AKL worth it?

[gottalovepluto]

Do you see yourself going back out to FL anytime soon? If not I’d splurge on your dream resort.

 

[Kelwel]

Do you see yourself going back out to FL anytime soon? If not I’d splurge on your dream resort.

No, definitely not. We plan to go to Universal Orlando in 3 yrs for his birthday, but other than that no. We will stick with Disneyland since it is closer. This is just a special trip, mainly for my son.

 

[gottalovepluto]

No, definitely not. We plan to go to Universal Orlando in 3 yrs for his birthday, but other than that no. We will stick with Disneyland since it is closer. This is just a special trip, mainly for my son.

AKL. There is just nothing else like it. It’s not my preference at WDW admittedly as it’s far away from other parks but it is beautiful, vibes of GCH but with African safari influence instead of Arts & Crafts.

If you’d rather keep the $700 for later POFQ will get the job done. However- it is a Motel. It is not a Hotel- outdoor hallways, hearing the toilets flush in the rooms around you. (Not to be a downer on POFQ as many love it but that’s what I wish I’d understood before I stayed there.)

 

[auralia]

We are Dvc members and have stayed almost everywhere. Only thing we don’t like about animal kingdom is how far from MK it is. It’s a good 20-30 minute bus ride depending on traffic. That said the extra magic hours for deluxe guests are amazing. We do more in those two hours than we do during a whole normal day sometimes. It is so nice at night, the weather is better, and almost every ride is a walk on. Also the 6pm virtual Que for guardians and tron is easier to get too. Between that and it being your dream resort I’d go AKL. With what you’re paying in flights and tickets live your dream!

 

[jvalic33]

I think AKL is worth every penny for a child that age.

When you see all the activities they have there for him...you may end up wanting to go back to the resort to do them, plus Boma is delicious for breakfast and you don't have to have a Savannah view room to really experience the animals. Just walking through the halls there are viewing spots.

He will never forget his Disney trip if his first stay in Florida is at AKL. It is beautiful and my kids and I have stayed there so many times and still love it just the same.

The parks have more than enough to keep you busy but AKL has a great pool as well and I think you might find he will want to relax a but more at a resort like AKL. Especially after your AK day, that one can be a quicker park and you can go back to the resort and collect the charms for the different activities.

 

[Kelwel]

AKL is without question our favorite resort anywhere, not just WDW. It's so unique, peaceful, and just an amazing resort with some of the best resort dining options on property. I recommend it all the time to people who ask. I think the conversation around long hallways and long bus rides can be a bit misleading. If you stay at Jambo house, the resort is a bit more compact than at Kidani (and since you don't mention DVC, you're probably talking Jambo). The bus ride to MK can be long. If you're planning more than one day at MK, it might be more of an issue. If you're doing all the parks, the overall bus rides are no better or worse than any other resort..... We had 2 boys who grew up on AKL stays, and the resort was an absolute favorite of theirs, waking up to the animals outside, the pool, and the activities.

All that being said, it doesn't sound like you would be utilizing the resort the same way we did (and still do, even though our boys are much older now!)! If you're going to be in the parks from morning until later in the evening, than I don't think I'd recommend spending the money. POFQ is a nice place, you can save the money, and spend it more on the parks and in the parks! Sounds like you'd have plenty of park time to not worry so much about the extra hours of the deluxe!

Great options, none bad! Hope you have a great time with your family!

How do you utilize the resort with your boys? I want to spend more time at the resort and take it a bit easier. The all day at the park is my experience with Disneyland. The hotels aren’t anything special to have resort time. I have no idea how long it will take us to get through each park at WDW considering there are less rides/entertainment at each park, we don’t plan to stay for fireworks (sensory issues), and snacks and counter service only. I hope that allows us to be at the resort sooner to utilize it more but I don’t know. I see one day itineraries and it seems like a whole day from open to close is needed for each park.
Thanks so much for your input. Maybe I just have information overload making it difficult to decide. Not to have a strict plan but to be well informed on the parks and the differences from what I am used to.

