Port Orleans vs Animal Kingdom Lodge - Help?

[Shamrock927]

Hi everyone,

Right now my family is planning to visit Disney in August and stay at Port Orleans - French Quarter. The main attraction to staying there, for us, was the pools. My daughter will have just turned 5 and loves to be in the pool and on the water slides... especially in that August heat! Port Orleans looked like it had pools and slides that would be great for her between the two locations. We also liked the convenient access to Disney Springs and, of course, saving a little money over the deluxe resorts was a draw.

Now, however, we are looking at an upgrade to Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House as a feasible option... especially since my daughter has developed a Lion King and Lin Guard addiction. =) We stayed at Animal Kingdom a few years back but did not really look at the pools since the weather was much cooler. Off the bat, we see the animal viewing as a big plus at AKL and it seems to have better dining options on site, also. But we have a few questions about the two resorts before making a change.

Are the pools and slides at Animal Kingdom Lodge as good or better for children my daughter's age than those at Port Orleans? She is 44" tall is that helps as far as rules go. Is there one that is a clearly better choice for pools and slides?

How long is the walk from Jambo House and Kidani Village as opposed to the walk from French Quarter to Riverside?

Obviously, we are riding the bus to parks from both resorts. Is there a significant difference between bus rides, though?

Thanks, as always, for your help in making this choice!

 

[Shellyb84]

AKL has two very nice pools! We preferred the one at Jambo. I've not stayed at either PO so I can't exactly compare the slides but the pool areas at AKL are so nice. The walk between Jambo and Kidani is about ten minutes, but there is a shuttle that runs between the two.

 

[MomOTwins]

The pool at Jambo House is lovely. Can't speak for Port Orleans French Quarter, but we stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and it was definitely not anywhere near as nice as the deluxes--felt much more like a motel. Also, at the time they were sharing bus service with French Quarter, so that is something to be wary of -- there could be a lot of stops (there are four stops at Riverside, plus one at French quarter; whereas Jambo House and Kidani are the only stops for AKL.

 

[Texans_loyal]

AKL! Loved the Jambo and Kidani pools, you can't go wrong with a deluxe.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I would choose AKL. Not only is the pool very nice, but you have four different restaurants at AKL while POFQ just has a food court. The rooms will be nicer and your daughter can watch the animals.

 

[hedberg1661]

I would certainly choose AKL over POFQ. I think the pool is very nice there and she will love it. Also, since she likes the pool already...take advantage of the movie at pool select evenings. Check the schedule at the resort when you arrive to see what is playing and when.

 

[rentayenta]

Having stayed at both resorts, though its been sometimes, I would choose AKL.

 

[GirlDreamer]

I've never stayed at AKL, but at POFQ several times. I love POFQ as it's a small and compact resort, so there's never much walking, even if you stay in the building furthest from the Foodcourt/pools. Also, if you stay at POFQ you can also use the pools at the Riverside resort. I can't really comment on the slides as I've never used them.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

With kids go AKL. For some peace go POFQ.

 

[loves to dive]

I'd choose AKL just because it's a beautiful resort and I'm not fond of the outside hallways at the moderates. I haven't stayed at POFQ but have stayed at POR and have stayed at AKL. The walk between Jambo and Kidani is not scenic, it's in the parking lot but it's not long, we took the shuttle one night and it was actually faster to walk it. We didn't do the pool at AKL but I'm thinking for a kid a pool is a pool and Disney is so full of sensory overload anyway she probably would be happy with any pool. The buses are the buses,I've stayed at almost every resort on property on every level and have had good and bad service at every one.

 

[KenHutch]

We have stayed at both Riverside and French Quarter and its just a simple fact the deluxe pools are better. There is a ride available at AKL between the resorts and I have walked the path between the Port Orleans resorts many times. It is about 12-18 minute walk depending on your pace.

 

[tobikaye]

I have not stayed at POFQ with kids and I did not use the pool there, but from walking past if frequently, it seemed nice, but it lacks ambiance of the Jambo pool. My cousin's kids, then 4, had a blast at the pool at Jambo. They were up and down the slide multiple times. The Jambo pool also was a plus to me as it has zero depth entry which was great for just wanting to wade in a bit without getting fully wet.

As a plus to me, there are multiple hot tubs around the pool at AKL and some are quite secluded which made them even more relaxing. At POFQ, there is just one hot tub and although it is not out in the open, it means everyone shares that one tub.

I did enjoy my stays at both resorts, but if the main contingent on my stay was the pools, then I would choose AKL over POFQ.

 

[mcurran]

Having stayed at both, I like porfq better for your trip. Not adventurous eaters so akl dining was actually a con for our family since their food court mara is so small. The porfq dining (float works) has the nicer free style pop machines and plastic straws. Oh and the donut things (biniets?) to die for!!!!

I think the pool area at porfq is much nicer for kids. They have a whole kids splash area that isn’t beat at akl at either pool. The slide might be a little nicer at akl but only in landscaping. If your child is a little mermaid fan the porfq slide has king trident and our kids thought it was too cool.

The walk can very based on where your room is at either resort but from pool to pool I think por pools are a little closer. Fq pool was nicer than riverside. Jmo.

You can take the boat between resorts too and it comes every 15 minutes. Like clockwork. Or the van between resorts at akl (but don’t remember the schedule).

