WL or AKL?

[Guapy]

Right now I am booked at the Wilderness lodge with a woods view. I could also book a standard view at the Animal Kingdom Lodge for a little less money. Which should I choose? I've never stayed at the WL but i have never seen the AKL.

 

[SalandJeff]

We've stayed at both and really preferred WL. The architecture & furniture at AKL is beautiful, but very dark. The room felt very closed in to us (and there are only two of us). Yes, it's fun to see the animals, but we don't spend much time at the resort during the daytime and once you've seen them, you've seen them! I loved WL and would stay there again. You're also closer to MK, Epcot & MGM at WL. If you decide to stay at WL, why don't you make a priority seating for dinner at the AKL (Boma was very good) and then you can take a walk around and see the resort.

 

[hoosll]

I agree with SalandJeff - we hoped we would like AKL as much as we like WL. So we tried it for dinner - it was nice but we really love the views and atmosphere at WL plus we love the boats!

So next trip it will be back to WL.

 

[hallie]

If you stay at the WL, if possible switch to a courtyard view, it's well worth the extra money! The view is beautiful, you can watch the electric water parade from your balcony too. It's so nice, at night we'd leave our sliding door open and listen to the waterfall.......ahhhhh...relaxing.

This trip we're staying at the AKL, I can't wait!

 

[webray]

AKL, hands down. We have stayed at both, and the service is far superior at AKL.

 

[DeeP]

Here's another vote for WL. AKL is nice but it was too far away from everything for our tastes. WL is a very nice boat ride away from MK or you could also take a monorail from MK and transfer to a Epcot monorail, MGM & AK you do have to rely on bus transportation. At AKL you need bus transportation for everything. WL has the added plus of being right next to FW which is a beautiful campground with a nightly campfire & movies, horseback riding and pony rides, a petting zoo and the HDD revue which is a wonderful dinner show. WL has bike and boat rental which are alot of fun. AKL has good restaurants: Boma is good and Jiko is excellent and viewing the animals and listening to the storytellers is very nice but you can do this without staying there.

 

[Janet2k]

I have stayed at both the WL and AKL and definitely preferred the AKL. I found the WL too dark. I guess it just goes to show you that everyone will experience a resort differently, eh?!

You can't go wrong with either resort. The same gentleman designed both of them. He supposedly got more freedom with the AKL and got to do all the things that he didn't get to do with the WL, or so the rumor mill goes. You just need to decide what type of vacation experience you want, and then choose your resort accordingly. If the price difference isn't too much, and it sounds like it isn't, then leave pricing out of the equation and work from there. If you are going to hang out mostly at the Magic Kingdom, then maybe the WL is the resort for you. However, if you are going to bop all over the World, then where you stay doesn’t really matter as both resorts are kind of removed from everything. They are both deluxe resorts, but they will each offer you something different. The AKL is the most unique as you have your own zoo, so to speak, at your fingertips (okay, not your fingertips since you can’t touch the animals, but you catch my drift). Have fun choosing and enjoy your vacation.

 

[mtdevine615]

It's funny to see people saying the same things about both places. It's too dark for our tates, we don't like the pools, etc. It's a feeling you get when you first walk into a place. We got that feeling when we first entered the WL, but didn't at AKL. We thought AKL was just O.K. However we did enjoy the restaurants at AKL which lets us go over to see the animals.