Splurge on Wilderness Lodge or AKL?

[Volatica]

We normally stay at POFQ for multiple reasons. We love the small, cozy resort and we love that there is a boat to DTD (or whatever it's called now...), but I am thinking of surprising my husband with a splurge. This is our first trip with our first child. He will be 17 months old when we go. If I scrimp a little more over the next year and squirrel away some money that hubby thinks I am spending on things for myself, then I can afford the bottom end of either of these resorts. I am having trouble deciding, though. Here are my considerations.

Magic Kingdom has always been a park that we have enjoyed and I expect that we will have to say goodbye for now to our dawn-till-dusk vacation mentality with the little along. This leads me to the conclusion that we would greatly enjoy staying at Wilderness Lodge with its boat to MK so that it's easy to hop back to the hotel for a nap at mid-day then hop a bus to a different park for the evening. I also love the Lodge atmosphere (We love Great Wolf Lodge!) and the potential for watching Wishes from our room while the baby sleeps. My concern is the construction. I don't mind some "pixie dust," but I want to make sure I know what we are getting ourselves into. We are planning our trip for October of 2017 and all Disney's site says is that the construction will continue in 2017 without any further info about timing. I know that one of the pools is currently closed and some of the rooms. I've looked at pictures of the lobby and, to me, that doesn't look so bad. Here are my primary concerns:

1. How loud is the construction during the day in most standard rooms? Right now the baby sleeps through pretty much anything, but he's only 3.5 months. A constant noise level I think will be fine for naps and such, but lots of yelling or sudden noises might be a problem. It really depends on the type of "napper" he ends up being.

2. One of the things that hubby and I enjoy at POFQ is going for a stroll on the walking trails. I read that some of the walking trails at Wilderness Lodge are closed because of construction. Can anyone give me any insight into this?

Of course, this might all be moot because the construction might be finished by the time we go, but we all know how good Disney is at sticking to a construction schedule... (but it'll be beautiful when it's finally finished!)

As far as AKL, I don't think I can swing the Savannah View room this time, and that room type is truly our dream vacation. Being able to look off of our balcony at animals sounds like just my type of Disney magic! (We are major Zoo lovers. We go to the zoo in every major city we visit and it's always one of our favorite things to do.) Here are my questions/concerns about AKL.

1. Will we be disappointed with a standard view room? I know we obviously won't be able to look out our window at giraffes and such, unless there is a cleverly designed delivery van in the parking lot , but is it still a magical experience just staying at AKL with easy access to Savannah animals?

2. If I don't rent a vehicle, are the bus rides to the parks awfully long? POFQ has pretty short bus rides most of the time and of course the boat to DTD is pretty short, so we have gotten pretty spoiled.

3. We are also spoiled by the small size of POFQ, which leads to an uncrowded pool (especially since a lot of people hop over to Riverside to swim). Is the pool super-crowded at AKL?

Sorry for the short novel and what may seem like sill questions. Just looking for a little more insight than the standard info on the WDW website. I'm really excited about the potential surprise for hubby. He's always wanted to stay at AKL, but I'm not sure he's ever considered the Wilderness Lodge, and I think he'll like the boat to Magic Kingdom. In our budget, both options have faults, so any help you expert people can provide in helping me decide will be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[busymommy2pink]

So. I am going to say AKL hands down. We are die hard Beach club lovers, but AKL is honestly the only resort that has ever left me breathless. Speechless. It's stunning and you truly feel you are in another world. We love coming back and feeling like we aren't in the chaos of the parks anymore. We always set aside a resort day.

Will you be disappointed in standard view? Not at all. There are so many viewing areas all around the hotel. We love sitting on the huge balconies in the oversized rocking chairs. No one ever seems to be out there. If you can swing pool/water view I would. The proximity to the Mara (quick service) is great and hopping back to your room after a swim is great. AKL actually has two pools you can use. Kidani has a fun playground part as well. It's a short walk from Jambo house. We have never felt the pool was crowded and we've been when the resort is at capacity.

As for buses. They are only for AKL and we've never had insane lines or waits for busses. Sometimes the ride from MK can feel long, but we found it did to POR as well. We find the DS area to be further from the parks as a whole. Bus rides to and from the other theme parks are worth the additonal maybe 3-5 minutes. I can't say enough good things about it.

They also do arts and crafts and dances and storytelling with kids in the lobby. All free. If you ask the front desk they'll give a scavenger hunt of the animals your kids can find. Mine loved doing this.

