I suppose so. But that’s not the boat most MK rope droppers from WL are going to take. And…
… you clearly weren’t talking about the CR boat here.
I’m legit confused why this feels like an argument. The WL boat to MK can’t be counted on to make MK RD. That is simply 100% factually correct.
That is your experience. I am a CC owner that rarely cares about rope drop. My experience, this year, was magical. You can’t count on it. I prefer to live in my world of Magic and pixe dust…
I have never heard of anyone advising that a breakfast bus is not a great option for rope drop. At WL, for MK, that is a boat.
For everyone else…jump on the CR boat and walk. That bag check is lovely too.
Edited to add: I also think you think of MK RD as 9? For me, it is 7:45. I would hope most people here also would know if the CR route. Did you not know when you had a bad experience?
Lots of WL love here, so I’ll give my perspective in that I love AKL. If I can’t be at the Epcot resorts, which are my favorite, I prefer AKL - actually just booked it again for April. But I also admit to being a big fan of anything to do with animal and I love waking up in the morning, grabbing my cup of tea and sitting on the balcony and watching the animals. And the bonus of being able to quickly run to Sanaa for a late night snack of bread service to go is amazing. Mara is my favorite QS and Boma is my favorite breakfast on property.
Yes, that’s my experience. Isn’t that what we’re here for, to share knowledge/insight gained from our experiences? However, it’s not JUST my experience. That’s Disney’s official running time. And that official running time won’t make it for rope drop.
I have never, to my knowledge, advised against any breakfast bus (or boat). What I am saying is that there is a big (potential) gap between that one solitary boat cycle and 8:30am, when it starts running in earnest. If a guest shows up… as most do… for a normal RD lead time (about 1 to 1.25 hours ahead), that boat is long gone.
Ok… but I’m talking specifically about people who do care about making RD. So I’m not sure what we’re doing here.
That is absolutely an option… if a guest knows about it (most don’t). And again…
… you clearly weren’t talking about the CR boat in this post, to which I was adding an advisory in the first place. If you had said CR, we wouldn’t be here.
I’m not talking about bad experiences. A bad experience is the new Gondola system crashing. Or less dramatically, poor bus dispatching allotting one MK bus in an hour while 5 empty AK buses roll by, making you miss an ADR. I’m not talking about something going off the rails, I’m talking about the boats being on the rails, on time and on schedule, and still not being suited to making RD. A very different kettle of fish. But this perhaps gives me some insight into your odd objection to my caveat on the boats… do you think I have an axe to grind against the WL boats due to a bad experience? That is not the case, I’m just trying to share useful information that might spare another guest a potential bad experience. I would have thought that would be a good thing, and welcomed here.
I very rarely give out general information, tips, warnings, or anything else, tailored to a party of one. I don’t believe most people think of RD as 7:45am on a 9am park open day. I don’t see most families on a 9 open lining up on that dock at 7:00. That’s not typical. Real accumulation hits that dock at 8. It’s those people I had in mind.
I seriously have no idea what’s going on here. It’s like someone taking issue with me pointing out that it rains a lot in Seattle. That doesn’t mean the sun never shines. Or that one can’t buy an umbrella or raincoat to mitigate the rain. But it most decidedly rains a lot in Seattle, that’s just a factually correct statement.
Stating that one can’t count on making RD with the WL to MK boat, due to the running time of said boat, cross referenced against when most guests set out for RD… that’s not a controversial statement. It’s just a fact. It’s not a knock on the boats, or the captains, or WL (my absolute favourite Disney resort btw). This entire back and forth is bewildering, to be quite honest.
Well, in just over 30 days I’ll be at WL (staying rented points dvc at CC), and we stayed at AKL in June. So I’ll report back later with an actual comparison!
It really does. I squealed like a little girl every morning while looking out at the giraffes (and zebras and other animals). We didn’t have a Savannah view, but when checking in we asked for a room that had some sort of animal view, and the CM was super accommodating. It was legit SO COOL to come back for midday breaks and watch the animals walk around. I really loved it. I probably would have loved it more if it hadn’t been in June, when the heat felt about as hot as the surface of the sun.
I’m really excited to try WL – I’ve never even set foot inside the place, and I love a boat ride, so I’m super looking forward to taking the boat to MK!
Re: food choices – I thought The Mara was… fine? I didn’t love it as much as some people here do. I did love Sanaa, but I prefer a bunch of other signatures over Jiko (ducks to avoid people throwing things at me), which I found a bit bland. I am very much wishing I was sitting in the open air at Geyser Point having a beverage right now…
I have never stayed at the AKL but we loved WL in 2018 and am going again in 2020. My thoughts on the following:
Transportation - Used the boat and it was a great relaxing way to get to MK. We did rope drop two days at MK and for those days we did the bus (tried for Minnie Van but didn’t get one) and Minnie Van. I thought about the boat to CR then walking but it we went in September and it was already 85 degrees at 7:30 AM and we wanted to save walking energy for the two young kids (4 and 1.5) for the park. One thing we loved about the boat is that when leaving at the park closing it was much less of a zoo than what it looked like people dealing with the buses had.
