = 520 square feet of room to 344 square feet of room, so although you would have less room, they are very large rooms at AKL.

 

[Visualauren]

I'm happy you had a great AoA stay last time. WDW has all resorts on a full room rehab schedule of about every 5-7 years or so (somebody out there make my 5-7 years more accurate). I'm not sure when the last AKL full room rehab took place though. Maybe someone could address this also.

So both your options are pretty much the same price. And you have experienced AoA, but not AKL yet. I would suggest to try AKL. The price is a few bucks less, and you are jumping up from a value to a deluxe.

Now I have never stayed at AoA. For values, I have only stayed at All Star Sports. I have stayed at all moderates except POFQ. I have stayed at several deluxe resorts (Contemporary, Poly, Swan, AKL.). If you haven't experienced a Deluxe yet, you are in for a really Magical stay.

You would be moving from AoA 260 x 2 = 520 square feet of room to 344 square feet of room, so although you would have less room, they are very large rooms at AKL.

Thank you! I'll have to look into when the reviews about outdated rooms were Maybe the reviews are after a resort update! Thanks for your input as someone who has been to AKL and other deluxe! It's hard because you always want your Disney experience to be as good or better than the lastbut you gotta try new things too!

 

[troof]

Have you considered DVC point rental to stay in a villa in either Kidani (which is newer) or Jambo House (which is the same as the lodge, but maybe the villa rooms have been done more recently? I'm not sure)? There is info on point rental on these boards and you can Google it. You can make arrangements directly with individuals or use a service. You could get a studio in the $200 range which would have the kitchenette or a one bedroom which would cost more but would have a lot more space and a full kitchen and washer/dryer and in Kidani two bathrooms. We stayed in a AoA suite last time too and liked it, but I really wanted to try AKL. Point rental is the route we took because it put the villas within financial reach.

 

[jawk9600]

We have stayed at both in our last two trips, first at AoA and then on our last trip at Kidani. I have to admit we did stay in a 2-bedroom standard view room so the size of the room can't be compared. Know that the better pool (by a wide margin) is located at Kidani. After loving AoA and its immersion in everything disney stands for, we thought AK was that much better. The animals are amazing they are best to see in the evening when they schedule feedings. We at at Sanaa and Boma but not Jiko. Sanaa gives you a great view of the savanna while eating. The walk between resorts is about 10-15 minutes and we did it a couple of times. Last thing Disney transportation goes to Kidani first and then Jambo so during busy times this could be an important factor. The best way to describe it is AoA feels like energy is around you all the time where AK feels relaxing all of the time.

 

[Babsy]

I would stay at AKL. It is a deluxe and AoA is just a (very nice) value. It is a different sort of experience.

AKL Cons:

stinky rooms/gross beds---not in our experience, beds much BETTER than at AoA, I thought

much smaller space--yes, but 340 vs 520 sq ft BUT you get a balcony (VERY important, IMO)

no kitchenette--shouldn't that go in the pro section? I hate cooking on vacation!

we all sleep in the same room -- true

one shower--we stagger times, some shower at night and some in the morning

older rooms--yes, but well maintained

pool view--it is so pretty! and lots of places to view the animals

food diversity--really good food at AKL, but you can eat at other resorts and theme parks as well, we really enjoy Mara (QS), Boma and Jiko (haven't tried Sanaa yet - later this month)

 

[tbia]

Lion King suite and all....

With 2 kids, I would choose Animal Kingdom every time. We have 3 now, so we would do AOA.

A couple of things that jump out in your Pros and Cons...

IF you stay with pool view, in my opinion, you are MUCH more convenient to the AKL food court than you are at AOA.

But, we started with parking lot view and got an upgrade to Savannah View...it still could happen.

As for busses, we drive most of the time. Until we get out of strollers, we find that easier for us. (All opinions are welcome, but that works for us) But when we did ride the bus from AKL, we discovered it stops at Kidani before Jambo, and we watched a lot of already full busses take on about 3 riders. We were advised to walk to Kidani and get on there. I did seem to be quicker.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I would try something different, go for AKL, since you've been to AoA before.

 

[Allisonmomofthree]

we are debating the same thing, so I'm glad you asked this we are a party of 5 though, can't wait for our first trip to disney!

 

[Mainemama]

I have not stayed at either, but wanted to address some of your cons to AKL, as I use to have similar concerns and have found they are a non-issue on vacation.... All in 1 room. I actually find all sharing a deluxe room one of the most magical, memorable parts of our Disney vacations. Kids are typically exhausted in the morning, so I still have adult time to organize, relax before they wake, and at night they hit the sack quickly. We do enjoy such sweet times together when they are awake. No kitchenette. There is a fridge, a coffee maker and a (bathroom) sink, and with close access to the food court, you can heat things up in the microwave or use the toaster. I typically order from Garden Grocer for drinks, healthy snacks, and cold breakfast items, and also purchase bakery items in the parks (hello Les Halle's), or grab a couple of quick service breakfasts to share in our room if we are not having a TS breakfast. If you are planning to cook, I agree that you would miss the kitchenette, but if it is just the occasional quick meal, you will be fine. I have never thought " I wish I had a kitchen" while staying Deluxe, even our recent 10 night Xmas trip. I have thought "I wish I had a washer and dryer", but that is not a perk in either of your choices. As a family of 5, we are priced out of AKL, but I would choose that in a heartbeat if we were 4. That said, I may be adding a AoA Suite night on our arrival night pre-YC and am excited (still haven't made up my mind, but your review is encouraging!)

 

[karmomof3]

I have not stayed at AoA but we loved AKL. We stayed club level with Savannah view and it is now one of my favorite resorts. We did do bunk beds and the room did feel cramped. Next time, we will not do bunk beds. I loved the pool, the atmosphere and the variety of dining. Walking the grounds was peaceful and relaxing after a hectic day at the parks. I'm all for trying new resorts. Just do it.

 

[mickeynut1]

Another vote for AKL. We've never stayed at AoA, but we love AKL.

 

[Allisonmomofthree]

Do the 1 bedroom villas at kidani have 2 bathrooms ?