 

[jlnten17]

I have not stayed at Wilderness Lodge but have visited it and have stayed at AKL. AKL has a great atmosphere, lots of places to view animals, great food, BUT we had a horrible standard room. It was right above the entry on the third floor and terribly noisy. Its only benefit is that it was close to the elevator and we were only staying 2 nights as we drove down and arrived early so it was a last minute decision to stay there because we could not get into The Polynesian early. If you do go I would spend sometime on the AKL board so you can make some specific room requests (although they are requests only). I think you would like WL if you enjoy Great Wolf. We also love Great Wolf Lodge and visit the WI Dells annually as well, this is why we have yet to stay at WL (because they are so similar and we want to try different atmospheres). I would go with the best deal. If you could get any kind of upgraded room cheaper at one over the other that's what I would go with. I also think the boat ride to MK from WL would be fun (although I wouldn't count it as a huge time savings).

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Construction is a funny thing. I don't know that anyone can predict what the noise levels during the day will be like in 14 months.

The interior at the Lodge will be long complete by then. The question marks are exterior work, the lakeshore cabins, and the second pool. The walking paths are unlikely to open until everything is done, due to the nature of the work being done in those areas and their proximity to the paths.

Many people who have said, to date, construction hasn't been an issue for them also leave early in the day, and return when the workers have clocked out for the day.

In general, if something is going to be a splurge, I tend to advise against staying somewhere with ongoing construction. The permits for WL go into 2018 for construction.

 

[Sagginit]

I have stayed at WL and am staying at AKL this next trip. While WL resort was nice it was just not as memorable to me as many other places. AKL has a huge pool (maybe biggest one around?) that is zero entry so you can wander in like being at a lake which I can't wait to use. I love the restaurants there and while it may be a longer bus ride to other parks, I remember waiting for boats and busses plenty of times at WL. I went in July and I remember the pool at WL was crowded (this was 20 years ago but the last time I was there a few years back from dinner it looked the same). You can walk outside around the animal habitats so this might be a good place for an evening stroll.

If you are an MK person then WL is very convenient for breaks and getting there early for RD. We had a balcony with a view of the woods and it was peaceful to sit out there. It also makes it easier to hop to monorail resorts for meals if you are close by as I know some of my favorites are there. I am a MK person but I just fell in love with AKL the last few times I went there to eat. I am willing to spend the extra 10-15 minutes to get to parks to enjoy my resort more.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

FWIW most of the woods were cut down for construction. There is no longer a bookable woods view.

 

[iheartglaciers]

I stayed at Kidani in both a standard and savannah view room and absolutely loved AKL. While it was cool to see animals from the balcony, I didn't think the view was that great and the animals were kinda far (the view may be better in the main AKL building). However, there were lots of places off of the lobby where you could watch animals and I think staying in a standard will feel just as magical.

 

[Tink0812]

Our go-to resort always has been and always will be POFQ (even way back in the days when it was a part of Dixie Landings); however, we try to stay at different places from time and time. My favorite WDW resort that we have stayed at is WL; however, AKL comes in a close second so it would be difficult for me to help you decide. When we stay at these resorts it is typically only for a couple of nights, either at the beginning or at the end of the trip. Not sure if you are up for that option but it is definitely something to consider as it is more affordable. The lodge feel of Wilderness Lodge is what made me fall in love with it. It was also very nice to be able to be so close to MK but yet hidden back in the woods enough that you felt secluded. I'm not sure how secluded it will feel now that most of the timber has reportedly been cut down for construction. The boat to MK was very convenient as well. Several different options are available for food there with a great array of food to offer. We did a Savannah-view at AKL so I don't have any input on the standard view rooms; however, in my opinion the resort itself has so much to offer that it would be worth it to stay there regardless of the view you have. The only problem we had was that we felt limited on our food options at the resort as we have a few picky eaters. As far as room size, WL and AKL were very comparable. We don't tend to factor room size into our decision-making process though because we are only in the room long enough to sleep at night and nap during the day. Sorry for not being much of a help!

 

[BeckyThatcher]

With a young child I think you should choose Wilderness. We have stayed at both WL and AKL, and they have an almost identical layout. Both will make your jaw drop. Really beautiful (and better than Great Wolf Lodge, which we like, too, but it doesn't hold a candle to WL).

Stay at AKL when your little one is a bit older and can tolerate a longer bus ride. Maybe it was a fluke, but when we went, the buses to AKL were crowded and chaotic ... We waited an hour once in a line that became a mob, ugh. My kids really got bummed out by the bus waits both at the resort and at MK.

