Studio at VWL or AKL with 3yo

[dec2901]

So I have finally narrowed my stay down to two choices 6 night stay at a studio at VWL or studio in standard or savannah at AKL. We will have a rental car but two of the days I be at an off-site conference and my DH and DS3 will be by themselves navigating the parks. Would love to hear your opinions? If you do say AKL, do you say standard or savannah and Jambo or Kidani?

Thanks so much! What would I do without My Disboard friends?!?

 

[Kidanifan08]

So I have finally narrowed my stay down to two choices 6 night stay at a studio at VWL or studio in standard or savannah at AKL. We will have a rental car but two of the days I be at an off-site conference and my DH and DS3 will be by themselves navigating the parks. Would love to hear your opinions? If you do say AKL, do you say standard or savannah and Jambo or Kidani?

Thanks so much! What would I do without My Disboard friends?!?

With a 3 yo I would say savanna at Kidani. I assume you will be there when it is warm enough to use the pool. The pool and splash play area are awesome for the little ones. And, seeing animals off your balcony is a dream come true for a 3 yo. Two drawbacks to Kidani -- no quick service restaurant (you have to go to Jambo for that) and long bus ride to MK. Driving to MK is not any better than taking the bus. We don't mind the bus ride, but some think it is too long. Some people prefer the studios at Jambo due to the better kitchenette layout. When we stay studio, we don't use the kitchenette much, so it is not a big issue for us. One really nice thing about staying at Kidani is that the park buses stop at there first, so you will get a seat and it is easy to get on an empty bus with a stroller.

I should qualify my response with the fact that we have not yet stayed at VWL. An advantage of VWL over AKV is the easier access to MK via boat.

 

[com_op_2000]

Would 2nd AKL but would stay at jambo due to easier access to quick service meals. Splash pool/pad area at Kidani is the largest at WDW. Our DGS (2) has stayed at that resort three times already, he would stay on the pad all day and not eat, if we did not make him.

 

[ajc]

We really like the VWL and the little one may like the boat ride to MK as it is so close. At night they have campfire, stories, and movies at the wilderness campground (another short boat ride or loop on resort bus). I think a hayride could be fun too; the 3 yr old is too little for the horse back riding but sometimes they just like to see the horses.
The bus to parks is close to the villas and you can always hop the monorail to EPCOT.
We use the free magical express (luggage is so easy that way when traveling with a little one) and rent a car for a couple of days at the WDW car care center to avoid parking fees, tolls, & gas expense but if you have an expense account that may offset out of pocket costs. Its nice to be dropped close to the park with buses and not have to maneuver traffic. Also, if you enjoy an adult beverage at dinner... no DWI risk

 

[pinoke]

We LOVE Ak-J. I would recommend it much more than WL. It is an amazing experience and very helpful with little ones to just be able to get out of your room and go see animals in a moment. The pool is great and the slide to intense. The AK-K pool area is better for little ones, imo, but its only a quick cart ride away. Kidani doesn't seem to have the magic like Jambo does for us. There are pool games and marshmallows at night, pool movies and a great little quick service restaurant. Its great to grab Mickey waffles and eat on your balcony watching giraffes- where else can you get that?
We found the wait for WL boats to be ridiculous, and did not care for the resort. It has great theming and a cool lobby but we missed the animals and outdoor experiences you get at AK….

 

[sleepydog25]

So I have finally narrowed my stay down to two choices 6 night stay at a studio at VWL or studio in standard or savannah at AKL. We will have a rental car but two of the days I be at an off-site conference and my DH and DS3 will be by themselves navigating the parks. Would love to hear your opinions? If you do say AKL, do you say standard or savannah and Jambo or Kidani?

Thanks so much! What would I do without My Disboard friends?!?

Some things to consider (keep in mind I'm a bit biased given my signature line ):
1) The rooms at AKV are awesome; however, since it appears you'll be booking at the 7-month point, it's likely you might have to go with Kidani since it has more units. At Kidani, you don't have the food, gift, or sundries selection that you would have at Jambo.
2) The distance to MK via bus (and really the other parks outside of AK) can be off-putting to some.
3) VWL does have the boat to MK, and while some don't have much success with it, for most it's considered a real boon. Further, there are boats to FW and Contemporary that you can hop on, as well. At CR, you can hop on the monorail.
4) VWL is a quiet resort, overall, and they have their own movie nights on the beach, preceded by s'mores around a fire. The pools at VWL and WL proper may not be as cool as those at AKV, but I don't know that matters much to a 3-yr old. There's a small playground set near the boat/bike rental shop on the beach, too.
5) The eating selections at VWL are good, especially Artist Point and the made-to-order Mickey waffles at Roaring Fork each morning.

You can't go wrong at either resort, so it would appear to be whichever one fits what your family wants. Good luck!