AKL Pros:
1. The animals. IMHO, dont book an AKL room unless you book a Savannah room; the Savannah room view is what makes this resort so unique, and you give up a lot for that view, so dont settle for a view of the pool or parking lot.
2. Public animal viewing spaces.
3. A nearly perfectly executed theme.
4. The art at AKL is distinctive and is an attraction unto itself.
5. AKL concierge. With a stay in the concierge you have the opportunity to experience an exclusive animal safari at the AK.
6. Proximity to the AK. There is, obviously, no closer resort to the AK than the AKL; if you spend a lot of time at AK, you cant do better than the AKL.
7. Interesting restaurants.
8. A large, zero entry free form pool.
9. Arusha Rock storytellers each evening.
10. Some rooms with bunk beds.
11. Deluxe rooms that sleep five people.
12. Remote location (this is a Con for some).
AKL Cons:
1. The views, while impressive at times, are also often times devoid of animals, and the vehicle trails are less than picturesque; it is not much fun to pay for a view of animals and get a view of a maintenance road.
2. The décor is not for some people. The rooms are dark and cool.
3. Distance from MK, Epcot & MGM. While it is true that AK busses are not shared with other resorts, in off-season, the busses often make a stop at the AK after leaving the AKL and then heading on to their destinations. This makes for a very long commute to the parks.
4. Only 1 pool. This pool, while large, gets crowded. There is no quiet pool, so it is also very noisy.
5. Limited recreational activities. There is, naturally, no beach or boating, but there is also no jogging path and no tennis courts.
6. Inconvenience to other resorts. The AKLs biggest drawback, IMHO, is that it is very difficult to get to any other resort. You must take a bus to a Theme Park or DTD and then transfer to another bus to get to any other resort. This is an especially big problem if you (1) get tired of the food at your resort or (2) are not an adventurous eater. Every other deluxe resort has boat or monorail access to at least two other resorts so that you can take advantage of additional restaurants and recreational activities.
7. Standard views often have highway noise.
8. The walk to your room can be extremely long.
9. Price. Savannah view rooms are expensive.
10. Non-deluxe rooms are small.
11. Remote location (this is a Pro for some).