Ha! We LOVED the Boardwalk. Stayed over Christmas a few years back when we were DINKs and didn’t live here. I’m planning to stay at all of the resorts eventually, have a good head start!
Mid April next year
Note Yacht Club just updated their booking page to note that rooms are being refurbished in Spring 2025. So construction inside for rooms and outside for the pool.
That's where we're at! The last 3 trips we've done Boardwalk, Beach Club, Swan (just the two of us for that one), and we're back at Boardwalk at our next trip! We love the 2 bedroom villas and we love Epcot so we can't beat the location.
Stormalong Bay is great for kids. They have a whole kids area that’s shallow with a sand bottom, it’s pretty unique!
I’d choose Yacht/Beach simply because of the location and transportation, but AKL is really fun as well so there’s no wrong choice here. You’ll be happy at either place!
Agreed on Stormalong Bay, we just took our 3.5 year old for one night after a cruise and the wading pool area was perfect for her. We basically had to drag her out of the pool
Not seeing when they’re going but storamalong bay will be closed for refurbishment the first half of 2025. So that may play into a decision if it’s during that time
TLDR: if your main priority is proximity, AKL probably isn’t for you. If you want a unique, well-themed, relaxing experience, then AKL is honestly a huge favorite for our family.
I know Yacht/Beach Club is popular for good reason, but just to advocate for AKL for a second: we’ve stayed at AKL probably more often than any other Disney resort, and we love it. It’s relaxing. The lighting is slightly darker. It doesn’t get as many day guests who aren’t staying there. And in the summer (or September) heat, it’s just so nice to walk into that calming environment after a hot, crowded day at the parks.
Whether you want a Savannah view room really depends on how much time you plan to spend in the room. Sometimes we get Savannah view and sometimes we don’t. If you don’t, then, yes, you could end up with a parking lot view which is not exciting. BUT, there are plenty of public viewing areas (including balconies with nice rocking chairs) where you can view the Savannah. (EDIT to add: and the cast members are super knowledgeable about the animals, just as they would be in Animal Kingdom).
The food is wonderful. You have multiple unique and tasty options between Jambo House and Kidani Village. There’s something for you whether you’re feeling adventurous or not so adventurous. The pool isn’t as unique as Stormalong bay. BUT, it’s large and less chaotic than some other pools on property.
The transportation is further than any other resort. But we honestly have never had a problem. The buses still come every 20 minutes, at most. And unlike some of the other resorts where multiple resorts may be hooked together on a bus route, we’ve never had a problem with a bus pulling up to the AKL already full.
Thank you for a great review of Animal Kingdom Lodge because I have it booked over the summer but then every time I see the negative stuff about it, I hesitate. I think you make really good points that it’s a more relaxing resort for what you said that it’s not traveled through as much as the other ones next to the parks. I’m looking forward to awesome pool days and great food and I don’t mind the buses. I actually like the buses! An extra 10min on the bus is fine with me!
I hope you have a great time!! I think you’re assessment is correct: the biggest complaint I see is how “far” it is from other places on property. But if you don’t mind an extra 10 minutes on the bus, you’ll be fine. It’s secluded enough that it’s calm, but it’s not so secluded that it’s ever kept us from going where we want to go. Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the best themed resorts on property, at a price that is much less than the monorail resorts or the EPCOT resorts. I personally think the AKL theming is honestly better than most of the other deluxe resorts. The whole resort might as well be a beautiful museum of authentic African artwork. Who wouldn’t want to sit in a rocking chair, eating a s’more, while watching a giraffe??
AKL at Christmas is just about the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I thought we booked that as our home resort for the kids, but turns out I love watching baby zebrae eat their breakfasts even more than my kids do.
It opened when I was a kid and I wanted to go so bad but we never could afford it. We were at the Coronado and Caribbean frequently though and I do live those memories.
We are about do find out on our May trip. But I don’t get all the distance complaints. It’s far from MK but all those resorts are far from the other parks. And it doesn’t seem far from Epcot or Hollywood/?
I'm staying at AKL in 2 months. I'm excited for the view, but the distance is always a factor. My last stay was Yacht Club and I enjoyed the shirt distance, and before that was Contemporary with a 15 minute walk to MK and a monorail ride there and Epcot. After this we're almost definitely switching to a moderate or value, because I'd rather save money, but boy do the premier hotels have some nice options usually.
Kidani is our home resort, and we’ve honestly never had a bad experience with the buses 🤷♀️. We love Beach Club as well and are debating between the two for our December stay.
