HELP! AKL Kidani 2 Bedroom OR 2 Cars Suites at AOA?

[mrsrogers922]

We're very experienced Disney travelers, but just want some other opinions in the mix. We have 4 adults, a 7-year-old and a baby. Would you stay in a 2 bedroom savannah view villa at Kidani Village or 2 suites at Art of Animation? We're having a hard time saying no to the Skyliner access at Art of Animation, especially with a baby. It would be so easy to come back from HS or EP for naps, roll the stroller right on, etc. We like the idea of the atmosphere at Animal Kingdom Lodge though, but thinking about buses or driving everywhere feels like a pain.

Art of Animation Pros:
- Cool theming for the 7-year-old
- Skyliner access
- Space (but we're in 2 suites that can't connect... which could be good or bad - ha!)

Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Pros:
- Atmosphere/Animal View/Balcony
- Water Slide at the pool
- Space (and we're all together)
- Washer/Dryer

I know the AKL Kidani Pros list is longer, but the Skyliner just really holds a lot of weight... understandably, right? Ha! We have visited both resorts for dining and exploring, but never stayed at either.

What are your thoughts??? What would you do?

 

[MICKIMINI]

AKV all the way! AKV owner, DVC since 1996. This the most unique resort experience ever - just sayin'! Have fun!

 

[Best Aunt]

The Skyliner can go down due to bad weather, and when it does, my understanding is that it's a pain in the neck to figure out what to do. I am not speaking from experience.

A 2-bedroom at Kidani will have 3 bathrooms. Not sure how many bathrooms you would get with 2 AOA suites.

Are you planning to eat at the hotel's restaurants? If so, make sure you look at the menus.

I think AOA suites have kitchenettes; a 2-bedroom at Kidani would have a full kitchen, if that makes a difference.

 

[sponica]

For me, washer and dryer in the room would be nice with a baby. Mine younger one was a spit up comet and oh boy I probably would have had to pack 6 outfits a day if there wasn't a washer/dryer readily available.

 

[Marthasor]

We're very experienced Disney travelers, but just want some other opinions in the mix. We have 4 adults, a 7-year-old and a baby. Would you stay in a 2 bedroom savannah view villa at Kidani Village or 2 suites at Art of Animation? We're having a hard time saying no to the Skyliner access at Art of Animation, especially with a baby. It would be so easy to come back from HS or EP for naps, roll the stroller right on, etc. We like the idea of the atmosphere at Animal Kingdom Lodge though, but thinking about buses or driving everywhere feels like a pain.

Art of Animation Pros:
- Cool theming for the 7-year-old
- Skyliner access
- Space (but we're in 2 suites that can't connect... which could be good or bad - ha!)

Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Pros:
- Atmosphere/Animal View/Balcony
- Water Slide at the pool
- Space (and we're all together)
- Washer/Dryer

I know the AKL Kidani Pros list is longer, but the Skyliner just really holds a lot of weight... understandably, right? Ha! We have visited both resorts for dining and exploring, but never stayed at either.

What are your thoughts??? What would you do?

Are these your only options? If so, I would choose Kidani. I stayed at AoA with a 5-year old the first year it opened (prior to Skyliner) - it was SO loud and the food court was a crowded nightmare.

Have you considered just booking two rooms at YC/BC or BWV? Or a 1-bedroom plus a studio at BWV or BCV? That would get you even closer to EP and DHS and in a nicer hotel than AoA.

 

[HopperFan]

The Skyliner can go down due to bad weather, and when it does, my understanding is that it's a pain in the neck to figure out what to do. I am not speaking from experience.

A 2-bedroom at Kidani will have 3 bathrooms. Not sure how many bathrooms you would get with 2 AOA suites.

Are you planning to eat at the hotel's restaurants? If so, make sure you look at the menus.

I think AOA suites have kitchenettes; a 2-bedroom at Kidani would have a full kitchen, if that makes a difference.

Just an FYI each AoA suite has 2 full bathrooms. One off the bedroom and one off the living space.

 

[glocon]

Personally I’d pick AKL over AoA any day.
We’ve never stayed at AoA but LOVED AKL.

Yes it’s just buses for transportation but if the skyliner goes down for any reason that’s what you’d have at AoA as well.

And the 7 yo would have so much to look at there at AKL between the multiple savannahs, the night vision viewing and all the stuff in the lodge. It’s such an amazing, beautiful resort.

A washer/dryer can help save on packing. You can pack less and just do a load when you need fresh clothes.

A full kitchen sounds nice to have, especially with kids. More room to store snacks and food. With a full kitchen you’d have a refrigerator with a freezer so you could freeze water bottles to bring to the parks and have cold water always available for less than buying it at the parks.

Just a more deluxe kind of experience at AKL.

Either way though, it will be a trip making special memories and that’s what’s important. Have fun!

 

[hotblooded]

Fully from a practical standpoint, AoA. I've stayed at both, and after so many Disney trips, I prefer the convenience of Pop/AoA over almost anything on property (although if your budget is that high, may as well do two standard rooms in the Boardwalk area resorts).

 

[holden]

Kidani - an extra bathroom and laundry is priceless.

 

[mrsrogers922]

Fully from a practical standpoint, AoA. I've stayed at both, and after so many Disney trips, I prefer the convenience of Pop/AoA over almost anything on property (although if your budget is that high, may as well do two standard rooms in the Boardwalk area resorts).

See, that’s what we are thinking. My husband really hates to fold up the stroller getting on/off the bus, so eliminating 2 parks from that is a stress reliever for him. Obviously if the Skyliner is down that’s a real bummer, but hopefully not an issue that would affect the whole vacation.

Also, we weren’t considering standard rooms because we’d like the extra space AND some type of kitchenette/kitchen which both AOA and villas provide.

Truly, our fav resort lately has been Caribbean Beach for the pricepoint, pool, and Skyliner access, but again, trying to have extra space (and separated) for baby to sleep and older kiddo to be able to play freely so thats how we landed on AKL Kidani or AOA.