 

[MonorailNate]

The pool at AKL is perfect for young kids. Zero entry and it looks like a watering hole. Slide is nic and there is a ceremony to turn it on every morning. Kids get selected to participate in it.

 

[gillep]

Having stayed at both, I like porfq better for your trip. Not adventurous eaters so akl dining was actually a con for our family since their food court mara is so small. The porfq dining (float works) has the nicer free style pop machines and plastic straws. Oh and the donut things (biniets?) to die for!!!!

I think the pool area at porfq is much nicer for kids. They have a whole kids splash area that isn’t beat at akl at either pool. The slide might be a little nicer at akl but only in landscaping. If your child is a little mermaid fan the porfq slide has king trident and our kids thought it was too cool.

The walk can very based on where your room is at either resort but from pool to pool I think por pools are a little closer. Fq pool was nicer than riverside. Jmo.

You can take the boat between resorts too and it comes every 15 minutes. Like clockwork. Or the van between resorts at akl (but don’t remember the schedule).

The pool at AKV Kidani Village has a very nice kids splash area (see description below) and you are free to use the amenities at both AKV or AKL if you are staying at either resort. I would choose AKL.

Samawati Springs Pool
Make a splash at the Samawati Springs Pool—located just a short walk away at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani! Featuring an exciting 128-foot waterslide and zero-depth-entry, this 4,700-square-foot, 118,138-gallon pool is the perfect place to cool off and have fun.

Nearby, a lounge and bar offer refreshments and snacks.

Uwanja Camp
The pool area also includes Uwanja Camp, a water playground with 3 distinct zones to please kids of all ages. At Observation Station, children 4 years of age and younger can climb through cargo crates, unscramble animal images and frolic through a gently bubbling geyser and shallow cistern pool—while their parents watch from nearby.

At Departure Zone, a leaky water tower and sneaky African irises squirt children 5 to 7 years of age, while at Base Camp, kids 8 years of age and up can douse each other with water cannons.

 

[Average Joes]

We stayed at POR twice and once when my kid was 5. We passed the FQ pool by boat but never went there. We have stayed at AKL twice at ages 5 & 6. Kidani has the best pool for kids IMO of those options but it can depend. It has the biggest slide. My 5 year old would not go down BCs large slide but Kidani was perfect. On the negative you loose sight of them going to the slide. If my 5 year old did not have an older sibling to take them I would find this a hassle. It has a pretty fun splash pad and play area. Watch that areas slide as it can be fast when wet. The pool itself is not very big and is easy to watch them so you can relax.

The only issue I had with Jambo was that the pool was so big I had to almost always be in the water to properly be near the kids. They like to swim everywhere. The slide at Jambo is not very big but at five it was fun. I could let my 5 year old go by herself on the slide while I could see her most of the time from the water. I think it was smaller than POR but I forget for sure.

As an adult I found the pools at AKL to have far nicer scenery (landscaping, animals, etc.).

 

[Tksolomom]

I stayed at FQ and had a great time, including the pools. Our favorite resort however is AK. Their pools are better in my opinion and you can’t beat having the animals there. I also like the food at AK better, although the beignets at FQ are delicious. Whatever you choose, you will have a great trip.

 

[brertoad]

Hi everyone,

How long is the walk from Jambo House and Kidani Village as opposed to the walk from French Quarter to Riverside?

Distance is further, you'd want to take the internal shuttle (van) between Jambo and Kidani.

The pool slide at Jambo isn't exciting, the one at Kidani is probably a little more exciting for the kids.
There is a splash area, but everytime we've gone it has been CLOSED. So, I'm not sure what the deal is.

The main pool area at Port Orleans is nice, it is also a fairly busy.

 

[mcurran]

The pool at AKV Kidani Village has a very nice kids splash area (see description below) and you are free to use the amenities at both AKV or AKL if you are staying at either resort. I would choose AKL.

Samawati Springs Pool
Make a splash at the Samawati Springs Pool—located just a short walk away at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani! Featuring an exciting 128-foot waterslide and zero-depth-entry, this 4,700-square-foot, 118,138-gallon pool is the perfect place to cool off and have fun.

Nearby, a lounge and bar offer refreshments and snacks.

Uwanja Camp
The pool area also includes Uwanja Camp, a water playground with 3 distinct zones to please kids of all ages. At Observation Station, children 4 years of age and younger can climb through cargo crates, unscramble animal images and frolic through a gently bubbling geyser and shallow cistern pool—while their parents watch from nearby.

At Departure Zone, a leaky water tower and sneaky African irises squirt children 5 to 7 years of age, while at Base Camp, kids 8 years of age and up can douse each other with water cannons.

Sorry I wasn’t clear. I know they have the splash pad at kidini but porfq I think was nicer. Jmo. Also it’s at the hotel porfq and not the sister property making it even more convenient.

 

[Haley R]

POFQ is our favorite resort, but we don't have kids. Last year we did a split stay between POR and AKL and we liked POR a lot more. We ended up not using the pool at AKL because it was so busy and we couldn't even get into the hot tub which was a bummer for us (it was packed full of people). Having the river there was great to walk/run along and we like taking the boat to DS. It's all personal preference because, as you can see, many people prefer AKL, but we would much rather choose the quaint theme at POFQ.