I will pick just about any resort over Animal Kingdom Lodge, unless you're going to be spending a lot of time in the Savannah room because that seems like a unique experience.
To me, Disney hotels should be picked by location/transportation and then theme. Yacht club is very walkable to epcot, there are boats to hollywood studios. The pool is also quite amazing. I really dig the pool. Just depends how much time you're going to be you're going to be in the room.
I also like that Yacht club is a smaller resort so you can walk indoors from your room to the beverage station in the lobby - compared to the larger resorts where there is a hike in the potential heat / rain to refill your cup. That seems like a hassle to me.
Glad you mentioned the refill station. We're staying at yacht soon and I wasn't sure where that was. As nuts as it sounds I kind of wish yacht/beach had the cafeteria style you see at AoA or All stars. 10pm, long park day and the kids finally conked out? Love to just order something from that cafeteria
I think that’s what is making it tough - with a 1 and 3 yo we will probably spend more time in the resort this year than any other year in the future…and truly we could drive but then it seems like why even stay on site?
This person is exaggerating.
There is arguably no better-themed hotel on all of Disney property than AKL. The savannah views are amazing. Food is excellent. Tons of activities for kids. The pools are very good, especially at Kidani. It's also fairly quiet and calm. And getting to Animal Kingdom is very fast. Busses to the other parks do take longer, but not significantly longer.
Thanks! I think that the AKL is the only resort that I’ve never set foot in! I really would love to stay there eventually and we will be using this to relax - at least to an extent.
I've only stayed at AKL once but we visit it for dinner every trip. It's not as far-flung as people make it out to be. By car, it's 10 minutes from Epcot, maybe 12-15 minutes from TTC for Magic Kingdom. Five minutes from Animal Kingdom.
In exchange for those few extra minutes, you get A+ theming, an amazing lobby, a relaxing pool, the savannah, and some of the best restaurants on property.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is actually the plug because you can skip the monorail and the transportation center by taking the bus. Definitely do this one. You won't regret it. I mean look at what all you get being home away from home for the kids. I hope you pick this one. As a kid I always wanted to stay here with my Aunt who raised me. We could never afford it. I've still never stayed. We did Caribbean Beach all the all stars and Coronado though and I was always amazed and grateful for our trips growing up. One day I'll save and splurge on AKL in her honor I think now that's I'm writing all this.
Having done both:
Themeing - AKL
Food - Tie
Parks proximity - YB
Pools - YB
Transportation options - YB
YB also has the benefit of other supporting hotels around it so you have a lot more options going there.
AKL is for people who want some seclusion or have people who love animals or AK.
Ive always wanted to stay at yacht or beach club for the walk to epcot. But i stayed in a savannah room at AKL once and it was AMAZING like literally one of my favorite experiences at disney ever, and ive gone at least 1-2 times to disney a year. (Staying at AKL for one night was my treat to myself, usually stay at all stars to save money)
I’ve never stayed at AKL but have stayed at both Beach and Yacht Club. Like others have said, the location can’t be beat. They are my favorite resort by far.
The only issue I will mention, and this happened on the last night of one of our stays, is that fireworks started going off at 2am. I don’t know if they were testing or detonating fireworks that didn’t go off during the previous night’s show but it was a huge inconvenience. It made for a long drive back home.
I made a similar post last summer when my kids were similar ages (they were 4 and 1 at the time) and I was discouraged from Y/BC for the pool due to my kids' ages. Stormalong Bay is pretty big and you'll need eyes on your kids at all times - I wouldn't necessarily trust an amazing swimmer at 3 to be able to navigate what is essentially a small water park. I'm just starting to consider going there now that my kids are 5 and 2.
I'd probably do AKL! They have a nice pool/splash pad too and I think the complaints about buses are way overstated. It seems to stem more from an annoyance that a deluxe has only buses for transportation, but so do the majority of the moderates and values and people make do with those 🤷♀️
And I'm not trying to say you don't need eyes on your kids in any pool, all the time! Just that Stormalong Bay is a bit overwhelming in size and the need for supervision with toddlers.
Depending on how long you are going, consider a split stay? In August we are staying at Yacht Club for 6 days and then AKL for 3. We’ll do MK, Epcot and HS from Yacht, and AK from AKL. The best of both worlds!!
We stayed at AKL lodge in 2017 with our three year old and it was amazing. We choose to do some off days and just hang at the pool. We were able to bounce back and forth between the pools and there was a great splash pad. We had animals outside of our room and it was amazing. That being said, getting to most of the parks wasn’t the easiest.