Rooms - We had a courtyard view room and loved it.
Quick Service - Roaring Fork and Geyser Point were both great. We ate take otu breakfast from Roaring Fork almost every day we were there.
Table Service - Only did one table service meal at WL, seems this might be an area that AKL stands out compared to WL.
Pool - I loved the pools at WL. There is the main pool and there is also a second larger pool over by the Boulder Ridge Villas. The pools never felt crowded to me but we went at a slower time of the year.
Other - I loved the layout of WL. Everything is easy walking distance to each other without feeling cramped. Some of the other resorts have much larger footprints and you could have significant distances between your room, the pool, restaurants, bus stops, etc.
Having stayed at AKL twice (2007 & 2015) and WL once (July 2019), here are a few of my comparisons:
Transportation - the boat to MK was one of our favorite things about staying at WL. The downside of WL bus transportation was sharing with other resorts. AKL’s bus service is efficient and doesn’t share with another resort, but not having another transportation option makes WL the winner for me.
Rooms - we had an amazing room at WL - Room 6022 - theme park view in a nature view category. It was definitely a highlight for us. It was also nice not to have to walk too far to get to the lobby. On the other hand, at AKL, we had a perfect view of the edge of the savannah from our standard view room. We saw so many animals during the whole trip! The downside was how far away it was from the main lobby and The Mara.
QS - To me, The Mara (AKL) is the winner here due to the variety in the menu and grab/go options. I struggled at Roaring Fork (WL) when we came back mid day - I wanted a snack, but got bored quickly with the options!
Pool - We enjoyed the pool at both locations. Our issue with WL is the fact that when we came back midday for a swim, it was nearly impossible to find a pool lounger (at the main pool) that had not been claimed. The pool deck was definitely smaller than other resorts we’ve stayed at.
Other than that, the ambiance at both Lodges is amazing…there are days that I miss being at WL, and then other days that I would love to stay at AKL again. They both give you that warm, fuzzy feeling and are solid options for anyone!
I’ve stayed at both multiple times and full disclosure AKL is my home as a DVC member. I absolutely LOVE it at AKL. I could live there permanently.
Transportation: WL wins this one because the boat is cool and convenient, if MK is your thing. My kids are older, so if we MK for one day it’s a lot. Back in the day, the bus at AKL was atrocious, but as of late it’s been much better. We don’t wait any longer there than any other resort for bus service.
Rooms: I can only speak to DVC rooms because the last time I stayed at WL on cash was in 2005. AKL wins. WL rooms are much smaller (2 bdr villa) and the view at AKL is the best ever. ever ever. 1,000x yes the Savannah is worth the upgrade.
QS: AKL hands down. While Geyser Point is really really good, Roaring Fork is terrible. The Mara is always consistent and always good for all meals.
TS: AKL again. I haven’t tried Jiko or Sanaa yet (although we did do continental bkfst at Sanaa which was lovely), so I can’t speak to those. Boma is our favorite across resort hotels. The food is just the right balance of familiar and exotic. Whispering Canon is ok, but not something I would go out of my way for. Or even eat because it was convenient.
Pool: I have no opinion. We don’t do the pool.
Other: AKL is a bubble within a bubble. It’s like being transported to a totally new place. For me, all my stress and worry melt away as soon as I walk through the doors. It’s where I belong.
@hmbhmbhmb I’m looking forward to hearing your review of WL in November! Give Jiko another chance… it’s truly great 
I’d love to hear what TS you like better?
I looooved Flying Fish. I just thought the food was superb.
This time we’re going to V&As, so I’ll report back on that too!
@ashaway12 thanks for the reminder of the walking distance. I’ve heard that AKL can have some rooms way, way out. It’s a close call for me, but I’m thinking AKL might win out this time. The food and overall price is making a difference for us.
V & A is worth it. Go hungry. Enjoy!
@mrsincredible83 I wish we could guarantee rooms, because 6022 might seal the deal for me. I know you can request a room within 5 days, but we’re now travelling with our 85 yr old grandmother, and we’ll need a connecting room. That will be our one room request…but I’ll try to get both anyway
@dianelynn I wish we bought DVC 10 yrs ago when we started going yearly to WDW… I’ll forever kick myself for not buying in when it was affordable…lol
@OBNurseNH We’re thinking of staying at AKL and doing a lunch at Geyser Point at some point during our trip. Best of both worlds?
I would approve of that!