AKL or Saratoga Springs

[Barzeski]

Planning a 6 day/5 night trip in early August with my parents (65 and 79), my daughter (16), and my brother and his wife and son (37, 33, 8).

Options for lodging:

(1) AKL - 2 standard rooms. My parents, daughter, and I share a room. My brother and his family shares a room. Free table service dining. Park hoppers. $8154.

(2) Saratoga Springs - 2 bedroom villa. My parents get the king room (they're paying). I share a double room with my brother/wife. Kids sleep in living room/with us. Free table service dining. Park hoppers. $7954.

(3) Saratoga Springs - same as above without table service dining. Can make some meals in room/buy some quick service/table service meals as wanted. $6120 without park hopper. $6679 with park hopper.

I've had 3 Disney trips as a "grown up" (1) Port Orleans with park hopper but no dining (liked the boat transportation but the theming was boring and lack of restaurant options at the resort stunk). (2) Pop Century with table service dining and park hoppers (liked Pop but very spread out - ended up in the 80s far away so didn't use the pool much - liked the dining plan because I could order whatever I truly wanted and not worry about the price but felt a little limited because of dining reservations). (3) All Star Sports with park hopper but no dining (stayed close to main building and loved spending each afternoon at the pool - daughter loved the activities (but she was 12 so...certain she won't be partaking this time - self paid for one table service and stayed under $40 a day for food for both of us by splitting QS meals - only one TS for the whole trip and shared there too - and eating our own breakfast in the room/on the bus).

Thoughts on AKL - LOVE the theme. The hotel seems luxurious and fun. Love the onsite restaurant options, too. I have shared a room multiple times with my parents and do well with them.

Thoughts on Saratoga - LOVE being able to all stay in one space. Not thrilled with the room design - seems dated and bleh but don't really plan on spending a ton of time there. I see us going different ways during the day/night. A home base will keep us more connected. Like the option of a kitchen but if we get the dining plan it seems like a waste...torn on that. Like the boat option.

Questions - What's transportation like from both to the park? How do the pools compare? Anything else I should consider? Am I missing a resort that would be a better option?

 

[clayfolks]

Couldn’t you do a two bedroom at AKL/V for about the same price? We love AKL! The pools, restaurants, cast members, and ambience are all excellent. We’ve stayed at Saratoga Springs 3 times and have been very unimpressed with the bus service and the very spread out nature of the resort. The buses ar AKL are frequent and the travel distance to all the parks, except MK, is the same as from any other resort. MK is only about 5 minutes longer.

 

[WildernessMickey]

I would do #1 or #2 with the Table Service Dining Plan included. I love both AKV and SSR and they each have beautiful pools and their own advantages. I would pick which room layout you like best as the deciding factor. It is nice to have the kitchen and living room in the 2 bedroom so that would push me towards SSR. But of course AKL has a fantastic lobby and the best restaurants. Tough decision but they are both great resorts.

 

[Nancyg56]

If you thought that POP was spread out, will you be happy with SSR? WE just had a lovely stay at OKW, two bdrm villa and shared space. We do well with that also. But holy huge resort!!!! If I was not so cheap and had not wanted to save the money we saved booking there using the FD promo, I would have chosen AKL hands down. If your parents are willing to make that leap to AKL I would book there with teh dining plan. I would also be on the lookout for any promos to be had during your timeframe and consider if they can work on a villa.

 

[TravelandLeisure]

I would go with Option 1. That way everyone gets a bed.

 

[Barzeski]

Couldn’t you do a two bedroom at AKL/V for about the same price? We love AKL! The pools, restaurants, cast members, and ambience are all excellent. We’ve stayed at Saratoga Springs 3 times and have been very unimpressed with the bus service and the very spread out nature of the resort. The buses ar AKL are frequent and the travel distance to all the parks, except MK, is the same as from any other resort. MK is only about 5 minutes longer.

That's good to know. THANK YOU! I was thinking that transportation would be faster to Saratoga. And being so spread out is a disadvantage too. It's tough to tell looking at the website.

 

[Barzeski]

I would do #1 or #2 with the Table Service Dining Plan included. I love both AKV and SSR and they each have beautiful pools and their own advantages. I would pick which room layout you like best as the deciding factor. It is nice to have the kitchen and living room in the 2 bedroom so that would push me towards SSR. But of course AKL has a fantastic lobby and the best restaurants. Tough decision but they are both great resorts.

Thank you! I think it is a tough decision because ultimately both would be fine! I don't cook at home, let alone on vacation but I think my brother would enjoy the kitchen.

 

[Barzeski]

If you thought that POP was spread out, will you be happy with SSR? WE just had a lovely stay at OKW, two bdrm villa and shared space. We do well with that also. But holy huge resort!!!! If I was not so cheap and had not wanted to save the money we saved booking there using the FD promo, I would have chosen AKL hands down. If your parents are willing to make that leap to AKL I would book there with teh dining plan. I would also be on the lookout for any promos to be had during your timeframe and consider if they can work on a villa.

They keep saying that money shouldn't be a huge factor, but I can't ignore it. That's why I love the dining plan! I can order what I want without worrying about the price...

 

[Barzeski]

I would go with Option 1. That way everyone gets a bed.

I like the ability to separate us out a little too. But I'm hoping that we connect multiple times a day if we do that.

 

[megs1313]

AKL 100%. not even a close call.

 

[Barzeski]

AKL 100%. not even a close call.