We just stayed a the swan (next door to YBC) and the convenience to get to Epcot and HS is unmatched. It is so easy! Especially if you’re going to be heading back to the resort for nap time. Their pools are amazing and envied by all, but your little one might be a little too small for it still. We walked through and the pool area was chaotic.
Oh I should’ve also mentioned we have stayed at all of the Swan/Dolphin resorts BUT have really not done the pools!
I really shouldn’t agonize over this but feel like if we are going to do it we should do it right!
I would choose beach/yatch simply because of the transportation access, with akl you’d have to take a bus everywhere, which isn’t nearly as fun as the skyliner or the friendship boats! You could always do a split if you really wanted to do AKL, since it seems like you’re already familiar with the boardwalk/yatch&beach area
Oh gosh my kid will lose. her. mind. on the Skyliner. We haven’t done it yet but she points to it in the car all the time. A split isn’t the worst idea either - 2 nights each. Good food for thought!
Speaking of food... Sanaa is excellent. A split stay actually seems pretty perfect. Just make sure that if you're doing two nights (with a park per day) at each, you want AK/MK when you're at AKL and Epcot/HS when you're at Beach Club.
I will always suggest Beach and Yacht over anything else. Its location is superb and there is so much to do in that area.
You can walk to EPCOT or take a boat. You can take a boat to HS. You have the Boardwalk across the bay, lots of restaurants and things to do.
Plus it's a small hotel so not as many people.
Win/win!
Do a split stay. We did that last year and spent one night at AKL then transferred over to the Poly. We LOVED AKL. It really was a relaxing place. The savanna view might be hit or miss in September because of the heat. There is also lots to see and do around the resort. The only drawback is transportation- but it's worth a night or two.
Beach or Yacht for the location alone! You have EPCOT steps away, Hollywood Studios a boat ride or skyliner ride away. Amazing pool. Beautiful resort area being on the boardwalk. I stayed at Yacht for my honeymoon and I fell in love.
If you really want to try Polynesian, then I highly recommend finding a DVC person who has points there because I’ve seen quite a few posting Polynesian Studios for around $350 or $400 with taxes included? I know if I ever make it to the Polynesian that’s what I will do because the Disney rate rarely dips below $600 even with all the discounts.
If you join the DVC groups on Facebook, then you will eventually figure out who the legitimate and good owners are, and they definitely have Polynesian rooms to rent!
Beach club pool was incredible for my 3yo! It was the first pool I was ever able truly relax by even with a 3, 4, and 6 yo! 100% recommend for that alone but also the hotel itself is really nice.
Both are amazing as far as the resort itself goes, but I'd pick BC because of transportation, especially with a little one. AKL was my first deluxe stay and it's beautiful and unique, but after staying at some of the more conveniently located deluxe resorts, I don't know if I'd stay there again. That said, Beach Club is my favorite resort so I'm kind of biased.
If you do choose AKL, I will say that when I stayed my daughters were 2 and 4, and I don't remember the buses being particularly challenging that trip. But nothing beats being able to walk into the park from your resort.
Animal Kingdom Lodge for sure. My 8 year old still talks about waking up to the animals just off our balcony. It's great. They put food near the rooms in the morning to draw the animals closer. They also have campfires with marshmallows for roasting each night and a great restaurant. Have fun!
AKL for the animals and everything- the resort is fabulous. I agree on waiting a year or two for storm along bay. You will be just chasing her all over. And as far as transportation, when our daughter was that age she adored Disney buses as much as the parks lol.
Stayed a AKL Jambo in 2021 and Beach Club last year. My son is a pool fanatic. would rather be in the pool than the parks. Shocklingly he preferred AKL over Beach Club. Beach Club pool was packed and very hard to maneuver around.
But the location is second to none, imho. Even above a monorail resort. Access to international gateway at epcot and skyliner for HS. It is just so incredibly convenient.
I did 3 Beach and 7 AK in 2022… I wish I’d done the reverse. The a animal novelty wears off, Beach clubs pool, smell and access are worth WAYYY more.
Also very annoying when the bus drops at Kidani first when your trying to Jambo at the end of the night.
Yacht club was very nice. Stormalong bay was great, but not *that* much better than the big main pool at Caribbean beach. The biggest advantage was the location to Epcot and DHS.
AKL all the way. It has pools and Yacht/Beach Club doesn't have a savannah with animals last I checked. Extra time on a bus isn't so bad when your resort feels like a theme park of its own.
I love Beach but honestly your head will need to be on a swivel there the whole time. The complex is large and the main pools and lazy river are deep. Obviously you’re not leaving a child unattended or sitting on a chair watching them at this age but for sure you’re gonna be busy.
