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Hey Everyone,
Been a while since I posted. But we are finally getting back to Disney this summer.
We are down to two resorts to choose from; Yacht Club and AKL.
My DW and I are traveling with our DS age 9 and were wondering which hotel would be more fun for our 9 year old.
My DW and I love Yacht and Beach but feel like our DS would like AKL better.
What are your thoughts?
Thanks!
If he likes to swim, the pool at Yacht and Beach is amazing! But having the savannah view room and each morning getting to see the animals is wonderful. We took our 5 year old grandson and he was mesmerized watching the animals, no matter what tome of day!
What are the things you love about Yacht Club? Is your DS really excited about animals? I love AKL. I've never stayed at Yacht Club.
Tough call, I think they're both great resorts. If you and DW love YC and the boardwalk area I would probably say YC. My son was 10 or so when we stayed at BWV and he just loved the night time activities on the boardwalk, also easy access to both parks.
We stayed at AKL and although it's a lovely resort found it to be very quiet. We were there during August and didn't see one animal on the savanah so there's no guarantee on that and boy oh boy it was buggy at night. They do have a great CS though!
I have stayed at both. My choice would be the Yacht and Beach Club. I love how close they are to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Great choices for food. Ability to watch fireworks from the resort.
While I loved the atmosphere of Animal Kingdom Lodge the travel time to and from all the parks except AK felt long.
With a 9 yo, I'd recommend AKL. I remember talking with someone on the bus once, who had 3 boys, one of whom was 9 yo. She was telling me how disappointed she was that she felt kind of uncomfortable that the Yacht Club had more of an "adult" vibe, maybe with conventioneers-more adults. And last time we were at AKL with our DGDs, they loved keeping a list of all the animals they saw from the balcony and talking with the cultural CMs outside.
We love the AKL but for a 9 year old boy, the pool at the YC would be a better fit. Not saying the pool at the AKL stinks, actually we love it .. but ... the pool at the YC is way cooler for a kid. IMHO he will get tired of seeing the animals outside his balcony after a few days. I loved seeing them in the AM with my coffee in hand, while everyone was getting ready but they didn't do much other than eat, lie around or walk about ..... the pool will be the draw .... I'm sure ...
Both are excellent resorts and I'm sure you would enjoy either one. Animal Kingdom Lodge feels a bit more remote - given its location. The Yacht Club provides much more in terms of being able to walk to two parks and many dining options. The pool, as noted, is the best on property for a resort. The animals are fun to watch but, depending on what savannah view you have, you may see a number of animals or very few. Why don't you ask your son if he would prefer a view of the animals at the Lodge or the pool at the Yacht Club?
I think our boys would tell you it's clear for them - AKL would be their choice for a young boy. Granted, the pool at B&Y is awesome. But there are 2 extremely nice pools for kids at AKL. Then add in the animals, numerous activities (face-painting, banging on the drums, night-vision animal watching, etc), and restaurants like Boma and Sanaa - AKL would be our recommendation.