[mickeymotto]

O.K....Help us decide on which of these two great places to stay for our next trip. We have narrowed it down to the two of these. Tell me pros and cons for both to help us decide! Thanks!

[Jess]

I picked AKL because I'm not exactly into that whole roughing it thing.

[PrincessPooh]

There's no ruffing it about WL, Jess. Maybe you're thinking of FW?

I like WL because of it's proximity to MK and other MK resorts, and thereby also opening you up to a wider array of dining options closer to you. AKL is kind of on it's own, only nearby to AK. Also, it's walking distance to FW, which has other kinds of activities, outside of the parks.

Not that AKL is bad, I'm sure I'll be staying there soon. But my first choice is WL.

[diisneygeek]

AKL.

[PhilliesFan]

Decisions Decisions.
I haven't stayed at either resort. I love the idea of the AK with the animal theme, but I also love convenience and it seems the WL has more options as far as restaurants and activities. You are close to the CR, so you can easily catch the monorail and eat at the Polynesian, GF along the CR and WL. You also close to FW for additional restaurants and activies.

[arwright_2]

I haven't stayed at either but I picked AKL because we are staying there for the 1st time in 14 days!

[JEANY031]

i voted on the animal kingdom lodge and i hope our family will stay to the hotel.

[dznygrl]

Love both. Incredibly hard to choose.

But AKL always wins for me. I think it's because the WL theme is so similar to my home (the Pacific Northwest) that AKL seems much more exotic and exciting!

[millermouse]

I haven't stayed at either, but the AKL sounds like so much fun!

[Dana]

I love both, but always pick AKL over WL in these polls. I think it's the animals and theme that do it for me. I also love their transportation...you don't share like you do at WL. The theme is amazing and carried out well thorughout the entire resort. You will sware you are in Africa...it's that amazing. The pool is huge and the animals roaming all over just make this place fantastic! IT's my favorite resort for sure. The benefits of staying at the WL is the quick access to the MK via boat. That resort is also just beautiful, but the AKL has just something more to me...it has to be the animals.

[Soundgod]

I'm voting counter. And considering I'm staying at the AKL next month, it doesn't make sense. Wilderness is my choice. It's closer to the Magic Kingdom. It's on Bay Lake and you have a marina and those stupid bikes. There's the faux Old Faithful geyser. Dznygrl actually hit it on the head. Wilderness Lodge is supposed to be one of the Parks Service National Park lodges.(like the one in North by Nothwest) It's also very very similar to Grand Californian. Maybe it is the American parks feeling that makes it feel more like home than AKL. The pool is pretty cool, and it starts as a stream in the lobby, then flows outside. And the last point, it's the least expensive of the deluxe resorts.

[gatour]

I choose AKL. I think is the combination of the theming and the animals. It also feels remote when it isn't really. It feels like an actual standalone resort, where as at the other hotels you are always aware that you are at Disney. When we stay at at the AKL, we like to schedule a no-park day just to hang out at the hotel and relax. We don't do that as much as at the hoter hotels on property.

[Pooh Fan]

I think I would choose WL because it is closer to MK. The only transportation from AKL are the busses. If you are going to rent a car and not rely on Disney transportation, then I might say AKL as long as you got a Savanah View Room. Personally, I prefer the Epcot resorts for the quick access to Epcot and MGM. I can't wait to stay at BC on our upcoming trip.

[Soundgod]

I think we're starting to get hung up on transportation. I noticed somebody mention the WL was near the monorail, so getting to the Contemporary would be easy. It's not, unless the boats are running. Remember, only Poly, Contemporary, and Grand Floridian are on the beam with TTC and MK itself. So, to get to one of the other resorts, you'll still need to connect somewhere or take your car if the MK launches aren't running. Everywhere else you need a bus, and the bus is usually shared with Fort Wilderness. And you've still got the pesky problem of getting from DTD to parks and from resort to resort if it's not grouped others, ala Swan/Dolphin/Boardwalk. This all isn't as bad as it sounds, but on the other hand, WDW's parks and resorts aren't clustered in walking distance like Disneyland or Universal Orlando.

[Dana]

To comment on the transportation, it seriosuly is better at the AKL. Yes, you have all bus transportation and no boat to the MK, but you share with no one....only the AKL...that to me is awseome. No multi-stops, just one bus stop and you go straight to the park. The only time I shared a bus while staying there is when the AK closed. After AK hours, people who are at other parks will use the AKL bus and get dropped off at the AK to get their cars. That is the one and only time that I shared a bus there. I rarely waited for a bus to show up ( that could have been just luck with timing) and the one time we were waiting in the morning for the character breakfast bus, the CM who was standing near the bus stations was on the phone asking where the bus was. The service (other than an isolated incident I had in the Mara with a cashier) is perfect. OK it's my favorite resort and my opinion is totally biased...lololol