Resort advice

[princessvacg]

Hello all!!

I need some advice. I am planning a trip in June/July. This will be our last family trip for a while since my 17 year old dd is leaving for College in the fall. So, it will be myself, my dh, dd and dd's best friend and my 8 year old ds. He will be turning 9 while we are down there. I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge and Willderness Lodge Villas last year. It was incredible!! This year I am thinking about the Animal Kingdom lodge. How are the travel times and would this be a good hotel for the 2 older girls??? (They will be 18 when we go) Any advice??

 

[java]

Can I suggest you check out the Beach club. It is walking to Epcot and so close to the Boardwalk. I think the older girls would have much more fun being so close to the action. They have the back entrance to the countries that you can walk to from your hotel and they will be right in France or England. It is a quick boat to MGM. For the ages you have I would highly recommend this area instead of AK lodge. Now I have never stayed there and I am sure it is beautiful- but I am remembering being 18 and I was looking for fun not beauty. AK also closes early- sunset- so nights over there are rather dead I would assume. The areas around Epcot are hopping well into the night. Just a thought

 

[Dana49]

The Animal Kingdom Lodge is fine. However, I would seriously look at an Epcot area resort, preferably the Yacht and Beach Club (they have the best pool on property). Your children will like the fact that they can walk to almost anywhere they want to go (Epcot, MGM, Boardwalk). If you stay at the AKL, the pool is fine (although smaller than SAB), but they'll have to take the bus no matter where they want to go. I hope this helps.

 

[princessvacg]

We stayed at the Beach club 2 years ago. It is great, but, I have to book 2 rooms and we are staying for 8 nights. I really do not want to spend 5,000.00 just on the hotel room. I just do not think it is worth it.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

With the two older girls going I would definitely stay in the Boardwalk area. Either BWI, BWV, YC, BC, BCV, Swan, or Dolphin! That way they can have areas to explore and things to do. AKL is beautiful, but pretty boring for two 17 year old girls.

 

[lmhall2000]

I think AKL would work well....if you can get a discount rate that makes the per night stay less than $25 a night difference between BC and AKL...I would seriously consider BC or BWI over AKL. But if the price is much more than that then stick with AKL....it is very similar to WL in it's decor (big open lobby with high rustic chandeliers and the atmosphere smells like you're in Africa...lots of earthy spicy smells...I just think teenagers would prefer the Boardwalk with all it's goings ons to the isolation of AKL...but if you want to be together as a family more...then stick to AKL...fewer places for them to want to wander around to!

Have a great trip!
Your son will love AKL over the others with maybe the exception of Storm-along bay!
Tara

 

[MichaelH]

I was going to suggest an EPCOT resort. I think Yacht and Beach is nice and has the best pool from what I hear. There would be a lot of stuff for the older ones to do at night there also.