Animal Kingdom Lodge vs Pop Century, with toddlers!

No comparison between the two! My DGD wanted to move in to AKL after our stay. If you have youngsters and for any reason they are not thrilled with the parks, the characters, or any of the other aspects of a Disney vacation that we all have pictured in our minds, AKL is the perfect place to be. You will have a vacation situated right within your resort.

WE planned AKL on our first trip with our little DGD for that reason. We had no idea how she would actually react, overwhelmed, overstimulated, or afraid. My DD and my DH were both afraid I had placed an extraordinary burden of responsibility on the tiny shoulders of a 4 year old child, and voiced concerns. DH had heard stories from coworkers whose kids were pretty much miserable anywhere else but the pool, so he wanted to be sure we had a back up plan JIC> (those people never went back) so we booked AKL. Turns out DGD was a trooper and could have worn teh rest of us out, but we had a cool and exotic place for all of us to relax, and to decompress from the hectic pace the parks offer. I really think it made a difference for us.

I also found the bus service to be fine. No matter where you say, there will be a park that is close by and one not so much
 
We repeatedly have had lousy bus service when trying to get to MK after dinner at AKL. This is when we've stayed at other resorts and need to get back to our resort. MK is the only park open late so we have to transfer there or at Downtown Disney. Every time after 9pm, the wait for a bus to MK has taken 30-45 minutes. A few times after 45 minutes we gave up and took Uber. Any other times during the day buses from AKL are fine.

It makes sense that Disney wouldn't run frequent bus service to MK park in the late evenings when there is not a lot of demand for a trip in that direction. This is no different from any transit system anywhere in the world.
 
Last edited:
The pools at AKV will be nicer than the pools at Pop with water play areas for the kids, plus a slide. Hopefully, you are not attempting to squeeze all of you into a one bedroom at AKV. You won't fit in a studio with five plus one under the age of three. Studios at AKV only sleep four plus one under the age of three. The one bedroom will sleep five plus one, but it will not be comfortable for a group that size. I kind of find it hard to believe that a two bedroom villa will be less than two rooms at Pop Century.
 
Planning a summer trip for 2019! My parents (late 60s), Husband and I (early 30s), and the kids (3 year old, and 4.5 year old).

Going through a DVC rental, AKL is $75 cheaper than Pop.

We're relying on bus fair, which I hear at AKL isn't very good. We will be visiting all 4 parks over 4 days (1 day per park) and will be going back to the hotel midday for a 3-4 hour break/nap.

Is AKL too far for naps? Would Pop Century be better?
Bus transportation anywhere in Disney is cumbersome. Getting back to AKV for naps would only be convenient for your AK day. The others will take considerable time, both waiting for a bus (which could take upwards of 30 minutes) and then transportation time back to the resort (about 20 minutes from MK to AKL). Having said that, POP would not be much better and AKV is a step or two above POP as far as pool, rooms and dining.

But I agree with Deb&Bill on this one. I don't know how you are finding a 2-bedroom villa at AKV for less than 2 POP rooms. Please don't rely on getting any of the "value" views. They are limited in numbers and they are extremely hard to book even for owners who are attempting to get one for themselves right at 11 months.
 


In our experience AKL bus service is no better or worse than anywhere else on site.



Nope. That would be like asking if they Poly or Contemporary are too far for naps...


I have not read through the rest of the thread, but I would like to second this! AKL is far from MK, but the rest of property is basically as close or as far as any other resort!

I highly recommend AKL to most everyone!
 
I won't repeat what everyone has said, but the AKL playground and pool are our favorite!! My small children love it at AKL. The busses don't even factor into our decision to stay there because we have never had an issue.
 
Pop Century is near and dear to my heart, but that's because of my budget. :rotfl:

If you have the opportunity to stay at AKL, especially with it being cheaper than Pop using your DVC points, stay at AKL!!!

As much as I love Pop, you're comparing a deluxe resort to a value resort.
 


Another vote for AKL. We took my DD when she was almost 3 and she loved it. We didn't make it over to Kidani's pool but she loved seeing the animals and even loved the food. BOMA is now a staple of all of our trips.
 
