Swap from OKW to AKL?

[dixonsontour]

We have a reservation at OKW for October 2015 but i'm tempted to change to Animal Kingdom Lodge.

We like OKW and have stayed there 2010 and 2012.

Been quoted £220 more for a standard room (savannah view is over £1000 more so not an option sadly)

We've liked AKL when we have visited and like the dining options there.

I know rooms are smaller but we've been ok in a smaller value room.

Anyone stayed in a standard room at AKL? How is the pool - it looks lovely but worried we may be a long walk to it - like convenience of popping to turtle pond pool at OKW.

 

[pickers1982]

We loved akl. Had a car park view which wasnt great but they managed to change us to a partial savannah at no charge. Loved the pool and the dining options

 

[chmurf]

Been quoted £220 more for a standard room (savannah view is over £1000 more so not an option sadly)

we had the same dilemna
we're booked at OKW next october and DW and I talked a lot about the other Deluxes, not only AKL

Our conclusion was that AKL's main appeal was with the savannahs.
We brushed away the "AKL is remote, it's takes forever to go anywhere" issue, as it's not really an issue at all.


I may be a bit spoiled, but I'd rather pay extra for a view at a moderate, than paying the same amount for a parking/roof/AC-unit view at a deluxe
(actually, we even considered downgrading to POR preferred for £400 more than OKW due to the upgrade form QSDP to DDP at POR ... that's how important location and convinience is to us, but we decided to give OKW a try)

Of course, I could still go see the animals on the savannah, enjoy the lobby, but I could also do that on a visit, staying at another hotel.

so my bottomline (for my own booking) was that it was not worth paying more to get a random view, when basically all OKW units have a quite decent view.

We've liked AKL when we have visited and like the dining options there.

That was also one point we spent lots of time talking about
we might not have a car, and The Mara at AKL offers much more than Goods to Go, and there is an indoor seating area (ok it doesn't rain much in october, but ... it doesn't hurt to have a fallback plan)
Having Sanaa onsite is very appealling, Boma not that much, but even if I don't mean offense to Olivia's we much prefer AKL's restaurants.

but, I already consider POR to be our "food court" if you will.
OKW is so close that it's a short ride.
boat to DTD also opens perspectives.

So we deemed the restaurant issue to be a non issue.

(once again remember that it's from my family's standpoint, I'm not stating definitive answers here, ymmv)

I know rooms are smaller but we've been ok in a smaller value room.

same here. We're quite happy with rooms at POP, and we did well with a room at POR with the trundle bed deployed (it served as a suitcase stand for the whole 21 days)

once again that was not an issue for us.

Anyone stayed in a standard room at AKL?

I stayed (alone) a few years ago at AKL for 2 nights, standard room.
What made the big difference was that a parking view just does not do for me at such an hotel.

How is the pool - it looks lovely but worried we may be a long walk to it - like convenience of popping to turtle pond pool at OKW.

the best point about OKW is the number of pools. 2 main pools at HH and TP, and the other quiet pools.
you can never be too far away from a pool no matter which building you're at.

at AKL you can get something like 400 or 500 yards from the room to the pool.
It may not sound like too much, but it's basically indoors.
I much prefer hotels like POP, POR, or OKW with small buildings, where you can walk, outside, from the pool back to the room. It kind of feel akward to walk down a looooong hallway when all I can think of is take a shower and change.

Other than that, the pool is nice. But I preferred POR's feature pool.
It's nice, but not enough to swing me from OKW to AKL

what would swing me, would be to get a savannah view for a couple of hundred quids more than my current booking.
But I also know that I got 35% off OKW and that's never going to happen.

If I can't get to view animals from my balcony, I'm sticking with OKW

hope this helps, but I think you've already followed most of the thinking process in my post.

 

[Samlovesthemouse]

We have a reservation at OKW for October 2015 but i'm tempted to change to Animal Kingdom Lodge. We like OKW and have stayed there 2010 and 2012. Been quoted £220 more for a standard room (savannah view is over £1000 more so not an option sadly) We've liked AKL when we have visited and like the dining options there. I know rooms are smaller but we've been ok in a smaller value room. Anyone stayed in a standard room at AKL? How is the pool - it looks lovely but worried we may be a long walk to it - like convenience of popping to turtle pond pool at OKW.

We stayed in a standard room at AKL and it was fab. We overlooked the lobby when we walked out our door and had a partial Savannah view. So many Savannah view rooms have been re-classified as they had a partial storm drain, partial people pen or part of a roof that the likelihood of getting some kind of Savannah view is really high.

The pool is lovely and so close to the lobby and the restaurants and general feel is defiantly deluxe. For the extra money I would say it is totally worth it.

 

[wayneg]

We have stayed at both and love both resorts.

If I had your choice, no question, OKW. ALK was an amazing stay but it was a Savanah view, I know others will disagree but I just don't see the point in paying the price for AKL and staying in a room without a view (although always chance of an upgrade)
I didn't like the AKL pool, it was far too busy with no spare sunbeds, then again I don't like the main pool at OKW, we all like different things. I prefer one of the quiet pools.

AKL with view for me or if not then OKW wins easy.

 

[pickers1982]

Its important to consider if you ll soend alot of time on resort. If so akl is great for atmosphere and getting away from the parks. Jiko and the bars are fab as is the savannah. That said are original view (car park) was the worst i ve haf at disney. If you ll be out and about most the tine its not worth it

 

[dixonsontour]

We've gone for it and changed tonight to AKL

I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday and it's our anniversary so fingers crossed for a partial view.