 

[Genie+]

Do you see yourself going back out to FL anytime soon? If not I’d splurge on your dream resort.

I tend to agree here. AKL is just gonna make the trip that much more exciting!

POR is a fine resort we’ve tried, it’s just not on the same level. $700 makes the decision a little tougher.

It comes down to what type of trip sounds better:

A) When our kids were younger, we ran the parks even on week long trips. Time goes quick and it was hard even finding 2 blocks of time to enjoy the resort. In this case I’d consider using that $700 to add upgrade experiences, like after hours, dessert party, Genie/ILL, light saber, ubers, etc.

2 people times a few days of G+/ILL is about $250. 1 light saber $250 (this experience will likely blow his mind at 8yo and you can join). $200 left to do something else - like a rhino or elephant tour and some ubers on late nights… I’d think about what else that $700 could buy us.

If you’re not doing much more than sleeping and going to/from busstop, paying extra $700 toward resort is really just ending up for several hours at slightly better pools (POR is pretty cool even if not as good as AKL). I’m just sayin’… if you don’t end up spending much time at the resort it might make less difference.

B) If you are very likely to spend a good chunk of time relaxing at the resort then it’s a much easier choice, spend the money for elevated experience. The room will be nicer, the resort will be nicer, the dining will be nicer, the pools will be nicer, the uniqueness will be nicer, the variety of things to do will be nicer. AKL will be more memorable than POR.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

How do you utilize the resort with your boys? I want to spend more time at the resort and take it a bit easier. The all day at the park is my experience with Disneyland. The hotels aren’t anything special to have resort time. I have no idea how long it will take us to get through each park at WDW considering there are less rides/entertainment at each park, we don’t plan to stay for fireworks (sensory issues), and snacks and counter service only. I hope that allows us to be at the resort sooner to utilize it more but I don’t know. I see one day itineraries and it seems like a whole day from open to close is needed for each park.
Thanks so much for your input. Maybe I just have information overload making it difficult to decide. Not to have a strict plan but to be well informed on the parks and the differences from what I am used to.

Information overload is quite common! At the resort? Pools (you'll have access to the pools at both Jambo House and Kidani), afternoon pool party at the pools, playgrounds, animal watching from numerous spots, interactions with the cast members at the resort from Africa, activities around the resort (which may or may not be different now) like crafts/evening movie. If you'd really like to try something unique, there's the starlight safari at the lodge (nighttime safari through the resort savannas at night with night-viewing equipment), but there's a cost! Sorry - might have just given you more overload!

 

[elvispursley]

As someone who grew up going to DLR, WDW is a totally different beast! I've been many times over the years, with and without my boys, and I still haven't seen everything! I think you and your son need to look at the "must-do" attractions for each park, build in some down-time back at whatever resort you choose, and know you will not see everything.

As for resorts, if it's this is a one-and-done WDW trip, I'd definitely spring for whatever resort you really want. We now stay pretty much deluxe-only as we want the extra evening hours as we cannot get up for early entry/rope drop (we fly in from Hawaii and the west coast and that time change is a killer for us). So we really like having the option of staying in a couple of the parks past closing time. We also now take afternoon breaks to either lounge by the pool or take a nap, so resorts for us are more important than when we took our kids when they were younger.

 

[Jacq7414]

Have you looked into WL? It’s very easy to get to MK from there. We always get the park hopper though and would go to MK every night. But it’s easy to hop to the monorail resorts from the WL

I do think the deluxe hours is worth it. We brought our daughter last year when she was 7 and we utilized them. We stayed at the boardwalk though, which we loved. So close to Epcot and HS. My daughter likes rides too but it was always nice to take a midday break and then switch parks at night. We’d usually go to Epcot or HS because of how close Boardwalk is to the two parks.

FQ is nice as well, but I’d probably try out AKL over that.

