WL or AKL

[pclvnmcky88]

We are not strangers to Disney but have never stayed at either of these resorts. We will be going down for the WDW Marathon weekend in January and not going to the parks. I gave DH the choice and he said WL, but I'd like to get more opinions!

 

[mkh531]

I think everyone should stay at AKL at least once....there is something so glorious about waking up to the animals. We didn't have a savanna view, but just going down to Mara to get a bagel you see giraffes zebras etc as you walk by, and a room close to a viewing area is as good as a savanna view IMO. That said, this year we are staying at WL for better park proximity. You cant go wrong with either.

 

[Chase781]

AKL is fantastic, especially if you like the Africa theme.

 

[GreatLakes]

Since there will still be some Christmas decorations up I'd go WL. It is the most Christmasy feeling resort on property IMO. I would take a non-park day trip to AKL though. Boma has become our post-race dinner tradition since we skip the parks on race day.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

You can't go wring with either lodge. We like the bigger QS location, better playground, and zero entry pool at AKL but WL has a beautiful location on Bay Lake with boat transportation to MK, CR, and Fort Wilderness. WL has a more homey and less exotic feel for us, but both are great.
In your case since you mentioned it is a non-parks trip, that might be enough to tip the scales in favor of AKL for us. On a trip with park visits, we always end up choosign WL because of the proximity and travel options to MK. Either way, enjoy your lodge.

 

[MinnesotaMouseketeers]

These two; along with the Poly are so close to being my favorite that it may as well be called a three way tie. But between WL and AKL, and because you and your DH having never stayed at either I would have to say AKL. Especially if you can swing a Savannah View room. Something about being able to sit out on the veranda with a coffee in your hand early in the morning viewing the animals and in the evening before calling it a day just might make it a little more special. And Boma is my second favorite WDW buffet restaurant to eat at (just behind Ohana at the Poly). But I really LOVE the lobby at the WL!!! And the cheesy geyser and spring inside the lobby flowing down into the pool. And if money isn't an issue (which is why we have only eaten there once) my favorite sit down restaurant at WDW is Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge.

 

[BigMommaMouse]

I would stay at AKL because of the WL construction.

 

[pclvnmcky88]

We've been to AKL a couple times to eat at Boma which is delicious. It is a beautiful resort. I'm not sure we could swing a savannah view room at the moment. I would love to stay at both, and it surprises me that AKL is slightly less expensive than WL. I've been hearing a lot about possible construction going on at WL during the marathon weekend and I'm worried about how much it going on. Would it still be worth it to stay that?

 

[rpcvpanama]

I always said if we didn't do parks during one of our Marathon weekends I would want to stay at AKL, Savanna view. Would be nice to just relax on the balcony and watch the animals. It is far from other resorts and the parks but the bus system isn't bad and if you drive there is no issue at all.

 

[mickeynut1]

We are not strangers to Disney but have never stayed at either of these resorts. We will be going down for the WDW Marathon weekend in January and not going to the parks. I gave DH the choice and he said WL, but I'd like to get more opinions!

As others have said, you can't go wrong with either one as both are beautiful resorts. With that said, if you won't be going to the parks, I'd go with AKL. The WL is beautiful and is also great for a resort only stay, but AKL is kind of secluded, which makes it a little more quiet/peaceful, IMO. Also, as a pp mentioned, the WL is scheduled to undergo construction, which is supposed to go through 2016, so not sure how that figures into your decision.

 

[Babsy]

As others have said, you can't go wrong with either one as both are beautiful resorts. With that said, if you won't be going to the parks, I'd go with AKL. The WL is beautiful and is also great for a resort only stay, but AKL is kind of secluded, which makes it a little more quiet/peaceful, IMO. Also, as a pp mentioned, the WL is scheduled to undergo construction, which is supposed to go through 2016, so not sure how that figures into your decision.

Exactly!!

 

[pooh2001]

Both are our toss up for 2017 - DVC studio rental

WL DVC maybe be nice after their construction - but the WL DVC studio may cost more than the AKL DVC studio

Either one is a bus to all parks, except WL to MK

 

[midnightlouise]

I love both of these resorts, so I would be hard-pressed to choose between the two! I have to agree with PP though. While WL is certainly gorgeous at Christmas, if there is construction that would likely tip me in favor of AKL, especially if you're not going to the parks. I highly recommend the Savanna view. Drinking morning coffee while watching the animals is one of my favorite WDW memories.

 

[StaciaRae]

We had reservations at WL for Marathon Weekend, but Disney called us and offered to move us to AKL Savannah view and we took it. I was so excited about staying at the Wilderness Lodge, but we think that if Disney is trying to move people out of the WL then the construction will probably be quite extensive. Also, there are several services that won't be available at the WL because of the construction, such as the Spa, boat rentals, the smaller pool will be closed, as well as the beach and firepit. If you're plan is to spend most of your time at the resort, I would choose one that is not going through a major renovation project.

 

[pclvnmcky88]

I would love to book at the WL and then get offered an AKL savannah view but I don't think that's guaranteed DH doesn't care too much for the animals, even though we've been there several times to eat at Boma and walk around and see the animals. I wouldn't mine, but I don't want to pay that Savannah room rate haha. I've heard great things at WL during Christmas and told DH last night I would love to stay there for Thanksgiving/before Christmas with all the decorations up. It just looks like a giant log cabin

 

[MsThumper]

We (2 adults) just returned from 4 nights (Monday thru Thursday) at AKL, Jambo House. It was our first stay at AKL. We have stayed at WL about 6 times. We loved AKL.

We had no plans to go to the parks because of the August heat. We are Floridians, but hate the heat. We just needed a get away vacation and since we live 1 and 1/2 hours away, we decided to do it. Since we had no plans to go to the parks, we sprung for the Arusha view. We had a great room, 3531. It looked right out on a watering hole, which the animals came to several times a day. We thoroughly enjoyed the antics of the animals. DH particularly enjoyed the Red River Hogs. The animals are quite beautiful when you spend time watching them. We remembered to bring our binoculars. It was certainly a more interesting view then the courtyard view that we usually book at WL.

We felt that with Sanaa, Boma, Jiko and Mara, the resort had more eating options then WL. While we love Artist Point at WL, we avoid Whispering Canyon Café.

We did go to Animal Kingdom park the first day, just to activate our AP passes. We went to Downtown Disney on Tuesday. Spent all day Wednesday at the resort. Thursday we went to Epcot and MK briefly to get my Starbucks "you are here mugs". Everybody is entitled to their opinions, but we didn't find taking the buses from AKL significantly longer than when staying at any other resort. When we go to Disney, DH loves to park the car and forget about it until it's time to leave. In fact, the day we were waiting for a bus to Downtown Disney, in the 15 minutes we waited, there were at least 2 buses for each of the other destinations. At one point, the buses were stacking up and there were more buses than there were people waiting.

Having stayed at both, in the future, I would probably choose AKL over WL.

 

[sug78]

These are our two favorite resorts! Because you won't be doing theme parks I would definitely choose AKL. It is such a beautiful place to hang out- and Boma is a great restaurant

 

[Lucius Best]

We've stayed at both resorts, they are both very very nice, probably like AKL better based on animals and food. It certainly makes sense to stay at AKL for a non-park trip, because it doesn't matter how far away you are from the parks. But on the other hand, when we've done non-park WDW trips, we've spent more time exploring/dining at other resorts. So for a non-park trip, I would probably prefer WL, you're a boat ride away from the monorail resorts and a short walk away from Fort Wilderness. However, I would be hesitant to book at WL until researching what the construction situation would be.