WL Standard vs AoA Suite

[cgattis]

Wow, I'm surprised to see all the responses, so I'm chiming in.....I would say give AoA a try!! We've stayed AoA twice and WL once. My DH declares AoA the best place we've ever stayed (and that includes Poly, Kidani, Beach Club, and Dolphin)!

We LOVED the feel of WL in November--so beautiful and cozy. Such pretty places to wander, and we love the boat to the parks. But the rooms are quite tight and both my kids (15&13 then) said the bunks were hard.

AOA has such awesome theming and the rooms really can't be beat. No, you don't have a balcony, but three separate sleeping areas, two full bathrooms, and a kitchenette are amazing. Walking around is still really fun, and with several non-park days, you could hang out in a different pool/area every day! There are also many more quick food options than at WL, so everyone can have their own choice.

With such a long stay, I would 100% split and stay some at both, making sure to sprinkle out some park and some non-park days each place.

 

[fab1976]

The bunk beds at WL are the same size as the non bunk bed rooms, but because they are the footprint of a single bed they feel bigger than a room with two queen size beds. I do recommend on of those. We have stayed at both AOA and WL, definitely prefer WL. Everyone above covered the benefits of it very well!

 

[soccermom54]

You can't go wrong with Wilderness Lodge. The theme of the resort is amazing, good food and great location to enjoy all of WDW. Have a wonderful trip!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Questions for those who have stayed at WL: Are the patios off of the ground floor rooms nice? Can you avoid having to walk back through the lobby to get to the pool or other outdoor areas if you have a ground floor walk-out patio? Also, is a bunk room at WL comfortable? I like the idea of both kids having their own bed. Any specific resort room suggestions?

There is a lot of information about the Wilderness Lodge, including pictures, on the Wilderness Lodge facts thread. The ground floor standard view rooms have a very small patio which is partially blocked by the huge stone columns that support the building. I would request a higher floor to increase your chances of having a view of the MK fireworks. The courtyard view rooms, on the other hand, have a nice, open patio that face the pool. You'll find that the resort is very compact and you won't have to worry too much about the distance from the lobby to the pool.

The bunk bed rooms are just as nice as the rooms with two queens. Our grandson slept in one of the bunk beds and he loved it. You'll get a little more floor space with a bunk bed room,

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...villas-and-cabins-information-thread.3372315/

 

[EeyoreME]

BTW..you could easily do what I did. I booked a day at AOA just to see what it was like (gave the Landscape of Flavors food court a try and the pool) then stayed the rest of our vacation at WL.

I actually did my reservation backward ( I booked WL for June & decided to add a day to the beginning of our vacation so I did a 1 night booking at AOA lion king family suite)

They move your luggage from hotel to hotel so it is no big deal to switch hotels.

We were going to go straight to the park but I got the text my WL room was ready at 9 a.m. so we did it ourselves.

We are doing that too! Except we had a 4 night stay pixie dusted to us at any value so we are doing a 4 night at AOA little mermaid room & then switching to Wilderness Lodge Resort for another 4 nights!

As for the poster- with the ages and the prices... i'd chose WL. I've stayed at AOA Suites and it can be chaotic.

 

[Cajun23]

If room size is important then AoA is quite a bit larger (565 sq feet) and you have 2 full bathrooms so baths/showers go quicker. Resort is a bit chaotic and noisy but it is a value targeted for family's and kids. Only a QS option for food.

WL seems quieter and nicer but the rooms are smaller (344 sq feet) and 1 bathroom. More food options with TS, QS and Geyser point.

I am between CR, WL, AoA, & POFQ all for different reasons for out 2019 trip.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

THIS was huge for us, being able to cruise around in the resort during the afternoon showers. Finding the little nooks. It was our first time to do Hidden Mickeys and the kids had fun with that. I don't know if they still do it but we loved the ladybug release.

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disney-resorts/wilderness-lodge/#recreation

Check this unofficial website for info ...

http://www.wildernesslodgesite.com/

Thank you for the resources! A ladybug release sounds like fun! I can’t wait to see what WL has to offer!

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

We are doing that too! Except we had a 4 night stay pixie dusted to us at any value so we are doing a 4 night at AOA little mermaid room & then switching to Wilderness Lodge Resort for another 4 nights!