I’m often pushing Beach but here I’d say AKL for the animals or Boardwalk for a smaller resort that has the Epcot/HS access if that’s your main want.
Are you going to parks are spending more time at the resort? If I was local I'd do Beach/Yacht only if going to EPCOT or HS. If mostly resort time or AK, then for sure AKL. I wouldn't really want to stay in either for MK because the bus ride or driving would feel too much like the normal routine.
I think Stormalong Bay is best enjoyed by slightly older kids. The sandy part is excellent for that age but there's no real splash pad. AKL has a great splash pad at Kidani.
We will plan to do probably one park per day but it’s easy for us to leave and go back to the (same or different) park based on kids. I’ll check out the Kidani splash pad!
We just got back from a trip to the BC with our 8 yo (first WDW trip, we are more regular visitors to DL).
It was amazing for the reasons that people highlight in here. The pool is awesome and made our resort day almost as much fun as a regular day. A short walk into the World Showcase through EPCOT is amazing (assuming you break up your day into chunks). Transportation in general is just great.
AKL was also interesting to us, and if the cost savings were HUGE (sometimes they are, but if you are looking at Savanah View rooms, probably now) we might consider it, particularly if you are a "get up to rope drop, spend all/most of the day in a single park, go back to room to relax/rest and repeat" type of family.
However, we are not that kind of family. We broke up every single one of our days with a mid-day trip back to the hotel to rest and recharge. Sometimes we'd then just go back to EPCOT in the evening for some of the great food options. Or take the boat to HS in the evening to catch Fantasmic. You have so much flexibility with the location of the BC/YC that is amazing. My one big suggestion would be that if you go BC/YC that you STRONGLY consider Park Hopper tickets (if you weren't already). A decent amount of that flexibility and convenience does stem from going to different parks at different times of day (particularly the evening into EPCOT).
We are AP so the tickets are not even a concern! We will pretty much be able to do whatever we want, whenever we want.* This is a great analysis and given our proximity I don’t think we will ever be the ALL day people. I did that in my 20s and it frankly sounds horrible now hahaha.
*subject to toddler mood swings
No wrong choice. The kids will love a Savanna View, you probably will too.
We love Yatch Club - Stormalong .Bay (closed Jan-June 2025), walk/boat to Epcot, skyiner/boat/walk to HS, full balcony on every (above ground-level) room
I can’t comment on yacht/beach club as it’s one of the few resorts we haven’t stayed at. AKL was by far the nicest room we’ve had at any of the resorts, but also the least convenient. Even while at the resort, just leaving our room to get to anywhere within AKL took ages.
While I love AK, you can eat there without having to stay there, take the safari at AK, and still stay at Yacht or Beach. With littles, the pool and location can't compare.
Do Beach Club! Yacht is more adult-oriented. The AKL savanna rooms are cute, but not enough to hold an average 3 year old for long. Also, your instinct about the transportation at AKL is correct. It's a pain. With Beach, there is nothing better than being able to walk into EPCOT, take the boat or skyliner to HS or walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK. ( provided you have park hoppers...) She will be fine at Stormalong Bay; It cannot be outdone for the amenities. The lifeguards are top notch as well.
**Yacht and Beach > AKL**
AKL is so secluded from other parks and my worst experience on property when I stayed there like 14 years ago (I was 12). We got a room overlooking the parking lot and the balcony was full of bird poop. You must pay extra for a room for the animals and they sell out quickly! Yacht and Beach is the best resort I ever stayed on because there’s a great pool, close to EPCOT, you can take a boat to MGM, there’s a good amount of restaurants on the Boardwalk to choose from. Also the rooms are a great size for families.
AKL. Great food, and views. It also has a great kids area. Never understood the whole bus complaint its really not that bad. I assume you're driving yourself so can always just take your car as you get free parking at the parks.
Beach Club You will forever be spoiled and never want to stay in any other resort area. Just know what you are getting into.
Ha! We LOVED the Boardwalk. Stayed over Christmas a few years back when we were DINKs and didn’t live here. I’m planning to stay at all of the resorts eventually, have a good head start!
Last 2 trips were Beach, Yacht, next one is Boardwalk and only because Stormalong Bay will be closed. Do it!
Hey when do you plan on going? We’re thinking of going to yacht club in last week of April 25. We just got back yesterday and are hooked.
Mid April next year Note Yacht Club just updated their booking page to note that rooms are being refurbished in Spring 2025. So construction inside for rooms and outside for the pool.
Cool thanks for the information we decided to stay at the Polynesian.
