AKL or OKW

kimberlymautz

kimberlymautz

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello,

Looking for some suggestions. We have the opportunity to stay at either AKL or OKW, but I'm unsure which resort is the best option. For reference, we'll be traveling as 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6 and 12 at the time of our trip).

Animal Kingdom Lodge would be a studio room and it appears that their studios are one queen bed and then a pull out sofa bed.
Old Key West would be a standard room which would have two queens.

It's SLIGHTLY more expensive to stay at OKW, but I'm thinking it might be worth it with for the extra actual bed instead of tossing the kiddos on the sleeper sofa. We've never stayed at AKL though and my last stay at OKW was in 2010 with a friend and her family so my boyfriend and our kids have never been to either.

Just from my quick Googling, it appears that AKL has more for the kids (splash pad, playgrounds, multiple water slides and different pools, etc), but I'm just not sure what to do.

Any suggestions?
 
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UNCgolf

UNCgolf

Well-Known Member
I think Animal Kingdom Lodge is the best hotel at Disney. It has the best theming, probably the best restaurants, and the bonus of the savanna.

That said, I did really like Old Key West when I stayed there (although it was like 15 years ago so I have no reference for what it's like currently). I don't think it's comparable to Animal Kingdom Lodge overall, but having two queens would probably be a nice upgrade over one queen and a sleeper sofa.
 
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Weather_Lady

Weather_Lady

Well-Known Member
We stayed at AKL - Jambo House in a DVC studio for a week, about 4 years ago, when our son and daughter were around 11 and 13.

While we'd had a negative experience prior to that time in a queen/foldout DVC studio (Beach Club), finding it way too cramped for the 4 of us, the furniture setup in the Jambo House studio, which was only a few square feet larger, was infinitely more livable, and had tons more storage.

Because the kids weren't good at sharing a sleeping space with one another, my husband and son shared the bed, and my daughter and I shared the foldout sofa, which as I recall was an American Leather model that was quite comfortable. With the kitchenette to prepare our breakfasts, two additional sinks in the vanity area, a full dresser and closet to store clothing and accessories, and a table for dining or getting some work done on a laptop, we didn't want for more space. And even though we'd worried about AKL being "far" from everything, it really didn't feel that way when it came time to catch buses. We felt like we got all the beauty, peace, and relaxation of a remote location, with none of the disadvantages -- and the on-site restaurants (including Sanaa over at Kidani Village, a few minutes' away) and beautiful views out of every window (our room was only a standard view, but almost all the halls and common areas seemed to have huge picture windows with savanna views) bested those of any Disney resort we've ever stayed in.

If you can stomach the idea of two people sleeping on a foldout (or just have a couple of family members who are the "I can sleep anywhere" type), I'd give AKL (Jambo or Kidani, whichever has the style that appeals to you more) some serious thought. Granted, I've never stayed at OKW, so I can't give you an apples-to-apples comparison, but I can say that our family of four loved AKL far more than we even expected.
 
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plutofan15

Well-Known Member
kimberlymautz said:
Hello,

Looking for some suggestions. We have the opportunity to stay at either AKL or OKW, but I'm unsure which resort is the best option. For reference, we'll be traveling as 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6 and 12 at the time of our trip).

Animal Kingdom Lodge would be a studio room and it appears that their studios are one queen bed and then a pull out sofa bed.
Old Key West would be a standard room which would have two queens.

It's SLIGHTLY more expensive to stay at OKW, but I'm thinking it might be worth it with for the extra actual bed instead of tossing the kiddos on the sleeper sofa. We've never stayed at AKL though and my last stay at OKW was in 2010 with a friend and her family so my boyfriend and our kids have never been to either.

Just from my quick Googling, it appears that AKL has more for the kids (splash pad, playgrounds, multiple water slides and different pools, etc), but I'm just not sure what to do.

Any suggestions?
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My vote between these two resorts would be OKW. You can't go wrong with either, our entire family stayed at OKW for a week this past August and we had a great time. The rooms are great and very comfortable. There is plenty to do. In addition to the main pool with the water slide, there are three quite pools in other parts of the resort. There is also campfires and movies at night along with activities at the community hall. The dining choices are limited but we enjoyed the breakfast and lunch meals we ate at Olivia's. The boat ride to Disney Springs is very enjoyable and opens up a ton of dining options along with shopping.
My wife and son stayed at AKL over MLK weekend and enjoyed that as well. They enjoyed seeing the animals from the room but it was too cold that weekend to use the pool. There are plenty of dining choices but might be lost on younger kids. For other dining choices it would be a bit difficult to get to other places if you do not have a car.
Our kids favorite place to stay when they were the age of yours was the cabins at Ft Wilderness. A ton of activities at the campground along with the two pools and playgrounds. Easy to get to Magic Kingdom by boat but can be time consuming by bus to the other parks. Renting a golf cart makes getting to the main bus stop easier and the kids would have a blast riding around the campground. The cabins are great with a full kitchen and living area with a separate bedroom with a queen size bed and bunk beds. The closed off bedroom was great when the kids crashed early, the wife and I could enjoy a drink or two while watching some TV or enjoying the deck outside. And with the cabins being stand alone, there was nobody above or below you and nobody on either side. Something to consider. Enjoy your trip.
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
kimberlymautz said:
Hello,

Looking for some suggestions. We have the opportunity to stay at either AKL or OKW, but I'm unsure which resort is the best option. For reference, we'll be traveling as 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6 and 12 at the time of our trip).