As for the poster- with the ages and the prices... i'd chose WL. I've stayed at AOA Suites and it can be chaotic.

How special that you guys get to experience both! We chose WL, and will be staying ten days in early September. We may add on a couple of extra days at another resort, possibly AoA or POR, at the beginning of the trip. Have to wait and see if we have any wiggle room in the budget.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

If room size is important then AoA is quite a bit larger (565 sq feet) and you have 2 full bathrooms so baths/showers go quicker. Resort is a bit chaotic and noisy but it is a value targeted for family's and kids. Only a QS option for food.

WL seems quieter and nicer but the rooms are smaller (344 sq feet) and 1 bathroom. More food options with TS, QS and Geyser point.

I am between CR, WL, AoA, & POFQ all for different reasons for out 2019 trip.

We booked WL for ten days in September. Although the rooms are smaller, I think we will have enough to do outside of the room to make up for it. It sounds like you still have a lot of narrowing down to do with your 2019 trip. If CR is an option, I would choose it over the others! The proximity to MK is nice, and the food options are great. Plus, being on the monorail, you can go eat at the Poly or GF! Good luck on making your decision, and thank you for weighing on on my own decision-making!

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

Wow, I'm surprised to see all the responses, so I'm chiming in.....I would say give AoA a try!! We've stayed AoA twice and WL once. My DH declares AoA the best place we've ever stayed (and that includes Poly, Kidani, Beach Club, and Dolphin)!

We LOVED the feel of WL in November--so beautiful and cozy. Such pretty places to wander, and we love the boat to the parks. But the rooms are quite tight and both my kids (15&13 then) said the bunks were hard.

AOA has such awesome theming and the rooms really can't be beat. No, you don't have a balcony, but three separate sleeping areas, two full bathrooms, and a kitchenette are amazing. Walking around is still really fun, and with several non-park days, you could hang out in a different pool/area every day! There are also many more quick food options than at WL, so everyone can have their own choice.

With such a long stay, I would 100% split and stay some at both, making sure to sprinkle out some park and some non-park days each place.

Thank you for weighing in! We decided on WL, but are considering adding extra days at another resort at the beginning of our trip, if budget allows.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

The bunk beds at WL are the same size as the non bunk bed rooms, but because they are the footprint of a single bed they feel bigger than a room with two queen size beds. I do recommend on of those. We have stayed at both AOA and WL, definitely prefer WL. Everyone above covered the benefits of it very well!

There were no bunk rooms available for our dates when I booked. I will make a request for a bunk room prior to check-in...you never know, something may open up by that time. Thank you for sharing your experience, especially about how the bunks allow for extra floor space.

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

You can't go wrong with Wilderness Lodge. The theme of the resort is amazing, good food and great location to enjoy all of WDW. Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you! We booked WL for September, and CAN NOT wait! This will be our first Disney trip and we are beyond excited!

 

[DisneyDoesMyHair]

There is a lot of information about the Wilderness Lodge, including pictures, on the Wilderness Lodge facts thread. The ground floor standard view rooms have a very small patio which is partially blocked by the huge stone columns that support the building. I would request a higher floor to increase your chances of having a view of the MK fireworks. The courtyard view rooms, on the other hand, have a nice, open patio that face the pool. You'll find that the resort is very compact and you won't have to worry too much about the distance from the lobby to the pool.

The bunk bed rooms are just as nice as the rooms with two queens. Our grandson slept in one of the bunk beds and he loved it. You'll get a little more floor space with a bunk bed room,

https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...villas-and-cabins-information-thread.3372315/

It’s so great to hear from someone who has stayed at WL in a bunk room. Unfortunately, there were no bunk rooms available when we booked, and the fireworks nature view category was also booked. So, we booked a nature view room, and are hoping something with bunk beds and/or a view of the fireworks may open by the time we check in.

 

[Wood Nymph]

It’s so great to hear from someone who has stayed at WL in a bunk room. Unfortunately, there were no bunk rooms available when we booked, and the fireworks nature view category was also booked. So, we booked a nature view room, and are hoping something with bunk beds and/or a view of the fireworks may open by the time we check in.

You could add a request for a bunkbed to your reservation by calling resort reservations. I know that they have bunkbeds scattered through the resort. There used to e a booking category for woods view bunkbeds. So I'm pretty sure that the bunkbeds are still there.