Animal kingdom lodge or wilderness lodge

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Due to a PIN code we may be finally able to afford a Deluxe next trip....our choices in our price range would be AKL or WL...which would you choose and why?

[faline]

Both are wonderful resorts and very similar in style.

I would likely choose Wilderness Lodge due to location - I love that it's in the Magic Kingdom area and so, relatively easy to get to the other resorts on the monorail line in that area.

Savannah View rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge can be wonderful as well (though I didn't like our location on our last stay and we barely saw an animal on the savannah though we saw some birds). However, you must bus everywhere from this location and the ride to the Magic Kingdom area is fairly long.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Which resort is easier to navigate and how different are they in size?

[BigThunderFan]

Both are easy to navigate, and I would say they are similar in size.

We loved WL for the theme and the beauty of the resort. It looked like it truly was in the woods, and the lake was beautiful in the morning.

AKL seemed to be in more of an arid area with the grasslands and savannahs. I like the theme of WL better, but you also have Boma at AKL! Hard to choose!

I agree the transportation is SO much better at WL.

[faline]

Both are pretty similar in size and both are very easy to navigate. Unless you stay in the vacation club accommodations, we like that all the rooms are located inside the building where all the services are located - very convenient.

[mom2morgan]

I do think it comes down to 2 things (maybe 3)
1. Location - how important is it to you to be nearer the Magic Kingdom and the monorail line? I know that WL excels in that way, although I'd never stay there (see reason 2). Especially if you spend the bulk of your time at MK, and if you like to come home for mid-day breaks. Personally, I split my time pretty equally between parks, and don't mind Disney busses at all, so the transportation angle doesn't put me off AKL.
2. Theming! That is the other biggie. Both are very similar level of resort so I think you really need to go with your gut feeling about THEME. I would never stay at WL because I live in the mountains in Alberta and my husband is a log home builder (in other words, I already LIVE in Wilderness Lodge - don't need to stay there on vacation ;-) And I have two totally animal crazy kids (three if you count my husband) so AKL is the easy choice for us.
3. Dining - are you planning to eat a lot at your resort? If so, which one has more dining options that you enjoy? Might also be a consideration if you are planning on eating at the monorail resorts. Again - for my family we like Boma a lot, and spread out our dining all over the place, so location isn't a big issue.

Whichever one you pick will be fantastic! After reading my own reasons WL looks like the "logical choice" - but I'll still stick with AKL ;-)

[PrettyMinnie]

IMO, both resorts are really well themed and you will get your $$ worth, but it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking to see the animals of AKL and be closer to AK, the AKL is the obvious choice, but if the safari doesn't really matter to you, then WL might be better because it is closer to MK.

[MOJoe]

I debated this very question a few weeks ago and decided to book the WL. For my family, the deal maker was the location. We tend to park hop alot, so being close to MK and the monorail resorts gives us a lot of flexibility. Especially for dining options. Many things pop up that wreak havoc with our park plans, which in turn throws my dining plans into chaos. And if we were staying at AKL, that would make it just a little more inconvenient getting around.

However, the AKL looks amazing. And i really want to stay there sometime. Whenever that time comes when my park hopping family can slow down a little.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I got a PIN code and it looks like I can swing one of these resorts but I want to keep it a secret from my son who thinks we will be staying at All Stars Music...just feeling him out a little last night on where he would stay if he had a choice he said Wilderness Lodge so I think we've made a decision:) Thanks for all the responses...so still tell me about Wilderness Lodge...my question about being easing to navigate has to do with my mom having foot surgery....I was wondering are all the rooms accessible by elevator or will we need a ground room floor?

[BigThunderFan]

As far as I know all of the rooms are accessible from elevator. The only place she may have an issue would be walking across the courtyard, there are steps leading from the upper stream/courtyard down through a rock tunnel to the lower courtyard/waterfall area. But this is outside, I didn't even so much as see a stairway inside...

