We are planning a trip in October. If AKL is about 35 usd a night extra, which one would you choose?
I stayed at SSR before and loved it. Didn’t like CBR.
How do the bus times compare, how do the entertainment and quick service food compare, which one would you choose?
How much time will you be in the resort? AKL (and Kidani) have loads of activities, wine tasting, kitchen tours and of course savannahs. I could quite happily spend 3 days there just staying at the resort.
But I did find once we went back in the afternoon we didn’t feel like going back out to the parks in the evening. It was too tempting to get a drink and head out to the outlook areas, or swim.
we will be at WDW for 14 days, so I guess we could have some resort time. We don’t tend to spend long at the resorts in general
Why not do a split stay and enjoy the best of both worlds.
Like the idea of a split stay if you’re not sure.
I would definitely plan some resort time if you decide on AKL. Not necessarily whole days but time to enjoy some down time, especially in the evenings. Kidani is a 10 to 15 stroll, or there is a shuttle bus. They have night vision goggles available to use on the savannah outlook. Kidani also have a community hall, which shows movies each night (in lieu of “movies under the stars”) and DS got free popcorn. Saw the drumming parade at AKL one night whilst at the Victoria Lounge. There are also talks on African life and culture from the CMs, who are also out on the savannah outlooks and at Kidani pool viewing area to tell you about the animals. Craft activities as well every day during the afternoon, so lots happening.
Buses may be shared with Kidani at times but at peak times they have dedicated buses. Ironically the longest we waited for a bus was from AK to Kidani!
The Mara has some different QS options to the usual fare. We used to get 3 pizzas for 4 of us and take it back to eat on the balcony. But there are also some more varied options too.
Pluses/minuses for each: AKL – lots of activities, including practically having a zoo at your resort; very close to AK park; great restaurants at the lodges; unique atmosphere for a resort; certain rooms are among the largest at WDW. SSR – very close to Disney Springs, which give you great choices for meals outside of the parks as well as other entertainment options; Treehouse Villas are kinda cool to stay in; otherwise, rooms are some of the smallest at WDW; nice, traditional resort atmosphere.
Bus or car travel to the places other than what I have mentioned from each resort will be about the same, with maybe a couple of minutes edge going to SSR.
It really all boils down to how much time you will spend away from the parks, and what you will do with that time. If you plan on just staying at the resort, I would suggest AKL (also, it greatly reduces travel time for one of your park days). If you want to spend time shopping and have different meal options, or plan on spending a lot of time at Blizzard Beach, then I would suggest SSR. As much as we like Disney, 14 park days would be way too many for us, so you should use that for your basis for a decision.
we are booking with UK and Ireland package including free dinning, linked to purchase of 14 day tickets. Split won’t work as we will need to purchase too - just too expensive
We are DVC owners at AKL and adore our home resort, best dining at any resort, gorgeous views and pools, makes you feel as if you are in a different world. Our last stay at WDW was this past January and we stayed at SSR. We were disappointed to say the least. We had heard about SSR being a sprawling resort, but we are all runners (family of 6 adults) so we didn’t think it would be an issue for us. Let me tell you, if you don’t have a car it can take a half hour to get from your room to the main restaurant on property. And don’t get me started on bus transportation to the parks! Staying there adds another 30 minutes to your travel time due how large the resort is. It is very pretty, but doesn’t have that Disney “magic” that AKL has. I only got to go to WDW every 5 years, so I definitely want to be immersed in “a whole new world” and AKL certainly makes us feel that way!