Animal Kingdom Lodge would be a studio room and it appears that their studios are one queen bed and then a pull out sofa bed.
Old Key West would be a standard room which would have two queens.

It's SLIGHTLY more expensive to stay at OKW, but I'm thinking it might be worth it with for the extra actual bed instead of tossing the kiddos on the sleeper sofa. We've never stayed at AKL though and my last stay at OKW was in 2010 with a friend and her family so my boyfriend and our kids have never been to either.

Just from my quick Googling, it appears that AKL has more for the kids (splash pad, playgrounds, multiple water slides and different pools, etc), but I'm just not sure what to do.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
I have stayed at both and my family would all pick AKL everything. You might even end up with an animal view from your balcony, but even if you don't plenty of viewing spots in the lodge and it will just blow you away with how cool it looks. Pool is better too.
 
Jambo Dad

Jambo Dad

Well-Known Member
Animal Kingdom Lodge is our favorite- a truly stunning experience. That said- it is more remote if you don’t use a car or Lyft. Perhaps the boat to the Springs at OKW is important to you to get to shopping and dining. OKW also has the largest rooms on property. The size of the resort and the extended bus loop at OKW is a challenge though.
 
tanc

tanc

Premium Member
OKW is really nice, the bus route within the resort is really bad though. I think Saratoga was pretty nice too, but it's more expensive than OKW but iirc the rooms are the same size and the bus situation is way better. The OKW bus route to the parks is very easy to navigate, but I would highly recommend getting a room near the hospitality if possible because it is a lot easier. I've never stayed at AKL though, but I've stayed at many resorts and OWK is by far the best I've ever been to value wise. The rooms were super spacious and always had excellent service. The boat to Disney Springs was also a big plus since it was easy to get there.
 
Doberge

Doberge

True Bayou Magic
Premium Member
It depends on the kind of vacation you want to take but in most situations I'd recommend AKL over OKW. OKW is super relaxing and the rooms are nicer albeit more typical than special.

I find the AKL distance "issue" super overrated. It's pretty quick and easy to get to HS and AK. EPCOT isn't much more and MK isn't terrible. Busses run pretty consistently. I busses to/from Riviera and AK today and thought it was painless. The AKL drives to EPCOT and HS are likely even better that my drives today.

I'd only consider OKW if space is a priority. The rooms are huge. Otherwise, AKL has better food, pool, splash pad, and resort activities. Both have family rec rooms but I prefer the one at AKL.
 
kimberlymautz

kimberlymautz

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
NelleBelle said:
Both are great. Maybe talk to your kids? My boys at that age would totally have preferred the animals and both of mine loved the pool when we were there. If all else fails, go with price? 🤷‍♀️ Sometimes that's what I have to do to make my ultimate decision.
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My 5 year old could care less - He just wants to go to Disney. Hahaha. We were trying to surprise my daughter though because we've only ever gone and stayed at value resorts. I might give vague statements though and see which she'd prefer.

Doberge said:
It depends on the kind of vacation you want to take but in most situations I'd recommend AKL over OKW. OKW is super relaxing and the rooms are nicer albeit more typical than special.

I find the AKL distance "issue" super overrated. It's pretty quick and easy to get to HS and AK. EPCOT isn't much more and MK isn't terrible. Busses run pretty consistently. I busses to/from Riviera and AK today and thought it was painless. The AKL drives to EPCOT and HS are likely even better that my drives today.

I'd only consider OKW if space is a priority. The rooms are huge. Otherwise, AKL has better food, pool, splash pad, and resort activities. Both have family rec rooms but I prefer the one at AKL.
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The distance doesn't really bother me too much either way. My boyfriend definitely prefers the relaxation and space of OKW, while I usually pick value resorts because I don't care too much as long as I have somewhere to sleep. Hahaha. I do think the kid's would really love AKL though, but throwing them on a sleeper sofa might negate the other benefits. Haha. I think I'm going to talk to my daughter and let her pick.
 
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plutofan15

Well-Known Member
kimberlymautz said:
My 5 year old could care less - He just wants to go to Disney. Hahaha. We were trying to surprise my daughter though because we've only ever gone and stayed at value resorts. I might give vague statements though and see which she'd prefer.


The distance doesn't really bother me too much either way. My boyfriend definitely prefers the relaxation and space of OKW, while I usually pick value resorts because I don't care too much as long as I have somewhere to sleep. Hahaha. I do think the kid's would really love AKL though, but throwing them on a sleeper sofa might negate the other benefits. Haha. I think I'm going to talk to my daughter and let her pick.
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How long are you staying? To be honest, after a few days the excitement of seeing animals outside your room at AKL starts to fade. Don't get me wrong, it is still very cool but by the last few days of a week long trip it is "Oh look the giraffes and zebras are outside eating." You can always visit AKL and check out the savannah views from the common areas. I always go for comfort especially with kids.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
kimberlymautz said:
Hello,

Looking for some suggestions. We have the opportunity to stay at either AKL or OKW, but I'm unsure which resort is the best option. For reference, we'll be traveling as 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 6 and 12 at the time of our trip).

