WWYD-AKL or Grand Floridian?

[Babsy]

Thanks for your responses everyone.

I've decided to book AKL. While I'd love to stay at the GF (and its a great price!), I think DH will be happier at AKL. When I really started looking at the pictures of the resorts, AKL was definitely more to his taste. Also, I was first looking at it because it is off the beaten path a bit and not so much in the WDW "hustle & bustle," and he'll really like the pool area. He tends to be more of an outdoors kind of guy who loves fishing, camping, etc., while I'm more of the luxury girl. I'm hoping that if he sees he can get away from being super immersed in WDW and have a nice place to go hang out he might be more amenable to future trips. I also checked out the menus for the restaurants there and I think he'll prefer the food there. We both love different types of foods. Since I'm not planning to do the parks the day we arrive I think I will schedule dinner at either Jiko or Boma and then stick with counter service for the rest of the trip. Since we're just getting off a cruise ship I'm sure we'll be "fooded" out!

I believe that you made the right choice for this trip. The AKL is really convenient to both the AK and DHS - more so than the GF which has a longer bus ride to the AK (about 15 minutes more each way).

DH and I have just returned from a trip to WDW, during which we stayed at the AKL (Jambo) and then the GF. I am a luxury gal and DH is much more the outdoors, camping, hunting fishing type. So, I feel like we have little in common. LOL!

We have stayed at these resorts before, but it is interesting to stay at both in the same trip for comparison purposes.

FWIW, here are our thoughts:

AKL:
beautiful resort
amazing lobby
great restaurants
comfortable, but small, rooms
everything under one roof
good bus transportation, covered walkway to bus stop
5 min bus ride to AK
nice pools

WE ate at Mara (quick service), Jiko and Boma. All three were really good.

The meat at Jiko is incredible - especially the boar and buffalo. I would not recommend the vegetarian dish, it was literally inedible. I usually enjoy vegetarian, but I had to send this back. DH tried it as well and also couldn't eat it. The server also said that he never recommends this dish. The wild boar appetizer and the buffalo

Boma is a huge buffet with a large variety of dishes. The meats are good, but not amazing like those at JIKO. The salads, soups and desserts were really good here. This is a better choice for vegetarians, IMO. Also, as a buffet you get the opportunity to try many more and varied dishes than at a table service like Jiko.

Mara has some of the same soups served in BOMA. Also, the Zebra dome dessert is available at Mara, and is very well liked by many. You can eat inside or bring your food outside to a small area with tables in the trees near the pool. It's a lovely setting for a peaceful breakfast (at least late in the morning - we are not early risers).

GF
another beautiful resort
Victorian themed, so some find it 'stuffy' or formal - we do not
large comfortable rooms
softer beds
most rooms are in exterior buildings separate from the lobby/shops/restaurants
most convenient to the MK, so, if you are not going to the MK it is a less compelling choice
you can view the MK fireworks from the resort

There are more dining options at the GF than at AKL, but the options tend to more standard American fare (less exotic than AKL). Probably more like the food that you have on a cruise ship.


If it were me, I would choose the AKL for this trip, despite the great deal at the GF.

 

[DizDaD7]

Sanaa is very good......Very very good, just not as elite as JIKO IMHO.....But not many are.....It's a great dining experience, w/ great wines, AMAZING Bread service ( very filling ) & if timed right, you'll have the animals right outside the window eating which is kewl..

 

[Darcy03231]

Sanaa is very good......Very very good, just not as elite as JIKO IMHO.....But not many are.....It's a great dining experience, w/ great wines, AMAZING Bread service ( very filling ) & if timed right, you'll have the animals right outside the window eating which is kewl..

Thank you. I think we might go there instead. I was on board for Jiko, but DH wasn't as the only thing that appealed to him were the scallops and we can get those at home very reasonably at a local restaurant (we live in New England so we have great seafood). We're also just coming off a cruise where will be doing signature dining at least 4 nights out of the 7.

 

[Darcy03231]

I believe that you made the right choice for this trip. The AKL is really convenient to both the AK and DHS - more so than the GF which has a longer bus ride to the AK (about 15 minutes more each way).

DH and I have just returned from a trip to WDW, during which we stayed at the AKL (Jambo) and then the GF. I am a luxury gal and DH is much more the outdoors, camping, hunting fishing type. So, I feel like we have little in common. LOL!

We have stayed at these resorts before, but it is interesting to stay at both in the same trip for comparison purposes.

FWIW, here are our thoughts:

AKL:
beautiful resort
amazing lobby
great restaurants
comfortable, but small, rooms
everything under one roof
good bus transportation, covered walkway to bus stop
5 min bus ride to AK
nice pools

WE ate at Mara (quick service), Jiko and Boma. All three were really good.

The meat at Jiko is incredible - especially the boar and buffalo. I would not recommend the vegetarian dish, it was literally inedible. I usually enjoy vegetarian, but I had to send this back. DH tried it as well and also couldn't eat it. The server also said that he never recommends this dish. The wild boar appetizer and the buffalo

Boma is a huge buffet with a large variety of dishes. The meats are good, but not amazing like those at JIKO. The salads, soups and desserts were really good here. This is a better choice for vegetarians, IMO. Also, as a buffet you get the opportunity to try many more and varied dishes than at a table service like Jiko.

Mara has some of the same soups served in BOMA. Also, the Zebra dome dessert is available at Mara, and is very well liked by many. You can eat inside or bring your food outside to a small area with tables in the trees near the pool. It's a lovely setting for a peaceful breakfast (at least late in the morning - we are not early risers).

GF
another beautiful resort
Victorian themed, so some find it 'stuffy' or formal - we do not
large comfortable rooms
softer beds
most rooms are in exterior buildings separate from the lobby/shops/restaurants
most convenient to the MK, so, if you are not going to the MK it is a less compelling choice
you can view the MK fireworks from the resort

There are more dining options at the GF than at AKL, but the options tend to more standard American fare (less exotic than AKL). Probably more like the food that you have on a cruise ship.


If it were me, I would choose the AKL for this trip, despite the great deal at the GF.

Thank you for taking the time to post this. DH has been poking around the WDW web-site and is really looking forward to staying at AKL. He loved the pictures of the pool area and is talking about brining his night vision goggles to view the animals at night. I'm really glad now that I went with my first instinct and booked AKL over the GF. This is the first time in 27 years that he has expressed any interest at all in WDW so its a positive sign!

 

[DizDaD7]

Thank you. I think we might go there instead. I was on board for Jiko, but DH wasn't as the only thing that appealed to him were the scallops and we can get those at home very reasonably at a local restaurant (we live in New England so we have great seafood). We're also just coming off a cruise where will be doing signature dining at least 4 nights out of the 7.

Can't go wrong.

 

[DeanDoug]

We own DVC at AKL and it is our favorite resort. We've visited GF for meals many times, but have never stayed there. Given your question and context, however, I would choose GF. Here's why- convenience. Any resort on the monorail not only makes MK easily accessible, but also restaurants at other resorts, and the TTC. We love Citrico's in GF as well as the lower key GF Cafe.

Why didn't I pick AKL? Since I don't know your DH, I'm not sure what he likes, but convenience may be key. AKL is a bit further from things, and accessible by bus only, not monorail. It is, however, amazing! If your DH is an African-phile, loving giraffes and drums, it may be the best choice. The restaurants, all of them, are amazing.

You'll make the right decision. Enjoy.