Please help me compare AKL to BC & POR--love AKL, curious about BC & POR

[disneybliss2]

Please help me compare these resorts. We've stayed at AKL and loved it! Curious about BC because a friend raved about it after she toured it after eating at Cape May. Not sure it's worth the additional cost though. If discounts didn't come out, we would consider POR (stayed at POFQ before & loved quaint feel) but thought POR might be better for our girls as they've gotten older; they'll be 11 & 7 on our next trip) Would love to hear from others.

Here's our thoughts:
AKL: love atmosphere, love animals, love kid's activities, love Boma, expensive though
POR: seems nice, worried about long trek to & from rooms to bus, worried about bus transportation (long wait/multiple stops), cheaper (always nicer)
BC: like theme of AKL better, but the pool area rocks, seems super expensive, love proximity to Epcot


About us: we (DH, DD10, DD6 and myself) stayed at AKL for the first time on our last trip and loved it. It was our first time at a deluxe and we did find that it was "more than just the place we slept." It was a hard decision deciding to take the leap and stay at AKL (we previously had only stayed at Pop and POFQ). I'm very frugal and it was hard to justify the expense. In the end, I decided to make this one splurge because my oldest daughter is an animal fanatic and I knew it would mean so much to her. Also, when we made the leap to POFQ from Pop, we were astounded by the difference--so worth the additional expense; we were curious if the deluxe would offer that same "worth it" experience. Later we were blessed when a discount came out and made the trip much more affordable--icing on the cake. We loved AKL, but would really like a discount to justify it, which leads us to BC...it's even more expensive so not sure how that would pan out--which is why we're considering POR. So sorry this part is so long. Just want you to have an idea of how we will take the $ as a factor.

 

[pepe of ohio]

Coung from very seasoned deluxe people I know how you feel... Though we didn't come "up" thru the ranks we have gone from deluxe to moderate...

We've never 45 deluxe stays and the last 2 trips have been moderates.... It got to the point that we didn't feel we were getting our full monetary deal from deluxe...

This is more true now that we're taking 3 trips in one year to get a super value from our AP's..

When we stayed deluxe, mostly WL, we'd bus to POFQ via the MK for their food court offerings... Few libations and then take the boat to DTD to wind up the evening then bus back to WL... So we planned a stay at POFQ...

It's become our go to resort, not as lush or park convenient but for the price and amenities just as good .... Riverside is just too huge and spread out and any resort with multiple bus stops is too big for us... POFQ, compact and charming and still sisters with Riverside, will fit our bill perfectly!

To add, we've done AKL, didn't care for its location , food and layout..

BC, great resort if your spending more time in EPCOT, some say its good since you can walk to 2 parks... Let me tell you, we've walked to HS, and it ain't not 5 minute hike... Long long walk in the heat ....pool is great but always packed ... More money that we feel not worth it.

Really, if push came to shove, we'd do WL over BC, closer to MK which is our favorite parks and even better to save more bucks and bus around..POFQ .

 

[disneybliss2]

It's become our go to resort, not as lush or park convenient but for the price and amenities just as good .... Riverside is just too huge and spread out and any resort with multiple bus stops is too big for us... POFQ, compact and charming and still sisters with Riverside, will fit our bill perfectly!

That's my fear about Riverside...to spread out. The multiple bus stops doesn't appeal to me at all. We hated the the loooong trek from the buses to our rooms at Pop and fear we would feel the same at POR.

 

[disd55]

I honestly think you can't even compare AKL to BC. BC is so much nicer and much more convenient, with a quick bus ride to MK, walk/boat to HS and Epcot. Also, you can walk to The Boardwalk and take advantage of the lovely shops and restaurants. You will not be let down by staying at BC. Now, POR, we were considering it for our trip this year... Saw how big it was and BEEP, no way. We can't take those big moderate resorts. We almost booked POFQ but promotion for late August came out and it worked out to be a pretty good deal for WL. Deluxe amenities at a cheaper price. After staying CSR, the only mod we stayed at, we can't go back to a big mod. We go in August, when it is hot and humid and we can't cope with walking that far (20 minutes som days) to the main pool. The BC is just a spectacular resort in every way.

 

[poohgirl6]

We have stayed at all 3 resorts mentioned and love them all for different reasons

BC: My favorite location since we like to walk to Epcot most evenings or enjoy hanging out on the Boardwalk. Also SAB rules as far as pools. No good CS (that's one reason we head for Epcot or Boardwalk to pick up something to eat)You have option to walk to Epcot (very easy and short) or to HS (quite a hike, but still like having that option if boats are too slow) and the boats seem more relaxing and fun than buses. You'll still have to bus to AK or MK, and sometimes they will share with BWI, Swan and Dolphin making for a crowded ride I like staying in this area (BWI or YC too) because it seems like you're still very aware that you're at WDW and not a long way from the action.