[faline]

As far as I know all of the rooms are accessible from elevator. The only place she may have an issue would be walking across the courtyard, there are steps leading from the upper stream/courtyard down through a rock tunnel to the lower courtyard/waterfall area. But this is outside, I didn't even so much as see a stairway inside...

There's a ramp on an interior hallway which would bypass this area. Just go down the hallway by the quick service area and exit out an accessible door further down.

All floors are served by elevators so floor should not matter.

[KylesMom]

I didn't answer your original question because I think I'm biased here. :blush: We'll be staying at WL for the 6th year in a row this July.

As Linda mentioned, there are plenty of interior ramps within the hotel and restaurants to make navigating after foot surgery a breeze. The only thing that wouldn't be accessible to her is getting up on the roof if you were able to get in as Flag Family. As an aside, If you want more information on this, let me know.

My DS (and DH & I, for that matter) love exploring the resort. Even after this many stays we always find new nooks, crannies & hidden mickeys that we missed or were added since last trip.

Definitely make an ADR at Whispering Canyon, and if you can, try a few appetizers & cocktails in the lounge - it's great in there!

Can you tell we love WL? :mickey:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

I didn't answer your original question because I think I'm biased here. :blush: We'll be staying at WL for the 6th year in a row this July.

As Linda mentioned, there are plenty of interior ramps within the hotel and restaurants to make navigating after foot surgery a breeze. The only thing that wouldn't be accessible to her is getting up on the roof if you were able to get in as Flag Family. As an aside, If you want more information on this, let me know.

My DS (and DH & I, for that matter) love exploring the resort. Even after this many stays we always find new nooks, crannies & hidden mickeys that we missed or were added since last trip.

Definitely make an ADR at Whispering Canyon, and if you can, try a few appetizers & cocktails in the lounge - it's great in there!

Can you tell we love WL? :mickey:

Oh that's good tips thanks so much, our trip isn't until December so I think its going to be a long year (so excited)

[LudwigVonDrake]

Wilderness Lodge due to location :mickey:

[waymickey]

WL definately. AK lodge seemed to have a lot of bugs, I guess th eanimals had something to do with it. Also at night if you have a SV people on the ground can see more than the animals.:blush:

[DisneyDoug2]

We have stayed at both resorts, love both, but would choose WL due to how close it is to the MK.

[lawgirl]

We are completely in love with AKL...so I would say definitely check it it out as well, even if you don't stay there this time.

At least try and get to Jiko or Boma for dinner at the AKL. We fell in love with it from the first moment we stepped off the bus into the lobby! It seems alot more exotic and remote than WL. And it also seems alot bigger to me. I personally LOVE the African safari theme, and am not really into the Pacific Northwest theming at WL...but that's totally a personal preference. For us, the AKL is really a luxurious, exotic resort, and we can't say enough good things about it.

[Darbylew]

We have never stayed at the WL but we have
stayed at the AKL and loved it. I have friends
that have stayed at WL and they love it there.
The choice is yours and whatever you decide
you will be happy. The lobby at the AKL is
really something to see. :thumbsup:

[megustamex]

We've stayed at both a few times but AKL is our favorite, hands down. It does what Disney does best - transport you to a totally different place. From the moment you enter the lobby you really feel like you are in an African safari lodge (not that I've ever been to one!). It's unlike anything anywhere.

We felt like the WL is somewhere we've been a lot of times - reminds us of lodges in Minnesota, Glacier, Yellowstone, Yosemite, even the Smokies. We've just seen that theme a lot. We weren't that impressed with the room theming - seemed a little too lodge-y and not "deluxe" enough. We also had some of the worst bus service at WL, so we didn't think the transportation was a plus. We do love Artist Point.

A few great things about AKL in addition to the usual - 3 of the best restaurants in the World: Boma, Jiko and Sanaa, you get to use the fabulous pool/kids play area at Kidani Village as well as the Jambo House pool, going out late at night to hang by the fire or spot animals in the dark with the guide's night vision goggles.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thanks everyone...we chose Wilderness Lodge due to location...maybe one day we'll be able to try AKL too