We will be visiting WDW this fall with two small children (18 mos & 4yrs). We are trying to decide if we would be better off staying at Animal Kingdom or the Wilderness Lodge. Our chief concerns are ease of transportation to the parks (esp MK & MGM) as well as noise level in the hotel itself. Any suggestions or comments?

I have stayed at the AKL and felt that it was very quiet. Kids love looking at the aminals in the savannah. The AKL is a bit farther away from MGM and the Magic KIngdom, however WDW's transportation is so efficient, it doesn't seem to be a big deal.
Have eaten at the Wilderness Lodge only. Also seemed to be quiet, etc. Rooms I suspect would be similar since the same architect designed AKL. Wilderness Lodge is closest to Magic Kingdom of the 2, but accessible by boat from Magic Kingdom.

Go with the wilderness lodge. It's a boat ride away from the magic kingdom and a relatively painless bus ride away from MGM. Transportation to and from the AKL will bug you - esp with kids. All buses, and out of the way. We ended up taking taxis half the time to avoid the long bus rides! The wilderness lodge is pretty quiet, and they have a great place for kids to stay and play if you want a quiet dinner somewhere one night. enjoy!

I would stay at the WL. The water taxi to MK will be an exciting "ride" to your children. AKL isn't near any of the parks except AK- longer bus rides. With young children, you will likely end up spending most of your time at the MK. Young children like it best usually because it has the most attractions geared for them. AKL and WL were designed by the same architect, I believe. You won't find much noise level difference between them, and by going in the fall when older children are in school, it should be pretty quiet.

I have stayed at the Wilderness Lodge with my boys, and we really liked it. It is relatively quiet (for Disney). The boat ride to Magic Kingdom is very convenient. And there is a replica of Old Faithful which actually erupts--my boys loved this when they were younger. The pool area is very nice also.