Planning a summer trip for 2019! My parents (late 60s), Husband and I (early 30s), and the kids (3 year old, and 4.5 year old).

Going through a DVC rental, AKL is $75 cheaper than Pop.

We're relying on bus fair, which I hear at AKL isn't very good. We will be visiting all 4 parks over 4 days (1 day per park) and will be going back to the hotel midday for a 3-4 hour break/nap.

Is AKL too far for naps? Would Pop Century be better?
one thing to remember with AKL and kids yours ages no balloons are allowed in the rooms because of animals. so no tying balloon to stroller to find it unless you plan to leave it with I think Bell Service not sure how your kids would take that but know mine would have freaked out and threw a fit. just aheads up not a trip breaker but just be aware
 
I'm with everyone else and voting for AKL.

Pop is fine, but if you can get a deluxe resort for cheaper I would definitely go for that.

AKL is beautiful, which I think the adults will appreciate. The pools are wonderful, which both children and adults will enjoy. There are lots of places for relaxing, you can visit the animals without having to wait in line for the safari at the park, they have marshmallow roasts, nice lounges and restaurants, a unique and conveniently located food court (if you're at Jambo), a nice gift shop, covered bus stops that protect you from the elements, the bus stops aren't a far hike from the rooms, the rooms are all on the inside, there are balconies. . . really, I could go on and on and on about this resort. I think everyone in your party will enjoy AKL much more than Pop. It is just awesome.
 
With the age of your little ones I would say AKL all the way. They will probably be fascinated by the animals everywhere and those restaurants in AKL. Can't be beat.
 
AKL for sure. One of my favorite memories from our last trip was when my 3 year old woke up from a nap very upset. I couldn't get her to stop crying. So I took her to a balcony and we just sat and watched the animals for over 30 minutes. It was so peaceful and sweet. She is now five and remembers it and still talks about watching the animals with mommy after her nap.
 
I've never been to Pop but AKL is perfect for those ages. You have to go on a bus either way, both resorts are "out there," I would not make my decision based on that alone.
Mostly everything at WDW is reasonably close to everything else. The "out there" park is Magic Kingdom.
Hopefully, you are not attempting to squeeze all of you into a one bedroom at AKV. You won't fit in a studio with five plus one under the age of three
Nobody under three. The children will be 4.5 and three. Six 'counted' room occupants total. They need either one two-,bedroom (which it seems like they're planning) or two studios.
The others will take considerable time, both waiting for a bus (which could take upwards of 30 minutes) and then transportation time back to the resort (about 20 minutes from MK to AKL). Having said that, POP would not be much better and AKV is a step or two above POP as far as pool, rooms and dining.
Or, buses could take one minute. Completely depends on when the OP's party arrives at the bus stop each time. Plus, based on the distance between ALL and the various parks, only MK should take as long as 20 minutes. AKL should be about five minutes, and Epcot/DHS 10-12.
 
Planning a summer trip for 2019! My parents (late 60s), Husband and I (early 30s), and the kids (3 year old, and 4.5 year old).

Going through a DVC rental, AKL is $75 cheaper than Pop.

We're relying on bus fair, which I hear at AKL isn't very good. We will be visiting all 4 parks over 4 days (1 day per park) and will be going back to the hotel midday for a 3-4 hour break/nap.

Is AKL too far for naps? Would Pop Century be better?

Can I ask how AKL is cheaper? With a group of 6 you need two rooms or a 2 br villa correct? We have a family of 6 and we’d love AKL.

Are you renting directly from an owner?
 
I apologize for not reading all the responses in this thread so it might have been stated. IMO, POP can't even be compared to AKL. AKL is a deluxe and it feels like a deluxe resort. We bought DVC points there after staying there for one night.

Having said that, I don't know when your trip is but I heard the Jambo pool will be closed this fall, into the winter. Kidani pool will be open and that is a really nice pool and splash area for toddlers. You can take the van back and forth - it's only a couple of minutes to drive but the walk is long.
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top