which one, wilderness lodge or animal king lodge

[azadian]

hi, we are from uruguay, s. america,and it is our first time at wdw, parents with kids 6 and 4, which hotel do you recommend more,
and please where to eat for a good value, any extra tip
welcome
thanks
antonio

 

[Gary M]

Antonio, welcome to the DIS boards. Information about the AKL can be found at http://wdwinfo.com/aklodge/index.htm and the WL is http://wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/resorts/wildlodge.htm

You can't go wrong with either resort. Just pick the theme that you like and try that resort. We have stayed at both resorts and like the WL a little more, but enjoyed both.

For restaurant information go to http://wdwig.com/menu/menus.htm

For discount hotel rooms check www.mousesavers.com

Ask all the questions you want and you will get many different answers and opinions. Have a great trip to WDW.

 

[Nlihte]

We just returned from AKL and absolutely loved it! It really does depend on what kind of theming youd like best.

 

[minijeanie]

with the ages of your children, I would definitely go with WL...You can boat to MK, where you probably will be wanting to spend alot of time Pool is terrific, they have a geyser that erups every 30 minutes on you are right on water ....and I believe few times a week there is a light parade as well. You can rent a boat from the hotel & they have a great family restaurant.

In my opinion, AKL,is far off the beaten track....

 

[illiram]

I have been to both and definitely think that you would like the Wilderess Lodge better. It is breathtaking there.

 

[mousetrom]

We have stayed at both and it would be hard for me to decide which I like best.

AKL is beautiful, relaxed and the kids LOVED IT (6 and 4 at the time). The pool is HUGE with a zero entry which is great for little ones. They enjoyed the pool's slide also. My 6 year old thought watching 3 channels of Disney on TV from the top bunk was heavenly! (We found that the kids did really well in the bunks - not nearly as much bed time giggling and picking on each other.) My 4 year old spent MUCH time on the balcony checking for giraffes. We loved the food there - Mara for fast food and Boma buffet.

Our ONLY problem was that without a car it was hard to get anywhere else to eat. With young children it was too hard to get a bus to a park and then to another resort for varied dining choices. We did get tired of Mara and Boma after 6 days!

WL is also beautiful and relaxing. We went without our kids, but I took my 6 year old daughter to Whispering Canyon to eat while older brother and dad did E-ride night 2 weeks ago. She checked out the pool, slide, lobby and food spots and declared that she thought we should stay at WL next time we're in town! The Roaring Forks food is good and Whispering Canyon is great fun and great food. We liked being in the MK area. It's eay to get to other resorts to play and eat and good access to the MK itself. You can get bunk beds here also.

Either way you go, visit the other resort to eat. We love Boma and Whispering Canyon. That way you can still experience both!!

 

[mep319]

We've been to both...our favorite is AKL. If you can't decide you can always split a stay. Just be sure to do AKL last so you can enjoy the resort at a leisurely pace. I'm sure as you can tell you will get mixed responses. But if it helps, our DD age 6 was so excited when we told we could come this year. We asked her where she wanted to stay and told us she wanted to "stay with the animals."....AKL is wonderful.

 

[kdibattista]

AKL!!!!! Once we stayed there, we vowed that we will never, ever stay anywhere else!!!

 

[dennisnlisab96]

WL, WL, WL ....we almost always stay there. The kids love it DS11, DD(, DD6, DD4, DD1, AND DS (has yet to arrive but, soon).
This time we are trying OKW for more room.

 

[jfeasel]

AKL all the way. We just got back from WL and liked it but like AKL better. We had 4 kids with us 12, 10, 8 and 6 and they all liked AKL better too. For one thing AKL's pool is bigger. Secondly, they all liked looking out at the animals. Thirdly, they liked Mara over Roaring Forks just because Mara is bigger. We also liked Boma over Whispering Canyon. Both resorts have bunk beds which they all like. We had no problems with Disney transportation at AKL.

 

[pokeysmom]

I would definitely split your stay between both resorts it makes it more exciting and feel like 2 different vacations, Have FUN!

 

[erikthewise]

The resorts have a lot of similarities and in fact were designed by the same architect. Rooms are about the same size (345 sq ft) and smaller than other deluxe resorts; they are correspondingly less expensive than other deluxe resorts.

As far as I'm concerned they are both "off the beaten path"; WL has the boat to MK but anywhere else you take buses that are shared with other resorts, ie extra stops along the way. AKL has dedicated buses to all four parks.

If you can't resist the idea of view animals from your balcony, then go with AKL. Otherwise give WL a try.

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

I could give you many reasons for AKL, but I will just stick with one of the best since you have kids. If you get tired or the parks get busy or it rains - AKL has many activities kids love and they are very educational (and free). Also just looking out a window there is a free activity!!! I hope you have a great time no matter where you choose. The rate can be a deciding factor also of course.

 

[loriwvu]

We stayed at both places in May. The WL is beautiful but we much preferred the serenity of WKL. We also like the pool much better at AKL because the WL was always packed. We felt like the buses were just as efficient from AKL as any from WL. Everyone has different tastes so I highly suggest splitting your visit. It was very easy as they will transport your luggage while you are at the parks for the day.

Lori

 

[corvair]

we have stayed at both.. i have a 13 and 10 year old... they would both say stay at the AKL.... the pool is much bigger... and there is so much more to do... the pool at the WL is small and does get very crowded....the slides are about the same...

 

[OllieDannyandMe]

I absolutely loved the Animal Kingdom Lodge during my stay last summer. Here's what I had to say about it on another thread:

Animal Kingdom Lodge post from OllieDannyandMe (14th post on thread)

The transportation couldn't be beat! It was exceptional (and I often stay at the well-located Contemporary Resort, so AKL had some stiff competition).

Here's one solution for adding more variety to your choice of restaurants. If you choose to stay at AKL, take the direct bus to the Magic Kingdom (a quick trip) and then hop on board the monorail (the kids will LOVE it!). The monorail will give you a wide array of dining choices at the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts.

I've never stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, but I visited last summer and thought it was lovely, too.

 

[DeDee]

I have to say I enjoy the WL better because of being on the lake and all the water activities. Last week we rented water mouse boats, a pontoon boat and a sailboat. You can take the boats all over the lagoon and the lake. It was very cool driving our water mouse back and forth in front of the Magic Kingdom. Also, we rented surrey bikes and there is a path that takes you over to Fort Wilderness campgrounds where you can visit the petting zoo, etc. all for free!