The theming is pretty great. My daughter agrees with you after seeing resort photos. Hahah. But now she and my brother want to consider renting a house off property. Oh gah. I don't really care what we do but I want a plan!

 

[Nancyg56]

The theming is pretty great. My daughter agrees with you after seeing resort photos. Hahah. But now she and my brother want to consider renting a house off property. Oh gah. I don't really care what we do but I want a plan!

NO!! Not with the number of peole you have. Transportation will be a logistical issue

 

[ClapYourHands]

NO!! Not with the number of peole you have. Transportation will be a logistical issue

I don't see transportation as terribly difficult. If they get two cars for the party, they should be fine. Plus, there's always Uber/Lyft if someone really needs to do something different from everyone else.

 

[Nancyg56]

I don't see transportation as terribly difficult. If they get two cars for the party, they should be fine. Plus, there's always Uber/Lyft if someone really needs to do something different from everyone else.

I know that you can order Lyft, but if you need to rent two vehicles in order to stay off site, you are now increasing a lot of costs. YOu have the rental costs plus you are adding parking fees at the parks times 2. That is going to add up fast.

We travel as an extended family most of the time. One of the saving graces for us to still be "friends" at the end of the trip is the ability for any one of us to come and go at will. We normally all head out together, and even that can be as challenging as herding cats, so I would cringe at trying to keep the coming and going to manage the seating capacity of a vehicle. I know it can be done, and we use Lyft throughout our stay, but it does add a level of thought that I prefer not to have on a family vacation,

 

[ClapYourHands]

I know that you can order Lyft, but if you need to rent two vehicles in order to stay off site, you are now increasing a lot of costs. YOu have the rental costs plus you are adding parking fees at the parks times 2. That is going to add up fast.

We travel as an extended family most of the time. One of the saving graces for us to still be "friends" at the end of the trip is the ability for any one of us to come and go at will. We normally all head out together, and even that can be as challenging as herding cats, so I would cringe at trying to keep the coming and going to manage the seating capacity of a vehicle. I know it can be done, and we use Lyft throughout our stay, but it does add a level of thought that I prefer not to have on a family vacation,

I don't disagree that there are increased transportation-related costs when staying offsite, nor do I disagree that there may be some planning necessary to coordinate comings and goings. However, that, to me, does not rise to the level of "logistical nightmare." YMMV, though, because a lot will depend on the make up of your group.

We stayed offsite with friends a couple of years ago. Our family had a rental car, and their family had a rental car. We came and went at the same times. Sometimes we swapped which kids were in which car so friend pairs could ride together. Our offsite accommodations were close enough that it wasn't a big deal for DH to drop off me and the boys one morning to rope drop while he and the rest of the group got a later start. I think it might depend on how in-synch you are with the other members of your party, but we weren't burdened by driving together, and there was no extra level of thought required for us.

The added costs of the rental car and parking fees were more than offset by the amount we saved staying offsite, both for the unit itself and related costs. Our food costs were lower because we paid grocery store prices for eggs, cereal, bagels, etc. and ate breakfast at home. We also ate at restaurants offsite several times, which were less expensive than equivalent Disney fare.

I realize offsite is not for everyone. Our last stay was onsite because when I ran the numbers, it ended up being easier and less expensive that way. While some people are dedicated to staying offsite and some people will only stay onsite, there are pros and cons to both. For many visitors, it pays to weigh both options when planning a trip.

 

[Pmm_]

If there were more kids going with you that age, I’d suggest SSR. Simply because it’s a great resort for them to run around and do stuff at. You can also walk right to Disney springs which we love.

 

[Barzeski]

Ultimately my parents decided that they'd rather us be together than anything else! And I really can't argue with that. <3 The AKL villa was almost $2k more and not available on our preferred dates (we were a little flexible) and so we're going with OPTION 2 - Saratoga Spring with the Meal Plan.

 

[MamaBelle4]

Ultimately my parents decided that they'd rather us be together than anything else! And I really can't argue with that. <3 The AKL villa was almost $2k more and not available on our preferred dates (we were a little flexible) and so we're going with OPTION 2 - Saratoga Spring with the Meal Plan.

I own at SSR but have stayed at both SSR & AKL. I prefer SSR hands down. I know it makes me the minority.
I find the long interior hallways of AKL to be massive sound traps. I like the privacy and the peacefulness of SSR and the proximity to DS is amazing too.

 

[meggiebeth]

We also prefer Saratoga Springs generally. The theming at AKL is incredible, but we just aren’t particularly fans of the dark, rustic decor or the cuisine served at the resort. In that sense, I think a lot of it comes down to your personal preference. Saratoga Springs is bright, airy, and nostalgic - we enjoy the theming more there (although it’s certainly less intense and impressive than the theming at AKL). It’s a very large, spread out resort but you can request a particular building if you have any preferences (and dependent on whether you have a preferred villa or not).

If the two bedroom villa at AKL was a similar price to the one at SSR, I’d probably have gone for that just to get a great themed experience, but the extra space you get at SSR in a villa outweighs the perks of AKL - privacy can be so important when traveling with extended family and living in close quarters.

 

[Nancyg56]

Ultimately my parents decided that they'd rather us be together than anything else! And I really can't argue with that. <3 The AKL villa was almost $2k more and not available on our preferred dates (we were a little flexible) and so we're going with OPTION 2 - Saratoga Spring with the Meal Plan.

Now that you have made your decision, embrace it! I have found that once I settle on a resort it is so much fun to learn as much as I can about it, from the activities available to the tidbits of trivia folks share. Enjoy your special family vacation!