Resort indecision- advice please!!

[Sparkle81]

Yep, we haven't even gone on our first trip to WDW with our boy yet, before planning another! Mainly because the free dining, ticket offer & Disney dollars are too good to pass up!

This year, we're staying in a 1 bed suite at SSR but we figured that next year, he'll probably be better at coping (calmer!) with being in the same room as us to sleep. We want to try something different but are having a hard job choosing. We want to go deluxe, but cheaper end (so ruling out GF, Poly, YC & BC) which leaves us really with OKW, AKL and WL (I'd love to try CR but fear that will be out of our price range too). We won't be taking a car, so will be relying completely on Disnet transportation. Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated. I can't decide and I'm getting in a spin haha!

 

[zurgandfriend]

Just my opinion but I would go with Wilderness Lodge. it's a great resort with a nice pool, good restaurants and off the beaten path yet close to the Magic Kingdom.

 

[real mad hatter]

Well spin in my direction..Vote for me and I'll choose the AKL for your next vacation..It is the cheapest deluxe by far, and you being Scottish and female must like a bargain or two..We have always stayed at mods, but my DS would love to stay at AKL for our final farewell trip..I liked the look of WL but AKL has 3 of the best restaurants on property..In fact it's only an extra £400 than PORS for 2014.. Fingers X..2015 will be about the same gap..

 

[deanaandrich]

Wilderness lodge gets my vote

 

[Brandon Bowman]

Old Key West is just as it sounds...old. AKL would be my recommendation, especially since it has much better shuttle service then most out of the Deluxe Category

 

[ToTBellHop]

Wilderness Lodge--the boat to the MK is mighty nice! If you particularly like animals, go with AKL, but I personally think WL has nicer grounds and is so peaceful. You can take a leisurely stroll to Fort Wilderness and I really love that you don't have to take a bus EVERYWHERE. AKL is also beautiful, though (same architect). It's a matter of taste b/t those two. Would you son get a kick out of seeing giraffes from the room? I know for myself we are thinking more toward age 2 or 3 to try AKL with our sons. AKL certainly isn't BY FAR the cheapest. Standard room at AKL on 1/2/14 is $319 vs. $325 at WL. If you prefer a savannah view room at AKL as many do, that's $409/night on 1/2/14--far more than the Woods view, Courtyard view, or bunkbed rooms at WL. Purely a matter of preference.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Wilderness Lodge -- it's the closest to the Magic Kingdom, which is the park a small child is most likely to want to visit most often. Heck, it's the park _I_ want to visit most often! There is a lot to do at the Lodge (beautiful pools, spa, health club, childcare center, surrey bikes, Electric Water Pageant, etc.) and at Fort Wilderness Campground, just a stroll or ferryboat away (pony rides, petting zoo, Chip-n-Dale's Campfire Singalong, and Hoop-de-Doo Revue).

AKL is beautiful and also fun for a child, especially with a savannah view, and if you don't mind having long bus rides to everywhere except the Animal Kingdom (still a bus ride, but short). OKW -- it's a matter of personal taste and I apologize to those who love it because I know it's consistent with the Key West theme, but to me it looks and feels like a tacky and depressing old folks' home. From 1984. I would not bring my child there unless my child was one of the Golden Girls.

 

[Sparkle81]

Wilderness Lodge -- it's the closest to the Magic Kingdom, which is the park a small child is most likely to want to visit most often. Heck, it's the park _I_ want to visit most often! There is a lot to do at the Lodge (beautiful pools, spa, health club, childcare center, surrey bikes, Electric Water Pageant, etc.) and at Fort Wilderness Campground, just a stroll or ferryboat away (pony rides, petting zoo, Chip-n-Dale's Campfire Singalong, and Hoop-de-Doo Revue).

AKL is beautiful and also fun for a child, especially with a savannah view, and if you don't mind having long bus rides to everywhere except the Animal Kingdom (still a bus ride, but short). OKW -- it's a matter of personal taste and I apologize to those who love it because I know it's consistent with the Key West theme, but to me it looks and feels like a tacky and depressing old folks' home. From 1984. I would not bring my child there unless my child was one of the Golden Girls.

That made me laugh! I love the Golden Girls, but maybe they should stay in the 80s

 

[Sparkle81]

Thanks for your help everyone!
I got prices on WL and AKL Savannah room, and one quote was quite a bit cheaper than the other.....so we're staying at Wilderness Lodge I actually wanted to stay there on this trip, but it was out of our price range. Somehow for next year's trip, it isn't! Really happy now

 

[luv]

They're all great, but AKL is far and away my favorite. Someone may say (or may have said - I didn't read the PPs) that it is "so far" from everything. It really isn't. That's just one of those things people say. It's like a minute from CSR and nobody says that about CSR, lol.

AKL is, IMO, the calmest and most peaceful of resorts. Such a nice, relaxing place to stay. Even with the smaller rooms, I'd rather stay there than anywhere else.

You really can't go wrong, though. Pick the one that is pulling you and you'll make the right choice!

 

[HouCuseChickie]

So torn...I preferred our stay at AKL over our stay at WL and I think the restaurant options between Jambo and Kidani are far superior. Animals also trump the wooded feel for us. My only real complaint was the transportation time from AKL- while it's not a massive difference, you do notice that it takes longer to get from pt a to pt b. However, I can't gripe too much about AKL driving time since our bus wait times during our stay at WL were the longest we've ever experienced when staying onsite. I know this isn't always the case, but it is one of the biggest negatives I remember from that WL stay. Still, if you don't do a lot of early morning stuff and can rely a lot on the boat...it may be a non-issue.

Flip a coin?