Animal Kingdom Lodge or Boardwalk?

[mickeyfan1]

Pros and cons please Animal Kingdom Lodge or Boardwalk? Will be staying in studio room.

 

[BrianV]

This all comes down to what is important to the OP.

Agreed. They didn't provide any guidelines. Just wanted pros and cons. They can make up their own minds.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Why are you offering an opinion if you never stayed at the Animal Kingdom Lodge?

Deciding to stay at the Boardwalk over the Animal Kingdom lodge is like deciding to buy a Minivan over a Mustang GT Convertible. Yeah, the Minivan is more practicable, and has more interior room, but with without a doubt, I would rather have the Mustang.

If you drive and do not rely on Disney transport, the distance to the Animal Kingdom is no worse getting back to your room from the Magic Kingdom then the Boardwalk. There is no monorail, transfer station, then long walk.

I have stayed at both multiple times, for what its worth, the Animal Kingdom is light years better.

I'm a DVC member at both Animal Kingdom Villas (AKV) and Boardwalk Villas (BWV) and also have stayed at both the DVCs and hotels multiple times.

It's unclear to me why you would stay at the Boardwalk "multiple times" if you believe Animal Kingdom Lodge is "light years better". Why would you stay at a hotel multiple times if you find it inferior?

I understand if you stayed at the Boardwalk multiple times prior to the opening of Animal Kingdom Lodge. I recall being wowed by my first stay at the Boardwalk, but also recall it feeling a bit tired by the time the Animal Kingdom Lodge opened a few years later. Part of the appeal of any hotel is its newness. People are more likely to be wowed by a hotel the first time they visit, rather than later visits when the hotel becomes familiar.

My opinion is that Animal Kingdom Lodge and Boardwalk Inn both have their pluses and minuses. AKL's location is a negative but, besides that, AKL might currently be WDW's best resort. For someone who intends to spend a lot of time at the hotel, Animal Kingdom Lodge probably is the better choice. I prefer Animal Kingdom Lodge's dining and pool over the Boardwalk Inn.

The Boardwalk Inn is within walking distance of 2 Disney theme parks, an important consideration late at night when everyone is crowding onto buses. Furthermore, the Crescent Lake area (surrounded by the Boardwalk, Yacht & Beach Club, Swan, and Dolphin) arguably is WDW's most lovely spot. The Boardwalk itself can be a lot of fun at night, especially after Epcot closes. For someone intending to spend evenings in the World Showcase, the location of the Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club, and Beach Club can't be beat.

My experience is that hotel theming strongly influences someone's opinion of a resort. If a particular theme is more appealing, that person likely will enjoy that hotel more.

One person's opinion of either resort does not invalidate another person's opinion.

 

[NelsonRD]

I'm a DVC member at both Animal Kingdom Villas (AKV) and Boardwalk Villas (BWV) and also have stayed at both the DVCs and hotels multiple times.

It's unclear to me why you would stay at the Boardwalk "multiple times" if you believe Animal Kingdom Lodge is "light years better". Why would you stay at a hotel multiple times if you find it inferior?

One person's opinion of either resort does not invalidate another person's opinion.

Why did I stay at the Boardwalk? One year we went for the Food and Wine only, so we choose a Hotel in that location. But to compare Boardwalk to Animal Kingdom is not the same comparison. I would compare Boardwalk to Beach Club etc.... But between the 2 just based on which hotel is better, it is a no brainer.

Besides, the Animal Kingdom location is not a negative for me, The seclusion is a positive.