MCO Hyatt or Animal Kingdom Lodge

[Kanga&TwoRoos]

Hi everyone,
We are taking a trip with my in laws this September and we've started looking at flights. It looks like we're going to end up flying in a day early before our reservations at AoA starts so my husband and I are debating what we should do.

Option 1:
Take frontier flight that gets us in around 10pm. Stay at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport then go to AoA the next morning.
Option 2:
Take Southwest flight that gets in at 6pm and stay in a Savanna room at AKL. Enjoy the lodge in the morning until checkout then move to AoA.

Some factors to consider:
Option 2 is $1000 more than option 1 mostly due to a more expensive flight (obviously hotel is more expensive too).
Our kids are 2 and 3 years old.

What do you guys think?

 

[Shanti]

Hi everyone,
We are taking a trip with my in laws this September and we've started looking at flights. It looks like we're going to end up flying in a day early before our reservations at AoA starts so my husband and I are debating what we should do.

Option 1:
Take frontier flight that gets us in around 10pm. Stay at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport then go to AoA the next morning.
Option 2:
Take Southwest flight that gets in at 6pm and stay in a Savanna room at AKL. Enjoy the lodge in the morning until checkout then move to AoA.

Some factors to consider:
Option 2 is $1000 more than option 1 mostly due to a more expensive flight (obviously hotel is more expensive too).
Our kids are 2 and 3 years old.

What do you guys think?

Option 1. Not only is it cheaper, but it protects you from the disappointment of going from an AKL savannah room to AoA.

 

[jhoannam]

Option 1... Spend that extra $1k on your next trip or add a few days to this trip.

 

[DopeyDame]

Option 1 for sure. Even if you got in at 6pm, I'd still say option 1. My kids love the MCO hyatt.

 

[loves to dive]

Another one for option #1. AKL is just too beautiful to just spend a few hours at and that is a chunk of change to save.

 

[kwdw]

Option 1. Cheaper - and you won't be around long enough to enjoy AKL. You can't see the animals when its dark and they are in the barn for a bit in the morning - so you probably won't even see the animals. This is easy decision, IMO - and I LOVE AKL. $1000 is a nice chunk of change to save or spend on something else.

 

[scrapquitler]

Hi everyone,
We are taking a trip with my in laws this September and we've started looking at flights. It looks like we're going to end up flying in a day early before our reservations at AoA starts so my husband and I are debating what we should do.

Option 1:
Take frontier flight that gets us in around 10pm. Stay at the Hyatt in the Orlando airport then go to AoA the next morning.
Option 2:
Take Southwest flight that gets in at 6pm and stay in a Savanna room at AKL. Enjoy the lodge in the morning until checkout then move to AoA.

Some factors to consider:
Option 2 is $1000 more than option 1 mostly due to a more expensive flight (obviously hotel is more expensive too).
Our kids are 2 and 3 years old.

What do you guys think?

I'd either do option 1, or option 3: take ME to AOA the night you arrive, switch rooms the next day if necessary. At least that way you are already on property when you wake up and can start your day without more transportation delays.

I love AKL, but if you aren't arriving until that late at night and would be leaving right after check out, I don't think it would be worthwhile to spend all that extra money. If you want the kid to have the experience of seeing the animals on the savanna at AKL, you can do it on a half day sometime during your trip without having to stay there (and there a bunch of fun activities in the afternoon and evening that you could participate in if you were having a non-park day or partial day)

 

[EPCOTgrl1]

Cheaper is better I feel at this point.

 

[Kanga&TwoRoos]

I'd either do option 1, or option 3: take ME to AOA the night you arrive, switch rooms the next day if necessary. At least that way you are already on property when you wake up and can start your day without more transportation delays.

Thanks everyone for your input. My husband wanted to do option 2 and I wanted to do option 1. We agreed to do Scrapquilter's option 3 when we saw there were still Little Mermaid rooms available for the extra night!

Thanks again!!