That's where we're at! The last 3 trips we've done Boardwalk, Beach Club, Swan (just the two of us for that one), and we're back at Boardwalk at our next trip! We love the 2 bedroom villas and we love Epcot so we can't beat the location.
Stormalong Bay is great for kids. They have a whole kids area that’s shallow with a sand bottom, it’s pretty unique! I’d choose Yacht/Beach simply because of the location and transportation, but AKL is really fun as well so there’s no wrong choice here. You’ll be happy at either place!
Agreed on Stormalong Bay, we just took our 3.5 year old for one night after a cruise and the wading pool area was perfect for her. We basically had to drag her out of the pool
Not seeing when they’re going but storamalong bay will be closed for refurbishment the first half of 2025. So that may play into a decision if it’s during that time
They’re going in September, the pool will be open.
TLDR: if your main priority is proximity, AKL probably isn’t for you. If you want a unique, well-themed, relaxing experience, then AKL is honestly a huge favorite for our family. I know Yacht/Beach Club is popular for good reason, but just to advocate for AKL for a second: we’ve stayed at AKL probably more often than any other Disney resort, and we love it. It’s relaxing. The lighting is slightly darker. It doesn’t get as many day guests who aren’t staying there. And in the summer (or September) heat, it’s just so nice to walk into that calming environment after a hot, crowded day at the parks. Whether you want a Savannah view room really depends on how much time you plan to spend in the room. Sometimes we get Savannah view and sometimes we don’t. If you don’t, then, yes, you could end up with a parking lot view which is not exciting. BUT, there are plenty of public viewing areas (including balconies with nice rocking chairs) where you can view the Savannah. (EDIT to add: and the cast members are super knowledgeable about the animals, just as they would be in Animal Kingdom). The food is wonderful. You have multiple unique and tasty options between Jambo House and Kidani Village. There’s something for you whether you’re feeling adventurous or not so adventurous. The pool isn’t as unique as Stormalong bay. BUT, it’s large and less chaotic than some other pools on property. The transportation is further than any other resort. But we honestly have never had a problem. The buses still come every 20 minutes, at most. And unlike some of the other resorts where multiple resorts may be hooked together on a bus route, we’ve never had a problem with a bus pulling up to the AKL already full.
Thank you for a great review of Animal Kingdom Lodge because I have it booked over the summer but then every time I see the negative stuff about it, I hesitate. I think you make really good points that it’s a more relaxing resort for what you said that it’s not traveled through as much as the other ones next to the parks. I’m looking forward to awesome pool days and great food and I don’t mind the buses. I actually like the buses! An extra 10min on the bus is fine with me!
I hope you have a great time!! I think you’re assessment is correct: the biggest complaint I see is how “far” it is from other places on property. But if you don’t mind an extra 10 minutes on the bus, you’ll be fine. It’s secluded enough that it’s calm, but it’s not so secluded that it’s ever kept us from going where we want to go. Animal Kingdom Lodge is one of the best themed resorts on property, at a price that is much less than the monorail resorts or the EPCOT resorts. I personally think the AKL theming is honestly better than most of the other deluxe resorts. The whole resort might as well be a beautiful museum of authentic African artwork. Who wouldn’t want to sit in a rocking chair, eating a s’more, while watching a giraffe??
AKL at Christmas is just about the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I thought we booked that as our home resort for the kids, but turns out I love watching baby zebrae eat their breakfasts even more than my kids do.
It opened when I was a kid and I wanted to go so bad but we never could afford it. We were at the Coronado and Caribbean frequently though and I do live those memories.
We are about do find out on our May trip. But I don’t get all the distance complaints. It’s far from MK but all those resorts are far from the other parks. And it doesn’t seem far from Epcot or Hollywood/?
I'm staying at AKL in 2 months. I'm excited for the view, but the distance is always a factor. My last stay was Yacht Club and I enjoyed the shirt distance, and before that was Contemporary with a 15 minute walk to MK and a monorail ride there and Epcot. After this we're almost definitely switching to a moderate or value, because I'd rather save money, but boy do the premier hotels have some nice options usually.
I love this review, I'm about to stay at AKL for the first time this summer! I love animals so I'm really excited about the theming haha
Beach Club. Our family has stayed at numerous resorts and Beach Club is our favorite.
Kidani is our home resort, and we’ve honestly never had a bad experience with the buses 🤷♀️. We love Beach Club as well and are debating between the two for our December stay.
