Trying to deside between AKL and All star movies

[poohbear07]

It will be my 4 yrd sons first time in Disney world I wanted to pick the one that is most fun for him. There is a thousand dollar diffrence but we will not be in the room very much.Help!

[Pirate Granny]

$1,000 is a lot of money for a view...the 4 year old may not even remember it...Unless money is no object, then stay at AKL...but he will probably like the ASM or Pop Century better...more kids and activities for smaller type children.
:pirate:

[faline]

That's a big difference between resorts you are considering! I would say the decision can rest on the statement you made indicating you do not plan to be in the room much. Kids seem to absolutely love the value resorts and the huge icons there. Really enjoying Animal Kingdom Lodge requires spending some time at the resort. Otherwise, save the money you would have spent on accommodations there and use it for other things. I'll bet your child will have a great time at the All Star resort!

[Disney4us2]

My DD was 5 her first visit to WDW. We stayed at ASMovies in the Fantasia 2 building (pink one). She LOVED that resort. We had a lot of fun there looking at all the larger than life movie icons. It is a great resort for kids and kids at heart. I would not hesitate to stay there again.

We were not in the room that much and 1K is a lot of money that you can do other things with at WDW. Enjoy the planning and have a great trip.:mickey:

[DVC2004]

AKL is an amazing resort with a very unique theme. It is very much worth the money. That being said, if money is an issue I would go for All Stars. It's still a cool resort and especially if your son is small he will probably love it. If money is not really an issue, then I would definitely pick AKL.

[Ms. Mode]

AKL is great and they have lots of activities for the childern, but it is expensive just for a place to sleep. You can always take some time and visit the resort (ride one of the buses there) and check out the animals and see what the lodge is like; that way you would know if you want to stay there on your next trip. :thumbsup:

[poohbear07]

My husband and I stayed last year and loved it we wanted to take our son there but it is so expensive

[c&d]

Having stayed at both with a small child, I would go with AS Movies. Our son loved it as much as AKL. I think at that age they are so thrilled with all of Disney that just visiting AKL will be enough.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

I say it depends on these things...

1. Is money tight where 1K is going to really stretch your budget? If you have 1k wiggle room, I would make a list of other things you could use your 1k on (special meals, tours, special events/parties) .... and see which one is worth more to you.

2. How much time will you spend at the resort?

3. What type of room do you need? Would you be requesting a "normal" room at AKL (studio or double beds) or are you looking at a 1 bedroom suite type?

We have stayed at All Star Music (but that was before we had kids) and will be staying at AKV in October.

[ThanxForNoticin]

AKL is one of our favorite places to stay anywhere. That being said, for your particular situation, I would recommend staying at All-Star, save the money for now, and take your son back to AKL when he's older. Maybe you can plan a breakfast or dinner at Boma. Then you can take your son to the resort to enjoy the animals, and check out the place for yourself. Hope you have a fun trip!

[megustamex]

There's a big difference in the luxury of the resorts. AKL is a real getaway, and my favorite resort, but my kids (4 & 2) don't enjoy it nearly as much as the All Stars. They like to see all of the character theming around the pools and the lobbies, and that doesn't really exist at AKL. The All Stars rooms are super clean and come with Disney service, but it's slower (a little more wait time for requests). Rooms at ASs are definitely more motel-like in size and decor though compared to AKL's luxury rooms.

[mickey_M_lvr]

My DH and I took our son to Disney when he was 5. We stayed @ POP and he loved every minute of it. You said that you didn't think you would be in the room much.....think that over. I don't know your lil guy but ours got very tired and needed a little down time in the afternoon.

Unless you are planning to use the childcare servies at AKL...I personally wouldn't spend the extra money. I think you would be fine in AS Movies or even POP.

Enjoy no matter where you stay. Your childs first trip is always magical. :cloud9:

[Gator]

Although not my favorite resort, ASMovies was a big hit with my kids. We stayed in the Dalmatians section and the kids loved the 30ft Pongo and Perdita. It's a great way to get them to leave the parks without having a meltdown.

AKL is very nice. The rooms are larger, but they're just as far from the parks as all-stars, so the bus trips will be long regardless.

[Kairi_7378]

I agree with the other posters that ASMo is a better choice for you.

Perhaps you could go to the AKL one night for dinner so your son could check out the animals at one of the observation decks?

[mjm12000]

I say go with the fun theming and save the money for something like a tour or great diner as some of the others have suggested. If you are not spending a lot of time in your room or at your resort then save the money. At the end of the day any WDW resort it a great place to stay and the All Star Movies resort is a huge hit with kids.

[JPL]

How about doing the both of best by doing a split stay and start off at Movies and then go over to AKL towards the end of the trip when you might be a little bit more tired and have some time to relax and enjoy it. It's really easy to do since Disney will move your luggage for you.

[mjm12000]

How about doing the both of best by doing a split stay and start off at Movies and then go over to AKL towards the end of the trip when you might be a little bit more tired and have some time to relax and enjoy it. It's really easy to do since Disney will move your luggage for you.

Great idea JPL, stay at both so you get to experience the best of both worlds.

[Bubbie Girl]

We have stayed at both and both have neat things to offer. When my older kids were smaller we stayed at ALL Stars, Music, Movies and they loved which ever one we picked. Fun pools, Fun theaming and bigger food courts. The time we stayed at AKL we had a blast getting up and seeing the animals out our window. That's really cool! Kids liked the pool.
If you can swing the $$ I would do a split stay. We have done that many times and its pretty easy. If not then I would go with the All Stars till he gets a little older. Whatever you decide you will have sooo much fun. Kids and Disney can't go wrong :mickey:

[finaldynasty]

My two cents...stay at the ASM this year and in a couple of years pick AKL or WL. Our 6 year old appreciated the WL more then our 4 year old and remembers "his lodge" as he calls it more then his sister. Plus, a CM mentioned to us that it is better to only stay in a Deluxe if kids are older or if you will be around at least 30-40% to get your moneys worth. :mickey: