RIV SV Studio vs AKL Value 1 Bedroom?

[brazzledazzler]

Ok, lemme preface this ,so I haven't read through all the responses yet, so I apologize in advance if I'm saying something that someone already said.
1st off. In terms of location, Yes you are just a small tad away from it all, but you'll soon learn that this could/will be a pro rather than a con. After going gangbusters/ or at a leisure pace in th parks, it's great to just get back to THIS resort and unwind... It's unlike any of the resorts TBH.... The peace & tranquility here is 2nd to none. The CM's here are definitely one of the best out of all resorts... Literally will go out of their way to talk to you, give you a basic history lesson from their country, and just make you feel special...
From the moment you step foot into the main lobby, your Jaw will be wide open the whole time. The theming is top notch, and the scenery in & out of this place is incredible.
The Restaurants. Depending if you have a bland palate or are adventagious or not, they have a ton to choose from. At Jambo you'll have probably one of the best QS on property TBH. Mara... Theming in there as well, and great food.
Jiko is a step up.. and a lil pricey but incredible food & drinks. & then you have BOMA, which is a buffet, but honestly the word buffet does this no justice... So many options to choose from. And the over at Kidani they have Sanaa, which is dynamite... If your a plain eater perhaps not... But eating so close to the animals is unique, and they have great wines as well.
The pool at Jambo is massive, and there's ample amount of seating, for relaxing, and/or eating. Nice pool bar , but the slide (If the kids like that) is so short and slow.. Only drawback here.. minor if that. The pool over at Kidani, which you can also use , is a lot more intimate, and has a very good slide... and also a nice water play area too which is fun for the fam. Water cannons & buckets and stuff, and another small slide..
Now the kicker to this place is the enormous savannas all around. So many viewing spots to see various animals roamin the neighborhood. LoL. S'Mores by the campfire is a nice touch, and they also have a nice lounge. Victoria falls.
BTW did I mention the HUGGGE store, which has an abundance of souveniers, trinkets, goodies, drinks and other various items you might need..

While I love Riviera, and its proximity to some of the parks, MK is the only one that really is a lil long. Maybe 20 mins, but on a Disney bus it always makes the time go by fast. To AK, it's maybe 5 mins. Ep, & HS are perhaps 8-10 mins respectfully.... And buses coming n going were never an issue in all of the times we've stayed here...

Good luck in whichever place you choose..

Thank you for all the details about AKL. We’re going to stay there in September—and I was even able to add an additional night

Relaxing is what we need.

 

[DizDaD7]

Thank you for all the details about AKL. We’re going to stay there in September—and I was even able to add an additional night

Relaxing is what we need.

You will NOT be disappointed.... If there was a guarantee, I would... BTW, did you put in any requests?

EDIT: Although there aren't too many. Because all rooms are on the 5th floor and 6th. And a limited number of values From what I remember... I do believe they're on the ostrich & possibly the Giraffe trail, as you can see in the link....
https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps..._distance]=any&filters[ug]=&filters[view]=237
We've stayed on the Giraffe trail side facing the pool in a studio value, which was nice. So close to going for the buses with a shortcut...My neighbors ( during that same trip were on the Ostrich Trail with a semi Savanna view too, which was quite unexpected. So I'll cross my fingers for ya, and hope ya get a room you want.

 

[brazzledazzler]

You will NOT be disappointed.... If there was a guarantee, I would... BTW, did you put in any requests?

EDIT: Although there aren't too many. Because all rooms are on the 5th floor and 6th. And a limited number of values From what I remember... I do believe they're on the ostrich & possibly the Giraffe trail, as you can see in the link....
https://touringplans.com/hotel_maps/disneys-animal-kingdom-lodge?commit=Show+Matching+Rooms+»&filters[accessibility]=any&filters[balcony]=&filters[connect]=&filters[floors]=any&filters[lobby_distance]=any&filters[rack_rate]=any&filters[rate_date]=03/04/2023&filters[sound]=any&filters[transportation_distance]=any&filters[ug]=&filters[view]=237
We've stayed on the Giraffe trail side facing the pool in a studio value, which was nice. So close to going for the buses with a shortcut...My neighbors ( during that same trip were on the Ostrich Trail with a semi Savanna view too, which was quite unexpected. So I'll cross my fingers for ya, and hope ya get a room you want.

I heard you can’t make requests for the values. We’ll just hope for the best view!

 

[DizDaD7]

I heard you can’t make requests for the values. We’ll just hope for the best view!

Hmmm. It's been a while since we stayed in the value...You could be right... Either way, That location in the front there is ideal...So close to everything

 

[Tigger1]

Since I will not be trying to reserve a 1-bedroom at AKL in September, I would say go for it. Wonderful atmosphere for Children. Also, It is a much calmer resort. Bus trasportation does take longer as you are farther away from 3 of the parks, this might be 10 minutes once traveling. My Grandkids fall asleep on the bus on the way back to hotel at nights. Well maybe we did stay out late, but who doesnt.

 

[Donna M]

Yeah, the rare chance of snagging this room was why I grabbed it! I didn’t think it was in the cards at 7 months!!

We’re staying at VGF in May, and will have plenty of MK time…so I think our Sept trip is a good time to be away from the MK area. I wanted a place to relax—we love the vibe at Poly for relaxing, but ready to try somewhere new!

The animals on the savanna look like a blast to watch

My opinion is a little different than most here. We stayed at Kidani savannah view this past Feb with our 4 and 5 year old grandkids. They liked the animals, but weren´t enthralled with them. I don´t find AKL to be as relaxing as OKW, so it depends on what you are looking for when you say relaxing. Sitting by the pools at AKV is very nice; they are both great pools with Jambo having a nice playground. Even though we had a savannah view we didn´t see the animals like we would have liked to while sitting there.

In your situation it looks like AKV 1 bd would be the best option; one bedrooms are great when you have kids since you get a living room for the kids to run around in, in addition to a full kitchen and washer and dryer.

Try something new. I bet you´ll enjoy it.