Wilderness or Animal Kingdom Lodge - Which resort?

[BriLovesDisney]

Hello all,

We are planning on making a BB reservation for next Decemeber and have been pricing out some options before we get to WDW.

We are torn between AKL and WL. This will be a graduation trip so we want it to be really special.

We've stayed at AKL one time in the past and enjoyed it, but never at WL.


Are there any other deluxe resorts we should be considering besides these two?

 

[Simba's Mom]

it may be I voted AKL and the main reason is that it may be your only chance to stay at a resort like that. WL, on the other hand, is modeled after the big one in the center of Yellowstone National Park. We've been fortunate enough to stay at "the real thing", but I don't see us ever being able to take the time and/or money to stay at a real African savannah view lodge.

 

[Dug720]

I voted AKL. I have only stayed there once but LOVE it and will be there in February.

But my personal bias enters there too as I am really not into the themeing at WL, so...

 

[Shellyred8]

What is important to you during this trip? Is being closer to any of the parks important to you?
At AKL, you have to take a bus everywhere (unless you have your own car). At WL, you can take a boat to MK. The Poly might be a nice option, depending on how many people are in your group. It's nice to be able to catch a boat or monorail to MK. Or walk over to the TTC and catch the monorail to Epcot. If you will be spending a lot of time at Epcot or HS, you might want to look into the Boardwalk area resorts. You can walk or boat to two parks from these resorts.

I, personally, don't like having to deal with the buses to and from the parks. It's so hit or miss with them. Sometimes it's great...just a 5 minute wait. But then there are the times when you have to wait 30 minutes or more. The end of the night buses are what really drive me crazy. So, we usually opt to stay at the Boardwalk area hotels so we don't have to deal with that for 2 of the parks.

Have a fantastic trip!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

In December, hands down WL. In terms of Christmas decorations, only GF rivals it in terms of absolute stunning beauty! There is also a ton of things to do at the resort, great TS and QS restaurants and a boat ride to MK. You can also boat over to Ft. W which is a lot of fun - consider doing HDDR and a holiday sleigh ride!

 

[Dug720]

See, I loved the holiday decorations at AKL (didn’t stay there but did major resort hopping when I got stranded during the Christmas blizzard)...

 

[BriLovesDisney]

What is important to you during this trip? Is being closer to any of the parks important to you?
At AKL, you have to take a bus everywhere (unless you have your own car). At WL, you can take a boat to MK. The Poly might be a nice option, depending on how many people are in your group. It's nice to be able to catch a boat or monorail to MK. Or walk over to the TTC and catch the monorail to Epcot. If you will be spending a lot of time at Epcot or HS, you might want to look into the Boardwalk area resorts. You can walk or boat to two parks from these resorts.

I, personally, don't like having to deal with the buses to and from the parks. It's so hit or miss with them. Sometimes it's great...just a 5 minute wait. But then there are the times when you have to wait 30 minutes or more. The end of the night buses are what really drive me crazy. So, we usually opt to stay at the Boardwalk area hotels so we don't have to deal with that for 2 of the parks.

Have a fantastic trip!

Because we have never stayed anywhere close to MK that is a reason why we are leaning towards WL. Also, the decor at Christmastime there is a plus.

Because it is a college graduation trip we want it to be something different and special. That's our main desire of the trip - regardless of hotel!

I'll have to look into Poly, there's only 3 of us going on the trip.

 

[rer1972]

Both!!! We own at both villas, and love both. We usually plan WL (now BRV) for the first half of our stay and AKV for the 2nd half. We also try to plan MK days for our WL stay for easier transport back and forth, and AK days for our AKV stays.

 

[CynBeth]

In December, hands down WL. In terms of Christmas decorations, only GF rivals it in terms of absolute stunning beauty! There is also a ton of things to do at the resort, great TS and QS restaurants and a boat ride to MK. You can also boat over to Ft. W which is a lot of fun - consider doing HDDR and a holiday sleigh ride!

I agree. Plus there is the geyser and electrical water pageant. WCC is one of our favorite breakfasts.

 

[DemoBri1]

Wilderness Lodge offers better transit options IMHO. You can boat to MK or FW if you have a dining ressie there or are going to see Hoop-Dee-Doo. AKL does have the advantage of the Savanna along with more dining options probably, but it is off by itself. The theme of both resorts is wonderful and they are similarly setup which shouldn't be a surprise since they were designed by the same person.

All in all I don't think you'll be disappointed with either one, but if you are contemplating on going around the holidays, you cannot beat the decor at WL. My vote...in a close race is with WL in this case.

 

[Gehrig1B]

If you have never stayed near MK, Wilderness Lodge will have you wanting to come back. We have stayed at both and love AKL but the ease of getting to MK is an important factor during the Christmas season. And yes. Wilderness Lodge is wonderfully decorated at that time of year. AKL may have better dining options and the animals but we love the serene environment of WL during the manic days at the parks during Christmas and New Years.

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

AKL is hands down my favorite! But since you are going in Dec, go to Wilderness Lodge. It is the best resort at WDW for a Christmas trip. It really sounds like that is where you want to go too.

 

[Hi Pluto]

WL at Christmas time! You have the cabin feel with the big ol' fireplace. And we LOVED the boat ride to MK. Especially if you did AKL before, it would be nice to try something new.

~Cari~

 

[mickeynut1]

Because we have never stayed anywhere close to MK that is a reason why we are leaning towards WL. Also, the decor at Christmastime there is a plus.

Because it is a college graduation trip we want it to be something different and special. That's our main desire of the trip - regardless of hotel!

I'll have to look into Poly, there's only 3 of us going on the trip.

We've stayed at both and love both for different reasons. WL is beautiful anytime of year, but especially so during the holidays; however, AKL is also a beautiful resort and is very nicely decorated for the holidays. With that said, since you've stayed at AKL already, I'd go with WL for something new. As far as the Poly, that's our favorite resort overall, but WL wins out during Christmas time for the decorations and overall holiday ambiance. As a pp said, you really can't go wrong. Good luck!

WL at Christmas time! You have the cabin feel with the big ol' fireplace. And we LOVED the boat ride to MK. Especially if you did AKL before, it would be nice to try something new.

~Cari~

I agree

 

[be0URguest]

Did you get your bounce back at WL? I just tried to book it while I was there and they didn't have any rooms left at WL So I went with AKL which I'm excited to try...but we loveddddd WL!

 

[BriLovesDisney]

Did you get your bounce back at WL? I just tried to book it while I was there and they didn't have any rooms left at WL So I went with AKL which I'm excited to try...but we loveddddd WL!

We haven't booked it yet! We arrive at WDW in 44 days... Hoping they have it when we are there! Was your BB free dining or room discount?

 

[be0URguest]

We did the free dining plan that expired on oct 31st. We booked for the week of December I want to say 8th of next year. Hope you have better luck than me I mean I'm happy with my AKL but would rather have WL...

 

[BriLovesDisney]

We did the free dining plan that expired on oct 31st. We booked for the week of December I want to say 8th of next year. Hope you have better luck than me I mean I'm happy with my AKL but would rather have WL...

You won't be disappointed with AKL We stayed there 6 years ago in a savanna view and really loved it.