Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge?

My wife and I have a 20 month old we are taking to Disney for the week of May 18th. We have the AKL booked with Savanah view. After reading some of the recent reviews I am getting a little hesitant.

I am thinking of switching to the Wilderness Lodge. For two reasons, bigger rooms and closer to parks. I can get a studio that has a fridge, microwave, etc. and looks like a lot more space for about the same price.

I have never stayed at Disney, can some give me some suggestions???

Thanks in advance...

Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge?

It%26#39;s all a matter of taste and likes/dislikes.

Are you planning on spending more time at Magic Kingdom and Epcot? If so, Wilderness Lodge will be closer and a quicker trip.

The room at AKL should have a mini-fridge, but no microwave.

The Savannah views at AKL are the main reason folks go there...so they can see the animals. If that draw isn%26#39;t so strong for you, go with Wilderness Lodge.

Just make sure you book the W.L. room before cancelling the AKL room.

Animal Kingdom Lodge or Wilderness Lodge?

I would switch. The Wilderness Lodge has two pools ,a kiddie pool, and a small play area on a sandy beach.I don%26#39;t think a 20 mo. old will want to spend an awful lot of time in the parks.

I%26#39;ll be the differing opinion here. Your child is just getting to the age when he/she will be fascinated with animals. There%26#39;s nothing like awakening to exotic animals outside your door. The AKL%26#39;s pool is a beautiful entry pool. There is so much going on at the AKL all the time. I think it%26#39;s a stunning property and unlike anything else in the US. I would recommend driving to most of the parks with a child that age.

Having said that, we%26#39;re staying in a Fort Wilderness cabin for our May trip. We want the boat access to Magic Kingdom since after 2 trips in the last 6 months we%26#39;re tired of going through the TTC during rush hour and we want to focus on the MK this trip. The extra space, FW amenities, and the full kitchen are nice, too, since we have a 5-year-old and a 19-month-old. We had looked at a studio at the Villas at WL and felt that the cabin is a much better deal for the money.

Where ever you decide to stay, make sure you check the new spring rates for good discounts on your room. You can find info on that on mousesavers.com.

We stayed at the Fort Wilderness campground in one of their trailers. If you stayed there, you have your own place and a separate room for the kiddo. It is best with a rental car, tho. It is way quiet for naps, and if you sleep better in a different room this might help. But the savannah view sounds wonderful! The good thing is you park next to the room, and it%26#39;s easy to drive here and back. The boat to Magic Kingdom is fun, too.

Have a great time!

Haven%26#39;t stayed in the WL, but the AKL is an awesome facility. That said, with the 20 mo. old will point out a few pluses and minuses.

Pluses:

1%26gt; The AKL has direct buses that are not shared with any other resorts, and they did seem to run faster than some.

2%26gt; There are few things cooler than stepping out on your balcony in the AM to the sight of a curious Bison or Giraffe wandering by.

3%26gt; AKL features 2 of the better restaurants at the resorts in Jiko and Boma for the adults.

4%26gt; It definitely seemed quieter than some other resorts, good at naptime.

Minuses:

1%26gt; To insure that the maximum possible rooms have a good view of the savannah, the hallways are LOOOOOONG. At the end of a tiring day thats a fun trip with cranky child.

2%26gt; Other than those 2 restaurants, the dining options are somewhat limited.

3%26gt; At night some of the animals do make quiet noises. This might be disturbing to the young un.

Hope this helps...

Thanks to everyone for your help. Obviously either one is going to be great and I don%26#39;t mean to sound greedy. But since we are paying some big $, I would like to stay at the best available.

A bigger place w/ a mini kitchen and/or fridge will really come in handy for us. I think I am going to try to switch, but if we can%26#39;t we will be more than happy at the AKL.

Thanks again,.... we can%26#39;t wait to see the look in our little girls eyes at all of the fun she will be having. Friends and family think we are crazy taking her so young, but there really is not a better place we could think of. We tried the beach, was not much fun for her. At Disney everyone will have fun!

Ok, this sounds a little crazy. I called to look at changing, but WL was booked. They talked me into the Saratogo Springs. It has a separate bedroom, full kitchen, and closer to the action.

We can go by and see the animals if we wish.

Thanks for all of your help!

If you%26#39;re willing to Saratoga Springs, why not look into the cabins at Fort Wilderness? She%26#39;ll see critters right outside the cabin.

I can only tell you what I%26#39;ve learned from research at Saratoga Springs since I%26#39;ve never stayed there. It%26#39;s not really near anything and the theming is pretty blah. I think you can find better for the money.

What is most important to you? There%26#39;s so much pressure when you%26#39;re on the phone with Disney. Step back, prioritize your requirements, evaluated your choices against those priorities, and then approach Disney again. You%26#39;re paying a lot of money for this, so you need to be happy with you%26#39;re getting.

Have to admit I wasn%26#39;t impressed with Saratoga when we did a little resort tour last visit. I%26#39;d go back to AKL given that choice..

Sorry,but if that was one of the original options I would have placed that last. I would now advise you to go back to AKL%26gt;