Q's about WL & AKL-can anyone answer/have pics?

[momof3lovebugs]

So I think it may be coming down to these two resorts!
So I need details! If anyone has stayed at both, would love to hear a comparison!
First, do all the rooms at both have balconies?
Second, if you get a std view room at AKL, what will you be looking at?
Same thing at WL?
3rd, at WL, asking for a lobby view room is asking for a std view room, correct?
4th, can you see fireworks from any of the rooms at WL?
5th, will you be able to see the water light parade from any at WL?

And 6th if we end up splitting our stay btwn the two, which one should be first/last and why?

Thanks much for any help with these. I am trying realllllllly hard to make my decision this weekend!!

 

[kaffinito]

I can help with the last one!

Perhaps WL should be first for a split stay so you can have easy access to MK. With the TTC so close to MK on the monorail it would also be good for EPCOT.

For the last part of the trip AKL is great for DHS and AK.

Hope this helped a bit!

 

[momof3lovebugs]

Thanks for the reply! That is a good point about which parks to plan out!

 

[bluechic03]

So I think it may be coming down to these two resorts!
So I need details! If anyone has stayed at both, would love to hear a comparison!
First, do all the rooms at both have balconies?
Second, if you get a std view room at AKL, what will you be looking at?
Same thing at WL?
3rd, at WL, asking for a lobby view room is asking for a std view room, correct?
4th, can you see fireworks from any of the rooms at WL?
5th, will you be able to see the water light parade from any at WL?

And 6th if we end up splitting our stay btwn the two, which one should be first/last and why?

Thanks much for any help with these. I am trying realllllllly hard to make my decision this weekend!!

Hi There! I have stayed at both and hopefully I can help you with your questions.

I do believe that all the rooms at AL/AKL have balconies, with the exception that if you get a 1st floor room you will of course have a patio instead. I believe that at AKL the only 1st floor rooms available are pool view. I have never heard of anyone NOT having a balcony at either of these resorts, and I had one at each resort.

The standard views at WL and AKL both look into parking lots or onto the roof of other parts of the hotel. Most of the standard views face the front entrance areas of the hotels. BUT when we stayed at WL we were upgraded to a woodsview, which was just looking at some trees and grass instead of the parking lot. Still not that great but it didn't bother us. We had great luck at AKL though, we got one of the "secret" savannah view rooms. They are the closest rooms to the lobby when you start walking the hallways towards the savannahs. We LOVED it, they are considered standard view because they have limited views but we thought it was awesome because we were so close to the lobby and obviously we paid WAY less than a savannah view. We requested being close to the lobby, so that may have helped. I am looking at the map of AKL and it looks like these rooms are 2407,3407,4407,5507 on Zebra Trail and 2210, 3210, 4210, and 5210 on Kudu Trail. I believe we were in 2407, because we had to go down the stairs from the lobby and then we were the first door in the hallway.

As far as having the lobby view at WL I know I asked for that when I booked the standard view and they said that standard views dont get the lobby as their doorstep, im not sure which views do. I'm also not sure about the fireworks or the water pageant from the rooms themselves, but you can watch the water pageant from the beach. We also saw it a few times when we took the boat back from MK.

I would also agree to do WL first and then AKL second, because of the proximity to MK. I usually have much more energy at the beginning of the trips and want to GO GO GO to the parks, I think WL would be better for that and AKL is better for relaxing IMHO.

They both have pluses and minuses but for me I preferred AKL. I thought the room decor was better, the atmosphere was FANTASTIC ( I did love the WL lobby), and the restaurants/pool was better at AKL for us. We loved being able to see the animals all the time! Either resort is great though and just remember you can always save one for the next trip

 

[momof3lovebugs]

Hi There! I have stayed at both and hopefully I can help you with your questions.

I do believe that all the rooms at AL/AKL have balconies, with the exception that if you get a 1st floor room you will of course have a patio instead. I believe that at AKL the only 1st floor rooms available are pool view. I have never heard of anyone NOT having a balcony at either of these resorts, and I had one at each resort.

The standard views at WL and AKL both look into parking lots or onto the roof of other parts of the hotel. Most of the standard views face the front entrance areas of the hotels. BUT when we stayed at WL we were upgraded to a woodsview, which was just looking at some trees and grass instead of the parking lot. Still not that great but it didn't bother us. We had great luck at AKL though, we got one of the "secret" savannah view rooms. They are the closest rooms to the lobby when you start walking the hallways towards the savannahs. We LOVED it, they are considered standard view because they have limited views but we thought it was awesome because we were so close to the lobby and obviously we paid WAY less than a savannah view. We requested being close to the lobby, so that may have helped. I am looking at the map of AKL and it looks like these rooms are 2407,3407,4407,5507 on Zebra Trail and 2210, 3210, 4210, and 5210 on Kudu Trail. I believe we were in 2407, because we had to go down the stairs from the lobby and then we were the first door in the hallway.

As far as having the lobby view at WL I know I asked for that when I booked the standard view and they said that standard views dont get the lobby as their doorstep, im not sure which views do. I'm also not sure about the fireworks or the water pageant from the rooms themselves, but you can watch the water pageant from the beach. We also saw it a few times when we took the boat back from MK.

I would also agree to do WL first and then AKL second, because of the proximity to MK. I usually have much more energy at the beginning of the trips and want to GO GO GO to the parks, I think WL would be better for that and AKL is better for relaxing IMHO.

They both have pluses and minuses but for me I preferred AKL. I thought the room decor was better, the atmosphere was FANTASTIC ( I did love the WL lobby), and the restaurants/pool was better at AKL for us. We loved being able to see the animals all the time! Either resort is great though and just remember you can always save one for the next trip

BC~thanks so much for the detailed info! Do you remember which room you had at akl....dh is thinking we don't need to go to akl since we can't stretch the budget to include the upgrade but if we can request one of those rooms maybe that would work. But aren't there viewing areas all over for the gp anyway?
Thanks again for the info....will be looking into seeing a room map to see these 'secret' rooms!

 

[beachgirl2000]

First, do all the rooms at both have balconies? - AKL - YES

Second, if you get a std view room at AKL, what will you be looking at?
Same thing at WL? - We were on first floor, looking at the pool (we had a pool view)

We also paid more for bunk beds which my son loved.

We loved AKL but WL is way closer to MK - We were about 20 minutes the furthest from anything but the resort is very new and very beautiful and I would stay there again without question.

 

[disneychard]

I am glad you asked this question, I am having the same problem I don't know which one, out of the two to stay at.