We had the opportunity to stay at AKL and GF for a work conference taking place at Grand Floridian; I thought I'd post a quick comparison/review in case it helps anyone else.
Overall, my main takeaways were 1) AKL was a spectacular resort, outclassing GF in every way *except* -- 2) Room size! The one truly magnificent thing about Grand Floridian were the incomparably spacious rooms, including a bathroom with toilet/shower/tub separated from an ample dressing/sink area. AKL's rooms were distinctively themed and, to our minds, more well-appointed -- I don't think you'd mistake the fixtures and soft goods for a nice Holiday Inn -- but it was definitely a bit on the cozy/claustrophobic side. We appreciated the room size at the Grand Floridian, but the room felt a little tired and ready for updating. Although we enjoyed our accommodations at the GF, I can see that they might provoke some resentment in anyone paying something approaching the rack rate.
Although we had only one night at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we could have enjoyed quite a while there. Our little ones loved the playground and hanging out on the overlook to watch the animals on the savanna. The lobby felt fresh and well-maintained, and had a number of seating areas where it could be pleasant to relax with a book or wait for others in your party. We were impressed with the number of cultural artifacts labeled and on display throughout the public areas (did not have nearly enough time to thoroughly explore everything). Although we're not generally buffet appreciators, we enjoyed being able to try many unfamiliar (although Americanized) items at Boma and still consider it the best buffet at Disney.
I'm afraid our impression of Grand Floridian might be skewed by recollections of it before more recent alterations. The public areas were grand but felt emptied out, with the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra no longer performing and its place taken by what seemed to be an attractive but inappropriately themed (for the GF, not in an ethical sense) bar area. The Beauty and the Beast tie-in of the Enchanted Rose lounge just felt out of place for this resort, and its sequestration from public traffic areas, combined with the emptiness of the ground level of the lobby, may have contributed to the impression of an impressive, graceful, somewhat tired and vacant shell.
The GF splash pad definitely gets an A+ for imaginative design, although it's perhaps somewhat intimidating, given the gigantic Mad Hatter's Hat that dumps untold gallons of water on those in the vicinity. Our preschooler loved the slide in the main pool and appreciated the zero-entry area in the spacious quiet pool. The walking path from GF to Magic Kingdom is a pleasant little trek, and from my point of view, a tremendous addition to value for anyone going to MK.
For what it's worth, those were our subjective impressions of two lovely hotels. Hope it helps someone on the fence about hotel decisions.
Overall, my main takeaways were 1) AKL was a spectacular resort, outclassing GF in every way *except* -- 2) Room size! The one truly magnificent thing about Grand Floridian were the incomparably spacious rooms, including a bathroom with toilet/shower/tub separated from an ample dressing/sink area. AKL's rooms were distinctively themed and, to our minds, more well-appointed -- I don't think you'd mistake the fixtures and soft goods for a nice Holiday Inn -- but it was definitely a bit on the cozy/claustrophobic side. We appreciated the room size at the Grand Floridian, but the room felt a little tired and ready for updating. Although we enjoyed our accommodations at the GF, I can see that they might provoke some resentment in anyone paying something approaching the rack rate.
Although we had only one night at Animal Kingdom Lodge, we could have enjoyed quite a while there. Our little ones loved the playground and hanging out on the overlook to watch the animals on the savanna. The lobby felt fresh and well-maintained, and had a number of seating areas where it could be pleasant to relax with a book or wait for others in your party. We were impressed with the number of cultural artifacts labeled and on display throughout the public areas (did not have nearly enough time to thoroughly explore everything). Although we're not generally buffet appreciators, we enjoyed being able to try many unfamiliar (although Americanized) items at Boma and still consider it the best buffet at Disney.
I'm afraid our impression of Grand Floridian might be skewed by recollections of it before more recent alterations. The public areas were grand but felt emptied out, with the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra no longer performing and its place taken by what seemed to be an attractive but inappropriately themed (for the GF, not in an ethical sense) bar area. The Beauty and the Beast tie-in of the Enchanted Rose lounge just felt out of place for this resort, and its sequestration from public traffic areas, combined with the emptiness of the ground level of the lobby, may have contributed to the impression of an impressive, graceful, somewhat tired and vacant shell.
The GF splash pad definitely gets an A+ for imaginative design, although it's perhaps somewhat intimidating, given the gigantic Mad Hatter's Hat that dumps untold gallons of water on those in the vicinity. Our preschooler loved the slide in the main pool and appreciated the zero-entry area in the spacious quiet pool. The walking path from GF to Magic Kingdom is a pleasant little trek, and from my point of view, a tremendous addition to value for anyone going to MK.
For what it's worth, those were our subjective impressions of two lovely hotels. Hope it helps someone on the fence about hotel decisions.