AKL: Ambiance can't be beat. Amazing animal viewing/activities around the resort. Loved our Savannah view balcony. CS just not good IMHO Cannot comment on their pool because we stayed during 30 degree temps in Jan Transportation is buses, buses, buses I would probably return for a few days to AKL just to enjoy the resort without hitting the parks. It truly feels like you are in another place and time.

POR: I would only stay here in a preferred room bc it is so big and spread out. Best food court on property and we love their gift shop (Fulton's General Store) and the Yeehaw Bob show and the boat to DTD. Pool was fine, hot tub was great, and loved the pool bar here with the rocking chairs. But again, transportation to parks is buses, buses, buses This resort feels very relaxed and a long way from the theme parks (in a good way).

All 3 are great resorts and I don't think you'll have a bad time anywhere. If money were the main issue, I'd certainly book preferred view at POR and have a great time with no regrets.

 

[Desnik]

Yeah the BC is more convenient to 2 parks, but to say it's nicer than AKL is just a matter if opinion.

Our family prefers AKL & we like it much better than BC. *when we don't go to the parks everyday.

If we plan a trip that involves going to the parks then we like to be closer to them depending on which park we plan on going to the most. We love the BW so we usually choose that when we want to be close to Epcot.

Out if your 3 choices & because it seems you'll be going to all the parks, I would just go with POFQ again, not POR.

If I could suggest a resort you didn't mention I would say WL. You'll get a cheaper price than BC but still be at a deluxe resort that is just a boat ride away from the MK. The resort is beautiful & you can take a boat from there to FW & CR to eat & enjoy those resorts too. Once at the CR you can take the monorail to the other resorts on the loop or even Epcot!

 

[mickeynut1]

Please help me compare these resorts. We've stayed at AKL and loved it! Curious about BC because a friend raved about it after she toured it after eating at Cape May. Not sure it's worth the additional cost though. If discounts didn't come out, we would consider POR (stayed at POFQ before & loved quaint feel) but thought POR might be better for our girls as they've gotten older; they'll be 11 & 7 on our next trip) Would love to hear from others.

Here's our thoughts:
AKL: love atmosphere, love animals, love kid's activities, love Boma, expensive though
POR: seems nice, worried about long trek to & from rooms to bus, worried about bus transportation (long wait/multiple stops), cheaper (always nicer)
BC: like theme of AKL better, but the pool area rocks, seems super expensive, love proximity to Epcot


About us: we (DH, DD10, DD6 and myself) stayed at AKL for the first time on our last trip and loved it. It was our first time at a deluxe and we did find that it was "more than just the place we slept." It was a hard decision deciding to take the leap and stay at AKL (we previously had only stayed at Pop and POFQ). I'm very frugal and it was hard to justify the expense. In the end, I decided to make this one splurge because my oldest daughter is an animal fanatic and I knew it would mean so much to her. Also, when we made the leap to POFQ from Pop, we were astounded by the difference--so worth the additional expense; we were curious if the deluxe would offer that same "worth it" experience. Later we were blessed when a discount came out and made the trip much more affordable--icing on the cake. We loved AKL, but would really like a discount to justify it, which leads us to BC...it's even more expensive so not sure how that would pan out--which is why we're considering POR. So sorry this part is so long. Just want you to have an idea of how we will take the $ as a factor.

We've never stayed at POFQ or POR, but have stayed at AKL and BC and like both resorts for different reasons. BC is a beautiful resort and it's great being within walking distance or quick boat ride to both Epcot and DHS, but if not a lot of time will be spent in the Epcot area, I don't think it's worth staying at an Epcot resort (this is just MY opinion, of course). One main reason I feel that way is because the buses to MK and AK can be hit or miss, IMO, with long waits/rides. Sometimes the routes are shared between just the BC and YC, while other times the buses are combined with all 5 resorts. SAB is a nice pool and we enjoyed it, but to me, it's not worth all of the hype that it gets (we actually like the volcano pool at the Poly more). With all of that said, if you won't be focusing your time in the Epcot area but still want a deluxe resort, I would either stick with AKL (something you know and love) or try the WL as Desnik suggested. Good luck.

 

[Mollymum]

We had a preferred room at AB there in May and were steps away from bus stop, food court, and both main pool and quiet pool. can't remember exactly, but the cost of the preferred room was not a lot more than a regular room. So that is the way to go at POR. Great food court, btw.

 

[Eeyore's My Favorite]

We had a preferred room at AB there in May and were steps away from bus stop, food court, and both main pool and quiet pool. can't remember exactly, but the cost of the preferred room was not a lot more than a regular room. So that is the way to go at POR. Great food court, btw.

We were at POR twice in April in preferred AB rooms buildings 14 & 18. The resort really isn't spread out unless u choose a standard AB room or the mansions. We were close to everything. Plus had a quiet pool right by our building which we enjoyed. Boat ride to DTD was greet & so was the carriage ride.