 

[Karebear]

How do you utilize the resort with your boys? I want to spend more time at the resort and take it a bit easier. The all day at the park is my experience with Disneyland. The hotels aren’t anything special to have resort time. I have no idea how long it will take us to get through each park at WDW considering there are less rides/entertainment at each park, we don’t plan to stay for fireworks (sensory issues), and snacks and counter service only. I hope that allows us to be at the resort sooner to utilize it more but I don’t know. I see one day itineraries and it seems like a whole day from open to close is needed for each park.
Thanks so much for your input. Maybe I just have information overload making it difficult to decide. Not to have a strict plan but to be well informed on the parks and the differences from what I am used to.

We live in CA and so we have been to DL a lot as well as to WDW. What we do is focus on rides/shows/experiences that WDW has and DL does not. We make a list and focus on that first. If we have time left over, then we might do a ride that is the same at both parks. We also tend to do a park in the morning, afternoon rest or swim at our hotel and then another park in the evening (we get park hoppers). AKL will give you the extra hours which is a nice bonus. I would vote for AKL (or WL too as someone else suggested).

 

[RanDIZ]

First off, why does there need to be so many resorts making the decision super difficult? I am traveling with my DS 8 yrs old to Disney world for the first time at the end of May. He is a thrill seeker and when we go to Disneyland we are at the parks from rope drop to close. It is easy there to do that since the resorts are nothing special and the parks are across from each other.
We will be at WDW for 7 nights and 7 days (get in late on arrival so I am not counting on anything that day but also leave late the last day). I want this trip to be more relaxing, meaning I want to also enjoy the attractions at the parks (kiddos, wilderness explorers, meet and greets) along with all the rides.
My dilemma is if AKL (standard view) is worth the extra $700 I would spend at my second choice POFQ? AKL is my dream resort and I love animals. My son likes them but again loves rides and the pool more.

I am not sure what to expect at the parks. Is each park an open to close park filled with activities for a first timer while using genie+ and lightning lanes? I don’t plan to get park hopper. Or will we be done early to enjoy the resort? Or do we stay at cheaper POFQ and use those evenings we might get done early to explore other things like the boardwalk, mini golf, etc.? length of transportation and hallways at AKL makes me hesitant. The EEH for Epcot and MK are a tempting perk of AKL. Or the money saved by staying at POFQ could be used towards after hours at HS. Too many choices!
I have read and watched so many videos. My son doesn’t have much of an opinion. He just wants a pool with a slide and to be happy. Nice but also not helpful. Any help would be appreciated.
Also split stay is not a great option considering the stay longer promotion which allows the cheaper rates (I looked and it was only $100 cheaper for the split stay).

I’m DVC at AKV so you already know my answer. Hands down the best restaurants on property. I always say you could pick AKV up and place it anywhere around the US and it’d be a top destination. Never had an issue with transportation. In fact we actually leave the parks to spend more resort time so we utilize the buses often. Kidani has a great slide too for your son.

 

[Kelwel]

Information overload is quite common! At the resort? Pools (you'll have access to the pools at both Jambo House and Kidani), afternoon pool party at the pools, playgrounds, animal watching from numerous spots, interactions with the cast members at the resort from Africa, activities around the resort (which may or may not be different now) like crafts/evening movie. If you'd really like to try something unique, there's the starlight safari at the lodge (nighttime safari through the resort savannas at night with night-viewing equipment), but there's a cost! Sorry - might have just given you more overload!

Thank you! Those are all the things I want to take part in. I just need to set the expectation with my son that it is not like Disneyland where we go from ride to ride constantly. My son is already excited about “movies under the stars”. I asked on the first night would you rather go to a park for a few hrs (before the airline changed my flight to later) or the movies. He chose the movies. So I hope once he sees the amenities he will be more willing to go back to the resort.