Animal Kingdom Lodge would be a studio room and it appears that their studios are one queen bed and then a pull out sofa bed.
Old Key West would be a standard room which would have two queens.

It's SLIGHTLY more expensive to stay at OKW, but I'm thinking it might be worth it with for the extra actual bed instead of tossing the kiddos on the sleeper sofa. We've never stayed at AKL though and my last stay at OKW was in 2010 with a friend and her family so my boyfriend and our kids have never been to either.

Just from my quick Googling, it appears that AKL has more for the kids (splash pad, playgrounds, multiple water slides and different pools, etc), but I'm just not sure what to do.

Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Sorry if this was mentioned elsewhere, but is there a reason why you're only considering a Studio at Animal Kingdom and not a standard room?
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Doberge said:
I find the AKL distance "issue" super overrated. It's pretty quick and easy to get to HS and AK. EPCOT isn't much more and MK isn't terrible. Busses run pretty consistently. I busses to/from Riviera and AK today and thought it was painless. The AKL drives to EPCOT and HS are likely even better that my drives today.
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Agree completely. Animal Kingdom Lodge is far from things as the crow flies, but it's not a lot of twists and turns. It's just one left turn.
 
Club Cooloholic

Club Cooloholic

Well-Known Member
kimberlymautz said:
My 5 year old could care less - He just wants to go to Disney. Hahaha. We were trying to surprise my daughter though because we've only ever gone and stayed at value resorts. I might give vague statements though and see which she'd prefer.


The distance doesn't really bother me too much either way. My boyfriend definitely prefers the relaxation and space of OKW, while I usually pick value resorts because I don't care too much as long as I have somewhere to sleep. Hahaha. I do think the kid's would really love AKL though, but throwing them on a sleeper sofa might negate the other benefits. Haha. I think I'm going to talk to my daughter and let her pick.
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They won't mind that sleeper. The problem is that once you do something like AKL, it's hard to downgrade in future trips! If you book the cheapest room there, ask for an a view when you check in, usually they have accomodated us with that.
 
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Calmdownnow

Well-Known Member
A big vote for AKL (if you can get Jambo House.) Reasoning: everything under one roof. Nobody has mentioned weather conditions yet in the thread and depending on when you are travelling, the rain in Orlando can be heavy, hours long and daily. At AKL Jambo you are protected from the weather when you are going to eat (2 TS and 1 CS, plus a store selling groceries all under one roof). There is plenty of indoor kids' entertainment (story-telling, drumming lessons, community hall, animal watching, brass rubbing, etc). For the CS option at OKW you have to head over to the Hospitality House and, if the weather is bad, eat in the car or eat cold food back in the room because Goods To Go is just a fast food counter and the eating area is outdoor picnic tables.
 
kimberlymautz

kimberlymautz

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Club Cooloholic said:
They won't mind that sleeper. The problem is that once you do something like AKL, it's hard to downgrade in future trips! If you book the cheapest room there, ask for an a view when you check in, usually they have accomodated us with that.
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I was also considering tossing a twin air mattress in my luggage (or ordering a cheap on with our grocery delivery) just incase. Both kids are KICKERS and I'm not sure they'd survive the whole week. Haha. We've also considered staying off site, but it's harder to justify even though we'd have a ton more space.
We usually stay value because a) I want to save money and b) We don't normally spend a ton of time in the room/ at the resort. Because we're planning a slightly longer trip then normal though I figured why not splurge if we can. 🤷‍♀️
Calmdownnow said:
A big vote for AKL (if you can get Jambo House.) Reasoning: everything under one roof. Nobody has mentioned weather conditions yet in the thread and depending on when you are travelling, the rain in Orlando can be heavy, hours long and daily. At AKL Jambo you are protected from the weather when you are going to eat (2 TS and 1 CS, plus a store selling groceries all under one roof). There is plenty of indoor kids' entertainment (story-telling, drumming lessons, community hall, animal watching, brass rubbing, etc). For the CS option at OKW you have to head over to the Hospitality House and, if the weather is bad, eat in the car or eat cold food back in the room because Goods To Go is just a fast food counter and the eating area is outdoor picnic tables.
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I didn't even realize that! That's definitely a perk. While I don't mind the rain (Our last big trip was in May and it POURED ALL WEEK), knowing we could at least be dry while at the resort would be a nice perk. Hahaha.
 
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Eric Graham

Well-Known Member
I enjoy Animal Kingdom Lodge a lot. The people are very friendly who work there and are very outgoing about the animals, etc. We also have really enjoyed the buffet, Boma. It is very delicious. The only problem that I have with this resort is the distance from the parks. We really enjoy the Beach Club/Yacht Club because of the walking distance to Epcot/Hollywood Studios. Their wonderful steak house the Yachts Man is also very good. And, they also have a magnificient pool.
 

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