WL is great because you can watch Wishes and the electrical water pageant from certain standard rooms. However, I haven't been back during the construction (check the threads about the noise). One of our favorite times at WL was renting a surrey and biking to the horse stable. That trail isn't open right now. I'd guess it will be open in time for your trip, but there's no way of knowing. Even if it is, though, there are plenty of small trails throughout the resort.

That's my two cents, but you can't go wrong either way. I expected to love AKL, and it was wonderful, but WL is even better, especially because of the boat ride/proximity to MK.

 

[Nancyg56]

I would make my choice as you get closer to booking. It is hard to know how construction will impact someone else. I thought we would be that family who was immune to any inconveniences, but no it seems we were not. depending on where the construction is taking place, CM's are affected, and we found that their stress affected us.

When you are ready to book, be very honest with yourself with regards to your expectations for the resort, as well as what you expect based on the cost. I have always believed that if you have a dream resort and that resort is under construction, it may make sense to wait because you aleady have a sense of what it wil be like and no one wants a let down after the anticipation. That happened to us at the Beach Club. We thought that would be the bomb and were so excited to stay ther. Well, Hurricane Hannahs was under refurb, but no problem. We are near Epcot, so who care? Ummm, Us. The CM's were overwhelmed with managing guests with few CS options available, and we felt that. It was silly in retrospect, but by the time we left we were left with a sense of let down...of course we had set our bar so high, it was bound to happen. So for us....no more construction if we can help it.

 

[Pepper pots]

Well after five moderate resort vacations, ( 2004-2012 ) We got a 40% room discount offer for 2014 between AKL and WL...It was a no brainer for us..Wilderness Lodge had always been a dream, so to spend 14 nights there was a dream come true..This year we are heading back to the lodge and I've been monitoring the construction work..Approx 90% of lodge visitors aren't bothered about it at all..However if people like to spend lots of time at their resort, ( we ain't travelled 3000 miles to sit at a pool ) then I would opt for AKL..P.S...Thank you Disney for the extra $1400 spending money due to the villas getting built, that will come in handy for the souvenir stuff, as we also have free DDP...( and free memory maker, and a $200 gift card, and a 14 day park hopper ticket for the price of 7 ) It's a kinda magic..lol...

 

[gottalovepluto]

I've only done WDW once and we stayed AKL, 2 nights standard room (upgraded to Savannah view via pixie dust).

1. Disappointed in a standard room? Yes. Let's be real here, your dream is to look out your balcony and see animals, not a parking lot. I planned to look at animals from the hotel's viewing points but it just never happened. By the time we made it back to our room for afternoon break we did NOT want to walk to a viewing area. (Our view was sad.)

What if you get pixie dust upgraded to a Savannah view? (Or what if you come across mad money saving skills & get enough for a Savannah view?) As stated we were pixie dust upgraded to a Savannah view and it was cool. We had 3 giraffe sightings and some other animals over a couple days there looking out at this little Savannah. If I had paid the extra $100/night for the Savannah view I would have been absolutely livid. (The ads show the Arusha Savannah, not the dinky ones on the other side of the hotel.) Also the walks to the rooms can be very far. Maybe someday you'll be able to afford an Arusha Savannah view when your little one is more likely to enjoy it more!

2. Busses. The rides are long. We clocked Epcot at 15 mins consistently not taking into account time spent waiting for buses (morning buses were not shared with Kidani but return buses are). On return one afternoon from Epcot we saw a MK bus departing and people were packed in like sardines. Because of that we Ubered to TTC for MVMCP that night (brilliant move by us) & took the bus back at midnight. The ride was no traffic and we arrived at AKL precisely 25 mins later. There is no way on God's green earth I would do that bus ride with a 17 month old. And we weren't packed in on the return trip, I can't imagine what the ride we saw earlier that afternoon was like! Mind you I saw plenty of people with their babies & young children on the AKL buses, so it is done all the time, but I was miserable enough with just me and my friend.

Didn't make it to the pool.

 

[alliecat523]

I have stayed at WL twice during construction (within the last year) and have one more stay booked in October. We never heard construction while we were in our room or in the lobby. Walking to the bus? Sure. Being at the pool? Nothing. The resort is fairly empty due to lack of available rooms and people being scared to book due to construction. This made our stays even MORE enjoyable in our opinion.

We love MK and spend most of our time there (more than other parks). The quick boat ride back to the resort is a major bonus for us.

