Saratoga or Animal Kingdom Lodge?

[CosmicRay]

We are taking a family with us to WDW this year. We have four children ages 10,9,3 and 2. Our friends have two boys ages 6 and 3. I thought we should stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge. But my husband mentioned how SS is more central to everything, so our friends thought we should go there.We've been to SS and loved it, but I just think AKL would be more fun.

Also, can anyone tell me about the perks of staying at AKL? Like does the pool have any fun features? I know about the Savanna, can anyone tell me more?

[JPL]

Perks for Kids

The Pool at Kidani Village is like a mini water park with lots of things for the kids. There are also a dailly list of activities for kids such as crafts and storytelling around the fire.

I stayed at AKL with kids and I would definitely choose it over Saratoga Springs.

[disneymom15]

We haven't stayed at SSR, so I can't comment on that. But AKL is awsome. We really liked it and highly recommend it.

[Donald]

:mickey:#1 perk: Bunk beds! Oh how we loved that! No bed hogs or kickers for that vacation!!

Our boys loved AKL. (11 and 9) The pool was wonderful: zero entry so they younger kids can play and it has a nice slide. There is a small area with a toddler pool and sprinkler area for small kids. There is a playground area near the pool also. :swim::diver:

There are daily activities in the Simba club and at the pool that my kids enjoyed doing. (create your own t-shirts, back pack...) There were also presentations about African history and music throughout the day in the main lobby.

No matter where you stay, there is going to be some sort of a journey to your park. The busses were efficient and we had no problems with the time.

We loved the savannah! We could have watched the animals all day!
:flamingo::deer2::paw::squirrel:

[Joannelet]

I am staying at AKL next visit (in May) but I have my home DVC resort at Saratoga.
There seems to be ALOT more to do at AKL than Saratoga and the restaurants at the 2 places cannot compare. AKL has so much more to offer I think...and again I have not stayed there yet.
I also have a little one and he really doesn't get that much out of Saratoga. I have a feeling though that with Kidani Village pool and the animal/savannah views he will get a lot more out of that resort than our home resort....
I would think that your group would have a better time at AKL.....

[Fastpasssteve]

You are choosing between two of my favorite resorts in WDW. This is a tough choice.

I really enjoyed the luxury and quality of SS. It is a large property, so walking may become an issue at the end of a long day in the parks with kids, or if you have someone with you who is not overly mobile.

It takes a while to get to the Magic Kingdom from either location. EPCOT is about the same time. It takes longer to get to Downtown Disney from Animal Kingdom Lodge. It takes longer to get to the Animal Kingdom from Saratoga Springs.

Last October, I stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I just loved it. It has a large, gracious lobby and lovely rooms. I particularly loved the restaurants there on-site at AKL. Boma is a favorite for breakfast and dinner, as is Jiko. You will never be disappointed. (The Artists' Palatte and the Surf and Turf place are not really worth your time.) AKL also has a nice counter service place to grab a sandwich or quick breakfast. If restaurants are a factor at all, choose AKL.

We always had good luck with the buses, which arrived and departed regularly.

The animals are wonderful and made the trip very special. My travelling companion got up early each morning to gaze out the window to see what was grazing for breakfast.

Both SS and AKL are wonderful resorts. I enjoyed my time at both places. The AKL has much more depth and scope of theming than SS.

The pools at both places are lovely and large. Both feature zero-entry pools at the large pool.

One feature we enjoyed each and every night at SS was the various quiet pools scattered about the vast property. My feet were greatful. At AKL, the main pool is close-by, so I could swim late at night...although my noctournal presence did fluster the flamingos more than once. (They live on the other side of a rough-hewn fence by the pool. Loved the jacuzzi's at both resorts.

I believe kids would have a much better experience at AKL, while adults would like either.

You have a big choice before you. Good luck. You won't go wrong with either choice.

[Fastpasssteve]

Also, take a look at this map of the entire 'world.' It will give you the lay of the land. This is from the main Disney site.

www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/propertymap.htm