 

[stephensmum]

We stayed at AKL for 5 nights in August in standard view. We were in the second room above the check in with a partial view, we loved it. Walking to & from the room was bliss, just looking down on the lobby. The buses were really good, never had a problem with them, cm's lovely. We never sit in lobbies but did here. You will love it.

 

[Minniesgal]

For me the whole point of AKV is the Savannah view so I would either book that if I could or if not stay at OKW

 

[pickers1982]

We've gone for it and changed tonight to AKL I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday and it's our anniversary so fingers crossed for a partial view.

Good decision! If u get a poor view if you request it they ll try and move you to a partial view

 

[flortlebap]

We've gone for it and changed tonight to AKL

I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday and it's our anniversary so fingers crossed for a partial view.

I love AKL - it's s fantastic resort. I think you made the right choice

 

[wilma-bride]

I would have gone for AKL too. Love it there

 

[disneyholic family]

be sure you have marked on your reservation that it is your 40th birthday and your anniversary.

There's always a chance that they'll throw a bit of pixie dust your way!

 

[peajay18]

We did a split stay last year - 5 nights at OKW, 5 at AKL.
We were only able to to do it because we got a great price on AKL (originally we were booked at Pop, but it's a resort we always wanted to stay at so we took the plunge.)

It is a beautiful resort, but after a couple of days we were missing the convenience and space of OKW in comparison.
We had the worst bus service I've ever experienced at WDW when travelling to AK - 45mins to get back from the closest theme park!

We had a standard view room, but it was more like a half pool/half savannah view (room 2485) - also a very short walk to the pool.

It is a great resort for a special occasion (so Happy Birthday for your visit. OP!) because it has some of the best views and dining in WDW.

I'm glad we did stay there, but I'm not in a hurry to do it again - I haven't stayed at a resort more relaxing and convenient for us than OKW.
If you can get AKL for a great price then go for it, but the discount offered to UK guest on OKW make it a no-brainer for us.

 

[dixonsontour]

Thanks for all the feedback.

We'll have a car so not too worried re busses.

We do love OKW but we are all excited about a change.

 

[Linda67]

Thanks for all the feedback.

We'll have a car so not too worried re busses.

We do love OKW but we are all excited about a change.

I think you have made the right decision
Yes it would be nice to have a Savana view but you've only got to head outside for some fab views if you don't get one

 

[janeyb]

Great choice. I too stayed at AKL for my 40th. We did a Disney cruise then went onto AKL. I woke up on my birthday at AKL, went to Anna Maria Island (lovely weather, even in February!) for the day then back to AKL, dinner at Jiko then to MK for fireworks to finish the day. It was perfect.

I wouldn't worry about a standard view room. We have always paid for a standard view but not once had one, always a full savannah or partial savannah view has been offered. If we have been allocated a parking view room, we have asked very politely if they have anything with a slightly better view available and we are offered another room. I'm sure another poster said, there are very few standard view rooms available anyway, so I'm sure, especially with it being your birthday you'll be offered something better.

The other thing I wanted to mention was that they offer some fantastic activities for the children so I'm sure your daughter will love staying there. My daughters loved being at the resort as much as in the parks, it has such a lovely feel to it, almost a holiday in itself!

They did a different activity each day and when they completed it, they collected a 'special' African bead which they added to the others to make a keyfob chain. The activities were great and very educational. They did animal tracking on the savannah! learnt about the pelicans and Flamingos etc. We would come back from the parks and each afternoon a CM from Africa would be showing different artefacts from Africa, sculls of different African animals etc then they would sit out by the campfire at night listening to stories from Africa, followed by looking at the animals through night vision binoculars.

I can highly recommend the chocolate birthday cake they arranged as well!!!!!

 

[Constant]

We are currently in AKL and considering if we move to OKW. We are DVC members so it's the other way round for us that more expensive in points to switch to OKW. We have stayed in both and love OKW so a little torn. First week is in a villa off site so we have decided to stick with AKL to get the more hotel feel rather than Kidani and OKW has a more beach resort feel to us.

We won't have a savannah view but that won't bother us too much there are so many opportunities to see the animals elsewhere and we don't tend to spend all that much time in the room.

Chmurf covered many of the points I would have made. The only other downside to AKL is the lobby which as you would expect as a hotel can be very busy at times and seems chaotic whereas OKW was so much more laid back, once checked in you don't really see that side of it again.

 

[RDP]

We've gone for it and changed tonight to AKL

I'll be celebrating my 40th birthday and it's our anniversary so fingers crossed for a partial view.

We love AKL, AKV, we have stayed there many times. Its a great atmospheric hotel. Jiko would be a great place to celebrate your 40th. I think the issues around the buses and remoteness are overstated IMHO. Really hope you get a savannah view as this is the icing on the cake and nothing beats drinking your coffee on the balcony whilst watching the resort and animals wake up in the morning. We have used most of the resort amenities including the kids clubs, gym / massage, counter service and table service restaurants, its all good! I can recommend the Whisky Sour’s in the Victoria Falls Bar!

 

[pickers1982]

We love AKL, AKV, we have stayed there many times. Its a great atmospheric hotel. Jiko would be a great place to celebrate your 40th. I think the issues around the buses and remoteness are overstated IMHO. Really hope you get a savannah view as this is the icing on the cake and nothing beats drinking your coffee on the balcony whilst watching the resort and animals wake up in the morning. We have used most of the resort amenities including the kids clubs, gym / massage, counter service and table service restaurants, its all good! I can recommend the Whisky Sour’s in the Victoria Falls Bar!

Haha I d say drinking an ice cold beer at sunset on your balcony beats the coffee but that's personal choice!!