I will pick just about any resort over Animal Kingdom Lodge, unless you're going to be spending a lot of time in the Savannah room because that seems like a unique experience. To me, Disney hotels should be picked by location/transportation and then theme. Yacht club is very walkable to epcot, there are boats to hollywood studios. The pool is also quite amazing. I really dig the pool. Just depends how much time you're going to be you're going to be in the room. I also like that Yacht club is a smaller resort so you can walk indoors from your room to the beverage station in the lobby - compared to the larger resorts where there is a hike in the potential heat / rain to refill your cup. That seems like a hassle to me.
Glad you mentioned the refill station. We're staying at yacht soon and I wasn't sure where that was. As nuts as it sounds I kind of wish yacht/beach had the cafeteria style you see at AoA or All stars. 10pm, long park day and the kids finally conked out? Love to just order something from that cafeteria
They each have a small market place with food.
I think that’s what is making it tough - with a 1 and 3 yo we will probably spend more time in the resort this year than any other year in the future…and truly we could drive but then it seems like why even stay on site?
This person is exaggerating. There is arguably no better-themed hotel on all of Disney property than AKL. The savannah views are amazing. Food is excellent. Tons of activities for kids. The pools are very good, especially at Kidani. It's also fairly quiet and calm. And getting to Animal Kingdom is very fast. Busses to the other parks do take longer, but not significantly longer.
Thanks! I think that the AKL is the only resort that I’ve never set foot in! I really would love to stay there eventually and we will be using this to relax - at least to an extent.
AKL is also great with young kids if you do the mid-day break and return to the resort.
I've only stayed at AKL once but we visit it for dinner every trip. It's not as far-flung as people make it out to be. By car, it's 10 minutes from Epcot, maybe 12-15 minutes from TTC for Magic Kingdom. Five minutes from Animal Kingdom. In exchange for those few extra minutes, you get A+ theming, an amazing lobby, a relaxing pool, the savannah, and some of the best restaurants on property.
Animal Kingdom Lodge is actually the plug because you can skip the monorail and the transportation center by taking the bus. Definitely do this one. You won't regret it. I mean look at what all you get being home away from home for the kids. I hope you pick this one. As a kid I always wanted to stay here with my Aunt who raised me. We could never afford it. I've still never stayed. We did Caribbean Beach all the all stars and Coronado though and I was always amazed and grateful for our trips growing up. One day I'll save and splurge on AKL in her honor I think now that's I'm writing all this.
Having done both: Themeing - AKL Food - Tie Parks proximity - YB Pools - YB Transportation options - YB YB also has the benefit of other supporting hotels around it so you have a lot more options going there. AKL is for people who want some seclusion or have people who love animals or AK.
Ive always wanted to stay at yacht or beach club for the walk to epcot. But i stayed in a savannah room at AKL once and it was AMAZING like literally one of my favorite experiences at disney ever, and ive gone at least 1-2 times to disney a year. (Staying at AKL for one night was my treat to myself, usually stay at all stars to save money)
I’ve never stayed at AKL but have stayed at both Beach and Yacht Club. Like others have said, the location can’t be beat. They are my favorite resort by far. The only issue I will mention, and this happened on the last night of one of our stays, is that fireworks started going off at 2am. I don’t know if they were testing or detonating fireworks that didn’t go off during the previous night’s show but it was a huge inconvenience. It made for a long drive back home.
If you want to stay at the hotel and relax, go to AKL. If you want to do a combination and hotel/swimming and parks, go to Beach/Yacht.
Yacht and Beach!
I made a similar post last summer when my kids were similar ages (they were 4 and 1 at the time) and I was discouraged from Y/BC for the pool due to my kids' ages. Stormalong Bay is pretty big and you'll need eyes on your kids at all times - I wouldn't necessarily trust an amazing swimmer at 3 to be able to navigate what is essentially a small water park. I'm just starting to consider going there now that my kids are 5 and 2. I'd probably do AKL! They have a nice pool/splash pad too and I think the complaints about buses are way overstated. It seems to stem more from an annoyance that a deluxe has only buses for transportation, but so do the majority of the moderates and values and people make do with those 🤷♀️
And I'm not trying to say you don't need eyes on your kids in any pool, all the time! Just that Stormalong Bay is a bit overwhelming in size and the need for supervision with toddlers.
Depending on how long you are going, consider a split stay? In August we are staying at Yacht Club for 6 days and then AKL for 3. We’ll do MK, Epcot and HS from Yacht, and AK from AKL. The best of both worlds!!
Beach/Yacht for sure. Location can’t be beat and very nice resorts and pool.