 

[RandFamily]

For the price, I don't think POR is worth it. It's just okay and not much better than the cheaper resorts.

I LOVE both AKL and BC so I can see your dilemma. I agree with other posters who say it depends on how much you want to go to EPCOT since that's the major benefit of BC.

I don't know if you can use the Kidani pool when you are a regular guest at AKL, but it was fantastic! Even though nothing is like the BC pool, this one had it's own special magic.

 

[disneybliss2]

Everyone has given such detailed pros/cons. Thank you!!!!

I'm really leaning toward AK or BC, but I'm still open to POR (or maybe POFQ, we enjoyed our stay there--just thought POR might appeal more to an 11 year old). I don't want to rule it out in case a discount doesn't come open for our trip date, but my heart would prefer AKL or BC. We can easily afford the deluxes, but that doesn't mean I just want to willy nilly throw money to the wind. Without a discount, I can't justify the added expense. I definitely do see how the deluxes add to your stay though--at least it did for us, as did the mod when we upgraded from the value.

We spend time at all of the parks and go to the parks each day. On our last trip we did spent a little more time at Epcot than the other three though.

My girls are still of the age that they like to have lots of swim time, especially my youngest. We typically only swim after dinner and dedicate our day to park time so we don't lose time traveling back and forth between park and resort. We only go once every two years, so we feel we have to make the most of our time while there. We did do it a couple of times on the last trip and it was a lot of time lost after swimming waiting at AKL to get back to our a park for our meal reservation. I can definitely see the perk of having Epcot just 5 min. away to make that afternoon swim time more doable (time efficiency wise) & still have time to get to dinner (if at Epcot, which a lot of our meals are there).

Lots to think about...keep those ideas coming! I love hearing everyone's thoughts!

 

[disneybliss2]

I don't know if you can use the Kidani pool when you are a regular guest at AKL, but it was fantastic! Even though nothing is like the BC pool, this one had it's own special magic.

We didn't use the pool there, and afterwards I heard how great it was so I really regretted not taking advantage of checking it out. We did go over there to eat at Sanaa, but felt it would be a hassle to trek over there to swim when there was a great pool right where we were. We'll definitely try it out next time if we end back up at AKL.

 

[chocovrdmicears]

I am debating between AKL and BC too.

We are just back from our third fabulous stay at AKL - we LOVE LOVE LOVE it there. We have stayed at 6 different Disney resorts and NOTHING feels like AKL to us. - That being said I have the Beach Club stuck in my mind for some reason - This past trip we took a ride over to check it out - The pool is, of course, amazing (we didn't swim! just looked over the gates!) - from the pictures I have seen, the rooms look bright and pretty- we checked out the little QS place and it seemed to have limited options but enough to fit our needs. The location is amazing - BUT (and this is the one thing that gets me) ...it didn't have that *feel* to it like AKL does. - When we stay at AKL we feel transported to another place...like a vacation within a vacation. I know people have a concern about the buses but we alway rent a car. I really am not sure what we are going to do either - a BIG deciding factor will be what kind of discounts appear for our time frame.

 

[disneybliss2]

I am debating between AKL and BC too.

We are just back from our third fabulous stay at AKL - we LOVE LOVE LOVE it there. We have stayed at 6 different Disney resorts and NOTHING feels like AKL to us. - That being said I have the Beach Club stuck in my mind for some reason - This past trip we took a ride over to check it out - The pool is, of course, amazing (we didn't swim! just looked over the gates!) - from the pictures I have seen, the rooms look bright and pretty- we checked out the little QS place and it seemed to have limited options but enough to fit our needs. The location is amazing - BUT (and this is the one thing that gets me) ...it didn't have that *feel* to it like AKL does. - When we stay at AKL we feel transported to another place...like a vacation within a vacation. I know people have a concern about the buses but we alway rent a car. I really am not sure what we are going to do either - a BIG deciding factor will be what kind of discounts appear for our time frame.

I so get what you mean by feeling transported while staying at AKL. It's the perk of having a mini-vacation to Africa and a WDW vacation all in one. I was one of those people that was concerned about the transportation before we stayed last time. We visit all the parks and we like to arrive early before rope drop, so transportation was a concern for us, especially with two young kids. We were pleasantly surprised to find it quick, reliable, and not at the heart of Africa distance wise that many make it out to be.

I wish I could see BC myself to get a feel for it. I LOVE the cozy feeling at AKL. I love the perk of being close to Epcot that BC offers, though, and it sounds very appealing to be by the Boardwalk. The pictures of BC seem bland to me and don't have that warm, comforting feeling that AKL has to offer. The pool sounds great!!! I loved the tropical feel of the pool at AKL too. Hmm....