POFQ or animal kingdom lodge?

[dollydaydream7]

We did POFQ before and upgraded to ddp, the pros for us there were

Smaller quieter resort
Short bus queues at end of night
Loved the theming.
Boat to Disney springs

We’ve never stayed in another resort though. This time going off prices atm it should be quite close in price to do AKL and not have to upgrade the dining plan.

We have 4 boys 12/9/7/4 who all pretty much love animals so that’s swaying me a bit but pofq was so convenient.

Anyone stayed in AKL what did you think? Or even stayed in both so could compare?

Tia

[NewtoOrlando]

We’ve stayed at POFQ twice, and having visited AKL, I would always pick FQ. That’s just personal preference though. I love the exterior walkways, being able to throw open the door and have the fresh air on my face, love the size of it, the walk down the river after a few hours at the pool when going back to the room, the boat to DS and the different colours of the buildings, there’s just something about it. We have visited AKL, and whilst I don’t doubt it’s a lovely resort and the animals are wonderful, I’m happy just visiting there for dinner, we’re not fans of hotels at all!

[DigitalOlli]

We stayed at both in june last year and will stay again 9 nights at AKL this year :-)

FQ is a nice hotel but we like AKL much better, everything is indoor and the animals :-) It i deluxe resort and you will notice this from the beginning.

[kellsbells]

I've stayed at both a few times (they are my 2 favourite resorts!) and I like them both for different reasons. We are at AKL again this year after staying at POFQ twice last year.

I absolutely love FQ and I would probably have this as my first choice but if you haven't stayed at AKL before then it's a great experience.

You'll probably hear people saying it's a long way out but I've never felt that. Although the resort is much bigger there is only bus 1 stop at jambo and 1 at kidani and we've never had any issues. The QS is great at AKL and the pool is really nice too. Even if you don't have a savannah view (we've stayed there with and without) there are loads of places to see the animals. Me and my sister love getting a hot chocolate in the evening and going down to watch them all!

I think the only major downside is if you like to spend a lot of time at Disney Springs as that is a longer journey on the bus and if you plan to go there a lot then POFQ is for sure more convenient. None of the parks are bad journey wise and obviously you are very close to AK.

[Ridersmom]

I've stayed at AKL three or four times and POFQ once. My POFQ stay was marred by a screaming toddler in the next room. I have always traveled to Florida in the winter from frozen New Hampshire and like the feeling of being in a warm and tropical setting, LIke another poster said, it's nice to open the doors to the sunshine. I also liked that when we stayed, our room was only 50 feet or so from where we parked-lovely after walking around the parks all day.

AKL is a deluxe and feels more deluxe. My biggest complaint has been coming back from the parks (or even arriving at the resort) and there being no parking available. We've never quickly found a spot at AKL.

For me, I would go with the deluxe if price is similar. You would get more for your money.

[Eloise73]

Ive stayed at both and although the Animal Kingdom Lodge is gorgeous I couldn't stay there for more than 2/3 nights. The rooms were very dark and for some reason I just felt more relaxed at the POFQ. Both are amazing though and you can't go wrong.

[returnplanning]

Haven't stayed at POFQ (did 1 night at POR a few years ago, but for me AKL is the best - internal doors, animal watching, animal-related activities, and astounding lobby theming that just blows you away. We didn't feel too isolated or far away - on the other hand we are quite relaxed about travelling etc, viewing the travel between places as part of the WDW experience.

Having said that, the main attraction for AKL is the animal watching, so if you are going to be out of your hotel room dawn until dusk, you may not get as much of that, so in that case, I'd probably consider somewhere else.

[Unicorn88]

I've stayed a POFQ 5 times & love that resort as its so relaxing & very handy for going to Disney Springs in the evening (Boat to DS / short Bus journey on return). I've checked out some other resorts during meals & still book POFQ every time.

That said Animal Kingdom is the one other resort I would consider & would love to stay in, even though it can be a bit further from the parks. Unfortunately pricing has never been good for my dates especially for Savannah rooms.

[mummyroo1]

Stayed at both loved both and would do both again in a heartbeat. Both have major advantages and neither really has any significant negatives for me. AKL certainly wins on food and entertainment at the resort but FQ has that boat to Springs and we do love Disney Springs. If not much more I'd do AKL for the change.

[scoobydooby]

I’ve stayed at both and like both. I prefer AKL but would not pay for a sacannah view as we personally are not in the room enough to justify the major price hike. There are lots of places to get better views of the animals and make it into part of the trip. The poos is bigger. Internal corridors (my preference personally). Better shop. Three onsite TS restaurants. Room service. Beautiful lobby. Bigger rooms. Animal viewing. Unique cast member interaction. Downside is length of bus travel to Disney Springs. That said I’m at POFQ this year as cost was king.