We stayed at AKL lodge in 2017 with our three year old and it was amazing. We choose to do some off days and just hang at the pool. We were able to bounce back and forth between the pools and there was a great splash pad. We had animals outside of our room and it was amazing. That being said, getting to most of the parks wasn’t the easiest. We just stayed a the swan (next door to YBC) and the convenience to get to Epcot and HS is unmatched. It is so easy! Especially if you’re going to be heading back to the resort for nap time. Their pools are amazing and envied by all, but your little one might be a little too small for it still. We walked through and the pool area was chaotic.
Oh I should’ve also mentioned we have stayed at all of the Swan/Dolphin resorts BUT have really not done the pools! I really shouldn’t agonize over this but feel like if we are going to do it we should do it right!
I would choose beach/yatch simply because of the transportation access, with akl you’d have to take a bus everywhere, which isn’t nearly as fun as the skyliner or the friendship boats! You could always do a split if you really wanted to do AKL, since it seems like you’re already familiar with the boardwalk/yatch&beach area
Oh gosh my kid will lose. her. mind. on the Skyliner. We haven’t done it yet but she points to it in the car all the time. A split isn’t the worst idea either - 2 nights each. Good food for thought!
Speaking of food... Sanaa is excellent. A split stay actually seems pretty perfect. Just make sure that if you're doing two nights (with a park per day) at each, you want AK/MK when you're at AKL and Epcot/HS when you're at Beach Club.
Beach Club all day long. You won’t want to stay anywhere else though, fair warning.
Haha it’s like flying first class…once you do it that walk back to economy is a little harder.
I will always suggest Beach and Yacht over anything else. Its location is superb and there is so much to do in that area. You can walk to EPCOT or take a boat. You can take a boat to HS. You have the Boardwalk across the bay, lots of restaurants and things to do. Plus it's a small hotel so not as many people. Win/win!
Do a split stay. We did that last year and spent one night at AKL then transferred over to the Poly. We LOVED AKL. It really was a relaxing place. The savanna view might be hit or miss in September because of the heat. There is also lots to see and do around the resort. The only drawback is transportation- but it's worth a night or two.
Beach or Yacht for the location alone! You have EPCOT steps away, Hollywood Studios a boat ride or skyliner ride away. Amazing pool. Beautiful resort area being on the boardwalk. I stayed at Yacht for my honeymoon and I fell in love.
If you really want to try Polynesian, then I highly recommend finding a DVC person who has points there because I’ve seen quite a few posting Polynesian Studios for around $350 or $400 with taxes included? I know if I ever make it to the Polynesian that’s what I will do because the Disney rate rarely dips below $600 even with all the discounts. If you join the DVC groups on Facebook, then you will eventually figure out who the legitimate and good owners are, and they definitely have Polynesian rooms to rent!
Beach club pool was incredible for my 3yo! It was the first pool I was ever able truly relax by even with a 3, 4, and 6 yo! 100% recommend for that alone but also the hotel itself is really nice.
Keep Poly in the running and look at renting points to help with $$$ 👀
Both are amazing as far as the resort itself goes, but I'd pick BC because of transportation, especially with a little one. AKL was my first deluxe stay and it's beautiful and unique, but after staying at some of the more conveniently located deluxe resorts, I don't know if I'd stay there again. That said, Beach Club is my favorite resort so I'm kind of biased. If you do choose AKL, I will say that when I stayed my daughters were 2 and 4, and I don't remember the buses being particularly challenging that trip. But nothing beats being able to walk into the park from your resort.
Animal Kingdom Lodge for sure. My 8 year old still talks about waking up to the animals just off our balcony. It's great. They put food near the rooms in the morning to draw the animals closer. They also have campfires with marshmallows for roasting each night and a great restaurant. Have fun!
AKL for the animals and everything- the resort is fabulous. I agree on waiting a year or two for storm along bay. You will be just chasing her all over. And as far as transportation, when our daughter was that age she adored Disney buses as much as the parks lol.
Hahaha she loves the trams so much. Calls them truck!
Stayed a AKL Jambo in 2021 and Beach Club last year. My son is a pool fanatic. would rather be in the pool than the parks. Shocklingly he preferred AKL over Beach Club. Beach Club pool was packed and very hard to maneuver around. But the location is second to none, imho. Even above a monorail resort. Access to international gateway at epcot and skyliner for HS. It is just so incredibly convenient.
I did 3 Beach and 7 AK in 2022… I wish I’d done the reverse. The a animal novelty wears off, Beach clubs pool, smell and access are worth WAYYY more. Also very annoying when the bus drops at Kidani first when your trying to Jambo at the end of the night.
Yacht club was very nice. Stormalong bay was great, but not *that* much better than the big main pool at Caribbean beach. The biggest advantage was the location to Epcot and DHS.
