Help Me Choose! AKL v. Pop Century

[kpdonadio]

Simple as the title says, I'm torn between staying budget friendly @ Pop Century ~$150/night or going Deluxe for the first time ever and staying at AKL for ~$300/night. We'll be staying for a week in December that is not eligible for free dining. We tend to spend most mornings and evenings at the parks, and retreat to the resort in the afternoon for a break. Someone help me make this decision!

EDIT: Opted for AKL after all of your input. Thank you all so much we are now more excited than ever for our vacation!

 

[Gehrig1B]

No brainer... If within your budget definitely take the Deluxe plunge. And AKL is a good enough place to start. Beautiful resort.

 

[Disneylover99]

I love Pop and AKL really doesn’t appeal to me, but for that price difference I think I would give AKL a try.

 

[cwestpvb]

AKL is a pretty incredible place to stay, and the new room updates look great. If you book standard view, request a partial savannah view! I'd say its worth that difference in price.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I've stayed at neither, but recently switched from values and moderates to deluxes. For me, the increased price is worth it. Better beds, quieter halls, fine dining, better pools....

 

[tguz]

To me, it all comes down to budget. If you can afford it and pay oop for all the food for a week, I'd go for the deluxe. We are staying at Pop on our vacation because a deluxe was not in the budget. We save for our vacations and based on the $$'s we have saved, we make our destination and resort choice.

 

[magrudersmakes3]

We have stayed at both and enjoyed both. When we stayed at AKL, we spent more time at the resort and enjoyed the view from our balcony, ate at Sanaa and Boma several times. We still enjoyed every day at the parks but enjoyed the down time at the resort and what it had to offer. This past year, we stayed at POP and were very park heavy with little time at the resort. I would have missed my own balcony if we were not park heavy but was very pleased with the resort.

If you are planning down time and can afford AKL, I say go for it. If you can spend that money on other things to enjoy and will be at the parks most of the time, go with POP.

 

[marchingstar]

over the week, the price difference is just over 1000$.

is there somewhere else you could put that money and feel like you’ve gotten an upgrade? park hoppers, christmas party tickets, special dining options?

i’ve never stayed at Pop but I love staying at AKL. Jambo house is so beautiful and there’s tons to do, but I would only stay there if I built in time to enjoy the resort. there’s just so much to see and do.

 

[SG131]

Hands down AKL and I'm not even an animal person. Deluxe will be nicer, quieter and is MUCH more decorated for Christmas. Pop looks kinda sad compared to the deluxe resort decorations.

 

[Luvs Mickey]

AKL at Christmas time is so beautiful! If within your budget, definitely AKL. When you check in, if you book the standard view, you can ask if any savannah views or even trail views are available as a complimentary upgrade. It never hurts to ask! It worked for us last December but it’s never a for sure thing.

 

[BarlowFamily]

We faced a similar choice and opted to rent points to stay at AKL. That made it just a little more than the value resort and no fee for parking.

 

[buckeye130]

Deluxe over value any day of the week

 

[Magical2017]

I would definitely look to see if something was available to stay using points. That is a busy time for DVC resorts, but it never hurts to check. We loved AKL, but a thousand bucks would cover most or all of your food, depending on your party.

I have stayed at both resorts and thoroughly enjoyed my trips at both of them--great Disney service. AKL gave us more room, more food options, a nicer pool imo, and a great balcony. It all comes down to whether those things are worth paying extra for. When we stayed at AKL it was a park heavy-trip and other than our arrival day, we did not have much time to really enjoy the resort. My kids loved making giraffe feeders and we did eat at Sanaa twice.

 

[dreynolds1982]

AKL is quite possibly my favorite resort, but it's really a matter of choice. My gf and I are going in November and while we could've afforded a mod or deluxe, we opted for Pop Century because the resort isn't a huge deal to us and it saves a good deal of money that we can put towards other things on the trip. That being said, if you've never stayed at the AKL it might be worth the splurge. It's a gorgeous property and I make a point to visit it every time I go regardless of where I'm staying.

I know that's all not super helpful ha, but it's really a matter of what you get the most personal ROI on, an upgraded hotel experience, or more financial freedom for other things around the resort (maybe nicer dining, some merch splurges, MVMCP, or something like that).