 

[Mousetopia]

Go with your heart and dreams if you can afford it. Sounds like that is AKL. Here are my thoughts:
1. Dont rent a car..use Uber when you dont want to deal with the bus..average my last trip in November was $7
for fare!! We got really lazy about it and used uber when the bus would have been fine! It was luxury!
2. Go with Jambo house and ask for close to lobby and Mara.
3. Savannah View all the way unless you spend no time in the resort. If you love animals having them below your
balcony is heaven. If you have to ask if its worth it you will be disappointed if you dont I think
..DO AKL Savannah very close to the cost of a moderate!!!!!!!! Rent dvc points via a reputable reseller like Dave's.
We were shocked at the difference in cost and you get a deluxe studio with more room and a kitchette! Do you research on this but it has been great for us.

 

[Ralphmiller007]

I've never stayed at Wilderness Lodge, but I will say I got extremely lucky with a standard room at AKL this past May. We booked club level (during the lounge reno) and had a bit of a walk to our room, and the temporary lounge was in a suite at the very end of Arusha savannah opposite the pool. It was fine for my husband and I (two 30-somethings) but with a little one it might have been a little tedious. We added a night at the end of our stay, and only booked standard to save a bit of money since we would only be in the room to sleep a few hours. Unlike a lot of people that have replied, we got extremely lucky with our standard view. I requested near lobby, and we got one of the first rooms on the Ostrich Trail. Yes, there were "pens" and fences right outside our room, but there was an ostrich and zebra even closer to our balcony than in our previous club level room. Sorry for the rambling post, but I just wanted to reiterate my love for AKL (and the occasional lucky standard view). My husband won't stay anywhere else! And I might have to try Uber my next trip, thanks for the advice!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

15 minute bus rides being "long" is entirely relative.

For a Chicagoan or New Yorker, that's short.

 

[GrandCalifornian]

We have stayed at POR and WL in the past, and chose WL for our upcoming trip because it will be our son's first trip, and we really enjoy the proximity to MK and the extra transportation options with a little one in a stroller. We find Port Orleans to be a comparable value to WL, so the extra spent on upgrading can be worth it because you get a little more, but saving the money works out well too. We paid the extra this time because for us the boat transportation is really nice, and still having the quick bus option to MK is great too. One WL downside compared to Port Orleans is the transportation to Disney Springs (DTD) does take longer, and another is that the QS food location at WL isn't as big or nice as at POR, or probably even POFQ. AKL has a nice QS location, and the benefit of a zero entry pool that WL doesn't have, but the big plus is the animals. Whatever view you get you can see them from lots of places at the resort, which is huge for some people and not exciting for others. The AKL downside is the buses, which generally aren't bad at all, but won't be much better (or worse) than you've seen at POFQ, and they are your only Disney transportation option. With any of the three you'll have a great trip, so go with what excites you the most and enjoy!

ETA: I saw you mentioned the walking trails and were concerned about their closure at WL during the construction. Most of the longer trails and paths are open, including the beautiful (and secluded) walk to Fort Wilderness. The closure is near the villas building, so you can't walk around the outside of the lodge to get to the FW trail, but once you get to the bus stop, you can access the trails.
We are going to WL in 9 days and aren't scared of the construction because of the key things that will still be open. We don't mind seeing work, and think the lower crowds at the resort will be nice. We will let you know how it goes though.

 

[Ralphmiller007]

Funny story about the "long" AKL bus ride....I should start this by saying I'm a pretty positive person, and my husband and I definitely appreciated the Disney transportation. BUT...one night on our way home from Magic Kingdom, we were in the back of the bus in one of those seats where we were facing two other people. It was a teenage couple, and the first five minutes were spent telling us random Disney knowledge and facts. I smiled and engaged, and thought they were cute. Then the lights went out...and it was a full-on, slurping-sounding make out session four feet in front of our faces. LONGEST BUS RIDE EVER...

 

[Kae]

I love both. But I would go with WL. First I think location for this trip would be great. We love the boat to MK. Second Everything in one building is great. And having a balcony with a little one is great. Save AKL for your next trip when DS is older so much for kids to do and Adults.
Kae

 

[CharleneR]

We just stayed at the WL from Aug 13-20th and the construction was a non-issue for us. We did have a courtyard room so I'm sure that made a difference but I can't recall hearing any noise no matter where we were at the resort. We loved the boat ride to the Magic Kingdom (my DS8 loves boats) and used it often. It was also great having a half filled resort, although that may not be the case by next October.