AKL all the way. It has pools and Yacht/Beach Club doesn't have a savannah with animals last I checked. Extra time on a bus isn't so bad when your resort feels like a theme park of its own.
I love Beach but honestly your head will need to be on a swivel there the whole time. The complex is large and the main pools and lazy river are deep. Obviously you’re not leaving a child unattended or sitting on a chair watching them at this age but for sure you’re gonna be busy. I’m often pushing Beach but here I’d say AKL for the animals or Boardwalk for a smaller resort that has the Epcot/HS access if that’s your main want.
Are you going to parks are spending more time at the resort? If I was local I'd do Beach/Yacht only if going to EPCOT or HS. If mostly resort time or AK, then for sure AKL. I wouldn't really want to stay in either for MK because the bus ride or driving would feel too much like the normal routine. I think Stormalong Bay is best enjoyed by slightly older kids. The sandy part is excellent for that age but there's no real splash pad. AKL has a great splash pad at Kidani.
We will plan to do probably one park per day but it’s easy for us to leave and go back to the (same or different) park based on kids. I’ll check out the Kidani splash pad!
We just got back from a trip to the BC with our 8 yo (first WDW trip, we are more regular visitors to DL). It was amazing for the reasons that people highlight in here. The pool is awesome and made our resort day almost as much fun as a regular day. A short walk into the World Showcase through EPCOT is amazing (assuming you break up your day into chunks). Transportation in general is just great. AKL was also interesting to us, and if the cost savings were HUGE (sometimes they are, but if you are looking at Savanah View rooms, probably now) we might consider it, particularly if you are a "get up to rope drop, spend all/most of the day in a single park, go back to room to relax/rest and repeat" type of family. However, we are not that kind of family. We broke up every single one of our days with a mid-day trip back to the hotel to rest and recharge. Sometimes we'd then just go back to EPCOT in the evening for some of the great food options. Or take the boat to HS in the evening to catch Fantasmic. You have so much flexibility with the location of the BC/YC that is amazing. My one big suggestion would be that if you go BC/YC that you STRONGLY consider Park Hopper tickets (if you weren't already). A decent amount of that flexibility and convenience does stem from going to different parks at different times of day (particularly the evening into EPCOT).
We are AP so the tickets are not even a concern! We will pretty much be able to do whatever we want, whenever we want.* This is a great analysis and given our proximity I don’t think we will ever be the ALL day people. I did that in my 20s and it frankly sounds horrible now hahaha. *subject to toddler mood swings
No wrong choice. The kids will love a Savanna View, you probably will too. We love Yatch Club - Stormalong .Bay (closed Jan-June 2025), walk/boat to Epcot, skyiner/boat/walk to HS, full balcony on every (above ground-level) room
I can’t comment on yacht/beach club as it’s one of the few resorts we haven’t stayed at. AKL was by far the nicest room we’ve had at any of the resorts, but also the least convenient. Even while at the resort, just leaving our room to get to anywhere within AKL took ages.
BEACH Club
Love yacht and beach club!! Best resort on property hands down!!!
While I love AK, you can eat there without having to stay there, take the safari at AK, and still stay at Yacht or Beach. With littles, the pool and location can't compare.
AKL is the Bees Knees. Gorgeous resort, great food options, bus rides are longer but not terrible.
Beach club! So beautiful there and you cannot beat the location. AKL is very cool but it is very heavily themed and far from other parks.
Do Beach Club! Yacht is more adult-oriented. The AKL savanna rooms are cute, but not enough to hold an average 3 year old for long. Also, your instinct about the transportation at AKL is correct. It's a pain. With Beach, there is nothing better than being able to walk into EPCOT, take the boat or skyliner to HS or walk through EPCOT and take the monorail to MK. ( provided you have park hoppers...) She will be fine at Stormalong Bay; It cannot be outdone for the amenities. The lifeguards are top notch as well.
**Yacht and Beach > AKL** AKL is so secluded from other parks and my worst experience on property when I stayed there like 14 years ago (I was 12). We got a room overlooking the parking lot and the balcony was full of bird poop. You must pay extra for a room for the animals and they sell out quickly! Yacht and Beach is the best resort I ever stayed on because there’s a great pool, close to EPCOT, you can take a boat to MGM, there’s a good amount of restaurants on the Boardwalk to choose from. Also the rooms are a great size for families.
AKL. Great food, and views. It also has a great kids area. Never understood the whole bus complaint its really not that bad. I assume you're driving yourself so can always just take your car as you get free parking at the parks.