WL or AKL

[mecheermom]

Hi again. We have definitely narrowed it down to WL CL or AKL CL the week after Christmas. DH is leaning towards AKl bc of savannah views but WL bc of proximity to MK.

I have received a ton of feedback on WL but little on AKL. How amazing is the savannah view? Is it ever scary for the kids (8 & 9 yo)?

*edited for typos*

 

[Karabee]

Huge, huge fan of AKL. I would pick it any day over WL. In fact, last time we were down we stayed at WL and went to AKL for an event and both turned to each other saying, "I wish we stayed here". I was lucky enough to have a Savannah view room when I stayed there and my sister and I still talk about waking up and walking out to the balcony to see the animals. I cannot imagine it being scary at all - they can't come eat out of your hand, you can just see them up close like you can on the safari.
I find the service to be much better at AKL, better dining options, better pool, and just overall a nicer stay. WL has the boat to DTD, but other than that, I just wasn't impressed for a Deluxe level hotel. AKL is spread out, so be aware you might walk a bit more than WL, but staying CL you should have more of a preferred location.
Also, I found the bus system at AKL to be great. I never found the resort to be "too far" from anything. If you look at the map, it's closest park is AK, farthest is MK, but Epcot and HS are in between.
AKL is a top 3 hotel for me at WDW - you can't go wrong if you pick it!

 

[pepe of ohio]

My 2 cents on AKL.... We stayed there once a bunch of years ago on a Poly didn't have all the nights we wanted.... Took first 3 night at AKL before moving to the Poly ( first split stay)....

We weren't impressed, not into the African theme and food choices....we also were way out on one of the arms which made going to the main lobby a good trek let alone the pool being further...as for Savannah view, yes we had a Savannah view with maybe 2 storks, one long horn steer and a couple of Thompson deer way far away... Only time we saw giraffe am was at feeding time then there was nothing out our door but a dirty field... So not worth it....

We also didn't like being so far from the parks (not AK fans, MK fans) and relied on Disney transportation to get around and only buses that tended to be crowded.... No thanks.... Been there, done that....

We lean towards the parks we're going to frequent the most and get a resort there.... Since we like to spend more time in the MK, we stay at the WL.... Boat ride away, boat to CR to gain access to the monorail to transfer to the EPCOT line....like I said, nothing special there at the AKL to make us return .

WL has captured us over 10+ trips..... Don't even consider other resorts , and we have vacationed at all the deluxes other than Boardwalk....we like the compactness and only approx 750 rooms to not over power the resort. Food options are decent, we like being on the lakes and especially the option of boating to FW, Trails End best buffet on property....

 

[DoryDorito]

Huge AKV fan here. I think the choices are pretty straight forward as it comes down to theming. For our personal preferences, it's a no brainer, Animal Kingdom. I'm from the PNW so the theming of WL is not up my alley simply because it feels too much like "home". I love anything to do with Africa. The people, the food, the culture and animals. Many people could say the opposite.

As far as the views you should decide how important is it to you to see the animals from your own private balcony. There are viewing areas all over the resort that are fabulous so even if you don't go with SV, you will see plenty of animals.

I suppose it depends on the individual child, but off-hand, I cannot think of a single scary thing about the SV room at AKL. Kids generally love it.

Look at photos of each resort and decide what appeals to you. Either way, you cannot go wrong.

 

[mouseketeermama]

We just made the same decision! We are going in February and decided on the WL CL, mainly for the food choices and the proximity to the parks. We like AKL because the pool looked nicer and the Savannah view, but the deal breaker for us was the food served at CL and the location of the lounge compared to the location of the room. We have never stayed at either and it is our goal to stay CL at every resort, so we will come across AKL again in the future, it just wasn't a good fit for us this trip.

Oh, also worth mentioning, the rooms at WL have recently been redone and they look beautiful! Good luck with your decision!

 

[DizneyNutz]

It will be determined by YOUR likes and dislikes. We do not care for AKL at all. Do not like the African theming and those loud drums banging while you are trying to have a conversation over dinner. So annoying We had a cocktail while waiting for our dinner reservation and the guy was beating the drum and we asked the bartender how he could stand working next to that and he agreed that it is frequently annoying. We are owners at the WLV however and cannot wait to come HOME every time. so it will be determined by the theme you like experiencing most. It appears as though it is about split between those that prefer the WL and those that prefer the AKL. Good luck with your decision.

 

[MrsDuck]

I'd go WL. AKL is beautiful but I don't like the long walks to get to your room that we've always experienced. Plus, I'm not crazy about the QS there.

I'm sure kiddos would enjoy a savannah view BUT I'd just like to warn you that just because you've booked a savannah view does not mean you'll see animals outside your room window. We've stayed multiple times at a savannah room and most of the trips have hardly seen any animals.

I'd also chose WL for it's proximity to MK.

It just boils down to personal preference.

 

[bellanotte10]

I had a very similar debate recently for my family trip next September. My mom, aunt, and I will be going down for F&W. Asked my mom about the Epcot hotels, too much. So then I said what about AKL again? Or WL? I thought she'd hem and haw, because she LOVED our savannah view room, loved the theming of the hotel, etc. I did too. Nope. As soon as I mentioned boats from Wilderness Lodge, she said ok then we're staying there! That was it. End of discussion. The one thing that made her change her mind was being so close to MK. As much as we loved AKL I guess she felt like it was too far away from everything.