 

[Kelwel]

We live in CA and so we have been to DL a lot as well as to WDW. What we do is focus on rides/shows/experiences that WDW has and DL does not. We make a list and focus on that first. If we have time left over, then we might do a ride that is the same at both parks. We also tend to do a park in the morning, afternoon rest or swim at our hotel and then another park in the evening (we get park hoppers). AKL will give you the extra hours which is a nice bonus. I would vote for AKL (or WL too as someone else suggested).

This was my plan too. We went 6 months ago so I told my son we are emphasizing the things we don’t have at DL. That’s why I don’t think MK is that important to us to care about the distance or going back often bc we have about half the stuff already and can experience later. The exclusive WDW rides we won’t go on in a few years if we go back.

 

[Genie+]

This was my plan too. We went 6 months ago so I told my son we are emphasizing the things we don’t have at DL. That’s why I don’t think MK is that important to us to care about the distance or going back often bc we have about half the stuff already and can experience later. The exclusive WDW rides we won’t go on in a few years if we go back.

I think that’s a great plan. And since you will be spending time at the resort, AKL is totally worth the extra expense.

This Wednesday we are actually checking - 3 nights AKV-J for a short couple’s trip Can’t wait. Last time we stayed here was over 5 years ago. There’s so much to love about this resort. You and your son will have a great time!

 

[karen4546]

Four days at POFq and 3 at AKL possible?

I love PoFq because everything is less than 5 minutes away at the resort.

I love AKL - so much in fact that we bought DVC there in 1019 AND added on a few months later.

Truthfully though, you could just spend more days at AK and go to dinner at Boma or Sanaa and spend a few hours exploring both Kidani village and Jambo.

I have found a hidden gem at Grand Destino tower club level that I love when we use all our DVC points up. Not a deluxe but we love it

Also, if your son is a thrill seeker, sea world and Universal have more thrilling rides.

Tron, guardians - very tame when compared to some of the rides at Universal.

But my vote is a split stay.

 

[jvalic33]

Just to add a bit more detail. Regarding activities....and I hope they still do this, but when we were there they had charms or cute little animal type beads and you can collect all of them but only if you do all the activities. They are at all different times of day. One was you had to spot a certain number of animals with night vision goggles. Another was to be an archaeologist and identify different fossils.

The kids loved these activities and after we did a couple and they got their first beads, they just had to get the rest. Well we didn't do this activity until the middle of the trip and it got a little crazy trying to squeeze those in. We did it, but trust me there are lots of things to do for an 8yo and if you don't have to rush, they will be even more fun.

 

[Genie+]

I love AKL - so much in fact that we bought DVC there in 1019 AND added on a few months later.

Now that is a DVC worth buying! 1,038 years on contract

We love our DVC too. It really helps us get most out of WDW visits at a reasonable cost.

 

[Chuckers]

I have stayed at both. I did a 9 day AKL stay and a 6 day POFQ stay. Even if I have the money, I will never stay at AKL again. I did concierge level, so it should have been awesome. It was not. The room was very dark and had one outlet. This outlet was needed for 3 plugs. I had to get concierge to get me an extension cord. I had a savannah view and never saw any animals near my window.
The hotel is BIG and at the end of a long day walking the parks, I was exhausted trying to get to my room Also, with the exception of Animal Kingdom, it is the farthest hotel from ALL of the other parks. You will be on the bus for what feels like an hour
POFQ is da bomb. It's a small resort so walking back to your room at the end of the day isn't a chore. It's quaint, has one bus stop, and a nice pool/hot tub. It does NOT have a sit down resaurant, but that's okay since I eat most of my meals in the park.. it DOES have beignets!!! One of the only two places in the World you can get them. It also has a boat do Disney Springs which is really fun to take.

 

[gottalovepluto]

... It's quaint, has one bus stop, and a nice pool/hot tub.

That pool was so packed I couldn’t get 2 lounge chairs together when I went and you cannot see anything in pool area from the world’s most awkward hot tub*

*During my few days there every single afternoon people with luggage were waiting for their rooms by the hot tub. Thing was a dang magnet of a place for people with no room and no plans to soak in the FL sunshine